M-Ubuntu project sustains momentum with Swedish-based learning organization plan
6 July, 2010
A new 3-year plan that extend the work of M-Ubuntu in South Africa have received the go ahead from Learning Academy Worldwide, the Swedish-based learning organization that funds and manages mobile learning initiatives in South Africa. Read Story here.
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South African School Leadership donate salaries to School
5 July 2010
Spectrum Primary School, the recipient of the DML Competition grant in 2009 have been promised a total of R13 000 from the M-Ubuntu Project Director (the School Principal), the Authorizing Officer (Deputy Principal) and the Financial Officer (School Senior Administrator). Mrs D. Taylor informed Learning Academy Worldwide that the leadership have donated their stipends to the school.
"We commend these three for their generosity to the school. It is an admirable example," said Learning Academy Worldwide director, Theo van Rensburg Lindzter from Washington DC.
The M-Ubuntu project concluded its first phase at the end of June this year. Bringing International expertise from US Universities, technological resources and teacher development programs and coaching from the UK-based M-learning giant, TRIBAL, M-Ubuntu effectively improved the chances of teachers to bring creativity to their literacy initiatives to Spectrum Primary School.
The collaboration with DiGameworks have proven particularly meaningful as it focused on the practical implementation of technology-supported learning alternatives. Additionally, the collaboration opened new possibilities for future initiatives in South Africa - a crucial component for sustainability of the M-Ubuntu concept.
Students from Spectrum Primary School visited the US during the month of May to showcase their experiences with mobile phones as tools for improved literacy. Accompanied by their teacher, Ms Lesego Raleholi, they spoke clearly about the difference new mobile technology is making to their learning experiences.
Accolades for their work came from the University of California, the spokesman for the US-based SPRINT NEXTEL's public policy issues and the UK-based TRIBAL's Jessica Wakelin.
Newsflash 13th May 2010
M-Ubuntu Students BLOG from Washington DC on their experiences
M-Ubuntu Students PRESENT at DML Competition Showcase
M-Ubuntu in Washington DC
Sthembiso Zuma, Kirsten Goliath, Leigh Mondell, Mrs Lesego Raleholi and Juzevan du Plessis smile at their arival in Washington DC despite their long journey from Johannesburg.
Washington DC, May 12th, 2010
Four students and their teacher, Ms Lesego Raleholi, arrived in Washington DC to attend the DML Showcase two-day conference in the capital of the USA.
During the first session of the conference, the learners introduced themselves to an appreciating audience and were welcomed by Cathy Davidson and David Theo Goldberg who heads up the Digital Media Competition.
On Thursday, the learners will present the outcomes, blessings and challenges of their participatory learning experience over the last year in their school, Spectrum Primary School, just south of Johannesburg in South Africa.
Report and pictures: Learning Academy Worldwide
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Global Mobile Learning Conference Connects Learners and Educators
19 February 2010
When South African 7th graders, Shandre Lee Davids and Kirsten Goliath went to school on Friday morning, they might have told an inquiring family member of a whirlwind day ahead.
During the course of the school day, under the guidance of their English Teacher, Ms Lesego Raleholi, and accompanied by 17 more of their classmates, they interacted with educators and learners from Beijing, two cities on the East-coast of the USA and two other South African schools in Mafikeng and Cape Town respectively.
Lucy Haagen, who is in Beijing had praise for how well the learners interacted with their peers and adults during the conference.
These .... (more)
Getting by with a little help from friends...
January, 2010The M-Ubuntu project in South Africa is home to another DML winner, DI Gameworks for two weeks until end of January 2010.
Jeff Kupperman, Beth Robertson and Shawn Baglin landed on 15 January 2010 to implement some of their creative approaches to learning in two schools in South Africa.
The collaboration between these two DML winners reflect the eagerness with which the two teams have sought to converge their efforts to achieve the best and most effective use of skills, support and resources.
According to Jeff Kupperman and his team on the ground, both learners and teachers have responded enthusiastically to every part of the project thus far. Read his comments here.
Learners at Spectrum Primary School, just south of Johannesburg started the year 2010 with very practical projects that not only got them engaged in the classroom, but also got them into the community as they gathered video-, audio- and text data to complete an interactive learning game.
Teachers reflect over M-Ubuntu projects
As teachers and learners embark on the 2nd half of the M-Ubuntu project, teachers reflected briefly over last year.
Ms Lesego Raleholi, Grade 6 English Teachers and Deputy Principal at Spectrum Primary School reported that she learnt quite a lot from using Mobile Phones for project-based learning. Her class completed the school's annual Magazine using the multiple functions of a mobile phone as a device to gather the image and text data.
"We had so much else to do at the end of the school year with exams, reports that needed to go to the Department and the planning for 2010 that it presented challenges in completing our M-Ubuntu project", she explained.
Other teachers, Jabu Hlubi, Lindi Ntuli and Robert Mafamba helped their Grade 7 class to write acrostic poems with their mobile phones and take a picture of an accompanying drawing after which they collated it into a presentation.
