Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Rate My Professor (dot) UB

 Date: 05/08/2015

 

For students thinking about coming to the University of Botswana as exchange students or simply looking for an elective to take next semester, I think this post will help you.

Also, for my Batswana readers, please do not be confused by my use of "professor". In American colleges and universities, every teacher is referred to as professor whether they have a PhD or not. If you decide to take the course, you can confirm your teachers' qualifications when you meet them. I know you guys make a distinction between lecturer, professor and Dr. but, if I referred to any of my teachers without a neutral title, it would be seen as disrespect (in my culture).

Any-who, this semester as an international student, I took a total of 6 courses, two of which are only offered for CIEE students. CIEE stands for Council on International Educational Exchange which is the program I did. Below, you will find my evaluation of each course, each professor as well as my chosen grade for their teaching method and effectiveness. Hope this helps!





SPRING 2015 
Courses offered year around 

 
HIV/AIDS Education, Prevention and Control in Botswana
BNS209 (2 credits)
Mabel Magowe
T.R.B Monau

 BNS 209 is a 2 credit course that looks at the history and current trends of HIV/AIDS in Botswana. Guest speakers also come to talk to us about BOFWA (Botswana Family Welfare Association)-which is funded by International Planned Parenthood-and HIV Counseling in the Student Center.

There were always reading assignments. Notes are offered on Blackboard and Moodle.  We had two quizzes, two tests and one final exam. The tests are kind of difficult because they are tricky and the wording can be confusing. There were misspellings, missing words and grammar problems throughout them all. Also, Moodle marked several correct answers as being wrong for test two because the answer key was incorrect. So, I ended up with a 30/50 instead of a 40/50. If the professors focused more on clarity of written English, I think they will avoid tons of confusion and student dissatisfaction in the future. Also, you may be waiting a long time for your final exam grade as many of us are.

Besides that, this course was really insightful mainly because I was more interested in their perspective of HIV/AIDS in Botswana and how culture impacted the high rates. 

Professor Mable was there more often so I have had more interactions with her. She is really critical of how culture plays into the stigma of HIV/AIDS. Her passion and sense of humor made it easy to listen to her.

Professor Monau was a good professor for our 2-3 classes together. He really makes the content come to life and engages his students. He got us involved in the discussion and encouraged us to think critically about HIV/AIDS in Botswana and in the world in general.

Overall, the professors are pretty thorough during presentations, although some of their statements may be debatable. It's not always a matter of accuracy, but a matter of clarity because often times their written English and spoken English is different from our own. But both professors understood their material and were pretty effective in breaking down the scientific perspective of HIV as well as the prevalence and incidence rates in Botswana.

I would give my professors an A+ for their clarity and teaching effectiveness, and a B- for their use of  technology.

Side note: if you could understand Setswana, I promise, you would be laughing all throughout the class because Batswana always have a joke to tell. For international students, you may feel left out because everyone is laughing except you, but this is okay (remember you are experiencing a new environment). But, do be persistent when professors begin teaching solely in Setswana because you are here to learn and need to understand what is being said. So, raise your hand every single time they reach that 3 minute mark and ask them kindly to speak in English because you are an international student.



African Written Poetry 
ALL 242 (3 credits)
Professor 

This course mainly focused on theory-Negritude, Feminism and Marxism. For one assignment and the final exam, we had to read a poem and analyze it using one of the theories mentioned. We answered in essay form, 5 paragraphs that consist of an introduction, 3 body paragraphs and a conclusion. Try to stick to the structure if you want a good grade. Use topic sentences and adhere to the point mentioned in that sentence. Try not to loose focus or deviate away from the point. There was also a group project which was pretty easy. Groups of 5-7 students analyzed a poem and presented the information to the class. This course was pretty simple and straight forward.

The professor is good with giving notes. If you are look for a challenge, however, I wouldn't recommend this course. Granted it was a second level course, it's too easy. As long as you write perfect essays paying attention to the standard structure, you will be fine.

Overall, I would give this professor an A




African Oral Narratives
ALL 342(3 credits)
Prof. E Kezilahabi 
Dr. P.G. Tshane

African Oral Narratives focused on oral literature in Botswana mainly in Setswana culture, although oral narratives from Swaziland, Lesotho and Xhosa speaking tribes are referenced. We rarely had any assignments. All we had were two tests, a group performance and a final exam. The tests are difficult if you fail to study and understand the technique side of narratives (i.e. epics, categorizing narratives, theory of Diffusion and Evolution, patterning, imagery, model,spatial time,etc. etc).

