The San, Khoi-Khoi, and a Host of Others...
One of my assignments at Norkem Park High School is to teach 8th-grade learners in a class called H.S.S. (Human and Social Sciences). Having not taught 8th-graders since the very beginning of my long career, I hunched over a bit when it was learned my year would be full of those energetic, sometimes troublesome youngsters. The first grade of high school at N.P.H.S. is 8th-grade--similar to many high schools beginning with the 9th-grade in the U.S.
I have quickly adapted to the very large classes on my "time-table." South African educators call their schedules a time-table. The learners have their time-tables too. To me, it is a confusing, almost cursed method in which to conduct the business of education...or is it? There is what is called a "cycle": a learner will see me five times in a given week with the cycle being two weeks. I'm told the testing will begin soon--the madness they teach to. Yes, educators here teach specifically for the test. My complaint to them is the fact that creativity is truly arrested with such subservience to the test. This is beginning to sound like my same complaint regarding the shackles placed on American teachers as a result of the Bush Administration's hallowed N.C.L.B. (No Child Left Behind) dictates to school districts across America.
Anyway, today I was venturing a discussion of the San society/culture. Most of the learners feel the San were "primitive." The cut and paste material they have been given to learn from is poorly conceived and poorly written. For instance, the information states the San could not read and write. I posed a simple question to my learners: gliding over to one of them, I asked what thought comes to mind when you learn they could not read and write? A hand shot up and the girl stated, "They were stupid!" Sensing this would be her sentiment, I quickly pounced on what she said and told the class the exact opposite was true of the San.
The stone-age San were survivalists--they had to be to inhabit a land that was basically without water and lacked trees for building shelters. The San were cave dwellers. They knew of 20 edible insects. I asked the class if the San knew such things for survival, then were they "stupid?" Most said no. Then I informed them of the fact that the San knew of 180 plants, roots, and tubers that were edible or were used for obtaining water from the ground. I asked them if they thought they could survive if we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of the Kalahari Desert. A resounding no was heard in the room.
We discussed division of labor amongst the San--who did the hunting, who did the gathering? If the men did the hunting was communication vital in search for animals? Yes, they had to have communication skills, hunting skills, stalking skills. The San had to fashion tools from stone, wood, or bone--another skill necessary for survival in the harsh environment.
Study of the Khoi-Khoi engendered the same commitment to understanding the intelligence of these ancient peoples. The Khoi-Khoi had a pastoral society. Cattle, goats, and sheep were herded. We discussed the skills needed to keep domesticated animals.
The art of the San entered into the discussion--their cave art and carvings are well-known in South Africa. Religion became a topc, as did family structure and leadership skills that were needed to develop kinship amongst the groups. It seems the San and the Khoi-Khoi had conflicts largely because of the cattle kept by one and the nature of differences in a pastoral society versus a more nomadic society. We learned both groups were nomadic though.
I extended the lesson beyond the copies given to me to teach the learners. It became necessary to have them understand the nature of a civilization--what determines civilizations? What is culture? Can learning and education take place within a society such as the San and the Khoi-Khoi. They knew the answer: yes!
We'll continue with the lessons tomorrow, although a test was promised to check their learning. They seemed eager to review their notes and go back over the two pages distributed by the H.O.D. (Head of Department). I consider myself a facilitator...I'll do whatever is asked of me in trying to teach these learners what they have to know to pass the test to be given by the Social Studies/History administrators. I'm not here to redirect their way of teaching. I figure I am here though to break the kids out of their molds with a little creative thinking--with a strong emphasis on the creative aspect of thinking.
I have quickly adapted to the very large classes on my "time-table." South African educators call their schedules a time-table. The learners have their time-tables too. To me, it is a confusing, almost cursed method in which to conduct the business of education...or is it? There is what is called a "cycle": a learner will see me five times in a given week with the cycle being two weeks. I'm told the testing will begin soon--the madness they teach to. Yes, educators here teach specifically for the test. My complaint to them is the fact that creativity is truly arrested with such subservience to the test. This is beginning to sound like my same complaint regarding the shackles placed on American teachers as a result of the Bush Administration's hallowed N.C.L.B. (No Child Left Behind) dictates to school districts across America.
Anyway, today I was venturing a discussion of the San society/culture. Most of the learners feel the San were "primitive." The cut and paste material they have been given to learn from is poorly conceived and poorly written. For instance, the information states the San could not read and write. I posed a simple question to my learners: gliding over to one of them, I asked what thought comes to mind when you learn they could not read and write? A hand shot up and the girl stated, "They were stupid!" Sensing this would be her sentiment, I quickly pounced on what she said and told the class the exact opposite was true of the San.
The stone-age San were survivalists--they had to be to inhabit a land that was basically without water and lacked trees for building shelters. The San were cave dwellers. They knew of 20 edible insects. I asked the class if the San knew such things for survival, then were they "stupid?" Most said no. Then I informed them of the fact that the San knew of 180 plants, roots, and tubers that were edible or were used for obtaining water from the ground. I asked them if they thought they could survive if we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of the Kalahari Desert. A resounding no was heard in the room.
We discussed division of labor amongst the San--who did the hunting, who did the gathering? If the men did the hunting was communication vital in search for animals? Yes, they had to have communication skills, hunting skills, stalking skills. The San had to fashion tools from stone, wood, or bone--another skill necessary for survival in the harsh environment.
Study of the Khoi-Khoi engendered the same commitment to understanding the intelligence of these ancient peoples. The Khoi-Khoi had a pastoral society. Cattle, goats, and sheep were herded. We discussed the skills needed to keep domesticated animals.
The art of the San entered into the discussion--their cave art and carvings are well-known in South Africa. Religion became a topc, as did family structure and leadership skills that were needed to develop kinship amongst the groups. It seems the San and the Khoi-Khoi had conflicts largely because of the cattle kept by one and the nature of differences in a pastoral society versus a more nomadic society. We learned both groups were nomadic though.
I extended the lesson beyond the copies given to me to teach the learners. It became necessary to have them understand the nature of a civilization--what determines civilizations? What is culture? Can learning and education take place within a society such as the San and the Khoi-Khoi. They knew the answer: yes!
We'll continue with the lessons tomorrow, although a test was promised to check their learning. They seemed eager to review their notes and go back over the two pages distributed by the H.O.D. (Head of Department). I consider myself a facilitator...I'll do whatever is asked of me in trying to teach these learners what they have to know to pass the test to be given by the Social Studies/History administrators. I'm not here to redirect their way of teaching. I figure I am here though to break the kids out of their molds with a little creative thinking--with a strong emphasis on the creative aspect of thinking.
posted by JOBURG JOURNAL at 10:36 AM
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