South Africa 2019
  • Reflections
  • Reflections

Critical Reflection #3

1/29/2019

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Why is an examination of inclusive education needed in both countries? 
- Both the United States and South Africa have similar historical problems facing the educational system and an overall societal issue. An examination of inclusive education is needed in both countries so that we can realize our faults, understand the barriers that are preventing education systems to actually be inclusive, and how polices are affecting the work we do. We must also understand why our current system is failing and how as educators can improve the structural benefits for an inclusive environment. Many factors can influence a students ability to learn, therefore we must understand and examine various cultures, barriers, and benefits to the inclusive education. 

What is the "Wicked Problem" and how can we solve it? 
As for the "Wicked Problem", it can be defined as something that is "complex, dynamic, multi-facted, and intractable" (2017, p. 85). There are various problems within education and how it still creates an exclusion for people from its systemic problems. Even if we try to become more inclusive, there are various problems that can cause a diverse group to enter the education system such as resources, finances, and transportation. As educators we must dig deep and find adaptive solutions to support an inclusive education and not a technical solution just to add better representation. We must truly tackle and identify the issues, fix policies, fix our own biases and privileges so that we can build a better future and curriculum. Both United States and South Africa are suffering from post-racial problems and not actually doing work to fix the elephant in the society. 
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Critical Reflection #18

1/26/2019

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Cape Town Experience 
Besides the wonderful work and the impact we are making in various communities in Cape Town, the overall city is beautiful filled with various activities that we were not able to complete. Dr. Jez was kind enough to drive us through the coast down to Boulders beach, Cape Point, and Cape of Good Hope. The drive was phenomenal and reminded me of Hawaii's coastline. Me typing this out won’t be able to explain the entire beauty of Cape Town and South Africa. The people are welcoming, passionate, loving, and the food is very savory with various spices and made me feel that I ate too much throughout the trip. The history and culture is enriching because we were able to visit Robben Island and understand why this prison ever existed and the atrocities that happened there. Nelson Mandela was a very powerful human being who fought for civil rights and the equality of everyone, which had influenced the work of important people throughout the world. 

The CPUT students and Marcia made this experience wonderful and I'm amazed by how natural our connections were formed and how much we were able to learn from one another and the willingness to trust one another and inform each other of our experiences. Marcia allowed me to feel more welcomed as she expressed her own struggles similar to mine and reasons why we don't always publicly share. The CPUT students connected with us outside of the educational purposes and gave us a reason to still fall in love with South Africa and their own personalities. These individuals are willing to make an impact in their community and their willingness shows that even with struggles they push forward for a better government, a better educational system, and a better life. What stood out to me the most was also JC. He is an amazing human being who was always concerned about my feelings when something inappropriate came out about being "too male" for certain things. Kind hearted, compassionate, and honest people made this trip amazing and will never regret this experience. 


While South Africa does have a past and may be struggling at this moment, their society wants to move forward filled with forgiveness and love, and is ready to show the world that they are not perfect but willing to change to become a better country and learn from their history.

With Love, see you soon South Africa 2.0

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Critical Reflection #17, Day 9

1/26/2019

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Athlone Township - Ned Doman Secondary School
As we continued the work with 12 graders, we went to a different township that included the Ned Doman secondary school. After facilitating the CRSTP a few times already, hearing it in different languages, and reviewing the challenges, I was ready to do this one last time and hoped for a better outcome after fixing our errors. This time the groups were only split in half which meant that there were 8 educators in one classroom with about 40 student learners. Instead of splitting into smaller groups, we wanted to facilitate the CRSTP to the entire class and have them work individually. We believed that individual work may challenge them more to think independently and ask questions based on what they wanted to know and not their peers. It turned out that students were engaged in the work they were writing, students asked clarifying questions, and some students decided to move ahead on their own pace. I think that this is powerful because as educators, we are able to see where students are at and understand their struggles so that we can better support them. Students took control of their own work and their own abilities to answer the questions they wanted to answer. During this session, I did noticed the emotional reality can be very difficult for students to write about and have gone through their emotional state. We incorporated music to motivate our learners to do the work that was presented to them, which is a type of strategy that can support learning and memory retention.

We then combined the work we did with the educators in a post workshop about parental involvement. This workshop allowed educators to identify areas that need improvement for programming and what are future steps that the school wants to do to involve the parents. Many stated that they wanted to reintegrate the programs they had previously to better fit the new demographics of students. I noticed that although it was late for the educators, they were still passionate about the work they are doing and finding solutions to support their learners with limited staff. 

