Sarietjie Musgrave, a teacher at Eunice High School in Bloemfontein, was one of the four South African teachers who took part at the fourth annual Worldwide Innovative Teachers’ Forum held in Hong Kong last year. Her project, Spread the Sunshine, which highlights the plight of the disabled and uses ICT as a tool, earned her second place in the category of ‘Innovation in Community’ at the global event
Name: Sarietjie Musgrave.
School: Eunice High School, Free State.
Number of years teaching: 13
Subject areas: Computer applications technology in FET phase, grades 10 to 12.
Name of project: Spread the Sunshine.
Reason for the project
Eunice High School is well known in the community for its service-oriented approach to teaching. All computer applications technology students from grades 10 to 12 need to do a research project (PAT: progress assessment task).
I wanted to do a project that would combine these two factors, thus allowing learners to experience first hand the value of computers to the disabled. This project reached much deeper than simply knowledge of computers – it gave learners an insight into the life of the disabled and the knowledge that they can make a difference.
To summarise the project
The project’s focus is an investigation into the needs of the disabled. Using their skills learners create useful information and communication technology (ICT) -based artefacts for the disabled and their world.
How this project will help the class, school, community and world
The learners became more aware of the needs of the disabled, while increasing their knowledge of computer applications.
The community is made aware of the needs of the disabled.
The disabled community is empowered and made visible.
Software and hardware requirements
The teacher used Think.com (a free web-based learning platform) to host the project. This allowed learners to collaborate with each other and with the wider teaching community in a safe environment.
Microsoft Office was used through the various phases of the project.
The real innovation was that the learners could choose any computer hardware or software that would have a positive impact on the disabled person they helped. Software used included Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint and Excel), Photostory, Clicker, TuxPaint and Finale Note.
Learning outcomes:
1. Operational knowledge
Learners use their knowledge of hardware and software to establish the impact computers could have on the lives of the disabled.
Learners engage with terminology, such as: hardware, software, operating systems, application software, input/output devices, ergonomics.
2. End-user applications
Conduct a survey (using Word).
Analyse it (using Excel).
Create awareness and possible solutions (using various programmes).
Present findings (using PowerPoint).
3. Information management
Find, collect, analyse and critically evaluate data.
Organise and process information in various formats.
Present and communicate information.
Lessons learned
There is something special in every child, I was amazed at how creative the learners were with their solutions. If I had done normal teaching I would not have had the opportunity to see that quality in every learner. One project became 66 smaller projects in the end and it was quite difficult to advise each of the learners. Maybe next time I will select three organisations we can help.
How I became interested in using ICT in education
I taught in London for a year in the early 1990s and was forced to use computers. Since then I can’t imagine teaching without them.
How I see the role of ICT in education
ICT has the potential to make a significant and positive impact on education, but it should never replace the teacher and cannot improve the performance of a bad teacher. The impact of ICT depends on how it is used. ICT should enhance the teacher/learning experience for learners and educators, as well as for the school’s management and administrative staff.
Learners Voices
Joni Bezuidenhout
For my progress assessment task (PAT) project I decided to help a deaf gardener gain basic computer skills to make him computer literate for the future. Liza, my PAT partner, and I devised a computer course in PowerPoint,which took ages to complete because we made PrintScreens of nearly everything, not to mention the research we did on computers.
Little did I know that the hard part had not yet started…I didn’t realise that I would be so affected by helping a disabled person. I had not really ever come into contact with a disabled person.
Sure, I’ve walked passed them and smiled in a friendly way but I’ve never been forced to interact directly with one. It was a real experience to see the situations and circumstances Stompie had to live with.
He was born deaf. I too often take for granted how privileged I am to be “normal”. I am not talking about money or a nice house with running water… I mean two seeing eyes, two hearing ears, a mouth, a nose, hands, feet.
The project really opened up my eyes to the problems out there in the “real world”, which turned out to be right in Bloemfontein (in a nearby suburb). I was shocked to find out that people so closely related to my daily life were struggling and I had never tried to help. The project has given me new confidence knowing that I am capable of making a difference. I can make a difference.
Personal enlightenment and achievement was not the end of my success. The gratitude we received for something that felt so minor was magnificent. Taking something simple, such as knowledge gained over three years, to positively better the life of a less privileged person than I am – wow – who would have thought school could come in handy one day?
I have been blessed with a new giving heart and I’m excited to find out if there are more people out there who need my help. I have gained so much from this project and I am now very appreciative of what I have. I feel that my next mission should be to involve the community in a project related to this. The community wasn’t involved in our project, which was quite a shame, but knowing that I helped someone is reward enough. I hope that the community will benefit from this as much as I have benefited personally.
Mahatma Gandhi once said: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I think it is time for all of us to be that change, no matter what our age, race, religion…we can make a difference.
Palesa Kgasane
Now that we have completed the phases, it is easier to reflect on how the project has come to affect the person I helped. I’ve learned that to some people a smile means more than anything else. There are so many things I take for granted in my life and helping Kele really made me shift how I appreciate the things that my parents do for me. I still visit Kele – I actually visited her last week – and she’s much happier than the first time I saw her. Her mental condition will never improve but the person she is inside is much more content.
Xenia Constandinou
I learned a lot from this project. It opened my eyes when I started with it. Plenty of people were proud of me. It was fun to help my granny, because she appreciated it. She was shocked at first when I put the laptop in front of her, but then she had so much fun and we laughed together and had an amazing time. My project was done when she sent her first email to her family in Greece. She still struggles with her typing but there is still plenty of time to teach her.