A learning tool is any software or online device or service that an individual can use for their own or for academic learning purposes. it is useful for teaching or training or for creating e-learning.
| GAUTENG SCHOOL ADOPTS E-TEXTBOOKS AS TEACHING AND LEARNING TOOLS | ||||
Printed textbooks in South Africa could soon be a thing of the past, if Sunward Park High School is anything to go by. The Gauteng School has made a full conversion from physical textbook into an e-learning environment, leading the revolution into an easier teaching and a more efficient schooling system. It is most befitting that is in the month that South Africa celebrates it’s Human Rights Day that those in attendance got to experience 1 200 learners, from Grade 8 to 12, using tablet computers for their learning.
The Basic Education Deputy Minister, Mr Enver Surty, launched this revolutionary initiative in Boksburg, on March 18, in partnership with Modern Information Business (MIB). The required e-textbooks were made available as PDF downloads with support from MACMILLAN and MASKEW MILLER LONGMAN, giving teachers and learners the ability to log onto a massive portal that contains all the books, on all the subjects, in all the grades; as well as access to all materials they need.
Vivian Naidoo, with the intention of using Information Communication and Technologies (ICT) in education to empower South African communities, started MIB 16 years ago. The company provides solutions to different sectors of the market, within both the Private and Public schools. MIB has so far managed to complete more than 500 Maths, Science and Computer labs in Southern Africa and is busy with 600 more.
Mr Zakhele Sibeko, a Sunward Park teacher, said that innovation of this kind is what learners in this country need in order to be adequately prepared for further studies at Tertiary level.
“It makes life easier for us as well as the learners. All the information we need can easily be accessed from the educational portal provided” he said.
Sibeko added that as teachers, their passion is to impart skills and knowledge to learners. “Through these tablets, learners can now explore different sources download various information of the same content which has been taught in class, and can even explore more learning resource through the portal,” he said
Faith Makgoba, a Sunward Park learner, said that learners could not be happier for the load that’s been taken off their shoulders, both literally and figuratively. She said the launch of e-textbooks in the classroom has made the learning experience that much easier and enjoyable, adding that the initiative had also relieved them from the school bag loads that they used to carry to school every day.
“We can now access previous question papers, which will help us with our exam preparations as well as general learning. We also are no longer limited to the resources provided at the school, the tablets enable us to access all e-learning material from the portal,” the learner concluded.
“Teachers need to embrace technology in teaching in order to make the ICT work. The Department of Basic Education has already digitized all our learning materials and this material is accessible from the Thutong portal to all learners and teachers in schools,” said The Basic Education Deputy Minister, Mr Enver Surty.
Images from the event:
| ||||
No comments:
Post a Comment