Course Background
The ICT4RED course was originally developed for the Cofimvaba Tech4RED research initiative and formed part of the Teacher Professional Development (TPD) component of the bigger project. The course is available for use by organisations/schools under the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike Non Commercial licence accredited to the Meraka Institute (CSIR) as well as the contributing stakeholders (Department of Basic Education, Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, Department of Science and technology) and the originating authors (Dr Adele Botha and Maggie Verster).
With large scale tablet implementations happening in schools across the country it has been found that limited adoption and integration is taking place and most teachers are not utilising their tablets other than as “textbooks under glass” and some communication. The ICT4RED TPD course is a noticeable exception. The course is different in as far as it does not focus on the technology (e.g. mobile devices and apps), but rather emphasise a learner centered way of teaching and learning with technology embedded into the pedagogical design. It moves the teacher from his/her traditional (teacher centered) comfort zone to a fully learner centered technologically enhanced scenario, in a fun (gamified) and engaging way.
As the mobile skills are lightly embedded within each learning strategy, the teacher does not even notice the move to a seamless and active use of devices in their classrooms. The Earn As You Learn (EAYL) system ensures that teachers are challenged to innovate and integrate the chosen strategies in their classrooms as they are taken on a pathway of achievement through gamified badge accreditation. It is preferable that the badge achievements are ultimately rewarded through the acquirement of technology (e.g. earning their tablet or a bonus incentive). All participating teachers have to demonstrate that they have used the chosen strategies in their classrooms (at least once) and that they have embedded mobile devices and app use into their lesson plans. The course also measures depth of implementation by using rubrics to assess merit worthy integration of both mobile technologies and innovative use of teaching strategies.
The entire course is hands-on, gamified and fun. Teachers are taken through all the steps and tools relating to the various strategies and personally experience how each strategy works. Designing a similar lesson plan and implementing it in their classrooms is therefore exciting as they get peer feedback and support throughout the course. Each module has clearly defined objectives, skills and outputs to guide teachers.
The course has moved on from its original design of introducing rural teachers to the use of mobile technologies in the classroom, to being implemented in advantaged and multi-cultural environments and BYOD across the world. It has been translated into Afrikaans and Arabic and has now been piloted in both advantaged internet rich as well as internet constraint rural environments with great success. It has morphed from being an ICT for Rural Education implementation to a ICT for REAL Education initiative for the 21st century school!
The course is SACE accredited administered by the Digital Education Institute.
With large scale tablet implementations happening in schools across the country it has been found that limited adoption and integration is taking place and most teachers are not utilising their tablets other than as “textbooks under glass” and some communication. The ICT4RED TPD course is a noticeable exception. The course is different in as far as it does not focus on the technology (e.g. mobile devices and apps), but rather emphasise a learner centered way of teaching and learning with technology embedded into the pedagogical design. It moves the teacher from his/her traditional (teacher centered) comfort zone to a fully learner centered technologically enhanced scenario, in a fun (gamified) and engaging way.
As the mobile skills are lightly embedded within each learning strategy, the teacher does not even notice the move to a seamless and active use of devices in their classrooms. The Earn As You Learn (EAYL) system ensures that teachers are challenged to innovate and integrate the chosen strategies in their classrooms as they are taken on a pathway of achievement through gamified badge accreditation. It is preferable that the badge achievements are ultimately rewarded through the acquirement of technology (e.g. earning their tablet or a bonus incentive). All participating teachers have to demonstrate that they have used the chosen strategies in their classrooms (at least once) and that they have embedded mobile devices and app use into their lesson plans. The course also measures depth of implementation by using rubrics to assess merit worthy integration of both mobile technologies and innovative use of teaching strategies.
The entire course is hands-on, gamified and fun. Teachers are taken through all the steps and tools relating to the various strategies and personally experience how each strategy works. Designing a similar lesson plan and implementing it in their classrooms is therefore exciting as they get peer feedback and support throughout the course. Each module has clearly defined objectives, skills and outputs to guide teachers.
The course has moved on from its original design of introducing rural teachers to the use of mobile technologies in the classroom, to being implemented in advantaged and multi-cultural environments and BYOD across the world. It has been translated into Afrikaans and Arabic and has now been piloted in both advantaged internet rich as well as internet constraint rural environments with great success. It has morphed from being an ICT for Rural Education implementation to a ICT for REAL Education initiative for the 21st century school!
The course is SACE accredited administered by the Digital Education Institute.
Course Modules
- Module 1: Jigsaw (Tablet skills and integration introduction)
- Module 2: Storytelling (Getting to know you, and you using your tablet for teaching and learning)
- Module 3: Role play (How to deal with issues surrounding tablet use)
- Module 4:Learning stations (How to use digital libraries in your classroom)
- Module 5: Mind mapping (How to use apps and visualisations in your classroom)
- Module 6: Flipped classrooms (How to flip your classroom, tools, strategies and resources)
- Module 7: Game Based learning (Using games and gaming apps for learning)
- Module 8-Field trips (How to do actual and virtual field trip scavenger hunts)
- Module 9- Gallery Walk (Active discussions using face to face and virtual exhibits)
- Module 10-Reflection (How to be a reflective practitioner and demonstration of skill and strategy prowess)
How can you train this course with your staff?
The course is licensed under the Creative Commons Non Commercial Share Alike license and we would like to see all staff integrating the practical course modules into their classroom practice! The best, most cost effective way to do this is to send staff ICT champions on the train the trainer course, where after they will be able to implement the course with the rest of the staff. We also have trainers that will be able to train the course with your staff.
For more information on the ICT4RED Train the trainer training as well as the schedule for training, see here:
For more information on the ICT4RED Train the trainer training as well as the schedule for training, see here: