Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Picnic with the Rhinos
Visiting schools and teachers...
The pictures - me with some teachers during tea - they were attending a class at a local hotel
The team with the principal - we had given him some art materials to share
The children - they loved getting their pictures taken! They crowded around - and wanted to see themselves in the pictures! Children receive a hot meal each day. In most schools parents come in to cook the meal - which is one dish with a maise or pasta with a small amount of meat. It's cooked in large cauldrons - and each child brings his or her own dish to receive the lunch. Often this is the only hot meal of the day - and if the teacher is not there - there are no substitute teachers - the children typically come to school for the meals. The food is placed in a large picnic cooler and scooped out into their dishes.
During our time in Sekhukhune, we visited several schools as well as some professional development training sessions. Uniformly we found the teachers eager to learn - the sessions were about technology - and somewhat scared - as some had never used a computer! They also loved to get their pictures taken!
I'm with some primary school teachers at a training session to help them learn to teach the new curriculum that's coming in January. It was tea break - and the team was chatting with several of the teachers - to begin to get a sense of their use of computers. This was our first week - and we were to create tools that would be used on computers. In addition, there is an initiative in Limpopo province for teachers to incorporate more technology into the classrooms - but remember I've said that some schools don't have running water and a few don't have electricity. Many with electricity have no access to Internet - and often the one computer is locked in the principal's office. Interesting set of mixed messages!
On another day we visited two schools – one in a very poor rural area – yes without running water – and the other in an area a bit better – but with an outstanding principal who did so much for the school – and managed to obtain several computers – and a security system and air conditioning for that room! All schools keep their computers in locked rooms – there’s a lot of theft of computers from schools – for sale to a ready market!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Mondays...
So we've been here for 4 Mondays... and none of them at the client site!
The first week our key client, Mr Matsapolo - was supposed to come to the lodge where we're staying - we waited all day - and he came about 6 pm. So when we went to his office the next day... here's what we saw! And interestingly there's a poster on the wall saying 2011 is the Year of the Forest - we think much of the forest is in his office!
On the second Monday morning we called to tell him we'd be arriving late - our driver Noah has challenges arriving at 7:30 to pick us up. Mr Matsapolo told us that he was busy - and that we should work at the lodge.
Similar story the third Monday - except that he was in Polokwane! He told us to work at the lodge and he would stop by when he finished his meeting. So we worked in a conference room at the lodge all day - and at 6 pm he showed up! We worked with him until 7:30 - and made excellent progress.
So the fourth Monday.....we had an 8:30 meeting with the District Senior Manager to review our main deliverable - a professional development framework for teachers to support their implementation of a new curriculum. Noah came promptly at 7:30 and all 7 of us piled into the car. At the provincial office, where the other team works, they got out and headed into the office. But Noah got out of the car as well - and said there was a problem with the car's registration and he couldn't drive it! We reminded him we had an 8:30 meeting - and he said - 'no problem!' And he disappeared. A couple of calls to him in the next 30 minutes yielded nothing - and he came back at 8:10 with another car. BUT it's 45 minutes to the district office- depending on the number of cows in the road!
We called the District Senior Manager to explain our delay - he commented that there was some type of inspection going on and didn't seem surprised about the delay. He reminded us that he had another meeting at 9 - and suggested we meet on Wednesday. Bummer - we wanted his feedback! Our framework includes observations of the teacher by the principal and we've heard the union is actively encouraging teachers to refuse to allow principals to observe them! And we wanted guidance on our implementation plan.. and how we should position the need for observations of teachers to help identify their skill gaps.
So we called Mr. Matsapolo to check with him on our schedule for the day. He suggested that we work at the lodge - he told us he was busy looking for an audience for our presentations! So a couple of weeks ago he asked each us to prepare 1 hour of training that would be useful to his staff - or any group within the district - and to plan to present these on Tuesday Oct 4. So we all prepared our materials. He told us that his planned audience was busy - so there would be no presentations on Tuesday - but we should be ready to give them on Wednesday - if he found an audience!
We reminded him that we thought we were presenting out final report to the district office team on Wednesday - and we learned that he did not have an audience for that day either. So we have 3 lovely decks without an audience! And two great decks - one from each of our workstreams - also in search of an audience!
The first week our key client, Mr Matsapolo - was supposed to come to the lodge where we're staying - we waited all day - and he came about 6 pm. So when we went to his office the next day... here's what we saw! And interestingly there's a poster on the wall saying 2011 is the Year of the Forest - we think much of the forest is in his office!
On the second Monday morning we called to tell him we'd be arriving late - our driver Noah has challenges arriving at 7:30 to pick us up. Mr Matsapolo told us that he was busy - and that we should work at the lodge.
