THEME 1Lifelong learners understand the meaning of, and the necessity for lifelong learning.Activity 1.1.1When last did you last embark on a systematic learning task or project?Apparently just a day before because learning is a day to day task and tests are written every week in my course.
So, a day before I was assessed as well, and I had to engage in a systematic learning programme as a way of preparing myself.What learning method did you use?I made used Visual (spatial) method as a result I like using pictures, images as well as spatial understanding to understand very quickly and stand a chance too be able to tackle whatever challenges that I will encounter the way.I also made use of Social Intrapersonal method because I prefer working alone since I have enough to for myself and I understand things very well when the is no one putting pressure on me unlike in group works.3.Was your learning successful? How do you know, what evidence do you have?Yes, it was successful.Because I managed to do/perform very well for this task that I was preparing for.The only evidence that I have is that of my grades since I performed very well, I mean I was just outstanding therefore I can say this with confidence that my methods were just so fruitful after all.
4. What obstacles did you encounter and how did you try to overcome?The obstacles were just some of the content of which I couldn’t understand on my own during my classroom lectures, Therefore I had only one option of which was to consult since I was working alone and then to solve this problem I did consult various sources even though at first, I found this bit challenging me. But at the end I finally managed to come out with the solution.That is why I managed to perform very well for that task after all.Reflection based on theme one.Basically, theme one (1) according to my understanding is all about understanding better the concept of Lifelong learning as well as ‘learning” as a subject that requires thoroughly understanding. Initially I will look at learning which is regarded as the ability to explore new things and it is a natural process which is continuous since learning does not stop at all. It has been proven again that the is no age restriction for learning because we learn up until we die.
In this theme we are also familiarised with the importance of learning.Lastly, I will also look at the other sub topic which is Lifelong learning that we come across in this theme again and it is very important because it emphasises the importance of learning every day and ensure and that we explore new things and grasp new information each. single day because that will probably help us going forward. Again, we also come across to the importance of lifelong learning especially to the 21st century because surely with education of lately there is no place for you in this world, I mean to have a job occupation that is of high calibre then you’ve got to excel in your studies whether you like it or not.
THEME 2 Lifelong learners know themselves and others.Activity 2.2.1Think about what makes you. Discuss your answers to these questions with a friend.Where are you from?I am from Kwazulu Natal province (Newcastle) even though I was born and raised in the Gauteng province Johannesburg.
But then later we came back to KZN with my family and currently I am situated in Free State province because of educational purposes.What does it look like?To be honest when comparing Kwazulu Natal with Free State then you will realise that there is a very huge difference in terms of educational quality as well as the quality of the facilities, when looking at Free state it is far better in terms of quality of education but the service delivery as well as hygiene I would say they are very poor. Mainly because when the two are compared to each other you will see that even the service delivery is quite better in KZN unlike here; talking of electricity, hygienic water as well the cleanliness of Free State province I would say it makes life to be quite difficult here.Let alone for weather conditions of Free State that are just unpredictable but mostly they are just either cold or rainy therefore that makes it bit difficult for us to have good times especially I am supposed to be attending classes nor studying.On other hand I would also say this without doubt that settling in here is quite difficult and I think it will take time even though eventually I strongly believe that I would have had settled since I have no choice but to do so to perform well in my studies.Lastly, talk of hygiene which is very poor, and I surely know that with that it will lead into various diseases because it is very important to live in a conducive environment especially if you are a learner because it is important to shy away from getting illnesses because they will surely be a hindrance in your academic performance.What does it feel like?The feeling here is not mutual nor favourably at all mainly because I am still new in this province and I am still trying by all means to settle in here therefore I still encounter a lot of challenges even though some are just there to teach myself about life challenges as it has proven that starting life in a new province is not easy at all especially whereby you know nobody .And worse of all here in Free state it is difficult as a results of these irrational incidents that are taking place here continually, talk of water scarcity or if not so then they are there but then you will be forced to bath with them cold as a result of load shedding which is also impacting negatively therefore I think in terms of how I feel about being here the above complaints they just express all the difficulties I have endured as a result the feeling about this place will surely be negative without any doubt.
