Calling all primary school teachers planning for a productive and exciting 2025.
Nelson Mandela University Computing Sciences Associate Professor and Tangible Africa founder, Professor Jean Greyling, announced that Tangible Africa has launched a free programme for 2025 to support teachers with regards to the upcoming Coding and Robotics Curricula for Primary Schools.
The following are main aspects of the programme:
- Completely free! No cost to teachers at all.
- Aligned with the CAPS Coding and Robotics curricula.
- Opportunities to earn valuable Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points.
- Receive easy-to-follow weekly lessons for your grade with guidance and support.
- No prior coding experience needed.
- The chance to receive physical teaching materials by actively participating.
- Teachers who give feedback on the implementation of the lessons, stand to win a R5000 lucky draw every term.
All teachers are invited to register for this opportunity at this link. Upon registration they will receive a sample lesson.
“We have committed to provide weekly lessons during the first term of 2025. The continuation and expansion of the project will literally depend on how many teachers register and implement the lessons in their classes,” said Tangible Africa Global Engagement Manager, Jackson Tshabalala.
All the initial lessons will be offline and interactive, focusing on the introduction of coding principles as well as problem solving.
What do teachers say about Tangible Africa products?
Over the past three years Tangible Africa has trained teachers across the country in unplugged coding, using the flagship coding games, BOATS and RANGERS, in conjunction with lesson plans developed by Award-winning East London-based teacher, Kelly Bush.
“Mainly because of partnerships with teacher unions SADTU, SAOU and NATU we have reached over 40 000 teachers, and looking at the final curriculum, I am happy to say that the teachers have been well prepared,” said Greyling.
Bush, Head of ICT at Hudson Park Primary School in East London, said: “The unplugged lessons for Tangible Africa were aimed at assisting teachers in imparting crucial skills encompassing coding, computational thinking, design thinking, and digital citizenship, while also nurturing learners’ abilities in cooperation, logical thinking, communication, critical and deductive thinking, as well as creativity and innovation.”
“I am happy to see these pedagogical features are highlighted in the final document, which can be implemented in any setting, from the deep rural classrooms of Tsomo to schools that already have computer labs,” said Bush.
“On a personal note, I started with no coding experience myself and Tangible games were one of the ways I taught myself coding. I found their content very easy to start with, even for me who had no coding background. Plus, it’s built by Africans for African learners, ensuring it’s relevant and accessible to our context.” – Kelly Bush
Tangible Africa Future Skills Programme Coordinator, Lusanda Maqungo, from We Code Everywhere in Tsomo, was involved in Tangible Coding training that took place last year at schools from the Chris Hani East and Amathole Districts.
“I have trained hundreds of teachers in rural Eastern Cape in unplugged and tangible coding and found that teachers have few challenges in understanding it. I have also seen that the problem-solving skills that are enhanced while doing this coding, has a very positive impact on learners’ self-confidence as well as their performance in subjects like maths,” said Maqungo.
“They have enough confidence after attending the training to implement it in their schools.” – Lusanda Maqungo
Teachers who have used tangible coding in their classrooms have similar feedback: “Our learners are completely engaged. Tangible and unplugged coding has taught our learners problem-solving activities and logical thought progression but most importantly how to be a team player and consider other learners,” said Momeem Omar, a Grade 3-teacher at Berea West Preparatory School in Durban.
Bronwen Jonson, a teacher at Summerwood Primary School in Gqeberha, said it was particularly exciting that Foundation Phase learners will be able to learn the fundamentals of coding, through play. “Teaching the learners from a young age to ‘think about their thinking’ is imperative.”
“By implementing unplugged coding in the Foundation Phase, learners all over South Africa will be able to be part of this initiative. It wouldn’t only be something Quintile 5 schools will be able to afford to implement.” Bronwen Jonson.
Victoria Olivier from Swartkops Primary School in Gqeberha said: “With Tangible Coding, it’s so easy. You show the learners what to do and allow them to run with it. It can be done anywhere at any time. To play the coding games, the only requirement is a phone that can download the app and data. Once the app is downloaded onto the phone, the learners can challenge themselves at home. The beauty of Tangible Coding is that it works for any type of school.”
Register here [One teacher per registration please]
For more information, please contact Prof Jean Greyling at Jean.Greyling@mandela.ac.za or visit the Tangible Africa website: https://tangible.levafoundation.org/
