What South Africa’s Teachers Brought to the Virtual Classroom

BY Mmaki Jantjies — While celebrating this year’s World Teachers Day, we should recognise how the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the key role that teachers already play in South Africa’s schools. Before the pandemic, many teachers in the country had not received substantive formal technology training, either to support blended teaching and learning or to fully apply online learning. …

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How South Africa Can Address Digital Inequalities in e-Learning

BY Mmaki Jantjies — South Africa’s education system is complex, with historical inequalities dating back to apartheid. Most of the country’s pupils come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Language is an issue; most pupils do not speak English as a mother tongue, yet English dominates in many classrooms. And, as the COVID-19 crisis has showed, there’s a huge digital divide at play. The …

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Kids Can Keep Learning Even During a Lockdown. Here’s How

BY Mmaki Jantjies — South Africa, like most countries in the world, has ordered all schools to close to try and stop the spread of COVID-19. Many schools have also asked parents to ensure that learning continues at home. Online learning is an obvious way to keep lessons going; however, only a few schools have well-established online …

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Mmaki Jantjies

Mmaki conducts education technology research focused on increasing STEM education across the African continent through mobile technology. As one of the first black, female South Africans to complete a PhD in Computer Science, Mmaki strives to make STEM education more readily available to others. She’s created a digital application that allows children to translate STEM …

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