Teachers are on a technological front line – school children are becoming ever more adept at using the web for everything from socialising to doing their homework, and are beginning to resist what they consider “old fashioned” teaching methods. Teachers must find a way to engage them on their own terms, but often lack the web skills and experience to do so effectively. The solution is to get a comprehensive web education. GetSmarter’s UCT Internet Super-User course gives you just that.

Software is expensive. Schools have budgets. Educational software is also expensive. Schools buy educational software. Which means schools have budgets for educational software. And so they should. There are many excellent products out there, each adding their own flavour of value to varying aspects of the academic environment. But are these resources being fully maximised?

I write this as an ex-teacher and headmaster of 40 years’ experience, whose family has been involved with education for many years. A recent comment in one of the newspapers that the dropping of OBE was not a cure-all has prompted me to write in support. While acknowledging the inequalities in education, one has at the same time to give credit to the role played by dedicated teachers. Apart from the hard work in the classroom, true teachers willingly participate in helping to organise sport and cultural activities. It seems to me that many teachers today are in it for all the wrong reasons.

“Sir, this is the most boring book I’ve ever read!”  I chirped my matric English teacher. “It’s got no relevance to us,” I continued as we plodded our way through another double period taking turns to read sections from “Shades”, our English set work book. The monotonous drone that was the tone in which most [...]

Learners do not enjoy reading, let alone studying. It’s unfortunate, because reading and studying form an integral part of learning. How on earth do we as teachers entice our learners into reading and studying? Should we be engaging learners on their level or continue following traditional teaching methods?

The replacement of the old Senior Certificate with the new National Senior Certificate (NSC) in 2008 was greeted with considerable suspicion. Once the results of the first cohort was released, various commentators speculated in the press about the standard of the examination and its associated curriculum. Are these fears warranted?

Ek deel hierdie twee stories omdat dit iets illustreer van wat ek geleer het oor die onderwys en van myself oor die laaste twee kwartale. As jy ooit onseker is oor wie jy is en oor wat vir jou belangrik is, gaan gee onderwys, want dit plaas jou gou in situasies waar jy onverwags uitvind watter tipe persoon jy werklik is.

Most schools decide that the only thing that should be taught in a computer centre is computer related skills. Are there common guidelines for what needs to be taught/covered/acquired by the time a learner graduates to grade 8? Most schools follow their own ’syllabus’, some (at huge expense) pay for programs which very cleverly link the curriculum to computer literacy, and others still are not sure what skills they should be doing at all. What does the Education Department have to say about this?

Why does Singapore lead the world in student achievement? It’s all got to do with teacher quality. In Singapore, only the top third of secondary school graduates can apply for teacher training. And teaching is paid as well as science and engineering careers.

Until now, principals have been expected to teach in South African schools. The Personnel Administrative Measures (PAM), which, amongst others, set out the job descriptions of principals, state that principals are required to ‘engage in class teaching as per the workload of the relevant post level and the needs of the school’. The education authorities have, however, not enforced this, leaving it to individual schools and principals to decide whether the principal teaches or not. The only time that the issue becomes relevant is for performance appraisal, which includes a criterion which deals with teaching. It is, however, possible for principals to achieve at least a ‘satisfactory’ evaluation despite receiving a 0 for this criterion – and that is all that is needed for the annual progression in salary. It is now being proposed that principals should not be required to teach. This raises the question: Is this a good idea?

My gripe with teachers is that many of them always seem to view the teaching profession as something that’s gone to the dogs. I suppose I’m generalising here, because even in the work place (i.e. business) there are people who absolutely despise their jobs to the point of rather wanting to work on a kibbutz or log pine trees somewhere in remote Siberia while drinking vodka and singing the “Volga Boatmen’s Song”.

“Die geld is te min, die geld kom te laat in die maand, die geld hou nie tot die volgende maand nie en die verhogings is te klein!”. Dit is die klagte van onderwysers. Ek het egter gou agter gekom waaroor dit eintlik gaan. Dit gaan nie, net, oor geld nie, maar eintlik gaan dit oor ‘n gebrek aan waardering.

Many classrooms leave much to be desired. Naked walls, where some have graffiti from the learners, filth messed on floors, chalkboards full of chalk powder and wooden cabinets heavy laden with dust. Old documents and scrap books sprawled on the teacher’s table, and everything that you can think of that injects you with the energy that simply says: “Keep as far out of this classroom as you possibly can”.

Leka ho nka leeto mehopolong ya hao, mme o tsepamise maikutlo a hao makgetlong kaofela ao o nnileng wa etela ngaka. Hopola botebo ba bohloko bo neng bo o qositse ho etela ngaka, ho farasa ha maikutlo a hao le takatso ya ho shwa nakwana e le hore bohloko bona bo thethefale kapa hona ho fela. Ana o ka dumela hore phetoho ya bohloko e bileng teng nako eo o kenang fela ka phaphosi ya ngaka, le pele ngaka e ka o tshwara, e ne e bakilwe ke boemo ba phaphosi eo ka sebele?

A key requirement for successful learning is that teaching should be interactive, i.e. that the learner is active during the process and not just the teacher. One of the most important ways of teaching interactively is to use effective questioning techniques. This is based on brain theories: The consensus among cognitive scientists (since B F Skinner) is that the mind seeks to find meaning, which is done through patterning. To achieve this, the mind must be active during the learning process. Here are some guides regarding successful questioning techniques …

It’s amazing how learners, parents, even teachers themselves, are still grappling with the answer to a big question that is frequently yet silently asked to the ordinary teacher: “Was teaching your chosen job, or your calling?”. Is it a fictitious dream or ideology for teachers to move up the remuneration ranks without leaving their calling?

To improve education, SADTU must match its words with its deeds. Any discussion on education in South Africa inevitably begins with a litany of its failings. These collectively constitute an “education crisis”. Like most truths that are repeated often enough, this litany has turned into political cliché and lost the power to shock. That is why the new angle, in a speech by Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga this week, got people listening again.

Watter tipe opvoeder is jy?
In my kort tydjie as opvoeder en my 12 jaar as leerder, het ek nou al besef dat daar baie verskillende tipes opvoeders is.
Soos enige ander leerder, het ek ook toe ek op hoërskool was gunsteling onderwysers gehad. Dit is natuurlik die onderwysers en onderwyseresse wat ek die beste onthou.
Mev. Lingenfelder [...]

If you’re a teacher reading this column heading with shock and disgust then hang in there. I do know how to spell and my grammar is about as good as any 24 year old, technically-savvy, sms generation man. I matriculated at SACS High School in 2004 after spending both my junior and high school careers at the oldest school in South Africa.

I have heard a rumour of the impending demise of the Assessment Standards (ASs). Actually, more than rumour …. The Minister of Basic Education announced last year that the curriculum would be reviewed with the aim of simplifying its structure.  This is currently on the go.  Sue Müller of NAPTOSA, who has served as a [...]