By just doing comparisons of my province and this one I just feel like I am lost because surely in my province there is no load shedding anymore let alone for water scarcity and the amount of difficulties in terms of service delivery they are way better and I had never faced a situation whereby I have to bath using cold water whereas it is also cold at that current moment.What objects or belongings can be found in your home or room?In my room back there at home you will found my double bed, surrounded by the room divider, wardrobe which makes my room looks pretty good and you will also find my study equipment’s as well as my gallery which inspires me to go on and on and pursue my dreams even though the journey to there is not easy and will not be but I really have to be self-motivated and dedicated in order to get there.However, the situation where I am right is not the same, but I will then understand because there is place that will ever be comfortable than home therefore the difference between these two places just justifies this say after all.Even though I might be in Free State for academic purpose only but then it is also important that the living conditions are also made better not just sleeping in a tiny bed where you might even fall let alone for studying and writing on furniture. What are the names of the people in your “family”?My family consists of (Cynthia & Jabulani) whom are my parents, (Sibonelo, Siphelele, Thamsanqa, Lindokuhle, Abongwe, Andile), whom are my siblings and cousins, talk of (Anna, Winfreda, Welcome as well Mavis) and these are my uncles, aunts and grandmother. However, there is also (Luthando, Nokubonga, Nomaswazi as well as Nqobile) and those are my young sisters and cousins.The above-mentioned people forms and completes the whole structure of my beloved big family.
although I just mentioned my family that I live with them within one house and never counted the relatives as well those whom are currently away because of certain factors.Name one or two-family traditions.The family tradition that we have is that boys from my family are the only people to enter cattle’s kraal and there is no female creature allowed in there unless certain procedures are followed but nevertheless the tradition stands.New born babies from my family are expected to be born with a black mark in their back and again girls are not allowed to eat eggs while the entire family does not eat pork because of history between the pig and the ancestors.What phrases, words or sayings are important to you or to members of the family.In my family unity is very important especially since we are a royal family therefore phrases such as “Blood is thicker than water” are commonly used to express the importance of loving another one as a family.
You will also be told that as a family is what matters than anything else therefore you should prioritise your family as a sign respecting that but the say here is “Nothing beats the love of the family”.What foods are important to you or family. In my family normally you will find that the commonly eaten and liked food is Corn mash (umbhaqanga), Pumpkin pudding (isijingi), Steamed bread(Jeqe), and Mageu(Mahewu) and lastly they also like Samp with brown beans mainly because these traditional food they are healthy and List one or two important childhood memories.When I was still in primary during my childhood times I used to be a fastest boy in athletics for my school as well as in my community when I was compared to the rest of the boys of my age.Since from 2008-2011 in my primary school since I was in grade four (4) to grade seven (7) I used to be an outstanding performing student in my grade in such a way that I would beat everyone while defending my title of being the no. 1 in the whole school .And again in the year of 2016 when I was in grade 12 I managed to excel and my performance was highly recognised by the district as well as the school for that matter.
Reflection on theme 2 Theme 2 Is simply based on the individual desire and self-introspection whereas you will come across questions such as “who you are “,” What is your driving force”, basically all these questions are only meant to help you try and understand yourself better because in this theme it is very important to know your background, yourself , your goals as well as your inspirations because everyone who wants to be successful must have these things including academic goals that you would want to achieve, with the above information attached to you then I strongly believe that it wouldn’t be that difficult for you to reach your destination .However, it is also very important that you aware of your inspirations and encouragements that will lead you to your brighter destinations. As I want to be a teacher it is very important for me to know as to what really led me into desiring to be a teacher because that will help me to determine whether as I want to become a teacher is it my dream or is it just something that I want to do it just because I can just do it.In this theme it will help you to know as to whether what you want to become is it really what you have been dreaming about all along or it is just something that you just woke thinking off.THEME 3LIFELONG LEARNERS PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSIONActivity 3.1.1What behaviours are acceptable when students challenge or disagree with one another.Firstly, I think it is very important that we acknowledge each other’s differences in terms of viewing and understanding things mainly because of our backgrounds or the differences we may have in terms of doing things as well as the knowledge we have.
