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Vanessa Thaver, Grade 5 teacher at Golden Grove Primary and winner of the 2004 Telkom MSTOTY (Maths and Science Teacher of the Year) Award believes that teachers have the most honourable job, developing the future citizens of the country. “I was absolutely elated when I received this award and all the teachers were treated like stars”, she says. “That is why I believe it is so important to recognise teachers – it encourages us to do better.” Teachers often feel quite overwhelmed by the changes in education policies and many teachers have learners in their classrooms with different kinds of learning barriers and challenges. Thaver believes that teachers need to have the full support of parents, government and corporate South Africa. “Support and recognition results in self-motivation and this motivation shows in the classroom and also positively affects other teachers.” She adds that it is easier to overcome the challenges of the educational system when you know that your work is recognised, appreciated and sometimes even rewarded. Thaver also acknowledges that it is important for teachers to support each other, work together and share their experiences. “At school we often work as a team to find ways to improve our teaching methods.” There are few careers, such as teaching, that have a lasting effect on an entire generation and country. Teachers are more than just educators; they can make a real difference in a child’s life. We at the Foundation, together with our partners, believe that it is of utmost importance to improve the working conditions and educational tools available to teachers, so that they can be what they are meant to be: effective educators. It is with this in mind that we are putting together resource tools featuring a consolidated selection of maths and science teacher best practises, lesson plans, ideas, and motivational tips to other South African teachers.
MSET WORKSHOPS On the 8th of June, 3rd of August and 12th of October the Shuttleworth Foundation will be hosting capacity building workshops for organisations involved in Maths, Science, Entrepreneurship and Technology focussed (MSET) education projects. We hope to improve the quality of the projects and proposals that are sent to the Foundation and other funding agencies. In order to do this we have looked at the key skills that are required in order to yield well-thought-through projects and well written proposals. All three workshops will be run in-house in Cape Town using the knowledge and expertise available at the Foundation. The themes and dates for the three workshops are: Project Management Cycle (MPC) - 8th of June 2004 Proposal Writing - 3rd of August 2004 Presentation & Communication Skills - 12th of October 2004 Participation will cost R50 per person, per workshop. Keep an eye on our website (www.shuttleworthfoundation.org) for the confirmation of the venue. For more information or to book your space in the workshops please contact Vuyi on (021) 970 1206 or e-mail  INNOVATION BAZAAR 2004 Building on the success of the first-ever South African Innovation Bazaar in December 2003, the Shuttleworth Foundation is, together with PetroSA, hosting another one-day Bazaar, on the 6th of September in Johannesburg. The Innovation Bazaar is an event aimed at increasing the capacity of smaller innovative projects and providing these projects with the opportunity to network with prospective funders. At the Bazaar, funders act like “buyers” browsing through stalls where selected fund-seekers act like “sellers”, showcasing their projects in the hope of securing funding. All projects involve education, specifically focussing on maths, science, technology and school focused entrepreneurship training. For companies, whose Corporate Social Investment (CSI) manifest includes education in Maths, Science, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MSET), this is an excellent opportunity to find worthwhile projects that are in need of funding. At the Foundation we go one step further when putting together a group of projects to profile at the Bazaar; not only are the projects selected according to very specific criteria, but they also go through a credible, detailed vetting process. On a more practical level, through a set of workshops, participating organisations are taught to compile effective reporting structures, write proposals and put together presentations. Thus each project showcased is of a high standard, with comprehensive budgets, plans and reporting strategies in place. This is especially advantageous to companies who would like to get involved in social responsibility, but don’t have the necessary structures set up internally or don’t have the human resources to get involved in taking a project from idea to implementation. Apart from vetting projects, the Foundation also puts together an assessment report of the capacity of each selected organisation and assists these organisations in finding ways and methods to meet their identified capacity needs. In 2003 ten projects from the Western Cape participated in the Bazaar. In 2004 we are hoping to have 30 projects from the Western Cape and Gauteng on show. All the participating projects will be involved in education, in the subject areas of maths, science, technology and school focused entrepreneurship training and will start in 2005. Projects for the 2004 Bazaar have been solicited and are currently being reviewed for selection. Any funders wishing to participate in this exciting initiative can contact Kim Vosse at the Foundation on (021) 970 1200 or The first buyers / funders meeting will be held in Johannesburg on the 24th of May and in Cape Town on the 27th of May. Please contact us if you would like to attend.
