Technology brings excellence to class

Three Barberton Primary School teachers recently excelled at the National Teaching Awards with Megan Izeboud who was announced one of the national finalists.

Izeboud participated in the category for Excellence in Technology Enhanced Teaching and placed third nationally. She represented the Ehlanzeni District and progressed throughout the knockout rounds to the national final in Kempton Park on October 6.

President Cyril Ramaphosa and minister of basic education, Angie Motshekga, were both present at the final event.

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She received a cash prize for herself and for the school. “With this money we would like to enhance the use of technology in our classrooms,” Izeboud told Lowvelder.

Izeboud is the grade four head of department at the school and teaches natural sciences.

She said the world is changing and children are growing up in a generation that is absolutely immersed in technology.

“It is our responsibility to help kids to one day become global participants, so it is also our responsibility to implement technology in the classroom in order to empower them to go out in the world and get jobs in the technological era.”

Izeboud said music, apps like WhatsApp and online videos are all great resources for teachers to use in their classrooms. She uses videos and Google Earth as a way to take her learners on virtual field trips. “This way we can go anywhere in the world.”

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She said she became a teacher because she never had passionate teachers as a kid. “I want to be that teacher who I needed as a child.”

Nicola MacPherson and Chrisnia Janse van Rensburg, both teachers at the same school, also participated in the awards and progressed in the competition.

The National Teaching Awards is part of the Department of Education’s teacher appreciation and support programme and was launched by the minister of basic education in 2015. The goal is to acknowledge, appreciate and celebrate teacher excellence in diverse contexts and was conceptualised in 2000 by former minister, Prof Kader Asmal.

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