As a group, we were able to then head over to Blouberg for dinner at the beach front and appreciate the work CPUT and USD did together. The restaurant was beautiful and enjoyed the inclusive restrooms, the first that I noticed in South Africa. It was very heart warming to give our thanks and our see you soon to the relationships we formed and to continue the work we are doing.

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Brownell, M. T., Smith, S. J., Crockett, J. B., & Griffin, C. C. (2012). Inclusive instruction: Evidence-based practices for teaching students with disabilities. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
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Critical Reflection #16, Day 8

1/26/2019

 
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Gugulethu Township - ID Mkize 
The following day, we all met to finalize paperwork that we wanted to introduce to the students at I.D. Mkhize, which was the secondary school in Gugulethu. We began to drive to this school and noticed how the township was laid out and busy the road was to get to the campus. During this, the educators facilitated the CRSTP into four different groups and essentially challenged the students perspective in understanding English, the questions we asked for them to better understand what they want to do when they finish high school and the Matric. Meanwhile, Dr. Jez, Dr. Mosito, and Dr. Meda, facilitated a professional workshop to educators of the campus to better understand a new system to educate learners. 

This experience came with a few challenges and also rewarding moments. Students were unable to answer financial resources because they were unaware or had no knowledge about the resources available for students to attend college after the Matric. They also had difficulty with the questions that were presented to them since the slide was a blank page. I believe that students with English as a second language should have the questions in front of them in order to read it themselves rather than have a person read out loud. It reminded me the importance of educating our learners about the possibility of continuing their education and the resources available from their province or country. It also goes back to the Inclusive instruction textbook, educators must be aware of their students strenghts and limitations in order to better their curriculum and support the students needs to become more accomplished (Brownell, et al., 2012). After supporting the learners in grade 12, USD and CPUT students were able to find some bonding time, and some debriefing about our experiences and build those connections. 

That following evening, we were able to visit Camps Bay which reminded me of an area like La Jolla, filled with restaurants on the beach front and live music. It was an amazing experience and a beautiful view to end the first day working with learners.

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Brownell, M. T., Smith, S. J., Crockett, J. B., & Griffin, C. C. (2012). Inclusive instruction: Evidence-based practices for teaching students with disabilities. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Critical Reflection #15, Day 7

1/26/2019

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Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)
The first full day at Cape Town University of Technology (CPUT), we were able to sleep in for the first time in our entire trip and it felt amazing! I was more intrigued in being able to meet students close in age with me and able to understand their experience as educators at a different city and at a different capacity. Initially, we were all excited to get to know each other and be able to understand our experiences with CRSTP, but through our free time we all shared nicknames, we got very personal, and we were exchanging words in various languages that we all know. We asked each other questions about our cultural experiences, the differences, and similarities we have and it was something that felt natural to me to have conversations with. Sometimes we diverted from our tasks because we felt that forming relationships was more important in order to work effectively together and build that mutual trust and collaboration. 

During this time, we split into groups so that we can work on tailoring the CRSTP to the best of our ability in order to support the 12th grade learners. Chante, Mtu, General, JC, Mandy, Donna, and Cristina were all my team maters discussing the pros and cons to the experience we had. We eventually split into smaller groups which consisted with myself, Donna, JC, and Chante. I think by far it was helpful because we were able to be creative in our questions and make sure that 12th graders will understand the format of the question in terms of English. This reminded me of the work we did with the Esikhisini students because we needed to ensure that not only would they understand in English but would they understand this in their own language. I felt more connected with these educators to prepare for the following two days and felt confident in the work we were doing to be more culturally inclusive and to understand how we can best support the learners. 
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Critical Reflection #14

1/26/2019

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People we met and the Culture of Johannesburg
Arriving to South Africa, there was a bit of a culture shock to me. I immediately noticed that the roads and driving are completely opposite of the United States. I was a bit amused by it but also tried to picture how I would be able to drive in a new city. It was rather interesting to also interact with some of the locals and how service can be entirely different when going out to restaurants or grocery shopping. However, their food and taste of music was amazing and enjoyed every moment we had in Johannesburg and the various cities we visited here. Dr. Jez was able to introduce us to two amazing individuals who I believe made the experience even better and able to grasp what Johannesburg was all about.

