eLearning in the School System

Montagu Drive Primary School, South Africa: Students Absorbed by “Cool Technology”

Montagu Drive Primary School opened its doors in the sprawling Mitchell's Plain area of Cape Town in 1983. Its 1050 pupils are drawn from six suburbs in this economically disadvantaged area. The school strives to give pupils a holistic education and caters to children from the earliest education phase until Grade 8, during which time they will have been exposed to technology for some years. However, the devices were rather worn-out: They had 10 outdated Pentium 1 computers and managed their administrative system with four Pentium 4 computers. In 2005, donor funding was secured to enhance new PC furnishings. Today, Montagu Drive Primary not only boasts top-level computer facilities, they now also have two additional classrooms that have been converted to house two SMART Board interactive whiteboards.

Initially the teachers were hesitant about using the boards, as they felt their lack of experience with the technology might let down their pupils. However, after initial training – and sessions where teachers shared their learning experiences with each other – they felt confident enough to brave the classrooms. First up was principal Felicity Sasman, who used her Grade 7 mathematics pupils as her test subjects. Other teachers’ uncertainties also dissipated, as they used the interactive whiteboards and found that their pupils were totally receptive to their lessons, particularly those with audio-visual content.

The SMART Board interactive whiteboards “give pupils the confidence to take part in lessons. They find it easier to express themselves through using the whiteboard,” says Sasman. “They become so absorbed in their lessons that it makes teaching a pleasure, and much more fun. The technology is ‘cool’, so they feel advantaged in being able to use it – something that is important to these youngsters. It has opened new horizons for them. Many children do not know much of the world beyond their immediate environment, so being able to access information through the Internet and bring images and sounds from across the globe into their learning experience has opened up a world of possibilities for them.”

The technology has also sparked the teachers’ creativity in preparing their lessons and in being innovative in communicating concepts. The head of the Afrikaans language department created an interactive worksheet for synonyms and linked it to music. When the pupils matched the correct words, a favourite pop song would play. This created excitement and motivated pupils to remember the work taught. Teachers find that being able to save their work to a flash drive so that the lesson is readily available for the next class is a major benefit. Access to the Internet and computer applications means teachers can ensure that the content of their lessons is always current. Being able to connect into, and interact with, lessons being taught elsewhere – across the city or the world – is an exciting way to share knowledge.

The school’s two interactive whiteboards are in use most of the school day, as classes take turns to use them. “They enhance our teachers’ lessons, and are especially valuable in being able to use illustrations and sounds to explain concepts,” says Sasman.

LINK
www.smarttech.com

May 20, 2009

Newsportal: eLearning in the School System