More about Mochudu Machaba
Mochudu Machaba is a Grade 5 and 6 teacher at Ngwanamago Primary School situated around 25 kilometers from Polokwane in South Africa’s Limpopo province. She first became interested in technology and especially the use of Microsoft applications when CozaCares Foundation trained teachers in her area in the use of technology and she was recognized as an ISPA SuperTeacher in 2013. For her entry into this competition Mochudu created a project using Microsoft’s SongSmith in which her learners created their own tunes and lyrics.
Mochudu and the Microsoft Innovative Teacher competition
Mokhudu heard about the Microsoft Innovative Teacher competition at one of the SchoolNet South Africa ICT in the Classroom Conferences and was immediately interested in entering the competition. “I decided to do a project with my learners using Microsoft’s free tools and I uploaded it to the Microsoft Educator Network as it was called at that time.” Even though her school is poorly equipped in technology Mochudu feels that the learners deserve to be exposed to interesting lessons that use technology, so she prepares at home and then uses her laptop and the school’s data projector to present her lessons with the aim of inspiring her Grade 5 and 6 learners. She says, "My learning activity centered on the Marula tree which we have in our school yard. We used the tree for research to see what we could use it for, and we ended up producing our own juice, our own jam and nuts.”
Mochudu uploaded six learning activities to the previous Microsoft Educator Network and has joined the new Microsoft Educator Community, where by the start of 2016 she has been awarded six badges for being an Educator Community Influencer and Contributor, an MIE Trainer and Master Trainer,
The inspiring 2015 Microsoft E2 Educator Exchange
In 2015, Mochudu was recognized as a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIE) for her Marula project and was selected to attend the Microsoft E2 Global Teacher Exchange in Seattle along with three other South African teachers. She says, “This was a mind-blowing experience for me. It was a great achievement for my school. They were very proud of me."
Mochudu says she feels honored to have been selected for the E2 Global Teacher Exchange in Seattle. “The Global E2 conference was amazing. We were given a group task to develop a learning activity that could be used and accessed all around the world. Our group won second place.” Mokhudu’s group tackled a project on everyday heroes and despite the language barriers they pushed through and developed a great project that others can use. “It was a great experience for me, meeting new people from different backgrounds. It taught me a lot of things mainly to start doing things differently. Now when I look at education in my country I look to see what changes I can make that will benefit my learners. We had incredible speakers at the E2 Conference. They changed my thinking completely. We have to work through all the obstacles of life and make a way for things that have to happen in education. I can still hear Angela Maeiers asking “How big is your brave?”
Microsoft's Teaching with Technology course
Mochudu is very familiar with Microsoft’s Teaching with Technology course. In addition to having completed the course herself, and having encouraged colleagues to do so, she has also run a series of professional development sessions on it for teachers in Mogodumo Circuit.
Mokhudu feels that this course is exactly what teachers need to get familiar with using technology for teaching and learning in the classroom. For trainers, the Teaching with Technology courseware already exists, so trainers do not have to produce their own materials. Once teachers have been introduced to the course, they can then work through the various modules and quizzes at their own pace as it suits them. Teachers who successfully complete the online course are able to get a certificate which is endorsed by the South African Council of Educators which counts for fifteen professional development points through SchoolNet SA. This means that teachers are formally recognized for their learning. “The Teaching with Technology course is what I use most of the time to teach my colleagues whether at my school or in the district. It helps the teacher to get on board using ICT. It takes a lot of commitment for the teachers to do this online course but if you finish the course you get a badge. I really thank Microsoft for its impact in my life.”
Find out more about the teaching with Technology course: SACE accredited (15 points)
This course is free and it can be found on the Microsoft Educator Community at http://bit.ly/1S1YYQl. It is SACE accreddited for South African educators and is worth 15 points. The Teaching with Technology (TwT) curriculum is designed to help educators understand how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can enhance the teaching and learning experience and enable students to acquire 21st century skills. Among many benefits, Teaching with Technology is free, aligned with the UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers. Successful completion of Teaching with Technology will prepare you to pass the Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE) exam.
Find out more about the Microsoft Innovative Teacher competition
We invite you to join the amazing Microsoft Educator Community (all free) and get involved in the Microsoft MIEE program in 2016/2017.
If you are a teacher who likes to be innovative in the
classroom, think about entering Microsoft's Innovative Teacher MIEExpert
program in 2016/2017 when applications reopen later this year. You can learn more
about the program at this link: http://bit.ly/1H4gKcB on
the Microsoft Educator Community.
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