Mike MacFarlane

@DevandreeN That is great news. We moan so much about the government, so it's great to hear there is something positive on the horizon. Let's just hope it is rolled out effectively and that the greedy private companies don't cause problems.

Mike i just read that government wants to introduce their own broadband but private companies are protesting. Because they will lose revenue. Yet millions of SA are with out wifi. I say Go Government Go.

Polite, hard-working, respectful, positive and a good listener. Everything we look for in learners. The grades really don't matter as much to me, but the rest is vital.

Encouragement, praise and constructive criticism.

It's all about maintaining positive relationships. Even the greatest challenges can be overcome when the team dynamic is strong.

This has been my mantra for as long as I can remember. Opening yourself to a growth mindset opens up the world!

@leon_roets @MrGM_Muller Thanks for sharing. It's time for us to make evidence-based decisions and stop trying to use logic. None of us have ever lived through a pandemic, how can we possibly know what will be effective?

@MrGM_Muller We definitely cannot afford this. Research has shown that shutting down schools/opening them has little impact on increasing or decreasing COVID cases. We should follow the facts in #4IR. #FutureTrends doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n5…

With the increase in COVID-19 infection in South Africa, the talk of closing schools is on everyone’s lips. But what will the impact be on the future of education? Can education in SA continue through another school-lockdown? #FutureTrends #education timeslive.co.za/news/south-afr…

@jaemebhulley This is such an amazing blueprint. It is clear and logical which helps to make it less intimidating.

Dear leaders, there is so much information readily available for us. Roadmaps and tips that will lead us to success, even in a challenging time such as this. Its about finding what works and more so, what will work for you and your school. Self-awareness #futuretrends #change

@MagaselaNtombi @FABAT23 This quote is brilliant. Pedagogy needs to underpin our approach. Technology gives us an opportunity to reach every child, although this will rely on significant upgrades to our current infrastructure.

In terms of 4IR, we should always remember that "pedagogy comes BEFORE technology" There is no replacement for good effective teaching practice. Technology should serve only to enhance the experience #FutureTrends

For the future of South Africa, schools should primarily focus on:

Another great man, another great quote!

The great man knew what he was talking about! #futuretrends

@RochL91 These decisions need to benefit the many and not the few. We need to make sure that families with limited access to resources are not disadvantaged any further.

@MicMac500 I think about 80% have access to a cellphone. Maybe its time different sectors start demanding that gov go ahead with the long overdue spectrum auction & analogue switch off to create space for faster & cheaper internet access.

Less than 10% of households in South Africa have access to the internet. How can we possibly embrace 4IR at this rate? #FutureTrends

@KLehlapa Many private schools were prepared to keep children at home in a gesture of solidarity, but pressure from high-fee-paying parents made this difficult. Either way, most of these schools managed to transition to online learning almost seamlessly.

@MicMac500 True, and later they realised that education has to continue but working from home was impossible because there was not infrastructure to drive teaching from home.

Unsupervised, unmasked, and uneducated. Is this what the DBE had in mind when they closed schools? Was this decision driven by fear or based on sound research? Ultimately, it only served to further widen the gap between the privileged and the underprivileged. #futuretrends

@SSequeira5 Absolutely. Most high-income homes have sufficient access to resources. This is where equity comes in and we start to level the playing field.

@MicMac500 Do you think Government should apply different solutions to different types of schools?? South Africa has 5 Quintiles, all with different needs and resources.

Leadership is like a relationship or going to the gym. The best chance of success relies on consistency and not on intensity. #futuretrends youtube.com/watch?v=UZTyvb…

Sir Ken Robinson gave this talk 11 years ago, and it remains relevant today. He challenges educational leaders to shift their approach to education. If you haven't watched it before, do yourself a favour! #futuretrends youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcD…

@SSequeira5 I totally agree with you, @SSequeira5. Many leaders are scared to make the wrong decision because they aren't actually sure what the right decision is. If we keep the children's best interests at heart, I don't think we can go wrong. 🙌

@MicMac500 My focus has been on whether leaders in general and leaders in schools are scared to make decisions because we are ALL now in unprecedented waters with COVID and frankly no one knows the solution??? - but they have to be seen as if issues are being discussed and dealt with 🤷🏼‍♀️

Educational Leadership is challenging at the best of times. While keeping the future in mind, we need to satisfy the needs of the children in our care, their parents, and our teachers. This image takes a closer look at what we do on a daily basis. #futuretrends

This was actually my first ever Tweet over a year ago. Prof John Hattie believes that time away from school does not significantly impact learning outcomes. He does, however, point out that students from well-resourced families are likely to fare much better. #futuretrends