Teacha! Magazine - Term 2 2019

The Magazine for South African Teachers

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Second Term 2019

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Volume 2 - Issue 4

Reading Aloud - Inclusive Education - EdTech: Podcasting

2 MIND, BRAIN & EDUCATION ND

WORKSHOP

Educators as brain-changers • How can educators change students’ brains for the better?

• Which practices inhibit learning?

• Which practices foster and support learning?

27 - 28 May 2019,

The Capital Menlyn Maine From R1275 - R1800

A practical workshop targeted at

teachers who want to connect, learn, grow and develop both personally and professionally.

Stand a chance to win an iPad if you buy your ticket between 5 March - 30 April.

For more information visit: www.it.si | To book your seat visit: events.it.si

15 CPTD POINTS

In this issue

Editor's Letter: 4 The Daily Check-In 6 Thinking Aloud: A tool for improving reading comprehension and vocabulary 8 6 things that you can do to combat the daily dilemmas of learning disability 10 Teaching for the Fourth Industrial Revolution 12 Integrate the classroom 15 Multiple Choice Questions 16 Plagiarism in South African schools: the problem and solutions 20 Embracing Failure in Schools and Society 22 Why not include some podcasting fun in the classroom this term?

24 Inclusive Education: Tips for the classroom 26 4 Ways you can develop your staff with type 2 CPTD activities 28 SACE Points Guide Spotlight 29 Teacher to Teacher: Robyn Clark 30 Racism is still rife in South Africa’s schools. What can be done about it 32 Dyscalculia: ‘maths dyslexia’ or why so many children struggle with numbers 34

Reading Aloud - Page 8

Teacher to Teacher: Robyn Clark - Page 30 Teacha! Magazine | 3

Here’s to the teachers who inspire a love of learning We know you’re always looking for new and exciting ways to inspire your learners.

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Explore our supplementary resources This year we’re rewarding members with exclusive discounts and special offers on a selection of our supplementary resources. Discover these and other resources from Pearson, Maskew Miller Longman and Heinemann, on our website.

Illustration by Lucy Vigrass

Mathematics

Study Resources

Explore our range of print and digital resources that help learners master essential concepts and consolidate problem-solving skills, while making teaching and learning more visual and engaging.

X-kit Achieve offers a range of Study Guides, Exam Practice Books, Literature Study Guides, and a revision app, to help high school learners approach tests and exams with confidence.

Literacy

Dictionaries & Atlases

We are committed to developing quality literature, in all 11 official languages. Whether your learners are beginning their literacy journey or are reluctant readers, we have something that will inspire a love of reading.

Our dictionaries will help your learners build vocabulary, improve language skills and communicate effectively. Discover our world through the Platinum range of atlases, designed to improve learners’ map, atlas and GIS skills.

Discover more & join the community at classroomsolutions.co.za

Contact us T: 021 532 6008 E: pearsonza.enquiries@pearson.com Learn more at za.pearson.com

Four things I love about teaching (after a two-year hiatus) I have had a change of scenery for the last two years. I worked for a fantastic NGO helping to mentor teachers, I worked in schools, and I worked with the Department of Education. All of these were lovely and had their own perks - but none included me standing in front of a class. In January 2019 I stepped back into the classroom, and I found myself enjoying it a whole lot more. So in the spirit of Marie Kondo, these are a few of the things about teaching that have “sparked joy” for me!

The Aha! moment During the first term, I taught grade 9s. Every teacher knows that these beings are not full-grown humans.

They are sent down to Earth to test teachers’ limits, and to see whether (primarily as a new teacher) we will make it past the 5-year mark. They are - believe it or not - still capable of learning. And on the ever so odd occasion, they show that they have learned something, it is a sight to behold. A fist pump, a cracked-voice yell of excitement or maybe even a smile - a signal that two neurons have connected.

The (everlasting) positive energy kids have In a bad mood? Get kids to tell a joke in your class. It might not even be funny, but they love to laugh just for the sake of laughing and releasing their builtup energy. As teachers, we make kids sit through endless boring lessons (I’m guilty), but the moment you get them actively involved in a lesson, you will be amazed at the insight and ideas they have;

especially when they can relate to it.

Break time (read: blowing off steam in the staffroom) Disturb me in my 20 minutes of break time and I will never forgive you. It’s amazing how we can re-energise ourselves after having a cup of tea and talking to our colleagues for a few minutes. It doesn’t even have to be about school. Although, children and parents - we’ll never admit this - we do talk about you in the staffroom. Non-teachers will never understand how good it feels to sit down for the first time after three or four lessons of teaching needy, naughty or even the best of kids.

Staff development (don’t judge!)

I’m not saying that having meaningless training sessions are fun when the school forces you to implement another fad which will fade away in two years. However, it’s incredible when an excellent trainer comes along who knows what they are talking about (especially when it is an ex-teacher) and inspires you to change up the way teaching and learning is happening in your school to the benefit of the learners. We’re very excited to start implementing Project-Based Learning under the guidance of Lindsay Wesner. And it’s always great to learn something new.

I am happy to be back in the classroom and this term, I have my first-ever grade 5 class. I hope I will not miss my grade 9s.

Have you ever left teaching only to return a few years later? What did you miss? What didn’t you miss? Send us your experiences to editor@teacha. co.za and we will publish the best ones in our next issue.

This issue of Teacha! magazine is filled with excellent advice, refreshers and ideas to keep your love for teaching going. The magazine is written by teachers and education professionals for teachers, and we value your feedback. Please send your contributions, letters, comments, and ideas to editor@teacha.co.za.

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Teacha!

Teacha! is a collaborative effort between South African & international teachers and organisations. We would like to thank the following contributors: Jean Vermeulen - Editor Ali Mills - Subeditor Teachers / Former Teachers: Renate Rรถhrs Ali Mills Mari Buys (Spraakborrel) Sean Mbusi Juffer "My Klaskamer" Francois "Super Teacher" Naude Jenna Swano Kim Barnard Emme Scholtz Aaron Otto Elona Hlatshwayo Robyn Clark Organisations: The Conversation Teacha! is published by Onnie Media Pty Ltd. www.onniemedia.com

Teacha! is a hub for South African teachers. Find and sell your original resources in our resources marketplace, engage with your colleagues in the Teacha! Helpline group on Facebook, and find news, resources, teacher tips and inspiration on our websites. www.teachingresources.co.za and www.teacha.co.za

RSA Teaching Jobs The leading job board for South African school-related vacancies. Schools can find and post teaching positions on our website. Set up a job alert to receive the newest vacancies in your inbox weekly. Send us your vacancies to jobs@rsateachingjobs.co.za. www.rsateachingjobs.co.za

Support South African teachers by advertising on our platforms: jean@onniemedia.com Images: Freepik, Unsplash or provided.

SACE Points Guide We know how difficult it is to get to grips with the SACE CPTD system. On SACE Points Guide we try to make it easier for you by listing SACE activities all over South Africa. We also try to answer your questions regarding SACE. www.sacepointsguide.co.za

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The Daily Check-In

Getting to know your learners better using Google Forms

Relationships form the foundation of everything that we do as teachers, whether it be with colleagues, management or the learners in our class. There is little doubt that teaching is a people profession.

Having positive and supportive personal relationships with our learners goes a long way towards improving learner achievement. According to Sara RimmKaufman and Lia Sandilos (PhD, University of Virginia), when a student feels a strong personal connection to their teacher, they are “likely to trust [their] teacher more, show more engagement in learning, behave better in class and achieve at higher levels academically.” Having a good relationship with your class can inspire them to want to learn. And, let’s be honest, it can make your life a whole lot easier!

This is a simple set of questions that takes two minutes for the learners to answer individually, but that give me a lot of valuable information as a teacher. There are three basic questions: 1) How did you sleep last night on a scale of 1 to 5? 2) How are things outside of school on a scale of 1 to 5? 3) Is there anything that I should know?

One strategy that I have used in my class to help build relationships with my learners is the Daily Check-In.

Once learners answer these questions, I can see their responses in a spreadsheet as an overview of the class. Some quick conditional formatting means that any low scores are automatically coloured in red and flagged for my attention. I can also see the responses to the last question at a glance and see if there is anything that I need to address to urgently.

Most learners say that there is nothing wrong or they leave me a personal message., but sometimes, there are also learners who raise concerns that they may be too shy to bring directly to me or may simply not have the time to bring up at the beginning of the day.

Each morning, my learners open up Google Classroom (which is readily available on any device that can connect to the internet- including learners’ cell phones) and there they find the link to the Daily Check-In questionnaire.

