Submitted by Omashani
Naidoo of SchoolNet
Intel continues to
support Vodacom Foundation and Department of Basic Education in the ICT centres
in the proof of concept districts. Two Intel Getting Started training of
trainer workshops were held in the Free State and North West provinces.
Free State – Thaba Nchu
The training took place on 7 – 8 September 2013. SchoolNet’s trainer, Mr
Daniel Maedi found the laptops were connected and ready for training. Of the
expected 22 educators only 12 educators attended but these were mostly CAT
educators at their respective schools hence their computer skills were
advanced. The trainer went through all the modules and managed to demonstrate
how to use the tip-sheets and help-guide. These participants used the
help-guide as directed and they had no problems in navigating the CD. The
handbook was also saved in personalized folders.
Trainees looked at the 21st century approach. They did
an exercise where they compared the old way of teaching and the modern way of
teaching. The activities were also discussed and some were able to finish them
at home. The module of computer basics was not important for this group but it
was discussed because they are going to be trainers. The collaboration in the
21st century skills was discussed in detail and the module was
followed step by step and participants got very involved in an exercise.
The module on
Discovering and Exploring MS Word took longer than expected and the emphasis
was put on following steps to make educators independent and able to look for
answers themselves. The trainer explained that all modules follow the same
style. Following the module outline educators were asked to complete this
section on their own. The trainer created a folder for the Motheo Training and
sent the link to participants. The aim was to check if they are able to access
email and use it confidentially. Trainees were successful with this task.
The module on
multimedia and spreadsheets were facilitated and progressed very successfully.
The trainer further requested them to do two or three more elective tasks on
the multimedia module and to prepare one task for showcase. Before the showcase
educators got engaged in a pair and share activity and become more critical
friends. The pair and share session as well as showcase enabled the master
trainer to see the confidence level of the educators and how good they are at
expressing themselves. These new trainers will now be able to facilitate this
course for other teachers in their clusters.
Sixteen participants
attended this Intel Getting Started training of trainers’ course. Facilitator
Saul Pila noted that all 23 computers are functional but that the internet was
not working. While participants were cooperative some of them were not active
and did not like to interact with other educators. On a second day participants
came early but the positive spirit was spoiled by the lack of internet.
Participants showcased their work briefly. The teachers were responding to the
following questions, “What have you done with Word Processor?; How can you use
that in the classroom?; What new skills have you learned?; and what were your
challenges and how did you overcome them?”. Most of them came out with flying
colours.
On Day 3 the teachers used the Help guide to assist themselves. Trainees
were working independently and requested that we go on for another day to
complete all the activities. The internet worked on the third day but most of
the activities that needed internet were not done.
Both these workshops
were hugely successful and is focused on building capacity at the various
Vodacom centres as well creating a hub of teacher professional development in
local communities where teachers have easy access to gain ICT experience and
develop and master skills in the integration of ICT into teaching and learning
activities in the classroom.
