Kimberly Brown's Posts - Education Beyond Borders2024-03-29T15:45:11ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrownhttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2526557326?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profiles/blog/feed?user=166k16l0zc1x9&xn_auth=noWard Updates from Ngarenanyuki & Leguruki Wards, Tanzania July 2016tag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2016-07-30:2213732:BlogPost:710842016-07-30T09:15:00.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541430910?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541430910?profile=original" width="320"></img></a> On the first day of Trainer Workshops with the teachers from Ngarenanyuki and Leguruki we asked the teachers to work in four groups to discuss the big question of "What has been happening in your school or ward during the April-June 2016 term?"</p>
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<p>There were four categories that the trainers were asked to discuss and answer. There was lots of talking and sharing…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541430910?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541430910?profile=original" width="320" class="align-left"/></a>On the first day of Trainer Workshops with the teachers from Ngarenanyuki and Leguruki we asked the teachers to work in four groups to discuss the big question of "What has been happening in your school or ward during the April-June 2016 term?"</p>
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<p>There were four categories that the trainers were asked to discuss and answer. There was lots of talking and sharing among the teachers.</p>
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<p>1.What activities have you been practicing in your class?</p>
<ul>
<li>group work, asking and answering questions (Bloom's)</li>
<li>outdoor and indoor activities </li>
<li>group work, questioning, sharing in Form Four Geography</li>
<li>Think-Pair-Share in English, Kiswahili and history at Kisimiri Primary and Secondary Schools.</li>
<li>Questions and answers (Bloom's) in English and Chemistry at Leguruki High School</li>
<li>T-chart in Kiswahili, History, Biology and Chemistry at Leguruki & Kisimiri Secondary Schools</li>
<li>Carousel in English, Language, History and biology in both Kisimiri Primary and Secondary Schools</li>
<li>t-chart, placemat, outside/inside circle and banana game at Ngarenanyuki Primary School</li>
<li> placemat, outside/inside circle and banana game at Kimosonu Primary School</li>
<li>Banana, game, spider web, gallery walk, t-chart and think,pair, share at Nkoasenga Secondary School</li>
</ul>
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<p>2. Have you given in class demos for other teachers? <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541431013?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541431013?profile=original" width="320" class="align-right"/></a></p>
<ul>
<li>Mr. Urio, Leguruki Ward Education Officer, did demos during school visits</li>
<li>Godlizen, Ngarenanyuki EBB Coordinator, did demos at Kisimiri Jui Private School and Kisimiri Secondary School</li>
<li>Other teachers shared that they had done demos and acted as a role model to other teachers in their schools on the use of collaborative learning activities.</li>
<li>Inviting other teachers to observe how to use different methodologies in the class</li>
</ul>
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<p>3. Have you given workshops, observed or were observed in your schools? </p>
<ul>
<li>Gave a one day workshop at Kisimiri Jui Private School</li>
<li>Gave a short workshop to my school staff</li>
<li> Was observed by other teachers of my school</li>
<li> Gave a two day workshop at Nimi Academy </li>
<li>Collaborative workshops at Nkoasenga Secondary School</li>
<li>Collaborative learning activities at Nkoasenga Secondary School</li>
<li>Group Formation & management at Nkoasenga Secondary School </li>
<li>Workshops at Kisimiri Primary School</li>
<li>Collaborative workshops in my school</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541431258?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541431258?profile=original" width="320" class="align-right"/></a></p>
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<p>4. Did you hold any meetings, work with the District Education Officer or look for partners?</p>
<ul>
<li>Discussion about partnering with NMB Bank, Vodacom Company and Tigo Company (Makungu (Leguruki Ward Coordinator & Godlizen Ngarenayuki Ward Coordinator)</li>
<li>Confirming DEO support and permissions (Mr. Urio)</li>
<li>Facilitator's meeting</li>
</ul>
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<p>At the end of the trainer workshops the teachers met in their two wards and discussed plans for the upcoming term. Plans included demos, workshops in their schools, acquiring partners and DEO support. We look forward to a successful term for the coordinators, trainers and teachers of EBB Tanzania!</p>Visit to Nkoasenga Primary & Secondary Schools July 29, 2016tag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2016-07-29:2213732:BlogPost:708742016-07-29T12:18:56.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831466?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831466?profile=original" width="320"></img></a> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831612?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831612?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="320"></img></a></p>
