tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501419294567207665.post2173723655491537641..comments2024-01-01T18:40:30.350-05:00Comments on Ryan Cooper: Meta bloggingRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03810858979281766801noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501419294567207665.post-27836554706246822142010-03-20T11:06:01.747-04:002010-03-20T11:06:01.747-04:00Yeah, anything would have been better than the tra...Yeah, anything would have been better than the training we got...they could have saved a lot of time by skipping the education part entirely. I don't know how they could have done better myself, but Jaysus I can't imagine them doing much worse. At least they could have thrown us into the schools.<br /><br />Yeah, another reason for a pseudonym, right? I'll check out the Kristof response.Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03810858979281766801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501419294567207665.post-41767870661858297802010-03-19T12:19:21.417-04:002010-03-19T12:19:21.417-04:00i agree. for the most part. but with training--i t...i agree. for the most part. but with training--i think an issue is that they don't provide full time jobs. we could have had, like, university trained language instructors, or professors, if it $$ weren't an issue. i also think it wouldn't be crazy-difficult to get education system officials more involved with training. in any case, people who are capable of giving expert opinions is really crucial to us doing a great job, and i can imagine how that is possible, and it's nothing like the training we've received. i also aspire to become a foreign service officer. let's hope no one reads these comments :)<br />have you read the latest kristof response? eish. mostly i just disagree with him, big time :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00732478506065354546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501419294567207665.post-23144616259720942072010-03-19T06:39:50.934-04:002010-03-19T06:39:50.934-04:00Yeah, I'm not saying Brown was totally out to ...Yeah, I'm not saying Brown was totally out to lunch. As my dad says, even a blind pig finds an acorn every now and again. Mostly I was peeved at his arrogant preening. <br /><br />I agree that America could benefit from foreigners doing PC-style projects in, say, Detroit or New Orleans. (Of course, given today's nationalist xenophobic right-wing, you could never get such a program started.) But I strongly disagree with Brown's contention that PC itself is basically imperialist propaganda. In my experience (and I don't think it's absurd to generalize), volunteers are taking away a lot more life lessons than we are giving to our host villages.<br /><br />Brown says we should know more about a host country than the training gives. I'm curious as to where he's going to dig up dozens of Tswana (or Zulu, etc.) experts willing to live in abject poverty for two years in <i>the USA.</i> As far as Tswana experts, I suspect that SA20 represents ~10% of those people in existence now.Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03810858979281766801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4501419294567207665.post-45382378851141770932010-03-18T00:24:41.580-04:002010-03-18T00:24:41.580-04:00Wowie. I also agree with Brown (sorry to say) abou...Wowie. I also agree with Brown (sorry to say) about the one-sidedness. I've had many people here ask me the natural question, do we invite people to America? No, we do not. What an opportunity that would be South Africans! And the aspect of training. If training elsewhere is anywhere like here, it is lacking in experts in language instruction and cultural instruction. And education system interpretation. You need full time professionals to do this stuff, and this seems to be a limitation. Anyway, yeah...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00732478506065354546noreply@blogger.com