Remuneration:Negotiable market-related Location:Johannesburg, Orange GroveRemote work:Some remote work allowedJob level:Management (Snr – Executive, 5+ yrs)Type:PermanentCompany:K and K Media

Digital sales manager

Qualifigation [marketing, business or advertising]

Must have three to five years Experience as senior sales exective or manager

Roles and responsibilities

Develop digital sales strategiesManage the digital sales teamBuild and promote strong, long-lasting customer relationships by partnering with them and understanding their needs.Direct sales processes to generate revenues.Present sales, expenses reports and realistic forecasts to the management team.Generate timely sales reports.Meet with customers to discuss their evolving needs and to assess the quality of our company’s relationship with them.Present sales, expenses reports and realistic forecasts to the management team.Extensive knowledge of digital sales processes, digital platforms, technical markets, pricing models, channels of distribution, technology trends, customer buying patterns and budgeting.

Successful candidates must have

Excellent organisational and communication skills.Attention to detail.The ability to work in a highly pressurised environmentGood interpersonal skills and be able to work as part of a teamHave good telephone etiquette.Good time management skillsMust be customer service orientatedThe ability to maintain confidentiality at all times.

Company Description

K and K Media Group is 100% black owned Media Company that not only produces news for its digital and print publications, but is also a leader in content creation and digital distribution in South Africa.

Posted on 07 Dec 12:48, Closing date 5 Feb

Apply

Faith Murumbi
faith@kandkmedia.co.za
0104956212

OR

Remuneration:Negotiable market-related Location:Johannesburg, Orange GroveRemote work:Some remote work allowedEducation level:DegreeJob level:Management (Snr – Executive, 5+ yrs)Type:PermanentCompany:K and K Media

Digital editor

Qualifications- Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, or an English-related discipline.

Roles and responsibilities

Create and manage quality digital content.Overseeing and approving content layouts on all social media platforms.Collaborate with staff members and build relationships with clients.Assigning and coordinating written content for web publishing across all our digital platforms.Monitoring and supervising tasks to ensure that deadlines are met.Consult with the marketing department about goals, assign stories or content to writers, edit the articles, and publish them on a website.Create, edit, format and publish digital content.The successful candidate will work closely with a team of writers and graphic artists, coordinating their output for online publication.Collaborating with staff to come up with appealing content.Devise and implement social media strategiesSupervise layout of images, graphics, videos and other artwork.Improving the website, so that its content ranks higher in search engine results.Monitoring SEO figures and reporting on these.

Successful candidates must have

Excellent organisational and communication skills.Attention to detail.The ability to work in a highly pressurised environmentGood interpersonal skills and be able to work as part of a teamHave good telephone etiquette.Good time management skillsMust be customer service orientatedThe ability to maintain confidentiality at all times.

Company Description

K and K Media Group is 100% black owned Media Company that not only produces news for its digital and print publications, but is also a leader in content creation and digital distribution in South Africa.

Posted on 07 Dec 12:46, Closing date 5 Feb

Apply

Faith Murumbi
faith@kandkmedia.co.za
0104956212

OR

Remuneration:Negotiable market-related Location:Johannesburg, Orange GroveRemote work:Some remote work allowedEducation level:DegreeJob level:Management (Snr – Executive, 5+ yrs)Type:PermanentCompany:K and K Media

K and K Media Group seeks to provide opportunities to qualifying candidates in the below fields. Applicants must have at least 3 to 5 years experience.

Please send the CV to faith@kandkmedia.co.za

IT manager

Qualifications- Bachelor degree in computer science, information technology

Roles and responsibilities

Ensure regulatory compliance on all IT-related matters.Develop a consolidated technology roadmap for all companies within the Group.Manages the network and server infrastructure of the company.Securing the company’s computer systems and electronic data, development and implementation of customised systems and overseeing all computer-related activities.Help guide the technological direction of the organizations by constructing business plans, overseeing network security, and directing online operations.

Successful candidates must have

Excellent organisational and communication skills.Attention to detail.The ability to work in a highly pressurised environmentGood interpersonal skills and be able to work as part of a teamHave good telephone etiquette.Good time management skillsMust be customer service orientatedThe ability to maintain confidentiality at all times.

