GEORGE NEWS - Touwsranten Primary School's former grade 1 teacher Mariëtte Vorster was overwhelmed and humbled when she was announced as the winner of the Excellence in Technology award at the Department of Education's National Teaching Awards ceremony on Saturday 17 February.
The darling of the learners played a leading role in preparing Touwsranten Primary School for eLearning when the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) selected the school as a model school for the province's "eLearning Game Changer" programme.
Her vision was to take the learners, teachers and parents of the school "to new heights in the use of technology".
She aspired to become the best role model and mentor she could possibly be and opened her home to help anybody wanting to learn more about ICT (information and communication technology).
Through the use of ICT in class she addressed the social justice issues of the school and community, and taught the fundamental principles as encapsulated in the South African constitution.
Vorster has created a variety of digital resources to teach her subject, always seeing to it that learning was fun.
"This ensured that I reached learners who have different barriers to learning on different levels," she said.
"In so doing, I integrated the principles of inclusivity and differentiation in the teaching, especially to empower anxious learners with low self-esteem. They now engage more spontaneously during lessons."
Ever enthusiastic, she is always willing to demonstrate to all stakeholders how to create lessons using ICT.
"My aim is to get the parents involved in the learning process by sharing the lessons with them and by providing mathematics and home language analysis reports.
"We must move away from the traditional method of homework. It is essential that lessons are repeated at home, to strengthen the skills of the learners."
Vorster said this award would not have been possible without her family's support structure.
"We must get down to everyone's level so that eLearning is just a part of life," says Mariëtte Vorster.
"If I only think of how many nights my husband had to be a 'child' to test my technology application as preparation!
"All the times he cooked, did the washing and unquestioningly supported my dream and passion for education.
"My parents and sisters, who all live close by, share my appetite for teaching. My dad, Dr Willie Cilliers, past chairman of the George Business Chamber, made almost all my classroom aids.
"When the learners needed stationery he was there, when chairs and desks needed repairs, he was the one."
If the district office utilises the skills productively, the Garden Route will produce learners that have a much better chance to succeed in this competitive world.
Vorster has since joined the Eden Karoo Education District office as an eLearning advisor.
She left for Johannesburg yesterday (Wednesday 21 February) to collect her prize, a new Volkswagen Polo.
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