This is one of my learning activities I came up with as I was teaching in my class, grade 7 Economics and Management Sciences. One of my principles in teaching is that I do not teach but I expose some conditions of learning survival skills to learners so that through those skills ,they are able to learn what I am trying to convey. That can only happen if I use Project Based Learning approach.
During my times I use to listen to my teachers teaching, I will absorb their knowledge and reproduce it during tests, homework, classwork and examinations. Teacher centeredness, theory and academic achievements were the most important aspects in teaching and learning.
I learnt that today's generation differ a lot from us. You teach them, give the classwork ,home work and examination about the work you taught them, they are unable to give the correct or relevant answers as required. When you teach them, they are unstable, fiddling with other things or loosing concentration. in such that this affect their performance at the end of the year hence high failure rate. I then realized that they cannot learn by absorbing the knowledge but by creating it hence project based learning approach.
It comes to my principles of saying we need to guide or expose learners to conditions that will assist them to acquire learning through things like technology tools. Not to teach them. One wiseman once said all learners have wings . It is the duty of the educators to give them skills on how to fly.
Educators must be the wind beneath learners wings.
From the lesson I taught in class, I challenged learners to come up with innovative projects that can be used to fight poverty and bridge the gap between the have and the have not(Gini Co efficient)(inequality)
Through the help of Food and trees for Africa , University of Limpopo and Khanya Africa development services learners were able to come up with an ointment that can be used by needy community members who cannot access professional services. Beside that they acquires skills and they sell the ointment to augment needy and unemployed community members who renders service in the school yard. The ointment is called "All purpose ointment"
Through this project I am sure of inspiring young scientists, doctors ,researchers , environmentalists and pharmacists.
Learners need survival skills for their future. The only way to secure their future is through PBL approach which emphasize more of practical work that theory.
NOT ONLY GREENING TECHNOLOGY BUT INFORMATION OMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AS WELL. Learners are able to integrate their lesson with many apps from the Microsoft. apps like movie maker, auto collage, shape collage , skype, painting, songsmith, digital story telling using animation and many apps that they discovers themselves.
We are teaching a mobile nation. we need to turn the tide in order to learn more from learners.
For more information visit the following links:
-http://www.pil-network.com/Resources/LearningActivities/Details/d5968eb6-6285-45bc-b7c2-eb8dc95917ac (To be presented in MIEE2015)
-http://www.pil-network.com/profile/resources/483020f6-92bc-4682-921b-de015cd9c28f
( Presented in Barcelona in 2014 march during Microsoft global conference)
( Presented in Barcelona in 2014 march during Microsoft global conference)
Our country is in poverty of skilled people. Let s us groom our own and utilize them maximally. That is why the title of my project is Today's learners! Tomorrow's great thinkers and Scientists!
Thank you
Phuti Ragophala the principal of Pula Madibogo primary school in Mankweng Limpopo province South Africa.