<p>Yesterday we spent the morning visiting two schools in Leguruki Ward in Tanzania. We met with Mr. Tito, principal, of Nkoasenga Primary School and spoke to him about his school. Nkoasenga Primary has ten teachers and 630 students which made for busy…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831466?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831466?profile=original" width="320" class="align-left"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831612?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="320" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831612?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="320" class="align-right"/></a></p>
<p>Yesterday we spent the morning visiting two schools in Leguruki Ward in Tanzania. We met with Mr. Tito, principal, of Nkoasenga Primary School and spoke to him about his school. Nkoasenga Primary has ten teachers and 630 students which made for busy classrooms and tight quarters for all of the students. Despite the size of classes we were excited to see that teachers had students sitting in groups which were being used to have small group discussions and to allow the students to work on assignments together. During group work the teachers were able to circulate between groups, answer questions and make corrections in understanding. The school also has a library that is used for peer study under the supervision of a teacher.</p>
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<p>Mr. Tito had attended a two day Education Beyond Borders (EBB) headmaster conference July 2015 and was promoting the use of collaborative teaching ideas with his teachers. Mr.Urio, the Leguruki Ward coordinator and a very strong supporter of EBB in Tanzania, came with us for our visit.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424832795?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="320" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424832795?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="320" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p>After our visit to the primary school we walked down the hill to visit <a href="http://shulewiki.com/tz/nkoasenga-secondary-school" target="_blank">Nkoasenga Secondary School</a> conference. At the secondary school we were also visiting three EBB trainers: Malietha, Makungu and Philomen. </p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831187?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831187?profile=original" width="320" class="align-left"/></a>We visited Malietha first while she was teaching Kiswahili. We observed the students brainstorming ideas for the lesson on : Utangaji wa kazi za fashihi andishi. The students used pair/share to come up with ideas. After Malietha used numbered heads to divide the students into groups so that they could discuss the important things to be considered during writing a composition. As a group the students had brainstormed the use of language, puncuation and the objective of the composition. Malietha then passed out fullscap for the students to write group notes on the section they were reading and reporting on. <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424832190?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424832190?profile=original" width="320" class="align-right"/></a></p>
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<p>We moved to Makungu's Form Four classroom where the class was working on a civic's review. Makungu's lesson plan provided for activating prior knowledge, review, a small group activity and reflection. Makungu worked with the group to establish prior knowledge of the topic then discussed the five questions to review. Makungu used numbered heads to divide the class into small groups to review and discuss the questions.</p>
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<p>We were very pleased to see different techniques being used to engage the students in their learning. It was a demonstration of methodologies shared in EBB workshops and their effectiveness in Tanzanian classrooms.</p>
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<p>We received a very nice message today from Mr. Amos from Nkoasenga Secondary:</p>
<p>I appreciate so much for your kindness and love to us. You brought such a nice gift of a all to our school...After you left students came to me and said they had enjoyed the new teaching approach by using "think and share" from the Form Four class. ... Bless you and your colleagues in general for everything you did for us. ...Thank you, Amos.</p>
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<p></p>Pictures from our visit Nkoasenga Secondary Schools July 29, 2016tag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2016-07-29:2213732:BlogPost:707452016-07-29T12:00:00.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541433101?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541433101?profile=original" width="240"></img></a> Makungu's Lesson Outline<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831588?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831588?profile=original" width="320"></img></a> for Form Four Civic's lesson at Nkoasenga Secondary School.</p>
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<p> Students working together to review.</p>
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<p> Busy discussing their questions…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541433101?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541433101?profile=original" width="240" class="align-left"/></a>Makungu's Lesson Outline<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831588?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831588?profile=original" width="320" class="align-right"/></a> for Form Four Civic's lesson at Nkoasenga Secondary School.</p>
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<p> Students working together to review.</p>
