It is imperative that teachers be properly trained and coached to empower them to utilize the laptops and the applications to its fullest capacity and ultimately ensure quality learning and teaching. The strategic partners to the initiative are the software suppliers Microsoft, Symantec and Adobe, as well as Cisco Systems, Intel, HP, Schoolnet and Mindset, who are reinvesting in the initiative towards the professional development and training of teachers in ICT and Computer Literacy.
Testing all products with Intel processors, Intel has been ensuring that these hardware as proposed by the various consortia meet the minimum requirements as stipulated in GG32207.
In addition, Intel will be supplying the Intel SkooolTM software and will be providing training for teachers.
Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information. For 25 years, the company's award-winning software and technologies have redefined business, education, entertainment, and personal communications by setting new standards for producing and delivering content that engages people virtually anywhere at any time. From rich images in print, video, and film to dynamic digital content for a variety of media, the impact of Adobe solutions is evident across industries and felt by anyone who creates, views, and interacts with information. With a reputation for excellence and a portfolio of many of the most respected and recognizable software brands, Adobe is one of the world's largest and most diversified software companies.
Adobe software empowers educators and students with essential 21st century media literacy, problem-solving, and communication skills. Adobe Digital School Collection enables teachers to create rich, engaging and interactive learning experiences to deliver curriculum irrespective of subject matter. Available through flexible Adobe CLP or TLP volume licensing and ideal for maximizing education stimulus funding, the solution covers web publishing and photo, video, and audio-editing and also includes document-management and portfolio-creation tools for enhancing learning experiences in a variety of subjects. Adobe Digital School Collection designed for use with a wide range of grade levels and abilitiesalso comes with a Teacher Resource DVD that includes ready-to-use lesson plans, tutorials, and tips and tricks.
The Cisco Networking Academy program
http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/netacad/index.html
is Cisco Systems' flagship Corporate Social Responsibility program. It's a comprehensive, e-learning program, which provides students with the advanced ICT skills essential in a global economy. The Networking Academy program delivers web-based content, on-line assessment, student performance tracking, hands-on labs, instructor training and support, and preparation for industry-standard ICT certifications. Launched in 1997, there are now over 11,000 Networking Academies in plus 160 countries. Over 900,000 students are enrolled in Academies at high schools, colleges, universities, technical schools, community-based organizations, and other educational programs around the world.
Cisco Systems is proud to be associated with the pubic-private partnership with the Teacher Laptop Initiative, via our Cisco Networking Academies, as a critical enabler for our teachers to drive and prepare students for successful careers across a variety of industries in today's challenging ICT job market. We are committed to ensuring that South Africa lies at very forefront of prevailing technology through socio-economic transformation.
Intel Corporation has been involved in various initiatives like the Teacher Laptop Initiative in various countries over the past years. As we are vendor neutral, governments see Intel as trusted advisors to assist with ICT interventions. In South Africa we were have a very good relationship with government as well as agencies like ELRC and SACE. We have been working closely on professional development activities like Intel Teach. The Teacher Laptop Initiative is therefore a result of many stake holders coming together and developing a sound intervention that will benefit our teaching fraternity. Intel has also done benchmarking and verification of the laptops that were presented for this initiative to ensure conformity to standards set out by the ELRC.
Intel Corporation is a world leader in technology and also ICT interventions in education. Intel sees the increased value of the teacher within an ICT intervention as critical and has therefore invested in professional development programmes to meet this challenge. In South Africa Intel will be contributing high quality multimedia content, SKOOOL, towards this initiative that best supports the maths and science fields. Intel will also make available various ICT related professional development offerings specially designed for our teachers in a South African context:
• Intel Teach Getting Started
• Intel Teach Essentials
• Intel Teach Elements
• Intel Teach Skills for Success
• Thinking with Technology
The Partners in Learning programme supports Microsoft's long-term vision for education - to empower teachers, students and lifelong learners to achieve their fullest potential by providing greater access to the latest computer technologies, and training for its most effective use and integration into education.
Together with our partners, we focus on three key areas that have the greatest potential to support digital inclusion, enable jobs and opportunities, transform education and foster local innovation, viz. Innovative Teachers, Innovative Schools and Innovative Students
The national Teacher Laptop Initiative creates an opportunity for Microsoft to continue the strategic partnership and collaboration in education, by providing a unique value proposition to the Teachers of South Africa, the Department of Education and the participating consortia. It gives us great pleasure to share a broad range of resources, programmes, education solutions which we believe would contribute toward enhancing the initiative under the auspices of the Microsoft Public Private Alliances and Partners in Learning Programmes.
Mindset Network is a South African based, non-profit organisation founded in 2002. Mindset develops, sources and produces high quality, curriculum-aligned educational content for use in the formal schooling and health sectors.
