21st Century Learning Boot Camp

The MANCOSA School of Education’s iTEACHlab hosted a 21st Century Learning Boot Camp on Saturday, 13th November 2021. This was an on-site Boot Camp for all cohorts of students in all the School of Education programmes.

The students explored the Evolution wall of Education which promotes experiential learning with Augmented Reality. This was followed by participation in various activities and discussions in the Hubs.

In the Makerspace Hub: The aim of this Hub is to teach students how to be creative by applying design thinking methodologies. It aims to enhance 21st century teaching and learning through the 4C’s (Critical thinking, Creativity, Communication and Collaboration). Students were given a Lego challenge card along with a random Lego pack with which they had to create a Lego design. This was followed by a presentation of their innovative solutions to the group. This activity also aimed to develop personal attributes like self-esteem, resilience, confidence and optimism.

In the Robotics and Coding Hub: The aim is to build creative and innovative thinkers who can solve problems with ease. The hub follows computational thinking (CT) processes, which are the highest order of problem-solving. It aims to address the skills shortage in the robotics and coding Curriculum. Students explore the world of robotics by coding aspects of a robot and testing out their codes. They were engaged in discussion around technology like artificial intelligence that are transforming teaching and learning.

In the Math’s Hub: The aim of the Hub is to expose students to 21st century skills that conceptualise teaching methodologies through 4IR technology advances. Students were thrilled to explore the Virtual reality applications. They were also introduced to concepts such as gamification in math classes.

In the Leadership and Management Hub: The Leadership and Management Hub covers various aspects of school management and higher education leadership. As aspiring leaders, students need guidance and mentoring. In this hub, our students were engaged in various discussions where they gained great insights on management and school leadership from the Hub leaders.

In the Amphitheater: The Amphitheater Hub aims to develop students’ reading, creative writing, speaking and listening skills. The Hub leader and students had an interactive discussion on these concepts. Students then expressed their journey in education by writing a message on the writable wall.

In the Culture Hub: The Culture Hub aims to recognise and celebrate cultural diversity. It seeks to empower students to understand the beliefs, customs, religions and languages of diverse cultures in South Africa. Students were enlightened with discussions on the various cultures in South Africa and played traditional musical instruments. They were also exposed to how augmented reality can be integrated to understand various concepts in culture through on the MANCOSA iTEACHlab app.

In the Science Hub: The Science Hub aims to engage in exciting STEAM projects through discovery learning and inquiry-based dialogue. The students participated in an exciting Marshmallow Challenge. This activity was an ideal introduction to several key aspects of innovation: idea generation, collaboration, creativity and teamwork. It was a simple experiential activity where teams of students are given a challenge to build the tallest freestanding structure that will support the weight of one marshmallow.

Compiled by Raeesa Ebrahim, iTEACHlab Administrator (raeesa.ebrahim@mancosa.co.za)