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<p> Busy discussing their questions and recording answers to civic's revision. Group Projects</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541433527?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541433527?profile=original" width="240" class="align-right"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831515?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831515?profile=original" width="320" class="align-left"/></a></p>Day 3 Teacher Trainer Workshops in King'ori, TZ July 23rd, 2016tag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2016-07-28:2213732:BlogPost:710732016-07-28T12:55:30.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831326?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831326?profile=original" width="320"></img></a> We finished day three of our teacher trainer workshops last weekend. That was the day that the teachers used the skills that they have acquired and developed over several years of Education Beyond Borders (EBB) workshops. The fourteen teachers have attended teacher training methodology workshops in collaborative teaching, differentiated instruction and inquiry…</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831326?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831326?profile=original" width="320" class="align-full"/></a> We finished day three of our teacher trainer workshops last weekend. That was the day that the teachers used the skills that they have acquired and developed over several years of Education Beyond Borders (EBB) workshops. The fourteen teachers have attended teacher training methodology workshops in collaborative teaching, differentiated instruction and inquiry learning.</p>
<p>Jesse, a secondary teacher from Shiston Secondary School, has been attending workshops since EBB's beginning in Leguruki Ward in 2011. That first year we first introduced collaborative instruction techniques. The fourteen teachers have also attended workshops to develop workshop facilitation skills and acquire more in depth knowledge on the three teaching methodologies. During the past two years they have practiced their skills and co-planned then facilitated teacher workshops with Canadian EBB team members.This year they are working with Canadian EBB members as mentors then planning, preparing and facilitating teacher workshops on their own for the teachers of King'ori Ward. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831248?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="267" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831248?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="267" class="align-center"/></a>One of the trainer groups is planning the first day of teacher workshops focusing on collaborative learning while a second group is presenting differentiated instruction on day 2. Withing those workshops the trainers need to plan an opening for the two day workshops, facilitate a community agreement, plan for tea/lunch breaks as well as an assessment for each day's workshops then an evaluation of the two days. Another group is planning a one day student conference to promote leadership skills including team building and communication. For each workshops we expect sixty participants.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541432674?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541432674?profile=original" width="240" class="align-full"/></a>There were many details to discuss and prepare. The teams spent time making posters, prepping materials, trying out activities, agreeing on wording for materials and practicing their workshops. It was a busy time and we look forward to successful workshops.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541432785?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541432785?profile=original" width="320" class="align-right"/></a></p>
<p></p>First Day of Trainer Workshops July 21 2016tag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2016-07-21:2213732:BlogPost:710672016-07-21T17:24:00.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541432379?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" height="372" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541432379?profile=original" width="279"></img> T</a>he morning was bright and sunny as we started our first walk through King'ori village to the CKC Centre. Many locals watched our group of four mazungu women as we walked through their village. We received many greetings of jambo, habari and mambo. Absalon and Jesse (two local teachers) were already at the CKC waiting for us to arrive. They both helped us set up for their…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541432379?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541432379?profile=original" width="279" class="align-full" height="372"/>T</a>he morning was bright and sunny as we started our first walk through King'ori village to the CKC Centre. Many locals watched our group of four mazungu women as we walked through their village. We received many greetings of jambo, habari and mambo. Absalon and Jesse (two local teachers) were already at the CKC waiting for us to arrive. They both helped us set up for their fellow trainers. </p>
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<p>We, EBB Canada facilitators, were all nervous and concerned about forgetting what we had prepared but we took a few minutes to discuss what we were going to do and we also had time to do a quick run through. The teachers started to arrive and our nervousness was forgotten as we were reacquainted with old friends and met new ones. Mr. Urio, the Leguruki Ward Education Officer (WEO) officially opened our workshops then we began our day.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541432418?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541432418?profile=original" width="320" class="align-full"/></a>Today we focused on the role of a trainer in workshops, the introduction of our Peer Feedback workshop by modelling pre-conference discussion and observation of the Differentiated Instruction workshop then the DI workshop itself. Our workshops always model collaborative learning activities, sharing ideas and also being respectful of everyone's ideas. We also promote working together with peers from different schools and wards. </p>
