Kobus van Wyk e4Africa

So, what is this thing called ICT that principals and teachers are encouraged to use?

In the field of technology many abbreviations and acronyms are used and they can be confusing particularly if you don’t know their origin.

ICT is the abbreviation of Information and Communication Technology.

In the past, information was available almost exclusively in printed form.  Teachers used books to teach and learners used books to learn.  Modern technology makes it possible for information to be stored and accessed in other ways.

All these tools are available to teachers

Information technologies refer to electronic tools on which information can be made available.  A computer or laptop used to be the most common form of information technology but tablets and other mobile devices are now used widely.

Communication technologies refer to electronic tools used for communication.  The telephone and cell phone are examples of such technologies.

A few decades ago different information and communication technologies were represented by separate tools.  For example, a computer and a telephone were distinctly different tools and they were used separately.  Today, many information and communication tools have converged on single devices: you can make Skype calls from your computer; you can also use your cell phone to perform operations that you would normally associate with a computer, such as sending an e-mail. It should therefore be clear why the term ICT is used to include all information and communication technologies that are available for communicating information in the modern world.

ICT includes any tool that can receive, retrieve, store, manipulate and transmit information electronically.  It enables you to use tools such as Skype, Facebook, Twitter, Mxit, Whatsapp, the internet and email to share and communicate information around the globe.

The potential of ICT in education is great – it is up to you, the educator (teacher or principal), to explore the many ways in which it can help you in your school.

It took forever to dot each i and to cross the last t but at long last the Teacher Laptop Initiative (TLI) is underway.

Announced in the Government Gazette 32207 of May 2009, the TLI took many twists and turns as it tried to surface through bundles of bureaucratic red tape.  Many teachers thought the programme would never come off the ground, but they will be happy to know that all obstacles have been removed and that the TLI is now a reality.

Mustek has been appointed by the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) as an “approved supplier” to supply a choice of three different packages to teachers.  These packages differ with regards to processing capacity and data bundles for internet access, but they all come with a warranty, comprehensive insurance and pre-loaded software to the value of nearly R40 000.

Full-time government teachers qualify for an allowance of R130 over a five year period (total of R7 800).  Teachers who are employed by School Governing Bodies and private schools may also purchase these superb packages, but unfortunately they do not qualify for the allowance.

Teachers should contemplate the total value of the packages offered by Mustek before they think of buying a cheap laptop from an electronics supermarket.  These packages are good, comprehensive deals and are difficult to beat.

With a laptop in their hands teachers will be able to cross the digital divide, bringing us a step closer to an e-learning reality in our schools.

I was both surprized and amused when I received an email from someone in the USA informing me that e4Africa was nominated for the Most Fascinating Blog 2011 awards in the category Teaching Blog.

The decision of the panel who nominated this blog was based on a rather controversial posting that appeared in March 2011.  This particualr posting ruffled many feathers, evoked 322 emotion-laden comments and looking back, it is the one post I wish I’d never published.

If you find that posting fascinating, or think that e4Africa holds any fascination for you, please vote for it.  Simply click on the blue voting badge displayed on the right, search for e4Africa and cast your vote.  By doing this you are helping to put a proudly South African education blog on the map.

The proponents of technology say, “YES.”  The education fraternity says, “NEVER.”

This question is discussed in an interesting blog posting on the blog Education Land, maintained by a teacher of English in Saudi Arabia. A few interesting comments, giving some food for thought, are found in this posting.  For example, the following observation is made:

Computers and technology already serve as teaching aides. Whether it’s teaching children their ABC’s or helping a college freshman memorize the periodic table, technology for educational purposes is already available.

Is this the future of education?

It is already possible for technology to take over some of the functions of teachers.

As technology tools become cheaper and more readily available, we can anticipate that it will take over more functions of teachers.

Will technology ever replace teachers?  Perhaps not completely, but it can go a long way towards filling the void where there is a shortage of teaching skills.

Picture credit

As thousands of young South Africans start a 13 year journey from which they will emerge in 2025, the question on many lips is: will the outcome be any different from the class of 2011 as yet another adjustment is made to the national curriculum?  It is not only the learners who face the new academic year with trepidation, but  educators too as they implement the National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) for Grades R to 3 and Grade 10. Other grades will be implemented in 2013 and 2014.

Cell phones – the gateway to enhanced learning

What is CAPS?

Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) are single, comprehensive, and concise policy documents to replace the current Subject and Learning Area Statements, Learning Programme Guidelines and Subject Assessment Guidelines for all subjects listed in the National Curriculum Statement Grades R to 12.  ( http://www.education.gov.za )

Teaching a curriculum that has been revised, changed, amended, adapted and reworked a number of times in the past 17 years, educators may rightly be concerned about how they will adopt the new system in their class in 2012. “Don’t despair; help is at hand!” says Kathy McCabe.

