The HR Department of the Department of Education has given the Provincial Education Departments directives as to how to proceed with the roll out of the Teacher Laptop Initiative.
The PEDs have the option whether they want to start rolling it out immediately or whether they wait till the next financial year - depending on their budgets. The Initiative will therefore be rolled out over a three year period instead of the initial two years.
The PEDs will send out letters to educators to indicate to them that they may proceed to purchase a laptop. The letters include the form that they need to fill in for application of the Teacher Laptop Allowance. The form specifies what the criteria are for the Laptop Allowance Application.
One issue with which many schools struggle is teaching proper English language usage. This is especially true in our multi-cultural, multi-lingual society in South Africa. As someone said ‘tongue in cheek' the most used language in the world is poor English.
When it comes to language teaching, technology is quite limited. You need the human element. Having said that, there are basic aspects of language usage that can be addressed and practised by using computer technology. This can be helpful if you are overwhelmed with work and don't get the time to give personal attention to some of the learners in your class that struggle to put a proper sentence together in English.
Here are some online resources for teaching English as a second language...(nowadays called English Additional Language :-)
Naledi Pandor made a last bold move as Minister of Education to enable teachers to acquire their own personal laptop, launching a project known as the Teacher Laptop Initiative (TLI). The official announcement was made on 7 May 2009. Pandor wants each of the 340 000 public school teachers of South Africa to own and use their own laptop. This is a commendable move. The TLI will be implemented by PEDs as from 1 July 2009, starting with the most senior teachers. Read the full details of this initiative in the Government Gazette of 8 May 2009 . (The TLI was confirmed by President Jacob Zuma on 4 June 2009 during his speech at the Presidential Golf Challenge dinner.)
Every permanently employed public school teacher will be eligible for a R130/month allowance for 5 years. That allowance can be renewed after 5 years and the amount may then be revised.
Measurement is an integral part of
Mathematical Literacy (FET) and Natural Sciences (GET). It is strange how
learners sometimes struggle with this relatively simple skill. It is the best
to teach it in some concrete way otherwise it remains foreign to the learners.
As I looked around for an online resource,
I came across an exceptionally well designed FREE resource called www.teachingmeasures.co.uk . You
can buy it if you wish, but there is an evaluation version which works just as
well. The only difference is that there is a "FOR EVALUATION ONLY" watermark
across the resources. If you can afford to buy it, I would say that your £99 (R1366)
would be well spent. If you cannot afford it, I don't see any reason why you should
not use the evaluation version. In any case it would be sensible to evaluate it
first before you buy it.