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<p>There was much laughter and discussion during the day especially during the culmination activity at the end of the Differentiated Instruction Workshop. The theme was to demonstrate an understanding of living and non-living objects using a poem, drama, collage and a song. It was a perfect way to end our first day and gives us lots to look forward to tomorrow. For more information on our Tanzania project follow me on Twitter @classroomqueen and Education Beyond Borders @edbeyondborders</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541432601?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541432601?profile=original" width="320" class="align-full"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541443611?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541443611?profile=original" width="320" class="align-full"/></a></p>Tanzania 2016tag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2016-07-16:2213732:BlogPost:710612016-07-16T12:30:00.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831406?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" height="348" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831406?profile=original" width="470"></img></a></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Saturday, July 16th</span></p>
<p><span><span> </span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Karibuni Tanzania!</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>Karibuni is a word that we hear from the moment that we land in the Kilimanjaro Airport to daily walking the streets of Arusha. Everywhere we go…</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831406?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424831406?profile=original" width="470" class="align-full" height="348"/></a></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Saturday, July 16th</span></p>
<p><span><span> </span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Karibuni Tanzania!</span></p>
<p><span><span> </span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Karibuni is a word that we hear from the moment that we land in the Kilimanjaro Airport to daily walking the streets of Arusha. Everywhere we go people welcome us to the hotel, shops and restaurants.</span></p>
<p><span><span> </span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>This year there are four Canadians working together to support the Education Beyond Borders (EBB) project in Tanzania. Brittney Wallace and JiAi Cho are from British Columbia, Maureen HIllman is from Quebec and I’m Kimberly Brown from Saskatchewan. We have all worked through our jet lag and are continuing our planning sessions but now we are actually doing it in person. All of the other planning sessions have been over Skype and on Google Docs. Yesterday we started the morning completing our orientation sessions and discussed our safety plans. We also made our travel plans to King’ori and back to Arusha for the next three weeks. It was a good start to our time in Tanzania.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span>This morning we invited Mr. Urio, Ward Education Officer from Leguruki Ward along with Godlizen and Makungu who are EBB ward coordinators. We discussed the schedule for the next three weeks, the schedule for the trainer workshops and we also we made plans for the program evaluation and data collection workshop. Godlizen and Mak</span>ungu also made plans for leading a sustainability session. The three men were also hard at work translating handouts from English to Kiswahili to use in the workshops.</p>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-153bec07-f3b3-aebe-656a-7d37b0050edc"><br/> <span>From this point we’ll be working with our Canadian group to finish plans for the trainer workshops, finish getting printing done before we leave to the village area, making sure we have enough money to pay for workshop expenses and purchasing any supplies we will need while we’re out of the city. From now on we’ll be busy planning and working towards the goal of successful EBB workshops.</span></span></p>
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<p></p>Miririni and Nkoasenga Secondary Schoolstag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2012-07-29:2213732:BlogPost:402162012-07-29T06:23:12.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p>Wednesday, July 25<sup>th</sup>, 2012</p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541419089?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541419089?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350"></img></a></p>
<p>Nkoasenga Secondary School is led by the vibrant Fides Shirima. Shirima was the only school head who attended the principal’s meeting plus all three days of workshops. Shirima’s laugh is infectious but it’s her dedication to her students and school that’s truly admirable. Mkoasenga has German donors who support the…</p>