On our first night at dinner, Dr. Jez invited one of her good friend Niki to meet us there. We went to Poppy's and can recall that he brought this partner along with him. Sitting at opposite ends of the table, it was hard to communicate with him and the time difference was catching up to my eyelids. However, he was kind enough to invite us to his own place for a Braai. A braai is basically a BBQ, filled with various meats and side dishes. We were all about to enjoy ourselves at his home and he was able to welcome us as if we have met various times. He was a kind person, filled with love, he wanted to learn more about who we are and he even let me play a song in Dominican to get some salsa dancing going. 


Another person that allowed me to ask questions from a higher ed perspective was Dr. Gadija. She was beyond intelligent and was intrigued to understand our masters program and why we chose to be in South Africa. She was able to answer the question I had wanted to know since the beginning, if universities have a similar structure to that of Fraternity and Sorority Life. It came about that they do have similar activities and students enjoy living together as if they were also in an exclusive group, but not everyone will. She helped us come up with the idea of bringing a map to the students in Esikhisini so that they can better understand where we are actually from. Dr. Gadija was nice enough to print many materials and even lend us her own map, at 7am, which shows her dedication to the work we are all doing in the educational field.
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Critical Reflection #13, Day 6

1/26/2019

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Lebone II
To wrap up our experience in the province of Johannesburg, we went to a nearby independent school, Lebone II. Dr. Jez warned us that this experience would be different but also would be interesting to understand their history. Lebone is only twenty years young and was created by the King of Pilanesberg and he wanted it to be a school that would leave an impact in their community and become a vital component in educating learners. Going through the tour, I loved the natural sunlight that was given to the classroom and how they did not have any air conditioning. They wanted the natural air to come through the wide windows the buildings had. There purpose as a campus is to elevate the community, which I found to be true as we learned about their history and the ways they integrate their critical and fine arts. 

The school wants to develop their approximately 800 students holistically, ranging from grades R-7. They believe that extra curricular activities should be not graded but still imbedded in their daily courses. It allows the students to find their passion and give them the ability to become critical thinkers and innovative. Learners are able to become passionate about certain topics and not have to worry about the pressure of being graded based on their performance. I also enjoyed to hear that every learner will plant a tree on campus or in the community in order to foster a better environment. Habits of mind were very important to the institution and are introduced at every grade level in order to emphasize that these can be carried on throughout life and can be of great value and asset to them. 

I was amazed by how transformative and innovative this school is, and that they are ultimately trying to change the views of education in order to support the learning process of their learners and using strategies that were similar to that of the Inclusive Education textbook. Brownell points our various strategies to support the learner and how educators can become more proficient in their roles in order to find effective tools to give them the ability to perform better. It goes back to how their educators have continuous professional development opportunities and give back to their community by inviting local educators. They are making a powerful impact for a future school. After this visit, we drove towards Lanseria to fly to another city, Cape Town!

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Brownell, M. T., Smith, S. J., Crockett, J. B., & Griffin, C. C. (2012). Inclusive instruction: Evidence-based practices for teaching students with disabilities. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
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Critical Reflection #12, Day 5 and 6

1/26/2019

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Safari Game Drive
After a few days of working with learners and educators, after learning about various historical marks in South Africa, I was happy to get away and enjoy the outdoors and see wild animals. Part of me felt that this was something I could see at the Zoo, and part of me felt that this experience can be amazing and beautiful. Arriving at the Kedar Lodge, I knew that these rooms would be more old and wooden, along with a historical purpose. Viewing the pictures, the sculptures, and all the various flags, I was able to learn that this part of town goes back to colonialism and had experienced a prominent war with the English and Dutch.

Going through the safari, I had moments where I wanted to cry of happiness and disbelief of the beauty I was watching. Feeling the fresh air hit my face and ruin my hair, the rush of excitement when we saw animals were all factors to an amazing experience at the Safari. My biggest take away from my first week in South Africa was the reflection I had of my own privilege with my education and socioeconomic status. I had the opportunity to attend South Africa and I took it, not knowing that it would heavily impact me. The first and only night at Pilanesburg, a group of students decided to stay up and watch the stars. We began to discuss about our experiences and what we were all thinking. If it were not for the immersion of Pretoria or Soweto, I would not fully understand the circumstances and struggles of the people who live in South Africa and the influence Nelson Mandela truly had in the past few decades. We were lucky enough to find four of the big five animals on the first day, along with the other beautiful animals such as zebras, wart hogs, wildabeasts, impalas, kudus. I would enjoy to come back and visit the Safari again.
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Critical Reflection #11, Day 4

