training challenges

So, I spent most of the weekend putting together a training that I thought was a day or two of my stuff but learned Sunday that it was not just Tues. and maybe Wed. it's Tuesday through Saturday. Oh my. It's for the schools that are starting MSW programs in the fall, I was going to train on what a syllabus is and then on what goes into a field manual (for non-social workers--not a gardening book, but the manual for internships). Two things I've never done. I gotta say, this work is increasing my confidence! I also collected a ton of internet sites, links, and some articles and rubrics for them to use as research for class lessons. We started today, I did syllabus training because they have not used these here before, education is based on the British system. 

It will be a challenge, they worked on developing syllabi today, they need them for 11 classes and we hope to have them all completed in the next day or 2. Then we move to class info and resources. We were pretty sure that the faculty were thinking I was going to write all their lecture notes. ha. I don't use lecture notes myself so I certainly can't do it for classes I don't teach. Besides, it's not my job, it's theirs, they have to own what they are going to do in class. So, after the syllabi are done, we will provide them with resources and they will have to search through them to determine what might fit their individual courses.  A BIG challenge all around.

Language, jargon, conceptualization across cultures and teaching styles and  remember, there has been just 1 school of social work here so they have a few people with experience teaching but there are only 2 people with PhDs in the country (1 whose degree is actually in sw, the other is Ga Young's friend (for those who know her) and his is in something related I was told but not specifically sw. Although talking with him he sure seems to be a social worker! He and I are determining how to use the time this week so we have big expectations for 4 or 5 days. Especially realizing how much is lacking.  For example, one school has distance education online. I explained that the syllabus should include the times, room number, and days of the classes. Someone asked me what they are supposed to put if it's online. I hope they didn't spend a lot of time trying to figure that out.  I'm thinking this is likely the last intense week although a few faculty want me to travel with them. There really are lovely people here.  And lots of concern that people don't know what social work is, think it's the same as volunteering and one doesn't need education. Well, I can empathize, certainly it plays out differently but the attitudes are very similar so maybe one thing I can do is normalize their experiences.

There is something that could help a lot--they would love to have social work professors from the US come here even just for several weeks to co-teach classes. I think this is a great idea, if any of you can think of a $$ source, let me know.  More photos on another page....