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The Learning Channel
An Innovative Approach to Educating South Africa
Fikile Nkambulo
Driven by a passion to provide top quality curriculum based education to
teachers and students across the country, The Learning Channel has for the past
3 years contributed substantially towards the educational growth and development
of thousands of educators and learners around the country. Hemmed by a highly
skilled team of creative technology experts and educators around the country,
The Learning Channels' services are utilised free of charge by users all around
the country. With it's vision to support a growing learning community by
providing a multi-media, holistic education solution to South Africa, the
organisation has put together and maintained various educational products and
services, implementing an educational multi-media campaign that reaches
thousands of parents, teachers and students across the country.
Support by the Liberty Foundation has helped create high - quality, curriculum
specific educational content. Fully aware of pressures prevalent in everyday
school life, the organisations simple yet effective multi-media campaign has
created support structures utilising print, Internet, television and seminars.
In consultation with the Department of Education, these methods ensure modern
teaching methods and educational content that is always relevant to the current
curriculum, using a qualified highly skilled team of creatives and the best of
local educators.
TELEVISION
The first phase of the multi-media project brought highly respected educator
William Smith to our television screens. The Liberty Learning Channel on SABC 3
established the first ever live curriculum focused television program - free to
licensed TV owners. The program - also broadcast on TV Africa reaching seven
other African countries - covers all subjects from Grades 8 to 12 including live
phone-in broadcasts into classrooms across South Africa. That was just the
beginning.
INTERNET
A number of free educational support sites were created, some currently being
developed, and maintained by the learning Channel following specific guidelines.
These include:
· www.Learn.co.za- Launched three months
ago this site offers curriculum specific content and activities for learners in
a range of high school subjects. The content is delivered in English and
Afrikaans with the site averaging 56 000 monthly users, and its totally free!
· www.Teach.co.za - This site will provide
much needed support for teachers.
It will offer amongst other things OBE guidelines, teacher support
material access, lesson plans, automated test generators and marking memoranda.
· www.Bursary.co.za -This site,houses
the bursary management system. Currently in its final testing stages the system
gives students access to a database of bursaries available
from different companies. Companies will have access to a database of candidates
to award their bursaries to.
In recognition of their cutting - edge pioneering achievements the organisation
received a Silver Loerie in the Loerie Awards 2001 for learn.co.za in the
Interactive Media Category. "This is quite an achievement for us
considering that the site was launched four months ago", said Zanele Mtetwa,
Marketing Manager for the Learning Channel. "It encourages our talented
team to further develop sites providing an even wider range of educational
support".
PRINT
A sad reality is that not all educators and learners have access to computers
and other equipment. Realising this, The Learning Channel formed an association
with various print media houses to distribute weekly educational print
supplements around the country. So far the supplements reach more than 10 000
students around the country, mainly in developing areas.
Another proud effort was the Grade 8 Multi-Media project developed in
conjunction with the Department of Education. The Channel supplied 1000
under-resourced schools across the country with educational resources designed
to support curriculum development in Grade 8. This involved the design and
packaging of 600 000, 120 page full colour learner textbooks and 6000 teacher
and learner video support material. The organisation has received a positive
response from various schools with a growing demand from educators.
SEMINARS
Educator and learner seminars are held regularly around the country. These
assist mainly matric students and educators in the fields of Maths and Science.
Attendants can learn innovative revision methods, which also help make the
learners aware of how prepared they actually are. One of these seminars is on
from May 12 to August 26 2001 at the Wits Campus in Johannesburg. For details
log onto learn.co.za on this and other seminars.
The Learning Channels commitment to effective but affordable education includes
an ambition to reach every child in South Africa including the rest of the
African continent. Companies are welcome to contribute to South Africa's future
with strategic ventures that would contribute extensively towards building a
strong learning and teaching community not only in South Africa but also to the
rest of the continent.
by Fikile Nkambule for The Learning Channel
Tel: 011 880 2567 Fax: 011 880 6771 Cell: 083 476 3586 E-mail: Fikile@clearcompany.com
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