Sunday 10 November 2013

Wobulenzi reflection1

The DP1 class of 2013-14 took a trip to Wobulenzi Town Academy during the outdoor education week in October/November. Our trip was filled with first experiences and gave us countless opportunities to reflect on our own lives away from home. 

Learning outcomes:
1- Increased their awareness of their own strengths and areas of growth.
2- Undertake new challenges
3- Planned and initiated activities 
4- Worked collaboratively with others 
5- Shows perseverance and commitment in their activities
6- Engaged with issues of global importance
7- Considered the ethical implication of their activities 
8- Developed new skills

Celebrity 1: John Lennon
Learning outcome: Engaged in issues of global importance
Justification: Lennon was an ambassador of peace and devoted his life to convey the message of equality. He engaged in various activities which depicted him as a peace-lover. He used his social status and his reputation to raise awareness and act as a mediator of the Vietnam war and alleviate tension and hatred towards many civilians including gays. He used music as a device to convey many of his messages- 'Imagine', for example.

Celebrity 2: Gandhi
Learning outcome: worked collaboratively with others
Justification: He led India to independence and focused on the underprivileged people of his own country. Gandhi followed a non-violent civil disobedient approach in order to collaborate with his fellow Indian citizens, to achieve a common goal of independence. Although that was his main goal, he initially focused on smaller issues which needed to be resolved like poverty, alcoholism, and ignorance among others. He worked selflessly and his and his civilians efforts ultimately paid off.

Celebrity 3: Nelson Mandela
Learning outcome: considered the ethical implications of their activities
Justification: He was determined to focus on the abolition of poverty and racial segregation. Although he was arrested for almost 3 decades he was committed to his goal and was not discouraged. Critics argued that some of his acts of rebellion/protest were unethical, however Mandela's only intention was to revolutionise human rights, thus making him purely good at heart.

Celebrity 4: Terry Fox
Learning outcome: shows perseverance and commitment in their activities
Justification: Cancer is a condition which is prevalent and can affect anybody in the world, thus making it a global problem. Needless to say, there is no cure to this disease, and although Fox was diagnosed with cancer and had his leg amputated, he was determined to not give up. He then decided to run a marathon across Canada to raise awareness for his disease with an artificial leg. I think that this kind of action is the pinnacle of determination and perseverance and although the Marathon cost him his life, his efforts were extremely admirable.

Celebrity 5: Jane Goodall 
Learning outcome: increased their awareness of their own strengths and area of growth
Justification: Her initial beliefs based on common stereotypes about chimpanzees was contradicted as she conducted unconventional research to gather more information about these primates. Her research methods were questioned and frowned upon by some critics but she was not swayed by the other's opinions and only followed her instincts, thus making her the first and by far only human being to be accepted into the chimp society.

Celebrity 6: Junko Tabei 
Learning outcome: shows perseverance and commitment in their activities
Justification: On the 16th of May 1975, she became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest despite being buried in an avalanche. She has been climbing ever since she was 10 years old thus in my opinion making her an extremely committed and dedicated mountain climber.