Thursday 10 April 2014

ICT4RED Phase 3 Introduction

The ICT4REd project has had many AHH-HAA moments and we have been learning on the fly from our wonderful teachers in Phases 1 and 2. All the lessons learned have been captured and will be shared so that others can take what we have experienced forward into new innovation to improve professional teachers development.

This morning we kicked off with the introduction of phase 3 to the subject advisors in the Cofimvaba district. This phase will be all about handing over training responsibilities to the subject advisers in order to capacitate the district to take the ICT4RED project futher into all the circuits in Cofimvaba.

Phase 3 consist of a further 14 schools in the Nciba circuit where teachers and subject advisors, like in phase 2, will be given the opportunity to earn their technology and integrate mobile devices into teaching and learning. Phase 3 will be managed by the district with the support from the #ict4RED team.



We have also taken lesson learned during phase 2 to rewrite and improve our Teachers Professional Development course to be even more interactive and engaging.  The course has been simplified and streamlined and 9 of the 10 modules will be facilitated by the subject advisers after extensive "Train the Trainer" sessions to make sure that they are confident in supporting their teachers to become learner centred facilitators.



Schoolnet will be doing the Change Management training with the subject advisers to ensure that they can support the schools in their care to manage mobile technologies infrastructure and issues. They will also facilitate the process of helping schools to create ICT strategies to cope with the nitty gritty implementation of the ICT4RED mobile initiative.

Wednesday 9 April 2014

Mathematics and science boosted in Cofimvaba by mobile science outreach unit

The Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom, handed over a mobile science outreach unit to the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDE) in the Cofimvaba District today. The mobile laboratory is part of the Technology for Rural Education and Development (Tech4Red) initiative, led by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), which aims to establish whether the introduction of innovative technologies can improve the quality of teaching and learning in rural areas.

A science centre is envisaged for the Cofimvaba district. This will contribute to DST's efforts to raise awareness of science, engineering and technology (SET) among the general public, and to inspire young people to pursue studies and careers in SET-related fields.

For more information about this initiative see http://www.gov.za/speeches/view.php?sid=45012

For more photo's and videos, see http://goo.gl/otilBn