Kathy McCabe, CEO of Radical Learning, a training and skills development enterprise and software developer operating throughout South Africa, has developed a new product to support educators in implementing CAPS using cell phone technology. Says McCabe: “We have designed simple, effective daily lesson plans for teachers to use in maths and literacy from Grade R to Grade 3. With the companion product, a weekly homework activity schedule, parents too can keep up to date with what their children are learning.  Much needed support is available at the touch of a cell phone button! All that a teacher or parent needs is a cell phone that can access the internet.”

With cell phone penetration in South Africa at almost 100%, this aid to CAPS support is accessible to educators, learners and parents in even the most remote rural areas. Teachers can engage parents’ support by sending a cell phone message informing them of the homework schedule a week in advance. “The CAPS curriculum will be executed in such a way that all teachers around the country will be teaching the same concepts at approximately the same time. This makes the Radical Learning “teach CAPS” material practical and accessible for educators in all provinces.” says McCabe.

To try out these free samples online choose the website for the relevant grade:

Grade R – http://www.teachcaps.co.za/r

Grade 1 – http://www.teachcaps.co.za/1

Grade 2 – http://www.teachcaps.co.za/2

Grade 3 – http://www.teachcaps.co.za/3

For more information on “teach CAPS” contact Kathy McCabe at kathy@radicallearning.co.za or send an sms to 072 048 1089.

Post written by Ingrid Graham                                                                                                                                           Ingrid Graham Consulting      (+27 82 492 1873)       ingridg@xsinet.co.za

A learner using a computer to hone her mathematics skills by doing repetative exercises

Can ICT can be used as a teaching tool – and more importantly, as a learning tool – in all subjects?  Yes, it can!  It simply calls for a teacher who understands technology tools to think up ways in which ICT can enrich the classroom.

Here are a few of the ways in which technology can be used in your classroom:

Start a history lesson by using a data projector to display a picture of a historical person or a video clip of a historical event to stimulate discussion in the classroom.

Computers are useful in teaching mathematics – drill and practice exercises help develop skills through repetition.

When teaching geography, nothing beats having Google Earth on tap in the classroom.

Science experiments can be simulated repeatedly in a normal classroom environment through the application of ICT.

Blogging and the use of email are excellent ways to develop writing and communication skills of learners in any language.

In what subjects have you found technology to be useful?

Can you see the similarity?

Some things may seem obvious to us … but not to others.

Take the use of the term mouse as an example.

Why is a mouse called a mouse?  This is the heading of one of my postings way back in March 2009.  According to the statistics package I use to inform me about traffic to this blog, this is one of the most popular items I’ve ever posted.  After three years people around the world still  ask their search engine ”Why is a mouse called a mouse” a few times every day.

You can read the full answer in the original posting, but the short answer is:

 a mouse is called a mouse because it looks like a mouse.

A page on the website of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) contains three statements pointing to the importance of the use of technology in education.

The first one is embedded in the logo at the top of the page:

>>>-<<<

 

 

 

Viewing every child as a national asset implies that one should invest in the education of every child.  An investment in a child’s education cannot be complete if it does not include digital literacy.

The second technology hint is found in this statement:

The aim of the DBE is to develop, maintain and support a South African school education system for the 21st century.

An education system for the 21st century without a rich presence of technology is like a soccer match without a vuvuzela … you can’t have one without the other.

A third suggestion of the importance of technology in education is the Mission statement:

Our mission is to provide leadership with respect to provinces, districts and schools in the establishment of a South African education system for the 21st century.

Once again, mention of the 21st century, with the implied significance of technology, and a promise that the national department will support the provincial education departments to move in the right direction.

He hear the right noises from the national education authorities … let us now hope for some action.  But we can’t just hope and wait – what contribution can you and I make to support these noble goals?

When teachers are introduced to technology, logical questions for them are:

• How does technology affect my career?
• Is it a threat?
• How will it help me in my current teaching job?
• Does it open up other job opportunities?

Here are a few thoughts for you to ponder about ICT and your career?

As schools move towards digital inclusion, ICT skilled teachers will be the first hired and the last fired.

Being skilled in ICT may not lead to an immediate promotion for a teacher, but it opens up many future career opportunities.

Teachers don’t have to fear: technology can make them more productive, but it will never make them redundant.

Some teachers who learn how to use technology in the classroom find other career opportunities opening up to them.

For those teachers who view teaching as their permanent chosen career, ICT empowers them to become super teachers.

The White Paper on e-Education, published by the former Department of Education in 2004, states the following:

Every South African learner in the general and further education and training bands will be ICT capable (that is, use ICTs confidently and creatively to help develop the skills and knowledge they need to achieve personal goals and to be full participants in the global community) by 2013.

Or are we chasing rainbows?

