School Practice

I really wish everyone could see through my eyes. The experiences and things I saw today (Wednesday) remind me of why I love bring part of the educational process. I have the privilege of supervising school practice for six students. Our student teachers have to complete school practice twice during their university time, once during year two and one during year three. Each school practice time last 8 weeks. During the 8 weeks, student teachers are observed six times. I am overjoyed and excited that I get to be a part of this process as a supervisor. It allows me to get out into public and private schools and see our students in action.

This is the form I am required to use to grade students.

Each school has a way of greeting visitors and security procedures. Some have huge gates with guards and some just have an office you walk into and sign-in to the visitor’s log. My supervision began on Wednesday with Winnie at a small, Catholic private school. The school is very young, only about four years old and is associated with a church next to it. The tuition is about Shs 400,000 (less than $200) per term. I took a boda to go to her school, but it was so close to campus that I could have walked. The school was very welcoming with a small office. Winnie came and picked me up and took me to her class. As soon as I arrived, the students greeted me in unison. Winnie taught senior 2 with about 40 students. This was Winnie’s first teaching experience and she was nervous, but prepared well. The lesson covered two hours. I was surprised at the amount of knowledge the students had and how quiet they were during the lesson. After the lesson, we conferenced and then Winnie walked me back to the road.

Today (Thursday) I began with an observation at another small, private, Christian school with about 400 students. Their tuition is about Shs 350,000-400,000. I took a boda, but he took me to the wrong school. There is Naminyango Secondary School and Naminyango High School. So, I had to take another boda to Racheal’s school. It seemed a long way, but I arrived at the right school and Racheal greeted me. Rachel was teaching senior 2 and taught a lesson on vocabulary using a text. The texts here are so, so old. All of the students have these notebooks that they keep their class notes from the blackboard.

Next, I headed to Seeta High School, again via boda. On my way, I passed many animals, screaming kids, and many stares. I often tell people here I feel like an alien because people stare and shout “muzungu” but I guess I have gotten used to it. This is a HUGE school and there are around 2500 students. This is a private, Christian school started by a member of parliament and the tuition is Shs 800,000 ($320). My student, Gladys, had over 90 students in her class. It was a really large, large class. I don’t really know how she managed. The students were very inquisitive and excited for my presence. Gladys used a text from 1985, but she helped students to try to understand the context about archaeology. As far as I could tell, there were three students per book. 

This is the tradition food at schools (beans and posho)

After Gladys' school, I headed to Seeeta Hill College, which was just up the hill from Seeta High. This school has around 400 students and the tuition is ranges from Shs 600,000-900,000 ($240-360). Aron is a third year student and will graduate in November. He is an excellent teacher and will possibly already have a job by the time her graduates. His school is small and he had 27 students in his class.

Today (Friday) I set off for Mukono Parents' High School to see a second year student. This is a private school of about 800 students with a tuition of about Shs 800,000 ($320) per term. Remember there are three terms, so this is almost $1000 a year PER CHILD! Needless to say, most money goes towards education. Asha is from Tanzania and I visited her in Dar es Salaam during the winter holiday. She is an excellent students and will be an awesome teacher. She works hard and thinks carefully about her lesson plans. I am so proud to supervisor her!

I am also proud to say I can ride a boda sideways without falling off like the lady in the picture! So excited about that!

I look forward to the next six weeks that I have to observe our students in action. They are a joy to work with and I am so thankful for this experience.

Things I have learned so far:

•       Very few resources are available (paper, pens, pencils)
•       Our student teachers don’t like students to use dictionaries
•       There is a blackboard in every classroom
•       Students sit very close and are very quiet
•       Students are very quiet when answering questions, but teachers encourage them to speak up
•       Teachers only have to be in the classes when they give lessons
•       Teachers like quiet classrooms
•       Bugs, wasps, noise, etc. don’t phase students

Restoration Gateway

On Friday, I headed to Karuma, Uganda with a friend to visit the NGO, Restoration Gateway. I have visited many NGOs during my time here, but none quite as amazing as this one. Now, I know this is 281 km (about 174 miles) would normally take about 4 hours, but the roads here are very challenging and our whole trip took 8-9 hours.

First, we took bodas down to the stage (bus stop) in order to get a taxi to Kampala. This usually costs a little less than .50 (Shs 1,000). The ride takes about 10 minutes. I feel safe on the motorcycles here in Mukono, but I would not ride them in the city. I don't mind the bodas as long as I can sit straight. The challenge comes when you have to carry luggage or groceries on them in a skirt. I have not mastered sitting sideways.

