BARCELONA MICROSOFT GLOBAL CONFERENCE FROM 14^th to 17^th MARCH 2014 .Sharing my  experience of being MIEE in 2013 and 2014in two consecutive years!

Becoming MIEE in two consecutive years, priceless feelings!!!!

In November  2013, when Microsoft announces that I am one of the chosen few innovative educators, amongst thousands of entries world wide,I did not understand because I forgot that I uploaded my learning activity and I did not even thought that my learning activity will be short listed globally because I knew that there are technology gurus out there who has innovative skills far much better than me.

On that day, Cheryl Douglas from Bishop high School in Western Cape sent me a message to say ”Phuti, you and myself  are selected to attend Microsoft Global forum in Barcelona. We are only two from South Africa”. I said: OK!!!. By that time I was still in the Principals meeting planning for learners final examination. Late at night I went through the messages again and understand what’s happening! That’s where I learnt that I m selected globally to present my learning activity and to attend Microsoft  global forum. I was so excited more especially that it was for the first time, to fly outside the country. That was one of the most  highest moment in my entire life! I have never flew outside the country.

I took many photos, collaborated with many educators and learnt more skills on how to use Microsoft resources to enhance teaching and learning.

One of my highest moment was when Anthony Salcito gave a key note address. Among other things as he was talking, he said” Teaching and learning has changed”. That statement is still echoing in my mind! I was so inspired in such that I told myself that “Come next year, I want to work hard to be selected again. I DON’T WANT TO MISS  CONFERENCE OF THIS CALIBRE” Indeed I worked hard by workshopping other educators, parents  and learners using the theme” Teaching with technology”.

Here is Anthony Salcito giving key note address.

My inspiration!!!!

Unforgettable and precious moments in Barcelona March 2014 during Microsoft global forum!

I made partnership with many educators. But the most authentic one was with Julie Hembree from Washington, who exhibited reading books titled” Books for Africa”. We had a very lengthy talk about the challenges that our that our learners are facing in reading. In conclusion she agreed to ship some few reading books to my school, Pula Madibogo Primary, to engage learners to read.

Indeed she shipped two boxes of reading books and my colleques Vernice and Tinny embraced the idea and start conducting reading every Wednesday. As time goes on ,I showed them on how to use Microsoft resources to drive reading. We used mouse mischief for assessment, sticky sorter for learners to re arrange the story after reading,(logic testing) auto collage for the images taken when reading and skype to collaborate with Julie HEMBREE in Washington. That was the most exciting part. Even today the partnership is still n going on ,it went even further that we plan to engage learners to write stories that has moral ending by using African animals. Julie will assist us to publish. The aim is to groom young authors and instil the love of reading. Here is Julie and my self in Barcelona:

 

Julie Hembree from Belle Elementary, Washington and Phuti Ragophala from Pula Madibogo Primary, South Africa

View the blog that Julie created about our school reading project:

http://bellbulldogreaders.edublogs.org/2014/06/26/what-dog-is-in-sovenga/

 

Beside Julie, I partnered with Champa Rathnayake from  Kandy Model School in Sri Lanka for collaboration of our learners projects

 

My favourite wash down after heavy breakfast was chocolate.

In my learn-a-thon group, we had Chinese and MEXICAN WHO COULD NOT COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH.

 

Through translation app,  I was able to translate his Chinese speech into English.

Gala dinner time, was wow! Unforgettable and precious moments!

My team mates! Mr Phil Mnisi and Mabusane Tlali from Lesotho

http://www.schoolnet.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/2014.03.17.Microsoft-in-Education-Gl.. 2014.03.17.Microsoft-in-Education-Global-Forum-Barcelona-3

 

Presenting my learning activity.

Made many friends!

 

 

Team South Africa in Microsoft global forum in Barcelona! The only black lady, Phuti RAGOPHALA!

 

DUBAI MICROSOFT GLOBAL CONFERENCE FROM THE 21^st to 24^th FEBRUARY 2015

For  2014 -2015 selection as MIEE was not a surprised because I knew that I worked hard . The following is group of learners that I worked with . I used various Microsoft resources to convey the message. Things like animation,sticky sorter,window movie maker,sway,padlet and songsmith were used to convey the message of the lesson to learners.

I also used Project based learning approach to put the lesson in practice. The them of the lesson was inequality and poverty in South Africa and how the government came up with its own initiatives. I challenges the learners to come with their own initiatives to solve the challenge of inequality. Through assistance of various stake holders, they came up with a project of making medicinal herbs using he green herbs planted at the backyard of the school. Many needy community members benefitted a lot as they cannot afford professional doctors.

The herb medicine is marked on line. Log on www.pulaointmnet.wozaonline.co.za

Or get to www.pulamadibogoprimary.co.za

The following is a group of learners who participated in researching about the project:

The project is titled” Today’s  learners Tomorrow’s great thinkers and scientists!

I conducted many workshops to inspire and share IT skills with educators, parents and learners.

Sharing the skills with the reception educators on how to download resources and use them to enhance teaching and learning in reception class

 

 

Teaching learners on how I pad works . They were so excited!

 

In Conclusion

Lesson learnt from participating in the two global forums

·         Technology knowledge is improving every day

·         Meeting with likeminded educators made my mind sharper than ever

·         Age is not a limit. I met many educators of my age size,they were doing so well

·         Born before technology thing, is just a myth! I am a living testimony. Its all about passion towards work

·         Using Microsoft resources is free and Microsoft agent are so supportive in every thing that we request for assistance

·         The atmosphere that prevails at Microsoft global conference is  unforgettable and precious! You attend once, you are hooked! I am hooked!

