The following is an ACTUAL case study of how Jenny Goslett, a
teacher from Kenridge Primary, makes use of XT at the school...
Case Study - Kenridge Primary School - 2 week period
Monday, 19 March:
- Set Xhosa exam in XT for grade 6 classes.
- Introduced the grade 6's to XT.
- Children did the exam, and then worked on the following XT
Challenge Mode exercises - Natural Sciences: Air; and Natural
Sciences: Electricity.
- A grade 6 teacher who takes children for extra maths asked
if she could bring her extra maths learners (after school) to
work on XT to make the extra maths a little more exciting for a
change. The learners did a Challenge Mode exercise in
Mathematics: Problem Solving. They found it quite difficult. The
teacher has another group she wants to bring tomorrow. She will
do grade 5 maths with them.
- Added Grade 6 users for tomorrow.
Tuesday, 20 March:
- Introduced classes to XT.
- Two grade 6 English classes and one grade 6 Afrikaans class
did a Xhosa language exam using XT. The exam was automatically
marked by XT. When the learners had finished their exam they
worked on the following XT Challenge Mode exercises - Natural
Sciences/Natuurlike Wetenskappe: Air/Lug, and Natural Sciences/Natuurlike
Wetenskappe: Electricity/Elektrisiteit.
- Created a grade 5 Mathematics: Problem Solving exercise for
extra maths class this afternoon.
Wednesday, 21 March:
Thursday, 23 March:
Friday, 24 March:
Monday, 27 March:
- Set two exercises for grade 4's.
- Once my IT work was complete, I introduced the class to XT
and told them to do the following Study Mode exercise - Social
Sciences: Personal History - Who am I?, and a Challenge Mode
exercise - Life Orientation: Road Signs. This consolidated the
work that they were currently doing in class.
Tuesday, 28 March:
- I had two grade 4 classes. Finished my lesson quickly with
both classes and asked them what work they were doing in Social
Sciences. They then completed a Social Sciences: Personal
History - Who am I? exercise in Study Mode.
- Also being taught road safety in class, so I told them to do
a Life Orientation: Road Signs exercise in Challenge Mode.
Wednesday, 29 March:
- Created a Xhosa test. This is a first for grade 6 at our
school. Our Xhosa teacher in grade 7 (who is also head of Xhosa)
has been doing paper-based Xhosa assessments with the learners
for years. On Thursday I explained the whole concept of XT to
the Intermediate Phase Xhosa teacher and she gave me the
assessment questions this morning. It took my 40 minutes to
create the exam on XT. I don't think she realises yet what she
is going to get from XT - comprehensive results without having
to mark over 200 papers.
- At first I was frustrated at setting new exercises in XT,
probably because I don't like reading manuals. But now I am so
into the swing of setting new exercises AND IT IS SOOOOOO EASY.
It is an absolute pleasure to take questions from any source and
put them into one exercise.
Common
excuses for NOT using XT, and our come-backs...
We only use our computer centre for computer
skills - i.e. Word, Excel, IT etc.
There is no time for teachers to bring their
classes into the computer centre
Our teachers never use the computer centre -
they're afraid of technology
We
don't have any money to buy XT
| You say: "We
only use our computer centre for computer skills - i.e.
Word, Excel, IT etc..." |
| Our response: Get with the times! Using ICT
resources for curriculum delivery is what all schools are
moving towards. How to use XT if this is the case:
EvaluNet has many school customers who only use their
computer centre for IT skills. When this is the case, the IT
teacher uses XT in two instances...
- To give 'quick' learners who finish tasks before the
rest of the class the opportunity to use XT to revise
other classroom work or to challenge each other using
the FUN Challenge Mode in XT - instead of messing with
other learners or playing games.
- To assess learners proficiency in IT. How? The IT
teacher authors his/her own exercises and assessments in
XT and then uses it to assess learners, saving the IT
teacher valuable time and energy!
Albie Smith, IT teacher, Gordon's Bay Primary...
"I don't have a red pen anymore! Thank you EvaluNet!" |
| You say: "There
is no time for teachers to bring their classes into the
computer centre" |
| Our response: A valid argument. Bear in mind that
this is the case in 90% of schools throughout South Africa.
There are, however, ways to get around this... How to
use XT if this is the case: In most cases, our customers
do not have much time to allow each teacher to bring their
class into the computer centre. Sometimes a class only has
one or two periods a week to use the computers. This is what
our customers do...
- "In the last 10 minutes of each period I let the
learners practice classroom work using XT. The classroom
teachers have told me that this is helping the learners
understand their work better. Just those 10 minutes make
the world of difference" IT Teacher
- "Although there isn't really time for me to take my
class to the computer centre to use XT, I still use the
product to generate printed worksheets and assessments
that I use in class. This has saved me so much time!"
Classroom Teacher
- "When I have an upcoming assessment for my learners,
I ask the IT teacher if my class can use XT to revise
their work once he has done teaching his IT lesson."
Classroom Teacher
Jenny Goslett, IT teacher, Kenridge Primary... "I
use EvaluNet XT in all of my lessons! The learners have
great fun challenging one another in XT." |
| You say: "Our
teachers never use the computer centre - they're afraid of
technology" |
| Our response: You don't need your teachers to use
the computer centre for XT to benefit your learners!
How to use XT if this is the case: XT is designed to
give your learners hours upon hours of relevant and
stimulating revision, remedial and challenge exercises. At
schools where teachers do not make use of the computer
centre, XT is used in the following ways...
- Learners are allowed access to the computer centre
during break time and after school. The learner selects
the learning area and topic that he or she would like to
revise - either for an upcoming assessment or because he
or she is a hard worker!
- Learners make use of XT in 'spare time' at the end
of their IT lesson, revising curricula work or
challenging their friends to interactive exercises.
Jenny Goslett, IT teacher, Kenridge Primary... "I use XT as
a reward for good behaviour in my class. The learners LOVE
using XT, and therefore behave well so that they can be
rewarded with time on XT!" |
| You say: "We
don't have any money to buy XT" |
| Our response: Well you don't need very much in
the first place. How to get XT if this is the case:
If your school doesn't have the funds upfront, you can still
benefit from receiving EvaluNet XT now by using our
payment plan option.
For more info on the XT payment plan for EXISTING
EvaluNet customers, click
here.
For more info on the XT payment plan for PROSPECTIVE
customers, click
here. |
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