Teacher activity no 2 - Posters for managed environment

Clear posters/instructions are an essential part of any managed environment. This activity will help create those posters for cleaning duties, different recycling bins, window duty, printer management, classroom rules, goals, expectations, etc.

• Create a long word file in which to create all the posters
• In a footer or header insert the school badge OR classroom name/teacher name in a corner, as a form of identity, to appear on all poster pages
• Have one idea per poster page
• Space the text so that all posters present a uniform layout with clear writing
• Use a clear font such as Arial for clear readable text
• Use WordArt with a clear design and no shadow, for readable text
• Use text, borders, tables, SmartArt, WordArt and images to help express / present the instructions
• If you use borders be sure to adjust the footer with the school badge so that it remains visible
• Submit a the long file of posters as an attachment with teacher name and school to docpam@gmail.com by Friday 4 February.

Creator of first completed poster file submitted will be commended. OR send me an email indicating what of the above you are not technically able to do, and I will create a learning object to help you and others do that.

Awards for Teacher activity no 1 - Identifying Learners

The awards for Activity Identifying Learners go to the teachers Barbara Anyster of Worcester Secondary School and Johan Barkhuizen of Goodwood College. Congratulations!

Bad PowerPoint

I attended what should have been a riveting lecture this evening. The speaker gave a Powerpoint presentation.

• He looked at the screen and not the audience.
• He read all the text on the screen.
• He described pictures/diagrams but they only appeared on the screen after he had finished reading the description/text.
• He had a great deal of text, and not key words so the audience read all the text and listened to the speaker at the same time so nothing went into the audience's heads.

At interval a number of people indicated that they were disappointed with the speaker and wanted to leave. Others said they kept dropping off to sleep. Since the advent of TV and video we expect quality presentations and 'contact'. Lecturers must eyeball and connect with their audience.

Teacher activity no 1 - Identifying learners

Knowing learners’ names is an essential tool for an effective teacher. There are many ways to learn names - this activity will help you put names to faces and to seating positions in a classroom.

• Take photos of learners with a digital camera or mobile phone.
• Transfer the photos to the computer using USB cable or Bluetooth.
• Arrange images in suitable folders with meaningful names.
• Create a seating plan of the classroom and insert the images into the places where the learners usually sit and their names, aligning the images and the text meaningfully OR insert the learner's name on each image and arrange the pictures on a page where the learners usually sit.
• Submit a class seating plan as an attachment, of a grade 11 CAT class with teacher name and school to docpam@gmail.com by Friday 21 January - date extended to 28 January.

All plans will remain confidential. Creator of first completed seating plan submitted will be commended. OR send me an email indicating what of the above you are not technically able to do, and I will create a learning object to help you and others do that.

NSC exam timetable 2011

Here is a copy of the exam timetable for NSC for 2011 http://www.education.gov.za/Curriculum/Exams/NSC%20Nov%202011%20Exam%20Timetable.pdf Hope this can help with planning. The CAT papers are together, nice!

Unemployment and CAT

After the matric results were released this year there was much talk of how the young people will not be able to get jobs, and that matric does not prepare people for the job market. Journalists did not do their homework and they neglected to mention the value of CAT!

More than any other subject CAT prepares a candidate for life in the business world. With keyboarding skills, knowing how to use the Office package, knowing how to use hardware/software, and problem solving skills any employer would find a CAT candidate an asset to their business. We teachers must make sure that our learners really do well in CAT and help the young people to get a job. CAT may not be a 'designated' subject but it is such an important subject!

Facebook page

A page has been created on Facebook for Study Opportunities.  Go to the page and then click 'Like'. It is so nice to see the Profile pictures of all the people who follow the page.  Look at the message for 2011.