Compaducator

Integrated portal for developing educator competence to meet the challenges of the 21st-century classroom and learner. 

The business case 

According to a 2017 policy brief of the Global Partnership for Education, teacher competence was cited as the main cause of low learning outcomes. In South Africa, over 20% of teachers are unqualified. Teacher’s colleges still face serious challenges in developing educators with the requisite competencies to deal with the increasing demands of the 21st-century classroom and learner. The current professional development model of educators still lacks a standard framework that informs the recruitment, assessment, and development of teachers. 

Bullying, violence, drugs and sexual harassment have turned both the classroom and playground into dangerous zones. While the rapidly changing technology continues to enhance the learning experience, teachers have to harness it effectively to achieve high learning outcomes. 

The solution

Compaducator is proposed as an integrated portal for developing educator competence in teaching with compassion and mindfulness for meeting the challenges of the 21st-century classroom and learner. Compaducator has three components.

1. Assessment: development of a psychometric tool that measures educator compassion. The purpose is to create a typical profile of a compassionate and mindful teacher using the Samaritan Leadership Framework.
2. Learning: a bite-sized teacher development resource aimed at creating 'Samaritan educators'.
3. Collaboration: The collaboration component of compaducator seeks to create a ‘global staffroom’ for teachers. On this platform, teachers will share and collaborate on great learning moments, ‘eureka' moments, challenges and insights from the classroom. In the long term, this will serve as a global repository of educator’s best practice. The salient insights from these collaborations can be used to inform the professional development of educators. 

Global impact

The global estimate of 69 million new educators by 2030 must not be a mere headcount. Using the assessment component of compaducator, teacher professional development will be modeled around selecting and developing teachers with the ‘heart’ to meet the challenges of the 21st century classroom and learner.

Aristotle once said, ‘Those who teach children are more to be honoured than those who produce them.’ Teachers have a great responsibility of not only transitioning learners from one grade to the next, but of dealing in the dreams and aspirations of their learners. The learning component of compaducator will create altruistic educators that are driven by a deep desire for educating learners. Educators will not only learn the tools of cultivating compassion and mindfulness in the classroom, but uphold an ‘educator’s credo’ of educating with a Samaritan’s heart. I believe our education system need Samaritan heroes. Educators are these Samaritan heroes to transform classrooms and school playgrounds from being unsafe zones into flourishing zones where next-generation leaders are developed and nurtured. The proposed ‘global staffroom’ for teachers has the potential of bringing educators all over the world under one 'digital roof'. I recall as a little boy taking the class books to the staffroom, i considered it 'holy ground'. Not only will educators share and collaborate on great learning moments, but the platform also has the potential of serving as a global repository of educator’s best practice.  

There’s currently no existing app or platform that has the scale and capability to create a ‘global staffroom’ for educators. In Africa, most graduates view the teaching profession as a transitional profession while they’re seeking for their desired profession. This creates a lot of mobility in the education system which adversely impacts on the learners. Compaducator has an assessment tool that will inform the recruitment and development of educators. It has become apparent that teaching in the 21st century goes beyond pedagogy, therefore, the learning resource of the compaducator has the potential of developing educators with a Samaritan’s heart. 

Compaducator runs off an integrated online platform and also harnesses the power of mobile technology sweeping across Africa as the fastest growing phenomenon. 

The solution’s goal over the next 12 months is to prototype, pilot and start the scaling process. Currently, the solution is a robust concept waiting to be rolled out on a platform. The learning resource tool of the solution has been rolled out at an international school in Namibia with some exciting feedback. 

The vision over the next three to five years is to enhance the functionality and actively work with all the key stakeholders such as educators, learners, teacher development institutions, teacher associations and ministry of education departments in different countries.  

Target key stakeholders in the education ecosystem with the beta version of the solution and get them to sign on. Candidate educators and teachers considering getting into the teaching profession. Trainee educators and teachers going through their professional training and development. Experienced educators and teachers. 

I’m currently working with an International school that has caught on to the idea. I’m assisting them to roll out a version of the solution on the school’s intranet. 

I’m expecting to be serving schools, teacher’s colleges and ministry of education departments in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, 

Entrepreneurial acumen. Start-up mindset. IT skills. Market knowledge. 

The revenue model is partly based on a subscription model and premium access. The solution is a multi-dimensional tool which means end users are getting a bundled solution.  

Solve has a global outlook and allows innovators from all over the world to participate on tackling global challenges. The partnership and funding potential makes it an excellent opportunity. 

A dedicated team willing to scale up the solution on a global scale. I believe I have a breakthrough concept that can change the education system. I'd would want possibly the partnership and funding support.