Bringing teacher support and professional development to the forefront

Bringing teacher support and professional development to the forefront

The South African Council for Educators (SACE), supported by Belgian NPO VVOB (education for development), has launched a digital library that makes thousands of ebooks freely available to 400 000 SACE-registered teachers. 

‘The President of South Africa has highlighted how important it is for the country to become a nation of readers and our vision to launch the SACE Virtual Library for our registered educators and stakeholders is in line with this – to strengthen reading and literacy in South Africa,’ said SACE CEO Ella Mokgalane. 

Since teachers play such a vital role in nurturing learners, it is crucial that these educators have access to resources and tools that not only help them to be the best teachers they can be, but empower them to continue growing and evolving in their teaching profession.

The SACE Virtual Library is powered by Snapplify’s award-winning technology and includes a wide range of content – from professional development, leadership and management, to teaching resources and books for leisure reading. 

Importantly, Mokgalane notes, ‘engaging with the reading material from the SACE Virtual Library counts as part of educators’ continuing professional development. Therefore, educators will also be able to record their professional development points by accessing the reading material from the virtual library, which is closely linked to the Continued Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) portal.’

SACE has worked closely with the Snapplify Foundation and VVOB to launch the e-library and make thousands of diverse and relevant digital resources available. The Snapplify Foundation is passionate about supporting teachers, and is proud to be working alongside SACE and VVOB to empower the South African teaching community. 

To access the SACE Virtual Library, teachers need to be registered with SACE. Members have been emailed an invitation to join the library, and can also log in to the library using the link found in the SACE CPTD portal. Once books are checked out of the library, teachers can read them on any device, online or offline, using the Snapplify Reader app.

 

Email hello@snapplifyfoundation.com to chat about how you can partner with the foundation to make digital education more accessible.

Bett MEA gives international recognition to Snapplify Foundation for inclusion in education

Bett MEA gives international recognition to Snapplify Foundation for inclusion in education

The Snapplify Foundation has won the 2020 Bett MEA Inclusion Award for its work providing digital content and e-learning tools to students who need these most.

Established earlier in 2020, the foundation has already made great strides in improving access to educational opportunities for thousands of students who might otherwise have been left behind, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, students who have benefited from access to key educational resources and e-reading software via the Snapplify Foundation have included 10 000 matric learners on iSchoolAfrica’s #MyFuture programme, students at TSIBA Business School, and the beneficiaries of StudyTrust (promoting equal education in South Africa by connecting talented yet financially needy students with bursaries).

Most recently, the Snapplify Foundation has begun work with iSchoolAfrica and Saray Khumalo on rolling out nine digital libraries across South Africa, and has partnered with school management platform d6 to uplift schools with products and services that they would not usually be able to afford.

‘At the Snapplify Foundation, we are fully committed to the notion of “Leave No One Behind”.  COVID-19 has shown us the crucial role that technology has to play in creating access to education, but has also highlighted how big the digital divide is and the challenges that need to be addressed to overcome this,’ said Head of the Snapplify Foundation, Debra Ogilvie-Roodt. ‘We are grateful to be working with partners who are as committed as we are to helping schools, teachers and students overcome these challenges and bridge this divide in a sustainable way.’

 

Email hello@snapplifyfoundation.com to chat about how you can partner with the foundation to make digital education more accessible.

Snapplify Foundation and d6 partner to uplift Khayelitsha STEM school

Snapplify Foundation and d6 partner to uplift Khayelitsha STEM school

The Snapplify Foundation is joining forces with d6, South Africa’s leading online school management platform, to provide digital tools, content and training to the Centre of Science and Technology (COSAT) – a model, no-fee government high school in Khayelitsha, Cape Town.

In line with its commitment to increase access to education in disadvantaged communities, the Snapplify Foundation will set up a digital library for the school, providing students and staff with 24/7 access to over 50 000 free ebooks. Going forward, the foundation will work with Snapplify and publishing partners to supply additional library content that supports teacher and student requirements. 

The Snapplify Foundation will also provide free training to teachers on using the Engage e-learning platform which, in addition to the e-library, comes with the ability to share multimedia resources with students, helping to improve engagement and understanding as the curriculum is brought to life. In addition, COSAT teachers will be registered for Snapplify Teacha! Benefits, a programme that provides educators with free and discounted teaching aids.

For 2021, d6 will be donating online training for the school’s staff. Diving into the details of the platform’s functionality, the training will empower school staff and management to make full use of the software.

COSAT principal, Phadiela Cooper shares: ‘We’ve been using d6 since 2016 to do our learner academic reports, attendance registers, learner profiles and finances. Being able to upskill our staff so that they can use d6 and Snapplify effectively is going to make a real difference – and getting an e-learning platform and e-library with thousands of wonderful books is any educator’s dream.’

‘From allowing teachers to focus on teaching, to enabling accountability and facilitating decision-making, our administrative tools are crucial to how schools and students perform – as is easy access to educational content. Our goals to support schools with comprehensive solutions are aligned with those of the Snapplify Foundation so we’re particularly excited about this partnership, which we know will bring technological access to schools that need it the most,’ said d6 CEO, Willem Kitshoff.

This is the first step in what will be a long working relationship between the Snapplify Foundation and d6. ‘There are a lot of schools in South Africa and only a small percentage of them can afford these products and services,’ shares Debra Ogilvie-Roodt, Head of the Snapplify Foundation. ‘Between us, we plan to use our large network of schools, as well as private sector partnerships, to drive measurable change in education – in South Africa and beyond.’

 

Email hello@snapplifyfoundation.com to chat about how you can partner with the foundation to make digital education more accessible.

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