Once the class is busy with their first activity for the day, I have a good look at the responses and decide whether I need to call anyone aside for a quick, personal chat. For example, in the screenshot, I would call the learner who is being bullied and investigate

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further. I may also call learners who gave a rating of one or two for one of the questions, especially if it is becoming a pattern. I would also check in with the learner who has a sore tummy and see if there is something that we can do about that or whether they would be better off at home, resting.

Google Classroom also has the ability to send private messages to your learners. Some children prefer to communicate via text and will have long conversations with me about important concerns that they have that may not have happened if the “faceless” option were not available to them.

Since implementing the Daily Check-In, I have seen a marked improvement in the relationship with my class. I am able to identify potential causes of concern or tension right at the beginning of the day and address them before they become “blowups” later. It is also a calm start to the day because I am not bombarded the second I walk in the door with “Teacher! Teacher! Johnny took my pencil without asking,” and little Johnny standing next to him denying it vehemently, as my class know that they have a platform to tell me their concerns or frustrations.

I’ve used the same concept, with different questions, to check in with learners on how they are finding a new concept that we’re covering in class or whether they have suggestions on how we could do things differently. The impact on my teaching has been remarkable.

It has meant that I can connect with the quiet learners who have something that they would like to share, but do not want to do so in front of an audience. I can also converse with the loud and boisterous ones who want to tell me everything precisely because they have an audience.

Children, in fact people, want to be heard and when we provide a platform for this, magical things can happen in your relationships.

If you’re new to Google Classroom and would like some guidance on how to get started, you can check out this YouTube video: http://bit.ly/2XSZuqN If you’d like to learn more about setting up a Google Form, you can have a look at the Google Learning Center: http://bit.ly/2XRIEZc Jenna Swano, Grade 5 Educator, Disa Primary School

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Reading Thinking Aloud: A tool for improving reading comprehension and vocabulary

Many classroom teachers have long viewed reading aloud as a luxury, an added expense that can be cut from the classroom “budget” in order to make room for more important instructional activities in the already overcrowded curriculum.

In its 1985 report, Becoming a Nation of Readers, the Commission on Reading (in the USA), stated that "the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children." The commission further stated that reading aloud in the classroom is a practice that should continue throughout the grades.

By reading aloud, it gives the teacher an excellent opportunity to model “thinking while reading” by THINKING ALOUD.

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• •

When reading aloud, the activity can be divided into three stages: STAGE 1: Before reading • • • •

• • •

Look at the cover (teacher and class together) What clues do the title give us about the story?

Who is the author? The illustrator?

Why will we read this? For fun (when it is a story)? For information (when it is informational text)?

Is this a real or imaginary story? Why? What do we know about the subject?

Any predictions?

STAGE 2: During reading •

Model repair strategies by thinking aloud to correct miscomprehension (e.g. This did not make sense…I should read it again. What do I know this far? What is this about?). Read aloud allows developing readers to view fluent and meaningful reading, but we can occasionally

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•

make the reading process even more transparent by thinking aloud. When you think aloud, you can stop reading from time to time and share how you’re negotiating the text and constructing meaning. For example, you may make an error while reading aloud, on purpose or by accident.

This provides a wonderful opportunity to show students what good readers do when they run into difficulty. When you make an error, stop reading and share your thinking.

Model thinking about text (e.g. this makes me think about….I think….what is going to happen next?…now I’m confused!...this is interesting because….I wonder why….?)

Model inferencing (e.g. look at this boy’s face – he does NOT look very happy…)

Make associations . To self : when reading about a little bear who wouldn’t go to bed, the teacher might ask who has done the same when they were small. To other texts: when reading a book about a hen who has made a pizza, the teacher can ask if they know the book about the hen who baked bread. To the world: when reading The Lorax, the teacher can discuss pollution.

New vocabulary: select appropriate words beforehand to teach

STAGE 3: After reading Discussion: • What was the book all about?

• Were our predictions correct?

• What do we think about the end?

• Do I agree?

• Did I learn something?

• New vocabulary (Contextualize the word, have the children say the word, provide a childfriendly explanation of the word, give examples of the word used in contexts different from the story context, interact with the word, say the word again)

Extension activities • Summary and story-elements • Drawings – especially in Grade R and 1 • Writing tasks – e.g. Write a diary entry by Goldilocks about her experience in the bears’ house.

• Dig deeper – e.g. find information about wolves after reading Little Red Riding Hood.

TIPS: • Put post-its/ notes in books to remind you of different questions/ responses while reading • Read a book more than once a week, especially in Grade R

Further information: https://notjustcute.com/2011/04/04/reading-aloudis-more-than-just-reading-and-an-introduction-tobrontorina/ The above link will take you to a word-by-word example of a read-aloud.

The following three links will take you to YouTube for a read aloud demonstration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpTsCh31jPU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnkFK3VAXUQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55Mlpd_JFR4

By Mari Buys, Speech and Language Therapist

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6 things that you can do to combat the daily dilemmas of learning disability “He slips into the classroom a few minutes late; it’s the third time this week and he should be getting a demerit for it, but I also know that he is too young to get himself to school on time...it’s not even 10 am yet and he has lost concentration; today he has chosen to pick on another boy across the class; I get there just in time to prevent him from hurting the boy with a sharpened pencil. I suspect he is hungry; he hardly makes it to breaktime before I have to find a way to divert him from disturbing the class” this is the daily experience of a Cape Townbased primary school teacher’s interaction with a child who suffers from a learning disability.

Whether you are a parent, a teacher, or a chaplain like myself, experiences like the one mentioned above are all too familiar. A child with a learning disability, or any other special need, has a significant effect, not only on the functioning, relationships and routines of families (Marvin & Pianta, 1996), but also on the functioning, relationships and routines that are found within a classroom. In order to gain a greater understanding of learning disabilities and the effect an environmental influence can make on a child’s learning, I met up with Elona Hlatshwayo, a registered Psychometrist (HPCSA), and Coach (COMENSA) who through systematic coaching

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interventions seeks to ensure that learners and, ultimately, schools achieve greatness.

Elona described learning as a complex task that involves the integration of many brain-based processes. These processes include taking in information, interpreting it, organising it in a meaningful way, and expressing it in a way that allows a child to apply their understanding to others. Thus, a learning disability, is a disorder in one, or several, of these neurological processes that are vital for effective learning. She continued to add that the success of these processes are influenced by the environment that the child finds themselves in.

The context in which a child is raised has a significant influence on their development in the physical, emotional, thinking and behavioural aspects. This context includes factors like family, neighbourhood, religious, and socio-economic environments.

Early child development psychology theorists such as Albert Bandura and Skinner argue that human behaviour is developed through observation and modelling (Weiten, 2002).

Skinner’s theory posits that all human behaviour can be traced back to environmental influences. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2018 reported a global estimated 53 million

children under the age of 5 suffer from developmental and learning disabilities. It is therefore of utter importance to understand how to optimise these influential contexts on a child’s development both at home and in school.

With urban migration and lack of employment in smaller towns being the main contributors to the societal shift to more nuclear families, parents no longer have the extended family support that they once had and that they need. Heimann & Berger, 2009 affirm that families of children with learning disabilities require support in order to be able to better support and raise their children in a balanced way. When parents are burnt out by work and other demands, it is likely that the care of their children will not be at its optimum. When children do not get the affirmation and support they need at home, they are more likely to act up at school.

By implementing the following 6 areas into the interactions that you have with learners, you will be able to start optimising the influential contexts necessary for their learning development: 1. Unconditional acceptance Be sure that your child/learner knows that you accept their limitations, including those related to their learning disability. The best course of action is to constantly

remind them that the human condition is not perfect; we all have strengths and weaknesses, what matters is what we do with what we have. An important part of conveying acceptance is avoiding hurt words that are judgemental in nature and assign blame without really looking at the root of the problem; “You’re lazy & unmotivated!”

2. Acknowledge feelings When your child/learner has not performed in the way that you have expected; a helpful approach to avoid hurt words that are counterproductive is to acknowledge their feelings. This allows you to try and understand, from their perspective, how they feel about their failed assignment / poor performance and what led to it, thus opening up an opportunity for proactivity to take place.

3. Emphasize competence Robert Brooks, a psychologist who specialises in working with children who have learning

disabilities, cautions that parents/ teachers can't just tell their children/learners that they believe in them and value their abilities; for words are not enough. It is vital that opportunities are created for them to demonstrate and develop success in their own competence.

who has a learning disability is time-consuming, especially when juggling all the many demands that life throws our way. But do know, that getting into a habit of “doing” will only compound the problem.

