Modern Education for a Modernizing Country
iPads for Kyrgyzstan
“It can widen your world. It’s not just for teaching and learning English in Kyrgyzstan – you can learn anything. All you need is an iPad.” – Dinara, Kyrgyz teacher
ABOUT THE PROJECT
As Kyrgyzstan develops in the digital age, the educational needs of its people are continuously changing. Students and teachers, who were long stuck in Soviet style, lecture-based school systems, are ready to embrace the best of the educational technology that is revolutionizing learning in the United States. SIM card-equipped iPads and other tablets can provide a link to new ideas and modern approaches to learning, from the capital city to the most remote villages.
The Opportunity: Used and affordable tablets, though widely available in the US, are difficult to find and usually financially out of reach for Kyrgyz students and teachers. When David Malana (a Peace Corps volunteer in Kyrgyzstan) and Mailande Moran (an entrepreneur and musician) teamed up on a documentary project in Kyrgyzstan, they discovered a mutual passion for creating educational opportunities for Kyrgyz kids. What began as a one-off delivery of a few used tablets has grown into a campaign that has the potential to create the first tablet-based classroom in David’s village cluster.
The Impact: Bringing digital learning to Kyrgyzstan can revolutionize both individual lives and entire education systems. The stories of the young women below illustrate the boundless potential for educational growth through technology.
Adila lives in Talas City and is approaching her senior year in high school. She’s an absolute technician when it comes to English grammar, but she finds that practical reading, speaking, and writing present tougher challenges. Her intense desire to study and learn is limited by the lack of resources and opportunities in her small city. With consistent access to apps designed to help her improve her weak spots, her English skills would easily move into academic excellence. She says, “For me, an iPad is an expensive friend, because of whom I will be able to open new horizons, new worlds.”
Dinara, a veteran teacher in a small village, is a prime example of the potential for educational reform through ed tech. She has been a pioneer with progressive education techniques, and has been teaching with a single donated generic tablet for several months. Her own personal command of English has gotten remarkably stronger through her own app-based study: “I learned that it was not just vital for teaching, but also for my learning.”
Altynai’s experience highlights the impact that a tablet can have on a single student. Since purchasing her iPad, she has honed her English skills tremendously; her tablet has also been an essential tool for the other subjects she’ll continue to tackle in high school. She’s now gearing up to come to America with a highly selective exchange program. She says, “Now, all doors of knowledge are opened with my iPad than ever in my life.”