Go with Henry: Nhlazatshe

Showing posts with label Nhlazatshe. Show all posts

Thursday, 15 November 2012

Conducting PC literacy training in Mpumalanga (Timeleni)

Vodacom Millionaires Project

Mecer classroom management solution training

Timeleni PRIMARY SCHOOL, Elukwatini, Nhlazatshe

October 2012

Farm entrance near Amsterdam (Mpumalanga)

From 2009 - 2012 I conducted PC literacy, the integration of technology into education and various educational software solutions training at several rural schools across South-Africa. In 2012, I conducted training on the Mecer Classroom Management System. It was done on behalf of Learnthings Africa who was contracted by the Vodacom Millionaires Project. The project launched a competition whereby schools entered a competition. There were 4 winning schools every month. The Mecer classroom Management System was the prize, basically a laptop with about 30 x Mecer mini laptops. The main laptop or teacher's laptop managed the learner laptops and teachers could utilize the system in organized class activities. I was contracted by Learnthings Africa to facilitate the training of teachers and students on utilizing this system. It took me to parts of South Africa where few white people or tourists get to go. It was an opportunity to see how most South Africans in rural areas live.

Project purpose

The overall purpose of the project was to ensure that the learners and the teachers are comfortable in integrating the interactive Classmate solution into classroom teaching and learning. Specific emphasis is placed on the integration of Learnthings and other educational content into teaching and learning. This implies that teachers should have an understanding of the navigation system as well as the actual available content (software; e.g. Encarta, Learnthings Primary Content, PIL & Skoool.co.za)

Goals

By the end of the course participants were introduced to the following:

• Overview of the hardware and software solution & Basic PC literacy.

• Content pre-loaded on the teacher’s laptop (PIL, Encarta, Learnthings content).

• Classroom Management software on Teacher’s laptop.

• Internet and productivity tools.

• Exposure to Software preloaded on Classmates (Encarta, Learnthings Primary Content)

About Mpumalanga

Mpumalanga (Zulu name for "the place where the sun rises") is a province in eastern South Africa, bordering the nations of Swaziland and Mozambique. It embraces the southern half of Kruger National Park, a huge nature reserve with abundant wildlife including big game. The province's iconic Blyde River Canyon, among the world’s largest, is known as a green canyon because of its subtropical foliage (Wikipedia).

Student training: Timeleni PRIMARY SCHOOL, Elukwatini, Nhlazatshe in Mpumalanga

Elukwatini, Nhlazatshe in Mpumalanga

Supermarket - Elukwatini, Nhlazatshe in Mpumalanga

Street scenery - Elukwatini, Nhlazatshe in Mpumalanga

Supermarket - Elukwatini, Nhlazatshe in Mpumalanga

Street scenery - Elukwatini, Nhlazatshe in Mpumalanga

Timeleni PRIMARY SCHOOL, Elukwatini, Nhlazatshe in Mpumalanga

Street scenery - Elukwatini, Nhlazatshe in Mpumalanga

Elukwatini, Nhlazatshe in Mpumalanga

Street scenery - Elukwatini, Nhlazatshe in Mpumalanga

Elukwatini, Nhlazatshe in Mpumalanga

Nature scenery: Road between Elukwatini and Amsterdam,
where I stayed (about a 100 km trip, I had to do twice a day)

Nature scenery: Road between Elukwatini and Amsterdam

Nature scenery: Road between Elukwatini and Amsterdam - near Amsterdam

Farm entrance on the road between Elukwatini and Amsterdam - near Amsterdam

Nature scenery: Road between Elukwatini and Amsterdam - near Amsterdam

Nature scenery: Road between Elukwatini and Amsterdam

Amsterdam petrol station

The main road through Amsterdam

Exploring Amsterdam by foot - dirt street

My rondawel - The Glen Oak lodge where I stayed for 2 nights

Shack - Amsterdam

Student training: Timeleni PRIMARY SCHOOL, Elukwatini, Nhlazatshe in Mpumalanga

Teacher training: Timeleni PRIMARY SCHOOL, Elukwatini, Nhlazatshe in Mpumalanga

Nature scenery: Road between Elukwatini and Amsterdam

Exploring Amsterdam by foot - local kids

Dutch Reformed Church, Amsterdam

Exploring Amsterdam by foot - old house

Exploring Amsterdam by foot - artistic function on my camera

Teacher group photo after training

Student training: Timeleni PRIMARY SCHOOL, Elukwatini, Nhlazatshe in Mpumalanga

Friday, 31 August 2012

Rural South Africa - Kanyamazane in Mpumalanga province

Vodacom Millionaires Project

Kanyamazane

Mpumalanga Province

August 2012

Background

In 2012, I conducted training on the Mecer Classroom Management System. It was done on behalf of Learnthings Africa who was contracted by the Vodacom Millionaires Project. The project launched a competition whereby schools entered a competition. There were 4 winning schools every month. The Mecer classroom Management System was the prize, basically a laptop with about 30 x Mecer mini laptops.

The main laptop, or teacher's laptop managed the learner laptops and teachers could utilize the system in organized class activities. I was contracted by Learnthings Africa to facilitate the training of teachers and students on utilizing this system. It took me to parts of South Africa where few white people or tourists get to go. It was an opportunity to see how most South Africans in rural areas live.

Nature scenery - Near Nelspruit, Mpumalanga

About South Africa

South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometers of coastline of Southern Africa stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighboring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini (Swaziland); and it surrounds the enclaved country of Lesotho.

South Africa is the largest country in Southern Africa and the 25th-largest country in the world by land area and, with over 57 million people, is the world's 24th-most populous nation. It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World or the Eastern Hemisphere.

About 80 percent of South Africans are of Sub-Saharan African ancestry divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different African languages, nine of which have official status. The remaining population consists of Africa's largest communities of European (White), Asian (Indian), and multiracial (Coloured) ancestry.

The World Bank classifies South Africa as an upper-middle-income economy and a newly industrialized country. Its economy is the second-largest in Africa, and the 34th-largest in the world. In terms of purchasing power parity, South Africa has the seventh-highest per capita income in Africa.

However, poverty and inequality remain widespread, with about a quarter of the population unemployed and living on less than US$1.25 a day.

Nevertheless, South Africa has been identified as a middle power in international affairs and maintains significant regional influence

What does Lonely Planet say about South Africa?

Nature scenery - Near Nelspruit

About Mpumalanga

Mpumalanga (Zulu name for "the place where the sun rises") is a province in eastern South Africa, bordering the nations of Swaziland and Mozambique.

It embraces the southern half of Kruger National Park, a huge nature reserve with abundant wildlife including big game.

The province's iconic Blyde River Canyon, among the world’s largest, is known as a green canyon because of its subtropical foliage (Wikipedia).