Frustrated New Broom
Sigh.
I walked home from work today feeling heavy, disappointed, saddened and frustrated. Teaching students critical thinking skills and helping them to build their reading and writing abilities is of the utmost importance. While the rollout of incorporating this skill into the new educational system is on its way, the current realities is stark.
I learned today-- rather, I experienced a harsh reality of the practice of educating, and the hope but not truly reached impact an educational system can impose on the minds of future educators, workers, parents, and leaders.
Mind you, I do not believe that the standard of education in Maun is ridiculous, "backwards," or any other term that may convey a sense of inferiority.
No.
Every country's educational system, its principles, and the research that informs the application of educational concepts and tools; the policies, resources, cultural sensitivities, funding, missions and visions can always be improved, managed more effectively and efficiently, sustained and/or progressed with the goal of acquiring growth.
The disparities within the educational system in the United States, especially as I have experienced it being someone who has attended public inner-city and suburban schools, private schooling and homeschooling, which are lived experiences within the standards and resource differences between them, is not amiss.
Yet today I felt deeply saddened that there might exist a belief about the students in Botswana and their capabilities, which through very strict intentions, prevent a school's ability to put in place, policies and practices that promote the teaching of higher cognitive thinking skills to students, despite the major push towards an outcome-based learning environment, student-centered, and critical thinking skills education.
The specific skill that brought about my frustration is called: summarizing. A summary is a condensed account of a text's main points and most essential parts. To summarize, according to Bloom's Taxonomy Verb Chart, students will need to remember, understand, apply, analyze and evaluate in order to CREATE a summary.
