William Jackson, M.Ed. My Quest to Teach
The changes in African agriculture, industry and commerce has expanded beyond
the traditional history that has sustained the continent for hundreds of years. The
development of infrastructures based on digital foundations of information is moving
Africa to a place of world influence on levels not seen before. Agriculture is still
valuable, but the management of information is handled better with technological
assistance.
The abundance of natural and sustainable resources helps to lift Africa to higher
levels of global influence because there is so much to share with the world and
support a comfortable and sustainable living in developing cities and communities.
Technology is changing the paradigm of business growth and management on the
African continent.
The decades have brought in an age of digital integration, information technology,
research implementation and the adage that the mother of necessity breeds innovation. This encourages creativity through thought leadership, critical and higher order thinking research and collaboration across the continent.
The men and women of Africa that have dreams of change to the betterment of all Africans, they can apply their knowledge as developing business owners, artists, entrepreneurs, solo-preneurs, inventors, dreamers and educators. “Africa does not need leaders who are 75 or 65 years old. We need leaders who are young‚ vibrant‚ innovative and who the continent’s youth can relate to.” Former first lady Graca Machel.
The building of digital infrastructures is happening across the continent and is birthing
new careers that are benefiting the youngest entrepreneurs and solo-preneurs that are growing across the African continent. Their works are being felt in their communities not from aging governmental leaders.
Infrastructure is a catalyst that supports collaboration not competition and the focus is not just monetary, the focus is on innovative discoveries, creative concepts that help Africans to live better lives free from struggles of poverty, lack of educational equality and equitability for boys and girls. Both genders have equal access learning systems.
Groups like JAWmazing Kids @JAWmazingKids are showing the way to improving the
lives of youth, teens and young adults, teaching them skills needed to be future leaders and innovators. African students in higher educational institutions can access information to build learning communities that allow for increased Professional Leaning Communities and building Professional Learning Networks.
By 2025, 97 percent of worldwide growth will occur in the world’s emerging markets in Africa. Africa isn’t just driving technology change for Africa, but for the world at large.
By 2025, the population of Africa will exceed that of India and of China. Shortly after that, about 40% of the world’s working-age population will be in Africa, a continent of 54 countries. Information taken from Africa young technology leaders innovating in Africa.
The access to information helps learning leaders like Great Anthony @AnthonyMcGreat Organizer of WordCamp PortHarcourt and Mary Job @maryojob Organizer for WordCamp Lagos to grow, inspire and mentor youth locally, nationally and even on an international level in WordCamp and KidsCamp conferences.
There are learning programs that teach African children to engage in STEAM Science Technology Engineering Arts events. The improvement in reading and comprehension and even involvement are being performed by educators like Victor Owuor @victoravikobits helping to teach children the foundations of technology through reading.
Jacob Sule @SuleJacobs, he has developed the iReadInitative @iReadInitiative to help
develop increased reading, comprehension, critical and higher order thinking of African children. The Ghana CEO Summit (https://www.ghanaceosummit.net/) helps to define the challenges to educational and economic growth, promoting increased global commerce and trade.
There is great value in teaching African youth, teens and young adults that entrepreneurship as a career is obtainable and supportable. The creation of personal income, wealth and generational prosperity from the creation of businesses that satisfy the needs of local communities is increasingly possible because of the development of technologies that Africans have access to and are developing themselves.
Even education is influenced by the growing EdCamps that allow teachers to collaborate to better implement educational best practices for learning and engagement.
African Entrepreneurs pump needed monies back into their communities and cities that allow for a stronger tax base and infusion of monies that build schools, support building roads and infrastructures for better living in cities. They are all connected and transparent when working together. Providing services and products that strengthen communities, cities and nations. Africa’s youth need more than just the access to technology, Cathy Smith, Managing Director at SAP Africa they need to be taught and mentored to perform better.
As a teacher of 31 years African children like American children need mentors, role models and access to people that look like them, sound like them, but who have grown and moved away from poverty. African children like American need to see the representation that inspires each generation to take the necessary steps to grow beyond where they are.
Growth is creating change and this change is creating sustainable careers, educational access and helping to change the narrative from agriculture to digital integration of technology that benefits everyone in Africa. Any nation that wants to have influence on a global scale must teach, mentor, guide, encourage and empower it’s younger generations. Africa’s Potential Is In Its’ Youth and Teen Entrepreneurs