1/26/2019

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Changemaker Symposium 
Waking up on Saturday, I felt a tad ill but I brushed it aside because I was excited to understand how a changemaker symposium actually worked. I was excited to learn and interact with educators from various campuses. Upon arrival, we met the educators from Limpopo and I was intrigued by Dr. Ntsoane and his mannerism of interacting with us. He was willing to ask questions and tried to get to know me on a personal level, which was by far very warming and welcoming. He was also part of my group which made it more exciting to hear his story and how an individual with a doctoral degree is teaching at the primary school level.

In our group we had Dt. Ntsoane and Terry from Limpopo, Futhy and Mbizene from Esikhisini Primary School, along with Donna and I, which made it a very diverse group to say. We came together and realized that our differences made it our strengths and all of us had various years in the educational field. During our discussion I was able to grasp a better understanding of the various barriers that the educational system is facing in South Africa and how similar it still is to the United States. We spoke about policies and curriculum that is created by the ministry of education without even supporting educators and ineffective to the campuses that have minimal resources. With this, we were able to find that our challenge is to create an inclusive policy to fit a global standard in the educational system. We believe that policies are binding us to an issue that is ultimately destroying the learning process for all learners because it is not inclusive. Our group had various ideas to find a solution and how to best support educators in South Africa or the United States. We found the importance of having more workshops to voice systemic issue and prove to our educational boards the need of changing the current system. "If they don't understand today, how can they follow tomorrow"

I was amazed by the stories of those that have experienced education for a long time and those that were passionate about integrating workshops, creating inclusive policies, involving parents and the community, along with the use of translanguaging in our school systems. Meeting folks from various schools reminded me the important work of Friere and one of his values of collaboration. I learned more about the African education from Dr. Ntstoane and Terry and my passion for education was sparked all over again and reminded me of the reason why I chose to continue with higher education to support students that have struggled from their own barriers. 

Changemaker Pledge

  1. ​INNER TRANSFORMATION: This experience made me feel warm, it allowed me to better understand the similarities and differences of education in South Africa along with the United States. I am motivated because my peers have challenged me to think differently about how to be inclusive, and how various barriers have impacted our educational systems, especially in my group where we discussed heavily about policies and politics. Moving forward, I want to better understand how policies may affect our educators, our learners, and our communities and how we can create inclusive policies that can be tailored to support all learners and the various cultures we have. Working with R - 7 at Esikhisini has furthered my passion and understanding of education and to continue the work at the higher education level. It has given me a stronger appreciation for educators who work with youth and has influenced my views of leadership and education overall. 
  2. RELATIONAL TRANSFORMATION:  Working with my small group and listening to the various groups that presented, I have learned that our differences unite us to become better educators and our differences make us stronger because we are able to relate and to challenge one another. Even as educators we are continuing to learn so that we can overcome the challenges we are given by the education system. This experience can be related to the work of Freire, where we as a collective have collaborated to understand the common challenges we face, we have trusted one another to strengthen our communities by giving each other a voice to our learners, and we were open to our previous experiences and willingness to share. It has empowered me to learn more and it has allowed me to understand how education at a young age will impact the ways they learn and interact at the higher education level. 
  3. SYSTEMIC TRANSFORMATION:  This experience will forever leave an impact in my life and I would love to continue doing this work to make change in various communities that are impacted by the education system. My passion for higher education has been influenced by the R-12 educational system and the powerful voices that were at this symposium. It has given me the ability to rethink how to be innovative in my approach with students and with policies that are implemented at the university level. It will continue to challenge my leadership that, even if I think we are inclusive in San Diego, we still have to continue the work to be culturally inclusive for all communities and not just one area. I know that I will challenge my peers when I return to San Diego to understand that we must make change and we must first understand our biases to continue the work that we want to see. 
  4. CHANGEMAKING FRUTION: Changemaking requires patience and it requires an ability to challenge the system and our peers. In order to ensure that our ideas will be fulfilled, I will continue to have these conversations with our educators globally and in our communities so that we can build ideas and we must hold each other accountable. As educators accountability can be a form of motivation to continue the innovative, culturally inclusive work we want to see and so that we may learn from our past and current events.
  5. EXPERIENCE: I want everyone to know that you are all amazing human beings, you are all powerful and you have inspired me to continue the work in education. We all are passionate for a better education and we want to transform our education systems so that our learners can be even better leaders when they are older. Working with the youth has reinforced my reasons of being an educator and I want to thank you all for allowing me to understand the South African education system. I am truly humbled by this experience and would love to stay in contact so that we can continue these conversations and continue to find strength-based solutions.

