Mindfulness...

I find it fascinating how innovative the human mind can be.  For example, Mills identified an obstacle in her class and came up with an innovative way to promote mindfullness in her classroom and with her learners. 

I guess it is safe to say that we are all a little concerned about entering the world as educators.  We do not know what to expect and how we are going to handle a variety of obstacles thrown at us.  But I want you to be assured that everything will be okay.  Human beings are innovative creatures and if you have a passion for what you do, you will succeed. 

By making reference to Mills and how she got her learners to be mindful I could identify ways in which she got her learners to engage and be part of the classroom activities.  This ensured a sense of identity and meaning amongst the learners. 

I can also see, how as Foley has shown in pastoral care, Mills opened communication with her learners by getting them involved and asking them to imagine what they wanted to be on the table. As well as putting what they suggested the difference in the class was in comparison to earlier attempts.  In this way she got them to have a sense of identity in the classroom activity.  I also feel that through getting her learners to be mindful she promoted pro-social beahaviour as shown by Foley in the video.  The learners took responsibility within the classroom. 

Furthermore, the mindfulness of the students also led to effecient time management.  Mills tried to be pro-active in going to school earlier, but it was only through getting her learners to be mindful that time was effectively managed.  Getting her students to be mindful also led to them engaging with each other as well as the teacher and it led to effective feedback between the educator and the learners. 

The classroom resources, it would seem was not much.  Mills employed the tables and some of her own stuff from home.  However, I find it interesting that an important resource later on was the mindfulness, creativity and feelings of the learners. 

Our learners are human beings and we should only find a way to break through to them.  Once we achieve this the educational process becomes a breeze for the whole class. 

Let the teaching begin.

The bureaucracy of standardisation


Monday 7 March 2016


In my opinion, schools are, in essence facilities of educational oppression.  Alright, so before you bite my head of, let me motivate why I just made this bold statement.  Late great Nelson Mandela said that 'education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world'.  But how powerful is this weapon really?


Education is only a tool that is used for the economic agenda of the world.  That is why schools try to put people in boxes of mathematics, commerce and science.  The humanities find themselves on the proverbial back foot in a neo-liberal economic system that values commerce and science.  For this reason, it is expected of learners to think in concrete terms and numbers.  Thus, it is no surprise that the majority of the learners who joined the 'independent project' were learners who despised mathematics. 


People are being placed in boxes that they do not want to be in.  And if they do not want to be there what type of education are they getting?  Are they really learning or are they just sitting in class like puppets?  The 'Independent project' is encouraging these learners to tear their boxes apart and stop being enclosed in a system of bureaucracy.


People are inherently inquisitive and learning comes natural.  But when you are forced to sit in a class and listen to things you do not want to you automatically switch of and do not learn.  This is why I say that schools are 'facilities of educational oppression.'  If you want people to learn, do not put them in a classroom and force them to do things they do not want to.  Get them to spontaneously engage in education through passion.


The 'Independent project' advocates for passion and inquisitiveness.  That is why it is being successful.  Innovation is born out of creativity and boxing people in just leaves them imprisoned.  I think we must do away with the whole notion of standardisation and realise that people thrive on freedom and creativity. 


For instance.  Make use of ICT but do not standardise it.  All you have to do is put a learner in front of a computer and he/she will automatically learn or they will teach each other.  Standardising ICT just puts people in a box again.  Which takes a way from education.


Set your creative spirit free. 

Social media in the classroom....


Okay...  So we are part of the information age and that is no new information.  Social media as a phenomenon has garnered a variety of responses whether negative or positive.  I have my own feelings towards social media and sometimes find myself sitting on the fence as to whether I support it or not.  Is it something that is positive or negative.  Either way, it is real, and trying to fight the revolution is hopeless.  You might as well just go with the flow. 


I am personally not a strong participant of social media.  I often think and argue that one should not be part of too many platforms because it takes a way so much of your time.  For instance, if you have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp and Blogger and you have to attend to them at the same time it means that you will not have time for anything else.  However, this is from a social interaction perspective.  I truly believe that if you employ social media for the right reasons it can be a powerful force.