Similar story the third Monday - except that he was in Polokwane! He told us to work at the lodge and he would stop by when he finished his meeting. So we worked in a conference room at the lodge all day - and at 6 pm he showed up! We worked with him until 7:30 - and made excellent progress.
So the fourth Monday.....we had an 8:30 meeting with the District Senior Manager to review our main deliverable - a professional development framework for teachers to support their implementation of a new curriculum. Noah came promptly at 7:30 and all 7 of us piled into the car. At the provincial office, where the other team works, they got out and headed into the office. But Noah got out of the car as well - and said there was a problem with the car's registration and he couldn't drive it! We reminded him we had an 8:30 meeting - and he said - 'no problem!' And he disappeared. A couple of calls to him in the next 30 minutes yielded nothing - and he came back at 8:10 with another car. BUT it's 45 minutes to the district office- depending on the number of cows in the road!
We called the District Senior Manager to explain our delay - he commented that there was some type of inspection going on and didn't seem surprised about the delay. He reminded us that he had another meeting at 9 - and suggested we meet on Wednesday. Bummer - we wanted his feedback! Our framework includes observations of the teacher by the principal and we've heard the union is actively encouraging teachers to refuse to allow principals to observe them! And we wanted guidance on our implementation plan.. and how we should position the need for observations of teachers to help identify their skill gaps.
So we called Mr. Matsapolo to check with him on our schedule for the day. He suggested that we work at the lodge - he told us he was busy looking for an audience for our presentations! So a couple of weeks ago he asked each us to prepare 1 hour of training that would be useful to his staff - or any group within the district - and to plan to present these on Tuesday Oct 4. So we all prepared our materials. He told us that his planned audience was busy - so there would be no presentations on Tuesday - but we should be ready to give them on Wednesday - if he found an audience!
We reminded him that we thought we were presenting out final report to the district office team on Wednesday - and we learned that he did not have an audience for that day either. So we have 3 lovely decks without an audience! And two great decks - one from each of our workstreams - also in search of an audience!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
A Good Week...
The week started out a bit rocky.... we learned our key client was not in the office and we had worked hard over the weekend to create drafts of our materials! He was in Polokwane - and said he 'might' stop by when he finished the meeting later in the afternoon. So I called one of the people we had met last week to see if he might be available. He was - and we called out driver to arrange a pick up time for the afternoon.
Masana Lodge, where the team stays, is great - it's small - 26 rooms - and we have the run of the place (including the kitchen!). There were no conferences scheduled for Monday so they gave us the conference room - along with an overhead projector so we could work together more easily. We made good progress - and since it was a lovely sunny day, lunch was a picnic by the pool - and something more than crackers and cheese! (The building where we work has no cafeteria and no nearly restaurants - but they do have an outdoor grill where they cook and sell food.. we're not that brave to try any!)
Mid-afternoon our driver came - and we went to the provincial offices in Polokwane - where another of the CSC teams is working - to meet Charles. He was a principal for about 30 years, a teacher before that, and now works for the provincial education department. He's also active in the union. All of these experiences were important to our understanding of the landscape - since one of our deliverables is a framework for professional development for teachers. (I'm also taking pictures of some signs - on our walk to the conference room I noted a 'Disabled Toilet" and the "Department of Security and School Beautification.)
We learned that the union is strong - and if a teacher does not want the principal to observe him/her, can refuse and the union backs the teacher. As a result, some teachers get no evaluation from the principal yet continue to hold their jobs. Did I already tell you that Limpopo province has the lowest achievement scores in South Africa? We also learned that some teachers attend union meetings during the school day - and there are no substitute teachers so the children play in the classroom - many come to school for the free lunch - and others come because their parents are working - and apparently these parents may not be aware that the teacher is not there for the day - until the child says something when they get home in the afternoon.
So we need to consider the union in our recommendations for implementing the professional development framework. The union does provide some professional development - and we understood that some of the time the focus is on union activities - as well as providing guidance to teachers to 'deal' with principals who want them to teach!
So why are we creating the professional development framework? A new curriculum is coming at the start of the school year in January. The teachers have had some training about what's in the new curriculum - called CAPS. The focus of the training is on the content - what to teach but not the HOW - the teaching methods. And we are focusing on the early years - K - 3. Some of these teachers don't have the skills to teach. Many of the teachers colleges focus on the middle and high school students - and teachers who don't 'make it' in the high school are 'sent' to teach the early grades - typically with no age-pecific training!
So with the combination of very low test scores, many teachers without the training needed to teach, and CAPS training that focuses on content - there's a big gap here! So in addition to the framework we need an implementation plan that addresses many different stakeholders - including the union! A part of our deliverable is a needs assessment tool - to identify professional development gaps among the teachers.
