Taking Student Teachers’ Learning Beyond The Lecture Room

Through its partnership with iSchoolAfrica, the Emeris Nelson Mandela Bay Faculty of Education is taking its students’ learning beyond the lecture room and into a real school environment. The initiative is giving the IIE Bachelor of Education in Intermediate and Foundation Phase Teaching students the opportunity to explore how technology can be used meaningfully in South African classrooms, while they gain practical experience which is preparing them for the realities of real teaching.

Launched in July this year, the partnership with iSchoolAfrica initially saw the student teachers participating in professional development sessions before they started engaging with partner schools. Following this the Emeris Nelson Mandela Bay students partnered with Emsengeni Primary School in Zwide, where the focus is on supporting Numeracy and Literacy through technology.

Rather than simply learning about educational technology in theory, the students are observing classrooms, engaging with the learners and teachers and they are exploring how digital tools can support learning in ways relevant to the school and its learners.

The core of the initiative is about creating meaningful learning experiences for everyone involved. Learners get to experience new ways of engaging with their schoolwork, teachers get to explore how technology can support their classrooms, and the Emeris student teachers gain the confidence and practical experience to take what they have learned into their own classrooms one day. By bringing future teachers and real classrooms together, the partnership is helping to shape educators who are better prepared to meet learners where they are and make learning more engaging, accessible and relevant.

“Facilitating the iSchoolAfrica initiative has been an incredibly rewarding experience. It has allowed our student teachers to apply their knowledge in a real classroom environment, while developing their confidence and their ability to integrate technology meaningfully into their teaching,” said Cecile Mager (IIE Bachelor of Education in Intermediate and Foundation Phase Teaching Lecturer Emeris Nelson Mandela Bay and iSchoolAfrica Facilitator). “It has also been wonderful to see how enthusiastically the learners from Emsengeni Primary engage with the iPads and interactive learning activities”, she added.

For the students, the experience is about much more than learning how to use technology. It encourages them to think about different learning needs, to plan activities, reflect on their experiences and to consider how they can use digital tools to make learning more engaging and accessible.

For student teacher Anouk Pio (fourth year IIE Bachelor of Education in Intermediate Phase Teaching student Emeris Nelson Mandela Bay), the experience was a great opportunity to see the work being done by the school from a different perspective. “My experience was nothing short of amazing and eye-opening. It was inspiring to see the effort made by the school to improve the way their learners learn. I enjoyed every moment”, said Pio.

For the teachers at Emsengeni Primary, the initiative has given them an opportunity to see how technology can enhance the classroom experience while also supporting the development of future teachers.

“Being involved with the iSchoolAfrica initiative with the Emeris Nelson Mandela Bay students has been a rewarding and enriching experience. It has shown me how technology can make learning more engaging and interactive, while also giving student teachers valuable practical experience. Overall, the initiative has created a meaningful partnership which benefits both teachers and learners,” said Mrs N C Mtongana (Emsengeni Primary School teacher).