Join us for another workshop by Vicki Davis, who has been recognized for her innovative use of the Web in the classroom. She describes here the steps necessary to create a Flat Classroom, which is the expansion of your classroom to include global communities and different forms of communication like blogs and wikis.
TeachersFirst is a rich collection of lessons, units, and web resources designed to save teachers time by delivering just what they need in a practical, user-friendly, and ad-free format. We offer our own professional and classroom-ready content along with thousands of reviewed web resources, including practical ideas for classroom use and safe classroom use of Web 2.0. Busy teachers, parents, and students can find resources using our subject/grade level search, keyword search, or extensive menus.
In February, I announced the Western Cape Education Department's Infrastructure plan which aims to address the backlogs in school infrastructure in the Province.
The R1.9 billion infrastructure plan, amongst other things, includes the building of 25 new schools over the current MTEF, the replacement of 20 schools that were built with inappropriate materials, the building of additional relief classrooms and the installation of mobile classrooms at schools where there is severe overcrowding.
The module Teaching and Learning Mathematics in Diverse Classrooms is intended as a guide to teaching mathematics for in-service teachers in primary schools. It is informed by the inclusive education policy (Education White Paper 6 Special Needs Education, 2001) and supports teachers in dealing with the diversity of learners in South African classrooms.
"The Low Achievement Trap is an empirical study of student mathematics learning in Grade 6 classrooms that is unique in its focus on two school systems shaped by different political histories on either side of the Botswana-South Africa border. The study provides a detailed examination of the capacity of teachers - how they teach, how much they teach, and what they teach. Because of this wealth of detail, The Low Achievement Trap gives us much greater insight than previous research into why students seem to be making larger gains in the classrooms of South Eastern Botswana than in those of North West Province, South Africa. Rather than identifying a single major factor to explain this difference, the study finds that a composite of inter-related variables revolving around teachers' mathematics knowledge and their capacity to teach mathematics are crucial to improving education in both regions. The message is a hopeful one: good teachers can make a difference in student learning."
Can we reach our pupils with technology in a way that doesn't wreck our budgets?
Is Social Media a teaching tool or a hindrance? Should we ban cellphones in our schools when almost all our pupils use them for communication and learning outside the classroom?
Can a research project mean more than a quick Google search? How can we teach digital literacy in ways which are cost-effective, meaningful and budget-friendly?
Is a computer lab needed in a 21st century school?
What are the pitfalls of using technology in the classroom?
Need answers? Join us at EdTechConference 2011!
Should South African schools be introducing videogames into the curriculum? Giving children experience points instead of traditional marks for projects? Intel's marketing manager, Ntombezinhle Modiselle, certainly thinks so - and she's got a growing body of research to back her up.
"TeachMeets are a great way for teachers to learn from other teachers about the use of ICT tools and Devices in the classroom. Sign up today or participate from far away via skype, upload a video, audio or presentation for others to learn from!"
The safety of the self-contained classroom, one separated (by walls and firewalls) from the rest of the world - the world we are supposed to prepare our students for - goes against everything that surrounds young people today and prevents them from learning how to navigate the complex online world
skoool.co.za
is a vast educational
resource for learners and teachers to use inventively and creatively in the
classroom or in the comfort of their own homes to add extra value to their
learning and teaching of Maths, Natural Sciences, Physical Sciences and Life
Sciences.
The overall aim of the Teacher Development Summit is to facilitate effective system-wide teacher development that will lead to sustainable improvement in the quality of teaching and learning in classrooms and schools. The outcome of the summit will be a declaration that contains a set of recommendations regarding and commitments to a national plan for teacher education and development.
This is a collaborative project to generate Social Media Guidelines for school districts. The goal of this guideline is to provide instructional employees, staff, students, administrators, parents and the school district community direction when using social media applications both inside and outside the classroom.