We returned to the lodge about 4:30 and continued work, reflecting on what we had learned from Charles and how we were going to incorporate it in our work - and about 6 pm received a call from our client! He was outside the gate (yes everything is behind high walls with barbed electric wire at the top!) So we opened the gate - and worked for over an hour and a half. And the great part - is that we LOVED the drafts we showed him!
Today we went to the district office to meet with Leah - a really bright and talented Curriculum Advisor. We walked through the details of our framework, provided our vision of how it might be rolled out - and she provided great feedback - and indicated we were developing a very useful tool! (This is the third Excel file/tool that we're developing - a major step forward in data collection - and Daniel on the team is so talented with Excel!)
Mid-afternoon we returned - to continue work on the framework - and the final report - which is due next week! Can't believe we are more than halfway through our assignment!
And we learned that our key client is in meetings for the rest of the week - and since he's already approved our drafts, we have the rest of the week to work on our final report - and our presentations for next week!
Masana Lodge, where the team stays, is great - it's small - 26 rooms - and we have the run of the place (including the kitchen!). There were no conferences scheduled for Monday so they gave us the conference room - along with an overhead projector so we could work together more easily. We made good progress - and since it was a lovely sunny day, lunch was a picnic by the pool - and something more than crackers and cheese! (The building where we work has no cafeteria and no nearly restaurants - but they do have an outdoor grill where they cook and sell food.. we're not that brave to try any!)
Mid-afternoon our driver came - and we went to the provincial offices in Polokwane - where another of the CSC teams is working - to meet Charles. He was a principal for about 30 years, a teacher before that, and now works for the provincial education department. He's also active in the union. All of these experiences were important to our understanding of the landscape - since one of our deliverables is a framework for professional development for teachers. (I'm also taking pictures of some signs - on our walk to the conference room I noted a 'Disabled Toilet" and the "Department of Security and School Beautification.)
We learned that the union is strong - and if a teacher does not want the principal to observe him/her, can refuse and the union backs the teacher. As a result, some teachers get no evaluation from the principal yet continue to hold their jobs. Did I already tell you that Limpopo province has the lowest achievement scores in South Africa? We also learned that some teachers attend union meetings during the school day - and there are no substitute teachers so the children play in the classroom - many come to school for the free lunch - and others come because their parents are working - and apparently these parents may not be aware that the teacher is not there for the day - until the child says something when they get home in the afternoon.
So we need to consider the union in our recommendations for implementing the professional development framework. The union does provide some professional development - and we understood that some of the time the focus is on union activities - as well as providing guidance to teachers to 'deal' with principals who want them to teach!
So why are we creating the professional development framework? A new curriculum is coming at the start of the school year in January. The teachers have had some training about what's in the new curriculum - called CAPS. The focus of the training is on the content - what to teach but not the HOW - the teaching methods. And we are focusing on the early years - K - 3. Some of these teachers don't have the skills to teach. Many of the teachers colleges focus on the middle and high school students - and teachers who don't 'make it' in the high school are 'sent' to teach the early grades - typically with no age-pecific training!
So with the combination of very low test scores, many teachers without the training needed to teach, and CAPS training that focuses on content - there's a big gap here! So in addition to the framework we need an implementation plan that addresses many different stakeholders - including the union! A part of our deliverable is a needs assessment tool - to identify professional development gaps among the teachers.
We returned to the lodge about 4:30 and continued work, reflecting on what we had learned from Charles and how we were going to incorporate it in our work - and about 6 pm received a call from our client! He was outside the gate (yes everything is behind high walls with barbed electric wire at the top!) So we opened the gate - and worked for over an hour and a half. And the great part - is that we LOVED the drafts we showed him!
Today we went to the district office to meet with Leah - a really bright and talented Curriculum Advisor. We walked through the details of our framework, provided our vision of how it might be rolled out - and she provided great feedback - and indicated we were developing a very useful tool! (This is the third Excel file/tool that we're developing - a major step forward in data collection - and Daniel on the team is so talented with Excel!)
Mid-afternoon we returned - to continue work on the framework - and the final report - which is due next week! Can't believe we are more than halfway through our assignment!
And we learned that our key client is in meetings for the rest of the week - and since he's already approved our drafts, we have the rest of the week to work on our final report - and our presentations for next week!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Culture Tour - Outdoor Museum
Saturday was Heritage Day so the team went on a culture tour. We began with a wait for the mini bus that would take us! Our guide, Rupert arrived at 7:45 - and about 8:25 - and several calls from Rupert, our ride showed up. (The team has spent quite a bit of time waiting for a taxi that we've called or scheduled!)
