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Where
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"Let's feed our dreams and give strength to our connections!!!
We can do it!!!" Adri Mahenaz Mahmud from Pakistan has now joined our discussion.
Adri:
Hello, Mahenaz!!!
As different people and countries, I would like to hear more from you and
your experiences, mostly the ones whith computers...
Could you talk about it, please???
Um beijo (A kiss)
And it is funny how things become bigger than we could imagine because of
the words we type, but mostly because of the feelings we have behind each
one of them...
As the director of the school, I have my teacher as a team... not only a
group...
A group you can create just putting people together...
A team you create by sharing objectives and thoughts, conquests and
difficulties...
A team is something much more exciting...
So, dear Marilyn, if my words coming from so far could achieve your mind
and
soul, by changing your humor, I feel myself very happy.
It only happened because we understand the meaning of a team...
Patti knows it and that's why she is inviting each one to be here...
Building bridges and making things happen...
Obrigada, amiga ("thank you, friend" in Portuguese)
Um beijo ("a kiss")
Joy:
Hello to Patti, Adriana, Mahenaz, Lars-Erik, and the Aiea complex team!
I am amazed that it was just last week when Darrel volunteered to start
the
discussion with Patti on our behalf. Today, we have friends from around
the globe who are interested in helping us plan our summer adventure.
Patti, I must say, you are so dynamic. And this is just what I've learned
from reading your e-mail. I can't wait to meet you; I'm sure your
enthusiasm is contagious and you will "infect" our teachers and inspire
them to reach out beyond their individual schools via the Internet. Thank
you for spending your time to put our plans on the web for easy access for
everyone. 8)
As Darrel and Marilyn have explained, technology coordinators fill various
roles from teaching to trouble shooting to planning for the growth of
technology at the school. This school year the complex technology
coordinators have been meeting regularly to work on moving forward as a
complex as well as in our individual schools. As we have seen from a week
of e-mail dialogue collaboation in powerful.
We will be meeting face to face today to continue to plan our summer. I
look forward to hearing all the ideas that have been generated due to the
e-mail conversation that has been taking place.
Have a good Monday!
I too am really excited about being able to talk to so many wonderful
people around the globe. Its like a dream come true. Only I haven't really
talked to you all yet. I am a bit overwhelmed and apprehensive about how I
can contribute.
Perhaps I can start right here and tell you about what I do in Karachi,
Pakistan.
I work in a NGO called Teachers' Resource Centre (TRC). We run in-service
teacher
training workshops. We work with both private and public sector schools.
Our mission is to change the learning experiences of children in the
classroom. Most teachers in our schools teach children through
lecture/rote
methods. Quite painful!!
I have worked on small scale projects with teachers who work in our public
sector
schools which serve our low-income population. This work has been very
rewarding.
Last year I got in touch with Patti. Eight girls from a govt. run school
(with no electricity) began writing to her girls. Most of them had never
seen a computer, learn only very stilted English from a text book which
makes no sense to them. They used to write in Urdu, I'd translate, type
and
send. Soon we had them coming to our office and learning about computers,
English and differences (through their correspondence). Their English
reading and understanding improved remarkably when the interaction became
meaningful.
One day I asked them "what do you think your friends in the U.S. must be
doing right now?"
They were surprised at my question. "they must be in school!" they replied
matter of factly. "They must be asleep right now" I said. You should have
seen their faces. I pointed out this learning opportunity to their teacher
who accompanies them. I could go on. But I remember reading about long
e-mail messages
being impolite ;-)
I read about the AIEA (I still don't know what that stands for)
slogans "where dreams come true" and it reminds me of a quote
by Harry Edwards "We must teach our children to dream with
their eyes open".
Khuda Hafiz
Patti:
Mahenaz, tell us about these workshops. What kinds of topics do you
cover with the teachers?
Mahenaz:
We run workshops primarily for the pre-primary and primary levels. Topics
range from
Subject content to pedagogy. A few examples are Writing without tears, How
children learn,
Lets draw and paint, teachers are friends (this one was about child
abuse),
textbook -based activities for maths, classroom organisation. We also run
workshops for school managements and offer workshop leaders training.
Patti:I think your mission is the same as ours. What strategies are your
giving
to your teachers? How does technology play a role.
Mahenaz:
Mainly project work, group discussions for kids, the use of manipulatives.