Secondly, after the acknowledgements I think it will be wise of us to be polite whenever when we have differences in terms of viewpoints raised by our classmates or group members.It is very important that we have a very polite way and matured manner of approach in times of disagreements rather than just shutting down one another, it is without reservation that if group members that respect one another stands a very good chance of achieving its goals. However, it is not condoned to crush someone’s idea in such a way that you make that person to feel as he/she stupid nor in any manner of uncouth behaviour.It is very important to note that emotions are not supposed to be included nor included during group discussions because people will tend to personalise matters of which will cause conflict amongst members and tear the group apart, so it is very important to keep professionalism whenever when group members are working together.
And again, no member should be looked down upon because as members we are all equal. In fact, discussions should be academic discussions to avoid conflicts whenever there is lack of agreement.What language will be deemed to be in appropriate for online discussion.Informal language which can also be regarded as slang because academic discussions should be academically and very formal.
I think harsh words, I mean words that are discriminating and it should be not forgotten that all people have rights therefore discriminating one another even if it is in terms of speech but that still serve as the violation of human rights, so it is better for group members during discussions to bear In mind that everyone have freedom of speech in the country’s bill of right.During times of discussions it is very important that people talk stick to the topic to avoid future lack of agreements nor uncalled for differences in opinions and so forth.How should students be graded on their participation in the discussion (are all forms of participating of equal value)I think there will never be equally value of participation in times of discussions because we as people are not gifted equally therefore there will always be those who are participating and interacting with questions better than others.It will also depend on the level of understanding for the individuals the question being discussed thus the advantage will be for those who will understand the question very well compared to others. And so, as the participation of learners in the discussion will be guided by the level of understanding of the topic paused. Nevertheless, I think some learners will be understanding the topic and responding in the discussion as expected.However, it is very important for learners to be graded according to their participation in the discussion because it wouldn’t be fair to those who are participating to be graded exactly as those who didn’t even bother to interact let alone for understanding the question at the first place. When looking at the way of grading for group discussions I think it will be very wise that learners are not graded according to their brilliance nor how smart they have responded but generally it should be based on the understanding and all means of trying to tackle the question.
Lastly, I would say even though learners may not be able to express their understanding of questions equally, but I think the content should be the factor here since group discussions are all about understanding of the questions attempts of interacting to the question it is very important to show nor prove you understanding.Summing up I think the importance of group discussions is to groom the individuals especially in the basis of public speaking therefore I think couple of few things should be made the expectation or requirement of grading of discussions such as the ability to tackle the question, a way of responding to the question as well as the ability convey nor construct a well organised response during discussions.Reflection of Theme 3This theme is mainly based on the individuals ability to participate successfully in group discussions and there are factors which really matter here such as the behaviour of individuals, when are in a discussion and it is noted that the full participation of individuals in discussions is very important because it enables their ability of interacting with others, it also helps them to build their self-esteem because it is important to be bold, firm and logical when engaging in group discussions.It is also noted that working with people especially group discussions are so important because you also get to know other various ideas of which will help you as the individual going forward as it is known that during group discussion you learn and others as well from those topic that you will be discussing on, most importantly the knowledge that you acquire there will surely help to even improve your performance for the better.Therefore, the impression of theme 3, It is general based on the importance of participating during discussions as some of the people learn better when they’re within others so it is undoubted that these people will surely utilise this platform and use it to their advantage especially whenever when you would like to talk to people in public or addressing seminars I think this will be very important to these people.Again the massage conveyed in this theme is that discussions are very important all people especially in to teachers, politicians, speech therapists etc mainly because all these people they need to be logical in their careers therefore it is suggested that they take it upon themselves to makes such platforms a priority since it will build their public speaking ability and also help them to better understand the strategies of conducting a response as well as a conversation that is of quality nor express themselves successfully.THEME 4 GETTING PAST THE CHALLENGE OF WORKING WITH OTHERS.