I hope to share and harvest many more skills from Dubai!

I am proud to be associated with MICROSOFT! They really changed my life!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My blog post about sway.com

How I used sway.com to drive and publish my learning activities that are project based.

Teaching and learning that is driven by technology is always inspiring. Every day I learn a lot of innovative ways to drive my lessons and make my teaching and learning message well conveyed to learners. From one of the webinars that I attended on line ,I learnt how sway can be used to present the learning activity as compared to power point.

Ever since I learnt about it, my sway post have been over flowing in my face book and other groups like Microsoft partners for learning  time line.

This is how I used it in my learning activities:

Step 1

I logged on sway.com, sign in and start creating my sways

Step2

I create it either by using media or uploaded information .I click on media, choose some of the work in want to  put on sway and create. I then click remix to choose from different and exiting  layout .

Step 3

I then share it with colleques either on facebook, twitter or any other social media

Step4

You can also sway video, songs or poems

Step5

In my learning activities I put all my information about my projects on sway.

e.g my presentations, videos, poems, various resources like window movie maker, animation, stick sorter, songs smith, mouse mischief and auto collage etc

to view my sway get to

https://sway.com/VTGrHtQHxS9nWaw3

In conclusion, teaching and learning has changed. Learners enjoy doing work summary using Microsoft resources like window movie maker or animation. They enjoy creating songs about their lessons, they love learning poems on U tubes, they get more inspired talking to people  outside their world through skype, They get fulfilled collaborating their lessons with their peers using social media, they want to take their learning outside beyond the classroom. They create knowledge and not absorb it in order to reproduce it during examination or assessment time.

Why can’t we drive  curriculum with technology resources to improve, rejuvenate and enhance quality teaching. We are teaching a mobile generation that is competent in using the Technology resources.

Its time to transform our way of teaching. We need to move with the tide, other wise we will find ourselves out of the ocean being flown away by the tide! Time and tide wait for no one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

                        Project title: Today’s learners! Tomorrow’s great thinkers and scientists!

 

What I learnt in life is that one of the powerful tool of learning is through sharing of knowledge so that we can harvest some innovative ideas from each other and use them in our various learning institution. I want to share with you how I used Window Movie maker in my learning activity to summarize the lesson in class with learners.

How I used Window Movie maker to convey the message of my lessons to learners.

This is one of my innovative project that emerged from my lesson in class with  learners. I am offering Economics and Management Sciences in grade 7. The theme of the lesson was poverty and inequality in South Africa. I taught them on how the new democratic government came up with various projects to alleviate poverty and bridging  the gap between the have and the have not(Gini Coefficient). After theory I challenged them to think  and create  projects that can be used by the local community and learners to alleviate poverty and bridge inequality. Through the skills from Food and Trees for Africa, University of Limpopo , various website like Khan Academy, educators and support staff learners used the backyard garden to plant vegetables and some green herbs. They harvested and made some herbal medicines through green herbs as way of benefiting the needy who cannot access professional doctors due to unemployment.. Through vegetables they learnt on how to dry surplus vegetables to preserve food for longer use as a way of fighting poverty. My main objective is not just to teach but to equip learners with the survival skills that will benefit them and inspire their future career plans. Today’s generation learn best by doing not by absorbing the knowledge.

Get into my blog :http://itandiksproject.blogspot.com/

My sways: https://sway.com/q1BMnYZek9jiD3ZI

http://itandiksproject.blogspot.com/?m=1

From the Microsoft free resources that I downloaded to beef up , enhance, rejuvenate and transform my lessons I used an app called Window movie maker. This is one of my favorite app that I en and learners enjoy so much. This is how it is done:

Step 1

First use your camera, video, memory sticks, PC/tablets whenever you are facilitating your learning activities in class

Step 2

Have time with learners to teach them on how to download the images from camera to PC/tablet. I taught them on how I download free resources from Microsoft in Partners for learning network. We downloaded sticky sorter, songsmith, auto collage, shape collage, animation, window movie maker and many.

Step3

I opened the programmes, clicked window movie maker and start uploading the images according to how we did our project step by step according to our project plan time table

Step 4

On the first slides I inserted the title of the project, participants and role players. On the last slides I inserted the place where the movie was done and thanked various people who took part.

Step 5

I recorded my voice through built n  microphone on top of my PC

Step 6

I inserted the words on images so that when the film roll, the words do the explanation. I saved it and uploaded in my resources to be published

The lesson I learnt after this activity

·         Today’s learners learn by using all their multi sensory organs to make sense of what they learnt

·         They want to create knowledge and put it down the way they understand

·         Teaching and learning should not be theory only but should be followed by practical work to convey the gist of the lesson hence project based learning approach

·         Manual way of doing things in class should be faced out and give way to a classroom filled with gadgets for learners to enjoy their schooling

·         “Teaching and learning has changed” said Anthony Salcito in Barcelona global conference in March  2014. It is true. I witnessed it several times in class with my learners.

·          They way they learn is not the way I learnt.” As educators we need to change our way of teaching” said Phuti Ragophala  the principal of Pula Madibogo Primary School in Limpopo province Polokwane South Africa.

View the video and enjoy!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-ljNs5lc-I

Solving poverty through education