Mpumalanga ICT Club turned 5 years old

Wow! time flies real fast, more faster than the blink of our eyes. That is happening with the Mpumalanga ICT Club existence since 2014.
"I can't believe the club has turned 5 years old" said Ms. Keninda Nomusa, founder of the Mpumalanga ICT Club.

The club was first launched in 2014 at Edward Matyeka Primary School with only about 66 teachers at that time. Teachers attended their first Online training using Google Apps for Education and was then called Google Education Group Emalahleni "GEGeMalahleni"

We started spreading and touched even Siyabuswa as GEGSiyabuswa. Afterwards, the club added various initiatives such as Intel She will connect, Africa Code Week- Coding, Digigirlz and CreativITy workshops with learners and teachers.
We hosted many training workshops to empower our communities and schools in ICT skills including Coding. We pride ourselves with such a contribution to our communities.

We love to say Bravo! To all our participants, supporters, sponsors. We owe Schoolnet South Africa and SAASTEC Organisations for wisdom and inspiration.  Our partnership with you and others were awesome and encouraging indeed.

The club presented its work in a number of international and national platforms including Paris France recently, Africa Play Summit in Pretoria.

Ntombizodwa Gininda &
Nomusa Keninda 

We take this opportunity to thank Ms. Nomusa Keninda, Founder and Ntombizodwa Gininda for keeping the fire burning in the club by ensuring that the club is on the international arena and locally as well.

Paris vibes are not over yet

Marce López from Costa Rica and Nikos Kaloskamis from Greece and me.

Recently, on the 1-5 April 2019, Nomusa Keninda was nominated by Microsoft South Africa to serve as moderator of 21st Century Lesson Designs in the Microsoft Educator Exchange International Summit in Paris, France. Together with other 8 teachers from South Africa. They are shining stars of Changemakers as described by many.

“For a long time since 2016, I was recognized by Microsoft as Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts and now I am a Microsoft Innovative Educator Fellow which is the highest recognition by Microsoft. Keninda related to us. 

Microsoft recognizes teachers who use Microsoft programmes in the classroom for teaching and learning every year. Each year teachers will then be nominated based on their excellent exemplary lesson plans and how often they train or host events that seeks to empower other teachers and learning in ICT skills.

 I was fortunate to be afforded such an opportunity to evaluate some of the lesson plans submitted by 300 teachers around the world at the Education Exchange Summit in Paris. I was also allocated a team of six teachers from other countries to guide them as they design their collaborative lesson plan about Paris city. (Two from United States, Greece, Hong Kong, Israel and Costa Rica)

Paris vibes are not over yet, is a yet another effort by Keninda to share her life time experience with other teachers in the Mpumalanga province and other provinces in the country. She prepares teachers to take up the challenge of becoming Innovative Teacher Experts in their classrooms using technology.  She is making sure that South African teachers are not lagging behind in terms of the 4th Industrial Revolution in Education. Teachers can start their journey by joining the Educator Community at education.microsoft.com

At Witbank High School
Sharing Paris Vibes

“What stood up for personally in Paris, is that Team South Africa passed their international examination, said Keninda with excitement.  I am now a Microsoft Certified Educator meaning that I am accredited to facilitate training on Microsoft Software Education Programmmes. Keninda is a founder of the Mpumalanga ICT Club which is a Professional Learning Community for teachers and learners.  She is also a Motivational Speaker for youth in and outside the school. 

She flies to Paris to represent South Africa for the Forth Industrial Revolution in Education

One of our own has been chosen amongst the best in the world to represent South Africa in a Microsoft Education Exchange (E2) Global Forum of teachers in Paris, France taking place on the 2-5 April 2019. Nomusa Keninda, founder of the Mpumalanga ICT  Club and an Elearning Specialist will represent South Africa as a Moderator of the 21st Century Learning Design in Paris.

The E2 is hosted annually by Microsoft Company to bring together teachers from all over the world to showcase how they can improve teaching and learning in this Forth Industrial Revolution.

Teachers who use Microsoft tools and other innovative skills in education will display their creativity, problem solving and innovation to create lesson plans that represent the 21st century skills.

As a moderator, I am expected to give guidance and coach teachers allocated to me, if they excell in their presentation they will walk away with an undisclosed prize from Microsoft and partners”partners said Keninda. Above all that will be taking place in Paris, we will be empowered by speeches from ICT experts, we will also get an opportunity to network to create a chain of Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts(MIEEXPERT).

