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11 August 2022 | Story NONSINDISO QWABE | Photo NONSINDISO QWABE
UFS LUE collab
Students and lecturers from the Faculty of Education, with Assistant Dean Dr Cias Tsotetsi.

In the midst of extraordinary challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, a silver lining in the crisis has been the opportunities for new global partnerships and learning from others to achieve collectively what would not be possible individually. 

Effective virtual collaboration is a valuable model to enhance the teaching practice approach for Education students. In a move towards building high-quality relationships crucial to supporting future educators, the Faculty of Education on the UFS Qwaqwa Campus has collaborated with the Ludwigsburg University of Education (LUE) to facilitate teaching practice conversations between students from the two institutions. 

The collaboration culminated in a reflexive virtual seminar  in July between students from the UFS and LUE, which was held on campus for UFS students from the foundation, intermediate, and the senior and FET phases, and for students pursuing different phases of teaching at LUE.

A translocal approach to sharing preservice teachers’ experiences 

During the session, the teaching practice approaches of the two institutions were discussed, which then led to students sharing, reflecting, and comparing their experiences as pre-service teachers. Together, they unpacked the similarities and differences of their practical experiences in local schools, including the relationships with experienced teachers as mentors, and the psychological readiness for the world of teaching. Joining virtually, Prof Goetz Schwab, Head of the Institute of English at LUE, said it was interesting to learn that Education students share similar experiences that can make or break their passion and desire for teaching practice, regardless of their locality.

This was certainly the case with Ayanda Maseko, one of the students who participated in the seminar. Maseko is in the final year of his BEd Senior Phase and FET majoring in Business Studies and English. He said he was fascinated to learn about the similarities and huge contrasts in the world of teaching in Germany. “It came as a surprise to see that teaching is one and the same thing around the world, and it needs people who are consistent, and most importantly, who love the profession.”

Dr Robert Mukuna, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Educational Foundations and main collaborator at the UFS, said after various meetings with LUE, it felt good to celebrate the first implementation of the collaboration. “I am very proud of how our students engaged, and we were also able to learn from the experiences of our German counterparts. I am looking forward to a face-to-face exchange between the UFS and LUE, where students may visit schools in South Africa or Germany. This will allow us to better understand teaching practices in schools,” he said.

News Archive

Media: Moshoeshoe-lesing waardevol
2006-05-29



Hoofartikel
29 Mei 2006

 

Waardevolle lesing

DIE eerste koning Moshoeshoe-gedenklesing van die Universiteit van die Vrystaat het sommer met die intrapslag prikkelende gedagtes opgelewer en wys dat dit ’n paslike en nuttige manier is om ook die bydraes van swart leiers in Afrika te eer.

Terselfdertyd verskaf die eerste gedenklesing wat deur prof. Njabulo Ndebele, vise-kanselier van die Universiteit van Kaapstad gelewer is, diep stof tot nadenke en debat.

Die gedenklesing kom juis terwyl al hoe meer wenkbroue gelig word oor die skepping van ’n ander forum, die Native Club, waarvan wit Afrikane uitgesluit word.

Dis die geesteskind van mnr. Titus Mafolo, politieke raadgewer van pres. Thabo Mbeki, en die doel daarvan is om ’n forum te verskaf vir Afrika-intelligentsia.

In teenstelling met die ras-eksklusiewe Native Club wat ’n ongelukkige teruggryp is na rasgegronde instellings onder die apartheidsbewind, het prof. Ndebele in die gees van die inklusiewe leierskap van koning Moshoeshoe van Lesotho die gedenklesing opgedra aan al dié mense in Suid-Afrika en elders wat die moed het om hul oorwoë mening uit te druk oor belangrike sake wat die samelewing in die gestig staar.

Hy het tereg bygevoeg dié lesing kom op ’n kritieke punt in Suid-Afrika se nuwe demokrasie.
Prof. Ndebele het daarop gewys dat koning Moshoeshoe – Lesotho het onder sy leierskap mense van verskeie dele van die subkontinent gelok – kon bewys dat verskeidenheid ’n bindende eienskap kan wees.
Jy bereik die grootste eenheid tussen onderskeidende entiteite waar jy relatief vrye ruimte aan hulle gee om hul eiesoortige kenmerke na vore te bring.

Prof. Ndebele het ook opgemerk ’n toenemende aantal hoogs intelligente, sensitiewe en toegewyde Suid-Afrikaners oor die klas-, ras- en kulturele spektrum heen, bely dat hulle soos nooit tevore nie, onseker en kwesbaar voel sedert 1994.

Hierdie koerant spreek ter aansluiting hierby die wens uit dat die ANC-regeringsalliansie sal toesien dat wie ook al die leiding vorentoe in dié alliansie oorneem, ook daardie saambindende eienskappe moet besit wat koning Moshoeshoe gehad het. En wat hy gebruik het om sy land uit te bou en te verenig.

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