on the 10 December 2014 at Edward Matyeka School Hall from 10H00.
Teachers from eMalahleni who are interested in learning and sharing innovations in their classroom will get together to share their experiences. Presentation of GEGs Concept, Google events and Geg South Africa+ together with Schoolnet Ict in the Classroom Conference will be shared with teachers.
This is the significant event for teachers as they will be taking their holiday. They will be reflecting on how are they going to flip their 2015 classrooms.
We are looking forward to see them filling in the school hall at Edward Matyeka
Like1650 schools benefiting from the 2010 World Cup Legacy Schools' Connectivity Project, teachers and learners at Sibukosethu Primary School are starting to feel it that "Phillip is here" when in fact the world cup is long gone in 2010. The 20 laptops in a trolley, a digital projector, a printer and the internet connectivity received by the schools came with the project funded by the 2010 World Cup.
Teachers at Sibukosethu Primary School training session
Teachers at Sibukosethu are being trained to enjoy the full benefits of the project such as:
accessing information aligned to curriculum and enrichment
sharing of resources, expertise and advices using online tools
access to update school data anytime is now possible
Witbank High School Teachers during the training session on the
27 June 2014
A fresh lesson with fresh mind comes from PowerPoint...
Before starting Ms PowerPoint presentation training session with teachers, I first ask them to take out their lesson plans. Before giving me a response, I am not surprise that their lessons are hidden in their files. I know these because it happened to me ten years ago while I was in the classroom teaching, my lesson plans were gathering dust in my files.
DO NOT READ PowerPoint SLIDES WORD FOR WORD!
Today, Witbank High School teachers will approach their learners with fresh lessons prepared on PowerPoint presentation. I will then ask them to pick a topic in their lesson plan for presentation. Mine will be on "Earthquake", which I understand it very well as I taught Geography in the past. Our training will then resume with topics that teachers will confidently present..
As they continue to add slide after slide, inserting multi media features such images, sounds, videos and much more on their slides. momentum is gained in working with PowerPoint document. Wow! Is heard when they start designing their presentation, inserting animation, transition with different sounds from the default sounds of their laptops.
Witbank High School is one of the Proof of Concept Schools (POC) in the province which benefited from 2010World Cup Legacy School Connectivity. The school received 20 laptops trolley, a data projector and a printer. With the training teachers promised to work effectively and efficiency with learners. They will create an interacting classroom with PowerPoint presentations instead of writing on the board all the time.
Written by Nomusa Keninda: Senior Education Specialist Computers in Education
Satellite launch of the 2010 WorldCup Legacy School Connectivity Project
On the 26 March 2014.
Click click click! It's no more a dream to learners and teachers at Sifundise Primary School. It's happening everyday. Everybody in this school is excited to receive 20 laptops in a trolley loaded with educational material for all their grades.
Like a school name 'Sifundise' meaning teach us, learners are always ready to be taught and they are also ready to teach others as they share the laptops.
The 2010 World Cup Legacy School e- Connectivity Project was launched on the 26 March 2014 in Free State Province at Senakangwedi Secondary School. Sifundise was part of the eight chosen schools representing Mpumalanga during the launch as satellites. About 163 schools in Mpumalanga in the Nkangala District benefited from the project roll out. Thanks to the Department of Education in partnership with Telkom and the Department of Communication.
All 163 schools in the district will receive training on how to use the laptops with internet. Sifundise Primary School teachers have since been trained by Schoolnet as part of their involvement.
Teachers from Maloma Primary School at eMalahleni 1 circuit were so excited to receive their certificates of attendance after a three weeks training on Basic Computer Literacy Workshop offered by the Mpumalanga Department of Education Computers in Education Unit (CIE).
"I still remember how I found the school's computer lab: A dark room, dust all over the computers, number of CPUs disconnected from Monitors and lots of cables scattered around the floor with no hope at all that teachers will ever pick up the skill"
The passion of computers showed by the Principal, Mr. Meshack Mahlangu drove me to take Maloma Primary School teachers into digital space with me. Together with Mr. Mahlangu, we conducted the basic computer literacy course which included, Microsoft Office, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Some of the teachers touched a computer for the first time in their lives.
The arrival of the 20 laptops in a trolley, a data projector and a printer from the school e-connectivity project, 2010 World Cup Legacy Project was an extra-ordinary blessing to the school. Mahlangu couldn't stop the training. He introduced his staff to the internet in particular, to Google tools in education. They all have G-mail accounts and able to share and receive information electronically.
While others were presenting their Pecha Kucha, expanding their ideas and perspectives for new and innovative ways to engage a broad and diverse set of audiences in the Yellow Room, others were in the Blue Room asking today's big question. "We are all doing apps..but why?
The speakers selected by the Science Centre World Summit 2014 together with their audience in the blue room were to have a robust debate looking into mobile apps to see if they can really serve as powerful bridges between science centres /museums, universities and the public. Whether apps can encourage visitors's reflections on how scientific thinking can promote knowledge with sensitive or social implications.
The debate wasn't simple. Battles of innovative ideas and questions fought to get a space in the room. Some arguing about the different operating system on mobile devices such as iOS, Android and windows phone, and whether to develop apps that can cover all multiple platforms. The question of costs and Return on Investment(ROI) couldn't be ignored. The cost of designing quality and engaging apps with 90% reach can be costly.
Immediately, a question was asked, "Does this mean we shouldn't do apps?" The debate continued until the speakers decided to compare between mobile apps and mobile websites. Another angle of discussion discovered that people don't go to app store when looking for information, they go to Google and they are likely to land on your mobile site. And that mobile website works on all smartphones. At the end of all the factors shared, a science centre should decide if it wants to reach users across more than one platform. Whether science centres go with a mobile website or mobile app-or both- science centres will probably benefit.
Many questions remained unanswered- hence the debate will always go beyond the summit session to various platforms in our institutions. Costs, security, data and user's choice formed the centre of the debate. The fact of it all is that Mobile technology is really taking off. Science Centres should begin to develop online mobile strategy that can be simplified as WEBSITE>MOBILE SITE(if necessary)>MOBILE APP(if necessary)=REACH