The first stop was the Northern Sotho Outdoor Museum. Although this is spring - and we've had some hot days - upper 80's - Saturday was cold - 60's and windy for this visit. We were greeted by a guide - and it appeared that the museum was closed for the holiday and had opened for our tour. We began inside where we learned a bit about this history of the area - it goes back for thousands of years. The floor of the building was cow dung - which was used throughout the village for floors, walls, and steps. Cow dung is also used to made a special jar that's put inside a grain basket to get out the bugs. We learned that cow dung has ammonia - so that's what keeps the grain from being eaten by the bugs.
There's lots of clay in the area - so there were many clay pots. Many very old clay pots have been found in the area - dating thousands of years ago. Clay pots come in many shapes - and each shape is for a special purpose - such as porridge, meat, sauces, etc. There is a special wooden jug for milk.
We then visited a group of building that were the 'newer' style - a group of huts made of cow dung, wooden beams for the room which was covered by straw. It had rained the night before - and yes it smelled! The group of huts is surrounded by a dung wall about 3 feet high. It was white washed and looked very nice. The several small building each had a purpose - cooking, storage, men's house, first wife house. etc. These buildings had doors high enough to enter standing up. The cooking house had a fire bit in the middle of the floor - and smoke went out in the space between the top of the wall and the roof.
Each compound has an alter to ancestors. In this 'newer' compound it was on the edge - in the traditional compound it's in the center. It's a scooped out hole - about 3 feet across - with a plant in the middle - aloe or some other small plant. There's a gourd and some jars nearby. The ancestors are given beer, blood, or snuff - depending on the reason for the 'visit'. Ancestors play a large role in the life of the group.
We then visited the tradition village compound. There we saw a dancer - dressed in strips of animal hide. After the dance, he demonstrated how to build a fire by rubbing sticks - and also weapons they used for fighting as well as hunting. This is a patriarchal society - and the chief and first son have special huts. First wife has a hut with 3 small rooms - a main room - and then one on each side which are for her guards. In the traditional village the door openings are about 3 feet high and 3 feet wide. Several of us crawled inside. There are no windows although a bit of light comes in from the opening between the walls and the roof. It was cold inside and a bit stuffy - but appeared to be good shelter from rain.
The other wives don't have guards - and there's often a hut for he favorite wife. This wife is chosen by the chief and brought into the village. The other wives come by arrangements with the families. When the chief dies, the favorite wife has to leave the village because she has no status. The other wives remain - and the first son then becomes chief.
The role of women is to gather - root vegetables, fruits, worms (for protein), do the cooking, and bear children - especially sons. The men hunt and play games - there was a demonstration of two games - one somewhat like checkers and the other a complicated game play in a series of small holes in the ground with pebbles that are moved around. Yes they ate worms - and yes they had cattle. But cattle are used in many ways - milk, cream and very importantly cow dung for building. On occasion a cow would be slaughtered for a special occasion. They also fermented some of the food - and yes they made beer - and got some protein this way. They also grew maize and ground is - using a hollowed out stone - and catching the ground meal in a piece of cloth. They also used vines to weave baskets.
There are still descendants of these families in the area and there's a rich tradition or oral history.
The first stop was the Northern Sotho Outdoor Museum. Although this is spring - and we've had some hot days - upper 80's - Saturday was cold - 60's and windy for this visit. We were greeted by a guide - and it appeared that the museum was closed for the holiday and had opened for our tour. We began inside where we learned a bit about this history of the area - it goes back for thousands of years. The floor of the building was cow dung - which was used throughout the village for floors, walls, and steps. Cow dung is also used to made a special jar that's put inside a grain basket to get out the bugs. We learned that cow dung has ammonia - so that's what keeps the grain from being eaten by the bugs.
There's lots of clay in the area - so there were many clay pots. Many very old clay pots have been found in the area - dating thousands of years ago. Clay pots come in many shapes - and each shape is for a special purpose - such as porridge, meat, sauces, etc. There is a special wooden jug for milk.
We then visited a group of building that were the 'newer' style - a group of huts made of cow dung, wooden beams for the room which was covered by straw. It had rained the night before - and yes it smelled! The group of huts is surrounded by a dung wall about 3 feet high. It was white washed and looked very nice. The several small building each had a purpose - cooking, storage, men's house, first wife house. etc. These buildings had doors high enough to enter standing up. The cooking house had a fire bit in the middle of the floor - and smoke went out in the space between the top of the wall and the roof.
Each compound has an alter to ancestors. In this 'newer' compound it was on the edge - in the traditional compound it's in the center. It's a scooped out hole - about 3 feet across - with a plant in the middle - aloe or some other small plant. There's a gourd and some jars nearby. The ancestors are given beer, blood, or snuff - depending on the reason for the 'visit'. Ancestors play a large role in the life of the group.