Every year, Microsoft Education is searching talents from teachers who use digital technologies in their classrooms, these teachers become MIEEXPERT. Keninda has been a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert since 2016 and now she has been recognized by Microsoft as Microsoft Innovative Educator Fellow which is the highest recognition award by Microsoft. “We pride ourselves to have her as part of the team to assist Microsoft to identify other experts in the field of ICT in Education”. Said Ronelle Klinck, Microsoft Education Teacher Engagement Manager.

Teachers can follow the live streaming of the event on the 3rd April 2019 on this link of Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/microsoftineducation
Or follow the following hash tags: #e2 #MIEExpert @musakeninda on Twitter.

DigiGirlz are everywhere...

DigiGirlz are everywhere.... Nomusa Keninda- Mpumalanga ICT CLUB Founder has joined forces with Science Centres in South Africa to teach and motivate young girls into STREAM Careers. She presented her paper “DigiGirlz are everywhere” at the 20th SAASTEC Conference held on the 26-29 November 2018 at Thohoyando in Venda by Vuwani Science Centre.

STREAM is an extension of STEM for Science, Technology, Robotics, Engineering, Art and Mathematics. Although she strongly believes in adding another big A for Agriculture, she is actively participating and advocating for it in the near future. “Yes, DigiGirlz are everywhere.., my target is with the grade 9 girls in all schools because of many reports which suggested that there are few women in the Tech industry” Keninda said. Grooming girls into IT careers is a great idea. They will be making subjects choices the following year in grade 10 therefore, they need role models in the tech space. The South African Association of Science and Technology Centres (SAASTEC) gave her an opportunity to relate her story about the DigiGirlz events she hosted in schools in 2017/2018 year in the conference plenary. “She is an excellent presenter and motivated all of us in the SAASTEC community to look for DigiGirlz and host such events with an aim of recruiting girls into STEM Careers” said Ginny Stone, SAASTEC Secretary. DigiGirlz event is a Microsoft Initiative under its Youth Spark Programme which motivates young girls into IT careers.

During the event three sessions are put together by Mpumalanga ICT CLUB: Ice breaking with girls presenting their talents in Art, Poetry, Music and Dance, secondly, Motivation Session and lastly Coding Skills where girls are introduced into Basic Computer Science Education. “We are excited as a club to have taken this initiative into a reality for young girls and we will be hosting the DigiGirlz event in all schools with grade 9 in Mpumalanga and other provinces” Keninda related with passion.

 DigiGirlz are everywhere… presentation can be accessed on twitter and facebook posts @musakeninda, @ictclub_mp, Nomusa Keninda and Mpumalanga ICT CLUB Compiled by Nomusa Keninda, Mpumalanga ICT CLUB Founder,

We Registered our Mark at 365eduEvents

The Mpumalanga ICT Club Founder has recently registered the club in the international event map of 365eduEvents in Durban and Cape Town on the 12th and 13th October 2018. She was called up by Mr Mark Duncan to make two presentations with an aim of sharing and telling the story of Mpumalanga ICT Club in empowering teachers, learners and community with computer skills.

365eduEvents is all about inspiring growth and change in teaching and learning. A fun,high energy networking event with renowned educators and the latest technologies embedded into the event.

“We are proud to have one of our own registering a mark in these powerful energetic education technology workshops happening in the country and abroad” she is indeed an inspiration to our school community. Ms. Keninda presented a South African model that she designed, implemented and continues to evaluate on how teachers, Learners  and community can be trained into ICT skills from scratch. She has conducted many workshops locally using her model “Mpumalanga ICT Club on spotlight”

At the #365eduDurban and #365eduCape Town, Ms Keninda pitched two presentations, taking a group of tech enthusiasts by surprise on her simple model of engaging teachers for the Continous  Professional Teacher Development (CPTD). “It’s the best way of seeing teachers taking charge of their own developmen, with that we know our kids are in good hands” It should not be by forced or through some rewards that will make teachers to continue learning, it must come intrinsically as part of self driven kind of motivation to continue learning, says Ms Keninda 

We Rise, We Shine, We Code, We Cultivate

Sikhulile COP led by Zanele Khumalo at Kanyamazane EDC

Mpumalanga ICT Club empowered more than 200 teachers with Coding Facilitation skills in Mpumalanga in the month of August 2018 using Scratch and Minecraft Hour of Code.  Coding TTT Picnic Workshops were hosted at Nkangala TVET College Campuses and Kanyamazane Education Centre.
 “We launched at least four Community of Practice (COP) in Mpumalanga during the Coding TTT Picnic Workshops and we hope teachers will take up initiatives in their own schools to groom learners into young scientists through their computer science education initiatives.”  Emalahleni COP was established on the 18 August at Witbank TVET Campus, Siyabuswa COP was established on the 25August at CN Mahlangu TVET Campus, EMakhazeni COP was hosted on the 08 September at Waterval Boven Campus and Sikhulile COP was established on the 27 September 2018 at Kanyamazane Education Centre.

