Blog

The COVID-19 pandemic has caught everyone off guard. This while the national lockdown presents new challenges to schools, principals, teachers, learners and parents.   We would like to inspire and motivate you with our new series “Spotlight on…” where we will look at how schools face these challenges and what tools they use to achieve […]

Choosing a career path is probably one of the most difficult decisions a person has to make. And, often, you have to make that decision when you are still a child (between 15 and 19 years old). It starts with subject choices in Grade 9 and continues with your choice of study courses when enrolling […]

  Introduction We’re all on edge because of the coronavirus. Our daily lives have been disrupted, we aren’t sure what tomorrow may bring, and, for many of us, the nonstop news and social media coverage are overwhelming. Therefore, it is not uncommon to feel anxious or worried during this time. If you or your learners are […]

Die COVID-19 pandemie het almal onkant gevang. Dit terwyl die nasionale afsondering nuwe uitdagings vir skole, hoofde, onderwysers, leerders en ouers bied.   Graag wil ons julle inspireer en motiveer met ons nuwe reeks “Kollig op…” waar ons gaan kyk hoe skole in hierdie tydperk die uitdagings aandurf en die verskillende hulpmiddels wat hulle gebruik. – Onderhoud met Hoof Sally Plessis (links) and Onderwyseres Micaela […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has caught everyone off guard. This while the national lockdown presents new challenges to schools, principals, teachers, learners and parents.   We would like to inspire and motivate you with our new series “Spotlight on…” where we will look at how schools face these challenges and what tools they use to achieve […]

Die COVID-19 pandemie het almal onkant gevang. Dit terwyl die nasionale afsondering nuwe uitdagings vir skole, hoofde, onderwysers, leerders en ouers bied.   Graag wil ons julle inspireer en motiveer met ons nuwe reeks “Kollig op…” waar ons gaan kyk hoe skole in hierdie tydperk die uitdagings aandurf en die verskillende hulpmiddels wat hulle gebruik. – Onderhoud met Hoof Dr Carel Kriek, Midstream College (CLICK […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has caught everyone off guard. This while the national lockdown presents new challenges to schools, principals, teachers, learners and parents.   We would like to inspire and motivate you with our new series “Spotlight on…” where we will look at how schools face these challenges and what tools they use to achieve […]

  Introduction With SARS-CoV-2 completely disrupting our sense of reality, empty school buildings and university campuses serve as a stark reminder that education is no exception. What started out as a prolonged school holiday with the initial lockdown, has turned into an education nightmare with its extension. While many students still have no access to […]

Die COVID-19 pandemie het almal onkant gevang. Dit terwyl die nasionale afsondering nuwe uitdagings vir skole, hoofde, onderwysers, leerders en ouers bied.   Graag wil ons julle inspireer en motiveer met ons nuwe reeks “Kollig op…” waar ons gaan kyk hoe skole in hierdie tydperk die uitdagings aandurf en die verskillende hulpmiddels wat hulle gebruik. – Onderhoud met Hoof Chris Zaayman, Maragon Mooikloof (CLICK HERE […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has caught everyone off guard. This while the national lockdown presents new challenges to schools, principals, teachers, learners and parents.   We would like to inspire and motivate you with our new series “Spotlight on…” where we will look at how schools face these challenges and what tools they use to achieve […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has caught everyone off guard. This while the national lockdown presents new challenges to schools, principals, teachers, learners and parents.   We would like to inspire and motivate you with our new series “Spotlight on…” where we will look at how schools face these challenges and what tools they use to achieve […]

Die COVID-19 pandemie het almal onkant gevang. Dit terwyl die nasionale afsondering nuwe uitdagings vir skole, hoofde, onderwysers, leerders en ouers bied.   Graag wil ons julle inspireer en motiveer met ons nuwe reeks “Kollig op…” waar ons gaan kyk hoe skole in hierdie tydperk die uitdagings aandurf en die verskillende hulpmiddels wat hulle gebruik. – Onderhoud met Hoof Riaan Kotze, Hoërskool Upington   (CLICK […]

