What is the Teacher Digital Toolkit (TDT)?

The TDT is a free, on-demand, downloadable learning platform for teachers. It offers resources in Arabic and English focusing on ICT, digital literacy, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking skills, linked to core curricula and SDGs.

Why was the TDT created, especially in Arabic?

The TDT was created to address a significant lack of Arabic-centric digital content for educators. It also aims to support teachers who may be time-poor or resource-limited, providing accessible, offline resources.

How did COVID-19 influence the development of the TDT?

The pandemic accelerated the development of the TDT, prompting urgent content production and a focus on adapting resources to the challenging conditions faced by teachers and students, such as limited electricity and shared devices.

How was the TDT developed with input from teachers?

Teachers were involved from the beginning in co-designing and co-creating the TDT. Feedback led to changes like shorter modules, more video content, and the use of a broader Arabic dialect. Collaboration with teachers in Lebanon and Jordan was key.

What are the key features of the TDT platform?

The platform includes filters for categories like instructional practice, tools & skills, technology & coding, and SDGs. Users can search for resources, courses, lesson plans, or videos. Content is downloadable, accessible, and free.

How has the TDT supported teachers like Asam?

Teacher Asam found the TDT helpful for preparing lessons, particularly in teaching Arabic and STEAM. It aided in integrating Sustainable Development Goals and provided ready-made resources for managing large classrooms effectively.

What improvements did Asam suggest for the TDT?

Asam suggested including more resources specifically for teaching the Arabic language. He also proposed a feature where teachers could contribute their own lesson plans to the TDT.

What are Rayan's views on teacher professional development?

Rayan believes professional development is a mutual responsibility between the school and the teacher. She emphasizes the need for motivation, training, resources, psychological support, and flexibility, stressing that teachers are not machines.

What makes learning memorable, according to the workshop participants?

Participants highlighted creativity, the ability to design and lead one's own learning, empathy, emotional support, and peer-to-peer interaction as key elements of memorable learning experiences.

Building Teachers’ Digital Literacy Skills: Thaki’s Teacher Digital Toolkit - Migration Summit 2023

MIT OpenCourseWare

Education3 min read67 min video

May 4, 2023|198 views|4

migration displacement livelihoods refugees education workforce development MIT ReACT storytelling migration summit teaching toolkit skills

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Thaki's Teacher Digital Toolkit empowers refugee educators with free, bilingual digital resources and training, fostering essential 21st-century skills.

Key Insights

The Thaki Teacher Digital Toolkit (TDT) provides free, downloadable, bilingual (Arabic/English) professional development resources for teachers, accessible offline.

TDT content is designed to be immediately applicable, embedding ICT, digital literacy, and future-focused skills like creativity and critical thinking.

The toolkit was co-designed with teachers from the target regions to ensure relevance and practicality, addressing specific needs and contexts.

Thaki repurposes discarded laptops, providing them to displaced and vulnerable children, creating significant educational value through hardware and pre-loaded educational content.

Teacher feedback, particularly regarding the need for more Arabic-centric content and shorter, video-based modules, was crucial in shaping the TDT.

The session highlighted the challenges faced by teachers in refugee contexts, including limited resources, electricity, and internet access, underscoring the importance of offline and adaptable learning tools.

The workshop emphasized the importance of memorable learning experiences, creativity, design thinking, and the need for both institutional and personal responsibility in teacher professional development.

Co-creating educational solutions with educators and leveraging technology are key to supporting displaced learners and ensuring they have a promising future.

THE GENESIS AND MISSION OF THAKI

Thaki was founded eight years ago in response to the Syrian refugee crisis, stemming from a profound sadness over the educational disruption faced by millions of displaced children. The organization's core mission is to prevent a 'lost generation' by leveraging underutilized digital resources, primarily laptops, donated by corporations and institutions. These devices are repurposed and pre-loaded with engaging educational content, thereby extending their life and maximizing their impact for vulnerable populations.

THAKI'S IMPACT AND THE TEACHER DIGITAL TOOLKIT (TDT)

Thaki has distributed over 4,000 devices to 132 organizations, providing an estimated $11 million in educational value. These devices are equipped with over 1,300 educational tools and resources. Recognizing that technology alone is insufficient, Thaki developed the Teacher Digital Toolkit (TDT). The TDT is a free, on-demand learning platform focused on teacher professional development, believing that enhanced teacher skills directly translate to improved student learning outcomes.