Until the 31st of July 2004 the MTN Science Centre at Canal Walk is hosting an interactive exhibition, documenting inventions that changed the world over the last three million years. The Shuttleworth Foundation is the proud sponsor of this exhibition. The exhibition is packed with fascinating facts about inventors and their inventions. It consists of a series of exciting hands-on displays; a life-size example or miniature model represents each invention. The aim is to provide visual interpretations of inventions to aid learning and enthuse learners, within the framework of the curriculum, by combining history with science and technology. Most importantly the exhibition highlights the fact that most of these inventions are based on science and technology and how they affect our daily lives. In addition to the actual exhibition there is a wide range of complementary workshops that school groups can book for when visiting the exhibition. These workshops will assist educators in taking their learners back into the schools and continuing classroom learning within the context of the curriculum. For further information please visit www.mtnsciencentre.org.za or contact Esna on (021) 529 8100, to book. 2. THE H-PROGRAMME The Education Management and Development Centre (EMDC) of the Metropole South has identified twenty-two schools, to be beneficiaries of the H-Programme – an adapted holistic model conceptualised and coordinated by the EMDC to address the critical needs of schools to enhance the quality of education being delivered. The Foundation has actively partnered with the EMDC to deliver the Maths, Science, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MSET) part of the H-Programme. This programme concentrates on the professional development of educators who will be trained over a three-year period. Through workshops and classroom-based support the educators will improve their content knowledge and have a deeper understanding, ability and comfort in delivering MSET education in the classrooms. It is envisaged that as learners benefit from an enhanced delivery of education, they will elect MSET as subjects, addressing the ultimate aim of attaining a mathematically and scientifically literate South Africa. On the 22nd of April, at the launch of the “MSET Project” as part of the H-Programme, all participating educators were introduced to the various service providers including Ort-Tech, the Big Picture, IMSTUS, Crestway Secondary and Steenberg Primary School, the South African Institute for Entrepreneurship, and the Primary Science Program who together with the curriculum advisors from the EMDC will realise the vision of “inspiring MSET minds, hands and hearts by improving teaching and learning within the South African context”. 3. ROBBEN ISLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL GETS OPEN SOURCE COMPUTER LAB Introducing a new sort of freedom on a landmark that has become synonymous with the struggle for political freedom, the Shuttleworth Foundation team recently installed an Open Source powered computer laboratory at Robben Island Primary School. The installation marked the 28th Open Source school lab installation as part of the Shuttleworth Foundation's tuXlab initiative. Open Source software refers to software that has been developed by a community of volunteers all over the world using the Internet to communicate. Unlike proprietary software, Open Source software is free to download and distribute – the concept of piracy simply does not exist within an open source context. Open Source also provides several other freedoms not provided with proprietary software, such as the freedom to obtain the software source code and modify it to suit your exact requirements. The Shuttleworth Foundation is advocating the use of Open Source software, as it believes that Open Source software can provide an effective and economical solution for South Africa and other developing countries, potentially providing complete software freedom.
There were three major tasks that needed to be completed during the tuXlab installation – the first one was the installation of all cabling and networking equipment, the second was configuration and refurbishment of the thin clients and the final task was the installation of software on the server. The team split into three groups to complete the tasks with competitive excitement. Learners proved to be an additional valuable resource on the day, getting involved with all installation activities, including completing fairly intricate tasks such as the installation of boot proms into network cards. Lab installation was completed just after lunchtime, with the afternoon dedicated to problem solving and final configuration. The day concluded with the learners sitting down in front of the computer and experiencing Open Source software for the first time. For many of them, the experience was more than just an introduction to Open Source software, but their very first introduction to computers. The Shuttleworth Foundation is proud to be associated with Robben Island - now not only a symbol of political freedom, but of software freedom too... at least for the learners of Robben Island Primary, that is.
In December 2003 Hip2B2 successfully launched its first digital and clothing range. In April this year a 2nd clothing range was launched at YDE stores nationwide. The new range includes fashionable ladies and gents wear: pants, skirts, shirts, tracksuits and cheeky underwear. On the digital side a full range of exciting new products including the 1.3 Mega Pixel Camera, the Mega Memory Watch and Flash Pen Drive will hit stores in May. New to the Hip2B2 brand, and also launching in May, is a range of costume jewellery, belts, wallets and bags. Hip2B2 now also has its own website. Visit them at www.hip2b2.com For more information on the range, please contact Yvonne van Zandwijk on 021 970 1216 or .
Remember that, if you have an interesting and innovative project which assists in the development of Science, Maths, Technology and Entrepreneurship in education in South Africa, please send your proposal to or fax (021) 970 1201. Visit www.shuttleworthfoundation.org for more information or contact us on (021) 970 1200. If you are a corporate or business that wants to get involved in the funding of projects and programmes on a national scale, you are also invited to give us a call.
 P.O.Box 4163, Durbanville 7551, South Africa Tel + 27 21 970 1200 ? Fax + 27 21 970 1201 www.shuttleworthfoundation.org ? Please contact to be added to or removed from this mailing list, or visit our website. This newsletter is constructed and managed with Ubuntu Media's E-Bean publishing system |
