Our time on Vukani Combined School has come to an end. We have had a great time and made many new friendships. All our backpacks are filled with many experiences that will be useful for the rest of our lives.
The last week has been one of the best weeks we have had on the school. This week we have focused on innovative learning. We have done something innovative in all our subjects, small things but also bigger things. Ulrikke and Linnea have taught in 7th grade this week in English and Social Science. Tord has taught 8th and 9th grade in Natural Science. We all have observed learners who seemed happy during their learning process. In English we used LEGO bricks for learning prepositions. The learners in 7th grade also got the opportunity to try out boardgames, where they had to make a sentence which included a preposition in it.
One bigger innovative project we tried out was a stationary work with three stations in English. We divided the class of 45 learners in three groups and they moved between the stations. One station was a prepetition relay where the group of 13-14 learners were divided in four groups. The goal was to have the most prepositions when there were no more left in the middle. The second station was a “Find a Friend Bingo”. The last station was an English grammar game with cards. We just had 40 minutes to do all of this, but with good planning and instructions it went out well. We also got a few minutes after to ask the learners what they taught about the lesson, and they all came with good feedback. One said, “this is the best class I have ever had”. This lesson made us proud.
The 8th grade got the opportunity to try out a sort of Thinking Classroom in Natural Science with Mr. Karlsen. They learnt about the universe and telescope in a new way. They were divided into smaller groups and made posters on whiteboards inside and outside the classroom. They all were engaged, and after they had a presentation for each other.
During breaks this week all three of us were outside dancing, playing, and building relations with the children. We had a lot of fun every day.
It was hard to say goodbye to the children and teachers on the last day. We felt that we were really beginning to get to know them all and get comfortable in teaching in this context. The children gave us cards, small homemade gifts and sang to us which was touching. Some of the teachers prepared a Xhosa goodbye meal which included chicken, vegetables, and cake. They also sang and danced for us and brought some gifts. We got one gift each which included a mug who had one of the big five on it, biltong, card, homemade Xhosa jewelry, South Africa biscuits and some Xhosa words we had learnt. We also brought some different gifts and learning material to the school, which they appreciated.
Friday, we went to Nelson Mandela University and met the students from 1-7 and three of the students who are going to Norway in April 2024. We stayed the weekend in Jeffreys Bay, did our last surf, and started our travel home to Norway Sunday afternoon.
How does sustainable development look like in the school context that you have become familiar with after 4 weeks?
The children on the school are mostly from disadvantage homes. As we have written earlier, they only way out of poverty is to get an education. The school provides one daily meal to the children which is a sort of sustainable development. We have seen how the children find joy in the smallest things and how they do the best out of what they have.
This has been a big adventure, and we are honored for getting the opportunity to participated in this project. We are thankful for the memories we’ve created at Vukani. The teachers and students have embraced us warmly, providing valuable insights into their culture and school system. These moments will always have a special place in our hearts, molding us not only as educators but also as individuals.
Best regards Tord, Linnea and Ulrikke
 |
 |