Case and point being in the education system.  We find ourselves in a time where interaction and constant learning is an everyday reality.  Learning is not a process that takes place for eight hours at school but continuous every second of the day.  The best educator is life itself.  Social media is a neuron that forms part of life and provides vast amounts of information every split second of every day.  As an educator, not making use of these platforms is educational suicide.  Thus, I think that social media should be employed in the classroom.


The way I would employ social media in my history classes is through making use of Whatsapp, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  I will use these platforms to post pictures, information, interesting videos that can be used as informative sources for work that we are dealing with.  These platforms are open and are used by people as leisure.  By browsing their Twitter or Facebook they can indirectly be learning as well. 


Social media can enhance the educational process if it is used in the right way.  and can be used for continuous learning. 

Decoding digital pedagogies response.

Decoding digital pedagogy


So I am at odds with what to think of digital pedagogies.  Yes, we do live in a digital age, but in South Africa so many schools do not have the necessary infrastructure or resources to make use of digital pedagogy.  I mean, it makes sense that in a private school or upper class school with the necessary resources this may be effective.  But in the South African education system, this is redundant.


Also, the authors comment on digital pedagogy and how it just leads to teachers drawing up PowerPoint slides for the classroom resonates with me.  It leads to learners being force-fed information that they do not want.  This leads to lecturing rather than educating. 


Education is suppose to be between the teacher and learner.  No classroom or technology should dictate this.  Learning can take place whether you have computers or classrooms.  It should be a process of introspection and enquiry. 


Digital pedagogy should be given more scope with regards to out of class learning.  When teachers and learners are in class they should make use of interaction and group work for a strategy of learning.    


Online teaching might be a valuable way of teaching but putting this in practice will cost a lot of money.


One should not limit pedagogy to LMS or digital pedagogy...  As Morris contends "Pedagogy is a scholarship unto itself, a study of learning and the many ways it is fuelled."  Digital pedagogy is only one way in which it is fuelled. 

After reading 'digital pedagogy unplugged' I am sitting here thinking to myself... Where will we find ourselves as educators 10 years from now.  I mean, technology has taken the world by storm and it does not seem as if it is intending to slow down in the near future.  There is no doubt that we as 'digital educators' need to equip ourselves and stay vigilant about technology and how it affects our profession.  What will its impact be and how will it affect our workflow?  Will we be making use of blackboards or will the classroom consist of tablets and smartphones?


An interesting reference made by the article is that of 'hybrid pedagogy' and the reference made to combining traditional teaching with digital teaching.  I do believe that one should try and maintain what the author refers to as 'teaching naked'.  The reason for this is because I believe that the classroom provides a space where people can interact physically which inevitably contributes to social skills and interactive learning.  I also agree that one can connect this with digital pedagogy in which students can interact on a digital level after class.  We all know that information is available at the touch of a button and what better way to encourage further learning than by getting learners to interact continuously after they had the physical classroom experience.


One can not ignore the importance of digital pedagogy and hybrid pedagogy.  Technology is part of everyday life and need to be incorporated into the teaching discipline.  We as educators need to be able to utilise this hybrid pedagogy in order to enhance the teaching experience.  

Hi there Bloggers,


So this is my response to what mr.  Knoetze has posted on Twitter.  First let me say that, I do not really know what to say.  I think the way he went about explaining digital pedagogy was kind of creative (the whole sticky note exercise).  He is an interesting fellow that man.  Anyway, so how did you find the exercise?  I am still not exactly sure what we are suppose to do in terms of this weekly exercise.  I am just trying now and hope that it will be enough for mr.  Knoetze to give me a mark.  So now I am sitting in Humarga trying to suck out 400 words.  I found it interesting how technology forces us to adapt.  I mean, as teachers we are going to have to find a way to deal with technology in the classroom.  I do believe that it will help us for the better.  We are going to have to be proactive if we want to make it work.  Do you guys think that we will be employed in schools that are financially able to enhance the learner experience through technology?  Because, so many of our schools do not even have electricity.  Will schools provide the tools for learners to make use of technology? It is an important consideration to take into account.  Anyway, hit me back, truly yours, your biggest fan, this is Stan.... #PGCEmix 

Hi there fellow Bloggers,


So...  Just started the new academic year.  And I gotta tell ya...  Its crazy....  New year, new challenges hey.  Anyways...  Big Ups to all the Hustlers out there.  Let us make this one for the books....  #PGCEmix