November 28th What role do foreigners have in the development of rural towns in countries like Tanzania? Let me come back to it. And to all who utter them in the CAC context, they mean much more than finding a single solution to a single problem. Throughout the first day of training we had several communication difficulties, and in one game at the end of the day the participants struggled to move in our desired rhythm for the game.
This was a key moment for self-directed learning β both for us as training leaders, and for the coaches and teachers we were working with. We present the rules as clearly as we can, we answer any instruction-related questions, but if the group can answer a question themselves, well: Tatua shida zenu. This method of educating often presents uncomfortable challenges.
With self-directed learning your job leans at an opposite angle. It is to create a space where all involved feel comfortable exploring their own visions and come up with different solutions individually and collectively. In this manner, your students will surprise you at every stage β even if you have played a game times and never seen it done just so before. We see this often with CAC participants early on in a week of training.
Their upbringing and education background tells them to resist such a radical notion as not being given the exact formula to solve an equation.
And most of us at CAC can relate, coming up through education systems influenced by similar autocratic teaching philosophies. We believe the best thing we can do is celebrate the struggle and see what new ideas it bears.
