Embroidered stories, remembered lives : the Mogalakwena Craft Art Development Foundation storybook project

The ability to create records depends on a number of social, political and economic factors. Throughout history certain groups have been better equipped to produce and maintain records, leading to situations in which particular views and ideas about society have been privileged at the expense of others. Furthermore, the nature of the written word makes it difficult for groups without a written culture to challenge records, causing their memories to be disregarded. Since the 1960s there has been growing interest in finding these ‘forgotten’ voices of the past, some being those of women. Finding such written traces can be frustrating and painstaking, especially material traces which hold clues to women of indigenous or native communities. This article discusses whether the embroidered story cloths produced by the Mogalakwena Craft Art Development Foundation are a means of giving previously silent native women a voice, allowing them to communicate and raise awareness despite their lack of education and certain language barriers. Do these projects have the transformative potential they claim, not only for the community in which they are created, but even on a national level?http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rcrc202016-04-30hj201

The Jester in Verwoerd’s court : English Press cartoons, 1959–1965

The political cartoon has proven to be an effective means not only to mock but also to criticise the government of the day and to expose its abuse of power. The visual nature of cartoons, combined with humour, enables cartoon artists to bring across their message in a succinct manner. Cartoonists also employ references to events that their readership can relate to, making cartoons a mode of communication whose impact should not be underestimated. This article considers how cartoons that appeared in English-language South African newspapers viewed the Verwoerd government’s policies, specifically the implementation of those regarding the Bantustans or homelands. The article focuses on how cartoon artists used two phenomena of the time, the Space Race and the Beatles, to convey their criticism of the National Party government. The article also considers the effectiveness of the cartoons artists – like jesters in the royal court, masking their moral judgement behind witty remarks – to unmask the true intentions of the government’s homeland policy.https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rshj202022-09-11hj2022Historical and Heritage Studie

From a silent past to a spoken future. Black women’s voices in the archival process

In post-colonial societies especially there ‘has been a growing recognition that western archival science and practice reflect and reinforce a privileging of settler/invader/colonist voices and narratives over Indigenous ones, of written over oral records’ (McKemmish, et al., “Distrust in the archives,” 218) and that the archival profession has failed to ‘embrace Indigenous frameworks of knowledge, memory and evidence.’ (Ibid., 212). Dealing with the dilemma of locating marginalized voices in archival collections, scholars have recognized that in order to address the paucity of records on disadvantaged communities, the parameters of what ordinarily would be considered the ‘historical archive’ have to be enlarged. Over the past decades a number of embroidery projects have been established in previously disadvantaged communities in South Africa, focusing specifically on black women. Proponents of these projects claim that the construction of story cloths involves the active participation of a community in documenting and making accessible the history of their particular group on their own terms and in providing them with previously denied participation in the archival process. This article will look at the Mogalakwena Craft Art Development Foundation embroidered story cloth project as an example of such an archive that could contribute in the writing of a more inclusive history and add another perspective to the history of South Africa.https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cjsa21hj2019Historical and Heritage Studie

Collections create connections : stitching the lives of marginalised women on the national memory canvas

In his work Past beyond memory: Evolution, museums, colonialism, Tony Bennett asks how museums can ‘shed the legacy of evolutionary conceptions and colonial science, so that they can contribute to the development and management of cultural diversity more effectively’. This question is of particular pertinence in the South African context where for a long time the material found in public or governmentfunded museums on those not from the dominant sectors of society presented these marginalised people as ‘objects rather than citizens and individual actors in their own right’. Issues of inclusion or connection and exclusion are central to democracy – who feels connected to civil society, who does not, and why? Who feels their voice is heard and who does not? Over the past few decades a number of community embroidery projects have been initiated in formerly marginalised areas. These projects have made a name for themselves in terms of their artistic merit and have participated in exhibitions both nationally and internationally. Proponents of these initiatives claim that they go beyond connecting these craft artists with a wider audience. This paper will discuss how these collections of embroidered story cloths can contribute to a more inclusive society by combatting disadvantage, empowering communities and developing social capital so that people can have an informed involvement in the creation of an inclusive South African national memory.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rmmc202016-12-30hb201

Facilitating student engagement : the University of Pretoria Archives 'Century in the News' exhibition as a case study

