Maths Centre’s on-line delivery requires to raise Data and Tablets. This will be a great gift for young disadvantaged learners. Please contact for more information: sharanjeet@mweb.co.za

Maths Centre On-line initiatives to mitigate Covid-19 derailment of learning and teaching.

All my life, I have believed that Adversity peels the layers of your inner strength, vulnerability and provides opportunities that you may allow to crush you or find solutions to lay bare courage, potentiality and growth. Covid-19 has done the same. It is a challenge, filled with fear of losing one’s life and employment while at the same time, an opportunity to bring all our learners into the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) In these difficult times, which were always there, Maths Centre’s multi-dimensional Digital intervention mechanism has worked really well. We had a blended learning approach to begin with. Data and Connectivity was always a challenge. 31^st March 2020 to now; weekly reports have been taken to check attendance; interest; real use of data supplied by MCIS; learners learning self-regulation, teachers learning new terms such as On-Line lesson planning; On-Line testing and assessment; On-Line pedagogy; Working from home; Remote learning etc. After a nervous start, it is working well.

We have checked and provided the following:

1. Passive On-Line Platforms such as SABC radio, TV, Mindset etc; Interactive On-Line platforms (What’s app; Zoom; Google classroom; Google hangout etc.)
2. Training in Siyavula app for all trainers who have rolled it out to teachers (Alignment with Education Department)
3. Working at a computer: Guidance on protecting your neck and back using simple exercises.
4. Engaging and curriculum focussed websites. Each trainer explored what their particular teachers found interesting and began to cover the curriculum gaps just the same as before – only with extra vehicle of On-Line learning.
5. Availability of Data; free and bought; using the data that we provide for learning only; flexibility in timelines as some learners make use of night shift data and sometimes have data occasionally. UBS, one of our donors gave us extra funding for data.
6. Training on how to manage and develop self-discipline for On-Line platforms in the home; managing the time tables and topics as broadcast; downloading and using impactful videos
7. Engaging parents on learner monitoring and support to address deliberate ignorance of doing work due to laziness; emotional, physical and learning support by providing a silent space in which to work.
8. Trainers delving deep into new pedagogy for remote learning, producing appropriate materials.
9. Teacher collaboration in these what apps groups in terms of planning for content, presentations and maintaining discipline
10. Ensuring no Grades and no teachers were excluded.
11. Videos, our own and downloaded
12. Free streaming of many curriculum activities
13. Testing and assessment sites in bite-sized curriculum concepts
14. Distributing materials where we simply could not put together data, hardware and connectivity
15. Newsletters, exciting and engaging on ATP (Annual Teaching Plans from DBE, which have been revised) aligned topics as well as topical issues – obviously Covid-19 but broader ones like Climate Change; Winter solstice, etc.