Connections that Empower the Teachers and Learners
This was a week of critical connections that hopefully will support the work of the teachers for years to come.
The school now has significant material resources, many of which we have been able to supplement through generous donations to our Education Fund at South Africa Partners over the years - books, computers, copiers. The school has excellent leadership and committed teachers. But a total staff of 35 for 1160 students cannot possibly do everything that is needed.
The lack of time, and experience with choosing books for students, has led to underutilization of the library. There are books in most classrooms and there are some real bright spots (more below), but in general the school needs a librarian to support the teachers and learners. (We love that SA educators use the word “learners” instead of “students.”) Increasing outreach by the Municipal Library brings us close to making this a reality. 
The school’s library committee had an excellent meeting with the impressive new head librarian of the municipality, Mthandazo Desire Ntsham, (at right above) along with the retired -but still involved!- head librarian Isabelle Goosen (at left) and two local librarians who have been coming to schools to read with the youngest learners under a newly funded library program. They are brainstorming ways to bring a librarian to the school for a few days a week to help the teachers choose books, work with learners and do outreach to the families. Our SA Education Fund may play a part in this…
We also had a great meeting with Charlie Josephs, who is the connector of all connectors! Charlie previously worked for the government and has led many community development programs in this region. In a meeting with the acting principal and the deputy principal, he shared many contacts to move critical initiatives at the school forward. What a great partner!
Laptops Arrived!
The donated laptops arrived with new hard drives and software installed on Friday. These are a critical supplement to the updated computers in the lab. Now teachers can work with their learners on computers outside of the lab or have small group work, in addition to the scheduled time in the lab.
Comprehensive teacher training is on the horizon! Another critical meeting took place with the acting principal and Sister Breda of the Sisters of Mercy, well known for her computer training. The Department of Education has provided each teacher with a laptop -- but no training. Computer skills vary greatly among the teachers, which also impacts how comfortable they are using computers with the learners. Eileen has provided some limited training, but much more is needed. In collaboration with school leaders, Sister Breda will soon provide a 10-hour course over several weeks after school, with teachers in two groups based on their current knowledge. This training will be at a very discounted fee, with the Education Fund contributing. (Your donations at work, again!)Thoughtful discussions in the classrooms
Larry continues to work with the six teachers who instruct students in English in grades 4-7, their second or third language. he continued to demonstrate the use of reading stories aloud while interspersing thoughtful questions to engage their curiosity and thinking and provide opportunities for language development using the Think-Pair-Share technique. While still working with the teachers to get more learners to share their thinking, he and the teachers were encouraged and amazed at some of the comments made by the learners.
Larry asked one group to suggest ways in which animals were similar and different. To give
an example of the wide range of language capabilities in this grade 7 class, some learners could only offer “dog, snake, butterfly, fish” to the question. However, another learner suggested they all move. While accurate, his suggestion led to a discussion of how they also were different in the way that they move. But what really blew us away was the learner who looked at the list and suggested that they were all the same (and animals in general) in that they were dependent on each other. This led to an even more interesting discussion of the food chain, my contribution injected into the conversation because this learner didn’t have the language (or the confidence) to share what most assuredly led to her statement. The untapped potential of these learners is obvious. We continue to search for ways to have them express themselves and reach that potential. One way we tried was to have each learner write a response on a sticky note and post it on the blackboard. In this way many more learners contributed their ideas.
Larry also demonstrated the use of non-fiction big books. The purpose was to show teachers that these books could be used effectively with the entire class to teach skills. He focused on one book’s table of contents. The teacher in this grade 6 class was surprised to find out that many learners knew very little about the table of contents. She plans to teach more directly skills and concepts she had assumed her learners understood and were using.
Larry also did a demonstration of reading a big book story for grade 1 teachers. Several of the teachers took videos so they could refer back to his techniques to engage the learners. We appreciate the many big books donated by O’brien Associates of Richmond, Virginia.
Perhaps the most exciting moment for Larry came at the conclusion of the lesson in grade 6 as we talked about chapters in non-fiction and fiction books. It turns out that the entire class had books in their back packs and that each week they return them and exchange them for new books. This was the first time in recent years that we had seen evidence that the books in the library were regularly getting in learners hands! With the additional support anticipated from the public library staff mentioned earlier, we are hopeful this example will become the norm at A. V. Bukani Primary School.
“It is better to do things for someone you don’t know”
One of the things that always strikes us here is how many people work tirelessly day after day to improve life for those with little. The country is in an economic crisis with about a 50% unemployment rate of people 18 – 34, so these efforts mean more than ever.
Many individuals and organizations, both local and international, are collaborating on critical projects. Martha Cummings from Rhode Island has done extraordinary work to upgrade the facilities and provide continuing support to Vusumsi, the other primary school in this township, through a non-profit she started called Universal Promise.
Nowhere is the commitment of individuals more visible than in Langos, a nearby informal settlement – the poorest of the poor, living without basic amenities like electricity or water. Local resident Muffy Miller first became involved in the community when she saw children rummaging through trash heaps for food in the 1990’s. She has worked tirelessly since then, marshalling resources to provide education and a safe haven for the children there.
 |
| Momthandazo and the Langbos children |
There is a beautiful preschool (called “crèches” in SA) serving 40+ children, led by headmistress Momthandazo Pipe, born in that community. We are so impressed with her competence and vision. During the past 12 years, the project has grown to include a community center, playground, a perma-culture organic fruit and vegetable garden, solar panels and a wind turbine that powers the center which provides the only light at nighttime in the community. It has created eight jobs, hosts a soup kitchen twice a week, and is sending older students to study tourism. The Langbos Créche and Child Care Centre is a registered non-profit, under the auspices of the local Mayibye Ndlovu Development Trust, and the amazing Charlie Josephs is the Langbos project manager.
But here’s what truly amazed us this year. With support and management from Intsikelelo Foundation (founded by two young American men), the community now has three “super-adobe” domes, built with paid labor from the settlement, with design help from architects who donated their services. In these extremely durable structures, there will be a library in the loft of the largest dome, a shelter for vulnerable women and children, meeting rooms and more.
 |
| The domes today! |
 |
| The dome construction underway |
 |
| Amazing construction |
These are the largest super-adobe domes in Africa, and possibly the world. A visit to Langbos is a must-see stop if you travel to South Africa! It is near Addo National Park, which has extensive wildlife including elephants, lions and more.
 |
| Eric and the Soul Food delivery |
We could not stay away, and came the next week after school to sing with the children, staff and families at Langos. What an amazing time we had there! We are hoping to return next week, although our last week here is a busy one.
Sharing English stories and rhymes with grade 1
The grade 1 learners love hearing the stories and rhymes in English. They are becoming familiar with the sounds of the language, and beginning to associate the word with the concept. The grade 1 teachers jump right into the action.
No comments:
Post a Comment