The national lockdown due to COVID-19 has seen many parents temporarily become teachers. Parents now have to juggle working from home and educating their children. And, while it might seem like a daunting task at first, teaching your kids at home can be done. All it takes is some planning, flexibility, teamwork, and creative scheduling. […]

For some, the fear of Mathematics is as real as the fear of spiders. The condition of Maths anxiety can range from general distress and mental inefficiency to complete panic and physical anxiety when faced with a mathematical problem. For many learners, Maths anxiety results in a cycle of failure because increased worry results in […]

  Introduction It is safe to assume that most of what students believe and “know” about studying – and the process of learning – is a result of how they are taught at school. Although there are instances where they are explicitly taught how to study, much of this learning about learning actually happens implicitly, […]

  Introduction We know that learning – and especially remembering – the things we learn is a complex biological process involving many different aspects. One of these many aspects of learning is the role our foundational knowledge (or the things we already know) plays in us ultimately remembering what we learn. As Sousa[1] and Willingham […]

SABC Education and ITSI launches online library with more than 350 000 books, 46 000 free e-books – including academic books as used in the CAPS curriculum and other supporting course material   ITSI, the pioneering provider of educational tools based on established research in the field of educational neurosciences, is proud to announce a […]

As humans, we get feedback from our environment all of the time, and we use this feedback to negotiate our way in the world. In a learning environment, this is no different. We use the feedback we get as an indication of whether we are on the right track or not, whether we are close […]

  Introduction We are all aware that in order for us to remember something there is a biological process that takes place. We might not always know the medical or scientific terms to describe this process, but we know that there is no magic involved in our ability to remember things. Being able to remember […]

It has been interesting to follow the reaction to the decision taken by a private school in Sydney to ditch iPads (and e-books) and move back to print textbooks and laptops. In the public discourse, this single incident has been elevated to the extent that it appears as if the whole of Australia is moving […]

  Introduction Metacognition is a scientific term that simply means “thinking about your thinking”, and refers to the concept of being critical of your own thoughts. In the context of this article, metacognition specifically refers to thinking about your learning. It may sound obvious and seem that we naturally think about what we are thinking, […]

  We live in a time of unprecedented change, and according to some experts, human knowledge is going to double every 12 hours in the foreseeable future. Not only is knowledge growing exponentially – and its impact on humans is profound – we are not built to deal with change that occurs consistently at this […]

  Networks are all around us and in many contexts, they form the basis of the 21st-century reality. The social network technologies permeate our offline social lives and we are quite dependant on networking infrastructures to stay connected to the world and others. One could say that to flourish in the context of the 21st […]

Since the early ‘90s, academics such as Prof Eric Mazur from Harvard University has introduced some of the concepts that the Flipped Classroom is built upon. The teaching strategy gained further popularity after the publication of Flip Your Classroom: Reaching Every Student in Every Class Every Day (2012) by Bergmann, J., and Sams, A. Based […]

One of the most challenging tasks for a teacher or lecturer is to keep students engaged during class while remaining on schedule to cover all the required work before the end of the term. While it is safe to say that boredom is one of a teacher’s top enemies, it is not always clear what […]

It is no secret that the use of previous exam papers in preparation for an upcoming exam is a tried and tested method for effective study. Educators (and learners) regularly turn to this strategy when exam time is approaching. There is an old adage that states if something is too good to be true, then […]

It is that time of year where many students are preparing for mid-year exams, with all teaching and classroom preparation done. At this stage, there is seemingly very little that teachers and parents can do other than to provide support and encouragement while they study and prepare. Ideally, students have finalised their summaries, flashcards, mindmaps […]

Three ways in which the science of learning can help Since the launch of PowerPoint in 1987, it has been a significant part of our lives. During the last 25 years, PowerPoint has also found its way into educational contexts and is now widely used as a presentation tool in the classroom along with the […]