6. Don't overload

4. Find support It is good to know your limits and get support for yourself if you start experiencing frustration, guilt, shame, or inadequacy about your ability to parent/teach a child/learner effectively. Without support, one may suffer from burn-out and exhaustion, common symptoms of many parents/ teachers who have to cope with a child’s special needs.

5. Doing and not-doing Never do for your child/learner what they can do for themselves.

This is a difficult one; because your ability to solve a math problem or write a paragraph is a lot faster than your fourthgrader! This temptation is present because working with a child

Children who have learning disabilities often feel very overwhelmed with a schedule that is filled with an abundance of activity as they can become overstimulated and unable to focus on school assignments. This can create a negative environment for learning. The key is to find a balance!

Aaron Otto serves as a Pastor and Chaplain for the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Cape Town.

Elona Hlatshwayo is a registered Psychometrist (HPCSA), and Coach (COMENSA) who works for Dinaledi, an Educational Coaching Organisation based in Cape Town.

Aaron and Elana in conversation

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Teaching for the Fourth Industrial Revolution The term ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ (4IR) seems to have gone viral resulting in all spheres of public life being infected with the confusion of what this new revolution brings. Many politicians, policy makers, teachers and even clergymen feel the need to include 4IR as a ‘buzz word’ in their speeches, policies, lessons and sermons, but tend to do so without fully comprehending the nuances of the technologies involved or the social impact that these technologies may have. Many teachers are still grappling to comprehend technologies associated with the Third Industrial Revolution and don’t know how to effectively use these technologies when they teach. To add to the challenges, we also take note of the lack of Second Industrial Revolution technologies (such as electricity) that inhibit the proper functioning of many South African schools. Despite these systemic challenges, teachers are now expected to start teaching for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In this article, I share my thoughts on how teachers can approach the teaching of content and skills to empower children to thrive in the 21st century.

revolutions also instilled anxiety, and, although in many cases these fears were realized, this has not stopped it in continuing to be repeated during this industrial revolution. Futurists attempt to console by emphasizing that automation doesn’t lead to the replacement of jobs but rather the replacement of tasks. However, as with previous industrial revolutions, we will again see the creation of jobs that currently do not exist.

A friend of mine recently asked her 7-year-old daughter what she wanted to be when she grows up and was surprised when the answer was “I want to be a YouTube vlogger, Mommy.” This would have been incomprehensible a decade ago and begs the question of what career opportunities would be available a decade from now when our current primary school learners enter the job market. How can we then adequately prepare learners for a world that is rapidly changing? In this article, I offer four thoughts on this predicament.

Content is king but regurgitating facts is the joker

What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

Before we can start to design lessons that include aspects of 4IR we first need to clearly define what the Fourth Industrial Revolution is. This ‘new’ industrial era is characterized by technologies that blur the boundaries between the physical, digital and biological spheres which is termed cyber-physical systems. These include technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, bioengineering, robotics, the Internet of Things, autonomous vehicles, 3D printing, nanotechnology and quantum computing.

We are regularly exposed to these technologies in scifi movies and series, but these often have a dystopian outlook and can easily instil fear in the implementation of these technologies. One of the major fears of 4IR technologies is the possibility of major job losses.

However, this isn’t a new fear as all previous industrial

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Knowing subject content will remain the basis of learning for the foreseeable future, but training learners to merely remember the facts and regurgitate these facts in high stakes assessments such as exams and tests serve little purpose. Google has replaced the teacher as the oracle of knowledge and we are required to redefine our role as teachers. What will become more important, however, is teaching learners to distinguish between scientifically supported facts and ‘fake news’. The internet provides a smorgasbord of information but does not give us automatic means to validate the accuracy of statements made. We will need to incorporate the teaching of critical thinking in our lessons to prepare our learners to identify the charlatans from the truth-tellers. This could be achieved by encouraging learners to find information with opposing views from their own when doing

research on a topic and entertaining the possibility that their own opinions might be flawed.

Creativity is intelligence having fun We often fall for the trap of giving answers and solutions away cheaply. With the pressures of curriculum completion and a myriad of other administration obligations, we seldom allow learners the freedom to explore their thoughts creatively, leading to a factory styled production of ready-made solutions to irrelevant problems. It is common to hear teachers say that learners these days are lazy and don’t want to think, yet we habitually train them to answer or respond in ways that conform to our specific worldview. How many opportunities do you allow learners to authentically explore their unique thoughts on? Pedagogies that you might explore if you would

like to include more space for creativity in your lessons include project-based learning, problem-based learning and inquiry-based learning, to name only a few.

Teamwork makes the dream work Scientists have attributed the success of our species to our ability to cooperate with others and if we are to thrive in the 21st century and beyond, we will need to cultivate the skill of collaboration. This will not be achieved by merely incorporating ‘group work’ as part of your lessons. The remnants of Outcomes-Based Education is still visible in many classrooms where teachers employ group work with little understanding of the learning mechanisms involved during social interaction. Many university students will attest to the pitfalls of group work as a select few of the group

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members often end up completing the majority of the task or assignment with little to no cooperation from other group members. This is not what is meant by collaboration. We should rather create a classroom atmosphere where learners are co-creators of their learning experiences and are encouraged to participate in the creation of assessments. Pedagogies such as project-based learning allow learners to contribute to problem-solving by using their unique skill set but also affords them the opportunity to observe and even attempt skills that their peers and teachers are more competent in.

understanding in conventional forms such as text and speech when learners have the opportunity to communicate their thoughts, desires and emotions through video creation, gameplay, songs and art.

If we are to entice learners to ‘pay’ attention we need to communicate in ways that are familiar to them and allow them the liberty to uniquely express their thoughts through conventional, as well as unconventional ways. This can be achieved by building a sincere relationship with the learners. This is achieved through consistency. The clichéd saying of ‘practice what you preach’ or ‘preaching what you practice’ should also pertain with you.

Walk the talk while you talk the walk Isn’t it ironic that, even though we have more platforms to communicate than we ever have, we still don’t communicate effectively? This results in a chasm between the teacher and the learner growing wider year after year. Many teachers argue that our current learners’ ability to communicate is less eloquent than that of previous generations. I’m still not convinced that this is the case, but rather attribute this notion to a mismatch in communication style between generations. I think that current learners communicate differently than what many teachers are used to. Teachers run the risk of ignoring efficient communication methods because we are primed to search for signs and symbols that portray conceptual

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A keen observer would have noticed that I have used the 4 Cs framework to structure these four thoughts. Critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication are considered to be some of the most important competencies required to be successful in the 21st century. There are, of course, many other competencies and skills that people need to acquire which I could not simply include in an article of this nature. For further reading on this topic, you could read the working paper from UNESCO. Francois SuperTeacher Naude educates our future teachers at the University of Johannesburg. He is also a YouTuber.

Integrate the classroom Parents often find themselves feeling concerned about whether or not their child is developing on the level which they should be.

Parents wait for their child to reach certain milestones from a young age - sitting, crawling, walking or talking. As teachers, we need to be reminding parents that children all develop at their own pace in life and we should not compare.

Previously, I have worked at a school where the Grade R and Grade 1 learners received Audiblox as part of their learning program.

Audiblox (little blocks making a big difference) is a program that is made up of cognitive exercises to develop foundational learning skills. The Audiblox program has been proven to not only be of benefit to the learners, but also the teacher, as they are able to see which learners have difficulty with laterality, problems with vision or difficulty in listening and following instructions.

Realistically, Audiblox is not feasible to have in every school, however, teachers can integrate fun exercises into their daily routine to improve on the various developmental skills.

Here are a few auditory, visual and lateral exercises that you can use to develop the skills: AUDITORY PERCEPTION Let your learners close their eyes and listen, naming the sounds around them. Examples can include the school bell, kids talking in the passage, cars driving by, birds outside.

Place different objects such as stones, rice, water, beans, etc. (be creative) into a container. Hide the container behind your back and shake it. Ask learners to identify the object(s) in the container.

Clap your hands, click your fingers or tap on your desk and have the learner repeat the pattern.

Let your learners close their eyes.

Ring a bell or a shaker at various volumes and have them identify whether the sound is coming from near(loud) or far away(soft).

Give learners a few physical instructions to complete i.e. hop once, turn around twice and clap their hands three times. See which learners are able to listen and follow instructions.

VISUAL PERCEPTION Place a few objects under a cloth, show learners what you have hidden and then cover the objects again. Ask the learners to recall what they have seen.

Point out any object in the classroom and ask the learners what colour it is. Have them name other objects in the classroom with the same colour.