Teachers praised and welcomed the coaching provided by Project Coaches, Lucy Haagen and Theo van Rensburg Lindzter. "I am particularly glad that we also had opportunity to present to others what we were doing, like our time when we demonstrated the use of the mobile phones at the national conference on reading ..." Ms Raleholi explained.
The two project coaches assisted teachers with planning, implementing and evaluating of their projects. They also promoted the project with Universities in South Africa and met with possible sponsors for project sustainability. A new possibility of an additional school in the southern part of South Africa was also investigated.
At Ramosadi Primary School, the other site for the M-Ubuntu Project, learners completed a video on the Aids awareness day and produced a 15-page booklet on caring for the environment.
Teachers will present their projects during the first quarter of 2010 at the M-Ubuntu E-Learning conference.
Museum Visit stuns Curator
December 2009When M-Ubuntu Project Consutant, Lucy Haagen, persuaded Ramosadi Primary School management to allow the learners to visit the local museum, she had no idea just how big an event it was going to be.
The curator was surprised and shocked when she saw the 25 sixth graders, armed with mobile phones and a set of serious questions enter the Mafikeng Museum. Such a surprise was backgrounded against an inexplicable phenomena - schools in the area seldom visit the local museum and of course, never with mobile phones!
The visit was part of a practical demonstration that Mrs Haagen was eager to help the teachers experience when designing and implementing opportunities for learning. "I think it was the greatest thing for these 6th graders this year," said teachers, Mrs Dorothy Ratshefola.
A remarkable outcome from the field trip was the leadership that some of the, so called, "trouble makers" in the class demonstrated. The wild boys became the responsible custodians of the phones and they were often the ones who showed others how to use the devices.
North West University gives a listening ear to a M-Ubuntu Project on the march
November, 2009
One of South Africa's biggest Universities, North West University, hosted a briefing by the M-Ubuntu team at their Mafikeng Campus.
Intrigued and curious of the M-learning phenomena, Professor Thapelo Mamiala from the Faculty of Education said earlier that they "welcome (the) opportunity to have collaboration with M-Ubuntu". The University made every effort to keep to this intention when they accepted an invitation from the M-Ubuntu team to introduce the project and explore collaboratory possibilities.
Some 15 delegates from the University met with Lucy Haagen, Sydney Teme and Dorothy Ratshefola to explore three possibilities with the University: a possible student teacher internship collaboration, a science project and the provision of training for teachers in technology assisted learning.
There's been a stirring in the region since the M-Ubuntu team arrived at their Ramosadi Project site to coach teachers in the use of Mobile phones to increase meaningful learning participation in the school.
Photography and Uploading: Thabang Mogale
Stirrings in Mafikeng as Ramosadi Primary educators connect with Duke University Lecturer
29 October, 2009
A new siege is under way in Mafikeng as the M-Ubuntu team met with principal and teachers in the second round of training and coaching in the use of Mobile phones for projects and examinations.
Read more
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M-Ubuntu Project Teachers enthuse academics and teachers at national reading conference
19 October, 2009, Wits University, SOUTH AFRICA
Sydney Teme, principal of Ramosadi Primary School and Sam Nenngwekhulu, principal of Spectrum Primary School, lead their two teams at a vibrant workshop at South Africa's national conference on reading.
Earlier, Lucy Haagen, who accompanied the team and coordinated the session, coached Mr Teme's and Nenngwekhulu's teachers to demonstrate how they are using mobile phones to plan projects for their learners.
Dolly Ramathebane, a teacher at spectrum Primary school, described the experience as "like fireworks". She was part of a team of 6 teachers who addressed questions connected to safety of the use of the phones, it's usefulness in collecting data, the benefits for maintaining interest and the value it brings to group work.
The conference is the 4th of its kind aimed at assembling meaningful dialogue around policy and practice for the improvement of reading in South African schools. This year, M-Ubuntu was asked to present their innovative idea of using cellphones to meet literacy needs at the conference which was held at the University of Witwatersrand. M-Ubuntu also presented at the 2008 RASA conference.
Listen to Lucy Haagen and Sam Nenngwekhulu share their thoughts on the questions they were asked, who attended, the conference and how they involved the attendees.
M-Ubuntu project Schools benefit from Duke University literacy consultant
11 October, 2009, Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA
Lucy Haagen from Duke University in the USA is on-site at Spectrum Primary- and Ramosadi Primary School in South Africa. She arrived on the 9th October for a month-long stay in the country to provide upfront training for teachers in the use of mobile phones for projectsand preparation for school examinations and tests.
Teaches have been involved, prior to Mrs Haagen's visit, in training workshops to help them see the benefits and potential in using mobile phones in their classes. In fact, teachers have been using the phones in their classes to coach students in the use of the phones for projects.
The 4-week schedule includes a visit at both schools where teachers will be coached in project work, drafting lessons plans and preparing for a presentation at the Reading Association of South Africa national conference.
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Principal inspired by enthusiasm of the M-Ubuntu teachers
25th September 2009
As schools in South Africa closed for the Spring Break, Spectrum Primary School principal, Sam Nenngwekhulu, pondered over the hard work his teachers have invested in the inspiring M-Ubuntu Teachers Collaboratory project since its start in June this year - he smiles and he is excited at the prospects for his school, his community and ... his country.
