one way to encourage girls’ education upon my return to South Sudan

    Upon my return to South Sudan with the great knowledge that I gained in Indiana University, and the good experiences I learned from the conferences, I am now well-equipped and capable to progress more successfully in my profession and able to deal with some educational, social and cultural issues in my country.

     

  One way I will encourage girl’s education will be to organize a workshops in one of our state governmental secondary schools for girls. I will start with (Wau Bmili S.S Girls). The first reason why I chose this school because it is located close to the Ministry of Education and this will help me invite one or two people from the Gender Office to attend this workshop. Secondly, I taught in this school before I shifted to Bahr el Ghazal University therefore, with the help of my former colleagues it will be easier for me to arrange this workshop. These workshops will not be restricted to particular school, since I can organized workshops in any of governmental school in the state.

The step for the specific day for the workshop, I will contact the headmaster of the school to have an idea about the workshop and how we can schedule for the workshop due to the school’s time table.

   

  In this first workshop I will discuss the importance of education in women’s lives, why it is important for them to continue with their education to the higher level, giving examples from my educational background to encourage them. I will be happy to have two of my colleagues (Lucy and Viola) to attend the workshop as the role models. Not only this but the main point is to discuss with those girls to hear their problems and opinions about some social, economic, cultural and family issues as well as personal ideas that are affecting their education. I believe discussing these issues together with girls we can come out with a good result for the better solution that encourage their education.

My plans when I return to South Sudan

      My first plan is to continue in teaching profession as the channel for changes in myself and for the students. Because, schools and colleges are the best place for learning as well as, combining people from different community and diverse groups. Two of the most important ideas I’ve learned so far are improved teaching methodology and the importance of fostering collaborative work.

Improved my teaching methodology: teaching method is an important skill, it is very important for me to improve it based on what I learned and observed here in the United States. It is not easy to apply it typically but, using different teaching methods is very essential for designing a unique learning space that will take place gradually in present and for the better result in the future.

Fostering collaborative work: which is the very successful way of leaning and sharing information and knowledge that I consider as one of the valuable lessons that I learned; however, I will use it although it is difficult to apply it always because of the huge number of the student in the class that let me use teacher center. I plan to use either, group discussion or seminar depending on the course or the lesson.

The most valuable lesson that I like is how to respond and build on other people’s opinions in an appreciative way which creates a safe environment for learning and respect among the students and the teacher as well. Therefore, giving a chance to the student to express his/her ideas and experience is very important because, students are not only the receivers from the teacher but they can contribute positively for their learning, so, based on what I learned from educational psychology, I believe I can apply this approach when I return to South Sudan to facilitate teaching and learning process.

Migration of teachers and pupils

migration as a result of conflict lead to internal and external displacement of teachers and pupils in a country. An educated people specifically, teachers seek safety  for their lives during the conflict, for they are the most targeted people.
pupils as well, being displaced with or without their families, some of them may get an immediate joining schools in their displacement while others are not.and these obstacles will contribute into delayment of child education.
migration of the  teachers and the pupils occurs not only because of the conflict, but also for economic improvement and better education chances.  

Chicago: Hull-House Museum

It was very good and important to visit Chicago a city with historical background and educational resources.I saw a lot of things in the exhibit and the museum with Worldwide history, I even learnt about African cultures that I don't Know befor.

Hull-House Museum:

      At Jane Addams Hull-House it was a small World full of history and Humanity. what I like at Jane house is the information about John Dewy who wrote a lot of psychological theories and contributed to educational development up today.
I also like how Jane Addams  started her activities from from her house which developed and became a big institute and place for visiting. I am sure if not all of us the fourteen Women, some will leave the name to be known in South Sudan in the future like Jane Addams.
Jane Addams quoted from Louise Bourgeois "I am not I am, I am what I do with my hands".
So I will quote from her and say that; when I go back to South Sudan I am not I am  what I think and start to do step by step to contribute in building the future of South Sudan.

Midwest Conference of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) October 10-11,2014

It was a great experience for me to attend this conference. I learnt more information and see how researcher are presenting their papers, and responding to the comments. Only that some of them were too fast, I attended different session and came out with a good observation that draw my attention.

( Tameka Carter- Richardson, DePaul university and Wendell Philips academy High school) .Conducted a areseach "Exploring Intellectual Emancipation: The Participation of low income Black Students in Education Travel." when she chose these student as a sample in her study, they were able to contribute with money for the trip because they were eager to see other places. So they did it and the result was very good .Students learnt how to collaborate, share information, team work ,and other good experiences that they were not familiar with before, so when they came back parents realized a great changes in their children.  and the students themselves were very happy. So there is a question  moving in my mind  I want to post it you my colleagues, that back in South Sudan we have the same issue family with low income, insecurity and so on, but as teachers, what can we do to motivate the students in a similar way? how can we break the gap of low income and change the minds of the families, even if with a sample activities?.  

South Sudan history curriculum

I think South Sudan should take evolutionary approach in developing history curriculum. The current history curriculum had a positive impact and helped South Sudan became and maintains independence. However, what is required for the good future of South Sudan? I believe as a teacher, that my dear colleagues who are history teachers are giving more positive explanations beyond the syllabus in the class. They are counseling and drawing students’ attention to look at positive impacts to avoid the negative parts of ideas and beliefs. Students may develop negative ideas from home or in the community. Yet, the recent political issues and conflicts are contradicting with what they are learning at school. Therefore, we need to check and select approaches that enlighten hearts, minds, and sights, to reduce and prevent the cause of problems. We need to live as one nation with different cultural diversity. “We can't teach everything in history, because there's not enough time. Therefore we pick out something to teach about, and leave out others” (Barton, 2014). There are a lot of history many events taking place in S. Sudan, we select some to be taught in primary, and see the outcome after period of time, evaluate and think what changes and addition are needed.  By doing so, we are improving different approaches.   ​

my experience at Indiana

my  experience at Indiana has similarities and differences with the one of Dr. Julia. the points of similarity is as coming to United States for the first time with no idea of how it looks like, what I am going to face there in terms of culture,people weather.
Aplace I had never been before, but thinking of that yet I was very  excited to come to the new World for my study as thinking  back is was not easy lastly I made it with the help of people who are responsible for our journey to Indiana. similar to Dr. Julia who started her journey with her kids to the place she had never been  before and doesn't  know     even to pronounce its name correctly; leaving her house, relative behind to start new life, although that she was happy for her kids will go to school, which they can no longer be able to do that that in her homeland because of the war.
the differences are Dr.Julia left Juba to Khartoum in a critical situation of tribal conflict in Juba at that time to counties like London and to the United States to join her husband and become one family in their new home in Bloomgton .
it is slightly different in a sense that although there is as on going conflict in South Sudan yet I can go back to join my family after finishing the program asking almighty God to grand us peace and unity in South Sudan