Monday night the Germantown Board of Education voted to accept my Fulbright Teacher Exchange for the 2009-2010 school year. This means that there's nearly no formal obstacle preventing Cori and me from going to Ghana next year!
I wasn't sure what to expect out of the board Monday night. But, when the superintendent introduced the topic, and then me, the board members revealed a set of proud grins. I distributed some information about the program, my exchange partner Lucy, and the potential benefits to the district. For the next ten minutes to so I described the application process, my interest in the program and this exchange in particular, and my hopes for the experience the district, its students, staff and community would enjoy during the upcoming school year. I can best describe the board's reaction as congratulatory and grateful. The vote was swift and unanimous, and I left the meeting to a series of handshakes, best wishes, and statements of vicarious wonder.
Friday morning, along with Liz, a teaching colleague who has agreed to serve as a mentor to Lucy next year, I will fly to DC for a Saturday orientation. Liz will receive some mentor training, and I will meet the other American Fulbrighter headed for Ghana next year.
There is a lot to accomplish during the weeks to come, but for the first time in many, many months, Cori and I can finally say, with confidence, what we will be doing next year. And that peace-of-mind, at least in the moment, might be the best gift of all.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
The Offer
Months of waiting are over! I received a phone call last week asking me if I would consider an exchange to Ghana! A few days later a package was waiting for me when I returned from my golf trip to Kentucky.
Inside, a book entitled "Fulbright - Your Exchange in Ghana 2009-2010"
Cori and I have 10-days to accept the offer. There is a lot to do in the meantime: meet with my principal, contact my exchange partner (a 40-year-old social studies teacher named Lucy), talk to my landlord, establish a mentor teacher for Lucy at my high school, and so much more.
Cori's thrilled. Ghana was her first choice. I'm also excited, but I have to admit I was hoping for central Europe. After all, I listed Czech Republic and Hungary as my first two choices.
Still, the more I read about Ghana and think about the amazing cultural experiences we'll have, the more fired up I become.
Ghana is located along the west-central coast of Africa. It's formerly known as The Gold Coast during its time as a British colony. The official language is English, however there are some 40 native languages used
throughout the country. The most common is Twi. It's about the size of Oregon, and is bordered by Cote d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to the east. Ghana's southern border is the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. We would live in the port city of Tema, located a short distance east of the capital Accra. Interestingly, Tema is considered the closest city in the world to the 0-degree longitude/latitude point, located just off the coast!
The first questions most people have asked me relate to Ghana's safety, stability, and standards of living. It is a poor country by western economic standards, but so is every African nation. Relative to western Africa, its economy is strong. Annual income is about $1,500 per person. The majority of labor is in agriculture, but there is also a growing manufacturing and service sector, especially in and around Accra.
Live expectancy is about 60 years. Women bear an average of 3.6 children in their lifetime. Malaria is widespread, and tap water (when it works or is even available) can not be consumed without boiling. Also, electricity, while available in and around the cities, is not too reliable. However, it is a stable country: recent presidential elections took place peacefully. This post speaks highly of life in Ghana.
Finally, the Ghanaian school year is in trimesters. School is in session from Sep-Nov, Jan-Mar, and May-July. So, my exchange would be from Sep-July, with the months of December and April available for travel.
As I said, there is a lot to do in the coming days and weeks before this is "for sure," but it appears pretty likely that Cori and I will be spending the next year in Africa!
Inside, a book entitled "Fulbright - Your Exchange in Ghana 2009-2010"
Cori and I have 10-days to accept the offer. There is a lot to do in the meantime: meet with my principal, contact my exchange partner (a 40-year-old social studies teacher named Lucy), talk to my landlord, establish a mentor teacher for Lucy at my high school, and so much more.
Cori's thrilled. Ghana was her first choice. I'm also excited, but I have to admit I was hoping for central Europe. After all, I listed Czech Republic and Hungary as my first two choices.
Still, the more I read about Ghana and think about the amazing cultural experiences we'll have, the more fired up I become.
Ghana is located along the west-central coast of Africa. It's formerly known as The Gold Coast during its time as a British colony. The official language is English, however there are some 40 native languages used
throughout the country. The most common is Twi. It's about the size of Oregon, and is bordered by Cote d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to the east. Ghana's southern border is the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. We would live in the port city of Tema, located a short distance east of the capital Accra. Interestingly, Tema is considered the closest city in the world to the 0-degree longitude/latitude point, located just off the coast!The first questions most people have asked me relate to Ghana's safety, stability, and standards of living. It is a poor country by western economic standards, but so is every African nation. Relative to western Africa, its economy is strong. Annual income is about $1,500 per person. The majority of labor is in agriculture, but there is also a growing manufacturing and service sector, especially in and around Accra.
