Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday’s are always good, but this Friday was even better, thanks to ending the day with a great lesson to the grade 8s. We are about to start a study of area and volume, so I was introducing a few definitions. I wrote the definitions and drew examples for a square and a rectangle before unleashing the chaos.
As part of an assignment during my teaching internship I had interviewed students (in America). I was shocked to find out that none of those I interviewed fully grasped power of the definitions of a square and rectangle, realizing that a square was in fact, also a rectangle. My first class on Friday was the other grade 8 classroom, so I already knew that learners in Namibia weren’t different from those Americans in this respect.
I asked the learners if they understood the definitions. (They always say yes regardless of if they do, think they do but really don’t, or don’t.) I pointed to the picture of a square and asked them if it was a square. YES! I asked them if the rectangle was a square. NO! I asked them if the rectangle was a rectangle. YES! So far, so good. Then I asked them if a square was a rectangle. NO!
(No doubt some of you as well don’t recognize the error. It’s okay, but I must clarify before proceeding. A rectangle is a four sided figure with four right angles. A square is a four sided figure with four right angles AND all four sides are the same length. Squares are a subset of rectangles. Namibian learners don’t understand the word “subset.”)
I shook my head with a smile on my face. I pointed to the definition of rectangle and pointed to the drawing of the square asking Does this have four sides? YES! Does this have four right angles? YES! Then, is it a rectangle? NO! Again I smiled and shook my head and repeated the whole process three or four more times.
After pretending to bang my head on the board in frustration – they just love when I do that – I stopped and pretended to start on something new. I asked those learners who are from the Kavango region to stand up. Okay, sit down, and those learners who are from Namibia stand up. Every learner stood up. I told Enock to sit down; he could not stand up for Namibia because I saw him stand up for Kavango. He reluctantly sat down, so I continued. I told Immanuel to sit down but he explained to me that it was true that he was from both Kavango and Namibia. Right as he said that several of the other learners had that “ah ha” moment and someone shouted out “like a square and rectangle!”
Then I drew an outline of Namibia on the chalkboard and shaded in the Kavango region. As I traced the outline of Namibia and then Kavango, I said “this is…rectangles” and “this is…squares.” Then I drew Windhoek and Nkurenkuru, saying Windhoek is a rectangle that is not a square, like the example over there, and this (Nkurenkuru) is a rectangle that is also a square. Most of the remaining learners then had their “ah ha” moment and the classroom got brighter as the figurative light bulbs lit up.
The next definition was for a parallelogram. I wrote the definition, drew and had them draw several examples of parallelograms and non-parallelograms, then drew the outline of Africa around the Namibian rectangle, and the room brightened once again.
As part of an assignment during my teaching internship I had interviewed students (in America). I was shocked to find out that none of those I interviewed fully grasped power of the definitions of a square and rectangle, realizing that a square was in fact, also a rectangle. My first class on Friday was the other grade 8 classroom, so I already knew that learners in Namibia weren’t different from those Americans in this respect.
I asked the learners if they understood the definitions. (They always say yes regardless of if they do, think they do but really don’t, or don’t.) I pointed to the picture of a square and asked them if it was a square. YES! I asked them if the rectangle was a square. NO! I asked them if the rectangle was a rectangle. YES! So far, so good. Then I asked them if a square was a rectangle. NO!
(No doubt some of you as well don’t recognize the error. It’s okay, but I must clarify before proceeding. A rectangle is a four sided figure with four right angles. A square is a four sided figure with four right angles AND all four sides are the same length. Squares are a subset of rectangles. Namibian learners don’t understand the word “subset.”)
I shook my head with a smile on my face. I pointed to the definition of rectangle and pointed to the drawing of the square asking Does this have four sides? YES! Does this have four right angles? YES! Then, is it a rectangle? NO! Again I smiled and shook my head and repeated the whole process three or four more times.
After pretending to bang my head on the board in frustration – they just love when I do that – I stopped and pretended to start on something new. I asked those learners who are from the Kavango region to stand up. Okay, sit down, and those learners who are from Namibia stand up. Every learner stood up. I told Enock to sit down; he could not stand up for Namibia because I saw him stand up for Kavango. He reluctantly sat down, so I continued. I told Immanuel to sit down but he explained to me that it was true that he was from both Kavango and Namibia. Right as he said that several of the other learners had that “ah ha” moment and someone shouted out “like a square and rectangle!”
Then I drew an outline of Namibia on the chalkboard and shaded in the Kavango region. As I traced the outline of Namibia and then Kavango, I said “this is…rectangles” and “this is…squares.” Then I drew Windhoek and Nkurenkuru, saying Windhoek is a rectangle that is not a square, like the example over there, and this (Nkurenkuru) is a rectangle that is also a square. Most of the remaining learners then had their “ah ha” moment and the classroom got brighter as the figurative light bulbs lit up.