We then visited the tradition village compound. There we saw a dancer - dressed in strips of animal hide. After the dance, he demonstrated how to build a fire by rubbing sticks - and also weapons they used for fighting as well as hunting. This is a patriarchal society - and the chief and first son have special huts. First wife has a hut with 3 small rooms - a main room - and then one on each side which are for her guards. In the traditional village the door openings are about 3 feet high and 3 feet wide. Several of us crawled inside. There are no windows although a bit of light comes in from the opening between the walls and the roof. It was cold inside and a bit stuffy - but appeared to be good shelter from rain.
The other wives don't have guards - and there's often a hut for he favorite wife. This wife is chosen by the chief and brought into the village. The other wives come by arrangements with the families. When the chief dies, the favorite wife has to leave the village because she has no status. The other wives remain - and the first son then becomes chief.
The role of women is to gather - root vegetables, fruits, worms (for protein), do the cooking, and bear children - especially sons. The men hunt and play games - there was a demonstration of two games - one somewhat like checkers and the other a complicated game play in a series of small holes in the ground with pebbles that are moved around. Yes they ate worms - and yes they had cattle. But cattle are used in many ways - milk, cream and very importantly cow dung for building. On occasion a cow would be slaughtered for a special occasion. They also fermented some of the food - and yes they made beer - and got some protein this way. They also grew maize and ground is - using a hollowed out stone - and catching the ground meal in a piece of cloth. They also used vines to weave baskets.
There are still descendants of these families in the area and there's a rich tradition or oral history.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Visiting Nirvana...
... Nirvana Primary School, that is!
On Tuesday we were scheduled to observed Reading Companion training - software that IBM provides as grants to schools. It's designed for 7 - 9 year olds to help them read English. Children in Limpopo learn in this home language through third grade - these are the 9 tribal or clan languages of the 11 official languages. All children appear to learn English and Afrikaans during their upper primary and secondary school years. In grade 4 they start learning English.
Unlike the schools we visited so far, NPS is in Polokwane. We asked about the name and learned that's because it's in what used to be the Indian section of town - the designated place where people from India could live prior to 1994 and the end of apartheid - and many Indian families and businesses are still there including a very large and beautiful mosque. (The lunch that was brought it had some delectable Indian food - samosas and other finger food)
The school is relatively new - it opened in 2009 as a Center of Excellence - and like most buildings in Polokwane is surrounded by a high brick wall with barbed wire on top, and gates at the entrances staffed by guards. It's a series of 1 story buildings with covered walkways - for the rainy season. And it does have running water - the first school we visited that did. Restrooms are separate buildings - a total of 4 built along a central corridor. And out the back and are white plastic sewer pipes!
We went into the admin building to check in with the principal - and were directed to the computer lab. The admin building was spacious with minimal furnishings. The computer lab was a large room with about 30 computers - from HP - locked down. The windows had grates over them, and the door to the classroom was a strong wooden door. The room also appeared to have an alarm system - and a door closed off what was labeled as the server room.
The training was led by a contractor (to IBM) out of Cape Town - Edunova. We learned from Winnie, the trainer, that IBM had contracted with that company to provide training on the Reading Companion software over the next year to several schools within South Africa. Winnie shared she was from 'Zim' - Zimbabwe - and had recently moved to Cape Town. (There are many immigrants from Zimbabwe due to the unrest and violence - many gather on a corner a few blocks from our lodge to look for day work. Many have walked here - crossing through the Kruger National Park on foot. We've heard about border guards in Zimbabwe that stop cars that are loaded with possession suggesting the people may be leaving the country.)
Participants in the training were teachers from 12 of the 25 KidSmart schools - KidSmart is the preschool software IBM provides to schools. Some of the teachers who are to use Reading Companion have never been on a computer - had no idea how to use a mouse - or any of the language we use to describe a computer and how to use it! It appears that Winnie was unaware of the lack of familiarity with computers as she conducted her demonstration.
The presentation equipment in the room included a touch screen on the wall - we'd never seen one! A projector from the ceiling was used - and the screen was a touch screen - so that Winnie could touch the screen to communicate with the computer! The computer was necessary if keyboard input was needed - but anything that was mouse and click could be done by touching the screen! Would be great equipment to have in a training situation!
After the demonstration of the software, Winnie directed the teachers to go to the Internet, use Google to find a particular site, and set up their accounts. Many looks of panic from the teachers! So our team began working with the teachers, showing them how to access the Internet, find Google, etc. There appeared to be a bit of confusion about why Winnie could use a touch screen and they had to use a mouse or the arrows.
