Please support Aletta!
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 | Uncategorized | 3 Comments
Did you know that Aletta of the Khanya Project Support Office is a finalist in a national competition? Her suggestion for a new “lekker flavour” for potato crisps was so unique (walkie talkie chicken = chicken feet and heads) that it was adopted for the name of one of four new flavours available in the shops.
Will she be the ultimate winner? It all depends on us. She needs our support: buy Walkie Talkie Chicken chips, but also vote for her. You can vote by means of SMS or, easier (and cheaper) do so online. Go this site, and vote! You can vote five times a day, every day from now till the end of September 2010. You can even win a prize yourself! If you are on Facebook, you can also like her … and help her along he way.
What is technology?
Saturday, July 24th, 2010 | Uncategorized, education, technology | No Comments
So what is this thing called technology that teachers are encouraged to use?
The word technology comes from the Greek word technologia:
• techno = craft
• logia = the study of something
This means that technology is the study of a particular craft or discipline – it includes the craft itself, as well as the tools and techniques used to practise the craft.
Knitting is an example of a technology. It is a craft and you need to study its techniques and practise using them. Knitting needles are your tools and unless you just want to knit a straight strip that can only be used to wrap around a mummy, you need a pattern to guide you to produce something that will fit the human anatomy.
The art of knitting won’t be of much use in the classroom – but educational technology will. What is it? When people speak of educational technology they have in mind modern, electronic tools that will fit a teacher like a pair of Levi jeans.
Technology in the classroom is not a new thing – you are already using some forms of it. The blackboard is an example of educational technology but it is an old technology, invented way back in 1801. Unfortunately, some teachers are stuck in a time warp while trying to teach learners of the twenty-first century.
Technology has advanced and many recent innovations are available to educators today. The possibilities of enhancing your teaching by means of modern technology are endless.
When we talk about educational technology in the early twenty-first century, we refer specifically to information and communication technology (ICT), commonly referred to as computer technology.
Are you serious about improving the quality of your teaching? If the answer is “yes” you will want to explore the extent to which technology can improve your life, as well as that of your learners.
A classroom without technology is like a football match without a vuvuzela.
Technology in Education – the greatest challenge
Monday, July 12th, 2010 | education | 6 Comments
The National Department of Education is grappling with the poor quality of teaching and learning in South Africa. They are flip-flopping between different methodologies; over the past few weeks we’ve learned that OBE – once hailed a miracle cure for education ills – has been ditched.
Amidst this scrambling for solutions, what is the potential contribution of technology?
Enough evidence is available in schools with dedicated, passionate teachers, under good management, that technology can indeed make a significant contribution to improved teaching and learning. Yet, not all schools are profiting from technologies available to them. Too many schools have unused computer rooms with state of the art equipment, and an alarming number of interactive whiteboards are never switched on.
If technology makes a difference in some schools, why does it not do so in all schools? It seems as if the greatest challenge is to motivate teachers and principals to use technology. Various reasons are given for teacher reluctance to use technology as a teaching tool:
• lack of departmental support
• lack of support and guidance from the principal
• lack of training opportunities
• no time given to learn the skills
• overloaded with too many administrative burdens
• having to attend too many training sessions on curriculum matters
• unreliable technology
• too little (or no) technical support
• no time slots available to get into the computer room
• flocci non facio attitude
You may be able to add to this list – some may be valid objections, and others may be of the dog-ate-my-homework type.
While identifying the reasons for teacher resistance to technology, it is important that we also look for the remedy. What practical steps can be taken to change the situation?
I will not be blogging for the next ten days or so – will be attending an international conference on the use of educational technology in Canada. May I invite you to post your views here on this important matter. I would like to start a series of postings/discussions on the ways in which we could help teachers to break through the technology barriers, and your insights will be valuable input.
The road of least resistance is not always the best
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010 | e-Learning pioneers | 2 Comments
The e-pioneer promotes the best – not the easiest – road.
Starting on the road of using technology in the classroom is a daunting task. The story of two donkeys can be encouraging.
Two donkeys went on a long journey and were given a choice as to the load they had to carry. In front of them were two huge bags of equal size: one of them contained cotton and the other one sugar. One of the donkeys quickly chose the bag of cotton and the other one had to be satisfied with the bag of sugar.
After trekking for a couple of hours over a steep hill, the donkey carrying the sugar was near collapse, while the one who chose the cotton still had a spring in his step. Then they came to a river that they had to wade through. On the other side of the river, the donkey with the sugar load suddenly discovered that his load virtually disappeared. The other donkey was dismayed at the volume of water that was absorbed by the cotton and was later even more surprised at how reluctant the fibres were to release the water. One can imagine the ecstasy and agony of the rest of the journey.
The lesson from the donkey with the sugar is that the load gets lighter if one endures. Eventually the use of technology will make the teaching task a breeze. Those who insist on a light load will get bogged down with old-style teaching methods.
The e-pioneer must spend time showing teachers the sugar – allowing them to taste it – at the outset of the journey.
Click here for more food for thought for e-pioneers.
A 10-year old blogger
Sunday, July 4th, 2010 | Blogging | 1 Comment
Nathan is a 10-year old boy living in Cape Town, but he is growing up in a digital global village – he has taken to blogging and reaches the whole world with the knowledge he creates while he is exploring the world around him.
Nathan with his bean during the "bean cycle" experiment.
What a good example! Just imagine the educational value if many learners can share their learning experiences with others in this way.
Teachers, take note of the potential of blogs!
Visit Nathan’s Blog – and encourage other teachers and youngsters to do the same. It may open your eyes to new teaching and learning opportunities.
