Cross Cultural

Teaching

David Ebert

6 November 2015

*

Minnesota

Hilton,

South Africa * It’s really a high school. Don’t ask me why it’s called a college. I don’t know.

300 Students Grades 8-12

Private school Christian ethos

Not what this is all about.

Issues in South African

Math Education

Issues in Global/Local

Math Education

Ideas for Our Own Math

Classrooms

I tell you about…

We discuss… We discover …

What are the most discussed issues in American education right now?

What are the most discussed issues in American education right now?

What key concepts and phrases shape American educational debate?

What key concepts and phrases shape American educational debate?

Freedom of speech Right to bear arms

Freedom of Religion

Civil Rights

Democracy Liberty and Justice

Separation of Church and State

Brown v. Board of Education

What maths education looks like.

Snapshots

Cafeteria

Students must stand and greet the teacher at the start and end of each lesson.

Younger students must stand aside whenever an older student passes by.

Grade 8 students must learn the names of all grade 12 students. There is a test.

Students must always dress according to the uniform policy, or else serve a break detention.

Heads of School

Deputy Head Boy

&

Deputy Head Girl

Head Boy

&

Head Girl

Headmaster

Students must participate in the life of the school and show pride in their school colours.

Math Maths

✘ All parabolas have a vertex ✘ z pronounced “ZEE” ✘ 𝑦 = 𝑚𝑥 + 𝑏, where 𝑚 is slope ✘ Factor. ✘ 1,234 is a little bigger than a thousand ✘ PEMDAS

✘ All parabolas have a turning point ✘ z pronounced “ZED” ✘ 𝑦 = 𝑚𝑥 + 𝑐, where 𝑚 is gradient ✘ Factorize! ✘ 1,234 is a little bit bigger than one

✘ Bracket Of DMAS

Vocabulary

Integra

ted

Curric

ulum

July and November Exam Time:

✘ No classes. ✘ Students come

to school only if they have an exam.

✘ Limited sports. ✘ 1-2 exams per

subject. ✘ 1-3 hours per

exam. ✘ November

exams count 60-75% of year grade.

Classes ended :

7 hours ago

Exams end: Black Friday

Grace College in South African Context.

Zooming Out

Grace College

Grace College

Formerly $20/year, now free

$25 000/year, plus extras

$5 000/year, inclusive

SCHOOL FEES

Grace College

No toilet paper

Old boys include 25 internnational rugby and

cricket players, and 2 constitutional judges.

Has 2 mascots: a lion & a lamb

MOST PEOPLE KNOW

Grace College

Headmaster owns a BMW and a Lexus

Has a 550 hectare game reserve; hosts a nationally

known arts festival each September

Not named after a girl

Surprising Fact

South African Maths Results:

Results from the 2012-2014 South African Annual National Assessment (ANA). Published by the South African department of education.

Results exclude private schools, such as Grace College and Hilton College.

0.2%

90%

Results from 2014 grade 9 ANA. Published by the South African department of education.

2014 Matric Maths Results

Maths Maths Literacy

Pass: 40% or above 80k 185k

Low Pass: 30-40% 40k 75k

Fail: <30% 105k 50k

Results from 2014 NSC Diagnostic Report.

Published by the South African department of education..

75.8% Official* Grade 12 Pass rate

15 % Pass maths with at least 40%

28.3% Qualify for university studies

* Excludes droput rate in excess of 30%

Are you smarter than a South African matric?

Examine and Discuss South African Past Papers

Are you smarter than a South African matric?

Examine and Discuss South African Past Papers

✘Exams are written by grade 12 (“matric”) students ✘Exams count for ~75% of final high school grades ✘IEB Exams: Written by ~10 000 private school students annually. ✘NSC Exams: Written by ~700 000 students from government schools. ✘Students may write either maths or maths literacy exams. ✘All exams are set, graded, and moderated nationally. ✘Most exams include a memo in back.

“

South Africa’s education in light of its History.

Backing Up

4th Century: Bantu-speaking migrants join indigenous San and Khoikhoi people in Southern Africa.

