Seasons greetings

The 2010 academic year ends today as schools close for the long summer break.

The Zisukhanyo Schools Project Team wishes everyone a relaxing, restful

and rejuvenating festive season.

This blog will also be taking a break until early in the New Year.

Concentration

One of the Strategic Objectives of this Project is to improve the numeracy and literacy results in the ZSP schools.

This is a Grade 5 class at Thomas Wildshutt Senior School doing a Numeracy Speed Test (see Speed Test post). It is the concentration of this leaner that is noteworthy, his total focus on getting the best possible score (although he is not alone in his efforts as you can see from the surrounding learners).

One of the aims of ZSP is to allow technology to be an effective tool for educators in their mathematics teaching, the role of the ZSP Curriculum Team is to provide the training and support to allow this to happen.

Donor visits to the ZSP schools

During November the ZSP family of schools received visits from Danny Gallagher, Chairman of Protea Education Development Project and Mark Dobbyn, Human Dignity Foundation.

The schools had the opportunity to showcase how the support of the Zisukhanyo Schools Project has impacted upon their staff and learners.

Five years later....

The computer centre at Intshayelelo Primary School was officially opened in September 2005. This was over five years ago...what is the feedback from the school today?

" It is not a secret that our school has improved in all learning areas in general and

 literacy in particular. The use of the computer room has broadened the knowledge

 of both educators and learners." Mr VS Gantsho, Principal.

" Using the computer room in teaching learners helps me a lot... the learners become more interested to learn than when listening to the educator talking in the classroom" Mngxekeza T.

"It (computer room) provided us with a variety of activities that we were unable to do in class." Mbaba M

Speed tests

The one of the main curriculum foci for the ZSP labs is numeracy.  Speed  tests are a key strategy that we are using to assist educators with improving the numeracy of their learners. The speed tests are carried out at the start and end of a lesson in the ZSP lab.

(Thanks to William for the pictures)

Feedback from the educators:
"After two weeks of computer classes, I have to say that the entire school day has changed completely. Kids are excited and getting competitive to achieve higher results in the 191 speed tests." Majdi Ryklief, Thomas Wildschutt Senior.
(For more pictures see the Thomas Wildschutt Senior website)

Lessons starting

On Monday the learners at Buck Road, Jamaica Way, Prince George, Sonwabo, Sullivan, St Mary's and Thomas Wildschutt Senior Primary Schools started lessons in the brand new ZSP computer centres! (The learners at Thomas Wildschutt Junior primary school have been using their technology since the start of this term)
It was a time of great excitement for learners and educators alike, as all experienced learning in a new environment....

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.

Beginner Training for Educators

Throughout the September school holidays, the ZSP facilitators and Lab Assistants have been running training for educators from the Stage II schools. The purpose of this training was to provide educators, who are not as confident with technology, with a gentle introduction to the new computers. The educators were given a specially designed program with individual attention from the ZSP staff. The training was held at Thomas Wildschutt Junior school and neighbouring schools who kindly opened their facilities for the training. 

24th September: Heritage Day

Today is a public holiday in South Africa, Heritage Day. Here is how the Government website defines today:

"The day is one of our newly created public holidays and its significance rests in recognising aspects of South African culture which are both tangible and difficult to pin down: creative expression, our historical inheritance, language, the food we eat as well as the land in which we live."

The ZSP Team were delighted to be invited to Thomas Wildchutt Junior School's Heritage Day and Thanksgiving Service.

Here are the learners celebrating their heritage.

Happy Heritage Day to all!

Teaching for the future

Last week the ZSP Team and the new Lab Assistants had the pleasure of introducing the newly installed technology to the staff of Thomas Wildschutt Junior. The staff were given an introduction into how they can use the interactive electronic whiteboards that have arrived at the school.

The aim of the first session was to allow the staff to play with and so explore the potential of their new technology.

The feedback from the educators was very positive, there was a real sense of excitement in the sessions.