This is the 24th post in the series “MIEExpert Spotlight” for South Africa. The tab with all the posts can be found at: . Today we focus on Amandla Vinjwa. Amandla is an MIEExpert Educator in South Africa, and he was recently selected to attend the E2 Global Exchange in Toronto along with four other South African teachers. Amandla is a primary school teacher at Sivile Primary School in Cape Town, Western Cape. He has been teaching for 8 years.

What is the Microsoft E2 Global Exchange?

The Microsoft Education Exchange (E2) was held in Toronto, Canada from March 21 through to March 23, 2017. This is an exclusive invitation-only event for 300 MIE Experts and Fellows.

This is Microsoft in Education’s annual event recognizing and celebrating the achievements of educators who combine content, pedagogy, and technology in exemplary ways to prepare students for success. Microsoft brings together the most innovative educators from around the world to collaborate, create, and share their experiences on how to integrate technology and pedagogy to advance learning, achieve student outcomes, and transform education. 

Amandla attended the E2 along with four other South African educators, accompanied by Angela Schaerer from Microsoft and Megan Rademeyer from SchoolNet who is a Microsoft Fellow. 

The South African team

Amandla’s experience at the E2

I am thrilled to share my experience with all other educators. I had an opportunity to be part of the MIEE team headed to Toronto to attend E2 annual event. Indeed its a life time experience getting to connect with other educators around the world. To share ideas , and views about different ways of teaching. Teaching and learning strategies and the resources they use to enhance the learning process.

The integration of the ICT in the classroom specifically the Microsoft tools designed and tailor-made to fit in each and every classroom environment. in teaching practice to support the learning , to diversify teaching and learning to accommodate different learning abilities and overcome learning barriers.

Amandla with Leah Orbach from the USA during the social networking challenge

All the activities and sessions were fruitful and indeed were learning experience as well to see which Microsoft tools could be used to suit your class as well to help you achieve your learning goals . To instill discipline, enable classroom management to give learners a task to take full responsibility for their learning , to develop the desired knowledge and skills. Both subject and other skills set which includes the 21 st Century skills.

Innovative and creative ways of teaching stimulates our learners minds and challenge them to task. Then on that due process they become proactive in their learning. The skills set thus from low order thinking to high order way of thinking(Bloom’ s taxonomy).

The paradigm shift of doing things thus stop learners from being consumers and users of the things produced already and challenge them to play a meaningful role and be producers and creators of things. To be good and critical thinkers.

Get involved in the 2017/2018 Microsoft MIEE program 

If you are a teacher who likes to be innovative in the classroom, think about entering Microsoft’s Innovative Teacher MIEExpert 2017/2018 program when applications reopen later this year. You can learn more about the program at this link:  on the Microsoft Educator Community.