Our Deepest Fear Is Not That We Are Inadequate, Our Deepest Fear Is That We Are Powerful Beyond Measure – Nelson Mandela
Truer words have never been spoken when recollecting the past weeks (and years) at Eversdal Primary School. Preparing our learners for the 4th Industrial Revolution and training them to be leaders in the 21st Century was not just a dream but started to emerge as a reality. The Covid-19 pandemic sped up the process and little was our surprise when our plan came together. At the end of week one of Online teaching, data showed a 98% attendance with evidence of work performed by students. Teachers are interactively teaching every morning from 8am till 1pm to ensure learning is not under lockdown. As a public school this is quite an achievement.
Die afgelope vier jaar het die personeel inhoud geskep en herskep op grond van die Nasionale Kurrikulum. Hierdie kurrikulum wat deur die onderwysers geskep is, is geheel en al digitaal en interaktief. Tydens die ontwikkeling daarvan het die personeel ‘n intensiewe opleidingsproses deurgemaak. Dit het ‘n gladde oorgang van klaskamer na huis verseker. Die gebruik van hierdie platform in die klas tydens gewone skooldae het die leerders in staat gestel om met gemak tuis te werk.
As a Microsoft Showcase School, all learners are registered and organized in Teams. Each class has its own class notebook on OneNote. The entire curriculum was already established in 2017 and was used as a teaching platform. Using a Bring-your-own-device programme, we were able to focus on tablet education and we were able to use it as a tool to improve the curriculum.
In die Grondslagfase het die onderwysers konsepvideo’s geskep wat daagliks op ons Eversdal YouTube-kanaal geplaas word. Dit gaan gepaard met ‘n lesplanuitleg wat aan die ouers gestuur is. Dit verseker dat die grondslag van verkennende leer nie verlore gaan nie. Ouers word versoek om daagliks per e-pos terugvoering en vordering te stuur.
Every Friday the Grade 4 to 7 learners receive a planning framework with complete concept instructions through OneNote that is to be used during the following week. The learners use this platform to connect with the content in the curriculum and complete the activities in their writing books. After the work is complete, a photograph is taken and uploaded to each child’s Notebook where the work is marked by the teacher. Each teacher is responsible for feedback on the work done by marking it online. Remedial strategies and intervention are then done via audio notes that are built into the Notebook. These learners are not left to fend for themselves, as part of the Microsoft package is the “chat app”, Yammer. Teachers are online and answer any questions emerging while learners work at home. This app is also used to announce times for Physical Education or Art, programmes that are also running digitally through our website.
The unsung heroes in this well-oiled machine are the parent community of our school. Without the support of the parents, motivating and helping, this could would not be a success. Teachers and parents provide a vital support system to help students flourish. When parents and teachers communicate and work together effectively, it can significantly impact each student’s long-term success. In these uncertain times, teachers, learners and parents of Eversdal Primary School emerged powerful beyond measure.
