|
|
|
|
|
Home page | Media Releases Index page |
|
14 December, 2015 | |||||||
|
||||||||
|
Minister Schäfer congratulates Western Cape Teacher, Warren Sparrow, listed as one of the world's top 50 teachers. Statement by Minister Debbie Schäfer, Minister of Education A Cape Town teacher, Warren Sparrow, Head of Information and Communication Technology of Rondebosch Boys' Preparatory School is one of 50 finalists in the running for a Global Teacher of the Year Award 2016. Mr Sparrow, who specialises in eLearning support, won a Western Cape Teaching Award in 2012 for Excellence in Information and Communication Technology Enhanced Teaching (see profile & photo attached). He has also been the recipient of a number of ICT Awards, i.e. Microsoft Innovative Teacher for both South Africa and Africa, finalist for the Microsoft Innovative Teacher worldwide, and winner of the 21st Century Classroom Project of the Year for the most innovative use of technology for enhancing learning in schools. The Global Teacher Awards is in its second year and has been dubbed the 'Nobel Prize' for teaching. The $1 million teacher's award is the largest prize of its kind. With over 8000 applicants from 148 countries around the world, being shortlisted in the top 50 finalists is a remarkable achievement. With two South African finalists, Warren Sparrow and Colleen Henning from St John's College in Johannesburg, these exceptional teachers are certainly flying the flag for South African teachers. The Global Teacher Awards website, says that 'the Prize was set up to recognize one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession as well as to shine a spotlight on the important role teachers play in society. By unearthing thousands of stories of heroes that have transformed young people's lives, the prize hopes to bring to life the exceptional work of millions of teachers all over the world.' Please visit the following link for background information on the awards. This is an extraordinary achievement. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate both teachers and especially, the Western Cape's very own, Mr Sparrow. The winner will be announced at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai in March 2016. To see Mr Sparrow in action, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L40lc_rEzDU&feature=youtu.be Western Cape Excellence in Information & Communication Technology Enhanced Teaching (2012)
Motivation: 
Mr Warren Sparrow has been a teacher for 19 years and has been teaching for 13 years at Rondebsoch Boys' Preparatory School. He is currently the Head of ICT at the school. He is a qualified mathematics, physics and biology teacher. After completing his teaching qualification, he completed a Further Diploma in Computer Assisted Education, and then successfully merged his passion for both mathematics and computers. He has been the recipient of a number of ICT Awards, i.e. Microsoft Innovative Teacher for both South Africa and Africa, finalist for the Microsoft Innovative Teacher worldwide, and winner of the 21st Century Classroom Project of the Year for the most innovative use of technology for enhancing learning in schools. Mr Sparrow has built up excellent relationships with the learners and he has used his expertise to build their confidence and to choose appropriate learning strategies to help them achieve their best. He keeps comprehensive records of each learner and uses these to strengthen their weak areas. Mr Sparrow has integrated his work across the curriculum, bringing a number of different opportunities to his learners, and often actively involving them in their own assessment so that they can see their errors and improve their knowledge and abilities. Using a learner-centred approach, he uses his knowledge and skills to identify learners' strengths and weaknesses, and this guides him in the teaching approach he will choose. Mr Sparrow has indicated that he has been fortunate to work at a school where technology was affordable. As a result, he is trying to share his knowledge, expertise and work with teachers at schools that have fewer resources. He has developed a website, www.wsparrow.co.za , on which he loads all sorts of resources for teachers that they can use free of charge in their classes. Every year he focuses on a particular subject as a project. For 2012, he is focusing on the Grade 7 topic of HIV/AIDS. The learners had to complete a project on HIV/AIDS and, working in groups, they created videos about their HIV/AIDS-related topic. The learners covered 60 different topics from the syllabus. In 2011, he set up the "Maths is fun" Website in which the entire year's syllabus and worksheets are available for each grade. During 2010, he demonstrated how to use technology to integrate an Economic and Management Science project, called "Who wants to be a millionaire?", into the syllabus. The project won both the South African and the Pan African Microsoft Innovative Project awards, and was one of the projects considered for the Microsoft World Innovative Teacher Award. As part of the above-mentioned projects, Mr Sparrow initiated the creation of a web portal, using technology and media. This is available to any teachers as a resource for lessons. As part of his portfolio as Head of ICT, he is responsible for implementing technology in the classrooms. He assists teachers by meeting with them to assist with planning of their teaching programmes. He also team-teaches with teachers in their classrooms and shows them how technology can be used in their teaching. He also runs short weekly courses for the staff to demonstrate Web 2.0 tools, software, hardware and ideas for the classroom. He also conducts adult computer classes in the evenings at the school. Through the use of ICT, Mr Sparrow has shown that teaching practices can be transformed by using 21st Century learning tools and pedagogy. Global teacher prize bio: Warren Sparrow | ||||||||
 |
||||||||
| © 2015 Western Cape Education Department |