ACTIVITY 4.2.14. Identify and discuss behaviour that will be either helpful or unhelpful to the group when working together Helpful behaviour (I) Listen to others.It is very important to pay attention to other members, when they are talking they should be given an opportunity as well as eye contact is very important so that they will see your reaction while they’re talking because it is important to show either agreement or disagreement.
(II) (II) Seek for clarity in times of confusion.If it happens that you fail to get the point that was raised it is very important to clarifyensure that you take the exact information into consideration than just keeping quiet and lacking understanding.(III) Resolve any problems you may come across.If there are any confusions it is wise that they are solved without wasting of time because conflicts and unnecessary fights should be avoided for the group to perform very well and ensure that its dreams and desires are achieved in due course.Unhelpful Behaviours.(I) Conflicts Conflicts will impact negatively, and they will consume time therefore the group will not achieve its goals even if they way want to until all the issues are resolved.
(II) MonopolisingIn groups it is very important for all members to be heard and there shouldn’t be any person who will be arrogant nor bossy that will want to be always listened to because that will affect others negatively and the group might even collapse. (III) Scapegoating Surely all groups they do face times of dispatch nor underperformance but then that does not mean members should blame those incidents on other members because that can cause serious tension and conflict.Blaming one member for the mistakes of the group will not help in any way because that will be dividing members in between that all.(IV)Laziness and ArroganceIf some group members are lazy then it will take forever for to complete the tasks as a result for the group to complete the work on time It will need the full co-operation of its members.The group will not achieve its goals if some members wants to be bossy and show their arrogance towards in fact respect is key for group assignments or tasks.Reflection for Theme 4This theme signifies the importance of lifelong learners to collaborate with others to build a relationship that will help them soon. It also highlights the importance of knowing others very well since we people are very different in a lot of aspects , in this case this theme wants us to understand one another very well and know that we might be of a same race and talk the same language but we will never have same Ideas as well same manner of approach for the problems if we come across them.Through collaboration we learn to work with others effectively and we also learn to accept each other’s differences because that will help us to be able resolve any challenges that we may encounter soon or later.
However, in this theme it is very important to note that we as people have different behaviours or attitudes therefore we must be aware and understand them especially when we are in collaboration because that will help us to work well with others.Although sometimes it is very critical to deal with the behaviour of some of the group members as a result that they are normal not willing to sacrifice their attitude nor behaviour to contribute towards the group’s success. Mainly this theme is just about collaborating of lifelong learners with others because it is indeed important know as to how you collaborate with others with an intention to get the tasks done on time and it informs us as to what kind of behaviours we must expect to come across when working with groups in most cases.THEME 6LIFELONG LEARNERS LEARN THROUGH REFLECTIONACTIVITY 6.
3.1Reflect on your experience at the UFS thus far. Since I have got here in the University of Free state I have experienced a lot talk of positive experiences as well negative experiences in terms of the environment as well as the infrastructure and with service delivery on top but basically hygiene has been one of the provocative issue since I got here in February. I would say things have not been on my advantage but i am trying my best to adjust.Talking of pressure, I think the Kovsie student will understand better as to what you would be referring to by then because when you look at the amount of workload and try to contradict with the time then you will see that there is an imbalance of which you cannot do anything about.
