EIAWB @ Paarl School Learners to the Board !!

The Paarl Specialized School in Brackenfell
Khanya has become involved at Paarl School with a view towards introducing Smart Board Technology. Today, this technology is elevating the learning experience at the school and is helping learners to overcome many of the difficult learning barriers that exist at the school. Nevertheless the obstacles, the learners @ Paarl school is using the EIAWB, despite whatever physical or other disability they might have. James (diagnosed with dyslexia) and Mienkie (in a wheelchair) demostrated how to use the EIAWB with success during an EIAWB Cluster workshop to some educators attending the training session !!

Spelling in the LAB + Software on Workstations = LITNUM

Mr Adams is busy preparing SMPS learners for a spelling marathon competition. A new dimension in spelling at Strand Moslem PS in one where the learners are in the LAB with their notebooks to practice the correct spelling of the words.

CAMI Reader with its Spelling activities and Encarta 2008 Dictionary are valuable tools to be used to do a spell check !!

Well done to SMPS and their efforts to improve the LITNUM !

Albie

Knyp die Katz in die donker

A phone call.....Esangweni.....again. I answered the call. Donald Katz contacted me again about an Interactive Whiteboard not working. The educator teaching in the room was upset that she could not use the board whole day. Ok. That was surprise number one. I went there late in the day to help her. Unfortunately the key for the door could not be found, but she would not let me go. “We will find a way to open the door. You dare not leave”, she said. I was being held “hostage” here. After a long while we had to give up and as a result I had to promise I will stop there first thing tomorrow morning. What I liked about this lady was her tenacity to not let go and she is committed to use the Inter Active Whiteboard.

Off to the lab and surprise! Donald Katz was busy assisting some maths educators using Master Maths. A new educator was learning how to register learners. Another educator was busy with some Maths Literacy modules (the lady in the light blue jacket) while the third educator was busy going through modules on sequences and series. I believe that this is the type of school we want where educators are taking the initiative to teach each other. Also, educators who are willing to learn and to share will move this school forward. What did I have to do? Sit and watch him do his stuff.

Mr Mbotshelwa, the principal, was happy his school is moving along and after attending the iNET conference he was in good spirits. He and Mrs Phike have met new friends from overseas. Mrs Phike, the deputy, is happy that things are up-and-running at school but complained that the facilitators are not giving her personal attention, particularly science. But that is another story.....

TextBooks + EIAWB + LAB = Curriculum Delivery

Textbooks were delivered to some schools in the EMDC East Helderberg Area and EMDC Overberg after a free donation was received. These textbooks are brand new and can be used together with the EIAWB and the LAB to ensure the availablity of a wide spectrum of resources.

Seen with Khanya Facilitator Albie Smith, who transported the books to the schools, are Temperance Town PS educators Mr Sharief Davids and Mr G Louw and at Bloemenhof PS, near Riviersonderend, is the principal, Mr Danie Maloy and some learners.
Mrs Gaynor Krynauw of Books24/7 donated the books and Mrs Karin Pieterse from GBPS collected the books and delivered it to Khanya facilitator Albie Smith to distribute.

CCM = S (Care, Clean, Maintenance = Sustainability)

Taking care of ICT equipment together with frequent cleaning operations, will result into a habitational continuous maintenance program that will ensure Sustainability of all electronic equipment in a school.

Dust and negligence are factors to be attended to and must be eliminated. Start to be creative and put a wooden block or brick (wrapped in colourful paper or contact) under a plug and get learners to be responsible to clean e.g. the air filter of a data projector with a toothbrush, wash it and put filter in sun for an hour or two and fit it again in data projector.

Lengthen and Strengthen the life expectancy of your school' equipment !!

Albie S = Sustain

Meeting place of the minds

Mr Yali of Intlanganiso Secondary School has taken to using the IAWB in his maths lessons in the classroom. He had just completed a lesson on numbers (natural numbers, integers, irrational numbers, rational numbers) and was introducing the coordinates being plotted on a cartesian plane. We quickly installed freeware such as Graph and Geogebra for him to continue during the next lesson.

The grade eleven had a double period doing sequences and series. Mr Yali called learners to the board to explain their solutions. They were happy to comply. With a little more help the learners will become better instructors. The collaboration between peers while working on the board bodes well for a school who had a 67% pass rate in mathematics.

