Darren August takes us through a few of the experiences and relationships with his own teachers, growing up, which changed his life. He retells the stories of others too, and will surely awaken your school memories. As an experienced motivator, the book leaves not only teachers encouraged to inspire others, but everyone else will feel inspired to reach their potential and live their calling too. 

This book offers a few giggles as we see things from the perspective of a child, but is mostly introspective of the role we play in the way in which children perceive themselves. Teachers and parents will find it particularly motivating – with practical ways you could change young lives, for good. 

This book is a great resource. It’s a celebration of teachers, as instrumental parts of society – it will definitely have you thinking of the teachers that have impacted your life. Scheduled for release in October 2014 – this book is set to motivate every South African reader to once again restore the dignity of ‘The Noblest Profession”. 

About the Author 

Darren August is the Founder and CEO of Dazz Consulting – A dynamic training organisation committed to seeing people thrive and succeed.He is a Corporate Trainer, Motivational Speaker, Life Coach, Entrepreneur, Radio Host & former Lecturer.He is passionate about Life; People and Education and together with his wife – Arlene, they believe in maximizing every opportunity to impact the lives of others. 

To order, for interview requests and other queries, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

They are in South African companies and industries right now, although they may not be part of traditional networks and are unlikely to be present at the higher levels of management in the same numbers as men.  It is for this reason that BPW SA and the Department of Trade & Industry (the dti) have partnered in an unrivalled “Women on Boards” director development programme to create a pool of female leaders in SA who are excellently trained and are therefore highly sought after by Boards.  

Most people today have no knowledge about the makeup of corporate boards, even in the companies they work for. These people would be surprised to learn how little diversity of thought and experience exists in the corporate boardrooms and executive suites of South African businesses. Why should you care about board composition? Boards of directors make decisions that can impact you, your community, and the country.  That’s why it’s important that membership on corporate boards be representative of a company's constituents.

Boards of directors choose CEOs. They make decisions about executive compensation, whether to buy, sell, or merge with other companies, where corporate offices close and relocate, and how much priority a company gives to issues other than profits, such as social responsibility.  

Our Women on Boards programme will give you the expertise and exposure needed to be part of the right networks.  It is an eight-part program — strategically placed over the course of 8 months, due to the complexity of the material — equips women with the knowledge and tools needed to elevate themselves to the C-suite and beyond.  In a supportive and highly interactive atmosphere, an impressive roster of top government and corporate experts will guide skilled female executives through a rigorous program of intensive classroom instruction, case studies and simulations. Every element of the program is focused on strengthening and broadening the leadership talents of the participants and delivering positive results for their companies and organizations.  They will improve their understanding of the responsibilities of board membership and develop the skills and strategic insight needed to become a more effective director.     They will improve their understanding of board governance while heightening their financial literacy and increasing their understanding of relevant legislation.  Amongst others, specialist training is also provided by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) with regard to corporate governance and understanding of JSE terminology and the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) (London) who will impart their expertise on personal and reputational risk.  The dti will convey their expectations of board members and corporate experts will present, and execute simulations, on media and presentation skills to enhance leadership effectiveness. The programme is certified by the dti.  

For more information, please visit our website at www.bpw-jhbsa.co.za  .or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 011 794-4991.

Effective teaching strategies are changing. Costs are rising and teachers’ resources are being stretched, often pushing them into teaching subjects for which they are not properly equipped.  

In addressing this challenge, there has been a move from ‘teacher-centric’ to ‘learner-centric’ education. While most SA teachers are knowledgeable in the theory, in many cases, this is not being extended to the classroom.    

Learner-driven teaching systems result in greater learner involvement and meaningful classroom interaction. One such solution is the portable iBox which turns any urban or rural classroom into an interactive teaching and learning environment. The compact unit can be stored in a safe place, and because it is portable, can be used in almost any environment.  

The iBox is the size of a small suitcase and incorporates a projector, laptop, and built-in speakers. When used with the response clickers and mobile interactive whiteboard, the classroom transforms into a multi-media ICT solution for effective and efficient teaching and learning.

Driven by software designed to cover the national curriculum, the iBox projects class notes and other important information about the topics onto a classroom screen. Using a handheld tablet and electronic pen, teachers are able to include additional notes and illustrations which are instantly highlighted for the learners to see.

The content of the iBox is useful for keeping in line with the curriculum timeline as well as supporting teachers with less knowledge and experience of the given topic.

A supplementary component of the iBox is the response clickers. These devices which look like remote controls allow teachers to pose questions during the lesson and learners’ responses are gathered in real-time with a click of a button.

The clicker feature provides immediate feedback and is used to assess the students’ understanding of the lesson. Information from the clicker enables the teacher to identify gaps in learning and revise the lesson accordingly.  

The iBox and clickers are being used by the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE). Mr Gauta Legoete, co-ordinator for GDE for District 8 in Sedibeng West, says the 2009 pass rate in his district was 28%, this improved to 68% in 2013 which Mr Legoete attributes directly to the use of the iBox and clickers.  

“Overall, the iBox has enabled teachers to be better prepared. The clickers used by learners to answer questions takes an enormous load off teachers having to mark test papers after hours and keeps teachers in touch with each learner’s progress,” he says.

In terms of science learning, the Sangari Active Sciences division has developed mobile apparatus kit, curriculum-aligned workbooks, and software for both primary and secondary school programmes. These resources were developed to enable teachers and learners to engage and learn science anywhere and are used in government and private schools throughout the country.

The mobile laboratory encourages and inspires teachers and learners to gain practical experience through curriculum-aligned experiments. Each portable laboratory includes equipment to enable learners to work independently or in groups.

Compared to setting up a traditional laboratory, the mobile laboratory is cost effective and is designed to store chemicals and apparatus safely. Practical experiments make use of small quantities of chemicals, resulting in less wastage and easy disposal. Little storage space is needed and the unit is lockable.   Included in the Sangari ActiveSciences Mobile Lab are practical workbooks that explain the assembly of the apparatus and guides learners through the process of the investigation. Learners work through the investigative questions and are guided to make scientific claims built on their evidence. The assessment questions are aligned to the outcomes of the lesson and ensure higher-order thinking skills.   

{pp}South African manufacturers need to see themselves as being part of global product production community that combines the best resources from around the world to take a product to market, rather than trying to keep all the processes on shore, says Roelf Mulder, managing director of award-winning product designers Dot Dot Dot Ex Why Zed Design (…XYZ Design).