No, technology does not play a part as yet. :-(
Patti: Would you tell us about some of these projects?
Mahenaz: I worked with 30 teachers from 10 schools. Ran workshops for them and
then used to visit each teacher in her school to support her in
implementing the ideas,
activities explored during the workshops.
I could write an entire document on this, have been aiming to for a long
time. I will try and get something more to you all if you like.
A lot of our public schools do not have proper toilet facilities or
drinking water. You will
be amazed at how we even function.
Patti: You took a computer (or maybe just the keyboard? I can't remember) toshow them what one looks like, didn't you?
Mahenaz:
Yes, that's right. And then I had them coming to TRC to work on their own.
However, it used to take too long the time issue again. New skills,
translating from Urdu to English, spellings etc. We did not have enough
computers for all to work simultaneously and they had to get back to their
schools in about 1 hour.
Patti: You sent their messages to my girls yourself, didn't you? You still do,
yes?
Mahenaz:
Yes, we don't have Internet facilities at TRC yet. We are an NGO
(non-profit) and manage on international donor agency funds and private
donations. We are however exploring this avenue now. So yes, I do all this
from home. Sometimes late at night or early in the morning like today.
Only
it isn't so early anymore and I must rush to do my
remaining morning chores.
Khuda Hafiz, Abracos e beijos, Shalom, Mahalo Nui Loa,
and God Bless. mahenaz
Patti: When we apply for grant money we usually need to include
parents in the overall scheme of things.
Mahenaz: Aloha, Asalam Alaikum, Shalom, Bom dia, Hej to All
In Karachi, only a fraction of the privately run schools have computers.
These
are unfortunately used very formally, and that too mainly at the secondary
level.
I know of only one school that has Internet and am thinking of getting
them interested in Kidlink.We certainly need some workshops here for
parents and teachers to "show" them the real learning that takes places
via
the Net. So no, parents are not really included.
Patti: What strategies do you use to help teachers find their
curriculum objectives in projects where you might not think they are?
Mahenaz: I can just hear our teachers talking about "time". During our workshops
for teachers
just talking about projects and integrated learning sets them off on the
time issue. How will we complete our syllabus if we get involved in all
this activity!!
It is not easy changing one's conceptual framework, teachers will take
time
to get comfortable with new ideas. But that is not a good enough reason
not
to try.
Teachers here would perhaps see involvement in projects as
extra-curricular; not as something that meets their curriculum objectives.
My stance would be, Fine, lets get started, treat them as extra-curricular
and gradually help them see how these projects are part of the REAL
learning. Its learning by doing for us teachers too.
Good Luck,
Yesterday, when the Aiea Complex tech cadre met to plan the summer
experience with Patti we had a great sharing of ideas and made a few
decisions. Here is a summary:
Have a good Tuesday!
Joy Saito
Adri: Hello, Joy!!!
It's not easy, mostly when we have good ideas and strenght to go on and
on...
I am as unlucky as you, but I didn't give up.
I work with pairs, trying to make the first ones to be capable on helping
me
later.
It's because I have other things to do, as the director of the school.
Wher these 4 children are OK, they become my "young teachers" and help the
others. We create other pairs, with one who knows and the other who don't.
They become more independent and can use the machines even if I can't stay
there all the time.
But I will cry, showt, pray... and the authorities will send us more
machines... Yes, they will!!!
What about your chances of crying too???
Patti: In what ways are parents included in your school technology plans?
Adri: No. They aren't. They are inside other parts of our work. They participate
and have space on meetings and decisions, but technology isn't somethinf
official yet at my school, so we had no time and opportunity of sharing it
with parentes.
Unfortunately...
Patti: When we apply for grant money we usually need to include
parents in the overall scheme of things.
Adri: Parents? Money??? No... one thing doesn't belong with the other here...
Patti: What strategies do you use to help teachers find their
curriculum objectives in projects where you might not think they are?
Adri: Interdisciplinarity. This is the key.
It happened with me this week.
I decided to participate on Math Puzzles, but our school is studying
(together) the new rules of transit...
So, we joined both...
Sometimes, it's easy... others not...
But, if the teachers trust on you and with a few of creativity, you link
things. It makes things easier to children. They understand things
better...
I hope I could help you.
Uma beijoca
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Mahenaz:
Hello All!! "Asalam Alaikum"
