After a morning lecture about the Bushveld Complex and the processes of concentrating ores in magma bodies, Ed and I had to go to the University of Pretoria for Thursday afternoon. I was invited to give a lecture and we were able to have some very interesting conversations about Bushveld research with the people who have been working on it for many years.
While we were gone, Natasha, Jay and Chris helped the teachers develop presentations for sharing the material they learned this week with other teachers. Nearly all said they would start incorporating the material into their lesson plans immediately. Each teacher sees 200 to 300 students per day. With 20 teachers in our workshop, this means that 4,000 to 6,000 students will potentially benefit. If the teachers pass on this knowledge to other teachers, the impact could be even greater.
Friday was the last day of our workshop. The teachers gave their presentations and we gave each one a certificate for participating. We have had so many great discussions about geology, education, global economies, global politics, and so much more. I have learned so much from each one of them. The teachers also had presents for us–a vuvuzela and South African flag and futbol scarf for each of us. Our day ended with singing, clapping and smiling.