Around 2, we caught a taxi to Kampala. Just in case you forgot what these look like, I have a pictures to help you understand.

There are so, so many taxis here. They are easy to get and cheap (about $1 to Kampala). So, it took about an hour to get to Kampala and then we headed to the bus terminal. Again, the transportation is cheap. It costs us about $8 (Shs 20,000) for the journey from Kampala to Karuma. I took this pic from the bus.

Here is a picture of the bus terminal. I took this picture from my seat on the bus. Yes, it is crazy! You can literally get any kind of snack or service here, including cell phone charging...all for a fee, of course. Once you get on the bus, you have to wait for it to fill up. We waited close to two hours for everyone to get on and then we headed to Karuma.

Traveling here is hard to describe unless you go through it. The ride is incredible bumpy with many stops along the way. We sat in the back and many times you are actually lifted of your seat because of the speed bumps or the bus having to dodge another oncoming vehicle. Some of the road is pavement, but most is just rough gravel because of construction. What is paved is usually a single road with many potholes, which often narrows to where one car can get by because of erosion. A two-lane road often encourages buses to pass slower vehicles and they do it at breakneck speeds often with oncoming traffic in sight. All vehicles use the same road including semis, coach buses, people walking, and cars.

Need a goat?

It is unbelievable. NOTHING is air conditioned and since it is the dry season, things are very, very hot. I know those of you in the U.S. will not empathize with me because you are sick of winter, but being hot and sweaty on an 8 hour bus journey is not fun. The bus only stops once along the way for a "short call" (bathroom) or to pick up snacks, but there are many, many stops for food along the way. I eat everything, which might explain why I have had parasites several times, but I love the food. I think I have gained about 5-10 pounds, but I know it will come back off when I head back to the land of salads.

mchomo (goat/beef)

gonja (roasted plantains)

Kampala is the largest city in Uganda and has the most access to goods. Many people come to Uganda to buy things and then take them back to the village and sell them. These goods may include construction items, suitcases, sacks of clothes, etc. All of these things have to go INSIDE the bus. So, imagine people, along with all of these goods sitting in seats and the aisle. In fact, getting out of the bus was like going through an obstacle course. We reached (arrived) Karuma at about 10 p.m. on Friday night.

We were going to take a boda, but there were none around. Daniel called his brother and they headed down to pick us up. The center was a little over three miles from Restoration Gateway (RG). As we waited for Emma and Moses to pick us up, we started walking down a long, dark road. Most Ugandans are used to the darkness because of the rolling blackouts, but I am not. I hate dark places. But I was assured that it was safe and we headed down the road. As we headed down the road, Emma and Moses picked us up and we headed to our accommodations for the night. Daniel stayed with his brother and I stayed in one of the houses.

RG was created out of a need to take care of orphans whose parents were killed in the war or by AIDS. The organization is based in Waco, Texas. They have a primary school, dental center, chicken house, various crops, gym, library, and houses for the children.

Each house contains about 8-10 children with a Ugandan mom. There are about 100 children on site. There are also several missionaries there including several doctors and teachers.

The campus is beautiful and overlooks the River Nile.

While we were there, they had an engineering team from EMI (Engineering Ministries International). Their main purpose during the week was to evaluate the structures, survey the land, and design a 180 bed hospital. We were privileged to hear their report on Saturday night before they left on Sunday. It was amazing to see the progress they have made and the future plans. We were also able to attend a church service there on Sunday morning, which was in Acholi and English. Nothing thrills me more than being a part of a bilingual event!

Overall, we had a great weekend and I really enjoyed my time at RG. To learn more about this NGO, check out their webpage here

Standard Article (2/17)

A Renewed Writing and Study Skills Course

Lecturers from Foundation Studies and Languages and Literature along with library staff made the journey from Mukono to Jinja to begin the process of reviewing the textbook of a foundational writing class, Writing and Study Skills (WSS), required for all first year students. This course began as a response to the needs of strengthening the academic reading and writing skills of all students in all programs. The workbook was last revised in 2010. A revision was necessary to align with the curriculum reform for secondary schools conducted by the National Curriculum Development Centre. This workbook revision will reflect many changes in response to the curriculum reform and the age of technology.

The first change includes moving from a teacher-centered approach to a learner-centered approach. This change will be reflected in the teacher’s edition and will be evident throughout classroom activities where students will be using group and partner work to review writing samples from various disciplines. Students will be involved in interactive lessons that will require using speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills throughout the course.