The next definition was for a parallelogram. I wrote the definition, drew and had them draw several examples of parallelograms and non-parallelograms, then drew the outline of Africa around the Namibian rectangle, and the room brightened once again.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Kim and Hana, here are the pictures. I just saw your comments today
Here’s what you have missed since my last blog entry.
• Part 2 of our trip to Tanzania – it was great and worth writing about, but extremely time consuming and seemingly a waste of time given the great writer who accompanied me on the trip. You can read Lindsey’s account on her blog: www.fromnamibia.blogspot.com
• The second term of school – pretty uneventful. Lindsey’s AIDS club hosted a talent show at her school. It was winter, meaning it was cold at night and in the mornings. I think it almost froze in the south. Here, are lows were in the single digits (Celsius). We each took 8 learners to EWA, a gender and leadership conference in Rundu put on by the area PC volunteers. In the classroom, the grade 8’s continued to test my nerves – “refusing” to “learn” fractions and general apathy. The grade 9’s continued to impress me with their work ethic.
• August vacation – we spent a week in Swakopmund at a house ON(!) the beach, shopping, eating great food, watching the Olympics and forgetting that we were in Africa. Then we went on a 4 day hike at Waterburg Plateau. We were expecting to see a lot of animals, especially rhinos, but only saw a few (and no rhinos). However, the scenery and company were great, so no complaints. The Dark Knight.
• PC Conference in Windhoek – our completion of service conference. PC put us up in a plush lodge and we got all the details on going home. This was also the last time that we’ll probably see a lot of the volunteers that are not in the Kavango Region.
• PC releases us Dec 3 after a week long check out in Windhoek. We chose to cash in our plane tickets and spend some time traveling before returning to our beloved country. We’re going to go on a tour through Mozambiue, next see Kruger Game Park in South Africa, then rent a car and leisurely drive down the coast to Cape Town. We’ll arrive home January 19. Part of us really wanted to come straight home as soon as we finished, but we thought me might later regret not taking advantage of the great travel opportunities.
Now we are about to start the fourth week of the third and final term. Aside from lesson plans and grading, my thoughts have been focus on two things: leaving and the election.
The PC conference destroyed any remaining delusions volunteers may have had about not facing the reality of our impending departure. It’s really hard to believe that it’s (almost) time to go. It still feels like we just arrived. At the beginning, two years seemed like such a long time that it didn’t feel that much different than ten years, or permanently. It crept up slowly, but now its here. I am sad to leave the people I’ve become close to: volunteers, locals and learners. There are also many cultural aspects that I will miss, and surely others that I can’t even comprehend now. I think about when I was home last Christmas and was missing Namibia. This time when I go home there will be no return. I have made a list of things I want to do before going home and have done a pretty good job of doing them. The only remaining big one is hosting another goat braii, which will be in two weeks. But don’t get me wrong, I am itching to be back in America. Lindsey asked me the other day about the thing I was looking forward to the most. It was a difficult question, but I answered that it was just feeling a part of it all. Of my family, friends, culture, country. I have dreams almost every night about being in America – similar to the dreams I had when I first arrived here – and I wake up not knowing where in the world I am (literally, lol).
Now that we are accessing the internet almost daily, I am following the election as best I can. I was also able to see a replay of Palin’s speech at the Republican convention while in Windhoek, and stayed up for McCain’s speech only to fall asleep half way through at about 4am. After being fairly confident in the American people to elect Obama, I have become worried after this “Palin bump.” In a certain aspect, its interesting to see what the GOP will come up with next, they are no doubt very cunning and clever (good “politicking” I guess). Who would have thought that they would have tried to steal the ideal of change, much less to have been successful doing so. It’s like regardless of a statements accuracy or truth, if you keep saying it over and over again people will believe it (i.e. Palin’s against pork barreling; McCain and Palin will reform Washington; off-shore drilling would lower gas prices, much less solve the American oil addiction; or that global warming was not caused by humans).
But on the other hand, the Republican’s spin (dare I say “propaganda”?) is scary; this is a serious matter, the country’s well being is at stake. To be clear, I’m not angry at the faithful Republican supporters, I know they have their reasons (thought of obviously I don’t agree), I just can’t get over and how people can be swayed so easily by repetitive talking or an inexperienced, good-looking, simple- and smooth-talking woman. Can anyone (anyone?) really believe that now, all of the sudden, Republicans support women? That’s why the choice of Palin is so sleazy. Why does it seem like no one sees that?
After receiving two mail-in ballots for local elections after the election date I, was getting nervous my vote wouldn’t be counted. However, PC has arranged for us to get write in ballots which will then be shipped back in plenty of time. We should be getting them any day now… I am so anxious for the election. I am predicting absolute exuberance or extreme anger and disappointment. Sarah, Lindsey and I are planning to stay up (or maybe wake up early) and watch the returns live, which should start coming in when the polls close at 3am Nam time.
