The Internet Service Providers' Association of South Africa (ISPA) has named eight finalists in its hunt for the 2011 ISPA Super Teacher of the Year, an initiative that aims to identify and reward teachers who are providing high-quality computer skills training.
These candidates will attend an awards ceremony, held at iWeek, a local Internet industry event, on Thursday, 22 September, where the Super Teacher of the Year will be revealed.
In acknowledgment of the 10th anniversary of the teacher training initiative, ISPA will also be recognising the 2011 Trainer of the Year, as well as three exemplary ICT Champions in South African schools.
According to the association, the Super Teacher of the Year competition forms part of its 'Train the Teacher' project. Prizes include laptop computers, BlackBerry smartphones and all expenses paid attendance at key IT conferences, boosting winners' opportunities for personal advancement, as well as their ability to offer training to their learners.
Recognising the growing need for computer skills training, and the importance of computer-literate teachers, ISPA says it established Train the Teacher in December 2001. To date, the association has successfully trained some 2 238 educators at more than 200 under-resourced and rural schools nationwide.
The annual Super Teacher of the Year Award invited educators to compete in projects through which they can promote and develop computer skills in their own schools and communities.
Twenty-six projects were registered for the competition in the first phase of the awards. Each project was assessed according to the teachers' use of newly acquired computer skills in their own teaching practice, as well as the use of their skills for the benefit of their colleagues, learners or wider community.
The finalists are: Thembi Mathobela, George Mokgehle, Nthole Adelaide Madiba and Alpheus Mogashoa, all from Toronto Primary in Limpopo; PhutiRagophala of Pula-Madibogo Primary in Limpopo; Setaole J Maoto of Mountainview Senior Secondary School in Limpopo; Judi Le Roux of Coffee Bay Christian Comprehensive School in the Eastern Cape; and MJ Poopedi of Thokgwaneng Primary School in Limpopo.
Fiona Wallace, chairperson of ISPA's Teacher Training Working Group, says: “Congratulations to these finalists, who are all applying their ICT skills training in innovative ways that are bringing real benefits to their communities. It is gratifying for us to see, through the awards, how Train the Teacher is helping teachers to develop their personal and organisational skills, knowledge and abilities.”
The teacher training programme has received support from a growing list of sponsors this year, including: Uniforum SA, MTN Business, Internet Solutions, Adept Internet, eNetworks, MWeb, Neotel, Avuxeni Computer Academy, Future Foundation and Switch Telecom.
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