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! 

The Office (Basotho style)

Week 4

Back to office life this week, planning, meetings, making arrangements, writing reports, re-writing reports, rearranging meetings etc etc. A new breed of flexibility has been added to my list of skills this time around. Monday afternoon saw me close my workshop officially with a planning meeting....I attempted to use De Bono's 

"Basotho" Thinking Hats to elicit problem solving regarding how this new curriculum affects the college.....I'm not sure if it worked as the group discussions were in Sesotho...but we did come up with a very viable set of plans for the following year....a lot of work for me to do in a very short time!

I had a very successful meeting with the Head of Special Educational Needs, Mrs Phela...very keen to collaborate with our Literacy Project and lead the sharing of good practice in Maseru. My meeting with the Dean of the Faculty of Education went just as well, the harbinger of many changes to come in the curriculum at LCE but keen and happy to help lead workshops regionally for student teachers out in the field! Multiple meetings with the Director of Academic Planning, Research and Consultancy booked me in for 2 more weeks of workshops so all staff are trained to the same level. Feedback has been excellent and all staff want to take part, which is bigger than I originally planned....they are taking me very seriously! No pressure! 

Lots more planning took place in lieu of these plans....streamlined and improved version of last week for the Thaba Tseka LCE campus, and my first Support workshop on The practical application of Assessment for Learining. Applying theory to the practicalities of teaching potentially 150 students in a simple, fresh and approachable way did prove challenging! 

Only 12 lecturers came to the support workshop, but it went extremely well as we all worked collaboratively to understand afl strategies, techniques and potential approaches to Grade 4. What we did discover though was a large can of worms - are we really able to sell AfL to the lecturers? They have to use it's methods for their students to experiment in school!

Integrated Curriculum Workshops - Going solo!!

Week 3

It was an early start on Monday with little sleep as I visualized my presentation to 50 lecturers and anxiously anticipated their reaction – were they going to be cautious, questioning, hostile?? Who knew, it was a new audience for me, and without my partner in crime Anna I was nervous. An 8.30am start meant a 9am start and my introduction, warm up activities and co-operative learning presentation went really well…getting back on the horse after a weeks planning was going to be great (I thought!)

My 4 day long workshops were all prepared to introduce the New Primary School Curriculum to lecturers in conjunction with the governmental bodies, the National Curriculum Development Centre and the Examinations Council of Lesotho. An important dual delivery where they would provide the theory and I would provide the practical…..great in theory….not so great in practice. As I waxed lyrical about the necessity for modelling good practice in order to understand how to teach a child-centered integrated curriculum, my highly energized, participatory activities were stagnated by dry 2 hour long commentaries about the syllabus, always descending into open argument and debate….in Sesotho, so I sat there excluded and without purpose!

By Wednesday I wondered why exactly I was here and I pondered if there really was any point in my wider professional concerns regarding helping LCE and the education system! Catastrophizing aside, I genuinely left the workshop on Wednesday wondering if I should go home for good in April!! However, by Thursday the tides had changed and the day went brilliantly. I was back in my comfort zone leading activities on Assessment for Learning and engaging a lot more with individuals and debating concerns that actually could be answered rather than arguing about semantics and political struggles between organizations.

Friday followed suit and we closed the workshops with a confident smile and genuine applause as we all now embark on the next step….rewriting and re-structuring the courses at LCE to ensure Primary Education students are ready to work with the new curriculum when they go out on teaching practice in 2015. A big job but I no longer feel like I’m tackling it on my own!!

International Learning Opportunities - 8 week placement....Maseru, Lesotho

Week 1

         And so I land once again at Moshoeshoe Airport, gently strolling to the tiny airport from the small South African airways plane with the sun shining and a soft breeze welcoming me home! Two months has literally flown by and as soon as I am on the main road heading to the city I settle into my seat and think about my new role at the Lesotho College of Education (LCE).

My first visit on Friday 21^st February (well, technically my second) saw me rushed off for a meeting with the Director of the National Curriculum Centre (NCDC), ushered speedily (surprisingly) by my new boss, Dr Khati, the Assistant Director of Academic Affairs. A provisional agreement was made immediately to provide training for LCE in March, which would make my job here so much more purposeful. The lead body on the New Primary School Curriculum providing training for the countries only teacher training institution in my presence and with my technical assistance…would be a great start.

I settled into my new house on the weekend, a large two-storey house (not common) in the staff village for the college. A huge space circa 1965, with a lovely view of huge gum trees from the small balcony area, huge kitchen, hot water geyser, comfy double bed and an almighty, overwhelming smell of damp!! Oh well, you can’t have it all eh!!

Morning yoga, short walk to the office at 8am, 1pm lunch at home and plentiful stares from the student teachers, local school students, workmen and generally anyone passing at all points!! I’m used to it now, as my freckly skin gets thicker and thicker BUT working in an office on my own is not something I’ve experienced before! Ironically that is going to be my biggest challenge, not the numerous visits to immigration as my Volunteer permit identification was not on A4 paper!! It finally got sorted and I started to find my feet by Tuesday as I met my “working party” of Faculty Dean’s and lecturers, wrote my plans, researched my materials, rewrote my plans, shared my plans, rewrote them again AND finally spent the morning trying to finalise training at NCDC…..I need to keep my fingers crossed that the Director sticks to his word, even though he is about to go on annual leave!

The end of the week was devoted to a little road trip in a clunky truck to Quthing; hundreds of donated books from the UK charity School Aid needed to get 3 hours South of Maseru. Luckily all sweaty hands were on deck and the seemingly endless boxes of books got onto a truck and got off a truck, nearly in the right place. The hired truck spluttered and stopped just at the top of the hill near our destination, the Education Office in Quthing, a very helpful “bakkie” driver and the lovely team of Welsh teachers on the Lesotho Teacher Placement Programme helped out. Rea leboha luna!!

An early start on Friday the 28^th February saw our link and placement schools celebrate St. David’s Day – Basotho Style. Thousands of learners, beaming sun and smiles, lots of Welsh and Basotho flags, singing and sweating on their Upper Moyeni parade. We had an Eisteddfod afterward back at Moyeni Primary School with all schools participating, singing dancing, reciting and acting in English, Welsh and Sesotho. Seven weeks in and all learners and teachers seem very happy and educated by our Welsh presence……..#allworthit

Donations needed......

Calling all friends and family of the

Lesotho Literacy Leap Project...

As you may or may not know I am about to return to Lesotho on the 19th February 2014 to further develop the work Anna and I did last year as part of our Lesotho Literacy Leap Project in Qacha’s Nek and Quthing.

Dolen Cymru already has Welsh teachers working in Quthing who are supporting our workshops given there in November 2013. Check out their amazing work at:

http://www.lesothodays.blogspot.co.uk/

 I will be returning this time to work in the Lesotho College of Education in Maseru for 8 weeks as part of the Welsh Governments “International Learning Opportunities” programme, hoping to share our work with the Teacher Trainers and student teachers. Please keep up-to-date via:

http://www.bridgesandlinks2africa.org.uk/blog-4/

 

 Before I pack my backpack once more I do need some goodies from you however………

-       Do you have any old unused and unloved reading scheme books in your school?

-       Do you have old clothes suitable for the Basotho orphans and vulnerable children?

-       Do you have any old Phonics resources or games, particularly flashcards and sound games?

-       Can you DONATE any money to our READING BOOK charity fund? @http://www.dolencymru.org/donate/lesotho_literacy_leap/3958/

-       Would you like to buy a Handmade Eco-bag from Lesotho, only £15 including P&P?

Contact me at Sharon_flint@hotmail.com for more details