BPT1501
ASSIGNMENT 1
DUE: 8 MARCH 2024
SEMESTER 1
, BPT1501 Semester 1
Assignment 1 2024
The village of Heihumiao is far away from everything. In earlier times, inhabitants who
wanted to leave the mountain had to follow the trails carved by cattle and sheep on the
ridge, climb over the hilltop, and then pass through the precipitous hillside of Bali. The
mountain road is so rugged, it is impossible to ride a bicycle through it – it would take at
least five hours to climb the hill, with no transportation available. The harsh conditions
meant that few teachers were keen to take up positions here.
The school needed teaching materials (e.g. books, textbooks, pencils and erasers); but
also basic food supplies, such as oil, salt, vinegar, vegetables, rice. All these things had to
be carried in from the city. From 2001 to 2006, Zhang carried these supplies all the way up
the mountain, using baskets tied to a shoulder pole he inherited from Wu the former
principal of the school in the village of Heihumiao. This was the only way to make it
possible for the children to attend school, and to give them the opportunity to leave the
mountain one day – if they chose to.
One winter day, the mountain road was too slippery to walk on. It was almost the first day of
school, and the children’s textbooks were still in Gaoqiu, a town more than thirty kilometres
away. Faced with this challenge, Zhang and another teacher rushed to the town in the early
morning, carrying the shoulder pole through muddy roads. When they returned to the
school, weighed down with their load of textbooks, they were almost completely covered in
mud. But the books remained clean.
1. Identify the seven roles of a teacher that Zhang played out in his class.
2. Give an example for each role that Zhang played out.
1. Learning Mediator:
Zhang acted as a learning mediator by creating a supportive and inclusive learning
environment despite the challenging circumstances of the remote village.
He recognized and addressed the diverse needs of the learners, ensuring they had
access to educational resources and opportunities.
2. Interpreter and Designer of Learning Programs and Materials:
Zhang interpreted and adapted learning programs to suit the specific context of the
remote village.