Introducing Dimakatso Sefora

My name is Dimakatso Sefora, a HOD at Saron Primary School in NW Province. I started working in 1993 and furthered my studies at UJ to obtain my Bed Hons. I then took short programmes in computer skills for Windows and Office, eSkills for teachers, mobile technology in teaching and learning with Unisa and passed all with distinctions.

In 2014 I entered National Teachers Awards (NTA) (ICT Category) and obtained position 2 at Area Office. I then entered again in 2015 and got position 1 at Area Office and 2 at Region. In 2016/17 I motivated educators to enter the NTA and I adjudicated at Area Office level for the ICT category.

Our community (Royal Bafokeng) also uses me to train adults and educators after hours. I take learners after school to a community centre to learn  how to use computers. Subject advisors invite me to teach educators about ICT Integration.

About my journey
It was not an easy journey but I managed, through the support I got from the ISPA community and team. My project was about Teaching with Mobile Technology with the grade 7(E-FAL).Our school is situated in a rural village of Bafokeng where we don’t have resources. I motivated educators to buy themselves laptops and tablets to help me so that we use them for teaching and learning.

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The project is about ICT integration in own story narration.

• A 1:26min podcast (about laughter) was played three times in class for learners to listen at various groups (5 groups of 6 learners).
• Learners were instructed to take notes as individuals and identify new/difficult words from the podcast
• For accuracy of such words a dictionary per group was used to check for correct spelling.
• Learners then searched for meanings, they looked for superlative and comparative adjectives of new/difficult words, that they picked from a podcast through the use of Encarta (five laptops were used inter-changeably amongst the groups)
• Then the new words were used to formulate a hilarious story.
• Learners were given an opportunity to work on their individual newly formulated stories which they narrated in class. (formative assessment) 

Learners who were unable to narrate their stories accordingly, the teacher used cellphone to record them as an intervention strategy (Digital learner portfolios).This helped learners to track their challenges during class story telling period and they kept on re-telling as to work towards the achievement of a narrative learning outcome.
And teaching with mobile technology has improved learner absenteeism and school results.

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