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Critical Reflection #10, Day 3

1/26/2019

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Soweto Bike Tour
I had heard from a lady on the plane to South Africa that it was dangerous and not a city I should visit. It began to worry me and filled my thoughts with biases and anxiety, but i knew that Dr. Jetz would not take us there if she knew it was not safe enough. On the day of our drive to Soweto, I tried to remove negative thoughts and go in with an open mind. I knew that it was an important city of Johanesburg because of the movement from Nelson Mandela and the fight against Apartheid. The food was beyond amazing when I tried their Chakalaka and Pap with Chicken stew. I really felt that I was able to eat authentic African food. During my time there I never felt unsafe, better yet I felt that the people their were welcoming, loving, and the kids wanted to shake our hands as we biked through the city. It was powerful to see the way the community lives with poor sewage conditions, various road issues, and the kids were out playing soccer without the usage of technology. They seemed content with what they had and here I was struggling to see how they lived and could not imagine myself being able to sleep well.

​Being able to immerse myself, I am able to understand why these individuals protested, why Nelson Mandela wanted to fight for equal rights, how the systemic issues are still present, and to understand my own biases and privileges. During the bike tour, I was able to connect the Nelson Mandela textbook because he shared the experiences he had in Soweto and how he had fought his way through freedom. What had also stood out to me during the tour is that instead of creating family apartments, they should have created a school or a healthy clinic to fight the systemic issues and be a more positive community. Soweto was beautiful to me and I wish that we spent more time at the Hector Peterson museum to understand the rich history they have experienced. It reminded of the privileges I have and how I as person take my privileges for granted and don't realize how much worse it can be, and yet it was the most amazing experience I had on this trip.
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Critical Reflection #9, Day 2

1/26/2019

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Harambee
Our second day, after we had visited the Esikhisini primary school, we drove to downtown Johanesburg to visit a nonprofit program to better understand the unemployment issue in South Africa. This nonprofit helps individuals from the ages of 18-34 to find a job and to support their performances in areas that are vacant and not as promoted. They focus on soft skills such as punctuality, dress code, character improvement, communications skills etc. rather than technical skills because it will help them find a better fit and stay in that position for a longer period. I was honestly amazed with how this nonprofit is able to support thousands of young individuals who need employment and to be able to better their skills in order to land them the right job they may need. They use effective assessments in order to understand their capabilities and is helping their country and local communities to fill jobs that are needed. Harambee tries to support those with barriers such as education, language, and financial to find jobs that may fit their needs and to support their monthly income. I know this company will improve their country and is doing amazing work. Their building is beautiful, innovative, and interactive while also supporting various youth to do workshops and support one another. It builds South Africans confidence and gives them a new ability to find something they want to do even if they did not do well in the Matric. It reminded me the importance of understanding that educational barriers can leave an impact on someone's life and can ultimately not allow them to get an adequate job, therefore it is important to challenge our educational systems in order to have an inclusive education to support our learners. Going to this after the Esikhisini school, I felt the powerful impact they are making for a better future. 
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Critical Reflection #8, Day 2 & 3

