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Tablets in schools for the long-term

Tyson Ngubeni
By Tyson Ngubeni
Johannesburg, 31 Jul 2014
OLPC has shied away from a 'tablet drop' approach, says Coza Cares CEO Fiona Wallace.
OLPC has shied away from a 'tablet drop' approach, says Coza Cares CEO Fiona Wallace.

A new ICT education initiative by US-based non-profit organisation (NPO) One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) wants to cement its long-term sustainability in SA by linking its tablet donation programme to teacher training.

Local commentators say the approach is likely to lead to more effective integration of technology into classrooms.

OLPC yesterday made its first foray into SA, following on the heels of other similar initiatives, as it partners with the MoneyGram Foundation to donate 250 tablets to Masibambane Junior Primary School in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg. The NPO says local learners will be part of the four million worldwide users of its low-cost, low-power, Linux-based "XO" devices.

Merryl Ford, manager of the ICT for learning initiative at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, says training and support before and during the project's implementation will be "critical" in the long-run.

"To actively use the tablet in the classroom in ways that are pedagogically appropriate is a major challenge. Tablets are only truly valuable if you change your teaching practice and use modern teaching methods that engage and stimulate the learners, whilst still guiding and controlling their activities," she says.

Meanwhile, Coza Cares - a local e-learning NPO - was involved in the early stages of OLPC's teacher training initiatives, according to its CEO Fiona Wallace.

She says OLPC has not adopted a "tablet-drop" approach, which looks no further than introducing physical infrastructure. "Work with the foundation phase teachers has been intensive, particularly with integrating the OLPC tablet content with the reading programme already under way in the school," says Wallace.

Overarching programme

Anton Luttig, regional director for south and east Africa at MoneyGram, says the impact of the donation will be felt over time as the tablets will remain part of the school's infrastructure for several years.

Mark Kaplan, chairman of OLPC SA, says Masibambane was chosen because of its willingness to have an overarching technology development plan for teachers and learners.

"If we are to conquer South Africa's growing digital divide, it is vital that more schools and their surrounding communities develop similar ICT educational plans and partner with sponsors like the MoneyGram Foundation and OPLC to bring that plan into action," he says.

The NPO notes it has a strong presence in Latin America, with more than two million devices donated in the region. Its previous African foray includes a memorandum signed with the African Union in which OLPC committed to provide tablets to primary schools.

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