Virtual teaching made fun
Innovative iWhiz programme will help parents make schooling at home child’s play
SCHOOLS being on lockdown should not be a reason for pupils to stop learning.
With the use of online tools, parents can keep their children learning even while locked up in the house. Not only will online learning keep children entertained, it will keep their minds sharp.
“This is a sudden change of plan and closures may be extended. The pace of learning should be kept up, as far as possible. We cannot lose this momentum,” says academic director and founder of the online iWhiz programme, Dr Tholsia Naidoo.
iWhiz offers children and their parents a comprehensive schooling curriculum aligned to the Department of Education’s Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) guidelines.
“The iWhiz programme is best defined as a learner’s fun ‘teacher in your pocket’ solution, which incorporates gaming, robotics and animation into the teaching space. Children have access to extensive learning material that is fully aligned to the CAPS curriculum and is relevant for learners from Grade R to matric level,” said Naidoo.
The initiative offers learners traditional school lessons that are incorporated into bite-sized three-minute animated videos containing relevant content taught in the classroom using a virtual teacher. It is fun, entertaining and relevant.
In addition, there are a series of quizzes that test the learners’ understanding of each section and gaming used to test the terms work covered.
As families adjust to social distancing measures, parents are equipping themselves to shift to the significant role of being a teacher.
“This is where iWhiz makes this shift even easier for parents. By using fun-filled animated tools that children relate to and enjoy, teaching becomes easier. It’s packaged with the intention of engaging the child,” said Naidoo.
Search engine Google this week launched two new resources to help teachers and learners stay connected, a resource for educators, Teach From
Home and a $10 million (R174m) Distance Learning Fund.
TEBOGO MONAMA