Although greater numbers of historically disadvantaged students have been registering at South African universities since the late 1980s, their rate of completion is considerably lower compared to other students. Universities are under increasing pressure to democratise in order to address racial-ethnic gaps in graduation rates and to take cognisance of the diverse needs of students from a range of cultural and social backgrounds, varying levels of education and academic potential. A solution to this problem adopted by universities world-wide is the establishment of learning communities, where students could receive additional support from the institutions where they are registered to ensure the successful completion of their degree. A key feature of most learning communities is their interdisciplinary and interactive approach to education in which they incorporate active and collaborative learning activities to engage students more effectively. When considering the type of education that is offered by archives and museums, namely a combination of active learning and personal meaning making, museums seem to be ideally placed to assist learning communities in integrating diverse academic and social activities into a meaningful whole in order to convert these experiences into authentic learning. This article will demonstrate, as a case study, how specifically the University of Pretoria Archives are used for orientation purposes in a degree programme by the Faculty of Engineering to its learning community, in order to help students acquire the additional background knowledge that may not have been available to them at school, and to develop a conceptual understanding of key concepts in their discipline which would enable them to complete their degrees successfully.http://www.journals.co.za/content/journal/samabam2017Historical and Heritage Studie

Vermengde leer in die Afrikaans huistaalklaskamer : onderrigbenaderings en leertegnologie in harmonie

CITATION: Taylor, R. & Van der Merwe, M. 2021. Vermengde leer in die Afrikaans huistaalklaskamer : onderrigbenaderings en leertegnologie in harmonie. LitNet Akademies, 18(3):402-464.The original publication is available at https://www.litnet.co.zaDie wêreldwye en plaaslike evolusie van tegnologie en die internet het ’n nuwe dimensie tot onderrig en leer in die skoolklaskamer gevoeg. Dit is ’n belangrike saak, want deesdae is 21ste-eeuse skoolleerders digitale boorlinge wat mobiele tegnologie in die Afrikaans Huistaalklas inbring. Hierdie artikel handel oor die gebruik van die vermengdeleerbenadering (VL-benadering) in die Afrikaans Huistaal-klaskamer en het ten doel om die taalonderwyser bewus te maak van die nuwe onderrigmoontlikhede wat ten opsigte van aanlyn onderrig bestaan. Navorsing oor hierdie vraagstuk is relevant; daarom is hierdie ondersoek daarop gemik om die gebrek aan kennis binne die Afrikaans Huistaal-konteks aan te vul en uit te vind watter Afrikaans Huistaalonderrigbenaderings saam met die VL-benadering deur die onderwysers in die klaskamer verkies word. Die bevindings dui aan dat die implementering van ’n VL-benadering in die toegeruste Suid-Afrikaanse taalklaskamer werkbaar is. Hierdie ondersoek word daarom omvat deur die volgende navorsingsvraag: Hoe gebruik onderwysers vermengde leer as onderrigbenadering in Afrikaans Huistaal? Die studie word teoreties begrond deur verskillende vertakkinge van konstruktivisme en ’n aantal modelle of raamwerke is deurgaans as lense gebruik om die resultate te interpreteer. Die gevallestudie word as navorsingsmetodologie gebruik. Die data is verkry vanaf onderwysers van ’n groep skole in die Wes-Kaap wat Afrikaans Huistaal in die Verdere Onderwys en Opleidingsfase (VOO) onderrig en tegnologie in hul klaskamers gebruik. Die data is deur ’n kwantitatiewe metodologie, naamlik vraelyste, verkry. Die resultate van die gevallestudie word in hierdie artikel bespreek. Daar is bevind dat daar wel tegnologie-integrasie in die taalklaskamers plaasvind en dat die VL-benadering geïmplementeer is om kontaktyd en kommunikasiegeleenthede te vermeerder. Die resultate van die gevallestudie dui daarop dat tegnologie die “voertuig” kan wees waarmee daar aan die vaardigheidsbehoeftes van die 21ste-eeuse leerder deur die kurrikulum van Afrikaans Huistaal voldoen kan word. Die insig wat deur die gevallestudie verkry is, is verwerk tot ’n eenvoudige model waarmee die proses van integrasie van leertegnologie binne die skoolklaskamer begin kan word.Publisher's versio

The bridging of pedagogical and technological pedagogical knowledge gaps of Afrikaans Home Language teachers

