It was a terrific week meeting, interacting, and talking with University of Pretoria students and faculty. I made some wonderful connections that I hope to keep for a long time. I talked with many students who had questions about methods or methodological issues with their research. I really enjoyed providing consultation and individual coaching. I felt like I was helping others, but I also learned from the process. I learned from their studies, designs, and perspective. Hearing and responding to methodological questions encourages me to think more deeply and clarify my knowledge of methods. I hope to continue this type of work in the future.
The Apartheid museum was quite fascinating. It traced a history of modern South Africa from the inception of Apartheid through its end and ANC’s assumption of power. The exhibition on the life of Mandela was excellent. I can (and did) spend an hour listening to him speak and inspire. The museum allows visitors to construct their own experience and meaning from it. For me, visiting was especially interesting as I am currently reading Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela’s autobiography. I highly recommend the book, especially to provide background and context to those visiting the museum. In essence, it gave me a deeper experience.
-Tim Guetterman
Transformative Education
Today in our trip visiting an African Flea Market and, then, at the Sterkfontein Caves, I was able to learn a little more about this country and its people. For me it has been very interesting to recognize that, despite being thousands of miles away from home, this place has several commonalities with the United States and Latin America, the region where my country is located. The historical and symbolic load about race and language of many Africans, which affects their relationships and ideologies, reminds me mainly of the U.S. On the other hand, the high social segregation illustrated for instance in who are most likely to enroll in universities and attend museums and/or historical sites, reminds me mostly of Latin American countries. Moreover, talking with my African classmates it was encouraging to hear about how most of them, like us, are studying a graduate program in order to develop knowledge and skills that will allow them in the future to work on their country's problems. In this framework, education constitutes a transformative space with direct or indirect social consequences and, personally, I think this program reinforces the idea that knowledge should be a product from our personal experiences and each socio-cultural context where our lives have been built.
-Andrea Flanagan Borquez
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