1/26/2019

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Esikhisini Primary School (Observing and Teaching)
Our journey continued the following day to observe and teach students the CRSTP at a primary school in Pretoria. Approaching the city where the school is located, I was amazed by how the learners were excited to see us and yet attend a school that had such poor conditions. During my observations of the structures, the resources, and the interactions, I was able to realize the privilege that I have living in the United States, but also attending a university with functioning wifi, air conditioning, comfortable chairs, and clean floors. The educators were open to this new experience in having to adapt with the first two days of them starting school.  The kids were quick to teach us their handshake as if we were close friends with them, and they would put their trust in us to be in their classrooms and community. 
  • Ms. Penny who taught grade 3, used various strategies to support the learners in the classroom that was taught in our course text book (Brownell, et. Al, 2012) . She repeated various words in both English and Zulu, she labeled objects to teach the learners English through a visual representation, and she used songs to incorporate math. I was excited to connect the readings and strategies she used, especially how she challenged the learners and how direct she was because of the rapport she has built with them. This engaged me to support her and she tried to show me how I can help when she was teaching math skills. 
  • The following day we all presented the CRSTP to grades 6 and 7 and read to grades 1 - 3. This to me was challenging but also exciting because I don’t have previous teaching skills, nor have I worked very close with this age group. The CRSTP found its challenges with the seventh graders because they either thought they were too cool to complete the tasks, or had not listened to me because they were laughing and speaking in their home language. The sixth graders were able to ask questions and wanted to understand the reasoning behind why we were asking them to fill out questions. The younger learners were eager for us to teach them English by their actions and the way they interacted with us. To me this was exciting because I could see that they knew reading was important, I could feel their passion to repeat the words that came out of my mouth, and for them to even shout the words before I was able to read the page. I also noticed the importance of translanguaging as a form of communicating with students so that they could better understand what we are teaching to them in their home language.

Brownell, M. T., Smith, S. J., Crockett, J. B., & Griffin, C. C. (2012). Inclusive instruction: Evidence-based practices for teaching students with disabilities. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Phasa, N., Mahlo, D., & Dei, G. J. S. (Eds.). (2017). Inclusive Education in African Contexts: A Critical Reader. Springer.
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Critical Reflection #7, Day 1

1/26/2019

 
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Apartheid Museum 
​Upon arriving at Johanesburg, we were able to relax and freshen up after flying for 25 hours before we went to our first destination. Driving to the Apartheid museum, I had no idea what to expect and I was anxious to better understand what Apartheid was about. As I began to enter the museum, I had the non white card. This made me feel somewhat uncomfortable but willing to understand the history of the Apartheid and how those that were classified as non white were treated. Non-whites were either black, coloured, or indians and those that were classified as white were either British or Afrikaan. I learned that during this time, the council determined your classification based on skin color, which meant that families may have been separated. This to me was heart aching to see, read, and understand why the council felt the need separate families based on their skin color and giving privilege to others. I was able to connect the reading, Long Walk to Freedom, to what I saw in the museum, which reminded he  fought for global ideas and conflict resolutions. I can vividly recall certain parts of the book about Nelson Mandela, especially why he was named Nelson by his teacher, which made the museum pictures and quotes relatable to a textbook that I recently read. 
  • As the museum was coming to an end, two powerful quotes stood out to me. "When you take people's land from them, you break the strings that bind a community together." this reminded me of the recent events article of the importance of giving the land back to tribes. This issue is a current topic that has given rise to the complexities of land that was taken. As one of the assigned readings, it allowed me to connect the information and to better understand why it has become a recent issue in their country. 
  • "If we are to plot our future in South Africa so that it is more just and humane than the present, we must grapple once more with our history" - Reading this made me realize that in order to solve our issues, we must accept what happened and move forward with the possibilities that can make our future better; not only in South Africa or the United States, but globally as well.
Mandela, Nelson, 1918-2013. (2009). Long walk to freedom. New York :Flash Point/Roaring Brook Press

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Critical Reflection #6

1/8/2019

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​The school to prison pipeline speaks about how marginalized students receive more punishments than others and creating a systemic issue. Friere states that current education systems are marginalizing individuals, even if educators are doing the right thing, the implicit biases we hold are punishing students with marginalized identities. Translanguaging should embrace the students home language in order to support their learning process while they are in education. The lack of translanguaging is creating a barrier for students to continue to learn in their native language. 
 
In the reading provided by Hammond, they suggest a few strategies that we can shift the academic mindset and combined with Brownell et al. to create strategic learners. Combining both will provide for an effective instruction and ability for students to learn better. As educators, we should use images and quotes in order to give students the ability to create an imagination and use their memory process to spark an interest in the content. We must also help students connect the content to their own experiences or expertise so that they can better grasp the information. In doing this, we can create strategic learners by catering to the students understanding and allowing them to set goals so that we can monitor their performance. 
 
Educators must keep in mind that that they should chunk information in order to allow students in order to process information. Chunking information will allow students to understand the information more readily and easy, which then promotes processing information. After introducing the information, educators should give time to students to review that material that was presented. Reviewing will allow their memory to retain information. 
 