CITATION: Taylor, R. & Van Der Merwe, M. 2022. Die oorbrugging van pedagogiese1 en tegnologiese pedagogiese kennisleemtes van Afrikaans Huistaalonderwysers. LitNet Akademies Jaargang 19(1).The original publication is available at https://www.litnet.co.za/category/akademies/litnet-akademies/AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die ondersoek is om die onderrigproses of -benadering van spesifieke Afrikaans Huistaalonderwysers te dekonstrueer2 ten einde ’n begrip te vorm van die wyse waarop die betrokke onderwysers hul pedagogiese en tegnologiese kennisleemtes oorbrug. Die ondersoek bepaal hoe die onderwysers self hul eie kennisbasisse ten opsigte van leertegnologie-integrasie ontwikkel en verbreed ten einde leemtes aan te vul. Die rol van die onderwyser as lewenslange leerder kom gevolglik in dié ondersoek ter sprake. Die TPEIK-model (tegnologiese pedagogiese en inhoudskennis) is onder andere vir die konseptualisering van die data gebruik en dit het insig in die werkswyse, denkwyse en praktyk van die Afrikaans Huistaalonderwyser gegee. In die navorsing is daar van verskeie lense gebruik gemaak om verbande te lê. Kognitivisme is gebruik ten einde kennisleemtes uit te lig, en in daardie verband is veral gebruik gemaak van Mishra (2018) se TPEIK-model. Verdere aspekte van die sosiale aard van die klaskamer is uitgelig deur die lense van kritiese konstruktivisme (kritiese geletterdheid), konnektivisme (die onderlinge verbindinge tussen leerders en onderwysers) en konstruksionisme in te span, terwyl die VVVH-model3 en die raamwerk van Hutchison en Woodward (2014) gebruik is tydens die dekonstruksie van die onderrigproses van Afrikaans Huistaal. Die benadering tot die data (die metodologie) is ’n kwalitatiewe gevallestudie en die data-insameling het geskied deur semigestruktureerde onderhoude. Verder word kritiese diskoersanalise4 as metode vir die ontleding van die data gebruik. Ons het kritiese diskoersontleding gebruik om die transkripsies van die onderhoude te ontleed, afleidings te maak en vergelykings met gekose teorieë te tref. Die kwalitatiewe benadering van kritiese refleksie en diskoersanalise word telkens gebruik om die data binne die teorie te anker, te konseptualiseer en te interpreteer. Die onderwysers in hierdie gevallestudie oorbrug hul kennisleemtes deurdat hulle moontlik gebruik gemaak het van TPEIK-kennis en -vaardighede, naamlik hul kennis van hul eie vakgebied en hul leierskap- en bestuursvermoë om die vernuwing in die klaskamer te bestuur, terwyl hulle steeds die doel van die kurrikulum voor oë gehou het. Die bydrae van hierdie ondersoek is van ’n institusionele aard, want dit het die onderwysers meer bewus gemaak van die wyse waarop leertegnologie geïntegreer kan word en kan dui op hoe deurlopende professionele ontwikkeling in skole plaasvind. Onderwysers het deur die integrasie van leertegnologie hul eie onderrigvaardighede ontwikkel asook hul kennis oor die gebruik en implementering van leertegnologie verbreed. Dit het voorts insig gebring in die werkswyse van die taalonderwysers oor die wyse waarop hulle hul kennisleemtes in Afrikaans Huistaal vul.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This article deals with the bridging of the knowledge gap between pedagogical knowledge and technological pedagogical knowledge in Afrikaans Home Language teaching. The investigation furthermore highlights that the solution to bridging the knowledge gaps that may have arisen also lies in the ability of a language teacher to be a lifelong learner. The aim of the investigation was to deconstruct the teaching process or approach of specific Afrikaans Home Language teachers in order to form an understanding of the way in which the teachers who were involved bridge their pedagogical and technological knowledge gaps. The investigation determines how teachers develop and broaden their own knowledge bases with regard to the integration of learning technology in order to supplement gaps. The role of the teacher as a lifelong learner was therefore also raised in this investigation. Among other things that were used, the TPACK (technological pedagogical and content knowledge) model used for the conceptualisation of the data provided insight into the working method, way of thinking and practice of the Afrikaans Home Language teacher. Various lenses were employed in the research to identify connections. Constructivism is a term used by a variety of researchers when it comes to theories of learning, as it can serve as an epistemological alternative to objectivist theories of knowledge. Objectivists and constructivists agree on the fact that there is a real world that is experienced. Cognitivism was therefore used to highlight knowledge gaps and, in this regard, particular use was made of Mishra’s (2018) TPACK model. This is especially relevant when we investigate the way in which teachers acquire, interpret and apply knowledge from existing knowledge in the 21st-century classroom. Further aspects of the social nature of the classroom were also highlighted through the lenses of critical constructivism (critical literacy), connectivism (the interrelationships between learners and teachers) and constructionism. This multiplicity of points of departure therefore validates the perception of reality of each individual (teachers in the investigation) and each individual’s perspective should therefore be taken into account in the construction of knowledge. In this case study, the different respondents’ opinions regarding knowledge construction were taken into account. Furthermore, the SAMR model and Hutchison and Woodward’s (2014) framework were used during the deconstruction of the Afrikaans Home Language teaching process. The approach to the data (the methodology) comprised a qualitative case study and the data collection was undertaken through semi-structured interviews. Furthermore, critical discourse analysis was used as a method for analysing the data. We used critical discourse analysis to analyse the transcripts of the interviews, to make inferences, and to draw comparisons with selected theories. The qualitative approach of critical reflection and discourse analysis was used repeatedly to anchor, conceptualise and interpret the data within the theory. Teachers were expected to share personal teaching ideas and opinions on the integration of and teaching approach to learning technology in the Afrikaans Home Language classroom. What was shared was considered confidential and when such information was mentioned in the research results, all respondents were treated anonymously. No personal information is disclosed. The investigation highlights that the solution to bridging the knowledge gaps that may have arisen also lies in the ability of a language teacher to be a lifelong learner. In other words, this ability is related to the language teachers’ skills in doing research on their own and being willing to learn from other more knowledgeable persons. This is in line with cognitive and social constructivism whereby more knowledgeable persons are able to play a mentoring role in the context of the teacher. By consulting a more knowledgeable person, it becomes possible to bridge the knowledge gap between theory and application of the integration of technology in practice. The teachers in this case study possibly bridged their knowledge gaps by using the TPACK knowledge and skills, namely their knowledge of their own subject area and their leadership and management ability to manage innovation in the classroom, while still pursuing the goal of the curriculum. The contribution of this research is of an institutional nature, as it has made the teachers more aware of the way in which learning technology can be integrated and can indicate how continuous professional development takes place in schools. By means of the integration of learning technology, teachers developed their own teaching skills and extended their knowledge of the use and implementation of learning technology. It also facilitated insight into the working methods of the language teachers with regard to the way in which they fill their knowledge gaps in Afrikaans Home Language.post prin