I recently had an interesting conversation with a high school student and it gave me a lot of insight – not only into how she and her friends view their school but also how aware they are of the fact that they are responsible for shaping their future. This group of students are currently in […]

ITSI presents 2nd Annual workshop in Africa on Mind, Brain, and Education for “Educators as brain-changers” ITSI, the pioneering provider of educational tools based on established research in the field of educational neurosciences, will be presenting the second annual workshop in Africa on Mind, Brain, and Education. Following the success of the 2018 workshop, the […]

Internationally recognised Dr Daisy Pellant to present at 2nd annual workshop on Mind, Brain and Education in Africa ITSI, the pioneering provider of educational tools based on established research in the field of educational neurosciences, is proud to announce that Dr Daisy Pellant, Director at the prestigious Peter Clark Center for Mind, Brain, and Education […]

On the 14th of January 2016 an important article was published by the World Economic Forum. In this article, Klaus Schwab discusses what is known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. For many, this article and the resulting discussions introduced the concept of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to the world stage. The term itself is now […]

Metacognition is considered one of the most important skills in order for students to achieve success. On a broad level, it refers to students’ ability to reflect on their learning, the process it involves and where it fits into the bigger picture. An often overlooked aspect of this is the extent to which students are […]

Every day, millions of students are taught in schools and universities by teachers and lecturers operating with a mixture of a common-sense understanding of the brain and neuromyths. Equally disquieting is the fact that policymakers and politicians make decisions on the future of learning, based on these same unfounded myths and their concomitant assumptions about […]

Have you ever heard of EBP? To many, it might sound like a medical condition but it actually refers to what is known as evidence-based practice. Evidence-based practice is a movement and methodology with the aim of applying scientific and clinical research to practical contexts such as the classroom. The field of Mind, Brain, and […]

Mindsets are fundamental to the way both students and educators perceive their respective academic journeys. We tend to hear phrases like “Just have a positive mindset about this” or “You can do this, just think positively” and then some phrases like “I just can’t do Maths” or even worse “You will never be able to […]

How the simple act of reading bedtime stories to your children could be the most significant contribution you can make to their future success. At the beginning of each year, many parents – especially those with pre-primary and primary school children (and often also those who are a bit concerned with the last report card […]

Six benefits of choosing e-textbooks over traditional hard copy books School booklists are out, and you want to be first in line to make sure that your child starts the new year fresh and ready – and what an early start to the new school year it’ll be!  But what will you choose: will it […]

The professional development and professional learning of educators is an important topic in 21st-century educational discourse. The professional development of educators is a rather niche field, but in recent times have soared in popularity. This has happened to such an extent that the British Journal of In-Service Education was rebranded as Professional Development in Education. […]

Teachers are sometimes exasperated by the fact that they cannot get students to forsake bad behaviours or grasp subtle but important concepts, no matter how many “interventions” we put in place. Examples of bad habits could be something as silly as consistently spelling particular words the wrong way or more profound issues such as confusing […]

Last month we started our discussion on achieving a balance in your professional development as educators. For the most part, we focused on the theoretical side of professional development. During this short discussion, it was evident that the theoretical side of professional development is of utmost importance in achieving a proper balance in growing as […]

Introduction People are becoming more and more aware of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the many challenges it poses. Learners, schools, teachers and especially parents often wonder what they can do to help kids prepare better for a knowledge economy on steroids. Parents, in particular, are often at a loss when it comes to helping […]

Balance is a fundamental characteristic of every system and, for that matter, every aspect of our personal and professional lives. Education, and specifically an educator’s professional development is no different. Professional development is only useful if it enhances teaching and learning in the actual classroom. To reach this goal, there is a delicate balance between […]

How do we plan for ICT-related change? This is probably one of the most prominent questions relating to education in the 21st-century, replacing the question of whether or not to consider the use of ICT in schools. Hargreaves et al. (2010: xi-xiii) refers to the late 20th-century and reflects on what society has learned in […]

