Top achievers: meet the 2015 ISPA SuperTeacher Competition winners - 2016 competition launched!

Guest post submitted by Sharon Ries of CozaCaresDigital Learning Day is being celebrated across the United States today, Wednesday 17 February. Other countries around the world have been encouraged to submit information about their events today as well,  on the Twitter handle @OfficialDLDay and the hashtag #DLD. CoZa Cares Foundation is choosing to launch the 2016 ISPA SuperTeacher Competition on this day - and so a little balloon will be featured over Johannesburg on the DLD map of the world as shown below!

Winners of the 2015 ISPA SuperTeacher Competition

The three winners of the 2015 ISPA SuperTeacher Competition - Mabore Lekalakala (ISPA ChampTeacher category), Matthew Haines (ISPA TechTeacher category) and Tinny Molepo (ISPA SuperTeacher category) - each received fabulous prizes sponsored by Mustek Ltd and CoZa Cares Foundation. Mustek generously sponsored state-of-the-art eBeams and a Beng E5500 Digital Projector for each winning teacher while CoZa Cares sponsored their attendance at any conference of their choice in South Africa in 2016 where they can present their projects to a wider audience.

Mabore Lekalakala

Mabore Lekalakala (winner ISPA ChampTeacher category) teaches at Toronto Primary School in Limpopo. She says that she is a different teacher since entering the competition, "My learners and I have become part of a huge virtual classroom that extends far beyond the confluence of my community and we are expressing ourselves in a global context." She encourages other teachers to enter the 2016 ISPA Super Teacher Competition and to extend their creativity and competence in using technology for teaching and learning in the 21st century. Follow Mabore at @LekalakalaMabor or meet her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mabore.lekalakala. (Incidentally Mabore is also one of the 2016 Microsoft MIEExperts.}

Tinny Molepo

Tinny was winner of the  ISPA SuperTeacher category. Tinny Molepo's project was called ‘Techno reading goes viral through Skype’ and it was about teaching Grades 3 to 6 learners how to use ICT skills to boost their command of the basic but key skills of reading and writing. Tinny teaches at Mothibedi Combined School in Limpopo. She says, “Learners enjoy reading so much that they want to read all the time and enjoy competing with other children.” (Tinny is also one of the 2016 Microsoft MIEExperts.}

Matthew Haines is an educator at Woodlands International College and the founder of the website, blog and collaborative resourcee for CAT teachers and  IT teachers TechTeachers.co.za. Matthew encourages teachers to enter the competition. As he says, “You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. The experience is worth all the effort you put in. Keep your passion for your subject and students and just go for it!”

The glittering gala dinner awards ceremony for the 2015 ISPA SuperTeacher Competition took place in Stellenbosch. The Provincial Minister of Education, Ms Debbie Schäfer, was guest speaker and presented the prizes.

The 2016 competition launches today
Enter the 2016 ISPA SuperTeacher Competition http://www.cozacares.co.za/competition-2/ today! In 2016, the ISPA SuperTeacher Competition Gala Dinner Awards ceremony is planned to take place in Johannesburg during iWeek in September. 

SchoolNet's involvement in the competition
For the past few years SchoolNet’s Megan Rademeyer has been an adjudicator for the ISPA Super Teachers competition. Megan says “I have been really impressed by the quality of some of the entries into this competition over the years. It is great to see teachers who do not have much in the way of resources, using the technology that they have in engaging and exciting ways. Since the competition has been opened up to teachers from all South African schools it has been exciting to see a wider range of projects that use technology being showcased. We would encourage teachers who are using technology in their classrooms to share their ideas and best practices. Hats off to ISPA for recognising talented and dedicated teachers.”