SHELBY DORRANCE
  • South Africa Blog.

Study Abroad. 
Educational Experiences + Personal Travels
​Durban, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Wilderness, Johannesburg, Soweto, Pilanesberg, and Cape Town.

Pledge + ZA Reflection

7/29/2018

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I pledge to focus on self-awareness and self-reflection for myself and for my students. The intention of these practices is to create a positive behavior environment and build social and emotional foundations. To be sustainable as an educator and person, I will work to take care of myself to in turn be present and proactive in my classroom. 
 
Before our Changemaker experience, I knew I wanted to implement a practice for my students to gain social and emotional awareness early in life. During the project, I learned that our experiences are quite similar in the classroom. We are all extremely passionate about creating change in ourselves, our classrooms, our schools, and overall policies. Since our project, I’ve learned the importance of continual self-reflection and self-care. It is easy to get lost in daily routines and the structures of our lives, I’ve learned to be honest with myself and stay active with time management. 
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Cape Peninsula Tour

7/6/2018

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Fri-YAY!

Post-conference/being indoors for 8 hours a day, it was amazing to spend the entire day outdoors, exploring the natural beauty Cape Town has to offer the world.

We started off our morning in a hustle to make to the docks. We boarded a little boat out to seal island, where dozens of seals were swimming around together, while some tanned right on the rocks. After getting a little woozy, we got on a bus up to Chapman's Peak. WOW. This overlooked where we has just been on our boat. The mountain sides were right out of a movie scene and truly were unbelievable to have sitting right in front of me. Our next stop would be Boulder's Beach, were there are many penguins lounging about the beach. Then our bus guide dropped us off with bikes in the middle of an animal reserve (we were warned many times to not have food on us because the baboons would not hesitate to aggressively remove those items from us) with bikes that we needed to ride three kilometers to our lunch destination. We were getting so much activity in between walking, hiking, and biking, it was amazing to move, move, move! 

My favorite part was when we walked up to the Cape Point lighthouse, which is no longer in use because boats were still crashing into a rock, The lighthouse was too high and on most foggy mornings and evenings, the light was invisible to approaching vessels. We then walked to the most South-Western Point of the African continent, the Cape of Good Hope. The sun was just starting to set to our right, partly over the water, over another set of mountains along the same range. I have been emotionally moved by nature more times than I can count on this trip.  
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Stellenbosch's Spier Wine Farm

7/5/2018

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After Day 3 of the DISES Conference in Cape Town, we drove up to the Spier Wine Farm in Stellenbosh with our Washington DC friends. We tasted amazing wines, wandered around the downtown area for dinner, and were able to learn more about each of our colleagues. 

Between the Stellenbosh and Franschhoek winelands, there are over 500 wineries to visit. (AKA, there are plenty to choose from and there is something for everyone!)
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DISES Conference, Cape Town - Day 3

7/5/2018

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On the morning of the third and final day of the DISES Conference in Cape Town, Dr. Alfredo Artiles from Arizona State University was the keynote speaker. Dr. Artiles’ presentation was on “Inclusive Education in Developing Countries: A Case Study from Guatemala” (2018). He spoke about special education in Guatemala and how the creation and implementation of inclusive education brought a strong sense of belonging for students. I was fascinated and intrigued by his honest and holistic approach to research and presentation. Dr. Artiles mentioned that this education system was great for the families and learners/students, however it did not make a difference in the learning and development of learners/students. He echoed one theme from Dr. Phasha, that inclusivity is currently a source of exclusivity (Artiles, 2018). When one group is accommodated, is another out at a disadvantage? (Artiles, 2018).

During the Q&A, an educator asked, how does this change occur when the whole system is unjust, where do you begin? I loved Dr. Artiles’ response. We have to change the rules of engagement; over time people become socialized until our idea of change is the norm (Artiles, 2018).

Artiles (2018) brought up one of my biggest concerns within special education: teachers, general educators, me included, do not feel prepared to work with and include students with severe to profound intellectual disabilities in general education classrooms. My roommate and I discussed this the evening prior and I was ecstatic to have more discourse on this topic. After Artiles’ presentation was complete, we sat with our cohort and Dr. Jez to discuss this at length. We came up with various avenues for customization for students in our respective grade levels and classrooms. It is important to take a holistic picture of a students, follow the IEP in place, continue assessments, communicate and ask questions to the student and their families, and allow for growth as a team.