Professor Thsane is such a great teacher. At times she does speak in Setswana during her lectures but she made it a priority to include me in the discussion. She wold always say "class can anyone explain this traditional narrative to Tierra. Tell her why stories are important to our culture". Or she would say "Tierra, I have something to say to them that I must say in Setswana, so they understand me fully". Or she would reference American culture and ask me to explain what I knew to the class. I never felt left out or belittled because I didn't speak Setswana. I actually wanted her to speak Setswana more often because I was here to experience their culture and I appreciated their language. I knew she would not say anything important in Setswana without translating for me. Professor Thsane did an exceptional job with balancing Setswana and English and blending the cultures for me.

Prof. Kezilahabi is often hard to hear because he speaks so softly. He rarely projects his voice unless he is telling a story. Even then, the only reason I heard him is because I sat in the front row. He does offer good insight into the purpose of storytelling and the importance of African speaking and writing in their own languages but his explanations of certain concepts such as spatial time and narrative episodes are often unclear.


I would give Professor Thsane an A+ for her teaching methods and effectiveness and Professor Kezilahabi a B because he provided very little clarity.




Oral Poetry in Botswana
ALL 433 (3 credits)
MR. B. L Janie 

The course synopsis can explain the objectives of this class way better than I can. According to our syllabus, "The course will cover various sub-genres of institutionalized sub-Saharan African oral narratives such as myths,folkatles and legends as well as experiential ones like contemporary legends, dreams and memorates (i.e. personal experience stories".  The key word is "institutionalized" because oral culture loses its essence when written.

This course had much potential but was not difficult at all. We had one assignment throughout the entire semester, not counting 2 performances which should be easy unless you are nervous about public speaking. The assignment was to turn in a praise poem. The two performance include one group performance and an individual performance worth 40% of your grade. We rarely used any of our readings.

Professor Janie was a bit underwhelming during his lectures. We mainly focused on similes and metaphors which we covered in high school. I wish  he would have focused more on figurative devices not commonly discussed, like parallelism and ideophones. Ideophones are sounds that have an convey ideas within a particular culture. Ideophones are a signature technique in African poetry and story telling.

The good thing about his class is that he offers old and new poets the chance to perfect their craft as reciters or spoken word artists and perform in front of their peers. He encouraged us to be creative, innovative and excited about poetry, not just writing poetry but delivering our poetry to an audience. His explanation of performance theory was also very helpful.

I would give this professor a B+ for effectiveness.  The resources made available to us and his ability to connect tradition and modern culture was very beneficial to me as a modern day poet who respects tradition.



Setswana Language and Culture Practicum
AFST 10001 BOTS (2 credits) 
Mma Phono

This course is required for CIEE students. The organization of the notebook was not helpful. Early on, we were advised to sections our notebooks accordingly: 25 pages for dialogue, 15 for verbs, 15 for nouns, 5 for useful phrases and 5 for any other business. This method did not work for me because we didn't have enough verbs or nouns to take up 5 pages and I found myself jumping from page to page. So this hindered my ability to organize my notes according to dates.

Assignments were culturally challenging but not academically challenging. We were required to turn in a Scavenger Hunt, Group Media Project, take a written test and oral exam. Not to mention, many of our excursions to Serowe and Kanye were a part of our grade. The Scavenger required us to speak with local Batswana students and ask them questions about their names, culture and totems. The media project required us to pick a topic (animals, food, clothes etc) and make a video for future CIEE students.

Our professor was really theatrical and she tried to make every class fun and exciting. Using pictures and childhood games and songs was very helpful. The handouts and categorization of words and subject markers were also helpful. I just think she could have been more consistent with having written assignments such as worksheets (like the crossword puzzle we did). Also, I understand that this was not an intensive course, but the difficulty level could have been a little higher. She tried her hardest to give us information gradually so we wouldn't be overwhelmed but, I often felt like the pace was too slow.  She was not a tough grader at all.
 
I would give this professor a B+ for effectiveness because I think she was too easy on us. She definitely could have been more stringent.




Internship 
INSH 3003 BOTS (3 credits) 
Basetsana 

This course is optional and offers public health and Arts & Sciences students the opportunity to intern at a health organization in Botswana. The locations are not limited to Gaborone, so you can seek opportunities in Tlokweng at SOS Children's Village (SOS) or even in Muchudi at Stepping Stones International (SSI). Usually, after reviewing your resume and cover letter,  CIEE provides you with various options to choose from. However, if you know of an organization offering internships, bring that up to Basetsana (the program director) and make it happen.