Company Description

K and K Media Group is 100% black owned Media Company that not only produces news for its digital and print publications, but is also a leader in content creation and digital distribution in South Africa.

Posted on 07 Dec 12:43, Closing date 5 Feb

Apply

Faith Murumbi
faith@kandkmedia.co.za
0104956212

OR

Remuneration:Negotiable market-related Location:Johannesburg, Orange GroveRemote work:Some remote work allowedEducation level:DegreeJob level:Management (Snr – Executive, 5+ yrs)Type:PermanentCompany:K and K Media

K and K Media Group seeks to provide opportunities to qualifying candidates. Applicants must have at least 3-5 years of experience.

Please send the CV to faith@kandkmedia.co.za

Finance manager

Qualifications– Bachelor’s degree in finance or a related field, such as economics, accounting, or business.

Roles and responsibilities

Responsible for the financial health of the organization.Produce financial reports, direct investment activities, and develop strategies and plans for the long-term financial goals of the organization.Help management make financial decisions.Applying and adhering to financial and operation controls and proceduresUpdating transaction records and assisting with payroll administration.Assisting with accounts receivable and payable, as well as expenses.Generating and distribution of billing

Successful candidates must have

Excellent organisational and communication skills.Attention to detail.The ability to work in a highly pressurised environmentGood interpersonal skills and be able to work as part of a teamHave good telephone etiquette.Good time management skillsMust be customer service OrientatedThe ability to maintain confidentiality at all times.

Company Description

K and K Media Group is 100% black owned Media Company that not only produces news for its digital and print publications, but is also a leader in content creation and digital distribution in South Africa.

Posted on 07 Dec 12:41, Closing date 5 Feb

Apply

Faith Murumbi
faith@kandkmedia.co.za
0104956212

OR

MALUTA Netshipale, the 2020/2021 Curro Serengeti Head Girl has secured the attention not only of one international university, but three.

She’s been provisionally accepted to study Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of Nottingham, Psychological Sciences at the University of Liverpool and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Manchester.

This as what she wants to study is not offered by local universities at degree level and is highly specialised. That said, Maluta’s offers from local universities include those from the University of Cape Town, University of the Witwatersrand, University of Pretoria, and University of KwaZulu Natal in fields that relate to the biological sciences and medicine.

Maluta’s final choice of tertiary education provider comes down to her fascination with what makes us all human and how large a role the brain plays in our unique chemistry and make-up.

She says, “I want to understand what parts of us are inherent and what it is that we control. And from those parts that we control, how do we control them – through our brain or environmental factors?”

She is also reviewing the institutions with regards to the insight and information they provide about their courses as well as their accolades and campus lifestyle. Degrees at all institutions are three years long, although one of the universities provides the option to be placed within the industry for a year to research and write a report on her experiences and what she has gained from them.

Armed with her degree Maluta wants to practice as a cognitive therapist or cognitive behavioural therapist. She has a strong desire to help people with mental disorders and mental issues and wants to enable them, through therapy, to live fulfilling and enjoyable lives.

“My goal is to help people who struggle with their mental and emotional health by gaining a better understanding of what causes their challenges and how much of it can be altered. Mental health issues are rife all over the world. I want to help open up people’s minds to the idea of seeking psychiatric, therapeutical or medical help,” she says.

Applications to the UK universities began in May and she has just received news of her acceptance at all three. With her stellar marks ranging between 83% and 92% for her subjects of Afrikaans FAL, English HL, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Dramatic Arts and Life Orientation, it’s easy to understand her attractiveness as a future student to the international institutions.

“Maluta is not only a strong leader as Head Girl of our school, but she is also among the most academically gifted too. Her results for her Grade 12 third term were exceptional and we are so proud of her for attracting the interest of universities with such standing and reputation. Having worked consistently throughout her school years to achieve these results has paid off and we congratulate Maluta and thank her for flying our flag high,” comments Curro Serengeti’s Executive Head, Dr Sharitha Lalla.

