Reflecting on Class on wednesday 13/04/ Knowledge

Hey I am doing the course and was thinking i was o.k then i got to class last Wednesday i was so over my head. Every one is so intelligent and speaking about things i not sure of, hectic. I felt strongly about a few issues and wanted to say something but the fear of sounding silly keep me still. That must be just how my students feel. I often get so excited about stuff that people get stuck on my emotion towards it and they don't listen to what i have to say, other times they just think i too young to contribute anything worth while.

I have nearly ten years teaching experience and i could always draw so i guest i have something to contribute, that is what i tell my students. There is a place for all of us in the art world and so too in life for we have purpose on matter how small. So here goes.

1. Why does university teachers come down on school so badly, for any one who has ever been to public school lately will tell you , it is hard being a teacher there. It is a tuff place and most days you just pray to get home without any miss hap. The teacher do their best but the big classes and ill discipline and lack of supplies and the in fighting amongst teachers and management, it is so hard to be there. Some students use schools as a platform to get their drugs and smokes sold and to get to other kids. Break times is so hard, violent and dangerous. And all you hear from curriculum advisers is that you must do more you must give more. The students are never to blame and you are powerless in every way. So the few would make it out of there and in to university , i am so proud and thank full. We have no idea what they faced in school. Please be mind full about all the challenges at public schools.

Please see face book page on Belhar high and you could get an insight to public school.

2. I don't like curriculum development, since school days , all the education dept. say is lets fix the curriculum but on the ground level it is a different story, teacher cheat the system and fairly so they get paid the rates as someone in a shop or factory. So why , where is the job satisfaction a pride? I can't blame them. How can we develop the learning but we are not developing the person. So i started saying curriculum development was for people who sit in offices and make up these things but have no idea what is happening in the class room,. They want to brush every one with the same brush. Just like in the old days, when we were all suppose to think in the same why so why are surprised that we have so few free thinkers.

3. Modes of knowledge Generations:
- I heard about this for the first time in class but it was not new to me at all. Mode 1 referes to the traditional mode of education, like university. and Mode 2 from the university of life LOL i love that because everything i know was from experience even after tech, i was still drawing logos by hand and in the job they used pc and scanners, by first job was at you magazine and i was the scanner but i have never scanned in my life and was not equip to be in that environment, never saw a contract or a bank card before. So since that moment i just remained hungry to learn anything and very thing, because here i was thinking i went to tech and had matric, but i still knew so little. So i want my students to have that hunger for information, to find out even if you don't know.

4. Things that in pact curriculum:
- this was a bit over my head as she was explain it. And only after class did it get to me. Macro (world) and Mesro (provincial) and Micro (school) all these thing inpact on what we plan to teach.

5. What is a curriculum:

- basically a plan on what will be learned and what will i teach and how. Allowing both modes and relevant examples, whil simulating real life briefs. Diversity, unfair footings find out what others say about it.

6. Concept and Context

This was tuff for me but now i get it, Concept has i building block system and context is a practical system. I do believe they go hand in hand and not one or the other Some things are build up and other just happen, As long as there is coherency or follow that makes sense.

cheers for now...