Give learners instructions to act out: Stand in front of the chair; put your shoes under the chair; put your pencil in front of you etc.

Make patterns with learners in the classroom and have the rest of the class identify what pattern they see. For example boy, girl or black hair, brown hair, etc.

Read books and have picture discussions with leaners.

LATERAL PERCEPTION Give your learner instructions such as: • Touch your left ear with your right hand.

• Place your pencil at the top left corner of your table, now bottom right etc.

• Look at your hands and make them aware of the letter L that their left hand forms.

• Sit in a circle in the classroom and give one or two(or every learner) a sweet or item. Make up a story and tell them to move the item to the “right or left”.For example. “This is Mr and Mrs Right. They got in their car and turned left etc.

If learners can identify their names, write half of their name inside their left shoe and the other half of their names in the right shoe. If put next to each other correctly, they will spell out their name.

You can also look to see if individual learners have a scar or mole on their hands to help them remember their left from rightThere are a lot of worksheets online to help learners in the classroom, but what I have found is that it is best during the times in between class or in the rows to do a quick, practical activity with them.

Emme Scholtz is a Foundation Phase teacher who, after 5 years, has taken a break from teaching to focus on creating a love for learning for her two year old daughter, Anna.

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Multiple Choice Questions More than just a way in which to reduce marking

We have all experienced Multiple Choice questions at some point and have most likely used them in some of our own assessments.

Although this is one of the most common testing tools, this method is often held in low regard by both learners and teachers. Learners have the impression that multiple choice questions are inducive to easy marks, while the use of multiple choice questions by teachers is often negatively regarded as a means to avoid proper marking. But is multiple choice truly an inferior testing method?

Despite their contentious reputation, there is, in fact, a strong case for using multiple choice questions (MCQ’s) in assessments.

The most obvious advantage is that a large group of students can be assessed in a short amount of time and the result will be reliable, comparable and reasonably objective. MCQ’s also allow you to test a very broad range of topics in a short period of time. While MCQ's do depend strongly on adequate reading levels, unlike essay questions, learners with spelling and/or writing barriers are put at no disadvantage.

Despite the advantages that MCQ’s present in appropriate circumstances, there are also a number of disadvantages that should be noted. The biggest disadvantage of MCQ’s as an assessment tool, especially in subjects like Maths, is that the results are uncompromising. A

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well-thought-out, higher level question can often take a few minutes to answer; hence it should count around 3 - 5 marks, but even the smallest calculation error can cost a learner the entirety of the allocated marks. Since there is no way for learners to explain and justify their thinking process, the information that teachers receive from the assessment can be limited. Other criticisms of MCQ’s include that some learners will be rewarded marks for guessing answers and some of the questions themselves can lead unprepared learners to the right answers. It is important to keep the advantages and disadvantages in mind when setting up any assessment with a MCQ component. There are a number of guidelines that can help to create the most effective MCQ’s.

How to set up a good Multiple Choice Question

no purpose as it would only test a learners’ “parrot fashioned” memory skill (the answer is already an approximation which has the potential of frequently changing.

In 2018, the death rate from accidents (per 100,000 population) in the 15-24 age group was: A. 59.0 B. 59.1 C. 59.2 D. 59.3 The stem should be an independent, unambiguous question where possible. This means, that if you read the stem without looking at the answers, you should be able to answer the question. Compare the following two questions and note that the second way of phrasing the question is more effective as the stem is an independent sentence:

An MCQ consists of three parts, the question, also known as the stem, the correct answer and the detractors. All three parts play an equally important role in setting up a good MCQ.

The Second World War started...

The stem

In which year did the Second World War start?

A. B. C. D.

In 1935 In 1937 In 1939 In 1941

Not all questions are suitable for assessment by multiple choice.

Before you set up a question or think about the detractors, it is crucial to first establish the significance of the question.

A. 1935 B. 1937 C. 1939 D. 1941

For example, the following question is trivial and would serve

Learners often protest about teachers aiming to trick them

through the phrasing of a question, such as by asking a MCQ in the negative form. For example, Which of the following is not a factor of 12?

A. 2 B. 4 C. 6 D. 8 A better way to phrase this question would be: All of the following numbers are factors of 12 except…

A. 2 B. 4 C. 6 D. 8 MCQ’s are often regarded as giveaway marks because teachers only use this type of assessment to test knowledge. Setting higher level MCQ’s is not an easy task, but it is possible, effective and should be used more frequently.

Honours Program.

The test was administered to a group of seven applicants who obtained the following scores: 70, 72, 72, 80, 89, 94, 98.

The mean score on the aptitude test was: A. 72 B 82 C. 80 D. 90 For more ideas to increase the cognitive thinking level of MCQ’s, consider the following examples of low, middle and high level MCQ’s: Lowest level •

Which of the following is an example of X? (choices consists of examples used in class)

•

Identify the definition of X.

Middle level Option 1 - Knowledge •

Which of the following is an example of X? (choices consists of examples not used in class)

•

Here is a scenario. Which of the following principles apply?

The mean of a distribution of test scores is the: A. B. C. D.

Most frequently occurring score Arithmetic average 50th percentile A measure of the score range

described below, to solve the problem of X? •

Read the following problem.

Identify which principle from this class could be used to solve it.

•

Below are several arguments made against statement X. Which is the most valid?

The correct answer An MCQ should have one clear, correct and unambiguous answer.

A learner who knows the work and is well prepared should be able to identify the correct answer without any problem. It is vital to have somebody proof-read the question and answers to confirm that there is only one correct answer. Teachers often have a blind spot when it comes to their own questions and it is useful to get objective feedback As a rule of thumb, around 60% of learners should choose the correct answer. If more than 90% of learners choose the correct option, it may reflect that the answer was too obvious and might not be worth asking. If less than 25% of the learners choose the correct answer, the question is either ambiguous or one of the detractors is also a plausible answer.

High level Option 2 - Application • A university developed an aptitude test to use for admission into its

Which of the following solutions would be the best to apply, in the scenario

When setting MCQ’s, take care not to give clues in the stem that may reveal the correct answer.

For example, by specifying “he” or

Teacha! Magazine | 19

“she” or grammar clues like a/an.

See the two examples below: Albert Eisenstein was a: A. Anthropologist B. Astronomer C. Chemist D. Mathematician Who was Albert Einstein?

A. An anthropologist B. An Astronomer C. A chemist D. A mathematician In the first version of the question, learners need only to consider option C and D because they know the answer will not start with a vowel. The second question gives no such clues.

The detractors Setting up good detractors is the most challenging part of creating MCQ’s. The first important characteristic of a good detractor is that it should have a similar format to the correct answer. All the options given should be of approximately the same length and language style, including similar terms and subject-specific jargon. The options should also be in chronological, alphabetical or logical order, but avoid having

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the correct answer in the same position every time. It is also recommended that the simplest, most obvious solution is most often the right answer.

When setting up detractors, it is crucial that each detractor is plausible, but that there is a clear reason why they are not the correct answer. Each detractor should be clearly incorrect but written in a way that it might sound correct to a learner that is not adequately prepared.

While the general rule stipulates that each detractor should be selected by the same number of learners, adding a common misconception to the detractors can give teachers valuable information about learners’ understanding. However, if less than 10% of learners choose a specific detractor, it means that it was not a plausible answer. (Avoid Mickey Mouse as a possible answer) If more than 25% of learners choose a particular detractor, you should reassess your question to make sure that this is due to a common misconception and not due to ambiguity in the question.

Avoid using “All of the above” as an option, since learners only need

to recognise two correct options to deduce that the answer is “all of the above”. “None of the above” should also be avoided, since a learner who takes this option will get the marks without necessarily knowing the correct answer to the question.

So, the next time you compile an assessment including MCQ’s, ask yourself if you included these questions because of ease of marking, or if they are well thought out questions that will reveal something specific about the learners’ knowledge and misconceptions. Multiple Choice questions are a valuable assessment tool that will hopefully be regarded in higher esteem with increased awareness on how to better construct questions and this better utilize this assessment method.

Resources: Writing Multiple Choice Items to Require Comprehension How to write better tests University of Kentucky Renate Röhrs, eLearning Specialist, Butterfly Classrooms

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Teacha! Magazine | 21

Plagiarism in South African schools: the problem and solutions EDITORIAL: When it comes to written assignments, a survey of universities in South Africa by the Sunday Times showed that 871 students were found cheating and plagiarising in 2014. At the same time, a study by the University of Johannesburg proves the efficiency of intervention to lessen plagiarism cases. Another report by Mapule Patricia Sentleng and Lizette King discovered the roots of plagiarism in the insufficient high school instruction of the learners. That’s why today we’ll cover the problem of academic dishonesty and suggest the possible ways to eliminate it, starting with the school.