The University of Pretoria archives virtual classroom : connecting the community's past with the virtual future

Recent technological changes, as well as higher expectations from the constituencies they serve, have had major impacts on the realm of museums. The virtual environment and all it has to offer, along with the perception by a more democratic society that museums are community property, have made traditional museums reconsider their positions in order to remain viable. Within the financial and resource constraints of the museum domain, this article will focus on a response to these challenges, which utilises the new technology, works more closely with the broader museum audience and collaborates with other information-related institutions such as archives and libraries. It looks specifically at an exhibition project devised and developed by the University of Pretoria Archives, the "Virtual Classroom", as a practical and viable solution to the challenges posed.http://www.journals.co.za/ej/ejour_mousaion.html or http://www.unisa.ac.za/default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=20129am2013cp201

Story Cloths as a Counter-archive : the Mogalakwena Craft Art Development Foundation Embroidery Project

In South Africa there has been a growing recognition of community craft projects in previously marginalised communities. They are acknowledged for their artistic merit, and for the fact that they serve as a means of economic empowerment for especially black South African women. This study goes beyond this and identifies the embroidered story cloth projects as serving as potential archives for the communities in which they are situated. The embroidered story cloths produced by the Mogalakwena Craft Art Development Foundation (MCADF) are considered as a relevant practical example of the counter-archival discourse in the archival process. This Foundation is situated in a remote area of the Limpopo Province, South Africa, close to the Botswana border. Founded in 1994 in an effort to alleviate poverty and unemployment in this community, this project has grown into a unique archive, which documents various aspects of the women’s everyday life. This project encompasses a number of aspects highlighted by the counter-archival discourse. The embroidered story cloths constitute archival sources that previously would not have been considered part of the conventional nineteenth and twentieth century archive as they involve oral tradition and material craft art practices. Furthermore, the choice of subjects documented by the participants of the MCADF project, which include everyday life situations, as well as rituals and rites of passage, moves the focus of history away from the dated “grand narratives of progress” of the Western world to include the voices from outside the political realm. This aligns with elements of the community archive which have an important role to play in terms of democratising the archival record, decentralising the archives as public institution as well as giving previously or currently marginalised people a voice. In this case it is women who, due to their gender, their inability to express themselves in written form and the previous discriminatory political dispensation in South Africa (apartheid), would not have been included in traditional archives.Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2015.tm2015Historical and Heritage StudiesDPhilUnrestricte

Changing profile: the public face of the University of Pretoria over a century, 1908 - 2008.

• Opsomming: In die tydperk na die eerste demokratiese verkiesing in 1994, het die meeste tersiêre opvoedkundige instellings in Suid-Afrika, insluitend die vorige sogenaamde “apartheid” universiteite, weens verskeie redes gepoog om hulle as demokraties en inklusief te bemark. Om ‘n instelling op so ‘n wyse te bemark dat dit blyk om aan die heersende politieke of sosiale norme te konformeer, is nie ‘n nuwe tendens in tersiêre opvoeding nie. Tersiêre opvoedkundige instellings in Suid-Afrika het sedert hulle totstandkoming verskeie vorme van media, insluitend koerantartikels, advertensies, publikasies, film en TV gebruik om hulle openbare beeld te bevorder. Die wyse waarop die Universiteit van Pretoria en sy voorganger, die Transvaal Universiteitskollege, bemarking gebruik het en hoe die invalshoek daarvan gewysig is na gelang die politieke en sosiale omstandighede in Suid-Afrika verander het, word as voorbeeld gebruik om hierdie stelling te illustreer