1 / 40

What I learned about America while living in South Africa

What I learned about America while living in South Africa. David A. Thomas math-ed.com.

jamar
Download Presentation

What I learned about America while living in South Africa

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. What I learned about Americawhile living in South Africa David A. Thomas math-ed.com

  2. Each year, the Fulbright Scholar Program sends approximately 800 U.S. faculty and professionals to 140 countries to lecture, teach and conduct research. An equal number of academics and professionals from overseas visit the United States each year under a Fulbright Scholar grant. To date, this program has placed close to 50,000 scholars in over 140 countries. More than 45,000 overseas scholars have visited U.S. colleges, universities and research institutions. • www.cies.org

  3. Republic of South Africa • 51million people, 80% black African ancestry • 11 official languages • ~40% unemployed, living on ~$1.25/day • Largest communities of European, Asian, and racially mixed ancestry in Africa • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa

  4. Pretoria National Capital Population 1.6M Elevation 4,170 ft

  5. Dinner at Moyo

  6. University of Pretoria College of Education, Department of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education • Project: Development of a web-based, professional development, geometry course for secondary mathematics teachers http://web.up.ac.za/

  7. UP Groenkloof Campus

  8. UP Mathematics Students

  9. National Parks & Game Reserves • National Park System • Private Game Reserves

  10. Kruger

  11. Kruger

  12. Kruger

  13. Kruger

  14. Ukutula

  15. Ukutula

  16. Ukutula

  17. Entabeni

  18. Entabeni

  19. Entabeni

  20. Entabeni

  21. Entabeni

  22. Entabeni

  23. Observation • In both America and South Africa • Government agencies regulate public access to vast wilderness areas and park lands and their indigenous plant and wildlife species. • Municipal and private zoos, aquaria, and private wildlife attractions provide opportunities for viewing animals in settings that simulate wildlife habitats on scales small enough (up to a few hundred acres) to guarantee sightings and simplify animal management. • In South Africa • Private wildlife and nature reserves ranging in size from a few hundred acres to tens of thousands of acres provide opportunities for viewing wildlife in natural habitats. Tourism associated with these reserves is a foundation stone of the South African economy.

  24. I wonder … • How a discussion of game reserve tourism might challenge our assumptions about stewardship of natural resources • What an American version of game reserve tourism might look like • What impact a successful implementation of game reserve tourism might have on our economy • What entrepreneurs in all sectors of our economy might learn from their counterparts in other countries

  25. K-12 Education • Access vs. Quality ⇒inequality of opportunity • In international comparisons of academic achievement South African students routinely “finish last” in mathematics and reading • Many K-12 teachers lack the content and pedagogical knowledge to do their jobs • In school, testing trumps teaching and learning • Continuing professional development of teachers is neither required nor supported at the local, provincial, or national levels • Government seems incapable of addressing these challenges in an honest and competent manner • Many foreign investors unable to hire and retain an educable workforce are leaving South Africa

  26. Soweto Township

  27. St Angela's Primary, Soweto • 2012 enrolment340 boys and girlsGrade R to Grade 7 http://www.cso.za.org/stange.htm

  28. St Angela's Primary, Soweto 

  29. Drake Koka Primary School, Ivory Park

  30. Drake Koka Primary School, Ivory Park http://bobtryanski.com/keepitcampaign/ivorypark/blog/category/library/

  31. Pretoria Boys High School • A public, fee-charging, highly selective college prep high school situated on a beautiful 34ha campus. The school prides itself on maintaining high standards based on the pillars of a full academic, cultural and sporting program. http://www.boyshigh.com/

  32. I wonder if we should … • Rethink the validity, reliability, and value of high-stakes testing. How much time is being stolen from teaching and learning? • Reform the training, evaluation, and lifelong professional development of teachers. How do we attract and retain the best? • Make education at every level more relevant and intrinsically rewarding. How do we prepare students to be lifelong learners? • Help students to honestly and realistically identify and understand their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and obstacles relative to the world of work and to plan their post-secondary education accordingly.

  33. Crime & Corruption • In a 2012 report, the US State Department stated On a rating scale of low, medium, high, and critical, Pretoria is rated “critical” for crime. In general, crimes continue to range throughout the full spectrum, from petty muggings and ATM scams to armed residential home invasions.  These crimes occur with great frequency. For residential and commercial properties in the more affluent neighborhoods, the use of private security companies has become the norm for first response to a crime in progress.

  34. Home Security Systems

  35. Home Invasion • Two months after we returned to the US, my friend and colleague Dr. Max Braun and his wife Claire were shot in a home invasion. Claire’s injury was minor. Max almost died. • Around 7,000 home invasions occur every year in Pretoria and Johannesburg. Most of these invasions are violent. Most go unsolved or prosecuted. • Personal firearms are all but outlawed in South Africa.

  36. I wonder … • How many South Africans and foreign investors are abandoning their homes and business ventures over this issue. • About police involvement in these crimes and the government’s incompetence in addressing this issue. • What will happen to my friends, all of whom ARE careful to maintain a low profile every day and to arm their security systems.

  37. Most South Africans Are … • Friendly, generous, honest, hard-working, spiritual people with a talent for happiness in spite of their circumstances • Stuck with economic and educational systems incapable of delivering them from poverty • Disgusted with incompetent and corrupt political leaders and bureaucrats • Terrified of the criminals preying on them • Afraid for the future I worry that their present might become our future

  38. South Africa Needs • New models of economic development • A world-class system of education • A world-class police force • World-class leaders and institutions Nothing less will guarantee their future America needs the same Nothing less will guarantee our future And in spite of its problems …

  39. South Africa Calls to Me

  40. The End

More Related