The most common reasons and types of plagiarism Before defining its types, let’s outline the most widespread reasons for plagiarism among students all over the world.

Reasons for plagiarism and how to address them In general, plagiarism can be divided into intentional and unintentional. The first one means they’ve done it on purpose, and the second one refers to when a student didn’t realize he or she was doing something wrong. Here is a list of common reasons for intentional plagiarising:

3. Poor time management. Some pupils prefer spending their free time on fun rather than on studies. As a result, they find themselves in the situation when the deadline is close, while they haven’t started working on their written assignment yet. You can help your pupils by dividing each task into smaller parts (if possible) and evaluating each of them. If the assignment cannot be split, you can motivate them by asking about their progress and offering some advice from time to time.

Additionally, some students can plagiarize just because of their laziness, while others are tempted by the free access to multiple sources on the Internet.

If the latter can be addressed by involving a bit of creativity, lazy students should be approached personally.

As for unintentional plagiarism, the reasons for it may be teamwork or a lack of knowledge about what it is and what consequences it can have. To be able to explain this to them, you should be aware of the possible forms of this academically dishonest behavior.

Types of plagiarism

1. Fear to fail the task. Sometimes, students may doubt they will manage to cope with the assignment. This may happen because of a task’s complexity. You can address this challenge by giving detailed instructions and requirements.

2. A desire for higher grades. If your pupils want to stand out in a class but their knowledge is limited, they can try to copy others’ ideas to present themselves in the best light. You can solve this problem by showing them your appreciation independent of what grade they get. Encourage them with positive words and focus rather on their progress than knowledge gaps.

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Here are the most typical forms of plagiarism your students can use: 1. Download a ready-made paper from essay banks.

2.

Order a paper from an online writing service.

3. Copy-paste information from the Internet without specifying that it’s a quote and formatting it accordingly.

4. Translate a paper from another language without crediting the author.

5. Paraphrase or change grammatical constructions and present such sentences as original ideas.

• •

Now that you know about the types and reasons of plagiarism, let’s proceed to how you as a teacher can help your students avoid it in their work.

How to teach students the value of working on their own The same study by Sentleng and King we’ve mentioned at the beginning of the article suggests possible solutions to the growing problem of plagiarism. Here are some of them you can try in your class: • • •

●Supply your pupils with comprehensive and detailed guides on formatting ●Offer creative topics rather than generic ones and consider changing them each year ●Explain to them what is considered a plagiarized piece of text and how to avoid it, along with the consequences it can have

●Provide a timely response to intervention, including the monitoring of your pupils’ progress ● Engage your class with different activities

You can also do much more, like gamify the learning process by introducing some badges for achieving some milestones while studying your subject.

Additionally, you can try plagiarism-detection software for some minor tasks to understand if your pupils are using unoriginal ideas in their writing. This will help you define the problem at its earliest stage and gradually eliminate it in the future.

About PlagiarismCheck.org PlagiarismCheck.org is a plagiarism-detection tool which allows a user to find exact matches, paraphrased sentences, and other types of plagiarism in writing assignments, including improper referencing. To schedule a demo and sign up for a free trial account, please contact us at support@ plagiarismcheck.org.

Teacha! Magazine | 23

Embracing Failure in Schools and Society With the proliferation of technological development, buzz words like artificial intelligence, 4IR, blockchain, big data and numerous others, are surfacing across all industries. Education is no exception and is incorporating tools like Edtech (Education Technology) to personalize learning and facilitate classroom management. The Department of Basic Education has also recently introduced coding and robotics as subjects, a progressive move to embrace 21st century learning.

There is a growing trend, especially in the form of quotes on social media, to embrace a Growth mindset versus a Fixed mindset in education. For example, seeing failing as an impermanent result. and as an opportunity to learn. In South Africa’s education system, the concept of failure is amplified at a matric level, so the Department of Basic Education (DBE) is attempting to bring the Second Chance Programme into communities. However, more should be done in earlier school years to clearly communicate that second chances are readily available at all levels in the educational journey, and failure or set-backs do not need to impair future success.

Embracing Failure in Theory According to the Oxford Dictionary, failure is the act of

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not meeting a set goal or objective, or not achieving a societal expectation, such as passing a test, going to university or getting married. Two popular TED Talk videos, Grit-the power of passion and perseverance

by Angela Lee Duckworth and Developing a Growth Mindset by Carol Dweck, hold extremely valuable information that would be highly useful if instilled in children from early childhood. These talks make the distinction between a Growth and a Fixed mindset and emphasize that those with perseverance and grit can outperform those with only raw talent.

However, failure is more than just failing a test or losing a ruby game. It is a daily occurrence that happens more and more frequently as life progresses outside of school. Failure has more to do with the societal perception of success and therefore how people react to a particular outcome. If reactions are abusive, dismissive or discouraging, this usually perpetuates a failure mentality.

Unfortunately, the consequences of failure are visible all around us. Children are exposed to labels of being “stupid” or “slow”. Being made-fun-of or excluded from groups is also common in social arenas and creates the illusion of failure. These attitudes are learnt and perpetuated from and by family members and peers in normal social circumstances, including at school

and at home. The stigma around failure needs to be addressed both at home and in the education system.

It is ineffective for teachers to cultivate a growth mindset in education (or at school), only for those skills to dissipate the moment learners enter into the post-school environment. It is very important that the Growth mindset is parent-led.

Learning does not occur solely in a school context.

Learning or learning opportunities are everywhere in all daily activities and interactions. It is through these everyday interactions that we model how to react to “failure”. From one of her studies, Dweck highlights that some children felt better knowing that other children achieved worse test results than themselves and that many children run from difficulty.

Parents and the community play a much bigger role in the education of a child than is acknowledged and taken responsibility for. Expectations and values should mirror each other both at home and at school.

The importance of parental involvement cannot be stressed enough. This will ensure a child does not receive contradictory messages regarding their success and well-being.

Failure in Practise A Teacher’s perspective Peer Learning Networks (PLN’s) are a platform where teachers can share tips, ideas and best practise with each other online by using certain hashtags such as #ZAedu, #edchat on social media platforms like Twitter. These have become increasingly popular and a great resource for sharing information. But Twitter is not an isolated platform with only well-intentioned teachers who excel in their profession and serve learners in an exceptional manner. Teachers sharing quality information actually make up only a small number of the overall users on these platforms. Many posts simply encourage toxic interactions and vitriol.

Teachers risk displaying their shortcomings in full view of the public and face abuse in the comments sections. Although the majority of people use social media in their personal capacity, many teachers are too afraid to post in a work context and be perceived as a failure. Another challenge to utilizing PLN’s and technology in an effective and helpful context for education is a lack of training. Some teachers are afraid of the smart devices that have been introduced into schools as they have not been trained in how to use them properly. This can result in a perception of failure by the teacher.

A Learner’s perspective There is a saying that is prevalent in the black South African Community that says “Abantu bazothini?” this is translated as “What will people say?” Learners are under immense pressure to succeed in school as they are aware of the stigma associated with failure. Even through humorous jokes and posts on social media, any slight failure by role models and influencers are highlighted and ridiculed.

Within families, children who go on to earn whitecollar degrees are treated differently to those with only a college certificate or matric. People who have dropped out of school early, people who work in basic admin positions or clerk jobs, or even people in the creative industries are sometimes seen as failures.

It needs to be emphasized to children that there are various paths to success Parents and guardians need to work with schools in achieving these healthier perceptions. When children don’t carry out chores perfectly, don’t win a sporting event or fail a test, the attitude (how we use our words) of parents should encourage that the children are not failures. This is not meant to give children a false sense of achievement, it is meant to instil a mindset that they tried their best but can always try again or improve by practising and seeking help or mentorship to identify their strengths and weakness.

Asking for help needs to be normalized. Focusing on effort and its associated personal improvement as a success marker rather than only the end result is important. Cultivating self-awareness and realistic goals is also important. Those asking for help should not be treated as inferior and those doing the helping should not patronize those they help.

Our families and societies are littered with “failed” businesses, careers, relationships and dreams. Our teachers and parents are products of these families.

It is up to schools and families together, to work to break this cycle. Carol Dweck mentions a school in Chicago that writes “NOT YET” as the grade achieved when learners don’t make the pass mark. This strategy promotes perseverance and limits the perception of failure. Our schools, parents and communities should do the same.

