Loreto PS + Textbooks + Activities + Educator + Use an E-IAWB = Curriculum delivery

During a visit to EMDC East school, Loreto PS, the educator used a variety of "equipment" in the classroom to get the curriculum delivered. From the E-IAWB to activities with pebbles and wooden blocks to Maths textbooks together with notes and herself as facilitator, the curriculum got delivered.

The E-IAWB just enhanced the whole learning process.

Albie

Take the time out!

Outside District East's Offices

Take the time out to admire the world around you!
Outside District East’s Offices. The Strelitzia in full bloom. This flower reminds me of a sunrise. The purple represents the night sky. The orange, white and red reminds me of the different colours I see when the sun rises. This flower also looks like a colourful, striking bird boastfully strutting its stuff.


The Garden at Faure Youth Centre

A butterfly that loves lavender and a Yellow flower (I forget its name). Is there anybody that can help me with its name?

The Moon from my bedroom window at 5am

Science Alive!

A researcher one day remarked that wonder and excitement be put back into science. In Khanya East we have attempted to create wonder by supporting educators with simulation software. This software, mainly free, is used to describe concepts are difficult and educators do not have the time or equipment to illustrate them. At a number of schools software was installed and training took place.

Chris Hani : Ms Mbombo, an experienced Physics teacher, started teaching at Chris Hani this year after both Physics teachers left the school for better career prospects. She was very excited to learn about the white board as well the Croc clips software. We quickly clicked around the software trying to put some simulations together to experience the program. Although she does not occupy the Science lab, it is her aim to use it as much as possible.

Harry Gwala : At the end of 2008 some staff members left the school and the remaining ones had to be reshuffled to accommodate both Maths and Physics. Two educators from Harry Gwala who teach Natural Science and Physics attended training in their 50 – PC lab. For the next hour or so we practiced putting together simulations on electricity, electrochemistry and light. Unfortunately the Mindset program did not work well, but we managed to do some fruitful training. Despite some hiccups we hope to be on track during the second quarter.

Manyano : The e-KAPA CD on Cape Town’s Lowlands, freeware such as Croc clips, Geogebra, Applets, Celestia, Solar Info and Master Maths were copied on the school’s laptop. Educators will now use this in conjunction with the interactive whiteboard to teach learners different maths and science concepts. Faeeza Farao has already had two training sessions on the whiteboard taking educators through their paces.

Can the educators at these schools get up and be counted as pioneers in their field of teaching?

small CHAIRS vs no CHAIRS vs 2 leaners per CHAIR

The beginning of 2009 saw a dramatic increase in the enrollment of new learners at schools ! Good news...we want to LEARN and study !! But... it brought with logistical problems for some schools ... chairs, not enough, or old, even broken and many other technical issues around other equipment at some schools.
How can we help these schools ? Are their some extra additional spare chairs @ other schools? Some companies ... do you have an office chair or 2 or 3 that you can donate to a school ? Some of our learners are going to do ICT standing ?At some schools 2 to 3 learners share a chair....how uncomfortable !! Some have to carry a chair every time they are going to the LAB !
Placing of a decent chair in front of a workstation and body alignment together with the correct postural (skeleton, arms, legs, elbows, head and so on) position - all these factors play a role to ensure proper concentration, comfortable body "tension" and successful concentration to get effective curriculum delivery.
Can we allow a no chair, a small chair or even a 3 legged, dilapidated chair to have a negative impact on our learners eagerness to come to school to learn ?
Donate a chair, that is the right thing to do to be seated !
Albie

Mikro PS is geared for effective CAMI Perceptual Deliverables !!

Inside Mikro PS Computer Room, is Mrs Stephanie van Wyk the LAN. She is working together with an educator, Mrs Magdaleen Bosman whose Grade R learners are in the LAB. The learners are doing CAMI Perceptual.

Every week the learners @ MPS visit the LAB for a period. The activities are well-planned at the beginning of the term e.g. Week 5 will be 2.2.2. Shapes – CAMI Perceptual. A Term Planner for the whole year with columns and rows are completed in the beginning of the year for a specific term. The educators meet with the LAN to do the planning together with the available software. Curriculum integration is well-planned and noted. The timetable is in place and every Grade is informed about the specific week and the activities. This Grade R class had already done my body, shapes and is now busy with colours. At the end of the lesson, the learners are getting an opportunity to colour in an image / picture in CAMI Perceptual.

The Grade R learners are also using headphones for instruction – they cannot read yet. Other software programmes that are available @ Mikro PS that get used by the Gr R learners, are CAMI Maths and Math Trek - specifically the software package of Fibonacci the Bear (part of Math Trek).

Well done, Mikro PS and keep it up!!

Albie Smith

Khanya Facilitator

An Eye for an Eye - Syncrons Eyes !