With only a few days left before we reach 2012 (and eight years after publication of the paper) one wonders … how far have we progressed towards reaching that goal?

What do you think … will we make it?

Boring, boring, boring!

It is the dream of every teacher to be in a classroom where learners respond and participate in the learning process.  Sadly, this is often just a dream.  Many teachers battle to grab the attention of learners, let alone getting them to interact during lessons.

An interactive classroom is one in which learners participate as equal partners in the learning process.  The teacher acts as a facilitator and guide, but the learners are enthusiastically playing their part in learning.  Apart from the fact that learner participation makes the teaching task more interesting for the teacher, research has shown that much more learning takes place in an interactive classroom than in a passive one.

What are the features of an interactive classroom?  It definitely is not a place where a teacher lectures and the children passively listen.  Learners do writing exercises, take part in class discussions and actively participate in solving problems.  An interactive classroom also requires that learners engage in higher-order thinking tasks, which include analysis of information, evaluation of the facts and a process of synthesis to build new knowledge.

Many teachers have acquired the skills to transform a dull classroom into an interactive one.  Different techniques exist to do this and where teachers apply these techniques the attitudes and achievements of learners are affected positively.

The key to a successful interactive classroom is in the hands of the teacher – it is not dependent on any fancy tools or equipment.  However, children are fascinated by technology.  They grow up in a world dominated by technology and they likely have cell phones or other mobile devices in their pockets.  The wise teacher makes use of technology to enhance the learning experience of their learners.  In this way technology enables an interactive classroom.

You can have learner interactivity in the classroom without technology … but if this goal is illusive, technology will help you to attain it.

When you are about to take off in an airplane you are given safety instructions.  Among other things you are told about the oxygen mask that will drop from a panel above you in case of an emergency.  “Only when your own mask is secure, assist children or fellow passengers,” you are instructed.

Compare the oxygen masks to classroom technology

Have you wondered about this?  My natural instinct – and I suppose that of most parents – is to help my child first.

But if you think about it, the instruction makes sense.  If you don’t have a steady oxygen flow you may not be capable of assisting your child or others.

The airplane oxygen mask is a perfect metaphor for other situations: we must make caring for ourselves a priority if we hope to be of assistance to those around us.

Let’s apply this principle to the use of technology in the classroom: “Only when you are secure in the use of technology as a teaching tool, assist children and fellow teachers to use it as well.”

The point is: you can only help others to use technology as a teaching and a learning tool when you know how to use it.  Some children may learn quicker than you how to use technology, but many will need your help.  Even those children who manage to operate the technology will need your guidance to learn how to use it as a learning tool.

What about your fellow passengers – those teachers who are travelling with you on the e-learning road?  With your skills and experience you will be able to help your colleagues in your own and neigbouring schools – even your curriculum advisors and other education department officials – to become expert e-learning practitioners.

You may wonder what you must do if you are battling to come to grips with technology.  A flight attendant will help you if you can’t manage to secure your oxygen mask.  Similarly, you can call on your technology advisors to assist you.  In most cases these will be your hardware or software suppliers, or the agency that provided your initial training.

The bottom line: secure your own technology position to enable you to render technology support to others.

 

“The illiterate of the 21st Century
will not be those who cannot read and write,  but those who cannot learn, unlearn,  and relearn.”

Alvin Toffler

We can learn so much by observing the marvels of creation around us.  For example, if you are a teacher who battles to come to grips with technology, you may take a lesson from the weaver bird.

Are you overwhelmed by all the different hardware components that make up your system?  Or the many software programs you have to learn?  Are you stymied by the new ways in which you have to work when you incorporate technology into your teacher’s toolkit?  Are you scared that you won’t get it right, and that your learners have a technological advantage over you?

What does a good teacher and a male weaver bird have in common?

Don’t despair.  The male weaver bird does not get it right the first time either.  He builds a nest – sometimes several nests – and waits for the female’s approval.  In most cases she turns down the first offerings.  He would then patiently dismantle the rejected nest and build another one, until she is satisfied.  Mr Weaver is not discouraged when a nest is turned down … he is not all that concerned about getting it right the first time.  The main thing is that he gets going – he knows that eventually he will succeed.

So, teachers, if at first you don’t get technology working the way it ought to be used, remember that the important thing is to get going.  The learners in your class are already following the example of the weaver bird – they are not scared to try, retry and try yet again.  And eventually they get it right.

The weaver often recycles material from the discarded nest and uses it for the next one.  This also contains a lesson: skills learned while making mistakes are valuable stepping stones for further development.

The moral of the story:  if you persevere, you will succeed.  Don’t worry about getting it right … just get going!

Even though it is advisable for data projectors to be permanently fixed in classrooms – preferably suspended from the ceiling – this is not always possible.  Schools may not be able to afford a data projector and a laptop for each classroom, or teachers may have a specific need to move the equipment from one location to another.

