Charity abseil - May 2014

Along with some crazy Welsh teachers and a few locals we are daring to drop off a waterfall in the middle of Lesotho all in the name of charity. To celebrate the hard work and dedication of our Lesotho Teacher Placement Programme 2014 we are heading to the hills on the 31st May 2014.

This is no ordinary waterfall however,the Maletsunyane Abseil is the longest commercially operated single-drop abseil in the world, 204m (670ft) no less!! With knees a knocking and near winter temperatures in the Kingdom in the Sky we are determined to do it and raise a load of cash for Dolen Cymru and our Education work here in Lesotho.

 

Please DONATE as much as you can and sponsor me for this terrifying feat.....all money will be going to our Lesotho Literacy Leap projects which include: building a library in Quthing, providing schools with reading books in Quthing and Qacha's Nek, providing teacher workshops on Phonics, training lead literacy teachers, training staff and students at Lesotho College of Education.......

Follow the link to our sponsorship page: 

https://www.charitycheckout.co.uk/1143448/lesotholiteracyleap 

Or

Text 70070 with DOLN14 and your donated amount

Diolch yn fawr/Kea leboha

Workshops in the Mountains

Week 5

Monday flexible Monday....we were due to leave for Thaba Tseka at 10am....1pm we were on the road! It was such a treat to leave the city and head for the mountains. 4 hours later we arrived at our little campus in the hills and settled into our accommodation on site.

Day 1 of the workshop started early(!) and as usual the audience were sceptical, who is this over excited Welsh woman spouting things like "collaboration, cooperative, leaping, linking Welshness!" After 30 mins we were in full flow and working well together, all on side, well nearly all!  We were joined by NCDC after our morning break, after being briefed on what to present on an "Introduction to the new Integrated Curriculum", they started with something completely different - but it worked itself out by lunch time!!

Day 2 was to tackle the mountainous changes in Planning, lots of work was put into scaffolding the process step by step to show the lecturers how you can plan thematically with progressive conceptual and contextual learning objectives. Something I take for granted but it is a whole new approach to teaching and learning here. Is it possible I asked myself after a long, tiring day? I don't have the answer to that yet.....the teacher trainers have the ability to do it.....so maybe....one day!

Day 3 was our final session on Assessment for Learning. Our ECOL colleague came from Maseru to present the changes in Assessment policy and I kept it fully practical with AfL techniques galore, peer teaching (and humiliation) all finishing up with laughter, smiles and "light at the end of the tunnel!"

The four hour drive back to Maseru didn't provide me with much "light" however I did sneak a peek at Mohale Dam and saw a magnificent African sunset! 

Workshops -the third round....

Week 6

The last set of lecturers were "crying" for their workshop on the Integrated Curriculum, so we squeezed in another round of 3 days, but on the LCE site in Maseru instead of at Emmanuael Hostel. Fully prepared and ready to go on day 1 I was faced with my most difficult audience yet... My usual (?) Welsh charm and quirkiness was met with blank stares and antipathy! Complaints that my visual aids were too small and their ability to take on new information was defensive to say the least! It didn't help that my colleagues from NCDC didn't turn up either! By the end of the day it was "slightly" better and a lovely note of thanks from one lecturer didn't make me want too run away, but flat and despondent was my mood!

Day 2 started even worse as all lecturers were involved in a demonstration outside the administration building for 2 hours! Luckily one of them did have the courtesy to come and tell me. NCDC colleagues did come after break and the mood was lightened by a very humble and honest presentation by the Deputy Director (even though he answered his phone during Q and A). A very simple presentation of the syllabus confirmed all I had shared the previous day so lecturers were happier.

So much happier they showered thanks and praise on their colleagues for attending and making it all clear for them. I couldn't help but feel very isolated at that point as my all singing all dancing active teaching and learning seemed not needed or appreciated! The afternoon wa slow but better in mood for sure, even though I was struggling with my own sense of understanding and worth!

Day 3 started only 15 minutes late...progress! Continuing with Planning activities was focused and more enthusiastic. Lovely ECOL lady was received well as usual, however talking to the backs of heads is not my presentation style of choice! 

We finally got through all aspects of Planning by the end of the day and I received some surprisingly complimentary evaluations which made my anxiety lessen somewhat.....well a lot!