Embracing technology-enhanced learning in South African schools calls for an integrated sustainable blended approach to curriculum development. Both teachers and learners should be sufficiently equipped with digital learning skills in order to embrace 21st century learning opportunities.
Worldwide trends suggest that technology-enhanced learning is becoming increasingly important in the educational sector. On a regular basis the media reports on new educational tools such as tablets and e-books that could assist in learning.
Not only are learners of all ages expected to embrace these new learning tools, but teachers and lecturers are also encouraged to integrate technology-enhanced pedagogies into the classroom. These trends create particular opportunities and pose challenges within the South African context.
According to an online report, statistics released in Parliament in 2013 by the Department of Basic Education showed only about 6 000 of the country’s 25 870 schools were Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-ready. Problems included a lack of funding, staff training, limited and expensive internet connectivity.
Teachers play a vital role in the lives of children, which is why VastraTech’s Teachers for Change Program is bridging the skills gap.
“Our focus’s on people development. We transform people development by fostering the use of 21st century skills (creativity, communication, critical thinking, collaboration).” says Candice du Preez,Product Marketing Manager at VastraTech.
VastraTech’s largest initiative currently, in partnership with the GDE & Mathew Goniwe, is to train 12 000 teachers to ensure true transformation in the classroom.
VastraTech makes learning and training easier for teachers, through the use of interactive whiteboards and displays that will help Fast track the future of education everywhere. These technologies encourage student collaborations and heighten group activities within all teaching spaces.
The Combination of audio and annotations with lessons adds a new and fruitful dimension to school curriculums and enhances student engagement in an easy and visually stimulating way.
“To prepare kids for this world and their future means evolving education and instructional strategies to match the times our children are growing up in, while also teaching them with good citizenship skills,” said Giancarlo Brotto Global Education Strategist for SMART in his blog, How Education Technology Helps Students Flourish.
The educational programmes and interactive teaching provided by VastraTech has proven to create more engaged learners, develop essential skills and prepare them for their future endeavours.
VastraTech is one of the leading value-added distributors of technology and converged communications solutions for customers in the enterprise, SME, Government and Education markets.
They have a powerful sub-Saharan network of specialty resellers, that focus on delivering innovative solutions that improve the way people collaborate.
Teachers need sufficient training to deploy tech in African schools