Off to the science classroom where Ms Dlova with her grade 9 class constructing formulae by using the periodic table. Using the Croc clips software she quickly got an electronic form of the periodic table and merrily explained how to put elements together to get compounds. While discussing different possibilities of how to approach the subject we needed to use the laptop while learners were taking down the examples explained. We quickly found the picture freeze button and went ahead to discuss the use of some applets in her teaching.

This school is using their IAWB technology while their lab is being revamped. This school will go far because of educator such as Xolile and Zodwa.

The Early birds catch the Worms

This blog story is dedicated to all those educators who toil under adverse circumstances to produce good results in their subjects. Despite poor results, vandalism, burglaries, pregnancies, gangsterism and lack of motivation a few educators still feel they can make a difference.

Ms Mnisi, a maths educator at Chris Hani, jumped in early to use the Interactive Whiteboard with Master Maths to teach a section on Exponential graphs. Learners were eager to start off the year in their new grade. The Interactive Whiteboard has grabbed their attention with many being not so sure of the potential of the board.

At Esangweni Secondary School, Mr Donald Katz was teaching Geography using the World Cup 2010 as theme.

Armed with a laptop he easily connected it to the network and in so doing opened up a new world to the learners.

The internet showed a different dimension of the discussion they just had. Somehow the stadium is closer to Khayelitsha than it real location in Green Point.

Also in Khayelitsha Mrs Christians-Gaffoor of Bulumko Secondary School allowed the learners to surf the internet for information on career possibilities. Information from websites such as that of UWC gave the learners a fair idea of what results they must achieve to study there. In Life orientation she has to cover so many bases and the internet allows her to teach skills such as navigation and research. Her school is one of a few who can allow learners to surf the net confidently with minimal trouble. This is because learners are allowed on the net during intervals and after schools. Educators working on administration in the lab also supervise what learners are doing.

So to these educators.....you are making a difference!

EIAWB Coordinators Meeting @ SWMPS

Coordinators meeting re EIAWB together with Facilitators An indepth discussion re EIABW training was done with input from all delegates present. The meeting was held in the Methodists Church - the premises adjacent to Somerset West Methodist PS. The garden was superbly nutured and well looked after and contributed to the more natural approach to resolve issues in the technical and digital world !

Mark even had time to relax in the garden while Bonny and Charlotte enjoyed their early morning Moca Java coffee and Green tea in the Garden of EIAWB Eden discussing the 40% vs 60% division of a certain facilitator. Food was ***** and we want to thank Somerset West Methodist PS for this gesture. Thankx.

The hard technical EIAWB issues took 90% of the time allocated to the meeting, but the Red Rose showed us the beauty of nature - and that this natural environment can easily be displayed on the EIAWB and can contribute to successful Science and Biology curriculum integration on a whiteboard!!

We must remember that Rome was not build in one day, so let us strive to give all educators an EIAWB learners driver's license to drive with a few basic tools at first, not to be a Michael Schumacher Ferrari EAIWB guru now, later.

The only difference between the 2x boards is that the old green / blackboard got chalk for fuel, while the Smart Board got an ELECTRONIC engine. Keep in mind it is a growing process - an EIAWB is not a once done, always done piece of equipment. An oil painting with a small winding road through a forest reminded me that we are on a journey, not @ a destination.

Remember there are 5 role players : Facilitator + Educator + learners + TOOLS + Curriculum. Use a few tools on the toolbar - those that you are comfortable with and achieved with it what is possible NOW. Don’t use all the bells and whistles - JUST THE BASIC TOOLS.

The EIAWB Marrriage should be between the learners and the curriculum. Give them also the basics tools: a teaspoon now and not a wheelbarrow. Start from being a Beginner – then move to an Intermediate user - and eventually an Advaced Guru - then you know the EIAWB + CURRICULUM marriage was a success.

Albie - on a digital journey with an EIAWB and a few tools

Computers older than .....years ...... are ANTIQUES

I want to compliment this gentleman taking the 10x old wss - box and all to the ANTIQUES shop. To upgrade, improve, refit new motherboard or RAM...... no rather replace. There are schools in dire strait for new technology !! Let us improve the LAB with a slightly better ws and technological devices - cost will always be a factor.

Albie