On a recent trip with a group of friends to Namibia, we visited Namibrand. As its name suggests, Namibrand is right on the edge of the Namib desert and with its beautiful red sand dunes provides one with a glimpse of what lies ahead if one were to continue westward towards the Atlantic Ocean. Namibrand […]

Past papers are an essential component of exam preparation for Matric learners. Practicing past papers help learners develop essential exam skills and techniques; having an idea of what will be asked, how it will be asked, and what the expected model solution will be is a key piece of knowledge for any learner who wants […]

In their workshops on the latest brain science and learning (Mind, Brain and Education), Glenn Whitman and Ian Kelleher, talk about “Power Strategies for teachers/lecturers and students”. In our next couple of ITSI blogs, we want to tie in with this and focus on practical things that students can start with, at any time, which will […]

For many of us, the TPACK framework has been committed to the dusty chambers of our long-term memory. Perhaps it’s time to dust it off and re-evaluate its worth for the 21st-century educator. Reproduced with permission of the publisher, © 2012 by tpack.org The TPACK model initially evolved from only one of the three dimension […]

Over the years, teaching methodologies have remained very much the same: educators provide lessons from a curriculum, students learn this information, they are then tested on the knowledge gained and given a mark. At the same time, we live in a world where technology is at the heart of everything we do and how we […]

On 23 and 24 May 2018, ITSI hosted the First Mind, Brain and Education (MBE) Seminar in Africa, presented by Glenn Whitman and Ian Kelleher. Glenn and Ian are the authors of  Neuroteach – one of the most accessible and significant publications on research-informed teaching and learning to appear in the last 5 years. They […]

Defining the birth and decline of a generation of people is not a precise science by any means. An academic article by Kehl et al (2014) highlights the difficulties of establishing generational boundaries. In this article, the work of 8 other academic contributors is discussed and none of them are on the same page regarding […]

With midyear exams just around the corner, students and teachers alike are hard at work to prepare by revising work done over the past six months, writing mock tests, and compiling summaries of all subjects to be studied. However, students learn in various ways, and many of the traditional methods they follow are often ineffective […]

You might have heard of the term “the fourth industrial revolution” or the term “the age of automation”, you might even have heard of the “network society” or the “digital revolution”. These terms all refer to the current and future paradigms concerning the influence of technology in our societies. These theories differ from each other […]

With the midterm exam period looming, classes are at risk of becoming monotonous as educators work tirelessly to meet the curriculum requirements. Your students’ readiness is of paramount importance – they need to be equipped with the skills, motivation, knowledge and confidence to succeed. Here are five creative tools to breathe life into your resources: […]

If you are a parent or a teacher you would definitely have come across the following neuromyth… It is not only popular as a clickbait topic on the Internet, but also features in traditional media like newspapers and TV from time to time. Arguably, this has more to do with circulation numbers and attracting viewers […]

Throughout the centuries, great teachers have been guided by their intuition as to what method of teaching works best. Modern brain imaging techniques have brought into plain view why certain methods work as the workings of the brain has never been as thoroughly demonstrated. Today we have a clear understanding of which methods work. The […]

What would happen if we start to talk about 21st-century students as “Entrepreneurs of Learning” rather than “lifelong learners”? I suggest that it makes sense for two reasons: first – we live in an environment where entrepreneurs are celebrated as go-getters that are changing the world because they see themselves as the authors of their […]

The 21st-century brings a wealth of challenges to the world of education including the dual function of equipping students with the applicable knowledge and 21st-century skills to adapt in a vigorously changing society. Educators are left to decide which routes are best to take in responding to this challenge. Luckily, they are not alone as […]

ITSI aims to educate over 500 principals and educators country wide on Mind-Brain-Education (MBE) 2 March 2018 – PRETORIA – ITSI, the pioneering digital education platform providers, will once again embark on a national tour where CEO Dr Lieb Liebenberg will be presenting to various educational professionals i.e. school and tertiary institution management teams, exploring […]

