Bridge Liberia Introduces Smartphones for Learning in Public Schools

Technology is changing schooling in a variety of ways. From transforming how children learn to empowering teachers and other school leaders to provide lessons in a timely, logical, and guided way at every point of their journey. 

Bridge International Academies pioneered the teacher's tablet (smartphone), which is filled with the full lesson plans and instructions for instructors to provide to students on a regular basis. 

Supervisors can use the data from the tablets to track the teachers’ activities and attendance to ensure that they are following the lesson plans. 

However, this milestone achievement in the education sector has not only improved test scores and learning for students but is also contributing to the performance of teachers in the classrooms at Bridge Liberia supported schools.

Janet Tamba, principal of Monrovia’s JW Pearson Elementary School, is especially appreciative of the technology that allows her to successfully carry out her duties as principal. 

Ms. Tamba further ensures that instructors synchronize their teaching tablets every morning so that the daily lesson may be delivered in the classroom. 

According to her, the procedure requires teachers to be at school early, which improves teacher attendance. 

She said: “I utilize this to have instructors sign in on a daily basis.” We no longer need to utilize the manual approach of teachers signing their names in a register since once your device is synchronized, you are automatically signed in, and this procedure is done every school day before we begin teaching." 

Bridge Liberia's technology approach to education obviously supports monitoring and oversight, which is creating a severe problem for the sector, as Education Minister Ansu Sonii recently affirmed. 

According to Minister Sonii, the difficulty of monitoring and oversight affects all levels of government, necessitating a coordinated effort to address it. 

Since 2016, Bridge Liberia has been using such devices to bridge the gap between human and technological monitoring of schools supported by the social enterprise.