4.3.4.1
Criteria: Procedural strengths
The design of the programmed schedule was intentionally semi-structured, and the flexibility of this proved highly beneficial in managing the many malfunctions, challenges and frustrations that arose during the contact session.
Teachers derived obvious pleasure from playing with the different online and cloud-based tools, and commented repeatedly in the feedback on this. One teacher who displayed a
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particularly low skill-level, noted of this in her course reflection when stating whether the course met her expectations:
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IPL12: Yes, as ii always hered people talking about ICT integration now i have more chances to be involved in this matter (sic).Teachers’ enjoyment of the ePlay MakerSpace process seemed to invigorate and energize them, and on the last day, many commented that they were excited to spend the rest of their holiday playing and practicing with the online tools. Various teachers noted how much they enjoyed the ePlay MakerSpace in their course reflection:
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IPL02: It was a very nice course. I thoroughly enjoyed it! But I have so much to learn still. Well done team ICT!◊
IPL24: It was a very good course. I wish all our courses were this helpful.◊
IPL15: It was an immensely enjoyable course, that made me realize how important a teacher's attitude and approach is towards learning and teaching. Funny enough, it was my intention to, in next term, continue with my lessons electronically, as i needed to get my children to better understand the Afrikaans Language (FAL). The tools on the internet as well technology, will definitely enhance and hopefully better their experience as well as my own.◊
IPL13: Thank you Issabel and [Mr D] for an absolutely interesting, enlightning and empowering course. Was well worth giving up a few days in my holiday, while fasting, to be inspired. God Bless!!!These teachers’ comments indicate that the transformative pedagogies modelled through the ePlay MakerSpace process can be identified a strength. Similarly, while the focus on empowering and capacitating teachers was not explicitly stated, as IPL13 notes, teachers experienced the process as such. Therefore, this approach could be identified as a strength as well. In addition, although the sessions were conducted in English, teachers could
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Home Language or First Additional Language teaching as IPL15’s comment indicates. This wide-curricular relevance is a further strength of the implementation.
4.3.4.2
Criteria: Procedural weaknesses
The repeated equipment failure and intermittent internet access was cause for major frustration. In particular, teachers were frustrating at not being able to learn how to use the IWBs and visualizers.
Learning support during the contact session was another weakness. The larger group of 26 teachers meant that more teachers needed assistance than I could provide at the same time. The large differential between experienced and novice users contributed to this, as novice users required more assistance leaving little time to extend the learning of
experienced users. While teachers could help each other, this was not always what teachers wanted, as one teacher noted:
o IPL6: I'm not technologically savvy so some of the activities we had to do required asking for assistance which can be frustrating if you are not helped straight away because there are others too who needed assistance.
This frustration should be avoided to the transformation of dispositions and uphold the ePlay MakerSpace’s nurturing environment, either by facilitating with assistants to support teachers, or reducing the group size.
Lastly, three teachers noted in their course reflections that the three-day contact session was too short, and that they felt this should be extended.
4.3.4.3
Criteria: Procedural opportunities
Collective participation and the inclusion of the HODs and a group of teachers from each school, rather than individuals, should be exploited in future iterations. Where groups of teachers and HODs from Schools F, K and A attended, they returned to their schools and were collectively able to create opportunities for the rest of the staff to learn from their experience and start changing the culture in the school. At School F, the HODs initiated a 20-
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minute Cyber Quickie session in which teachers meet each Thursday to share one thing they had learnt in terms of ET Integration and/or tools. At School A, the teachers petitioned the principal to create a greater linkage between the curriculum content covered in class and the learning in the computer lab. School Ks teachers appropriated the tablets for use in the classrooms. Additionally, following the IP Language ePlay MakerSpace, an IP Mathematics ePlay MakerSpace was held at the CTLI which one of the teachers from School K attended, bringing two of their colleagues with her. These examples indicate that the collaborative relational learning that started in the ePlay MakerSpace was continued at school-level among colleagues.
Where possible teachers could be invited to bring their own devices to compensate for equipment malfunction.
Where possible a Wi-Fi hotspot independent of the venue / facility should be included in the implementation to compensate for intermittent internet connectivity.
4.3.4.4
Criteria: Procedural threats
On Day 3 two curriculum advisors joined the presentation session. The carefully nurtured and upheld safe ePlay MakerSpace context was somewhat disturbed by their presence. While some teachers appreciated their feedback after their group presentations, for others it appeared the presence of the curriculum advisors caused unnecessary anxiety. This was evident in the way teachers’ heads bowed and their shoulders slumped forward, while the ‘buzz’ of excitement that had filled the room prior to their entry, went quiet.
It would be advisable to limit such incidences in future ePlay MakerSpace sessions as this impacts the relational learning taking place. Alternatively, any person joining the group for whatever reason should be thoroughly prepared to follow the group’s guidelines and uphold the ground-rules and preserve the safe and secure context.
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This section formatively evaluated the design and enactment of the IP Language ePlay MakerSpace. Evidence presented suggests that teachers continued learning, having taken charge of their change journeys. This is further discussed in the following section.