Sean Mbusi, Founder, A+ Education

Teacha! Magazine | 25

Why not include some podcasting fun in the classroom this term?

Are you keen to take your learners into a new dimension of speaking and listening in the classroom? Do you have access to ICT technology in your classroom? If your answer is Yes! to both these questions, then podcasting could be just what you are looking for!

There is a lot of talk about podcasting in the classroom at the moment. Have you noticed? This new generational technology (which is actually not so new), seems to be a simple, effective way to engage learners and maximize their learning.

I am planning to introduce audio podcasting to my Grades 3-6 classes in Term 2. Here is a little bit more about podcasting and what I intend to do with it in the term ahead: What is a podcast?

In its simplest form, a podcast could be described as an audio recording that is broadcast to an audience.

Therein lies its effectiveness. A podcast gives the learner a voice and an audience. Both are key factors for improving learning. A learner-created podcast could be a fun, creative way for a learner or group of learners to present information.

Listen to podcasts Start off by letting the class listen to some podcast examples. Let the Foundation Phase learners listen to some podcasts by Grade 1s where the learners wrote and read short poems, an example of this can be found at http://inclusiveclassrooms.org Intermediate Phase learners can listen to Mrs Vogel’s Grade 6 learners’ podcasts about the water crisis.

These podcasts are presented on Mrs Vogel’s classroom blog https://kristinvogel.edublogs.org After listening individually, have a conversation with the learners about what they liked and didn’t like about the podcasts. Keri-Lea Beasley has written a

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great post on the best podcasts for primary school children to listen to. This can be found at https:// kerileebeasley.com Creating podcasts in Foundation Phase A good place to start is with Grade 3 learners. Get them to research a topic, in groups, and write down 10 facts they find out about the topic in their own words. Instead of them presenting this information in written form, or digitally using a word processing program, let them rather create a podcast about it. The skills they need to use in order to complete this exercise would include: researching, creating and engaging introductory and closing paragraphs, paraphrasing, sequencing their information using transitional words, speaking clearly and expressively, and keeping a watch on time restraints. They might even include sound effects for a more effective audio presentation. The learners will then create an audio file on a computer device, save it as an MP3 file, and upload it to a platform from where it can be broadcast. Others would then be able to click on the podcast and listen to it. Imagine the learners’ delight as they share their podcasts with their peers, parents, grandparents and friends!

Scaffolding in Foundation Phase It is important to provide scaffolding for younger classes. I have discovered a really good post about this, highlighting how a Grade 2 teacher went about conducting a podcasting project with her Grade 2 class. She also made a short, example podcast for her learners to listen to. You can read more about this post at https://blog.education. nationalgeographic.org/2018/08/13/strategyshare-creating-podcasts-in-the-classroom/ Tools to use for a very simple podcast It is important that you as the teacher become familiar with the process of podcasting, by trying it out before introducing it to your learners.

Here are a few tips, tricks and trades to help you get started: • You will need a computer device or android/apple cellphone in order to record the podcasts • You can try using a built-in microphone, but a headset is easier so that learners don't have to worry about their distance from the microphone while they read their scripts or notes.

• You’ll need a recording app. You’ll find free apps such as Audacity on Windows 10; Garageband on an Apple Mac, or a free Internet site such as Online Voice recorder. These apps create MP3 audio files.

• As your learners get more advanced with the process of making podcasts, they can add free soundtracks from the Free Music Archive http://freemusicarchive.org/ • Choose a free podcast hosting site for your podcasts i.e. Soundcloud or Anchor.fm Using podcasts in the Intermediate Phase The possibilities are endless for using podcasts in the classroom. Here are ten starter ideas for using this technology in the Intermediate Phase: 1. Audiobooks: Learners can read a story they have written for others to enjoy. They can practice their reading so that it sounds really professional!

2. Orals: Let the learners create their orals as podcasts.

3. Book reviews: Learners can review a book they have read recently.

4. How-tos: Learners can provide instructions on how to do or make something.

5. Grammar explanations or Maths process explanations.

6. Looking after the environment: Learners could share tips on how to reduce, reuse and recycle as well as other ways to save our planet.

7. Excursion reports: Learners can record a recount of an excursion they have participated in.

8. Interviews: Learners can conduct interviews with other students on various topics.

9. Test reviews: Learners can review knowledge learned for a test.

10. Podcasting projects with another school in another country: Podcasting could be a great way to do a project together, or find out more about one another.

The Edublogger has an excellent post on podcasting, which gives 50 ideas for using podcasting in your classroom. This can be found at https://www.theedublogger.com/podcasting/ What kind of impact can podcasting have on learning?

We’re more likely to get our learners’ best work when they know they’ll have an audience that’s important to them, like their parents or their peers.

Learners can practice reading, writing, interviewing, presenting and much more with this technology. They can also improve their collaboration skills. This type of technology really engages learners.

I know my classes will love podcasting this term. Your class will too! Why not join me in this ed-venture!

By Fiona Beal, Technology Integrator at The Rock Academy, Fishhoek

Teacha! Magazine | 27

Inclusive Education: Tips for the classroom Worldwide, we are finding ways to accommodate learners with various specific learning differences.

Inclusive Education helps us to think of the needs of our learners and to find ways of adapting our classrooms to support their needs as best we could.

The Autism Spectrum may include a diagnosis such as Asperger syndrome, verbal and non-verbal forms of Autism. An important part of our year would be to plan ahead and to be proactive in avoiding troublesome situations.

Ensure that the learner knows what to expect by having the classroom timetable visible on an electronic device, the desk or the wall. Try to have a laminated, Velcro version of the schedule – with loose subject squares to move around as needed. Forewarn the learner of changes to the day or special occasions by writing on a blank, laminated card. Websites such as Boardmaker and SENteacher.org offer online services where you could find symbols to add to schedules or worksheets. A set of familiar symbols could help the learner to feel secure and confident in the task at hand.

Some learners react well to social stories – which are very simple explanations of how to do or not to do something, e.g. How to ask a friend to play, When to wear a raincoat, What to do when I am lost, etc. One could adapt and change these stories as situations arise.

Learners with sensory sensitivities may be sensitive to the texture of fabric (such as the tags on clothing) or paper, the sounds of a marker on paper, a raincoat moving, the sound of a malfunctioning intercom system or the fire bell. Some learners could be sensitive to smells and tastes, but we could find ways around those sensitivities. In collaboration with a trained occupational therapist, one could find ways to clip paper to a clipboard rather than touching it, test different kinds of markers, use gloves, try noisecancelling headphones or have earplugs on hand.

Learners with Apraxia might struggle to communicate

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and to speak clearly. Their family members and close friends are often able to understand their speech, but strangers would have difficulty doing so. Giving these learners alternative times or ways to share presentations and orals – even the option of recording an oral in a quiet space to play later or presenting to a trusted group of friends might make the activity easier to complete.

Having the option of AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) devices available can greatly improve these learners’ ability to clarify what they would like to say. Nowadays, applications can be loaded onto tablets or even smartphones – to make it easily accessible and very effective.

Learners who are hard of hearing would benefit from having hearing aids and an FM system to enhance the sound in the classroom. Some devices can lay flat on the table during group work and others need to hang close to the neckline – away from buttons and jewellery. When playing video clips in the class, try to find the closed captioning (marked with a “CC”) function to turn on. Ensure that the learner would have the opportunity to read your lips by facing him or her during explanations, enunciating clearly and by trimming facial hair away from the lip line. Ask for a copy of the audiogram and talk to the audiologist about the best ways to utilise the FM system.

Learners with executive functioning difficulties might have trouble with their daily routines, such as completing activities, planning and organizing tasks.

This may be relevant to many learning differences.

Having their schedules ready and visible, routines clearly explained, subjects colour coded (e.g. each book, shelf and basket marked with the same colour per subject) and quick check-ins throughout the day is very helpful. Writing homework down from the board or remembering to pack sports clothes, might be some of the struggles these learners face and would need help in. Staple a reminder around the handle of the schoolbag or send a picture of the homework home via a classroom webpage (e.g.Google Classroom) or app (e.g. SeeSaw). Older learners would

benefit from a calendar reminder of due dates – which you could load onto web calendars such as Google Calendar.

Learners with writing or fine motor difficulties might struggle to write legibly – despite all kinds of support from the teacher and occupational therapist. Having the occupational therapist recommend an appropriate, rubber pencil grip, could help to correct finger placement. If the writing remains unclear, the learner could try alternative ways of writing – such as in block letters or cursive writing. Ask the occupational therapist for customised ideas and check in regularly.