His teachers have wasted no time in using what they have learnt during the workshops in the class - the children's excitement about the new possibilities that the use of mobile phones will bring to their projects was a natural consequence. The Grade 6 English teacher, Ms Lesego Raleholi's set the pace when she engaged her learners earlier this month. See video here.
After the recent workshop, Sam spoke briefly on video to Euclid Jacobs about his teachers.
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Teachers produce model project with Mobile phones at the M-Ubuntu Workshop in Johannesburg
24th August 2009, JOHANNESBURG
Twenty Educators gathered at Spectrum Primary School for a 2-day workshop on using Mobile phones for their planned projects for Grades 6-7 learners. Representatives from Ramosadi Primary School near Mafikeng also attended.
Teachers used the phones to gather information based on the theme, Women and Relationships, uploaded the videos, images and texts to a computer and had the compilation printed into a 20-page booklet. The booklet will serve as a model for teachers to use with their learners when they start with their proposed projects. See the book here.
Teachers were actively involved in mastering the skills on the phones, previously donated by SPRINT, USA, to capture and upload their work. Their enthusiasm is clearly noticeable in these short videos:
Video 1 - M-Ubuntu Workshop Part Video 2 - M-Ubuntu Workshop Part 2 Video 3 - Reflections
Video 4 - M-Ubuntu Teachers' Voices
Other links: Spectrum Pimary School Ramosadi Primary School
Teachers were thoroughly engaged during the workshop, always willing to learn and to teach. For more pictures click here.
USA Mobile Phone Giant provide Smart Phones for South African Schools
1 August, 2009
The US mobile phone giant, SPRINT, responded to M-Ubuntu's ReMobilized project - an initiative aimed at using recycled phones in under-resourced learning environments, by donating 100 recycled Smartphones to its US and South African Mobile Learning projects.
Providing South African and US projects with these Smartphones, SPRINT enabled under-resourced schools to access the best available coaching for teachers by educators from the US, Sweden and South Africa. That they provided this needed resource using the most innovative recycling initiatives in the mobile phone industry, proved that, especially in rural South African schools, the technology needed for improving functional literacy does not have to be expensive.
Staff and students were excited at the arrival of the phones at their school in South Africa. "Now we can get down to working with these phones and help our teachers see the potential for learning that these devices can help provide," said Principal of Spectrum Primary School, Mr Sam Nenngwekhulu.
Breaking News about big USA grant for 2 South African Primary Schools!!! Read here
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M-Ubuntu - just imagine...
The theme is cultural diversity and until now, 6th graders have written earnest but boring reports on South Africa's multicultural population. This year, Thembisile asks her teacher for permission to use her cellphone in the project. Soon a routine assignment takes on new life as teams of young ethnographers armed with mobile phones take to the field.
Each team focuses on a particular ethnic or racial group using mobile phones to find (gps), photograph (camera), and interview (voice recorder) representatives of that group. Returning to the classroom, they write photo captions, interview summaries and their own conclusions. Digital files are bluetoothed to their teacher, who in turn uploads and sends the files to a multimedia specialist at Duke who can formats their content into a YouTube video, which is then downloaded to class sets of mobile phones at both Spectrum and Ramosadi and uploaded to a storytelling.org space, an international repository of cross-cultural student videos.
300 km to the northwest in Mafikeng, Ramosadi learners and parent volunteers are tending the school's garden, which provides healthy produce to supplement a meagre government lunch program - and provide a 2nd nutritious meal to students from the poorest families. Principal Sydney Teme has a larger vision - he sees the garden as a environmental literacy lab - and microenterprise - generating enough income to employ out-of-work parents. A post to the M-Ubuntu blog puts him in touch with a teacher in Finland who offers to train his teachers in MOOP, open-source mobile phone software for nature study in primary schools. He also hears from a teacher in Harlem, NYC, founder of the Edible Garden, and soon his learners and those in the Harlem school have become M-Pals text messaging each other ideas on gardening, cooking and food culture. He also hears from the coordinator of an NGO developing Trade-Net, a mobile-phone network connecting sellers and buyers of agricultural products who invites Ramosadi to join a pilot. A third post yields inquiries from the director of the service learning project in North Carolina, seeking environmental projects for undergraduates interested in global civic engagement placements during the summer term (when South African schools are still in session)
These scenarios illustrate the power of M-Ubuntu to catalyze co-learning through peer networking, problem-based pedagogy, and digital content creation and sharing.
| ORIGINS OF THE M-LEARNING PROJECT IN TWO SOUTH AFRICAN PRIMARY SCHOOLS The Swedish-based learning organization, Learning Academy Worldwide, established a platform for distance learning in two regions in South Africa. Since September, 2007 the organization's provided teacher development opportunities aimed at supporting and providing creative strategies for improving reading skills among young learners. The M-Ubuntu idea is a direct outflow of dialogue with Lucy Haagen from Duke University on the viability of using mobile phones as a pedagogical tool alongside the existing teacher development program. The project is in its first phase. See the video |