Content is produced in video, print and computer-based multimedia formats. Mindset Network is unique in that it leverages satellite broadcast technology to distribute its materials on a mass scale to schools, clinics and other centres of learning across Southern Africa. Through external funding, Mindset provides sites with the necessary equipment to receive its materials, and trains teachers and health care workers in the use and integration of the Mindset infrastructure and materials.
Mindset Network Coverage
Educational resources are provided for:
• Mindset Learn (grade 9-12)
• Mindset Health (Content for Health Care Providers and the Public)
• Mindset Cabanga (grade 4 – 5)
Mindset Network Community Reach
• Over 2.2 million households in sub-Saharan Africa subscribe to DStv and receive channel 319
Mindset Learn.
• 1200 schools throughout South Africa have access to Mindset Learn content ‘on-demand’ via
Computer centres.
• Over 455 health clinics and hospitals in South Africa receive Mindset Health free-to-air channel
• All resources are freely available to download via
www.mindset.co.za.
• All content and interactive multimedia is available on DVD.
SchoolNet SA is a not-for-profit NGO that promotes the use of ICT as a resource for teaching and learning. It is a leader in the field of educator development in ICT integration. SchoolNet SA was established in 1997 through the support of the National Department of Education with funding from the International Research and Development organisation in Canada.
SchoolNet SA is identified in the E-Education White Paper as the implementing agency for international professional development initiatives in South Africa and is currently the national agency for both the Intel Teach and Microsoft Partners in Learning teacher development programmes. Other partners include the Universities of KwaZulu-Natal, Wits, Fort Hare and Johannesburg, the Oracle Education Foundation, Multichoice, Vodacom and the International Educational Resource Network (iEARN). The partnership with the Department of Education, The Finnish government and SAIDE (South African Institute for Distance Education) resulted in the development of the Educators' Development Network (EDN) which has delivered training on the uses of ICT to thousands of teachers in the country over the past few years. With funding from the Commonwealth of Learning SchoolNet has recently adapted this programme to be offered as a qualification for universities around the Commonwealth. Most recently SchoolNet has partnered with SAIDE in an evaluation of the uses of ICT in all schools in Gauteng which was commissioned by the Gauteng Department of Education.
SchoolNet’s mission is to act as a catalyst and an enabler of change for the education system in order to contribute to effective educational outcomes and innovation in the South African learning environment. Creating the ICT infrastructure is merely the beginning. It becomes more than just a medium for new content, methodologies, facilitation and interaction. Through our continuum of educator development programmes we hope to develop educators and learners who are motivated to explore new ideas and think innovatively.
Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help its customers secure and manage their information against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently. Symantec has grown into a Fortune 500 company through a combination of internal development, strategic acquisition and partnering with industry leaders.
Symantec continues to advocate online safety and data privacy and protection. In April 2009, it launched a groundbreaking Web-based service, OnlineFamily.Norton, that helps parents communicate more effectively with their children about responsible Internet use.
Its 2008 Corporate Responsibility Report won the CERES-Association of Chartered Certified Accountants award for best first-time report, recognising Symantec for its transparent and comprehensive discussion of the company’s material corporate responsibility issues.
Symantec's focus on the online safety of children is in line with the DBEs commitment to transform learning and teaching through ICT by ensuring a secure and protected online experience for learners. Symantec is offering its comprehensive security products for this initiative at significantly reduced rates.
According to statistics gathered from more than 3.5 million searches done worldwide between February and July 2009, OnlineFamily.Norton showed that children's top ten most popular search queries include 'sex' and 'porn'. Symantec's products will ensure that online searches are monitored, restricted and controlled by parents and teachers.
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
DhayaGovender (Chair)
Haroon Mohamed
T. Mataboge
MasivuyeSangoni
Janet Thomson
Megan Rademeyer
Wally Smith
MadzenaMndi
David Mawela
Deon Lerm
Angela Schaerer
Reza Bardien
ParthyChetty
HannesSteyn
AlfieHamid
Simon Bromfield
SakkieKilian
Dylan Busa
XolaniHlongwane
Education Labour Relations Council
Director Teacher Development
Department of Basic Education
Department of Basic Education
SchoolNet SA
SchoolNet SA
NAPTOSA
NAPTOSA
SADTU
SAOU
Microsoft
Microsoft
Intel
Intel
Cisco
Adobe
Symantec
Mindset
HP
gen.sec@elrc.co.za
mahomed.h@doe.gov.za
mataboge.t@dbe.gov.za
Sangoni.M@dbe.gov.za
janet@schoolnet.org.za
megan@schoolnet.org.za
wallys@naptosa.org.za
nmmadzena@gmail.com
david@sadtu.org.za
deonl@saou.co.za
v-angels@microsoft.com
rbardien@microsoft.com
parthy.chetty@intel.com
Hannes.steyn@intel.com
ALHAMID@cisco.com
simon.bromfield@adobe.com
sakkie_kilian@symantec.com
Dylan@mindset.co.za
Xolani.hlongwane@hp.com