Limpopo teacher wins top tech award

Cape Town – The Internet Service Provider Association of South Africa (Ispa) has honoured Tinny Molepo as the SuperTeacher of the Year for 2015.

Molepo is a primary school teacher at Mothibedi Combined School in Limpopo and she won the award thanks to her work using technology tools like Skype to boost reading and writing skills in her learners.

“My passion is helping others live up to their potential and I have realised that technology can play a big role in helping all of us fulfil our life goals,” Molepo told Fin24.

She added that technology tools could have a major impact in South African education.

“I am very pleased to have used Skype, for example, in the educational environment in a worthwhile way. It is very important for donors and sponsors to be able to see how their materials are helping learners and educators in real ways every day."

Molepo, along with other category winners, were congratulated by the Western Cape MEC.

"We place great value in awards like this as the provincial education department is trying to create an entirely different ethos that is centred around IT in education, and also acknowledges the kind of creativity that we have seen here tonight," said Debbie Schäfer, Western Cape Provincial MEC of education.

Molepo was joined by Ispa TechTeacher of the Year, Matthew Hains of Woodlands International College, and Ispa ChampTeacher of the Year, Mabore Lekalakala of Toronto Primary in Limpopo.

“The three winners demonstrated that technology alone doesn't produce winners - their perseverance and creativity helped power them right over the finish line," said Fiona Wallace, Ispa CEO.

The awards ceremony, which took place in Stellenbosch outside Cape Town, saw the top teachers win trophies as well as tools to facilitate increased use of technology in education.

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