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Excelsior Primary
Excelsior Primary can be found in the small town of Calitzdorp in the Klein Karoo. The town is often referred to as the Port Capital because of the much sought after port wines produced by the farmers in the region. Many of the parents of learners at Excelsior are workers in this farming industry while others are eitheir unemployed or are dependent on one or the other form of welfare grant.Excelsior Primary aims to provide above standard education for the learners under their supervision so as to prepare and empower them for their roles as future citizens of this country. In the growing culture of technology, it became increasingly clear that technology would have to be introduced at the school if they were to meet this aim. The school had managed to acquire three computers for administrative purposes, but prior to becoming part of the Khanya Project in 2006, it had no way of allowing the children to interact with the technology at all. A number of progressive educators had managed to acquire computers of their own and this made them even more eager to share the skills with their colleagues and put them to use in the classroom. The introduction of technology at Excelsior Primary has been an exciting challenge for both the educators and the learners. Learners are enjoying the interactive and stimulating environment of the laboratory and educators expect to see a notable progression in the expected outcomes. Learning seems to occur more readily in the relaxed atmosphere of the laboratory and learners look forward to lessons and are more committed to their work – they can actually see and monitor their own progress and this also serves to motivate them. Learners want to be seen to be achieving as skill in this new field earns them kudos among their peers. The laboratory has also had a positive affect on discipline and absenteeism – learners do not want to miss any time in the facility. Initial fears that some educators may have had about the technology were quickly overcome as they attended their training sessions with their Khanya facilitator. Not only did they have nearly the same level of skill to start, but they were eager to learn and willing to help each other – some positive competition also developed as a result. With a growing arsenal of skills, educators feel confident that they will be able to use the technology for their lesson preparation and for administrative purposes. The prospect they find the most exciting, however, is the use of it in the classroom for curriculum delivery where they can already see their learners positively glowing with their own success. An ADSL line has been installed at the school and they now have access to the internet and thus to a world of information. They are able to share their skills and knowledge with and learn from other learners and other educators from different schools. For this rural school with its limited access to resources for both educators and learners, the Internet will be of incalculable value. Excelsior Primary plans to establish an internet café that will then spread the benefits of the laboratory into the community. This, coupled with computer literacy classes, will empower this previously disadvantaged community to create better opportunities for themselves through education.
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