Megan and Nomusa with Siyabuswa COP

We would like to take this opportunity to send  our gratitude to all our hosts especially the Nkangala TVET College for allowing us to host our Coding TTT Picnic Workshops at no cost. Witbank Campus hospitality department with Mrs Roos and her chef students, thank you for your time in planning and the delicious meal you served teachers during our workshops. To Mr. JJ Moropa and your team together with your hospitality students, thank you very much and your professionalism did not go unnoticed.

The four COPs established in Mpumalanga will make a difference in our schools and community in kintroducing Computer Science Education to our kids and youth as we go forward. Mpumalanga ICT Club will support you every step of your new commitment. Ms Keninda Nomusa together with the Mpumalanga ICT Club project manager will visit your schools to support you. Rise, Shine, Code, and plan your Africa Code Week Workshops events with your learners during October Month. Don’t stop Coding, occupy the December Month with the Hour of Code Computer Science Week.

Add caption

Together let us unleash the Creativity and Curiosity skills in our learners, Let’s us shape their problem solving skills and groom them for the new job market in this Fouth Industrial Revolution. Our kids will no longer be the same as 10yrs in the mist of STREAM- Science Technology Robotics Engineering Art and Mathematics. Remember to put another Big A for Agriculture to be STREAAM.
Aha! School yards, let us tilt the soil to cultivate food for sustainable development and to alleviate poverty in our communities.

Rise Shine, Code, and Cultivate because we love leading a change.

Compiled by Nomusa Keninda - Founder and CEO of  Mpumalanga ICT CLUB

DigiGirlz events make way to Nkangala TVET College

Some reasons for low rates of women and girls participating in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics(STEM) are lack of encouragement, active discouragement, peer pressure and lack of role models just to mention a few. If we can all take the role that Ms. Nomusa Keninda- the Deputy Chairperson of our College Council is playing these reasons would soon disappear. She hosts DigiGirlz event with the aim of empowering grade 9 girls into IT Careers and Coding.

DigiGirlz Event on the 12 May 2018

One remarkable DigiGirlz event was hosted on the 12 May 2018 at Witbank Campus. This is what she has to say about DigiGirlz. “During the event, we invite Microsoft young female employees to interact with the girls about the jobs they are doing at Microsoft through Skype or physical visits.” After the motivation session I introduce the girls into Basic Computer Science –Coding. The girls were fortunate to meet Ms. Khutso Malungane who is a Technical Accounts Manager at Microsoft South Africa. 
Ms Malungane related her humble background from the dusty village of Limpopo but was able to obtain her MBA at the University of Stellebosch.

DigiGirlz at Kgetsa Primary School in Limpopo GaMaja Village 

DigiGirlz event is a Microsoft initiative adopted by Mpumalanga ICT CLUB where Ms. Keninda is a founder and the CEO. “To me its simple to motivate girls into STEM careers, give girls role models, teach them the digital skills they will need to navigate the work place of the future and show them that tech careers will help change the world for the better” says Ms Keninda. Because of her influencial figure in the promotion of girls into technology especially Coding, Ms Keninda and Mpumalanga ICT CLUB has been spreading the DigiGirlz and Coding events across Mpumalanga and other provinces like Limpopo, Gauteng and Western Cape so far.

TTT Coding Workshop at Waterval Boven Campus

Recently, she partnered with SchoolnetSA in hosting Train The Trainer Coding Workshops for teachers. On the 18 August 2018, the workshop was at Witbank Campus, on the 25 August, it was hosted at CN Mahlangu Campus and on the 8th September 2018, Waterval Boven Campus warmly received her with about 70 teachers of eMakhazeni Circuit.

When we ask her why she does what she does? this is what she says “I read a lot about the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) that is changing the way we receive information, how we process it, how we work and what jobs we will do.” It is happening at rapid pace. So we cannot afford to leave our girls behind when women will be playing a critical role in this revolution to benefit our global society.

In addition to what Ms. Keninda is doing in the college council, she is a Motivational Speaker for learners during Schools Career Days and in the Roman Catholic Church. She is also recognised by Microsoft Education as Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert 2017/2018/2019 (MIEExpert)

“My vision is to empower everyone I touch to lead a change” says Ms. Keninda. The college prides itself to have a visionary leader in its governing structure.  We hope everyone will assist her in endeavour to motivate more girls into STEM careers within our college community.