Maluta will decide on a choice of university following the release of the Matric results, taking into consideration that the UK academic year starts in September 2022.

THE Botswana scientist who may well have discovered the omicron variant of the coronavirus says he has been on a “rollercoaster of emotions,” with the pride of accomplishment followed by dismay over the travel bans immediately slapped on southern African countries.

“Is that how you reward science? By blacklisting countries?” Dr. Sikhulile Moyo, a virologist at the Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, said in an interview Thursday night with The Associated Press.

“The virus does not know passports, it does not know borders,” he added. “We should not do geopolitics about the virus. … We should be collaborating and understanding.”

Moyo was doing genomic sequencing of COVID-19 samples at his lab in Botswana two weeks ago and noticed three cases that seemed dramatically different, with an unusual pattern showing multiple mutations. He continued studying the results and by early last week, decided to publicly release the data on the internet.

Soon scientists in South Africa said they had made the same findings. And an identical case in Hong Kong was also identified.

A new coronavirus variant had been discovered, and soon the World Health Organization named it omicron. It has now been identified in 38 countries and counting, including much of Western Europe and the United States. And the U.S. and many other nations have imposed flight restrictions to try to contain the emerging threat.

Speaking from his lab in Gaborone, Botswana’s capital, Moyo bristled at being described as the man who first identified omicron.

“Scientists should work together and the ‘who first did that’ syndrome should go. We should all be able to be proud that we all contributed in one way or the other,” said the 48-year-old scientist.

In fact, he noted that the variant was found to be something entirely new only by comparing it to other viruses online in a public database shared by scientists.

“The only way you can really see that you see something new is when you compare with millions of sequences. That’s why you deposit it online,” he said.

The Zimbabwe-born Moyo — who is also a research associate at Harvard’s school of public health, a married father of three, and a gospel singer — expressed pride in the way he and his international colleagues were transparent about their findings and sounded the alarm to the rest of the world.

“We’re excited that we probably gave a warning signal that may have averted many deaths and many infections,” he said.

Omicron startled scientists because it had more than 50 mutations.

“It is a big jump in the evolution of the virus and has many more mutations that we expected,” said Tulio de Oliveira, director of the Center for Epidemic Response and Innovation in South Africa, who taught Moyo when he was earning his Ph.D. in virology from South Africa’s Stellenbosch University.

Little is known about the variant, and the world is watching nervously. It’s not clear if it makes people more seriously ill or can evade the vaccine. But early evidence suggests it might be more contagious and more efficient at re-infecting people who have had a bout with COVID-19.

In the coming weeks, labs around the world will be working to find out what to expect from omicron and just how dangerous it is.

“What is important is collaboration and contribution,” Moyo said. “I think we should value that kind of collaboration because it will generate great science and great contributions. We need each other, and that’s the most important.”

South Africa is seeing a dramatic surge in infections that may be driven by omicron. The country reported more than 16,000 new COVID-19 cases Friday, up from about 200 per day in mid-November.

The number of omicron cases confirmed by genetic sequencing in Botswana has grown to 19, while South Africa has recorded more than 200. So far, most of the cases are in people who did not get vaccinated.

“I have a lot of hope from the data that we see, that those vaccinated should be able to have a lot of protection,” Moyo said. “We should try to encourage as many people to get vaccinated as possible.”

Moyo warned that the world “must go to a mirror and look at themselves” and make sure Africa’s 1.3 billion people are not left behind in the vaccination drive.

He credited earlier research and investment into fighting HIV and AIDS with building Botswana’s capacity for doing genetic sequencing. That made it easier for researchers to switch to working on the coronavirus, he said.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, Moyo finds some cause for optimism.

“What gives me hope is that the world is now speaking the same language,” said Moyo, explaining that the pandemic has seen a new global commitment to scientific research and surveillance.

He added that the pandemic has also been a wake-up call for Africa.

“I think our policymakers have realized the importance of science, the importance of research,” Moyo said. “I think COVID has magnified, has made us realize that we need to focus on things that are important and invest in our health systems, invest in our primary health care.”

