Mam for president!

Teaching is so much more than just teaching content! As a teacher you Jane to fill so many roles. The one I love best is talking about real world issues that will affect my students outside of the classroom, now and after school. Today was just such an example.

Part of the Gr 11 & 12 Life Sciences curriculum is looking at the impact that humans are having on the planet. Today we were discussing the consequences of climate change, and I pointed out that as a result of increased droughts people migrate to cities, which puts more stress on food resources.

Student 1: We should ban all immigrants because they steal our food.
Student 2: Build a wall!
Me: That's like getting a cut and, instead of cleaning it out, you simply put a plaster on it in the hopes it will get better by itself. Short-term solutions create long-term problems. Rather, we should be thinking 20, 50 or 100 years ahead and making sure our solutions solve the problem for the people living after us...

Student 3: MAM FOR PRESIDENT!!

Well, that wasn't quite the response I was looking for, but okay!

TWD

Human Rights Day is coming up (21 Mar, in case you forgot). Every year it's a bit of a non-event in my life. Sad, but true. I try to spend some time thinking about how hard various nameless and faceless (in most cases) people have fought for me to enjoy the life I do - everyone from the Brits and Yanks who won WWII to the Sufragettes, to the ANC during Apartheid. I spend time thinking about what Jesus, as the greatest human rights activitst, has done for humanity.

But that's as far as it gets.

I never personally go out there and do something to help others either appreciate the rights they have, or help those who aren't free to experience their rights.

This year is different.

This year I've signed up as a TWD activist. TWD - That Was Different. Check out the website. Essentially the idea is that activists will sign up to do something crazy or weird, and get sponsored to do it. The entire proceeds will be going to various educational projects based in Cape Town that are linked to the Common Good Foundation.

What am I doing? Well, I'm taking part in a dancing flashmob. Not just any flashmob. No sirree. I get to do Thriller, and Gangam style, amongst others.

So - apart from coming to watch me (I'll post final details closer to the time, but it will be on the 21st), why not sponsor me? I'm trying to raise R1500, and I'm currently about a third of the way there. C'mon - pay me to do some silly dances to help the kids in Cape Town get a better education. You know you want to!! How? Just go to my sponsorship page on GivenGain and click the button to donate by EFT or credit card. Easypeasy. (The money doesn't come to me directly. It sits in GivenGain's allocated account until the 21st, and is then paid directly to Common Good. I only mention that in case you're worried that I'm going to use some of it for myself... ;)) 

Effects of OBE

Back in May, we had the rector of UWC present a professional development session to the staff. During the session he commented on several discussions he'd been having with a variety of lecturers.

He had been asking them how they found the first cohort of OBE students (given that 2009 is the first year that kids who have been on the OBE system since they started school have entered tertiary institutions).

His summary of those discussions made the staff laugh: the kids have all the interpersonal skills we'd love - they can ask questions, they can relate to staff, they can debate - but they can't read or write or add.

His comment, while tragic, is true. At least, it's true in my experience.

On Friday, according to SABC News International, Dr Mamphela Ramphele, said basically the same thing in her address to principals at a conference in Polokwane when she was commenting on why transformation in the private sector is not taking place: "Excuse me, I will not appoint someone who cannot read; write and add. I don’t care how committed you are,” she said

The education department is adamant that OBE is here to stay. Personally, I have no problem with OBE. All good teachers teach in an OBE style: even under the Apartheid government that was true. What I have a problem with is the manner in which the curriculum has been changed and the manner in which OBE is being taught now. I don't mind if OBE stays. I mind if the current curriculum stays. There is no balance in the curriculum, and to my mind there has been no real referencing to the needs of tertiary institutions or the developmental stages of teenagers' brains, let alone any attempt to accept that one simply can no longer teach it all at school: there has simply been too much progress, research and development in every field to continue to teach all the history AND all the current developments at school level.

That debate aside though, there is an even bigger problem in education: a lack of teachers. If I was teaching classes of 20, instead of classes of 30, or if my colleagues at other schools did not have to teach classes of 40 or 50, then maybe, just maybe, the kids would have enough individual time with their teachers to get both the knowledge AND the skills.