Live expectancy is about 60 years. Women bear an average of 3.6 children in their lifetime. Malaria is widespread, and tap water (when it works or is even available) can not be consumed without boiling. Also, electricity, while available in and around the cities, is not too reliable. However, it is a stable country: recent presidential elections took place peacefully. This post speaks highly of life in Ghana.
Finally, the Ghanaian school year is in trimesters. School is in session from Sep-Nov, Jan-Mar, and May-July. So, my exchange would be from Sep-July, with the months of December and April available for travel.
As I said, there is a lot to do in the coming days and weeks before this is "for sure," but it appears pretty likely that Cori and I will be spending the next year in Africa!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
A Different Recession
Came across this post today - note that it was written in Feb 2008, well before a recession was officially declared, and well before the general public had any idea of the economic malaise that had already begun.
I have heard a few people (mainly those on the right) argue that the federal government's significant deficit spending is reckless in nature - that it is putting a significant debt burden on future generations of taxpayers. They point to the Reagan administration (incorrectly) claiming that it let free market corrections occur in the macroeconomy to restimulate the economy.
First, that simply isn't correct. The Reagan administration (and administrations during the 70's) used monetary policy - lowering interest rates - to stimulate growth. But, the Reagan administration also entered into significant deficit spending during the early-mid 80's (tax cuts combined with increased military spending) thus further stimulating overall economic growth. These actions led to soaring federal debt levels.
Second, the current recession is nothing like those of the 70's and 80's. Those recessions were essentially CREATED by the federal government and Federal Reserve Bank in an effort to control soaring inflation. Only after the inflation was addressed did the government begin to lower interest rates to jump start the economy.
Today's recession is more traditional in nature - it is marked by a severe contraction along with falling real price levels. Further, since the Fed has already pumped record amounts of money into the economy (note the near-0% prime rate goal - caused by the Fed purchasing over $1T worth of securities) without any success in stimulating growth, there is only one place left to turn: the federal government's ability to spend in deficit, an attempts to boost overall levels of demand.
Yes, future generations will face huge burdens of debt, but the alternative might be many years (even decades) of stagnation in the economy - a cost that would far exceed virtually any level of federal debt. That would be a much worse burden to place on future generations.
I have heard a few people (mainly those on the right) argue that the federal government's significant deficit spending is reckless in nature - that it is putting a significant debt burden on future generations of taxpayers. They point to the Reagan administration (incorrectly) claiming that it let free market corrections occur in the macroeconomy to restimulate the economy.
First, that simply isn't correct. The Reagan administration (and administrations during the 70's) used monetary policy - lowering interest rates - to stimulate growth. But, the Reagan administration also entered into significant deficit spending during the early-mid 80's (tax cuts combined with increased military spending) thus further stimulating overall economic growth. These actions led to soaring federal debt levels.
Second, the current recession is nothing like those of the 70's and 80's. Those recessions were essentially CREATED by the federal government and Federal Reserve Bank in an effort to control soaring inflation. Only after the inflation was addressed did the government begin to lower interest rates to jump start the economy.
Today's recession is more traditional in nature - it is marked by a severe contraction along with falling real price levels. Further, since the Fed has already pumped record amounts of money into the economy (note the near-0% prime rate goal - caused by the Fed purchasing over $1T worth of securities) without any success in stimulating growth, there is only one place left to turn: the federal government's ability to spend in deficit, an attempts to boost overall levels of demand.
Yes, future generations will face huge burdens of debt, but the alternative might be many years (even decades) of stagnation in the economy - a cost that would far exceed virtually any level of federal debt. That would be a much worse burden to place on future generations.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Feed Burner
Not sure how this will work, but I've added a blog feed option. On the right side of the page, follow the link to add your email to my blog feed and you'll receive updates each time I add a post.
10 More Days
You may remember that I was told I would be notified by Fulbright about next year by March 31st. Well, a couple weeks ago I received an email explaining they have pushed that notification deadline back two weeks, to April 15. They say they have been very busy arranging exchange matches so they need more time to complete their work.
I can't tell you how anxious I am to hear something, anything. I told Cori yesterday that at this point I would almost rather hear that there will not be a match over this lingering silence.
But, it if waiting 10 more days means there will be a match, I'll wait.
Meanwhile, I have a student teacher at GHS now. Mr. D is in his mid-20s, and graduated from UW-Madison in law and political science. Now he's close to getting his teaching license.
For much of the rest of the year Mr D will teach two of my world history classes, leaving me with two history classes, and one econ class. The lighter workload will be a nice relief now that track has started (I'm coaching the jumps about two days a week) and golf season is very near.
Still, this being my first student teacher I'm not sure what to expect: the transition from me to him leading those classes will be taking place during the next few weeks.
I can't tell you how anxious I am to hear something, anything. I told Cori yesterday that at this point I would almost rather hear that there will not be a match over this lingering silence.
But, it if waiting 10 more days means there will be a match, I'll wait.
