Shoulder to Shoulder began working in education with the inception of our bilingual school in 2012. It has served as our pilot for many initiatives, such as Kolibri. Then at the end of 2016 we began expanding exponentially in the region. Along the way we have gathered some best approaches to implementing Kolibri in schools. We now emphasize sustainability and communication, read more about it below.
Technology within a classroom can be a very exciting tool for teachers, as it should be. It is also still relatively new within public education. However, after our first year we understood that perhaps teacher were more excited in knowing they would receive tablets for students than really learning how to use Kolibri. Garnering teacher, student and team observations our approach molded and adapted to ensure that new schools surpass the initial learning curve and obtain success in sustaining the project. Read below for more details on how we approach new school implementations.
Sustainability
It is important to let a school know early on that equipment won't continue being replaced past its warranty. The community needs to see the value of Kolibri and invest in it. Together with the parent association, schools create a plan for community funds. Little by little it receives income from fundraising events of parent quotas. Over time the funds can be used to purchase equipment when necessary.
Please see our page on Community Support for more details.
Communication/ Problems
Regular communication with schools and teachers is very important to check-in on progress and to make the program a success. We aim to create a professional environment where questions can be asked and teachers can come to us with any problems so that we may provide the needed support.
Teachers have admitted being afraid of us reprimanding them when something stops working, due to past experiences with other organizations. We explain to them that this has never been our way of communicating or dealing with situations.
Often we do not know of a problem with the equipment or Kolibri until we conduct a site visit or we call them first. Little by little this has been improving with the use of our WhatsApp groups. We also are patient with any problems that may arise and evaluate every situation to make a decision on a case-by-case basis.
Over the years we have found that a strategic approach to introducing Kolibri into classrooms aids overcoming the initial learning curve. Ultimately our Kolibri Modes allow for effective program implementations in our region's classrooms.
See what we recommend on how to introduce Kolibri to schools by reading our Kolibri Modes tab.