Back to the course evaluation!

This internship gave us a long leash to explore our organizations and be independent. In the beginning, we did have guidance in meeting our site supervisors, establishing our work hours and clarifying our job description. Weekly meetings were held with our course adviser so we could give updates and receive feedback on how to make the best of things. We also had light readings to discuss at each meeting. Assignments are few- a total of 12 reflection journals (1 every week), a 15 page research paper (end of semester) and a 10 slide power-point presentation (end of semester). We were also graded on our performance and attendance at work.

Although, time management and proper planning could have prevented unnecessary stress, our advisers were really interested in helping us. They listened to our concerns and worked with us to ensure that we stayed sane. Because, trust and believe, depending on your course load you may feel overwhelmed in the beginning when there is an excursion every other weekend. If you are Saturday and Sunday morning book worm, you will be torn when you have to drop your books to go to Kgale Hill, Mokolodi Game Drive, a Braii (BBQ), Son of the Soil, a safari-you name it! All of these places are cool, so you shouldn't be upset for going. Just try to do most of your readings and studying during the week so you can enjoy yourself without worrying about class.

I would give our advisers a strong A because they gave adequate feedback on our papers and great advice on how to solves problems at work. I would just encourage them to get assistants to help with





Did this help!? I hope it did.

Keep in mind that professors may change over the years. I know that one of my professors is actually returning to the sates. So you may not catch her in Botswana, but maybe you will get lucky and see her in the mid-west. You will also find that many professors did their undergraduate and graduate studies outside of Botswana in places like the United States, Europe and South Africa. However, all professors are not referred to as "professors". Sorry to burst your bubble. A lecturer is someone who teaches (whether they have a degree or not). A professor is someone who obtained their PhD. My classmates taught me this when I gave a lecturer the distinguished title of "professor".  Then I just recently learned that there is a difference between a professor and Dr. which are not used interchangeably. For international students, I know this may be confusing because we are more hesitant when saying "Dr." and not "professor" or lecturer. But, keep in mind that you are experiencing a new culture and this is something to take note of.


For the record, Ratemyprofessor.com is something we have in the states. Students are able to write reviews and grade their professors. When making a decision on which courses to take, students are able to reference these reviews. I am in no way an expert and just because I am from the states, that does not mean that my opinion is superior. I am just a student reflecting on her experience and hoping to help other students.


Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Exam Performance Piece

Dancing the Dream 
It all began at the age of 3
My big sister Mia taught me
She would come over my house with all of her friends.
We would sit in the living room
Smiling, living, laughing

Then I would hear music playing; music was always playing
Music would tell you how to groove
the words would tell you which way to move
and Mia, Mia would tell me which dances to do
She taught me how to be sassy
How to have an attitude and represent for the gang of sisters in the room 

They would make a soul train line and I would dance down the aisle 
Over and over and over again 

I was a dancer in training
I trained myself too
I would watch music videos
mimicking the the footwork, the break-dancing, the attitude
you see good attitude is when you appear to be rude because 
You don't apologize for being that damn good 

Dancing was my everything

My heart, my lungs, my God
Dancing helped socialize and express myself
Dancing was my emotional tour guide
Showing me the very places that made me cry
The very places that excited me and made me feel alive

Dancing uplifted me 

So whenever I had low self esteem
I could dance and feel comforted

Dancing was my escape
Dancing was identity 
My way of being recognized as me Tee Tee

And the applause that praised me
Made me understand
That my abilities make me who I am 
And that my determination defines my destiny 
 
But had my sister not implanted the art form into my mind 
My passion would be confined to the perimeters of a unfertilized dream
and then what?
who would I be?
Just another kid lost and without a dream. 

So if there is a child who looks up to you
Take advantage of their admiration
Motivate them to learn and be unique
teach them more than MTV and BET
Point out the golden tickets beneath their feet
The apples on the trees

Train them to believe in their abilities so
They can inspire other children to dream dream dream

For me
Dancing was that apple on the tree
I reached and reached for the ripest one to eat
I tasted its sweet flesh
I planted its seeds

And now dancing belongs to me

Swaziland Part I

A true African Kingdom 


Swaziland has had its independence from Britain since 1968, one year after Botswana. The difference between these two independent countries is that Swaziland is ruled by a king not a president. The kingdom is still governed by traditional practices and customs. The king may have more than one wife, as the current king has 14-16 wives and 34children. His father Shingov II had 75 wives and nearly 300 children. Here are some pics of our stay here. I will upload the most informative one.



