Can you see the changes?

I hope that you have been following the progress at the Stage III schools as their infrastructure evolves.

Here are the highlights from this week.

Visit from our Funder

Mary Healy, Executive Director of the Human Dignity Foundation visited the ZSP Team and schools last week. The Human Dignity Foundation is the main funder for the Project.



Infrastructure evolution at the Stage III schools

Since the  Stage III launch, there have been extensive infrastructure changes at the schools as classrooms are transformed into Computer Centres, data and electrical cabling is laid (securely) and security features added. 

The pictures documenting the changes will be continually updated and available to view on the side bar of the blog over the coming months.

The staff and learners at the schools are delighted at the changes happening before their eyes. It is the responsibility of the ZSP Champion to keep all at the school fully up to date with the latest changes.



Stage III Infrastructure: Taking shape

Since the Stage III launch in March, there has been rapid progress with the infrastructure. During the Easter and public holidays much work was completed at the schools.



There are more pictures for each school on the Stage III schools page 

KE NAKO: The hardware arrives..

Ke nako, or it is time

(to steal a phrase from the 2010 Soccer World Cup) .

This is the moment the Stage II schools have been eagerly counting down to!!

See the story unfold in the pictures below.

Report from Thomas Wildschutt Primary learners

To see the full size report click on the link:
Thomas Wildschutt learners' report

This is an excellent record by the learners of the work that has been happening at their school.
As you can see they are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the technology.

Thanks to Justin O Ryan, Grant Solomons, Liam Ram, Takatso Hlasa and Mr Ryklief.

A new term

Schools opened again for the new term on Tuesday after a longer than normal 'football induced' winter break.

The Team have been very busy since then visiting all of the schools in the ZSP family:
Intshayelelo
Stage I: Eastville, Liesbeeck, Mitchell Heights
Stage II: Buck Road, Jamaica Way, Prince George, Sonwabo, St Mary's, Sullivan, Thomas Wildschutt and Thomas Wildschutt Junior.

Intshayelelo and Stage I schools' focus is using their technology to help educators improve learners' numeracy and literacy levels. This is done by educators using their time in the ZSP computer lab to  explore and consolidate the concepts that are being taught that week in the classroom.

The Stage II schools are preparing both the infrastructure and the strategies that will allow them to fully utilise the technology that will arrive in the Autumn. Over the next month the ICT Committees at each of the schools will be formulating  important guidelines that will allow the technology to be well managed and sustainable.

The Stage II Champions met yesterday. Two of the highlights were the encouraging stories of excited learners seeing the changes made to their schools over the break and educators constantly asking 'when will our training start?'

Enjoying the GEES...but the work goes on

The whole country is enjoying the "GEES" ( Afrikaans for 'spirit' ) generated by the Football World Cup. 300 000 people were in Cape Town for the Germany v Argentina game on Saturday.

In the midst of the football frenzy that is engulfing Cape Town, work is progressing both on the infrastructure at the schools and in the planning of the training for educators.

Service providers have been industriously fitting worksurfaces, adding security features, painting walls, finishing floor surfaces, putting in electrical and data cabling. When educators and learners arrive back at school on Tuesday they will be surprised at the transformation.

The ZSP Team have been planning the training schedule for the Stage II schools. The training has two parts; the e-literacy program and the educational software program. During the school holidays the ZSP Team have been analysing the results of the e-literacy evaluation that every Stage II school staff member completed. Training has been devised to account for the different levels of IT experience and confidence found at each school.

Well done South Africa on being an incredible host nation for the World Cup!!

Winter break.

The schools break up tomorrow for a longer than usual winter break. Schools have been given extra time off due to the Soccer World Cup. We wish all the staff and learners a good break and hopefully Bafana Bafana (the South African National football team) will put on a good show!

Work on the infrastructure will carry on during the school break. You will be able to follow the progress on blog; just click on the Stage II school's pages and on the ZSPs photo gallery.
ZSP photo gallery ( this link is also on the side bar of the blog)

The ZSP Team will be reviewing the staff e-literacy evaluation forms carried out by all staff at the Stage II schools. This review will allow the Team to design an e-literacy training program for each staff member.

Metamorphosis

There is nothing more exciting than to watch a new project 'grow' before your eyes. This is very much the case with the progress of the Computer Centres in the eight ZSP Stage II schools.

Hopefully you have been checking both the summary slideshow "Infrastructure progress" on the Blog's main page and the more detailed slideshow on each of the school's individual pages.

"I've always been a fanatic to a smell of a brand new car, but recently that is overwhelmed by the smell of an evolving computer lab. " Sonwabo Primary

"It seems they (the staff) get more excited as the lab progresses on a daily basis. The lab is really taking shape and already looks impressive." Prince George Primary

Sonwabo Primary

A slideshow showing the start of work at Sonwabo Primary.

 

Break through

The start of the computer centre at Jamaica Way Primary!

As mentioned in last week's blog, the hard work of changing existing structures into high tech computer centres is in progress at each of the eight ZSP stage II schools. As you can see from the picture above, there is some major restructuring work needed at some of the schools.

The ZSP team is working hard ensuring the transitions are as smooth as possible and that there is no impact on teaching and learning at the schools.

The transformation begins!

Now that the launch has occurred ZSP Stage II is moving forward at quite a pace.

The most exciting part for the schools and the ZSP team is seeing the transformation of rooms into fully fitted computer centres or electronic whiteboard classrooms. We will be keeping a pictorial log of the changes so that you can share in the progress at each school.

Each Stage II school has a individual page on this blog. Click on the page to see a slideshow of how the work is progressing, in addition to details about the school and its vision statement for the Zisukhanyo Schools Project.

The other work being undertaken is not so visible..but just as vital. The ZSP team is working with the ZSP champions and ICT Committees at each of the Stage II schools.