MBE  – registrations open. Exclusive not-to- be missed event with internationally acclaimed US authors of “Neuroteach: Brain science and the future of education” – only 200 spaces available 22 FEBRUARY 2018 – PRETORIA – ITSI, the pioneering e-learning provider which enhances and simplifies the teaching and learning experience for both students and educators, today announced […]

Introduction The 10% neuromyth plays itself out in different ways and variations in popular culture of which perhaps the most well-known recent example is the movie “Lucy” showing the heroine achieving amazing feats as she uses more and more of her (drug-induced) brain capacity. The movie and series “Limitless” is based on the same myth. […]

The term thinking outside the box originated from an experiment done in 1930 called the Nine Dot Problem. This experiment was performed by Norman Maier, an American psychologist. What the Nine Dot Problem entails, is that three rows of three dots underneath one another needs be connected, using only four lines. Solving the problem requires […]

Our kids today grow up in a world where almost any device can be connected to the Internet and/or each other. When you grew up, there were most probably no iPads, Facebook or Snapchat and your worries were confined to falling from trees or burning the house down and not whether your identity might be […]

25 January 2018 – PRETORIA – ITSI, the pioneering e-learning provider which enhances and simplifies the teaching and learning experience for both students and educators, is proud to announce that they have partnered with iSchoolAfrica and Jacaranda FM to provide Ntšha-Peu Primary School in Soshanguve with an iPad lab and facilitation. iSchoolAfrica in partnership with […]

In 2014, Stephen Hawking said in an interview “We are all now connected by the Internet, like neurons in a giant brain.” The truth of this statement has only increased in relevance over the last four years, therefore our brains must be more awake than ever before. With vast amounts of information available and the […]

Internationally acclaimed authors and facilitators to conduct hands-on workshop with teachers and lecturers ITSI, the pioneering e-learning provider which enhances and simplifies the teaching and learning experience for both students and educators, will be hosting the first ever seminar in Africa on Mind-Brain-Education. The two-day seminar, taking place 23 – 24 May 2018 at Emperor’s Palace […]

At the beginning of the academic year, many teachers want to know if there are simple, easy to use techniques or tools which are sure to improve their teaching, i.e. result in better marks for their students. These three simple strategies, backed up by solid research, are sure to increase the effectiveness of your classroom: […]

At least 25 educational institutions (mostly schools) and almost 20 000 school learners will embark on their e-learning journey this year 17 January 2018 – PRETORIA – ITSI, the pioneering e-learning provider which enhances and simplifies the teaching and learning experience for both students and educators, is proud to announce that an additional combined total […]

It is that time of the year again, where the exams are done and peace has returned to homes. With many matrics already having left for the beach with their friends for a much anticipated holiday, parents probably have two wishes: they get there and back again safely but even more so that they have […]

Anyone that is involved in education knows about the prominence of 21st-century skills in discussions about the future of learning and that it should form an integral part of any education system which claims to prepare students for their working life. Initially the discussion was only about the 4 C’s (Critical thinking, Creativity, Collaboration and […]

At EduTech2017, Wikus Breetzke introduced Digital Lessons, an interactive collection of digital resources for Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences and Natural Science. Available through the ITSI Store.    Video Transcription Hi, my name is Wikus Breetzke, and I’m from ITSI in South Africa. At EduTECH 2017, we launched ITSI digital lessons, adding truly interactive […]

5 October 2017 – PRETORIA – ITSI, the pioneering e-learning provider which enhances and simplifies the teaching and learning experience for both students and educators, was last night awarded the Supplier of the Year Award in the category for Basic Education at the annual EduWeek Awards. The award was handed to Wikus Breetzke, Head of […]

ITSI launches collection of thousands of interactive digital resources in Maths, Physical Science, Life Science and Natural Sciences Interactive teaching resources in the form of photos, videos, animations, assessments and other simulations covering hundreds of various topics available as part of internationally recognised digital lessons 3 October 2017 – PRETORIA – ITSI, the pioneering e-learning […]