Traveling to South Africa reminds me of when I traveled to Brazil a few years ago. I should always be vigilant for my surroundings and understand that I should accompanied with peers wherever I go. It is also safe to not carry jewelry and more money than you need in order to remain safe while traveling outside. 
 
I read this article because the title that was posted on the website seemed appealing and something that I would love to enjoy reading more. Reading the article made me realize how closely connected it is to the United States in the treatment of Native Americans and Africans. It still reminds me the amount of oppression that is still occurring in South Africa and more work needs to be done in order to restore land to those that lost their own homes. It is a deep-rooted problem that has created a system of privilege for those that own more land. 
 
​Brownell, M. T., Smith, S. J., Crockett, J. B., & Griffin, C. C. (2012). Inclusive instruction: Evidence-based practices for teaching students with disabilities. Guilford Press.
 
Hammond, Z. (2015). Culturally responsive teaching and the brain: Promoting authentic engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students. Corwin.
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Critical Reflection #5

1/4/2019

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How can we build trust with learners through care and empowerment?
- In order to build trust with learners and peers, you must first build a positive relationship with them. I think it's important that we understand how to form relationships in order to empower them to do better and show them that we care through our individual acts, which can lead to building trust and a mutual understanding of one another. Working with students at a University level has taught me the importance of building rapport with students, listening, understanding them outside of the education context in order for me to advise and support them in their academics and leadership roles. This experience has given me the ability to understand how to transfer those skills working with K-12. 

How can teachers use feedback to foster relationships and build skills effectively and culturally responsive?
- Feedback is critically important for the development of relationship building and to become more effective in the ways we respond. Feedback can be done mutually so that both the students and teachers can become effective learners and can support each others development. Education is a continuous process whether the teacher is learning or the students are learning from the teacher. Students can notify how they learn effectively in order for teachers to accommodate for them and to also learn how to respond to cultural differences. I think feedback is a powerful tool for positive relationships.
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Many South African schools teach using required curriculum, describe two possible changes teachers could do to planning and instruction to support diverse learners?
- Reading the Inclusive Instruction textbook, I have been able to learn how students can learn in various ways through different methods. Students, whether they have a disability or not, process information differently that best support their fluency. I think that teachers can learn the culture of the student in order for their assignments and learning mechanism to be relevant to them. It also connects back on how teachers can provide safe and trusting environments for students to learn. Without understanding their culture, teachers may have a difficult time instructing the required curriculum. Another possible way that teacher can plan and instruct diverse learners is to provide at least two methods of teaching. They can use technology but also activities that will engage students to interact with their peers but also create independent learning. They must provide accommodations for students to process information effectively in order to retain and learn the content. 

Brownell, M. T., Smith, S. J., Crockett, J. B., & Griffin, C. C. (2012). Inclusive instruction: Evidence-based practices for teaching students with disabilities. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Chapter 7 and 8: Inclusive Instruction; Brownell
​I decided to work on the CRSTP with my cousin who is fourteen years old and she just began high school. I think overall, she was able to understand the questions and why I was asking her certain topics, however, it was difficult for her to understand the overall goal of this and she never really thought about how to attain her long-term goals. She was not able to understand certain terms, which meant that I had to explain a bit more of what that meant. I realized she had difficult with some of the questions, so I decided to work some of them differently or had removed them. I had to clarify some of the information in order for her to understand because she would have a hard time coming up with responses. 
 
I think it’s important that teachers, especially in high school, can begin to challenge students and provide further resources for them to understand how they can achieve their educational or professional goals. They can begin to use helpful terms that we would assume students would try to understand in high school, however, everyone has different avenues to learning. My cousin was able to do some reflective thinking, but it made her realize that she didn’t know how to achieve her professional goal and I am not sure if it made her feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable. Teachers should be aware of where the students are at and how to best approach these questions if they need to be modified. 
CRSTP
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Critical Reflection #4

12/6/2018

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Reflecting on barriers to learning takes me back to when I was young and could not speak fluent English until I was in the fifth grade. I remember it being difficult to connect my thoughts and process what was being taught to me, which meant that I had to attend remedial courses in order to develop the necessary skills at a pace that was appropriate for me. I was speaking in Spanish daily with my mother at my house and trying to learn English when I attended school, which made me confused on how to process my thinking and how to actually retain information that was being taught to me. This affected me through middle school and I was finally able to learn and retain information when I began high school. My mothers minimal education made it difficult for her to help me with reading and writing since my father had worked long shifts through out the day to even support my learning. Language barrier created challenges for me navigating the education system, which explains why math was the easiest subject for me to retain. 

