Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom Lagos,Nigeria/Overview
Prior to Covid 19 in Nigeria, digital literacy was not a popular demand in the education sector in Nigeria. The lock down was a game changer in the education sector. The government had to come up with strategies to save the education sector. In Lagos State, the Governor has introduced digital literacy as part of his development agenda called T.H.E.M.E.S. He launched an online digital training program during the Covid to train 10,000 teachers in 2020 and it was supported by Microsoft. This training has helped to expose the teachers to a digital system of learning. The Covid experience and its effect on education have made the Lagos State government to support Digital Literacy which is in line with Reading Wikipedia in Classroom. The program will help teachers to access, evaluate information and how to understand biases. It would also help deepen and improve their research and writing skills. Many teachers have never had the opportunity of writing for an Encyclopedia or relating in an international community with a diverse audience, This is an opportunity for the teachers to learn how to communicate and relate in a large and diverse community like Wikipedia.
This will also help to improve the learning curve of students and change the orientation and attitude of students towards learning. Only a digitally informed and equipped teacher can build a 21st generation of well informed and equipped students. The government is working hard to ensure that teachers in Lagos State are digitally savvy but they do not have an idea or know the difference between media information literacy and digital literacy. Knowing the difference will help the government fight the menace that is eating up the country: disinformation and fake news.
I think Reading Wikipedia in Classroom will be a great step for the government towards fighting this evil demon ‘Disinformation and Fake news” The will is there on the part of the government if they get the right direction. Reading Wikipedia in Classroom is the right direction in knowing how to differentiate between reliable information and fake information.