He added: “I think it’s a great lesson for humanity.”

AP

THE teaching life is the life of the explorer, the creator, constructing the classroom for free exploration. It is about engagement. It takes courage. It is about ruthlessly excising what is flawed, what no longer fits, no matter how difficult it was to achieve. It is about recognizing teaching as a medium that can do some things exquisitely but cannot do everything.”
– Christa L. Walck, “A Teaching Life,” Journal of Management Education, November, 1997, p. 481

Teaching and learning go hand-in-hand. Effective teachers continually improve their skills by learning about the latest trends in the field of education.

But what exactly is teaching and learning, and how do you foster a relationship between the two that is synchronistic and fluent? The following guide offers teaching principles, learning examples, and the importance of a healthy relationship between student learning and teaching.

Teaching Principles

“Most teachers resist showing students the dirty part of real learning, and by the dirty part I don’t mean the hard work…I mean the part where we fail nine times in a row before we find a good approach. I mean the parts where we are confused about our project, defensive in the face of criticism, doubtful of our abilities…Whatever the venue…teachers like modeling their knowledge, not their ignorance, and they avoid referring to the muddy paths, fear-filled moments, and just plain failure that are the unavoidable parts of getting the knowledge we possess.”
– Marshall Gregory, “From Shakespeare on the Page to Shakespeare on the Stage,” Pedagogy, 2006, p. 324

Teaching and learning are multi-faceted phenomena—and that’s how we should be thinking about them, right from the start.

Books written for beginning teachers, in fact lots of teaching books, focus on techniques. Yes, new (and old) teachers need techniques, but when that’s the main focus, it tends to narrow the thinking and trivialize the complexities.

The literature on teaching and learning is diverse—one of its finest features. It can do a good job of shaping this broader thinking if it’s sampled across disciplines, topics, and categories.

The following articles and programs are reflective of how those learning to teach (doesn’t that include all of us?) ought to begin and proceed.

Learning Principles

“Good students are those who learn. Whatever their preconceptions, barriers or deficits—whatever their story—they take new information and new experiences, and to the best of their ability, make them tools for transforming themselves and their world. And at last I’ve learned that a good teacher is someone who can recognize and connect with good students—in all their forms.”
– Mark Cohan, “Bad Apple: The Social Production and Subsequent Reeducation of a Bad Teacher,” Change, November/December, 2009, p. 36

The learning-teaching synergy happens when teachers are thinking, observing, and focusing in all sorts of ways on learning—when we are constantly asking, “What’s going to help students learn this?”

This focus on learning and attempts to understand how it’s happening for students drives decision-making about teaching.

It is what determines whether students will work in groups, whether they need to write or speak answers, whether their understanding of a concept should be tested, and on and on.

Teachers become learners of learning. We have always been learners of content, but now in every class we seek to better understand the relationship between the learning experiences of students and the instructional approaches we are using.

– FacultyFocus

THE University of Johannesburg (UJ) announced on Friday its decision to institute mandatory vaccination at all its campuses and facilities from January 2022.

Their decision largely follows news of the Omicron variant – the most recently reported COVID-19 variant.

The university said it will consider religious and medical exemptions but stressed that collective rights will take precedence as per Section 36 of the Constitution.

All staff, students and postdoctoral research fellows – as well as visitors, contractors and other stakeholders – will have to show proof of partial or full vaccination before entering any campus or facility.

The UJ Council made the decision in favour of mandatory vaccinations for staff and students to be implemented from January 2022, and said:

“The vaccination policy states that staff, post-doctoral research fellows, and students will need to provide UJ with their vaccination status – first vaccination completed or fully vaccinated – before gaining access to any campus or facility. These measures also apply to ad hoc contractors, identified stakeholders and visitors.”

The university said to gain access to UJ campuses and facilities, employees, postdoctoral research fellows, and students will be required to provide their digital vaccine vaccination cards to authorized University officials to confirm their vaccination status.

Confirmation of vaccination status will be linked to the student or employee access card, ensuring access to UJ campuses and facilities.

