Mecer classroom management solution training
Conducted at Somcuba Primary School
Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
August 2012
In 2012, I conducted training on the Mecer Classroom Management System. It was done on behalf of Learnthings Africa who was contracted by the Vodacom Millionaires Project. The project launched a competition whereby schools entered a competition. There were 4 winning schools every month. The Mecer classroom Management System was the prize, basically a laptop with about 30 x Mecer mini laptops.
The main laptop, or teacher's laptop managed the learner laptops and teachers could utilize the system in organized class activities. I was contracted by Learnthings Africa to facilitate the training of teachers and students on utilizing this system. It took me to parts of South Africa where few white people or tourists get to go. It was an opportunity to see how most South Africans in rural areas live.
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| Nature scenery - Near Nelspruit, Mpumalanga |
Project purpose
The overall purpose of the project was to ensure that the learners and the teachers are comfortable in integrating the interactive Classmate solution into classroom teaching and learning. Specific emphasis was placed on the integration of Learnthings Africa and other educational content into teaching and learning. This implies that teachers should have an understanding of the navigation system as well as the actual available content (software; e.g. Encarta, Learnthings Primary Content, PIL & Skoool.co.za)
Goals
By the end of the course participants were introduced to the following:
• Overview of the hardware and software solution & Basic PC literacy.
• Content pre-loaded on the teacher’s laptop (PIL, Encarta, Learnthings content).
• Classroom Management software on Teacher’s laptop.
• Internet and productivity tools.
• Exposure to Software preloaded on Classmates (Encarta, Learnthings Primary Content)
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| Nature scenery - Near Nelspruit |
About Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga (Zulu name for "the place where the sun rises") is a province in eastern South Africa, bordering the nations of Swaziland and Mozambique. It embraces the southern half of Kruger National Park, a huge nature reserve with abundant wildlife including big game. The province's iconic Blyde River Canyon, among the world’s largest, is known as a green canyon because of its subtropical foliage (Wikipedia).
Picture highlights
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| Somcuba PRIMARY SCHOOL, Kanyamazane in Mpumalanga - Wall painting |
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| Somcuba PRIMARY SCHOOL, Kanyamazane in Mpumalanga |
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| Somcuba PRIMARY SCHOOL, Kanyamazane in Mpumalanga - School coat of arms |
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| Somcuba PRIMARY SCHOOL, Kanyamazane in Mpumalanga - Wall painting |
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| Somcuba PRIMARY SCHOOL, Kanyamazane in Mpumalanga - Wall painting |
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| Somcuba PRIMARY SCHOOL, Kanyamazane in Mpumalanga - Wall painting |
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| Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Somcuba PRIMARY SCHOOL, Kanyamazane in Mpumalanga - Wall painting |
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| Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Small tuck shop - Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Take away - Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Take away - Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Small shop - Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Painted wall menu of Take away - Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Small tuck shop - Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| African car wash - KKanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Private residence - Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Hair salon - Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Fruit and veg - Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Private residence - Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Tire shop - Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| The 'World Trade Centre' - Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Discount store - Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Small shop - Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Cell C container phone shop - Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Church - Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Church - Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Irony – Tell South Africans not to do it and they will go out of their way to do exactly that - Kanyamazane |
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| Near Nelspruit, Mpumalanga |
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| Nature scenery near Nelspruit – Orange farm to the left |
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| Nature scenery near Nelspruit – Orange farm to the left |
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| Nature scenery near Nelspruit |
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| Nature scenery near Nelspruit |
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| Nature scenery near Nelspruit |
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| Nature scenery near Nelspruit |
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| Nature scenery near Nelspruit |
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| Nature scenery near Nelspruit |
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| Nature scenery near Nelspruit |
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| Sunset nature scenery near Nelspruit |
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| African ‘train’ bus….I saw one with 3 sections |
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| Reception - The Guest house in Nelspruit I stayed at |
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| My bedroom - The Guest house in Nelspruit I stayed at |
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| Student training - Somcuba PRIMARY SCHOOL, Kanyamazane in Mpumalanga |
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| Student training - Somcuba PRIMARY SCHOOL, Kanyamazane in Mpumalanga |
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| Student training - Somcuba PRIMARY SCHOOL, Kanyamazane in Mpumalanga |
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| Student training - Somcuba PRIMARY SCHOOL, Kanyamazane in Mpumalanga |
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| Mecer student laptops |
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| Eager minds - Somcuba PRIMARY SCHOOL, Kanyamazane in Mpumalanga |
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| Student training - Somcuba PRIMARY SCHOOL, Kanyamazane in Mpumalanga |
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| Student training - Somcuba PRIMARY SCHOOL, Kanyamazane in Mpumalanga |
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| Student training - Somcuba PRIMARY SCHOOL, Kanyamazane in Mpumalanga |
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| Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga |
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| Shoe repair shop - Kanyamazane |
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| Student training - Somcuba PRIMARY SCHOOL, Kanyamazane in Mpumalanga |
