EACHTEACH

EachTeach is a Global Learning Community for Teachers based on a hybrid learning model. It combines online training offered from a multi-channel digital platform (mobile, tablets, laptops) with face-to-face mentoring. The platform has been designed to work in low connectivity environments. This makes it ideal to scale up educational initiatives that until now had limited their field of action due to the lack of technology adapted to vulnerable contexts.

The project was launched in 2019 within the SEK Education Group, with the support of the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative, the Women for Africa Foundation and UNHCR. After several years promoting education in vulnerable contexts in Spain, SEK Education Group, together with its Camilo José Cela University Foundation, decided to continue promoting education in vulnerable contexts beyond its borders, focusing on the training of teachers in refugee camps.

EachTeach’s began work at the Kakuma refugee camp (Kenya). After a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the context, the educational needs of the primary and secondary teachers in the area were determined, and the schools were the project’s future ambassadors would be working were chosen. They were trained to act as local mentors to teachers and their contribution to the preparation of the EachTeach training material and the testing of the digital platform design were essential.

Currently the platform has a repository of training material for teachers in vulnerable contexts that is constantly growing and an international community of mentors that support training. The next step will be to expand the functionality of the platform by allowing teachers to generate their own training content, honouring the name of the scheme, EachTeach: a global learning community in which everyone teaches.

THE INTERVENTION MODEL

EachTeach intervention model consists of the following stages:

STAGE 1. QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CONTEXT

At this stage, a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the context was carried out, requiring an on-site assessment of several fundamental aspects:

  • WHAT has been done and HOW it has been done so far
  • WHAT resources were used for it
  • WHY and FOR WHAT PURPOSE was it made?
  • WHAT NEEDS persist

Martha Korok, Rehema Sango Ebila and Elizabeth Kitulo are ambassadors for EachTeach in the Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya

STAGE 2. SELECTION OF EACHTEACH SCHOOLS AND AMBASSADORS

Following a positive analysis and having considered the intervention necessary the schools and ambassadors were selected, teachers representing the programme in the field providing in-person teaching.

This phase was carried out with the collaboration of local and international organisations, which contributed their experience and knowledge of the specific area being addressed.
The selection process for EachTeach ambassadors took into account their legal status, academic background, languages, family situation, level of empowerment of their schools, as well as their attitude and motivation to become mentors.

STAGE 3. TRAINING OF EACHTEACH AMBASSADORS

EachTeach ambassadors received online and face-to-face training (the latter if conditions permit) to begin their mentoring work. This training included the development of transversal pedagogical, socio-emotional, technological skills and specific mentoring knowledge.

STAGE 4. DESIGN / ADAPTATION OF EACHTEACH ONLINE TRAINING COURSES TO THE CONTEXT 

EachTeach consists of a repository of training content for teachers in vulnerable contexts that operates at two levels:

  • Level 1: It aims to develop transversal competencies related to pedagogical, socio-emotional, digital, entrepreneurial skills.
  • Level 2: It aims to develop more advanced competencies related to one specific subject—for example, Digital and Technological Skills.

Depending on the characteristics of each intervention, these training contents were expanded and / or adapted to existing needs. To do this, EachTeach makes use of various sources of content generation:

  • Contents developed by the EachTeach team of experts
  • Content developed by organisations / personnel who have worked locally in the area
  • Syndicated content from the web

These contents are structured under the micro-course format following pedagogical and technological design principles based on the needs of teachers in vulnerable contexts. Each micro-course has a final evaluation that must be passed by the teacher in order to continue with more advanced courses.

The philosophy of EachTeach is thus to promote a circular economy of knowledge that takes advantage of all the existing training material, structuring it and adapting it to a progressive certification system that guarantees the continuous training and academic and professional recognition of these teachers.

STAGE 5. HYBRID TRAINING: TEACHERS ARE TRAINED THROUGH THE DIGITAL PLATFORM WITH THE SUPPORT OF EACHTEACH AMBASSADORS

The model combines online and face-to-face training. From the online platform, the teacher can take different micro-courses at their own pace that allow them to acquire progressive levels of certification both within Level 1 and Level 2. Each micro-course, with an approximate duration of three to four hours, concludes with a personal project. In it, the teacher puts into practice the training content seen solving a personal challenge in the classrooms. To do this, he is supported by EachTeach’s network of international mentors and local project ambassadors.

Both for face-to-face sessions and online sessions, EachTeach establishes local and international alliances that guarantee that schools have the necessary resources to facilitate this training.

PRINCIPLES OF PEDAGOGICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL DESIGN

EachTeach is based on the following pedagogical and technological design principles:

OUR NEXT STEPS

EachTeach is strengthening its network of partners to foster these areas:

  • THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRAINING CONTENT

Up to now, the collaboration with the International Centre of Excellence in Innovative Learning (ICEFIL) has been essential. ICEFIL is a consortium of universities and other institutions internationally recognised for its expertise in teacher training.

  • THE CREATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF VOLUNTARY MENTORS (EACHTEACH AMBASSADORS)

This mentors’ network will help us execute our blended model: the online training is complemented with mentoring sessions developed by what we call EachTeach ambassadors, international teachers that we train for this aim.

  • THE EXPANSION TO OTHER REGIONS

We are seeking for partners to continue EachTeach’s expansion to other African and Latin American countries.