Overall Project Parameters

• Integration of ICT
  The balance between the use of ICT and the evidence of learning.
• Learning
  The focus question help the learner achieve the targeted learning outcomes.
• Implementation
  The project plan gives a clear outline of how the total project can be implemented.
• Assessment
  The assessment tools include criteria for the targeted learning outcomes, and they focus sufficiently on learning.
  
  
  
  

Assessment Plan Outline

Assessment is not a once-off and stand-alone activity,it is continous and integrated into all the activities.

• The methods used to gauge learner readiness for the module.
• The product or performance task that will engage the learners and best demonstrate the teacher’s intended learning goals and targeted thinking skills.
• The identification of the quality work and the involvement of learners in understanding the project expectations and criteria.
• The teacher’s approaches in addressing and assessing higher-order thinking.
• The reporting and monitoring methods which the teacher will use to encourage learner self-management and progress during independent and group work, and also identify the monitoring and reporting tools needed to create.
• The monitoring of the learner understanding and the necessary adjustments to be made.
• The methods of assessment to help the learners to reflect on their learning (metacognition) and assist the teacher to check understanding, and assessment tools needed to create.
• The methods to be used by the teacher to assess the final understanding and demonstration of learning, and the identification of the quality.

Mobilization of the South Africans against ICT in schools

(“Someone has lost ICT plot” by Dr. Ken Alston, Mail & Guardian, 28 August to 03 Sept 2009)
I think Dr. Ken Alston is indirectly mobilizing support to sabotage departmental initiatives in order to realize the implementation of e-education in South Africa.
Being haunted and hallucinating about the undisciplined, uncommitted, lazy and unprepared teachers, some sectors of the society are losing the plot. They are arguing that an uncommitted, lazy and unprepared teacher will be what he or she is with or without a laptop and why prioritize laptops for teachers, when South African education system is failing so many children.
These arguments are the center of the mobilization of the South African public by education consultants, against the departmental scheme for teachers to get laptops. It seems there is confusion on the implementation of e-education and laptop scheme for educators by those I think, are against the introduction of ICT’s in our schools. They are saying the department is wasting money because they think the laptops are for free. (GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 8 MAY 2009, TEACHER LAPTOP INITIATIVE POLICY).

Where I like to see myself in 5 years' time?

I will still be in the education system in the next five years, probably at the different level either at the provincial or national level. I would like to part of the history making in the transformation of our education system through the use of ICT’s. I am passionate about the implementation of the e-education white paper. The most interesting innovation is the use of web 2.0 technologies in learning and teaching, which is one of the miles –stones in the integration of ICT’s in lessons. Most critically, I would like to see the dawn of the day when all educators will be using ICT’s everyday in the execution of their duties.

Developing countries, the dumping ground!

Digital migration.
http://www.doc.gov.za/index.php?

I would like to problematise the issue of donations, especially electrical goods as it is the cause of the continuing piling e-waste.

The issue of e-waste will be dealt with in the context of the unfolding global process of digital migration which the changing of the broadcasting system from analogue to digital.
The point must be made that the digital migration is long overdue and have lots benefits.
The progress made globally is not consistent because the so-called developed countries are leading the pack in digital migration.

There is a possibility of the flood of TVs from so-called developed countries into developing countries in the pretext of donations. The cost of recycling the TVs is high and the dumping is strictly regulated than in so-called developed countries. The TVs will follow the same route as computers donated to schools. The schools are sitting with tons and tons of broken and absolute computers with no solution because the repair and refurbishing are unaffordable to schools.

ICT activities contributing to e-waste

e-Waste internet links

The prefix e- stands for electronic and e-waste is simply waste generated from electronic appliance such computers, TV sets etc as I have indicated at the beginning of the project.

The background information about e-waste can be found on the internet by typing on the Google search the following:

• e-waste
• Developmental aid /donations
• E-waste management in SA/China/India
• Dangerous chemicals from e-waste
• Environmental issues
• Economical issues
• Economical implications
• E-Waste legislation
• PAP report on hazardous chemicals
• Basal Ban / convention
• E-waste recycling programmes

and alternatively you can visit the following websites:

http://www.lbl.gov/ehs/waste/waa_guidelines.shtml

http://www.basel.int/convention/about.html

http://www.e-waste.org.za/what_is.htm

http://www.ewaste.ch/case_study_south_africa

http://www.ewaste.ch/case_study_china

http://www.ewaste.ch/case_study_india

http://www.ewaste.ch/e_waste_assement_p_r

http://www.ewaste.ch/global_perspectives_on_e_waste

Activities: learner-centered

• Worksheet
• PowerPoint Presentation
• Mindmap
• WebQuest

Educator documents

• Legislation(environmental and ewaste)
• Underdevelopment of Africa
• Bamako protocol
• Basal convention
• Pan African Parliament documents on environment
• United Nations Environmental Programme
  