Another noticeable change will be in the integration of new technology skills including the library research database and writing websites. Students will be given step-by-step instructions from library staff in the workbook on how to conduct effective and efficient research on a given topic using UCU resources. Students will also be guided through how to use social media and various websites to publish their writing and strengthen weak writing skills.

Finally, the workbook will still have four rhetorical modes, but the lessons will now be organized by modes as opposed to skills. Each mode will have integrated skills in grammar, research, technology, critical thinking, etc. The amount of time spent in each mode will vary, depending on the amount of content contained in each mode. For example, narrative will be taught over two weeks, whereas expository will be taught over five weeks.

To remain true to the original objectives of the course, the lecturers listened to many sessions on the history of the course, curriculum development, and incorporating technology led by experienced faculty of UCU and the ELF, Jamie Cardwell. The staff made collective decisions and worked together to ensure all involved in teaching the course understood the curriculum, instructional activities, and assessments required. During the last half of the workshop, the faculty divided into four different rhetorical modes and began working on the various sections. The faculty will continue working on the workbook and the ELF will write the teacher’s edition and edit the final product. The new workbook is expected to be ready for publication in early June with implementation during the upcoming September semester.

The Standard Article (2/5/14)

Colons versus semicolons – Yes, they are different!

Over the past few months I have noticed grammatical errors using colons (:) and semicolons (;) incorrectly, but I have seen these errors much more consistently lately in staff agendas, emails, coursework, and various publications. People use colons and semicolons synonymously, but they do have different purposes. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to explain some of the uses of these punctuation marks. Keep in mind that I am writing this is the context of academic (formal) writing.

Colon Uses

1. Colons may be used to introduce lists.

Besides the main campus in Mukono, there are three locations of Uganda Christian University: Arua, Mbale, and Kabale.

According to Mukisa (2013), the following reasons for failing Writing and Study Skills are: not completing coursework, dodging class, and failing the final exam.

2. Colons may be used to indicate a sub-title or subdivision of a topic.

The History of Uganda: A Personal View

3. Colons may also be used in writing references to separate the location and publisher in APA style.

Oyot, B. (2014). The history of Uganda. Kampala, UG: Fountain Publishers.

4. Colons may be used to separate time. 3:45

5. Colons are used in the manuscripts of plays/dramas.

The Black Mamba

Namuddu:

Berewa:

Professor Coax:

6. Colons are used in the salutation of a business letter.

Dear Sir/Madam:

Semi-colon Uses

Disclaimer: Semi-colons are not used frequently in contemporary English. Full stops and commas are much more common.

1. Semi-colons are sometimes used to separate items in a sequence or list, especially when the list involves phrases of words.

Reckless driving in Uganda is caused by inadequately prepared drivers; ill-maintained vehicles; and poorly maintained roads.

2. Semi-colons may also be used instead of full stops to separate two main clauses. The clauses remain grammatically separate but are linked in meaning.

Some students dodge class; most students attend class.

Kampala is the largest city; Jinja is the most industrialized area.

So next time you see a colon or semi-colon, I expect you to use it correctly!!

Writing and Study Skills Workshop 1/29-2/1 (Jinga, Uganda)

 

On Wednesday afternoon I headed to Jinja with 20 other staff members for a work session to review our textbook for Writing and Study Skills. Now, I know it looks short on the map and is only about 58 kilometers (36 miles), it took about an hour and a half to reach the hotel. The roads here are paved, but have huge pot holes and the traffic can sometimes double and triple the amount of time on the road. We rented a "coaster" which is like a mini bus for about 25 people. I am not sure why cars are not air-conditioned here, but NONE are and the rides are very hot, sweaty, and bumpy! I love to sit in the back and many times

We are revising this book, Writing and Study Skills, which was last revised back in 2010. Part of my job description is to update this book and also to write a teacher's guide. It is a BIG undertaking, but one that I can do (and another opportunity for me to publish!).

Before the actual workshop, I went with three other people two weekends ago to check out the resort. We needed to book the reservation, pay for it, and check out the facilities. Things are not done here without paying for it, so we had to go in person to make the reservation. So, we all piled into Jerome's car and headed to Brisk hotel. Everything worked out, so we booked the hotel for the next week.

Daniel, Bernard (Jerome and Agaba) on our way to check out the facilities.

waiting to try the food

Once arriving with the whole group, we got settled into our rooms and waited for evening tea. Tea is a very interesting phenomenon here. It is a HUGE deal and everyone loves it. Tea involves drinking milk with tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. There are usually some "eats" involved in these teas too.