It was a slow progress but within about 30 minutes the teachers had successfully registered their schools at the Reading Companion site. The demo and the registration was the total agenda for the first day of training - one of the reasons being that although the training was scheduled to begin at 9, it was closer to 9:30 before it actually started. Then Winnie provided information about her company and some general introductory information - and then the head of the department - our client - was asked to give a 'few words' - which lasted about 30 minutes. He also introduced us - and asked us to say a 'few words'. About 10:30 the actual training started - with what we thought was a very advanced overview of using a computer - with terms such as URL, hard drive, using Skype, software downloads, etc. (and lots of confused looks from the teachers!)
The teachers viewed the overview and demonstration of the software. Winnie then proceeded to demonstrate how to download the Reading Companion software - which each teacher will be required to be on his or her school's computer! They will also have to download Adobe Flash! We wondered how the teachers would be able to do this -given that for some this is the first time they have ever used a computer - and many schools have a very small number of computers - often only one that's for administrator use. One of the requirements of being in the Reading Companion program is that the schools have Internet access. Many don't.
The session ended about 2 pm - it was scheduled for 1pm but the teachers needed a lot of time to complete the registration. The second day of the training was to include going through the software. However, the software requires a sound card and most of the computers in the lab did not have sound cards. Teachers did not know whether the computers at their schools which they are to use for this program had a sound card.
After the session our team reflected on the steep learning curve required of the teachers to participate in this program - and the fact that there was only one teacher from each school so there would be no one at their location to help them with the download! The teachers were excited to be learning how to use a computer and somewhat anxious about all that will be required of them to download the software and teach their students how to use it! We've asked lots of questions of our key client about support for the teachers - both in learning and in the technical support that's required when one uses computers. Our observations will inform our recommendations for continuing support for the teachers so that the software IBM provides can be used successfully.
On Tuesday we were scheduled to observed Reading Companion training - software that IBM provides as grants to schools. It's designed for 7 - 9 year olds to help them read English. Children in Limpopo learn in this home language through third grade - these are the 9 tribal or clan languages of the 11 official languages. All children appear to learn English and Afrikaans during their upper primary and secondary school years. In grade 4 they start learning English.
Unlike the schools we visited so far, NPS is in Polokwane. We asked about the name and learned that's because it's in what used to be the Indian section of town - the designated place where people from India could live prior to 1994 and the end of apartheid - and many Indian families and businesses are still there including a very large and beautiful mosque. (The lunch that was brought it had some delectable Indian food - samosas and other finger food)
The school is relatively new - it opened in 2009 as a Center of Excellence - and like most buildings in Polokwane is surrounded by a high brick wall with barbed wire on top, and gates at the entrances staffed by guards. It's a series of 1 story buildings with covered walkways - for the rainy season. And it does have running water - the first school we visited that did. Restrooms are separate buildings - a total of 4 built along a central corridor. And out the back and are white plastic sewer pipes!
We went into the admin building to check in with the principal - and were directed to the computer lab. The admin building was spacious with minimal furnishings. The computer lab was a large room with about 30 computers - from HP - locked down. The windows had grates over them, and the door to the classroom was a strong wooden door. The room also appeared to have an alarm system - and a door closed off what was labeled as the server room.
The training was led by a contractor (to IBM) out of Cape Town - Edunova. We learned from Winnie, the trainer, that IBM had contracted with that company to provide training on the Reading Companion software over the next year to several schools within South Africa. Winnie shared she was from 'Zim' - Zimbabwe - and had recently moved to Cape Town. (There are many immigrants from Zimbabwe due to the unrest and violence - many gather on a corner a few blocks from our lodge to look for day work. Many have walked here - crossing through the Kruger National Park on foot. We've heard about border guards in Zimbabwe that stop cars that are loaded with possession suggesting the people may be leaving the country.)
Participants in the training were teachers from 12 of the 25 KidSmart schools - KidSmart is the preschool software IBM provides to schools. Some of the teachers who are to use Reading Companion have never been on a computer - had no idea how to use a mouse - or any of the language we use to describe a computer and how to use it! It appears that Winnie was unaware of the lack of familiarity with computers as she conducted her demonstration.
The presentation equipment in the room included a touch screen on the wall - we'd never seen one! A projector from the ceiling was used - and the screen was a touch screen - so that Winnie could touch the screen to communicate with the computer! The computer was necessary if keyboard input was needed - but anything that was mouse and click could be done by touching the screen! Would be great equipment to have in a training situation!