Learner Support

Gathering Information:

• Newspaper clips
• Internet
• Research links
• Planning sheet

Processing Information:

• Presentation
• checklist
• Project rubric

Knowledge Production:

• Newsletter template
• Newsletter rubric
• Presentation sample

Assessment

Before project:

K-W-L worksheet
Debate on donations

Presentations on various topics researched

During project

Team skills

Research skills

Planning

Graphic presentations

After project:

Newsletter

Presentation answering focus question

Production Phase (How will the learners share their findings?)

Learners will make the PowerPoint presentations and a newsletter which will be critiqued in a presentation session. The learners will use the Checklist as a guide in documenting their findings and recommendations in the newsletter. The newsletter assessment rubric will also guide learners in developing their argument and the newsletter.

Processing Phase (How will the learners process the information they have gathered?)

Learners will synthesise the findings on various topics, report back as groups through their spokespersons using multimedia powerpoint presentations to the whole class. The audience learners will ask clarity seeking questions and that will prompt class discussions. They will work on a webQuest designed by the teacher for a week. Their discussions will culminate into analytical debates on various issues concerning development versus environmental protection in particular focusing on the donations of electronic goods especially computers disguised as developmental aid. Learners will lead discussions on comparison of e-Waste management in SA, China, and India and after the discussion they will work on the worksheet as individuals. The learners as groups must decide on strategies of dealing with e-Waste and also propose a legislation or amendment to the existing as part of recommendations to be forwarded to parliament.

Gathering Phase (How do the learners gather information?)

Learners form collaborative teams to research on the challenges faced by African countries in their quest to bridge the digital gap, the topic they brainstormed in the challenge phase. They will be expected to reconcile their research findings with the decisions of their debate sessions with their findings of the research on Basal convention, Bamako agreement and United Nations Environmental programme documents to familiarize themselves with protocols on dealing with dangerous waste materials. Learners will be using the internet, text sources, newspapers and CD Rom as resources. All learners will be using the planning sheet to gather information.
Key points to guide the learners in their research groups are as follows:

*Developmental aid / donations
*e-Waste
*e-Waste management in SA,China,India
*Recycling of e-Waste in China, India, Palestine and
other developing countries
*Dangerous chemicals from e-Waste
*Environmental issues
*Economical implications
*Legislation / Suggested solutions
*Report presented to PAP on hazardous chemicals
*Basal ban

Challenge Phase (What connection is there with prior knowledge? What stimulus and challenge are the learners given?)

The teacher gives the background about the developmental aid, especially electronic goods coming into Africa and in particular South Africa, in the form of donations .The teacher let the learners fill the K-W-L worksheet. Debate in groups will be stimulated by brainstorming session on whether there is a need for donations or not emphasising the consequences of pile up of materials and the management thereof.

Introductory slide show will set the stage for investigations by showing the followings:

• Consequences of colonialism


• Poverty and unemployment


• Underdevelopment


• Neo-colonialism


• Waste dump

e-Waste dumbing site

Activity for learners :Technology ,IT and CAT

Information and Communication Technologies
Integration (ICT) activity: E-waste project

E-waste is the waste resulting from the disposal of the electronic equipment such as computers, printers, and TV’s etc.

The activity is in the form of a project and it involves the use of Information and Communication Technologies integration (ICT) as a learning tool.
The format of the activity will be informed by Intel Teach project format, having four phases: Challenge Phase, Gathering Phase, Processing Phase and Production Phase.

The focus question of the project is: Are you safe in the digital world?

This activity is informed by the learning outcome 3 of the following subjects/learning areas: Life sciences, Physical sciences, Technology, Information Technology and also life orientation. The gist of learning outcome 3 in the referred subjects is the consideration of ethical issues and the impact of science, Technology on society and the environment.

The principle of integration of assessment standards will be applied across the subjects in this activity, ie.Natural science assessment standard 3, Life sciences, assessment standard 2, Physical science, assessment standard 2, Technology (all assessment standards) and Information Technology, assessment standard 4.

Learners will investigate the causes of e-waste, controversies and implications, e-waste management, impact on the environment and suggest solutions. The targeted thinking concern to: gather, survey, synthesize, evaluate, conclude, recommend, create, judge, explain, compare, explore.
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