Help South African children achieve in Maths

Sonwabile in Grade 6 at Bongolethu Primary is definitely enjoying his Maths lessons in the computer centre. "I am getting better and better in my test. I know this because I watch my marks and it is improving. I enjoy using the computers at school because it helps us with our Maths and all the children are getting brighter."

Sonwabile is one of 115 grade 6 pupils who have been using Green Shoots Maths Curriculum Online (MCO) in the computer centre twice a week to do their Maths lessons. There are 368 pupils in total in grades 4, 5 & 6 using MCO to do Maths at the school.

For the majority of learners, it is not just about doing Maths, it is also an opportunity to use technology for the first time. Ayabonga in Grade 6 says, "I never used a computer before doing maths in the computer room at school. I like to calculate and the computer tells me if my answer was right after I finish."

A Green Shoots Facilitator has been supporting the teachers to use this new teaching resource optimally with their classes. Mrs Booi, the Grade 5 teacher is pleased with the impact that this new way of doing Maths is having on her learners, "The kids love going to the computer room because they enjoy the exercises. They are the ones reminding me that it is time for their lesson in the computer centre. They are getting good practice in reading in their second language when doing the exercises. Learners always want to improve their scores and I am able to provide individual support to them."

It is the tracking of every learner and the individual support available, that is a vital aspect of the Project being supported by Global Giving donors at Bongolethu Primary. This targeted support allows every learner an opportunity to reach their potential in Maths.

The focus for the remainder of Term 2 is to encourage teachers and leaners to use the scores to set higher targets for their MCO Maths exercises and follow up the learning in the classroom.

Thank you for your very valuable support.

Links:

• Green Shoots website

The following is a postcard from Chi Nguyen, GlobalGiving's In-the-Field Representative in South Africa, about her recent visit to Green Shoots Education Services.

On Valentine's Day, I was able to meet with Jo, Mark, and Wilbur from the Green Shoots Education Services team and was very much impressed with what they have achieved thus far. The online math program they have implemented in their partnering schools allows both teachers and students to receive immediate feedback, gifting them with the ability to assess, adjust, and reinforce or change current methods in teaching and learning.

I was able to witness this exact phenomenon during my visit, as I quietly observed a computer lab full of children. Dressed in pink, white, and red for Valentine's Day, these children stared intently at their computers, stopping here or there to jot down a few things in their notebooks for scratch paper. Wilbur walked around the room, monitoring each child's progress and what they jotted down in their notebooks to take note of their problem-solving methods - something that the computers cannot necessarily track - to better understand the mental processes the children go through so that he may provide a comprehensive evaluation to their teacher and so that he may better assist the teacher in his instructing methods. As I watched from the back of the room, a boy (top left, in the white shirt) suddenly pumped his fist in the air with a loud, "Yes!" and the biggest smile on his face. He had just completed a set of math exercises and had received positive feedback from the program - a good score, a score that he could be proud of, a score that gave him self-confidence and motivated him to do even better. 

Since they are a technology-driven organization, Jo was able to pull up the child's scores on her tablet immediately and show them to me and I saw, indeed - he had achieved a near-perfect score.

Earlier on in the day, Jo and Mark were able to show me data tracking the improvements in passing math scores term over term, year over year, throughout every school they work with. With a number of schools improving as much as doubling or tripling their passing percentages, the numbers speak for themselves.

They have a very clear vision of what they are trying to achieve, and are a team of ex-teachers who are very well-organized, extremely passionate, highly intelligent, and strikingly well-meaning that deserves a significant amount of support from us, donors, and corporate partners! I would recommend this organization to my family and to corporate sponsors in a heartbeat.