Topic outline

  • Unit 00: Orientation Workshop

  • Workshop Introduction

    • Registrations, Enrolments & Facilitation

      • Setting up your Moodle Account and Unit Enrolment.

        During this workshop session we will be setting up your Moodle account. We will be creating you as a 'user', making sure you have 'access' to the correct units and themes and taking your photograph so it can be loaded into your 'profile'. 

        We will encourage you to use the Track Selection Tool to identify which study learning pathway is suited to your skills and experience.

        Then its time too enrol into the track and units you have selected. Access the lesson below to take you through the steps. The facilitation team will also be on hand to assist should you need help.

      • Welcome to the MG Online orientation workshop

        Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance (MGSLG) has created a professional development platform for teachers, MG Online, and you are looking at it right now!

        This orientation course is designed to familiarise you with the various MG Online platform tools. These tools will allow you to access your study resources, perform online activities, communicate with your peers and the online facilitators, track your progress, grades and ultimately deliver your certificate.



      • Self-evaluation Questionnaire

        This is not a beginners course and we expect you to have some teaching and ICT experience. Use the self-evaluation test below to see if you have the pre-requisite skills to be successful.


      • Ice Breaker: Meet Your Facilitators

        Working online can sometimes be a bit lonely. We don't want this! So please meet the facilitation team! These individuals will look after you online. They will be there when you have problems and also be tracking your progress. If you go 'quiet' for too long they will ge contacting you to find out what is wrong! The document below identifies which of the facilitators is on 'duty' at what time. Office Hours are from 17h30-20h00 every night so feel free to contact the person on duty using either the unit forums or the WhatsApp group.


    • Track Selection Tool and Unit Enrolment


      • Choosing the best study track

        No teacher is the same. We all have prior experiences and skill sets that make studying ICT challenging. MG Online has created 6 study tracks that cater for different interests and skills. Use the Track Selection tool, below, to ascertain which track is best for you.


      • Self-enrol

        Once you have selected a track navigate to the Track Home Page. On that page you will see links to each unit of study. During this orientation session we want you to visit each unit and self enrol. The advantage of this is that in the future you will see your study units neatly indexed on the 'My Course' section of your dashboard. This will make navigation easier in the future. 

        Look for this symbol on each unit page and select 'Enrol me in this course'.

    • MG Online Platform Tools

      • Getting to know the LMS

        Besides this initial orientation workshop most of the course is done online through a learning management system (LMS) or platform called MG Online. It is essential that you feel comfortable with the online tools that you will be required to use as part of your studies. 

      • Introductions using the Chat tool

        Welcome! You might already have met a few people informally but let us introduce ourselves formally. There is, however, a twist. We will introduce ourselves using the Chat tool.

        1. Access the chat room below entitled 'Introductions'
        2. Once inside type your name and school and submit your information.
        3. You will notice that others are there too so go ahead and greet them in the same way.

      • Was that chaotic! With 50 of you all interacting at the same time it probally was! So how can we use the chat for educational purposes?

        1. Access the Chatiquette tips below and familiarise yourself with good chat behaviour.

      • Course Expectations using the Forum tool

        When the facilitator wants you to discuss an issue it is more likely that he/she will use the Forum tool. This tool allows for a more sophisticated discussion. Another advantage is that it is an example of asynchronous communication, that is it's not necessary to have everyone online at the same time. We will use the forum tool to identify your course expectations. What do you think the course will offer you in terms of professional development?

        1. Access the forum below entitled 'Expectations'
        2. Once inside find the facilitator's 1st post and click on the 'Reply' button.
        3. In the text box that appears type a paragraph identifying what you expect the Teacher's ICT Intergration Course to deliver. What are your expectations?
        4. Once complete go back and see what others have written. Either question or endorse their perspectives by clicking the 'Reply' button attached to their posts.


      • Submitting assignments

        In most units you will be requested to submit an assignment to the unit facilitator as evidence that you have achieved the unit objective. Assignments will be in the form of an electronic document such as a word processor file or a presentation. These assignment files need to be submitted within the LMS. Do NOT send your assignment to the facilitator via e-mail. He or she will delete it! We need to track each file so make sure you know how to use the assignment tool.

        1. In 20 minutes use any software package, for example a presentation package and create a document that tells the facilitator something about yourself: 1 - Name, hometown, school, grades you teach | 2 - Hobbies, sports, cultural interests | 3 - Family - Spouse, children, parents etc. | 4 - Which inspirational historical figure, dead or alive, would you like to spend an hour with and why.
        2. Save the file with a name like 'SurnameProfile.pptx'
        3. Use the upload tool below to submit your assignment.

      • Quizzes

        Occasionally a unit assessment may require you to do a test or quiz. Make sure you are familiar with how it works. Try out the example below.  

      • Tracking Your Own Progress

        Throughout the course you can track your own progress. To do this we will use the LMS Course Completion Tool to monitor progress. Access the tutorial below to see how this is done.

    • WhatsApp!


      • Course Community Chat - Whats App Group

        You have been interacting face to face during this orientation course. To continue collaborating during the online phase, we need to form a WhatsApp group. In this group you will required to observe online etiquette and chatiquette that you have learnt.

        1. You will need to download the free app on Google Play (Android) or the App Store (iOS) to your phone;
        2. Provide your telephone number to the facilitator who will invite you to the course group;
        3. Accept the invite to the group on your cell phone.

    • Badges and SACE Points

      • Studying with MG Online helps generate South African Council of Educator (SACE) professional development points. Keep in mind you need to generate 150 professional development points over three years. Each unit has been allocated SACE points. Units vary from 0.5-2 points based on how many notional hours are required to complete them. This orientation, however, will earn you 6 points!

        In order to have a record of what you have studied collect the MG Online badges after successfully completing each assignment. The badges can be converted into SACE points at the end of the course. On completion of the orientation course survey we will give you your first badge! Keep track of which ones you have earned by checking your profile where your badges are stored.

    • Optimal Use of Mobile Devices

      • Using your phone and tablet to access MG Online

        In this session we will look at how to set up your phones and tablets to support your studies using Moodle Mobile. Moodle Mobile runs on three of the main platforms; Android, iOS and Windows Phone. The following are the steps to follow when installing the application on these platforms;

    • Workshop Evaluation

      • Feedback on the Workshop

        Do you feel you are ready? Prepared? Was the workshop effective in providing you with an orientation to the VLE and the course in general? Please give us some feedback so that we can improve the workshop.

      • Workshop Feedback

        1. Access the questionnaire below entitled 'Orientation Workshop Feedback'
        2. Please be honest and answer all the questions.
        3. Please note, however, that the questionnaire is NOT anonymous.

    • Terms of Use