Learners with spelling and reading difficulties might benefit from speech-to-text options. Have them speak to the word processing program and the words should appear on the screen. Should you have learners with reading difficulties, one could invest in apps such as Claro Scan Pen and Office Lens. Use add-ons such as Read&Write for Google Chrome to read documents on Google Docs and add-ons such as SpeakIt! to listen to the selected text. Use computer functions such as Dictation & Speech (Text to Speech) – should your computer have it. Access websites like Rewordify to find synonyms for more difficult words.

Always connect parents, therapists and staff members to brainstorm, to gain insight and to ask for advice.

Support the learner in becoming independent in the use of assistive technology and to advocate for themselves. Ask them to share techniques or accommodations that work best. Having an open line of communication is a large part of ensuring that Inclusive Education works well.

Once you start looking into possible adaptations or accommodations, you’ll start thinking of other learners who might benefit from similar support and soon it might become second nature. Inclusive Education will not merely be an educational approach but would become a way to create a collaborative and healthy educational community for all.

Read more about the learning differences and resources mentioned in the article at these websites: • • • • • • •

AARSA AAC Executive Functioning Included Autism South Africa My Klaskamer: Inklusiewe Onderwys South African National Deaf Association

Juffer "My Klaskamer" is a remedial teacher. Her blog www.myklaskamer.com is the go-to portal for South African Foundation Phase teachers and parents.

4 Ways you can develop your staff with type 2 CPTD activities As we all know, it is mandatory for teachers to participate in Continuing Professional Teacher Development. It is important for teachers to upgrade, hone and develop their skills. This also improves the general level of education in any school. This is good news for all schools, but it comes at a price as it requires an investment of time, money and effort.

Type 2 activities are initiated by a school. Teachers are required to participate and report on them in their Professional Development Portfolios. These activities can often foster team spirit as teachers and management gather around common concerns or needs.

It encourages professional collaboration and problem solving.

These particular activities do not require SACE endorsement and, with a little planning and initiative, can easily be incorporated into your school’s calendar. So, how can you, as school management, come alongside your staff in their quest for the required 150 SACE points?

Here are 5 ways to do this and show your staff that you appreciate them: 1. Staff and cluster meetings After a long day in front of a class, the thought of having to attend a staff meeting probably doesn’t

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sound too appealing. But, as long as the meeting is an hour or more, teachers can earn CPTD points by attending meetings to discuss any of the following: • Fund raising • Extra-curricular activities • General staff issues • Various school issues • Educational topics Help your staff keep track of the staff and cluster meetings they attend to ensure they earn these easy points.

2. School workshops Workshops can be highly beneficial in addressing particular needs in a school. They not only earn your staff CPTD points, but they have the more important result of upgrading their skill set.

• These workshops can cover issues like: • Curriculum changes • Discipline • Classroom management • Teaching methods • Leadership • Inclusive education 3. Start school projects School projects are an amazing way to teach learners to give back.

These projects can open their eyes to life beyond their own family and friends and build bridges within the community. Projects can be sourced by: • Searching online – this

• •

quickly reveals a myriad of community-based projects that your teachers and learners can get involved in Receiving a recommendation about a project Researching your own community and initiating your own project

No matter the size of your school, there is opportunity to encourage your teachers to get involved in a community project. Options can include to: • Share library books with another school • Start a school food garden • Partner with another school and share teaching methods 4. Report Each teacher keeps a record of all professional development that they undertake. However, the onus is on the school to report, on behalf of the teachers, any Type 2 participation they have been involved in. School management must be sure to keep these records up to date and correct.

Your staff will be most appreciative.

This article originally appeared on SACE Points Guide.

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Teacha! Magazine | 31

Teacher to Teacher: Robyn Clark Robyn Clark is the definition of a teacher who goes over-and-beyond in the classroom. Upon second thought, it is much more than just the classroom, her devotion to teaching oozes out of every sphere of her life.

It is a rarity to come across a 29-year old with an exceptional résumé such as hers. What is even more of a rarity, is the fact that she is the last person who will tell you about her many accomplishments. A Stellenbosch University alum with a cum laude in Foundation Phase Teaching, an honours degree in Early Childhood Development (also cum laude), a teacher, the starter of a community crèche, president of Rotary – and this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Robyn’s achievements.

Childhood Development (ECD) phase.

Robyn had spent three years in mainstream education when she was given the opportunity to go to Switzerland on Rotary Exchange.

This trip gave her insight into the Swiss education system. Back home, she was disillusioned at seeing the differences in the way in which South African learners are expected to learn during their Early

Robyn is both the coordinator and teacher of the Nkosinathi Foundation ECD School. I caught up with her to find out more about what she and the Nkosinathi Foundation team are getting up to.

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This led to Robyn taking a sabbatical to research and explore as much as she could about the various teaching systems and educational approaches found within South Africa. During this time, she relocated to Port Elizabeth, where she was approached by an NGO with the opportunity to work for them. This work has since grown into the opening of the only ECD school for visually impaired learners in the Eastern Cape.

Hi Robyn, thanks for meeting up with me. I must say, I am excited to find out more about you and

what you do. So, without further ado, what is it that you do at the Nkosinathi ECD school?

At the Nkosinathi school, we have worked on a curriculum that best suits our learners, but still uses the South African CAPS curriculum as a basis. As our learners are visually impaired, with some having multiple disabilities such as Cerebral palsy, we have adapted the curriculum and the classroom to help our learners accomplish their tasks. First and foremost, they are children, and then, they are children who have a visual impairment. So we learn together just as regular pre-schoolers would, but with adaptions and changes to the environment, the curriculum and the learning materials so that we can teach them in a way that will maximize and optimize their learning experience.

Wow, I wish that the readers could see my facial expressions right now, the work that you are doing at the Nkosinathi Foundation is phenomenal. Can you tell us a bit more about a day in the life of attending the school?

As we have learners with a variety of disabilities, each child has their own individualised learning program. They each have different goals that are set to what we want to achieve together. For example, one learner may have a goal to be school-ready which includes standard academic goals such as numbers, counting and shapes and the improving of their socialisation skills. Another learner may have different learning objectives, for instance, a child that has Cerebral palsy is cognitively capable, but is non-verbal and has difficulty with movement, so for them, we are helping to work with the movement that they do have to show their choices in action and illustrate that they are learning.

At the moment we have 13 learners. At the beginning of the week and at the end of every day, the staff sit down as a team and discuss what each of our learners’ specific goals will be and what we are going to change and work on with these learners for the day/ week.

What I really like about what you do, is that you try to get the parents involved as much as possible.

Yes, the way in which we have structured the program allows us to work with parents and guardians in certain areas. We have a toddler and babies group, where the parents are actively involved in the program. We also have a group for the more

severely disabled children, which is a simulation group. We get the parents as involved as we can and we work on empowering them to best help their children. We concentrate on holistic support for both the learners and their families.

producer of resources - with a lot of patience and creativity.

So how is it that you are able to keep this school afloat?

There are a lot of opportunities in other countries all over the world why stay in South Africa?

We are an NGO run entirely on fundraising and donations - we do not charge for our services.

Fortunately, as part of the ECD program, we are working with the Royal Dutch Exchange.

This is wonderful as they bring specialists into the field to give us training. In our country, there is little to no available training in this field and I find myself working independently a lot of the time.

It is a great privilege to have this form of community with these specialists, but obviously, we do have a very different context to that of the European schools which always needs to be taken into account.

Yes, training relating to teaching learners with a disability is definitely not something that you will come across too often in our country. What do you do for resources?

To be honest, without the ideas found on YouTube and Pinterest, we would not have gotten very far.

Ultimately, we make our own resources as we need to make sure that we adapt them to our specific context and environment.

There are unfortunately very few resources readily available to us in South Africa.

So not only are you a coordinator and a teacher, but you are also a

I am lucky that there are others around me who are just as passionate as I am. My family are also very involved in helping to make the occasional resource.

There is a need in South Africa not just South Africa generally, but in my city specifically and in the communities directly surrounding me. I know that we have made a difference here and I know, without a doubt, that we will continue to change lives.

Overseas, it is not the same, many countries are already equipped.

Here, in my city, in my community, I want to use the passion and skills that I have to make a difference.

Robyn, right now, I will tell you that you really ARE making a difference. Speaking to you today has been brilliant. What you are doing is inspirational and seeing you and the way in which you speak about your occupation, I can honestly see that you love what you do.

I do, I love my job and I know that I would not want to be doing anything else with my life.

