Hilldrop Heritage Testimonial
We recently received a testimonial from Hilldrop Heritage school. They have been using the CS4A School Curriculum for more than five years and received the 5-year award in 2016. Below are some questions and answers from one of the teachers, Ashley Pelser.
Please tell us about yourself so that readers can get to know you.
My Name is Ashley Pelser and I am one of the Computer teachers at Hilldrop Heritage School. I have been teaching computers for the last 5 Years.
What inspires you?
I am passionate about teaching and want to help each child reach their potential.
What qualification and / or experience do you have with regard to computers?
I have an ICDL qualification and have been teaching computers for the past five years.
What do you think the current educational trends are with respect to computer training?
I believe that computers can help the learners with their studies but unfortunately as computers are expensive not all children have access to them.
Why are you using the CS4A curriculum?
As there is no formal Dpt of Education curriculum for computers, CS4A allows all educators that teach computers and follow a structured progression through the years.
How do you feel about the CS4A curriculum?
It is a good curriculum for teaching children about computers, it is also user friendly for the staff teaching the children, even when there is more than one learner.
What do you enjoy most about using the CS4A curriculum?
It teaches the children to use the different programs of the computer and it is user friendly.
What do the learners enjoy most about using the CS4A curriculum?
Learning how to use the different tools in each program.
What part of the CS4A curriculum doesn’t work for you or the learners?
There is not enough time to complete the curriculum, especially gr4 and 7. Also, touching on different programs each term instead of dealing completely with one program one term and one program the next term, is not always practical as the children often forget what they have learnt and there isn’t much revision.
How much time would you say is taken up for preparation and or admin for these lessons?
The CS4A program saves a lot of time in preparing for computer lessons. The lessons are well thought out and are easy to follow.
Is the curriculum easy to understand; are there any difficult parts?
The curriculum is easy to follow and understand. Just no time for consolidation as it jumps from program to program and new ideas.
Have you printed any of the learners‘ work or examples to put up in the class room?
No.
The CS4A curriculum is under continual development. What would you change/add to the CS4A curriculum?
A Glossary at the back of the manual might help teachers that are new to computers. Less assessments for gr4 and 7 as we do not have enough time to get to them all.
Do you feel that there should be a version of the CS4A curriculum in another language? If so, which language?
Not for our school.
Do you think that using the CS4A curriculum will improve computer literacy? Why?
Yes, if you follow from Gr R to 7 it helps the development.
Would you recommend the CS4A curriculum?
Yes, any school starting a computer centre or programme should look for a system that has been tried and tested, to ensure that the centre is fully and correctly utilized. CS4A ticks all the right boxes.
