RHS takes digital to the next level
Randfontein High transforms to digital teaching and learning. of 98 per cent of school's pupils now work on tablets
Deputy principal and Geography teacher at Randfontein High School, Amy Appelcryn explained the school’s transformation to digital education at the GW ICT Summit on Saturday 23 May.
The summit was held as an initiative of the Gauteng West Department of Education.
A total of 43 teachers and staff members from various schools in the Gauteng West district gave digital presentations of their various subjects and fields of expertise. There were also 18 exhibitors including Microsoft, Google and Edutech. Speakers at the summit included Thea Coetzer (chief education specialist and curriculum), Martha Pule (deputy director school support), Andrew Mentor (deputy director E- learning) and Marita Henning (Randfontein High principal).
The whole transformation started when Stan Senoamadi (who won a national teacher’s award in Technology and Education in 2013) inspired school management to transform from traditional teaching to digital education. The school management team and teachers formed a task team and teachers had 70 to 80 hours training within the first month of 2015. She said teachers were determined to adjust to digital education and even teachers close to retirement embraced the digital world of education.
Appelcryn also stated the school has had a 100 per sent matric pass rate for the past seven years and felt they needed to take it to the next level. The budget, normally used for textbooks was used for the digital transformation.
When asked how the parents responded, she said they held 20 meetings with them and they were very supportive as they were informed and on board. The pupils had to obtain their own tablets, but are aware of the responsibility of looking after their tablets.
Appelcryn said while teaching digitally, interactive whiteboards allow the pupils to experience the subject first hand, and it becomes more real.For instance, pupils are able to watch a cyclone or the Budget Speech on News24.
She said teachers were determined to adjust to digital education and even the six retiring teachers adapted to it easily. Appecryn said by working with the Department of Education they are trying to show teachers and pupils that the whole process is doable.
On 14 January, they officially switched to digital use and now 98 per cent of their pupils are working on their tablets. Jerome Nicholson (IT specialist) supports pupils and teachers should problems occur. Asked about the impact of load shedding, she said when the power fails, they simply switch to traditional teaching, as education at the school was and always will be teacher-driven.
With very low school fees, and a pass rate of 100 per cent, this school is sure to grow with the rest of the world.
Pupils Masindi Masengana and Solomon Rabie commented, “We do not have to carry heavy textbooks, learning is faster and easier, and better to understand with tablets.”