“This outcome will ensure that the University’s staff, postdoctoral research fellows, and students have optimal access to the University’s precincts for purposes of working, learning, research, laboratory, and clinical work whilst protecting the health and safety of the University community and its stakeholders,” the university said in a statement.

“The need for optimal access to the campuses and facilities has become crucial in part because of the socioeconomic circumstances of the University’s students. Additionally, some learning programmes require in-person engagement for research and experiential learning.”  

When required, employees will be allowed, within working hours, to be vaccinated, the university added.

“Where applicable, sick leave will be allowed should any side-effects associated with the vaccine be experienced,” it said.

In addition to UJ, here are the South Africa Universities that have opted for mandatory vaccination policies:

University of Cape TownUniversity of the Western CapeRhodes UniversityUniversity of the Free StateUniversity of the Witswatersrand

Stellenbosch University and the University of Pretoria are two of the bigger higher learning institutions in South Africa that have not adopted mandatory vaccination policies.

The 26-member body that constitutes Universities South Africa (USAf) has previously declared that vaccinations are a must. 

* Inside Education

The students knew their South African university was the epicentre of a new COVID-19 variant spreading panic across the globe, but over the past week many worried more about how Omicron would mess up exams and holiday plans than about catching it.

At the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), in the capital Pretoria, learners languidly walked across the green campus shaded by trees, chatting, buying soft drinks, staring at their phones and sitting on benches overlooking a pond.

Most wore masks; a few didn’t. Many were vaccinated; some obstinately were not. Around 30 students interviewed by Reuters were mostly concerned about their classes being disrupted again. And whatever their opinions on the vaccine, the outbreak had done nothing to change their minds.

“This variant has messed us up. It means even more classes online, which makes it hard to learn,” management student Nqubeko Chisale, 21, said. “Sometimes the Internet link doesn’t work. I need to have the teacher in the room.”

Scientists are analysing Omicron to see if it evades the immunity conferred by vaccines or past illness.

The government meanwhile is pushing to try get as many people vaccinated as possible, while urging the cancelling of possible super-spreader events — like the big student parties and festivals popular this time of year.

Several have already been called off, including a music festival for young people on the coast, after 36 people tested positive for COVID-19 at the site.

Some early data seems to show more young people getting the severe symptoms typically suffered by their elders. But youths are also the least vaccinated: only a fifth of 18-34 year olds have had the shot, official data shows, partly owing to false beliefs about its safety proliferating on the Internet.

Chisale admits he belongs to the other four-fifths.

“So many things I’ve heard about the vaccine: it makes you sick, headache. Maybe someday, but I don’t think I’m ready,” he said, and he’s in no rush to change his mind, even with the fourth wave of COVID-19 surging through his campus.

‘TRYING TO PERSUADE HIM’

Other students successfully ignored the mountain of false vaccine information, like 20-year-nursing student Sinethemba Nkosi. She and her friends all got the shot, except one — and he was the only one of them who got sick in the latest wave. Nkosi never caught it from him, even though they share a house.

“I was really encouraging him to get the vaccine, but he was worried about the side effects,” she said of her friend, who since last week has been in bed with a fever. But her bigger concern was the delay of the exams she’d been itching to finish.

At a lunch table shaded by a tree outside the university cafeteria, supply chain management students Thato Letsholo and Nkanyiso Sithole ate pork chops, complained about virtual classes, and disagreed with each other about the vaccine.

Asked if he was worried about the disease itself, Letsholo said: “Yes. I mean it’s killing people”. But his far bigger fear was more dreaded online learning and having to repeat a year if his academic calendar keeps getting delayed.

Letsholo’s mother is a nurse, so she convinced him to get the shot. “I’ve been trying to persuade him,” he said, indicating his classmate, Sithole, who mumbled something about waiting to see how his friend who’d just had it would do before risking it.

Sitting on beer crates under a tree, Tshepo Legon and his sports science classmate, Long Matimelami, said nothing but draconian regulations would get them to inoculate.

“This thing of vaccines is rubbish. I don’t want to take it,” Legon said. “I don’t care about the new variant. If I catch it, I’ll just take my traditional remedies.”