<p>Wednesday, July 25<sup>th</sup>, 2012</p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541419089?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541419089?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>Nkoasenga Secondary School is led by the vibrant Fides Shirima. Shirima was the only school head who attended the principal’s meeting plus all three days of workshops. Shirima’s laugh is infectious but it’s her dedication to her students and school that’s truly admirable. Mkoasenga has German donors who support the school’s infrastructure and provides teaching supplies. The school has two sets of solar panels that provide electricity for lights and a few computers. The grounds of the school are lovely and as I’m writing this I can hear the hum of student voices and birds all with the sun shining on me.</p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541421017?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541421017?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-right"/></a></p>
<p>Several workshops participants teach at this school: Morenje, Innocent and Silas which will strengthen the learning of the 320 students. We split up to watch lessons: biology, Kiswahili and History. We saw a variety of techniques from a Think-Pair-Share to a Jigsaw. It was exciting to see teachers trying out the new techniques. After a chai and ndazi break we left for Miririni Secondary School.</p>
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<p>At Miririni, Godlisten spotted us as soon as we arrived and ran out of his classroom to greet us. He was very happy that we arrived to visit the school and led us to the staffroom where we found Uswege and Kessy. We signed the guestbook then marveled at the beautiful scenery and the grounds. The school is high in the hills and overlooks Arusha National Park.</p>
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<p>I was invited into Uswege’s Form 4 English class along with Zainab. Uswege did a review of poetry terms then formed the 70 students into groups of six. The students wrote down details of the review using Guided Cooperative Lecture then reported to the rest of the class. Then each group was asked to use their notes to help them analyze a poem: The Dying Child by Freeman Peter Lwamba. It was good to see Uswege using collaborative techniques. He explained that he is adding the various collaborative techniques to his teaching practice and sees the benefit in using them.</p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541423324?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541423324?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-left"/></a></p>
<p>We enjoyed our visit to the schools and were impressed to see collaborative techniques and inquiry questioning being used in the classrooms. </p>School Visits to Leguruki and Maruvango Secondary Schooltag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2012-07-27:2213732:BlogPost:402112012-07-27T15:15:30.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p>Tuesday, July 24<sup>th</sup></p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541422215?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541422215?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350"></img></a></p>
<p>Our school visits began at Leguruki Secondary School. Leguruki is a private school with 120 students, 50 of whom are boarders. The school has a generator to provide some power. The generator was provided through a project with Arusha Technical College. We were warmly welcomed by Mr. Emmanuel Loi and Mr. Urio. We visited the…</p>
<p>Tuesday, July 24<sup>th</sup></p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541422215?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541422215?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>Our school visits began at Leguruki Secondary School. Leguruki is a private school with 120 students, 50 of whom are boarders. The school has a generator to provide some power. The generator was provided through a project with Arusha Technical College. We were warmly welcomed by Mr. Emmanuel Loi and Mr. Urio. We visited the classrooms of Deogratius and Ndensary Massawe. Both of these teachers had attended three days of workshops and would be joining us for the facilitator training on Thursday.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541424263?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541424263?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-left"/></a> </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541425269?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="240" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541425269?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="240" class="align-left"/></a></p>
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<p>Deogratius was teaching a math lesson on standard form of equations using a Team-Pair-Share.</p>
<p>Ndensary teaches commerce and was teaching about insurance. He had previously covered the content and was using the rock game to teach levels of questioning from Bloom’s Taxonomy. It was exciting to see Bloom’s chart of question levels on the chalkboard in his room. One of his students, Jessica, remembered me from last year when we visited the school. We finished our visit with chai and snacks in Mr. Loi’s office with some of the members of the school bed.</p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541429358?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541429358?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a></p>
<p>We drove off with Mr. Urio to Maruvango Secondary School. Raphael Michael is the head teacher but was out of the school. Maruvango is a large school with 520 students set on spacious grounds and a glorious mountain view. Wilson Mollel, the deputy head and one of our workshop participants, took time to show us the school and talk to us. Form 3 and 4 students were writing exams as we spoke to the Form 1 and 2 students about the Student Leadership conference. One of the student attendees presented their plan of goals for the school then the poster was attached to the school for all students to read.</p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541430634?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541430634?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-left"/></a></p>