I am going to try and write more often from here on out. We’ll see.
• Part 2 of our trip to Tanzania – it was great and worth writing about, but extremely time consuming and seemingly a waste of time given the great writer who accompanied me on the trip. You can read Lindsey’s account on her blog: www.fromnamibia.blogspot.com
• The second term of school – pretty uneventful. Lindsey’s AIDS club hosted a talent show at her school. It was winter, meaning it was cold at night and in the mornings. I think it almost froze in the south. Here, are lows were in the single digits (Celsius). We each took 8 learners to EWA, a gender and leadership conference in Rundu put on by the area PC volunteers. In the classroom, the grade 8’s continued to test my nerves – “refusing” to “learn” fractions and general apathy. The grade 9’s continued to impress me with their work ethic.
• August vacation – we spent a week in Swakopmund at a house ON(!) the beach, shopping, eating great food, watching the Olympics and forgetting that we were in Africa. Then we went on a 4 day hike at Waterburg Plateau. We were expecting to see a lot of animals, especially rhinos, but only saw a few (and no rhinos). However, the scenery and company were great, so no complaints. The Dark Knight.
• PC Conference in Windhoek – our completion of service conference. PC put us up in a plush lodge and we got all the details on going home. This was also the last time that we’ll probably see a lot of the volunteers that are not in the Kavango Region.
• PC releases us Dec 3 after a week long check out in Windhoek. We chose to cash in our plane tickets and spend some time traveling before returning to our beloved country. We’re going to go on a tour through Mozambiue, next see Kruger Game Park in South Africa, then rent a car and leisurely drive down the coast to Cape Town. We’ll arrive home January 19. Part of us really wanted to come straight home as soon as we finished, but we thought me might later regret not taking advantage of the great travel opportunities.
Now we are about to start the fourth week of the third and final term. Aside from lesson plans and grading, my thoughts have been focus on two things: leaving and the election.
The PC conference destroyed any remaining delusions volunteers may have had about not facing the reality of our impending departure. It’s really hard to believe that it’s (almost) time to go. It still feels like we just arrived. At the beginning, two years seemed like such a long time that it didn’t feel that much different than ten years, or permanently. It crept up slowly, but now its here. I am sad to leave the people I’ve become close to: volunteers, locals and learners. There are also many cultural aspects that I will miss, and surely others that I can’t even comprehend now. I think about when I was home last Christmas and was missing Namibia. This time when I go home there will be no return. I have made a list of things I want to do before going home and have done a pretty good job of doing them. The only remaining big one is hosting another goat braii, which will be in two weeks. But don’t get me wrong, I am itching to be back in America. Lindsey asked me the other day about the thing I was looking forward to the most. It was a difficult question, but I answered that it was just feeling a part of it all. Of my family, friends, culture, country. I have dreams almost every night about being in America – similar to the dreams I had when I first arrived here – and I wake up not knowing where in the world I am (literally, lol).
Now that we are accessing the internet almost daily, I am following the election as best I can. I was also able to see a replay of Palin’s speech at the Republican convention while in Windhoek, and stayed up for McCain’s speech only to fall asleep half way through at about 4am. After being fairly confident in the American people to elect Obama, I have become worried after this “Palin bump.” In a certain aspect, its interesting to see what the GOP will come up with next, they are no doubt very cunning and clever (good “politicking” I guess). Who would have thought that they would have tried to steal the ideal of change, much less to have been successful doing so. It’s like regardless of a statements accuracy or truth, if you keep saying it over and over again people will believe it (i.e. Palin’s against pork barreling; McCain and Palin will reform Washington; off-shore drilling would lower gas prices, much less solve the American oil addiction; or that global warming was not caused by humans).
But on the other hand, the Republican’s spin (dare I say “propaganda”?) is scary; this is a serious matter, the country’s well being is at stake. To be clear, I’m not angry at the faithful Republican supporters, I know they have their reasons (thought of obviously I don’t agree), I just can’t get over and how people can be swayed so easily by repetitive talking or an inexperienced, good-looking, simple- and smooth-talking woman. Can anyone (anyone?) really believe that now, all of the sudden, Republicans support women? That’s why the choice of Palin is so sleazy. Why does it seem like no one sees that?
After receiving two mail-in ballots for local elections after the election date I, was getting nervous my vote wouldn’t be counted. However, PC has arranged for us to get write in ballots which will then be shipped back in plenty of time. We should be getting them any day now… I am so anxious for the election. I am predicting absolute exuberance or extreme anger and disappointment. Sarah, Lindsey and I are planning to stay up (or maybe wake up early) and watch the returns live, which should start coming in when the polls close at 3am Nam time.
I am going to try and write more often from here on out. We’ll see.
