Don’t forget the additional costs …

Friday, August 20th, 2010 | Uncategorized, technology | 2 Comments

Schools are encouraged to acquire technology to enhance learning.

Teachers are encouraged to acquire technology to enhance teaching.

But be realistic – don’t forget to count the costs beforehand – consider the total cost of ownership.

          (Created by Kobus van Wyk using MakeBeliefsComix.com)

Tags: cost, learning, teaching, technology

Will technology make teachers redundant?

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 | Uncategorized, technology | 4 Comments

The prospect of losing your job can cause much anxiety.  When you see people around you being retrenched it is natural to be concerned about your own job security.

Teachers are not immune to layoffs.  When the government cuts budgets and there is talk about teachers being “in excess” and terms such as reorganization, downsizing and rationalization appear in the papers, panic sets in.

It is only natural that teachers wonder how the introduction of technology in schools could impact on their prospects of continued employment.  They may think back to the time of the industrial revolution – many mine workers and factory workers lost their jobs when machines were used for functions previously performed by the workers.

“Won’t computers take over my job?” some teachers may ask.

The answer to this question is an emphatic “no”.  Machines can take over manual repetitive tasks.  But they can not perform those tasks requiring higher order thinking – and teaching is possibly one of the most complex activities on earth.  Teachers are working with the minds of learners, shaping them, while trying to find the best teaching technique to match the learning style of each one of their learners.

You can use computers and related tools without any fear of redundancy.  When a carpenter replaces a manual saw with an electric one, does that make the human redundant?  Of course not – but it does make the carpenter more productive.  The same principle applies when technology becomes available in a school.

Don’t fear!  Digital tools in your classroom will never make you redundant.  A creative, intelligent teacher is needed to plan lessons – a piece of equipment can’t do this!  And what good will electronic tools do without a teacher when the power goes off?

Technology may bring unexpected advantages to you if you do face job insecurity.  If you become proficient in its use, you will be more marketable.  The high cost of training a teacher to become a skilled technology practitioner benefits you in two ways: when the school is firing, you are unlikely to be the one to go owing to the investment made in you, and when a school is hiring, it will be a bargain to employ you since you won’t need expensive training.

During economically uncertain times technology can be your best friend – treat it as such by learning to work with it.

Tags: Employment, teachers, technology

Please support Aletta!

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 | Uncategorized | 4 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.

Tags: education, technology

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.

Nadine Gordimer against the use of technology for reading

Monday, May 31st, 2010 | Uncategorized | 10 Comments

Nadine Gordimer, one of only a handful South Africans ever to receive the Nobel prize (she received it for literature), does not think e-readers is a good thing.  It is reported that she recently said:

There is no substitute for the book, and it would be a great deprivation and danger if the book should disappear and be replaced by something with a battery.

She argues that, on an electronic device, the words pass as an image before you; when you want to read it again, you have “to manage” the process, whereas you can simply flip back the pages of a book.  Do you spot the flaw in this line of reasoning?  Maybe the same argument was used when the scroll was replaced by the codex.

Ms Gordimer is a highly respected author – but in this case she is missing the plot.

I’ve recently read Great Expectations, Vanity Fair and The Count of Monte Cristo on my e-reader.  I took the device with me wherever I went (even to bed) and managing the process of paging forwards and backwards was no different than reading a book.  To me an e-reader holds many advantages over a book: one small device can house hundreds of books. 

The best of all is that I can adjust the size of the letters so that I don’t have to use my reading glasses – try that with a book!

If electronic text encourages young people to read more – putting literature on their preferred medium – we are doing humanity a disfavour by denouncing the use of technology as a carrier of books.

When are teachers getting their laptops?

Sunday, January 17th, 2010 | Uncategorized, laptops | 3 Comments

It is now nearly two years since teachers in South Africa were promised that they would be given laptops.  The excitement among teachers has waned since this promise has not yet been fulfilled.