After the demonstration of the software, Winnie directed the teachers to go to the Internet, use Google to find a particular site, and set up their accounts. Many looks of panic from the teachers! So our team began working with the teachers, showing them how to access the Internet, find Google, etc. There appeared to be a bit of confusion about why Winnie could use a touch screen and they had to use a mouse or the arrows.
It was a slow progress but within about 30 minutes the teachers had successfully registered their schools at the Reading Companion site. The demo and the registration was the total agenda for the first day of training - one of the reasons being that although the training was scheduled to begin at 9, it was closer to 9:30 before it actually started. Then Winnie provided information about her company and some general introductory information - and then the head of the department - our client - was asked to give a 'few words' - which lasted about 30 minutes. He also introduced us - and asked us to say a 'few words'. About 10:30 the actual training started - with what we thought was a very advanced overview of using a computer - with terms such as URL, hard drive, using Skype, software downloads, etc. (and lots of confused looks from the teachers!)
The teachers viewed the overview and demonstration of the software. Winnie then proceeded to demonstrate how to download the Reading Companion software - which each teacher will be required to be on his or her school's computer! They will also have to download Adobe Flash! We wondered how the teachers would be able to do this -given that for some this is the first time they have ever used a computer - and many schools have a very small number of computers - often only one that's for administrator use. One of the requirements of being in the Reading Companion program is that the schools have Internet access. Many don't.
The session ended about 2 pm - it was scheduled for 1pm but the teachers needed a lot of time to complete the registration. The second day of the training was to include going through the software. However, the software requires a sound card and most of the computers in the lab did not have sound cards. Teachers did not know whether the computers at their schools which they are to use for this program had a sound card.
After the session our team reflected on the steep learning curve required of the teachers to participate in this program - and the fact that there was only one teacher from each school so there would be no one at their location to help them with the download! The teachers were excited to be learning how to use a computer and somewhat anxious about all that will be required of them to download the software and teach their students how to use it! We've asked lots of questions of our key client about support for the teachers - both in learning and in the technical support that's required when one uses computers. Our observations will inform our recommendations for continuing support for the teachers so that the software IBM provides can be used successfully.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Our Weekend Activities
Why do weekends go so fast!!
Many of us finished early afternoon on Friday - and decided to venture to the 'big mall'. We have a taxi on call - and we've learned a lot about South African time while waiting for our ride! We were very pleasantly surprised to find a very large mall with many international shops as well as services. Several of us needed to exchange our dollars and Euros for Rands - and learned how time consuming that was! I went to a bank - and each back has a set of 2 doors. You enter one, then wait for a green light before entering into the bank. This was a new experience for the team - and we tried to have 4 of us go into the bank together. Security guards came running and told us it's one at a time! So I entered 'properly' - and went to the teller to ask about the exchange rates. She didn't know - she said she had to complete a form to find out. She needed my passport and life history for the form - as well as help from her colleagues. I also asked the fees - she said she didn't know - the computer determines this. About 20 minutes later, she provided information about the rate and fees - and I told her to go ahead. More paperwork for me to sign and more questions. Then she reviewed each one of my US dollars to ensure it was real. So total time was about 25 minutes. When we met as a group to go back, I learned that the others didn't fare quite as well - it took over 90 minutes for hte 3 of them to get their rands - and they didn't have an chance to visit any or the stores or get lunch!
Saturday morning some slept in - I took the opportunity to do a 5 mile run and see more of the neighborhood. There are a mixture of gated communities and gates and high walls around individual homes. (So the barking dogs are fenced in!) I learned this is a result of apartheid - in 1994 when the requirement for Blacks, Coloured, and Indian to live in separate settlements was lifted, the formerly white areas had some integrated - but also the area began filling up with the gates and walls. As I ran through the area I noted people of all colors living there - and all homes very very nicely kept.
Saturday afternoon was a game drive to nearby Polokwane Game Reserve. Small by game reserve standards - but convenient. We did see some zebras, kudos, bush buck and a couple of others. For the most part these were quite far from the road. It was an evening drive - and after dark we had a picnic provided by the tour provider. It was delightful - lanterns had been set up along the road leading to the picnic area, tables with table clothes laid out with lanterns, a big fire to get warm (it was in the 50's), and an open fire tended by Lizzie and Alta who cooked out dinner. We have a great chicken and cashew dish, boiled potatoes with parsley, an eggplant and cheese dish, fresh bread, and several salads. Dessert was a lemon tart made with local lemons. We road in an open jeep and while the drive during the day was pleasant it was really cold riding home - at highways speeds!