Life has been something else since I got here in Free state, talk of my studies that had been giving me headache since day one for that matter, my complain it is not that my studies are difficult but the pressure that I am subjected to, it just complicates everything, if I were to retaliate and claim to be enjoying life fully here then I would be telling a lie simple because I hardly sleep here let alone resting for that matter. I have weekly schedules where you will find that I am always pre-occupied if I am not in class then I should be either in the study for upcoming test or I should be doing group assignment if it not the individuals ones.Apart from that, you will also find that academics are not just the only concern of mine here but the environment as well because here in Free State there is this load shedding which impacts negatively and I was in couple of times forced to take shower using cold water just because of load shedding and when looking at the issue of water scarcity I just can’t breathe because if there is water then surely it will be dirt but in most cases you will find that we will be forced to go and collect from the JoJo tanks even though we know that they are not suitable for our healthy but then what choice do we have because at the end of the day I will have to bath and eat after all.And when looking at my social life here I think it is quite better than all other experiences here because I have managed to create as many as possible friendship relationships and to be honest the majority of them they have helped me into adjusting to this environment and again they have also benefitted myself in terms of my studies because through group work I have gained a lot of knowledge that I am using currently as well as the one that I will use in the near future.Summing up, I would say so far so good after all because there is no use of putting the blame on the things that I cannot change but I am only responsible of making sure that I perform very well in my studies because they are a good story to tell about my experiences especially here in in the University of the Free State. Other things might be something else here talk of service delivery in terms sanitation and weather conditions but then that will not stop me from achieving my goals, my academics are a priority after all and what I should bear in mind is that learning was or will never ever be easy but with dedication, and hard work I will surely succeed because I strongly believe that learning requires individual brilliance and determination to get there eventually. 3. Write a short reflective paragraph where you critically reflect upon your experiences.
Since I got here in Free State I haven’t had inner peace, especially when talking of school work that is what exactly is always on my case as a result I haven’t like been free or be enjoying life here so far but then I strongly believe that as time goes on things will get better day by day however, there are impressive things to acknowledge about this place after all talk of the standard nor quality of education that is given to us here, I mean lectures, facilitators as well tutors all these people are learned in such a way that they know what they are always talking about so I would it is so impressive to be taught by people that you trust that they will never lead you astray after all. Above all I learned to work under pressure because sometimes the work load will pile up whereas you do not have enough time and it also not hidden that there are other factors that influences here talk of lack time management, procrastination etc. However, I was also taught to work with others to get done with my work on time and also consult where needed to because in this campus it is not wise travel this mile alone. REFLECTION OF THEME 6 When looking at theme 6 I realised that it is based on reflection of which can really influence your future as a result when we are reflecting it is whereby we are looking nor thinking critically about our past experiences.The words reflection should ring the bell in your head as a learner mainly because there are two important processes that are involved in there which are meditating ; pondering on something , these two processes play a significant role in helping learners recall and reflect on the past learning experiences because we learn through reflection and by means of using critical thinking skills such as making observations ,recognise and define problems but mostly importantly curiosity plays as a significant or key element in learning through reflection.
It is also noted that through the reflection process learners learn through their mistakes and it also improves one’s academic performance because as you learn through your mistakes therefore it very easy for learners to fix their mistakes and try to improve from them to perform even better. When reflecting it is very important to be honest with yourself because that will help going forward and ensure that soon or later you do not repeat the same mistakes.SECTION BMY SWOT ANALYSIS BASED ON THE UNIVERSITY OF FREE STATE.STRENGHTSLibrary To me library serves as one of the important source of information that I cannot access to it anywhere else therefore it plays a very significant role for my studies. (ii) LIVING IN SCHOOL RESIDENCEIt is of advantage for me to stay in the school residence because I get to do things freely without being under pressure and my staying here it adds more time for me to do additional research for my studies.
I’m also getting access to a lot of addition services that I wouldn’t have access too if I was staying off campus. (iii) TUTORS &MENTORSThere are times of disparateness those are the time were I really need guidance that when I rely on these people because surely in university you cannot do it solo, but you consult to be successful in your studies but not only in your studies but in all what you are doing.Many of us first year we come in the university with little or no experience which results in making mistakes somewhere somehow along the way.