“What is holding things up,” they rightfully ask.  Bureaucratic bungling, departmental inefficiencies, political agendas and interference by the trade unions seem to be some of the factors. 

Who are the victims?  The teachers – but also the learners who are disadvantaged by being taught by teachers who lack technology skills.

In the mean time the rest of the world is moving rapidly ahead, leaving us far behind.  It was recently announced that poor children in England are receiving grants to obtain computers and internet connectivity.  The purpose?  “It aims to help bridge the achievement gap between rich and poor pupils”.

Of course, this scheme in England has been on the books for a long time – about a decade.  Perhaps our teachers will get their laptops in ten years’ time.

But can we afford to wait?

Tags: ICT in Africa, laptops

Am I not too old to learn to use an interactive whiteboard?

Thursday, January 14th, 2010 | IWBs, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks – I am too old to learn modern technology,” you may say if you are a senior teacher.  When you say that do you really believe it?

Are you using a cell phone?  How old were you when you learned to use it?  Perhaps you felt the same way about that a few years ago as you do now about an interactive whiteboard.  But you learned to operate a cell phone – at first just to make phone calls.  Later you discovered the value of a text message (SMS).  Now you may use it to take pictures of your grandchildren, or perform any of the other functions it offers.

If you conquered a cell phone, you can conquer an interactive whiteboard.  It all depends on how willing and eager you are to learn.

Many teachers in their fifties, sixties and seventies have already mastered the use of an interactive whiteboard and now proclaim that they can’t imagine life without it.  If you are a life long learner, this is what you will do – continue to learn new things as they come your way.

An extract from The Khanya Story may be of encouragement to you:

There are some teachers who may feel   Too old for a new trick Old dogs rebel – protest and squeal –   Their painful wounds they lick   The opposite is often true   – Life is not always grim – Old ducks sometimes learn new things too   And dogs can learn to swim   Oft older teachers do excel   And learn an IT skill All apprehensions they expel   Not yet right o’er the hill

While you are still able to teach, you are not yet over the hill.  The education system needs your experience, passion and commitment – and above all, your example.  When you master the use of your interactive whiteboard, you are setting an example to the new generation of teachers.

Click here for more information about interactive whiteboards.

Tags: IWBs

Dust covers for computers

Thursday, November 19th, 2009 | Sustainability, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Does a dust cover for a piece of computer equipment serve a useful purpose?

You don’t notice how dusty computer rooms are until you look into a shaft of sunlight coming through the window.  The dust particles are so small that you won’t see them in normal light, but there are thousands – hundreds of thousands – of specks floating around.

Some schools are dustier than others.  In schools with old ceiling boards, dust particles are falling down all the time – just climb through the trap door and you will see how much dust is up there!  Schools near the sea battle against fine sea sand and some areas are prone to dust storms.

Dust is damaging to computers, data projectors and interactive whiteboards.  It makes sense to protect electronic tools against a buildup of dust when they are not in use, particularly at night, over weekends and during vacation periods.

Dust covers don’t have to be expensive – in fact a school may acquire them at no cost.  They are easy to manufacture and can be made of cheap plastic, vinyl or cloth.  Manufacturing dust covers is a worthwhile project for mothers and other community members – not only will they render the school a service, but the undertaking gives the community an opportunity to be involved in the computer facility of the school.  Covers can be obtained commercially if the skills or equipment to make them are not available locally – but first see if they can be produced by the community.

An added advantage of having dust covers in the computer facility – perhaps the greatest one – is that appreciation for the equipment is enhanced.  Learners are made aware of the value of technology and a feeling of I-am-responsible-to-care-for-precious-apparatus is engendered among them.

Tags: Sustainability

Visiting the Taj Mahal

Saturday, November 7th, 2009 | Uncategorized | 7 Comments

A picture taken when I visited the Taj Mahal a few weeks ago.

Just to prove I was there!

Tags: personal