The last presentation I went to was by Dr. Raquel Rezara Schmidt from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. Dr. Schmidt presented on The Science and Strategies of Mindfulness: Meditation and Mindfulness in the Classroom. Dr. Schmidt gave definitions and examples for Mindfulness, Meditation, and Yoga. She was extremely passionate about breath work and movement for all grade levels, including adults. It is best to work on these techniques with young children, elementary age, earlier in the day and for middle and high school students, later in the school day is best (Schmidt, 2018).

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DISES Conference, Cape Town - Day 2

7/4/2018

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Our Changemakers’ Presentation was today!!!!

Our presentation focused upon the quantitative and qualitative results from our research throughout the Changemakers' Collaborative Project: Pre-Service Teachers Framing, Convening, and Igniting Inclusive Practices Across Countries with Dr. Rebekka Jez from the University of San Diego and graduate students: Kassidy Brown, Shelby Dorrance, Paige Kennick, Stephanie Giertsen, Jeffrey Hilbert, Kadesha Martin, Eleni Stang, Antonio Marques, Sarah Eichler, and Amelia Hobart.
We spent the first part of the morning finalizing our data and powerpoint then refining each of our parts. We came together as a united front to present our findings and discuss change in a global perspective. I am so very proud of our patience and ability to communicate effectively and cohesively with each other and the audience.

We explained the project in its entirety. From the email correspondence and convening process (@ Thaba Jabula Secondary School in Soweto) when we met with our groups to begin our discussion around challenges we observe in the education system and strategies for change. The best part is the process to ignite change. Each educator from USD, Marymount University, Limpopo, and Soweto all wrote Changemaker Pledges to commit to creating change with our communities.

One of the students we met from Cape Town University was going to be presenting with her professor on Learning Support in South African Schools. Our group wanted to support and learn with them! Dr. Lawrence Meda and Hannah Godfrey presented a holistic review of the school was in order. This review is to see how parents, teachers, learners, and the community collaborate for the benefit of the students and education as a whole (Godfrey & Meda, 2018). They also discussed how differentiation in instruction is identifying learners needs and strengths, also those who need more support, rather than the lowering of expectations and standards for our students. A major theme in part of their study was the importance of teacher education and professional development. As a general educator, in an elementary setting, this serves as an important reminder continuing education and collaboration.



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DISES Conference, Cape Town - Day 1

7/3/2018

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DISES = Division of International Special Education and Services

We were sitting in a massive room with educators from 30+ countries, where 170+ presentations would be delivered on Embracing Inclusive Approaches.
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The first keynote speaker was Nareadi Phasha, who was the author of our textbook for this course on Inclusive Education. Professor Phasha spoke about Inclusive Education for ALL and Human Rights Principles (Phasha, 2018). People, humans, are entitled to the right of inclusive education and there should be efforts in place to ensure all groups have opportunity for growth (Phasha, 2018). The three principles Professor Phasha (2018) mentioned in her presentation were seemingly simple and each elegantly stated with passion. First Phasha (2018) spoke to the ability to treat people with sensitivity, respect, dignity, and non-discrimination. Secondly, the strength of a connected community. Thirdly, that a human being is incomplete without others. An ever-present theme from her presentation was Ubuntu, which is translated from Zulu and Xhosa to “humanity”. Phasha’s principles highlight the most humanizing aspects of inclusive education, in an African context and a global perspective.

​I also attended a presentation delivered by Dr. Brenda Barrio from Washington State University. The topic of her presentation was: Cultural Considerations in the IEP. The intention to build an IEP with a culturally responsive lens needs the educator to get to know the student and their families, in order to do this, the educator must know themselves. We discussed this at length in our Social Location Essay at the beginning of this course and many of our other courses at USD have included this element. To set the students and their family up for success it is essential to understand their dynamic, beliefs, values, expectations, and experiences. There needs to be a shift away from the “medical model” and shift into a “strength based planning” (Barrio, 2018). The medical model is important to consider, in addition to building an individualized and personalized plan for the student (Barrio, 2018). These education success plans are developed from a holistic view of the child and the family, it must be a well-rounded and balanced perspective. My most valued part of her presentation was the conversation around feedback. Dr. Barrio discussed the importance of asking questions about what is working, what needs to be worked on, and the communication of ideas and goals. These conversations allow the student and/or their families to deliver feedback so that revisions can be made to improve methods and results (Barrio, 2018).