17th-18th Centuries: Dutch settlers arrive in Cape

Early 19th Century: English settlers drive Dutch north

Late 19th Century: Thousands of Indians arrive in South Africa as laborers and traders

1948: Apartheid (separateness) adopted by ruling National Party

1993: South Africa adopts a new constitution

1994: Led by Nelson Mandela, the African National Congress win South Africa’s first democratic, non-racial elections

“ There is no place for [the Bantu] in the European community above the level of certain forms of labour ... What is the use of teaching the Bantu child mathematics when it cannot use it in practice?

- Hendrik Verwoerd, Minister of Native Affairs, 1950-58

1970’s Soweto: protesting government-mandated Afrikaans instruction

1957 Little Rock: implementing Brown v. Board of Education

“ Everyone has the right to a basic education, including adult basic education; and to further education, which the state, through reasonable measures, must make progressively available and accessible…

- South Africa’s Bill of Rights, Article 29, 1996

#FeesMustFall Durban Protests https://vimeo.com/143450772

Stuff we can take away from this.

Conclusions

“

In considering how to conduct the education of our young, adults have two problems to solve. One is an engineering problem; the other, a metaphysical one…

- Neil Postman, The End of Education

Sources Used

✘Hugging a lion: <http://www.peoplepets.com/people/pets/article/0,,20752958,00.html> ✘Mandela Picture: <http://blog.mydreamcourse.co.za/2013/10/25/draconian-measures-required-to-fix-sa-broken-education-system/> ✘Postman Quote: Postman, Neil. The End of Education. P. 1 ✘“Percentage of Grade 9 Learners in Achivement Levels for Mathematicas by Provice.” And grade 9 maths result stats: <http://www.saqa.org.za/docs/rep_annual/2014/REPORT%20ON%20THE%20ANA%20OF%202014.pdf> ✘“National mathematics average percentage mark, per grade” http://groundup.org.za/article/how-can-south-africa-redesign-its-annual-national-assessments_3343 ✘Rugby and “GC” pictures from Grace College Facebook page. ✘Lion chasing zebra : <http://www.seabreeze.com.au/img/photos/windsurfing/5896065.jpg ✘“The End of Education” image: <http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRRjokpCbJNxuqJzbJ5cxqyUHWlZUfhCI05rKeyWrCi53bY2UNX> ✘South African Constitution: <http://www.gov.za/documents/constitution/constitution-republic-south-africa-1996-1>

✘South African CAPS: <http://www.education.gov.za/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=uCNqOwfGbmc%3d&tabid=573&mid=1629>

Sources Used

✘Little Rock Nine: <http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/09/the-little-rock-nine/380676/> ✘Soweto Uprising <http://kalamu.com/neogriot/2014/06/17/history-video-soweto-student-uprising-june-16th-1976/>

✘American school: <http://www.cliparthut.com/sports-poms-free-clipart.html>

✘School facts are from my memory and Wikipedia, both of which are very reliable. ✘#FeesMustFall Durban video: <https://vimeo.com/143450772> ✘2014 NCD Diagnostic Report: <http://www.education.gov.za/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=hZL6MoEQvtQ%3D&tabid=358&mid=1325> ✘Dropout rate:: 30% is a very conservative estimate. <http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/47-quit-school-at-Grade-10-20140110> ✘Education minister responds to mathematics literacy Christmas question in 2012: <http://www.politicsweb.co.za/party/angie-motshekga-explains-christmas-day-is-on-dec-2> ✘“20 years of Freedom” picture: <http://www.sanews.gov.za/special-features-archive/sa-celebrates-20-years-freedom> ✘South Africa Timeline: <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14094918>

Sources Used

✘IEB results summary from 2014: <http://mg.co.za/article/2014-12-30-ieb-matric-results-9838-percent-pass-rate-and-14-900-distinctions/> ✘NSC Exam Results from South African Department of Education: < http://www.education.gov.za/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=hZL6MoEQvtQ%3D&tabid=358&mid=1325 ✘2011 TIMSS Results comparing South African 9th graders to international 8th graders: <http://timssandpirls.bc.edu/timss2011/downloads/T11_IR_M_Chapter2.pdf>

thanks!