<p>Time was spent visiting classes, playing soccer and being shown the new bathroom facilities that Mr. Urio was so proud of. There is a new septic system and hand washing station. Mr. Urio also made sure that information about the system was part of the teaching during installation. Mr. Urio is championing changes to sanitation in all of the school in his ward.</p>
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<p></p>Market Day, Tanzania 2012tag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2012-07-23:2213732:BlogPost:401222012-07-23T05:39:04.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541419259?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541419259?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500"></img></a></p>
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<p>July 19<sup>th</sup>, 2012</p>
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<p>Children smiling, women in colourful kangas and an assortment of good for sale were the sights that greeted us as we arrived at Leguruki on market day. The market was alive with vendors selling, women buying and children watching the wazungus (the foreign visitors) walk through the market. My eyes were immediately…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541419259?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541419259?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p>July 19<sup>th</sup>, 2012</p>
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<p>Children smiling, women in colourful kangas and an assortment of good for sale were the sights that greeted us as we arrived at Leguruki on market day. The market was alive with vendors selling, women buying and children watching the wazungus (the foreign visitors) walk through the market. My eyes were immediately drawn to the bright fabrics. Carolin and I walked over to see the cloth to examine it for future sewing projects.</p>
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<p>We were at the market to purchase fruit, vegetables, sugar, tea and rice for our workshop and evening meals. Mr. Urio was with us to help us navigate the market and negotiate prices. We practiced the names of the fruit and vegetables, much to the amusement of the vendor ladies, as we walk through the market. We saw nyanya, kitunguu, chungwa and pili pili hoho. Zainab bought ndazi that reminded me of the fried bannock available at home. Along with our food supplies there were two pillows purchased, a plastic mug and sodas. By the time we were to return to Mbaaseny (our temporary home) we were laden with kilos of rice, vegetables and piles of greens. It was a very successful market day.</p>
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<p>Thursday was market day at Kingori. Once again we ventured out through the sea of vendors and shoppers. One of the vendors recognized Carolin and I as we looked at fabric, in fact, he remembered which fabric I was interested in. As we walked through the market Shannon and Mr. Urio once again negotiated the prices for our purchases. We left the market with tomatoes, green beans, greens, meat and many kilos of rice packed in the van with us.</p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541433869?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="450" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541433869?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="450" class="align-right"/></a></p>
<p>After the market we drove to Mr. Urio’s home for an evening meal which his wife Hope was preparing. When we arrived at his home we were warmly welcomed and me by Mr. Musa and the principal of the nearby primary school. We toured a new resource centre, built by an Australian Ngo called Educate & Power Change, that will house an office, library and meeting room. Last year when we had visited the site it had been a shell of a building with weeds and grass growing instead of a floor. This year we were delighted to see a completed building that may be a possible used for future EBB workshops.</p>
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<p>Hope welcomed us into her home where a large assortment of beverages were waiting for us to drink. We all tried the Carnation cocoa that we mixed with hot milk, water and sugar. Decadent, but delicious. Hope had prepared a feast of spaghetti, coleslaw, chicken stew, beef stew, greens, avocado and a wonderful assortment of fruit. This was all prepared on an open fire outdoors and in her compact kitchen. We felt very honoured to be invited to share a meal at Mr. Urio’s home. </p>Collaborative and Inquiry Based Learning in Arusha, TZtag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2012-07-22:2213732:BlogPost:399422012-07-22T19:49:37.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p>July 18<sup>th</sup>, 2012</p>
<p> Workshops</p>
<p> Teachers were divided into two groups for the four workshop days: science/math and English/humanities. Science/math were in workshops on Tuesday and Thursday while English/humanities attending on Wednesday and Friday. This allowed us to deliver the same workshops two days in a row and make improvements from feedback for the second session.</p>
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<p>Our first set of workshops focused on collaborative learning techniques. Through…</p>
<p>July 18<sup>th</sup>, 2012</p>
<p> Workshops</p>
<p> Teachers were divided into two groups for the four workshop days: science/math and English/humanities. Science/math were in workshops on Tuesday and Thursday while English/humanities attending on Wednesday and Friday. This allowed us to deliver the same workshops two days in a row and make improvements from feedback for the second session.</p>