The mobile teacher’s best friend

Many teachers feel that lugging a data projector and laptop around is too much of a schlep; they need a vehicle to assist them to be truly mobile.

A data projector trolley is an easy solution to their problem.  This low cost device is simply a number of bags on wheels, but it is designed in such a way that it can transport a data projector, a laptop, connection and extension cables, books and other  accessories.  For the diligent teacher who wants to spend the night at school, it even has space for pyjamas and a toothbrush.

With this trolley – specially designed to move delicate technology equipment securely – a teacher will be sure that the required tools are always at hand.  This device is particularly useful for curriculum advisors who move from school to school and when they visit schools where no technology is available.

Teachers appreciate the value of assessment but don’t always enjoy the task because it takes so much time and effort. 

Technology can make the assessment of learners much easier.  Consider the following:

A word processor is a great assessment tool – use it to type test papers and memoranda.  You can save these documents and next time you want to perform the same type of assessment, it will only take you a few seconds to call the documents up. 

Special software programs allow teachers to assess students electronically; it marks electronically too!  Many educational software tools have their own assessment tools that are included in the package. 

An assessment authoring tool is invaluable for teachers – with it they can develop their own online assessment material.

A voting system (clickers) can be used in the classroom for continuous assessment.

When teachers use technology to help them with assessment tasks, the only tears they’ll shed will be tears of joy.

It is that time of the year again – South African Blog Awards time!

Last year e4Africa was the runner-up in the Best Science and Technology Blog category – and it was all as a result of your votes!

This year e4Africa is registered again in the same category and if you still like the contents of this blog, you are invited to vote for it once more.  This year you are allowed to vote only once.

Voting is easy: look on the sidebar on the right and click on the word VOTE on the badge.  You will be taken to a screen where you have to type in your email address, as well as a security code, and then you must hit the submit button.  You will then be sent an email, and in order for your vote to be validated, you need to confirm your vote.

As was the case last year, there is no education category on the South Africa Blog Awards 2011.  By giving your vote to e4Africa you are also making a statement in support of educational blogs!

By the time a school has purchased hardware and software to kit out a computer room, there is usually not much funds left for other things, such as chairs.  Yet, learners need to be seated comfortably in order to obtain full value of the technology.

Many schools have found that simple, cheap chairs – such as bar stools – are the best.

After 8 years of constant use, this stool still serves its purpose

Some learners must computers share
It could be two or three
They can not all sit on one chair
Or on each other’s knee

Do not go just for fancy chairs
Look carefully at price
When learners have to work in pairs
Choose those that will suffice

Search for a chair that’s small enough
The learners must sit near
To look at screens for long is tough
Each word to them be clear

The best with chairs that one can do
Is buying small bar stools
At a good price they come to you
They’re just right for the schools

(Taken from Furnishings, a section of The Khanya Story)

It is that time of the year again – South African Blog Awards time!

Last year e4Africa was the runner-up in the Best Science and Technology Blog category – and it was all as a result of your votes!

This year e4Africa is registered again in the same category and if you still like the contents of this blog, you are invited to vote for it once more.  This year you are allowed to vote only once.

Voting is easy: look on the sidebar on the right and click on the word VOTE on the badge.  You will be taken to a screen where you have to type in your email address, as well as a security code, and then you must hit the submit button.  You will then be sent an email, and in order for your vote to be validated, you need to confirm your vote.

As was the case last year, there is no education category on the South Africa Blog Awards 2011.  By giving your vote to e4Africa you are also making a statement in support of educational blogs!

The internet is a wonderful source of information but it can be misleading at times.  This is particularly so when it comes to the use of good grammar.

Gone are the days when only journalists, skilled in the use of beautiful and correct language, were employed to write articles.  Nowadays, anyone who has access to the internet is free to publish information on their websites and blogs.  This freedom is great, since we have access to more insights and ideas, but often the way in which material is presented leaves much to be desired.  Postings on the web are often riddled with grammatical errors – some estimate that errors can be found on more than half of what is published on the web.

Why are there so many errors?  The writer may not be writing in his mother tongue or may not know the rules of grammar.  In many cases errors are present simply because the author did not check and edit the writing before it was published.

Whatever the reasons for grammatical mistakes, learners must be made aware of the fact that:

Not everything you read online is grammatically correct.

The price you pay for bad grammar is poor communication.  Even though learners may incline towards “SMS speak” good grammar is still necessary for clear communication in the professional world where learners will operate after they leave school.Teachers must teach learners the rules of grammar.  After alerting learners to the poor grammar they will encounter on the web, teachers can turn the bad usage to their advantage: identify a site where the rules of grammar have not been followed and give learners an assignment to correct the errors.