Thursday, April 19, 2012

Teaching and learning with Kiva is easier than ever



The English philosopher, Herbert Spencer once said, “The great aim of education is not knowledge, but action.” I would add that the most powerful action is armed with knowledge.

The harmonious interplay between action and education is not new, but technology is making it easier, and expanding learning opportunities to more people. In the same way that microfinance has lowered the barriers to entrepreneurship and banking, the internet has lowered the barriers and cost of connection and communication.

Inspired by the independent efforts of students and teachers, we have been working with classrooms and campuses that currently use Kiva as a teaching tool to further develop our education and student programs.

We have heard from teachers and students who use Kiva to teach, and learn everything from economics to geography to a foreign language, and now we want to hear from you! If you have an existing curriculum, Kiva club, or chapter, or you are interested in how to get started email us at schools@kiva.org.

In the meantime here are some ways you can get involved today:

Students: Month of Microfinance and Campus Kiva

Teachers: Kiva in the Classroom and Kiva Teachers Lending Team

We look forward to hearing from you, and sharing some stories of teachers and students on the blog!

photo courtesy of Berkeley Lab