​The textbook, Inclusive Education in African Contexts, explains how language can be a strong barrier for individuals to learn. She explains that "well-developed language abilities and language skills are essential for learning to take place" (Phasha et al., 2017). It can be difficult for South Africans to learn English when entering the education system because of them already have learned their home language. Appreciating 11 languages in South Africa is amazing, but that has created barriers because not all languages are able to be used in the education system. It also amazes me that parents are willing to make an investment in their child's English learning in order for them to have better access and success in the future.  Another barrier is access, and more specifically access to technology. We have talked about how socioeconomic status plays a huge role in how individuals gain access to education both in South Africa and in the United States. In the textbook, Inclusive Instruction chapter 5, discusses ways that teachers can become more inclusive and support students that learn differently. As they being to plan their instruction and with the advancement of technology, they are able to use various websites to upload documents and allow students/staff/parents access them by uploading images or commenting on materials (. Not all students have access to wifi, let alone not everyone has access to technology. It is important that teachers use materials they can present in class (videos, auditory) rather than posting materials online as homework or assignments that students use via websites.


Brownell, M. T., Smith, S. J., Crockett, J. B., & Griffin, C. C. (2012). Inclusive instruction: Evidence-based practices for teaching students with disabilites. Guilford Press.
Phasha, N., Mahlo, D., & Dei, G. J. S. (Eds.). (2017). Inclusive education in african contexts: A critical reader. Springer. 

Click here for Chapter 5 and 6 of Inclusive Instruction
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Critical Reflection #2

11/15/2018

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​My parent’s upbringing and social identities has influenced the way I perceive and currently interact with individuals and society. However, my own understanding of my social identities has allowed me to navigate my own life experiences and given me the ability to learn more about the impact it will have on others. I believe that my upbringing has given me both privilege and disadvantages, while challenging how certain things are perceived in my family. I have been able to use my current social location as a way to use my voice for others that are silenced, to support others that are going through hardships, and to navigate identities that may be marginalized. This is all important to bring self-awareness and understanding prior to comparing countries, cultures, and experiences. 
 
Some of the similarities that I noticed of South Africa and the United States are the cultural experiences that minorities may be experiencing as they navigate education in a more predominately white environment. Both systems are trying to become more inclusive and engaging in conversations that can be critical to the development of diverse populations. 
 
The group textbook, Inclusive Instruction - Education Based Instruction for Teaching Students with Disabilities, was supportive in my understanding of how to navigate inclusive education and to be aware of student engagement. It is critical to observe environments and adapt your teachings to support the learning of students in order to help them become accomplished learners. Not understanding their needs or where they may struggle may hinder their development and being able to be more independent or critical to how they learn. 
 
I hope that I can help address issues that are critical to my own learning and understanding of inclusive education and being able to explore how that can leave an impact. I also hope that with continued efforts, collaboration with South Africa stakeholders can help implement change that is meaningful and positive. 
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Critical Reflection #1

11/1/2018

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I chose this course because I found interest in not only traveling to South Africa, but how focusing on K-12 may allow me to prepare myself for students who may be navigating college right after attending high school. Understanding inclusive education will give me a better understanding on how students experience education in their adolescence and I will have a new perspective on how I can challenge students when they become adults and independent when they leave their own parents supervision. I hope that I will be able to understand and learn how to engage and support a diverse student population in the education field and apply that to my higher education knowledge from this course work. 

I chose to read the Long Walk to Freedom: The autobiography of Nelson Mandela.It has taught me how Nelson has navigated various institutions and environments growing up which impacted his experience through race and tensions that are caused by racial divisions. I chose to watch the movie, Catching Feelings (2018), and from viewing it I have been able to learn that it relates to the treatment and perceptions of the racial divisions in both South Africa and the United States. I learned that this film takes place in post-apartheid with a couple who has marital problems and Max is angered by his peers who engage with individuals who have privilege and not understanding the issue of race. This can be similar to America in how racism and the lack awareness of white privilege still occurs in our society, along with the stereotypes created against people of color. 
 
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    Cristian McGough

    MA student in Higher Education Leadership studies. 

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