Technology is constantly developing and is a core part of the future.
That is why the use of technology, in particular Wolkskool, is extremely important in Niël Steyn, a mathematics teacher and head of subject at Laerskool Noord-Eind in Paarl, in his teaching strategy to get the young team under his wing future-ready.
In addition, this year he was named the Solidarity School Support Center’s (SOS) “Indefatigable of the Year” for the second time.
Valentyn van der Merwe, head of innovation at the SOS, says this award is given to a teacher who uses technology innovatively and has such a significant influence on learners’ education and teaching.
“This teacher uses technology as a foundation to improve education, mainly by using the Cloud School platform (an online learning platform that uses technology to promote online learning experiences) of the SOS as a teaching aid.”
This award is a belt under the heart for Steyn – especially because he is so passionate about teaching children and considers it an important task to properly prepare these youngsters for the future.
“We live in a changing technological world. The SOS helps us a lot with Cloud School and training events to keep us up to date with the latest technology to make children future-ready.
“I use Wolkskool every day, as well as the strategies that the SOS gives us, for example flipped classrooms. I then create a class on Wolkskool of which my learners are members. A week before we cover a specific lesson, I tell my learners what the themes will be and then they can watch all the appropriate videos on Cloud School and know exactly what the lesson is about.
“That way I can focus more on problem solving and give them more in-depth and more difficult work to do.”
Steyn says all his learners – two gr. 7 classes (maths and EMS), his gr. 4-history class and gr. 5-life orientation class – benefit from the Cloud School classes.
He further says that the award only motivates him even more to empower the learners he works with with technology so that they are ready for the future.