(IV) SRC Student’s representative council) The presence of these people in the school and in my life, I value it a lot as a student this is because I as student there are issues that I cannot handle but of which they can handle, and my rights are protected as they are around. (v) CTL (Centre for teaching and learning) In conclusion I will conclude by mentioning the people that are also very important and also play a very important role when it comes to my studies mainly because they are there to ensure that I don’t go off rail in this journey of learning but no only that they also there to ensure that I do get all kind of advice I will need along the way in order to perform well and excel in my studies especially if you are a first year.WEAKNESS Weather conditions When talking of the weather conditions especially when it is cold and raining I regard that as my weakness because I really can’t focus that much or continue to do my work as usually since I am allergic to cold season due to certain personal issues. (ii) illnessesDuring times of sickness or illness lot of my work will not be done therefore I will miss out and stand at a greater risk of missing out in very crucial information since I wouldn’t make it to my classes since I will be sick so indeed illnesses are one of my biggest weakness in this case. (iii) WATER scarcityI’m currently staying on campus’s residences sometimes we would just run out of water out of the blue and that impacts negatively towards my studies plus myself that is because when there is no water I cannot do some of the things like taking a bath, eating and drinking which makes it very hard for me to even attend my classes therefore it is my weakness since it hinders my daily routine of studying and attending classes. (iv) LACK OF FURNITURE (FRIGDE & MICRO-WAVE)These appliances they are of very importance especially when doing your monthly grocery budget, without the two you will be forced to compromised ending up buying food that is not healthy which can lead to very serious illnesses indirectly because normally people take such things for granted whereas for me I value the importance of eating healthy and keep my body in a healthy state at all time in order to be able to think thoroughly, As a result lacking of the appliances mentioned above is my weakness since I’m a person who love living a healthy lifestyle. (V) Discrimination This is one of the most influential factor that also hinders my learning because it is not acceptable to be discriminated whether based on my language I speak or my skin colour for that matter.OPPORTUNITIES Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL)These people they give an opportunity do even much better for my studies since they offer myself motivation, academic advices, support just for my studies and going forward.
(II) SOCIAL WORKERS With these kind of people, I have that opportunity to excel and do exceedingly because they offer emotional support and ensure that my focus does move away from my studies. (iii) soccer field/gym This platform gives me an opportunity to revive my career in athletics since I am gifted in this career and I strongly believe that with all the support I need to travel this journey surely, I will succeed. (iv) I.
c.t peopleWith guidelines of these people I think I will surely learn a lot because this is a life time opportunity to even better in terms of operating pc’s and doing all the required tasks using them. (V) midnight study areas.
This area is built nor formed to give us an opportunity to study and perform very well in our studies therefore I think it will be wise of us to use that opportunity because to perform very well we do need such environment that is conducive for studying. THREATS Ci) STRIKES WITH THE RESIDENCE With such incidents that are likely to take place while I am staying the I believe that my life will be at risk. (II) PEER PRESSURE Although the danger of these people may not be seen because we love and caring for these people the truth is that these people can either make nor destroy our lives since we tend to go with times and worse of we trust them more than our parents. (iii) theft within the residenceAs we’re staying in the residence we cannot trust all these people surrounding us fully because firstly we know less about them and besides the thief will tell if he/she is the thief and that can influence negatively because I will have to suffer in case they steal my clothes.
(iv) fire attacks These are possible incidents to take place and I surely believe that if it happens that they strike then I will suffer a lot in such a way that I might even lose everything including my life in there. (V) LACK OF PROPER SANITATIONLacking proper sanitation is alone a big threat to my health and so as to my life because it is very likely catch sicknesses which will hinder my ability of doing well in my studies as expected.SECTION C Write an academic essay whereas you evaluate, discuss and compare your experiences of your High school and of here in the University of Free State.
