torsdag 16 augusti 2012

Singh has got everything + Power Point is king


Thirteen lengths in the pool this nice morning, I start enjoying swimming. It’s never to late to adopt a new and healthy habit. A small bit of the moon together with a star (wonder witch one?) is seen in the clear blue sky. The sun is to rise. Lots of mongooses. The grass is soaking wet; it must have been raining. Gunilla is much faster than me. The American student has left for Samoa. This means that we are free to eat white bread today; she left some that we can transform into toast.
This morning I stayed at home to watch some videorecorded dialoges; I have no chance to do this at work because I have no access to a television and because I can’t hear a word from the camera due to the noise around me. The dialogues were quite good. Some closed questions and the paper in the counselors knee… This is not good!
Lunch at the campus café; chicken kebab with frites and a Fijiwater. Preparing for today’s class. Meeting with the woman from the Ministry of Education who is dealing with career counseling issues. My question to her was about how to get access to the schools so my students can do observations of teachers och counselors acting in career guidance matters. I started the meeting and Tima closed it. I had to go to my class. Today nearly all my student attended, only one was missing. She had informed me via internet.
I gave a short and lucid lecture about career development theories. Then I let the students, in two groups, discuss two questions: one about appropriate theories that can help us understand and explain career development among people living in the Pacific och the other about Holland’s theory. They discussed the questions, after a rather long time of silence in one of the groups, and came to concensus in both groups. The final discussion in the whole class was truly interesting. The answer I got after asking them: What is your reflection over this last activity? was: we must be better prepared before the lecture. I was very glad to hear that answer because it proves that my idea of pedagogy has landed in their heads, although at this time… a little bit to late. But, they will perform better next lecture. That’s good!
Well tasting Fijian food and a glass of chilled red wine closed a very interesting day.

It’s not only the fact that Sing’s shop across the street has all you need of breakfast and evening food; he has also got a liquor store. He, I think it is Singh’s son, is the head of this part of the enterprise. He sells cold beer and it is only 50 meters from MQ5. This is good!

My impression is that a great lot of the education here is characterized as mediation pedagogy. From my own office I can hear lectures talking for long periods without interruption. Some rhetorical questions is asked but I see or hear no sign of discussions among the students during class. This is quite a big difference compared to how my collegues and I work at Malmö University. At the career counseling programme in Malmö we have many hours together with our students compared with what I have with my students here. Perhaps it is due to the fact that I’m working with postgraduate students here… The training in practical counseling our students in Sweden gets is far more that they get here. Here there is no chance to be so clever as it is in Sweden. I wish my students in Sweden should realize this and really take advantage of their advantageous situation. I think some of them does but it could be more common! To climbe above the average line ought to be a habit for more students, here and in Sweden. What is my responsibility in this? How could I encourage them? How can I make my teaching more interesting so it generates interest among my students? One thing I know for sure is: it’s not by using Power Point more frequently…
After lunch today Gunilla and I went to the book shop to buy a book about the trees and shrubs of the Pacific. There was a sell out, so we found a kind of story book for primary school: Tali Magimagi: weaving stories. Perhaps this can give me an idea. This is a clear example of Planned Happenstance… That’s good!

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