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Other presentations I enjoyed this day were: 


Project CREED: Globally Ready & Culturally Responsive Educators

Creating a Culturally Responsive Classroom

Implementing Culturally Responsive Practices through Narrative Fiction When Working with Students with Autism and Families
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Out of Isolation: Supporting Educators Collaborative Efforts to Benefit Diverse Learners

 
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Lebone II, Campus Visit

7/2/2018

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On our way to the Lanseria airport to fly down to Cape Town, we stopped at Lebone II - College of the Royal Bafokeng. This privately funded K-12 school is for the King’s “most clever” students in his kingdom. In comparison to the other government operated schools we saw in Johannesburg, this was an eye-opening experience to the vast achievement gap. The schools that our South African educator friends teach at tend to have 50+ students in the room at a time, the students may have one text per class, and there is likely to be fewer desks and chairs needed to accommodate the number of students in the room. This connects us back to the challenges (and solutions) discussed during our Changemaker event. The Lebone II campus is beautiful and designed to be fully functional for student-centered learning; in the classrooms, play areas, sports and arts venues, and the library. ​I found the classrooms to be inspiring with large open windows and a slider that opened in the middle of each "U" shaped building to a chalk board and a tree in the center. Throughout our tour, I was plagued with mixed feelings because of the absolute contrast in resources and opportunity. 
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Pilanesberg Game Reserve and Resort

7/2/2018

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THIS safari was something else.

We first arrived to the resort after being on a giant bus for too long. I found a shady spot up on a hill to do some yoga before we headed out in the Jeep for the sundowner (South African Happy Hour) safari. This experience was much different than our walking safari on the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi reserve. We were able to cover more ground, much more quickly, allowing us to see more animals and the vast property. The most amazing part of this evening were the sleeping hippos on a little island and a giraffe walking directly towards a red searchlight after dark. The people I got to share these moments with are absolute gifts and I am thankful to have experienced it with them.

In the morning, we woke up, dark and early for a morning safari! I have officially now seen all of the Big 5 animals in person, up close, in their environments. We saw a leopard high up on rock, snoozing away as the sun rose. As we turned the corner, there was a single lion laying down next to a watering hole. A few moments passed and he stood up to wander away when a female lion popped up and began walking with him. There were rhinos, zebras, impalas, hyenas, water buffalos, pumbas, and birds in every direction. As we were about to head back to the resort, the most magical moment occurred. A herd of 25+ elephants walked out of the bush towards a watering hole right passed us and off back into the bush. It was breathtaking to witness these beautiful beings, just be.
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Witty at Wits University

6/30/2018

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At the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, we presented our previous days findings. Our group spoke to the importance of communication, vulnerability, and empathy in the classroom, for students, parents, and teachers. We were the first of five group to present after the first keynote speaker presented, Dr. Sarita Ramsaroop from University of Johannesburg. There were two other keynotes throughout the day, Dr. Rebekka Jez from the University of San Diego who spoke about the importance of teacher collaboration and challenged us to make a pledge. Lastly, Dr. Erasmus Charamba discussed the vital piece of translanguaging in the classroom. My biggest take away from this event has been the importance to communicate with other educators, regardless of position. Whether a pre-service teacher, a veteran teacher, or a person in administration; we each have different experiences that are important to share in order build a stronger, tight-knit community. ​
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Soweto(o)

6/29/2018

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Today, we were guided through Soweto on bikes, this is the largest informal settlement we visited. This area is where they evicted black men, women, and children who were accused to have reportedly had the bubonic plague. Soweto is an abbreviation and stands for “South Western Township”. It also may have sounded like “so, where to?” and today's generation it is taking the title back to stand for, “So we too”. As we rode through the streets, some paved, others mud, the children would say “hello” and “sawubona” while placing their hands out for high fives. When we stopped, the children would pose for pictures and jump on the bikes for a quick ride before we stopped to listen. ​
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