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Alan Edwards

Eager Students Fall Prey to Apartheid's Legacy - 1 views

  • KHAYELITSHA, South Africa — Seniors here at Kwamfundo high school sang freedom songs and protested outside the staff room last year because their accounting teacher chronically failed to show up for class. With looming national examinations that would determine whether they were bound for a university or joblessness, they demanded a replacement.
    • Alan Edwards
       
      In the black townships of South Africa, many public schools do not meet the students' high expectations of career or college preparation. This article describes how students have worked for justice: protesting (at times violently) and teaching themselves lessons when teachers fail to show for work.
  • Here in the Western Cape, only 2 out of 1,000 sixth graders in predominantly black schools passed a mathematics test at grade level in 2005, compared with almost 2 out of 3 children in schools once reserved for whites that are now integrated, but generally in more affluent neighborhoods.
    • Alan Edwards
       
      Apartheid is alive and well in South Africa's education system.
    • Alan Edwards
       
      The author relies on interviews with current teachers, students, and administrators in South Africa. She also cites data and perspectives from the Development Bank of South Africa. In her piece she examines the current situation in a single township, then ties the issue to the entire nation.
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    • Alan Edwards
       
      The author works to briefly explain how the schools were intentionally segregated in order to continue the subjugation of blacks and colored people. In the wake of N. Mandela's election, she explores how corruption and unequal distribution of resources has contributed to the education system's condition today.
    • Alan Edwards
       
      The crisis in South Africa is a reminder of the horrible education inequalities between the rich and poor, the white and the black. The student responses to their situation is at times inspirational as well as disheartening. For older students, this article could be used to encourage student involvement in dialogue with decision-makers of the school. Schools need to be responsive to the positive needs of its student body.
  • KHAYELITSHA, South Africa — Seniors here at Kwamfundo high school sang freedom songs and protested outside the staff room last year because their accounting teacher chronically failed to show up for class. With looming national examinations that would determine whether they were bound for a university or joblessness, they demanded a replacement.
  • Post-apartheid South Africa is at grave risk of producing what one veteran commentator has called another lost generation, entrenching the racial and class divide rather than bridging it. Half the students never make it to 12th grade.
  • But South Africa’s schools also have problems for which history cannot be blamed, including teacher absenteeism, researchers say. And then when teachers are in school, they spend too little time on instruction. A survey found that they taught for a little over three hours a day, rather than the five expected
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    NYT's Celia Dugger examines the quality of education for South Africa's majority black population. 15 years after the election of Nelson Mandela and the official end to apartheid, the nation's school system remains a bastion of inequality.
Lindsay Andreas

NEA - World Teachers Day 2009 - 0 views

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    Apparently yesterday was World Teacher's Day. So foremost, thank you Professor Lawrence for being such a great teacher! And here is a film about South Africa that they are screening for free online this week. It's about high-stakes testing in South Africa.
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    As she reads this sheepishly...
Julie Shy

Article #28, Fair and Free World, Social & International Order : Youth For Human Rights... - 0 views

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    Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2001 by Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, an educator born and raised in apartheid South Africa, where she witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of discrimination and the lack of basic human rights. The purpose of YHRI is to teach youth about human rights, specifically the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and inspire them to become advocates for tolerance and peace. YHRI has now grown into a global movement, including hundreds of groups, clubs and chapters around the world. Youth for Human Rights International teaches human rights education both in the classroom and in nontraditional educational settings. We aim to reach people from diverse backgrounds, with materials which often appeal across generations. By teaching human rights through all means-from conferences and workshops to hip-hop and dancing-this message has spread around the world.
Michael Sheehan

Learning Never Stops: Mapping History - Hundreds of Animated and interactive maps of hi... - 0 views

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    Excellent collection of animated and interactive maps about the history of the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Africa.
Lindsay Andreas

BBC NEWS | Africa | Trail-blazing for Morocco's Berber speakers - 1 views

  • We studied the older texts that were passed down orally, but we are also writing new literature to reflect the current situation for Berbers in Morocco. It's really ground-breaking."
  • Although Berbers were Morocco's first inhabitants and account for some 60% of Morocco's population, they faced widespread discrimination and it is only now that the language is required to be taught in public school.
  • Their academic qualifications may not help them much on the jobs market, but the availability of a further degree in a subject that was once virtually outlawed in their North African country underscores Berber success in gaining official acceptance of the language.
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  • Although many Amazigh are illiterate, the government has put in place measures to assist schools to teach the written form of the language.
  • This written form is expected to have a unifying effect.
  • "My parents couldn't read a newspaper or understand the television because they were in Arabic," he says. "Now we have our own television channel and magazines in Berber. We feel much closer now to people in the Rif and Atlas Mountains."
  • "Most Moroccans grow up speaking Berber - why should they be at a disadvantage in having to use classical Arabic which is a foreign language whenever they brush up against bureaucracy?"
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    First, I love the Berbers. Second, this article serves as a great example of the issues that arise with language instruction. I think it is important to study comparative education, in order to help us see our own education system more clearly.
Preston Spradling

Internet African History Sourcebook - 0 views

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    This is a highly useful source, a derivative of the Internet History Sourcebook series, which focuses on African history. It is particularly helpful as it's full of difficult to locate sources for periods that are often dependent on oral histories and secondary sources.
Lauren Olson

Europe's colonial expansion : colonization of Africa, colonization of Asia… - 0 views

    • Lauren Olson
       
      I particularly like the formats of these maps. The only disappointing part is that the maps only cover 1820-1939. It would be interesting to see colonalism covered in some of these contexts as well
Preston Spradling

Afrobarometer - 1 views

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    Afrobarometer is the archive for a huge amount of statistical data about modern Africa. Most of this kind of data did not exist until about twenty years ago, and all of it is amazingly valuable. All sorts of political, social and economic data are gathered here.
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    How might teachers use this site and its resources?
kkasargodstaub

The Center for Global Studies - 3 views

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    The Center for Global Studies is based out of the University of Illinois. Their resources primarily come from the University of Illinois but they also have videos and research submitted from other places. Always check the source! I find most of the information to be useful when thinking about world history and global studies type courses.
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    How might you or another social studies teacher use it in a class?
Joellen Kriss

Discovery Education Classroom Resources - 0 views

    • Joellen Kriss
       
      Featured content can provide other interesting activites. One in there now has a "discover africa" feature.
    • Joellen Kriss
       
      The lesson plan portion of the site provides free lesson plans for teachers to use. They're not always spectacular, BUT they can be helpful in gathering ideas.
    • Joellen Kriss
       
      Puzzlemaker provides resources/programs that can be used to enrich the learning experience of students.
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    The Discovery Education website provides some really great resources for students and teachers. It can provide a nice jumping off point for one's own lessons and activities.
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    I love all the lesson plans. You're totally right that the plans may need some tweaking, but it's a great place to get ideas.
Julian Hipkins, III

Africa: Mining - - MSNBC.com - 0 views

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    I used this site with my students in our study of diamonds and their origins. It's great interactive site that allows students to not only see the countries discussed on a map but also take a look at information on that particular country.
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