Example speaks louder than words
Thursday, July 1st, 2010 | e-Learning pioneers | 3 Comments
The e-pioneer leads by example.
When e-pioneers feel they are not reaching the hearts and minds of teachers, they should first examine whether they themselves are practising what they are preaching. Aesop’s fable of the crab and her son drives the point home:
A Crab said to her son: “Why do you walk so one-sided, my child? It is far more becoming to go straight forward.”
The young Crab replied: “Quite true, dear Mother; and if you will show me the straight way, I will promise to walk in it.”
The Mother tried in vain, and submitted without remonstrance to the reproof of her child.
The moral of the story is that example is more powerful than instruction.
One way in which an e-pioneer can set a good example is in the manner of communication. Perhaps teachers are reluctant to use e-mail. There is no better way to encourage them to use this form of communication than using it yourself! Principals who stopped sending out notices and instructions on paper and used e-mail instead have found this an excellent way of motivating teachers to adopt this mode of communication.
The e-pioneer never has the attitude of “do what I say; not what I do”. Leading by example is the best way to make sure others are following.
Click here for more food for thought for e-pioneers.
A balanced view of planning
Monday, June 28th, 2010 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment
The e-pioneer avoids planning paralysis.
Thorough planning is required when establishing a computer facility at a school. Not only must the implementation of technology be planned – infrastructure preparation needs careful forethought too. And of course, you must plot a training programme for teachers. What about the unforeseen things that can bedevil your plans?
Great thinkers of the past give a helpful perspective on planning:
Albert Einstein said: “I never think of the future: it comes soon enough.”
Winston Churchill told an anecdote of an old man who lamented – on his death bed – the fact that he had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which never happened.
Does this imply that planning is not necessary? Not at all! The lesson is that the act of planning should not replace the act of doing. The tendency to work out every little detail before you move towards action must be avoided.
It is the task of the e-pioneer to encourage a balanced approach during technology adoption: whereas sufficient planning must be done to ensure orderly implementation, care must be taken that the process is not paralyzed by planning.
It is impossible to answer all the “what if” questions. Technology progresses at such a rapid rate that it is unworkable to plan for every eventuality. Rather than waiting till all questions are answered – and letting valuable time slip by – plan according to the facts known at present and get on with the job.
Click here for more food for thought for e-pioneers.
Think in terms of solutions rather than problems
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010 | e-Learning pioneers | 2 Comments
The e-pioneer encourages teachers to find solutions.
Teachers often raise objections when they are encouraged to use technology as a teaching tool. Many of these questions are valid, but are asked, not so much to find a solution, but to find a reason for not using technology.
Some of these questions are:
What if the learners vandalize the equipment?
What if the learners know more about technology than I do?
What if the class is too big to allow each child access to a computer?
What if the computer room is fully booked and I can’t get access for my class?
What if the learners find pornographic sites on the internet?
Good questions indeed! Each one of them poses a challenge and requires a lengthy discussion. E-pioneers may become frustrated if, after having gone through a long explanation, another problem question is tossed their way.
A good strategy is to respond as follows: “An interesting challenge, but how do you think you can to solve the problem?”
This approach encourages the one who asks the question to think in terms of solutions rather than problems.
Click here for more food for thought for e-pioneers.
Think before you save
Friday, June 18th, 2010 | e-Learning pioneers | No Comments
The e-pioneer fights e-clutter.
One of the unintended consequences of electronic productivity tools is that far too many e-items are accumulated: electronic files, emails, address records, calendar items, phone numbers and to-do entries on desktop computers, laptops, file servers and even cell phones.
The increasing capacity in memory and storage of electronic devices allows the accumulation of e-items. E-clutter is a term used to describe unused e-items kept on electronic equipment.
In the past, when memory had to be used sparingly, people were careful to store only relevant and useful information. Now memory is freely available and we have become careless. It is so easy to press the “save” button to keep an e-item just in case it is wanted in the future.
A problem is created in that countless hours are spent searching, shuffling and manipulating electronic e-items. It is estimated that as much as 25% of an office worker’s time is wasted searching for information needed to make decisions or to complete tasks.
Teachers can likewise waste many hours searching through e-clutter. The e-pioneer must help teachers to reduce the amount of time used in sifting through endless lists looking for required information. Two simple principles must be applied:
- Store e-items such a way that you can easily find them.
- Periodically, go through e-items and get rid of the e-clutter.
Click here for more food for thought for e-pioneers.
Technology must be available to all teachers in a school
Sunday, June 13th, 2010 | e-Learning pioneers | 1 Comment
The e-pioneer is not intimidated by a dog in the manger.
Opposition to the use of technology by all teachers in a school sometimes comes from an unexpected source: the resident computer specialist. Experts may begrudge the fact that others are coming into their domain and fear the loss of their position, or even their job.
This reminds us of the Dog in the Manger fable of Aesop.
A dog, wanting to take an afternoon nap, jumped into the manger of an ox and lay there cosily upon the straw. The ox, returning from its work came up to the manger and wanted to eat some of the straw. The dog, in a rage, being awakened from its slumber, stood up and barked at the ox and attempted to bite it whenever it came near. At last the ox had to give up the hope of getting at the straw, and muttered, “Some people often begrudge others what they cannot enjoy themselves.”
Could it be that computer experts resent sharing computer facilities with others? Perhaps they can only teach computer literacy; they can’t eat the curriculum straw, but are not going to make it easy for other educators to use the technology. They may even make access to technology – and life in general – difficult for their colleagues.
It is the task of the e-pioneer to remove the dog in the manger. The easiest way to do this is to help the computer expert to become an e-pioneer.
Click here for more food for thought for e-pioneers.