Cape Recife High is the largest schools of its kind in the Eastern Cape catering for learners with special needs from Grade RRR to 12. There are currently 416 learners – see how they make use of technology to enhance learning in the 21st-century. Transcription Mr. Jacques Pierre Hugo – Principal: Our school is the […]

The Learning Pyramid is an attempt to categorise different modes of teaching in terms of their value for learning – with “Teach others” as the most effective mode of learning something new and “Lecture” being the least effective. In favour of the Learning Pyramid This image (and derivatives of it) represents one of the most […]

Introduction Learning styles are one of those topics we should no longer be spending time on – either writing or reading – very much like one would not spend time on an article about the flat earth. And yet, here we are – talking about “learning styles” once again? For one, the term is still […]

Video Transcription Mr Leonard Swart, Head of Academics: Midstream College is a private school, it’s parallel medium which means we cater for Afrikaans and English learners, situated in Centurion. This year marks our 10 year so I think we’re very proud of what we’ve achieved in 10 years, we’ve grown from just over 160 learners […]

On Friday 7 July, a team from ITSI visited WetNose Animal Rescue Centre to spend the afternoon with the animals. WetNose Animal Rescue Center is a Right to Life animal shelter that rescues, rehabilitates and then re-homes abused, abandoned and neglected animals. ITSI employees got together to support this cause by making donations and providing […]

Our Lady of Fatima is a Dominican Convent School, situated in Durban North, KwaZulu-Natal. This an independent school, established in 1954, and has 640 learners and a staff of 60. They cater for girls from grade 1 to 12. In 2016, the school took the leap from traditional teaching and implemented ITSI’s blended learning platform. […]

Since 2014, ITSI annually embarks on a roadshow throughout the country to educate and inform schools on e-learning, as well as the new features offered through our platform. On 3 May, the 2017 roadshow kicked off in Stellenbosch followed by events in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, Pretoria, two events in Johannesburg, and a […]

The annual FNB Business Innovation Awards recognise and celebrate the efforts of high-impact entrepreneurs who have embraced many challenges to create world-class, innovative and scalable companies that continue to forge unique ways of doing business. Following an extensive process that spanned a few months, including an interview and presentation to the FNB Board, we were […]

ITSI invited the Honors Informatics students at the University of Pretoria to analyse our online store in terms of user experience. Through user-testing, problem areas and challenges had to be identified.  The students had to submit an assignment in teams consisting of four members suggesting solutions that will ensure an excellent user-experience. The top four […]

Within 21st-century education, e-learning is likely one of the most complex terms that we use on a frequent basis. In this article, “e-learning” refers to the use of ICT in conjunction with traditional face-to-face educational methods in the classroom, therefore providing a blended learning experience. Slameto, an Indonesian researcher, conducted an extensive field research project […]

Many primary schools are still hesitant to place tablets in the hands of their learners. The schools that have taken the decision to do so, however, can’t see themselves ever returning to hard copies and even go so far as to raise concerns over high schools not embracing technology to its full extent. A primary […]

In June 2015, Vodacom, in partnership with ITSI, rolled out its initial Smart School Project to five schools in the Free State. During the initial implemen-tation, Vodacom sponsored Internet with various partners taking care of the schools’ infrastructure, e-books, tablets for all learners, laptops for teachers, e-beams and interactive whiteboards in the classrooms. More than […]

In 2014, Allen Glen High School started their e-learning journey with ITSI and three years later, Principal Dr Johan Wiehahn, still believes that it was the right move. Initially they wanted to move away from hard copy textbooks, but did not want to disrupt their teaching and learning. Today, we are proud to say that […]

The pursuit of knowledge in the 21st-century has never been easier than it is with technology granting us access to unlimited resources and self-improvement guidance – even in an ever-changing world and educational market.   As educators, professional and personal development is of the utmost importance to future-proof our careers and turn our dreams into […]

As many of the schools – making use of the e-learning tools provided by ITSI  – already know, implementation during January is a team effort. From Wi-Fi setup and new devices, to tech upgrades and more, our Support team did it all.  January 2017 has been no different. This year, ITSI has successfully rolled out […]