KEY FEATURES AND DESIGN PHILOSOPHY OF THE TDT

The TDT is notable for being free, downloadable, and accessible offline, crucial for educators in resource-limited environments. It is bilingual in Arabic and English to accommodate diverse linguistic needs. The toolkit offers "off-the-shelf" resources that are editable and linked to core curricula, while also integrating essential 21st-century skills like creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, alongside the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A key aspect is its co-design with teachers from the region, ensuring cultural and contextual relevance.

ADDRESSING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND THE NEED FOR ARABIC CONTENT

The TDT was created to address a significant gap in Arabic-centric and Arabic-serving digital content for educators. Polls revealed Arabic is the fourth most used language online, yet less than 0.7% of top websites use Arabic. This digital disparity, coupled with the challenges faced by teachers in refugee contexts (unreliable electricity, limited devices often shared by families), highlighted the urgent need for accessible, localized digital learning tools. The TDT aims to bridge this divide by providing high-quality, relevant resources.

CO-DESIGN AND TEACHER STORYTELLING

The development of the TDT involved extensive stakeholder engagement, particularly with teachers. Teacher feedback was instrumental in shaping the toolkit, leading to changes such as shorter modules, increased focus on video content, and the use of standard Arabic over dialects for broader reach. Testimonials from teachers like Asam and insights from a voice note by Ryan underscored the TDT's practical support in lesson preparation, integration of SDGs, and the overall enhancement of teaching methodologies. This teacher-centric approach ensures the toolkit meets real-world classroom needs.

FROM CONTENT PRODUCTION TO CO-DESIGN WORKSHOP

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Thaki initiated urgent content production, creating simple tech tutorial videos disseminated via WhatsApp. This evolved into more in-depth content creation, involving teachers in co-design and collaboration. The session culminated in an interactive workshop using Google Jamboard, where participants reflected on memorable learning experiences. This activity explored themes of creativity, empathy, and the importance of design thinking, ultimately aiming to translate these insights into practical applications for the TDT and improving educational support for all learners.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Software & Apps

●Companies

●Organizations

●Concepts

●People Referenced

Teacher Digital Toolkit: Key Features and Benefits

Practical takeaways from this episode

Do This

Utilize free, on-demand, downloadable resources for teacher professional development.

Access content in both Arabic and English to suit learning preferences.

Leverage off-the-shelf resources that are editable for diverse classroom needs.

Integrate content linked to core curriculum and research-backed future-focused skills (creativity, collaboration, critical thinking).

Incorporate resources linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Focus on ICT and digital literacy support for teachers.

Use the TDT for teachers at any stage of their professional development.

Avoid This

Don't assume all teachers have equal access to technology or stable internet.

Don't rely solely on international best practices without considering local context.

Don't forget the importance of teacher motivation, psychological support, and belonging.

Common Questions

Becky is an organization that repurposes old laptops, loading them with educational content for displaced and vulnerable children. Its mission is to prevent a 'lost generation' by providing essential digital tools and learning resources.

Topics

Digital Literacy Arabic Language Resources Circular Economy In Education COVID-19 Education Response ICT Skills Sustainable Development Goals Online Learning Platforms Co-design

Mentioned in this video

softwarePHP Laravel

The technology framework used for the back end of the Teacher Digital Toolkit.

conceptSyrian refugee crisis

The event that spurred the creation of Becky, highlighting the plight of millions of displaced Syrian children missing out on education.

organizationSSC

One of Becky's partners mentioned in the context of their work in Lebanon, where teacher Asam works.

softwareTeacher Digital Toolkit

A learning platform created by Becky for teacher professional development, offering free, on-demand, downloadable bilingual (Arabic/English) resources focused on ICT, digital literacy, and future-focused skills.

companySiteground

The server provider where both the back end and front end of the Teacher Digital Toolkit are hosted.

organizationJustur

One of Becky's partners mentioned in the context of their work in Lebanon.

organizationCatalyst project

A project through which Becky collaborated with teachers in Jordan to co-create and refine the Teacher Digital Toolkit.

personRodina Abdo

Founder and CEO of Becky, who explains the organization's mission born out of the Syrian refugee crisis to provide digital tools and education to children missing out on schooling.

organizationEducation NBO

An event that Rayan attended in Belgium, mentioned as a robust opportunity for professional development.

organizationBecky

An organization that collects and repurposes laptops and other digital tools from corporations and institutions, pre-loading them with engaging and motivating educational content for displaced and vulnerable children.

softwareGoogle Jamboard

The platform used for the interactive workshop where participants reflected on memorable learning experiences.

conceptEid Mubarak

A celebratory greeting for Eid al-Fitr, mentioned as a well-wish for those celebrating the holiday.

toolReactJS

The technology used for the front end of the Teacher Digital Toolkit.