Had to start with the museum

Wearing traditional attire
The women carrying weapons and shields       



















 



HEADING TO THE GLASS FACTORY!!!

 

 









HEADING TO THE OLDEST MINE IN SWAZILAND!!!



  
 




AT THE ROYAL GARDEN !!!





The Queen Mother




Speaking with a Motswana


One day, I was speaking with a local Motswana and the topic of racism in America came up. They wanted to know if racism was really real and if it still existed. So, we started this dialogue about black people and their relationship to society and each other. Our conversation was so enriching that I decided to do an interview. This Motswana chose not to provide their name and I will respect their decision. Hopefully, you can gain something from our conversation as I did.



What is it like living in Botswana? 
 Living in Botswana is peaceful. Batswana are nice people to talk to. It's nice because I benefit alot personally from government programs like free education and Youth Development Fund to start your own company.


Do you have plans to ever travel outside of Botswana? 
I do have plans to travel outside Botswana, I really want to go to Europe and America just to experience the lifestyle in different countries. I want to watch football (soccer) in England in Manchester united stadium


What does the world look like from your view point or perspective considering that Botswana is one of the most peaceful countries in Africa? 
To me I see the world as a beautiful place which comprises of different cultures, customs and languages therefore this gives us an opportunity to learn from other countries where we see it fit. Sometimes I am also fearful of the violence and shedding of blood in other countries therefore as I see the world as someone pointing a gun at me. 


What do you know about African Americans / Black Americans?
What I know about African American is that they came from Africa. How? I do not have a deeper insight but I do have a little knowledge. The slaves were traded from Africa even though they did not share the same ethnic groups but one thing they had in common was a way of life that was different from the [enslavers]. They came from mostly western and central Africa. And I know them because I always see them in movies and listen to their songs and watch their videos almost everyday when I am in school. I know that they are hard workers and have big dreams in terms of following the American dream. They are great motivators.


 How are Black Americans similar and/or different from African people in Botswana or elsewhere on the continent? 
 In terms of similarities we can relate well when we talk about racism even though African Americans experience much more than us in Botswana, we also feel pain for them. They are different from us (Batswana) because I think they are more goal oriented, they can unleash their potential to excellence, they also have good facilities and beautiful buildings. Most of us think they are cool


What is your understanding of racism as it relates to African Americans?
My understanding of racism is when a person is treating another unfairly based on the skin colour of a person. Even though racism has reduced it has not eradicated, we see that in African American people, like a protest that was done recently of a young black man who was killed by a white police man, Michael Brown case. Racism still exist and is affecting African Americans.  
 

How are African Americans motivating to you? What do they motivate you to do? 
Okay, I will start by by stating my day to day activities and how I spend my day sometimes during my spare time when I am in school or when I am operating a computer. Sometimes I visit my friends, most of the time we talk about football particularly European football (soccer), and when I am alone, I would get to a computer and listen to different African American artist, Authors and comedians. For example people like Benjamin Carson, J Cole, Tupac Shakur, Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama and Myles Munroe, etc. I listen to their interviews/songs and sometimes read their books with the objective of learning life lessons from them and this also motivate me to be a responsible person with dignity and self respect.


You say African Americans have goals and aspirations. What are some of yours? 
My goals? haha!! I have unlimited goals to achieve, okay. My first goal is to graduate from University and probably join the working class, after graduation my greatest goal is to set up a company so that it can help me finance programmes I want to set up for the kids in remote areas e.g  Maun, Shakawe, Seronga and Kgalagadi district and also areas around those places. These areas are the areas that I feel are most neglected. The kids don't get to be empowered because they don't have the same opportunities that kids in Gaborone get (like the academies for teams). The programmes that I want to do are sports academies particularly football (soccer).


What hopes or visions do you have for your own country and your people?
The vision that I have for Botswana and Batswana is for us to create our own industries. That means we should invest more in human capital. We invest in human capital through education with what our nation needs. Therefore, human capital can help us with the skills we need to create Botswana based clothing industries. There is currently a leather industry that is to be implemented very soon which is good.  As Batswana, I believe we are copying most things from the outside world. We are producing beef and providing services such as tourism. We are also making traditional baskets. We can learn how things are done in other countries but we shouldn't just import their goods. So we need to create for ourselves, have our own ideas. This will enable us to import a little bit but not too much. If we have industries in our country, automatically this will increase employment. Therefore our standard of living will increase. I believe one day this will be a reality.
















For more information on the Youth Development Fund check out this article on Dee Zone Productions : http://www.european-times.com/sector/ict/dee-zone-productions/