For those of you who would like to know more about Robyn and the Nkosinathi Foundation ECD School, please visit their website, https://www. nkosinathifoundation.org/ If you have any other questions or queries relating to the work that they do at the Foundation, feel free to contact Robyn via the site.

Ali Mills

Teacha! Magazine | 33

Racism is still rife in South Africa’s schools. What can be done about it It’s 2019, almost 25 years into South Africa’s democratic dispensation, and racism is still playing out in the country’s schools.

Most recently, a primary school teacher was accused of separating children according to race. Elsewhere, a high school was accused of progressing white pupils who failed while holding back black pupils who’d failed.

There have been numerous other stories of racist behaviour, separatist language policies and instances of schools turning away largely black pupils, claiming their classrooms are full.

This is happening despite legislative changes since the end of apartheid, along with a noticeable change in the demographics of former white and private schools.

The problem is that general assimilatory practices persist.

These don’t deal with each learner as an individual. Instead, they expect black students to think, look and speak like their white peers so that they don’t somehow stand out. The attitude of “this is our school, our culture, our language; if you want to be here, you will have to accept and adapt to it” is rife.

Many formerly whites only schools also show little flexibility in accommodating the identities and worldviews of students from other race groups.

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There are several ways to deal with these issues, from initiating national dialogues to training teachers to identify their own biases.

Definitions First, it’s necessary to establish some parameters. What is racism?

Is it the same as prejudice, discrimination and stereotyping?

These issues have been widely studied, and useful definitions have emerged.

Prejudice is a rigid and unfair generalisation about an entire category of people with little or no evidence. It often takes the form of stereotypes. These are exaggerated and simplified descriptions applied to every person in a minority group.

Unfair discrimination is any unequal treatment of different groups of people. It can take different forms. An example of fair discrimination in a school would be allocating the front seats in the classroom to learners who are visually impaired. Unfair discrimination could involve allowing the blue-eyed learners to have a longer break than those with green eyes – or grouping white and black kids separately.

Racism, meanwhile, includes beliefs, thoughts and actions based on the idea that one race is innately superior to another.

Many of the events that play out in South African schools can be classified as implicit racism. That’s because racism in schools very often emanates from broader structural and institutional racism.

This is less easy to recognise from the outside than instances of racist language or behaviour.

Teachers often don’t realise what they’re doing or that they are being guided by bias. For example, a teacher may tell a black pupil, “you speak good English”. This is a derogatory remark masked as a compliment – it implies that black people aren’t expected to speak English well. The teacher in question may be shocked to be accused of racism; such statements become normalised and are not recognised as racist by those who make them.

Racism is also closely linked to structures of power. Teachers, for example, often hold more power – either directly inscribed in policies or codes or indirectly exercised through education practices – than learners in a classroom setting. The way the teacher uses that power can

determine the extent to which a learner, especially one who is of a different race group to the teachers, can speak back to that power.

of a broader structural discourse of separation based on race. It will also help people to identify how racism shows up in covert and overt ways.

society. They are well placed to start conversations in learners’ early lives and to use creative teaching strategies to disrupt the rigid narratives of race.

Possible solutions

A national indaba (discussion or conference) on racism in South African schools which addresses the concerns of white and black teachers, school managers, governors and learners could also be valuable. This might culminate in a national memorandum of understanding of how schools are to operate in a non-racist way, including dealing with notions like “white people are inherently racist” and “black people cannot be racist”. Accountability and appropriate consequences should be laid out in this document.

They can also be trained to interrogate their own implicit biases and consciously work against these, as well as to combat racism. This has been done elsewhere in the world, through various programmes.

Legislation alone is not going to ease the edgy co-existence between different race groups that persists in many schools. A mind shift is needed at a national level.

To address the problem of racism in South African schools, the country must first understand its origins. Today’s school racism is the product of a long history of many kinds of inclusion and exclusionary practices that favoured one group at the expense of others.

Exploring this history will provide South Africans with an understanding how the racism seen in schools today forms part

Racism is learned and can therefore be unlearned. Teachers can play a significant role in mediating the negative effect of racism in classrooms, schools and

Jerome Joorst, Lecturer and Researcher in the Department of Education Policy Studies, Stellenbosch University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.: https:// theconversation.com/racism-isstill-rife-in-south-africas-schoolswhat-can-be-done-aboutit-110195

Teacha! Magazine | 35

Dyscalculia: ‘maths dyslexia’ or why so many children struggle with numbers You’ve probably heard of dyslexia, but have you heard of dyscalculia before? Maybe not, given that children with dyscalculia – or mathematical learning difficulties – are less likely to be diagnosed.

In fact, research shows that children with dyslexia are more than a hundred times more likely to receive a diagnosis and educational support than children with dyscalculia. This is despite the fact that dyslexia and dyscalculia are expected to be equally common.

This is worrying, given that research shows low numeracy might affect people’s life

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chances more negatively than low literacy. Indeed, there is a strong link between numeracy and educational success, income, mental and physical health and even chances of arrest and incarceration.

What is dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia is defined as a condition that involves longterm, severe difficulties with mathematics – which cause significant problems with academic or occupational performance, or with daily activities.

Some typical signs of dyscalculia

that parents might notice are using finger counting – even for simple arithmetic – struggling to retrieve number facts from memory (such as times tables), and struggling to learn new procedures.

Dyscalculic children might also have trouble using calendars and clocks, they might struggle with recalling the order of past events, and with following sequential instructions.

Research shows that developmental disorders very often occur together. So if your child has autism, ADHD or dyslexia, then they could also have dyscalculia. Our recent

research investigated the links between dyscalculia and other developmental disorders in primary school children, and we found that among the children we identified as potentially dyscalculic, 81% already had another diagnosis.

We also found the number of boys and girls with dyscalculia to be the same. This differs from other conditions that are more common among boys. In our study, twice as many boys than girls had a diagnosis of dyslexia.

Why is it so rarely diagnosed?

Primary schools in the UK test pupils using standardised, curriculum-based tests every year, starting from grade three.

When a child performs at or below a certain cut-off, and their performance does not substantially improve after receiving specialist support for six months, they should receive a diagnosis of dyscalculia. But despite this, dyscalculia is almost never diagnosed – it appears to be a very rare condition.

This could mean that because practitioners do not have experience of working with children with a diagnosis of dyscalculia, they might feel less confident in identifying a new case.

Former diagnostic criteria for dyscalculia included the requirement that mathematics skills should be well below the person’s level of intelligence.

This requirement has been now dropped, but practitioners might still expect an unexplained difficulty with mathematics, without any other issues.

There is also no official guidance on how dyscalculic learners can

be best supported. And because a dyscalculia diagnosis is very rare, it is also difficult to recruit individuals with dyscalculia for research studies – which is essential for testing and developing intervention methods.

Another issue is that when children already have another diagnosis – such as ADHD – this might be considered the main target of intervention. This means that any learning difficulties might be seen as a consequence of the primary problems. And there can also be a general tendency to view mathematics as a difficult and burdensome subject that is “not for everybody”.

Why diagnosis matters Early diagnosis is particularly important, because missing the basics of mathematics makes it difficult for learners to follow subsequent topics. This can lead to frustration and negative attitudes towards mathematics, as well as school subjects in general.

Officially diagnosing children might also lead to faster changes in government policies. Once dyscalculic learners appear in official statistics, it is more likely that support will be offered. It was only in 2009 that the Rose report on dyslexia was published, which called for the availability of special training for teachers to support children with dyslexia. This initiative has been a huge success, and it is likely that the same result would be possible for dyscalculia.

What all this shows is that when it comes to dyscalculia, more needs to be done to help children who are struggling. So if you’re a parent worried about your child, it is important to raise this with your child’s school and seek specialist

educational psychology support.

Obtaining an official diagnosis might take a long time. But you can help your child by practising some basic concepts and procedures with them. This can be done by manipulating everyday objects, such as beads or tokens, or playing simple number games.

You can also play board games with a dice – which can help to demonstrate basic number concepts.

These activities might be especially helpful for younger children, but can also help to build confidence in the case of older pupils. Computer based maths programs can also be used for repeated practice of arithmetic.

As with literacy, it is important that you don’t see your child’s maths learning as solely the responsibility of schools.

Dyscalculia, similar to dyslexia, is a life-long condition, which continues to affect people beyond their school years. It cannot and should not be ignored. And a better awareness of the condition in parents, teachers and society generally could offer great improvements in the prospects of dyscalculic learners.

Kinga Morsanyi, Lecturer in the School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.: https:// theconversation.com/dyscalculiamaths-dyslexia-or-why-somany-children-struggle-withnumbers-104655

Teacha! Magazine | 37

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