National Science Week vibes are not yet over.

We breath Science, we talk and walk Science and all around us is Science. Even our democracy is Science. Science is beautiful and at OR Tambo Mathematics,Science and Technology Academy, we made it possible for kids to enjoy Science and Technology during the National Science Week 2018.

 Ms. Nomusa Keninda presented amazing topical issues to the learners before their hands on activities on Coding from Minecraft Hour of Code programme. “These kids should start debating about their world in technology” saidNomusa Keninda. They must embrace change in the ICT space. It must not be the first time they hear about the Forth Industrial Revolution, the Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things , 3D printing and robotics because these are topical issues in education globally.

Mpumalanga ICT Club Founder, Nomusa Keninda doesn’t sleep at night not researching about any new concepts and skill in ICT. She is digitally fluent and willing to share her knowledge about digital learning. “ We are organizing teachers workshops across Nkangala District to train teachers to facilitate Computer Science-Coding in their schools and community during Africa Code Week 2018” she urged teachers to attend in numbers as these workshops are free.

The Club has two initiatives for learners: The DigiGirlz event where grade 9 girls are introduced to IT Careers and Coding with Microsoft team of young ladies who motivate the girls to take up Maths and Science subjects at school in order to venture into IT Careers. The CreatIvITy Workshops initiative is for grade 11 and 12 girls who are trained on Positive Personal Branding and how to develop their own websites and blogs. She is doing a great job in Mpumalanga and also in other provinces as requested.

The National Science Week 2018 was launched by the Minister of Science and Technology, at Mpumalanga University on the 28 July 2018 to kick start the National Science Week 2018. The aim is to popularize Science to broader community and to allow everyone to participate in the National Science Week.

DigiGirlz Event Travels to Limpopo

It never crossed our minds that the DigiGirlz event initiative will ever reached GaMaja Village in Limpopo but it did. On the 11June 2018, Kgetsa Primary School warmly received Nomusa Keninda, the Mpumalanga ICT Club Founder in their school to Launch the DigiGirlz event. Her visit was made possible by the so called TechnoGogo , Phuti Ragophala.

Firstly, let me highlight the main objectives of the DigiGirlz initiative: To inspire and motivate young girls in grade 9 to take up STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics)subjects in grade 10 to follow IT or STEM careers. Two sessions on the day’s programmes are presented to inspire the girls: 

1. Motivational session: We bring female Microsoft Employees to tell their life journey into IT careers and their day to day work at Microsoft South Africa through Skype or Physically as they can on the day.

2. Coding session: Girls are then introduced to the Hour of Code -Minecraft theme and Scratch 

Mrs. Phuti Ragophala from Limpopo and Nomusa Keninda
From Mpumalanga at Kgetsa Primary School ICT Lab.
The great and real moment at Kgetsa Primary school was brought by Ms. Mathapelo Sehume and Megan Rademeyer on Skype. Mathapelo is an IT Technician for SchoolnetSA. She grapple with IT skill when it was not fashionable to find a girl in this career. She was the best out of few male classmates.

The road to GaMaja Village was amazing, with all the mountain ranges and river valleys surrounding the tiny but crowded village made me understand that kids are kids, where they come from don’t define their destination. They are all looking forward to equal opportunities to change their situations for better. 

Mpumalanga ICT Club will always support you.

CODING TRAIN THE TRAINER PICNIC WORKSHOPS NEAR YOU

The Mpumalanga ICT CLUB in partnership with SchoolnetSA will be hosting the Train the Trainer Coding Workshops scheduled as it appears on the poster above. Nkangala district teachers are invited on first come first come basis as they register on the link https://goo.gl/QT5kBK . Maximum of 60 teachers are expected to hit the call to be trained as facilitators of Coding during the Africa Code Week in October and the Hour of Code during December.

The sessions will be divided into two- Megan Radameyer from SchoolnetSA will conduct the Hour of Code Activities and Nomusa Keninda will conduct the Scratch Activities. Teachers must all join the Microsoft Educator Community Portal  https://education.microsoft.com/

CODING IS A NEW LANGUAGE, EVERY CHILD DESERVES TO BE FLUENT

We expect teachers to train learners and the community especially the youth during the Africa Code Week and Hour of Code events of 2018 respectively.

Arrival for ICE BREAKING ACTIVITIES and TEA is 08H00 for 10H00 START.