After tea, we relaxed and played games. Then, some people from our staff came into the lobby to ask if I wanted to see "lake flies". Now, it has been my experience that when people from here ask me if I want to see something, I should go see it. So, I headed to the other wing of the hotel to discovered what everyone was talking about. Lake flies are these little insects that look like mosquitoes, but they don't bit. They are literally EVERYWHERE at night. If you don't keep light off in your room until about 7 p.m., they will completely fill your room.

These are the carcasses just outside the window.

See the black spots?

On Thursday, we got down to the nitty gritty! We listened to very many presentations and collaborated together to make decisions.

I really like the collectivist way of revising our workbook and we spent a lot of time trying to make sure we agree and support each other. I wanted everyone to be on board with what is going on and the changes we are making, so I needed everyone to vote and be a part of these decisions. Everyone worked beautifully together and through some debate we had a rough layout of the workbook. Then, people divided into their prospective groups to get busy on their chosen rhetorical modes.

We would work during the day and then had some leisure time in the evenings!

We got a lot done over the week, but we have a lot more to do. Although I won't see the finished product until after I return home, it will feel so great to be done with this revision!

This and That

Happy New Year! 

I am excited to announce that I have an office now! I even have an office mate, Alex, which makes having an office not so lonely. I have a tendency to spread out and he is amazingly forgiving! I have been really struggling for space here especially after having a large classroom for so many years. I really needed a place to call my own and with my dissertation starting this month, I had to have a place to keep confidential information. I have a phone and computer on my desk. The phone is actually to connect my Vonage device so that I can make and receive calls from the U.S. If you want to give me a call, my number is 314-260-7785. If I am not in my office, the number forwards to my local cell phone. I pay $10 a month for unlimited calling, so it is an awesome deal! I am the only one who picks up the phone, so don't hesitate to call me! However, keep in mind that I am nine hours ahead (CST), so I won't answer your call in the middle of the night.

There are people in our lives that make our job easier. I have three. They are our office assistants: Lydia, Kazozi, and Dorothy. They are amazing. They clean our offices, close our windows, empty the trash, make copies, get food, and generally do anything and everything we ask. One of my favorite things they do is cleaning my coffee cup. I drink coffee and leave my cup on my desk. Magically, it appears the next day...clean! This might not seem like a big deal to you, but it is huge to me!

I had a faculty board meeting today and on my way there, we saw many monkeys playing around. I think the mangos are getting ripe, which usually causes them to rummage through the trees. I am fascinated by them, but people here think they are a nuisance. I knew this difference in our views, but Alex reiterated it today when he said, "Ugh, those are so annoying!" I am still totally fascinated by them!

I have the pleasure of teaching "recess" classes for the last three weeks. These students are actually teachers who are working on their Bachelor's in Education during the holiday time. They come in January, May, and August when their schools are on break. During this module, I taught Writing and Study skills. These pictures are students discussion an article that I gave them from our English Forum magazine how to incorporate more "student" talk as opposed to "teacher" talk. They came up with very good and practical ideas.

Every class has a class leader who communicates information to the class from the lecturer, straightens the room, picks up copies, passes out papers, etc. For this particular class, our leader is Anthony and he is AMAZING! He provides supplies for me and makes sure the room is ready for class.

Anthony and I

The coordinator the program, Daniel, works very hard to make sure all students are successful. I caught him just before he was heading to class.

Daniel Omaya

 There are not many food places I recognize in Uganda and fast food is non-existent. So, imagine my excitement when one of my friends told me we were getting a KFC. I didn't believe him, so I told him if they were actually opening a KFC, I would buy him lunch. Guess what? It was true! So, we set off to have KFC a few weekends ago. 

Kizito and I

The bottom bones are mind, the top are Kizito's! He licked his clean!

So excited about ice cream!! It was delicious!

I work in two departments: Foundation Studies (FS) and Languages & Literature. Foundation Studies is like the core coursework we have at the university level. I think we might refer to them as per-requisites. The FS department is entirely comprised of part-time lecturers. We have a meeting every Monday morning and it is one of my favorite times during the week. We gather together, have a devotional, and listen to department announcements. The people in this department are truly a joy and amazing to work with day in and day out. We actually went on a writing workshop this past weekend, but that is for another post!

Paul and Solomon hard at work...or hardly working?

I guess that is all for now. You are all caught up with most of the things happening in my life. I will make two more posts this week about my latest article and the workshop we had in Jinja. Hope you are all well.