TLHATLOGA

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"Reach for the Sky" Fulbright Teacher Exchange with South Africa

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The University of Montana - Western is in the second year of a Fulbright Teacher Exchange Grant from the United States Department of State. The Grant's purpose is to help South African primary teachers learn new teaching methods in math and science. To date our program has trained over 200 teachers in South Africa. Each year we have chosen twenty-five different teachers to attend a special four-week training at Western. This year's participants consist of nineteen Grade 5 teachers and five subject advisors.

The summer program concentrates on preparing teachers to present their own workshops. The teachers are practicing hands-on methods for use in the classroom. Such as place value materials in math, experimenting in science, learning computer programs and using the Internet to research material. By the end of their time here, the South Africans will have developed their skills of presenting and adapting projects, computer use and exploration to their needs.

In May 2001 the Principal Investigator, Dr. Walter P. Oldendorf visited the four provinces of South Africa that participated in the project extensively. Tlhatloga has been successful in a country struggling to overcome a century of discrimination in education. It has created "spots of excellence" in locations where teachers and students face incredible odds. This Summer Institute's participants have a variety of experiences. In technology they learned how to build hovercrafts and bottle rockets among other things. UM-Western students partnered with the South Africans to build hot air balloons and then had an opportunity to fly them! The participants learned geology in Yellowstone Park and the Gravelly Range, environmental issues at Birch Creek and spent countless hours in the classroom.

The Fulbright Exchange Program also focuses on building relationships between people. The participants in this program have reached out with appreciation and spirit and have touched the people of UM-Western, Dillon, and all those who have come in contact with them. We at Western are proud to be part of this program.



As of June 2001, our current list of personnel includes:

• Principal Investigator:
  
  
  • Dr. Walter Oldendorf, Principal Investigator
  
  
• US Trainers:
  
  
  • Mr. Cleo Sutton Construction Technology Instructor, Helena College of Technology, Helena, Montana
  • Dr. Otis Thompson; Mathematics Professor, UM-Western
  • Ms. Marvice Box; Staff Development Instructor, ITT Chicago, Illinois
  • Ms. Janet Thompson; retired Chair of Mathematics Dept., Butte High School, Butte, Montana
  
  
• South African Coordinators:
  
  
  • Dr. Peter Glover, Former Director of The Primary Science Programme Centre
  • Dr. John Rogan, The Centre for Science Education University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
  
  
• SA Trainers:
  
  
  • Sipho Dlamini
  • Daniel Krupanandan
  • Zakhele Mbokazi
  • Thanda Sibisi
  
  
• 2001 Summer Institute Participants:
  
  Lydia Coombs, Shirley da Grass, Khosi Dube, Lukanyiso Fumba, Francios Jones, Tembisa Makaula, David Marais, Phumlani Masondo, Thenjiwe Msizi, Hlengiwe Mthethwa, Paul Ncwang, Sifiso Ndimande, Bryan Pieterse, Maureen Ramasike, Sello Rapule, Cindy Seapose, Mokgele Seobi, Clement Somagaca, Gcobs Tshambula, Nosipho Tunguntwana, Jenny Ulster, Julius Williams, Beddy Zembe, Thembisa Zibobo, Sbusiso Zulu