Meanwhile, I have a student teacher at GHS now. Mr. D is in his mid-20s, and graduated from UW-Madison in law and political science. Now he's close to getting his teaching license.
For much of the rest of the year Mr D will teach two of my world history classes, leaving me with two history classes, and one econ class. The lighter workload will be a nice relief now that track has started (I'm coaching the jumps about two days a week) and golf season is very near.
Still, this being my first student teacher I'm not sure what to expect: the transition from me to him leading those classes will be taking place during the next few weeks.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Imperialism
My world history students are finishing their study of "new imperialism." This is the period of global conquest following the development of industry in western Europe and North America.
Searching for insight into 19th century imperialism's lasting effects on modern peoples, I contacted my good friend Zaheer who grew up in India. His response:
Taken from the Internet, provided by Zed:
Searching for insight into 19th century imperialism's lasting effects on modern peoples, I contacted my good friend Zaheer who grew up in India. His response:
Oh boy, that's some question...
Imperialism. On a personal level it's a hard subject to talk about in moderate terms because it's so close to me.
Perhaps the only way to describe it, in a way that people who have not been affected by its effects, as part of its receiving end, would be to say that it is equivalent to the Holocaust or the extermination of the Native Americans from their lands, but in a more prolonged and mind-numbing way than either of those two horrific events in history.
The theft of identity, of culture, of dignity, of self-awareness, of wealth, of the pursuit of independence, of destiny and of life itself (in the millions), is the best way I could describe the effects of Imperialism on my home country, and on any other land that was overrun by imperialism. And of course I am here talking about historical Imperialism (the European powers), that I absorbed in school books, and grandmother's stories, and from growing up in a society like I did...
I do not even refer to modern Imperialism (the US), that afflicts large parts of this planet, including the South Pole and the North (with the environmental genocide that's on-going), the Himalayas, in Tibet, in Iraq and Afghanistan and Haiti and Cuba and the Marshall Islands.
For me Imperialism equates to Genocide, to hate, to racism, to destruction, to everything that is, has ever been and will ever be wrong with the world we live in. The state-induced famines of The Bengal, in India, caused by the British two hundred years ago to begin with, and ending sixty years ago, are still fresh in my mind. I am older than I look.
Below is an interesting negative/ positive story about Imperialism in Africa (pulled off the net), although I suppose the term Africa could be replaced by any other society that has been conquered and occupied. Only the occupied understand the feeling. What can't be explained in words is the feeling of Poverty and betrayal. Like Jesus felt. And Judas also.
But that feeling, for those of us who survived, is also a feeling of liberation, and we have seen something greater than ourselves, and it is accomplished. Or maybe it is not accomplished, but at least we know which direction's north and which is south, and which is east and which is west.
And know what is right and what is wrong.
But perhaps I am speaking only for myself, and not even for myself, and we are all completely damned, or blessed. Either way the force of history is finally upon us.
Gaza. Kashmir. Northern Ireland.
India. The Indian Ocean. Africa. Asia. America.
What happened to us? Why so many highways? Why so few forests? Why do you have to show your ID to buy a beer, even though you are obviously not 21...
Why is it ok for children to die from disease and war, even today, in 2009.
For me, it boils down to one word - Imperialism.
It's a big, bad word, in a big, good world.
Cheers, Zed
Taken from the Internet, provided by Zed:
Q: What were the negative and positive effects of imperialism in Africa on the colonised?
A: The effects would be too numerous to list, of course, and they're widely debated. Here are some that have been listed, grouped in the two categories.
Negative Effects on the Colonized:Positive Effects on the Colonized:
- Much of the land was taken by other countries; There was little land that belonged to any native Africans
- Land was expropriated (confiscated) and inhabitants were forced to work to pay tax to the colonialists
- Splitting up ethnic groups into separate countries, combining enemy ethnic groups into the same country
- More powerful weapons introduced to existing warring factions
- Deaths from foreign diseases
- Social division and racial strife
- Countries were left underdeveloped
- Imperial powers created unequal trade; by colonialists using raw materials and cheap labor in Africa then producing the goods back home and selling them back to the Africans created a trade deficit. This also led to European countries accumulating great riches and expanding their industry, while Africa remained economically stagnant, mainly getting by on agriculture and mining
- Destruction of traditional culture
- The slave trade and slavery; slave raiding kingdoms traded fellow Africans as slaves in return for European luxuries
- When countries eventually regained their independence, they had no skills to adequately maintain the infrastructure or participate in the global economy in which they were already disadvantageously positioned
- The destruction and economically weak position resulting from colonialism can never be righted, not that the countries that vastly benefited from their domination have offered to right the wrongs of the past
- The ideological conditioning of the Western world as naturally superior and 'civilized'
- The forcing of indigenous people to adhere to Christianity
- The ignorance towards the human rights of African people
- Development of infrastructure
- Advances in agriculture and mining
- Introduction of modern medicine
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