An eye on an SyncronEye : EMDC East Facilitators all eyes @ Injongo PS Khayelitsha

Early Friday morning of date 13/3/2009, EMDC East Facilitators meet eye to eye with SyncronEye 7. Coenie from Edit Microsystems installed the program. Step-by-step he explained the procedures from the registration process of getting an activation key from the internet website to the practical advantages of the software. After the installation was done, Coenie explained the various functions, toolbar and icons as on the menubar. Even a videoclip was display without any technical problematic issue.

The greatest advantage of the software is that it was not “freezing” of any display action from slides, textboxes and video or movies. There was not a delay of display and all the workstations were immediately active and part of the display on the screens without a flickering or loss of quality or colour. Other similar software programs sometimes got a slow and unclear display of slides or motion, while SyncronEye continues without losing your “eye” and its focus !!

Albie Eye

Grade R in Firgrove PS - Computer skills Lesson.

Mrs Petersen brought her Grade R class to the LAB to do computer skills – keyboard, mouse and Paint. The educator explained very meticulously the computer parts and asked questions about the lesson. She further got the learners involved on the computer to do some activities. During the lesson, I took photos of the learners and educator in the LAB and their involvement on the computers. This is good to see Grade R leaners getting computer skill training in the LAB. Well done to Firgrove PS.

Albie Smith

EMDC East Khanya Facilitator

PERCEPTUAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT @ FIRGOVE PS

PERCEPTUAL TRAINING @ FIRGROVE PS

Educators @ Firgrove PS also use CAMI Products in the LAB. On top of that, STIMU-ZONE do a whole program of PERCEPTUAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT. These skills development program includes:
1. Letter association;
2. Beginning sounds;
3. Number association;
4. Basic counting skills;
5. Number recognition;
6. Pattern sequencing;
7. Sorting and ordering;
8. Classification and many other perceptual skills.

I must compliment the school. They have embarked on a program of pro-active perceptual skills intervention. Well done Firgrove PS.

Albie Smith EMDC East Facilitator : Khanya

EMDC East meeting Khanya East Team

After a very indepth educational discussion and meeting combined with a presentation coloured in with questions and answers between WCED EMDC East Officials and the Khanya Coordinator and Facilitators, a proactive approach emerged to address all relevant curriculum issues in the EMDC.

A closer futuristic co-operation process were embarked on. Educational growth and enhancement on all levels between the two educational spheres will be the main aim to smooth the process of improved educational learning in all EMDC East schools.

Mr M Caroline chaired the meeting in the EMDC East boardroom while Mrs B Hendricks represented the Khanya officials and facilitators.

Closer contact sessions and more frequent meetings were planned and will be a first for EMDC East !

CAMI PERCEPTUAL @ D Ackermann PS

Successful CAMI PERCEPTUAL delivery @ D Ackermann PS. Morney Daniels and Mrs Wangenaar together with Albie Smith were busy with CAMI @ DAPS. The learners worked very effectively to grapple with CAMI patterns, shapes, sizes and colours to improve their perceptual skills. Mrs Wagenaar kept good record and control of the activities and ensured each learner worked on the the activities. This will eventually result into an effective improvement of literacy and numeracy skills. Once the shortcomings of the perceptual skills are identified and intervention occured, one can expect an improvement in the LITNUM areas.

Albie

Macassar Secondary - Whitchurch High School Visit

Since 2005 Macassar Secondary and Whitchurch High School, from Cardiff, Wales, have a special relationship with each other. At first it was the principals that visited each other in 2005. Later in 2006 educators and learners of both schools visited each other.

The initiative is funded by the British Council and its aim was to establish a communication base between learners from both schools. Currently a few educators and learners are in South Africa visiting Macassar Secondary. The plan with their visit is to create a website for Macassar Secondary to expand their communication base. Mr. Andrew Rooke, Whitchurch High School’s technician was also part of the group to ensure that all relevant software is installed for this purpose.

On previous visits Whitchurch High School supported Macassar Secondary with drama and art training. During each visit educators of both schools learnt more about the different education systems.

The funding for this project is provided by the British Council and has been extended till 2011.

Security vs Dust re Data Projector Installation

When a school decided on security of equipment, an indepth study need to be done to determine any negative ramifications for the equipment. Dust is a problem for all electronic equipment, but security is just as important to secure it agains theft and damage.

The balance "between minimizing dust vs a metal box casing for security purposes", should be carefully studied and planned. Trapping dust inside another metal container ensures that dust get accumulated and then contributes to more dust available to settled inside the data projectors. The filter that collects the dust, get blocked and the data projector and the lamp get "overheateded" within 2 - 3 hours.

Older school buildings and schools with a lot of dusty areas should rather invest in covers to be placed over the data projectors at the end of the day. Use an old toothbrush to clean the filter together with a cold hairdryer to clean the whole data projector "area" once a week. Life expectancy will be extended.

Albie