Sunday 6 of us attended the local Catholic church - which was a large cathedral. We arrived about 15 minutes prior to the service - and noted that there were 4 sections - the church inside was in the shape of a cross. We sat about 3 rows back in one of the sections. Beautiful interior, soaring arches, stained glass windows, several side alters - but no pipe organ! When the service started the singing was led by the choir accompanied by a drum and tambourine. And we suddenly realized we had sat in the middle of the choir! We wondered why some of the people looked at us strangely - but we were the only white people there so thought that was the reason. But the choir had to squeeze into 4 rows instead of their customary 5. But it was great being in the middle of the singing! Some was in English and some in Sotho - these are 2 of the 11 official languages. Service was 2 hours long, lots of singing, a short sermon, a baptism, etc. Members had their missals - we didn't so needed to watch others. All in all a good experience.
Sunday evening we had a braai - a South Africa barbecue. Bob was the chef and he really set the standard for excellence! In the afternoon he and I walked to the grocery store to pick up the food - and learned that folks in the store had never heard of either tofu or sour cream! We got great veggies - and Bob made skewers of veggies, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, chicken - either barbecue or lemon pepper, salad and cake for dessert! A fantastic feast! Bob also brought out his computer and speakers and we had great music - and some talented dancers in our group!
Many of us finished early afternoon on Friday - and decided to venture to the 'big mall'. We have a taxi on call - and we've learned a lot about South African time while waiting for our ride! We were very pleasantly surprised to find a very large mall with many international shops as well as services. Several of us needed to exchange our dollars and Euros for Rands - and learned how time consuming that was! I went to a bank - and each back has a set of 2 doors. You enter one, then wait for a green light before entering into the bank. This was a new experience for the team - and we tried to have 4 of us go into the bank together. Security guards came running and told us it's one at a time! So I entered 'properly' - and went to the teller to ask about the exchange rates. She didn't know - she said she had to complete a form to find out. She needed my passport and life history for the form - as well as help from her colleagues. I also asked the fees - she said she didn't know - the computer determines this. About 20 minutes later, she provided information about the rate and fees - and I told her to go ahead. More paperwork for me to sign and more questions. Then she reviewed each one of my US dollars to ensure it was real. So total time was about 25 minutes. When we met as a group to go back, I learned that the others didn't fare quite as well - it took over 90 minutes for hte 3 of them to get their rands - and they didn't have an chance to visit any or the stores or get lunch!
Saturday morning some slept in - I took the opportunity to do a 5 mile run and see more of the neighborhood. There are a mixture of gated communities and gates and high walls around individual homes. (So the barking dogs are fenced in!) I learned this is a result of apartheid - in 1994 when the requirement for Blacks, Coloured, and Indian to live in separate settlements was lifted, the formerly white areas had some integrated - but also the area began filling up with the gates and walls. As I ran through the area I noted people of all colors living there - and all homes very very nicely kept.
Saturday afternoon was a game drive to nearby Polokwane Game Reserve. Small by game reserve standards - but convenient. We did see some zebras, kudos, bush buck and a couple of others. For the most part these were quite far from the road. It was an evening drive - and after dark we had a picnic provided by the tour provider. It was delightful - lanterns had been set up along the road leading to the picnic area, tables with table clothes laid out with lanterns, a big fire to get warm (it was in the 50's), and an open fire tended by Lizzie and Alta who cooked out dinner. We have a great chicken and cashew dish, boiled potatoes with parsley, an eggplant and cheese dish, fresh bread, and several salads. Dessert was a lemon tart made with local lemons. We road in an open jeep and while the drive during the day was pleasant it was really cold riding home - at highways speeds!
Sunday 6 of us attended the local Catholic church - which was a large cathedral. We arrived about 15 minutes prior to the service - and noted that there were 4 sections - the church inside was in the shape of a cross. We sat about 3 rows back in one of the sections. Beautiful interior, soaring arches, stained glass windows, several side alters - but no pipe organ! When the service started the singing was led by the choir accompanied by a drum and tambourine. And we suddenly realized we had sat in the middle of the choir! We wondered why some of the people looked at us strangely - but we were the only white people there so thought that was the reason. But the choir had to squeeze into 4 rows instead of their customary 5. But it was great being in the middle of the singing! Some was in English and some in Sotho - these are 2 of the 11 official languages. Service was 2 hours long, lots of singing, a short sermon, a baptism, etc. Members had their missals - we didn't so needed to watch others. All in all a good experience.
Sunday evening we had a braai - a South Africa barbecue. Bob was the chef and he really set the standard for excellence! In the afternoon he and I walked to the grocery store to pick up the food - and learned that folks in the store had never heard of either tofu or sour cream! We got great veggies - and Bob made skewers of veggies, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, chicken - either barbecue or lemon pepper, salad and cake for dessert! A fantastic feast! Bob also brought out his computer and speakers and we had great music - and some talented dancers in our group!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)