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<p>Our first set of workshops focused on collaborative learning techniques. Through activities, discussion and questions there was a lot of interaction. The teachers attending were extremely engaged and willing to share ideas. The afternoon was dedicated to lesson planning. Teachers were asked to plan a lesson for Wednesday at their school that would include a collaborative learning technique. Teachers had brought their syllabus, textbooks and some had lesson plan books to assist them in planning their lessons. Time was given for teachers to work together and plan lessons. The feedback on the lessons provided us with ideas for adding content to our workshops. Most of the teachers had positive experience but there were difficulties with their students following the English directions. Teachers were very willing to try new ideas and willing to continue to incorporate techniques in their lessons.</p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541423391?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="639" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541423391?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="521" class="align-left" height="695"/></a></p>
<p>Inquiry Learning was the second focus of our workshops. The workshops focused on helping teachers develop their questioning techniques and incorporate them in a lesson plan. Our rationale for introducing inquiry was that it would encourage the teachers and pupils to develop a curious and questioning mind. The workshops used Bloom’s Taxonomy as a framework to describe then develop all levels of questions from low (gather knowledge), medium (process knowledge) to high (create knowledge). The activities highlighted the differences between the questions, the value of different types of questions and practical applications in the classroom. Teachers were very enthusiastic and receptive to making changes in their teaching. The afternoon was once again used for developing a lesson to be taught that would incorporate an inquiry question activity.</p>
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<p>The feedback we received from teacher participants and co-facilitators throughout the week allowed us to make improvements to the workshops. We wanted to be responsive to the needs of the participants in a timely manner and meet their needs.</p>
<p>Throughout the week we modeled collaborative and inquiry learning techniques along with our rational for using the activities. We wanted to show the teachers how they could be role models for their students and create a student centered learning environment. It will be a pleasure to be able to visit the five secondary schools in the Leguruki Ward next week to visit teachers and spend time in their classrooms.</p>First Day of Workshops in Leguruki, Tanzania, 2012tag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2012-07-21:2213732:BlogPost:399392012-07-21T15:00:00.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p>Monday, July 16<sup>th</sup></p>
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<p>Our first day of workshops at Shiston Secondary School in Leguruki Ward in Tanzania passed in a flurry of smiling faces, discussion and plans for the week. My star moments were when I was able to reconnect with teachers that I had met last year. Teachers were from the five secondary schools in the ward: Shiston, Leguruki, Maruvango, Mirini and Nkoasenga. The morning started with questions that would guide the discussions for our week. Groups were…</p>
<p>Monday, July 16<sup>th</sup></p>
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<p>Our first day of workshops at Shiston Secondary School in Leguruki Ward in Tanzania passed in a flurry of smiling faces, discussion and plans for the week. My star moments were when I was able to reconnect with teachers that I had met last year. Teachers were from the five secondary schools in the ward: Shiston, Leguruki, Maruvango, Mirini and Nkoasenga. The morning started with questions that would guide the discussions for our week. Groups were assigned a starting place then rotated through the questions agreeing with previous answers and adding new information. Groups returned to their original question and chose the top three answers. The questions and answers are as follows.</p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541420220?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541420220?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="600" height="449" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>#1. What is something you are proud of in your teaching?</p>
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<li>Obtaining teaching objectives</li>
<li>To be a source of positive change</li>
<li>Life long learning</li>
</ul>
<p>#2. What are the challenges that you face in your school or classroom?</p>
<ul>
<li>Truancy</li>
<li>Language barrier (English is the language of instruction but it is a third language)</li>
<li>Having a large number of students</li>
</ul>
<p>#3. Define student success.</p>
<ul>
<li>The ability of students to acquire knowledge, skills and pass exams</li>
<li>To be proud of what has been learned</li>
<li>To realize they are learning slow and get assistance</li>
</ul>
<p>#4. What are some key components of a lesson?</p>
<ul>
<li>Positive response by answering some questions</li>
<li>Classroom management</li>
<li>Students fully engaged</li>
</ul>
<p>#5. What are the qualities of a good school?</p>
<ul>
<li>Schools with facilities like laboratories, library and enough classrooms</li>
<li>Be friendly to the learner</li>
<li>Good administration</li>
</ul>
<p>#6. What are the qualities of a good teacher?</p>
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<li>They are qualified</li>
<li>Must be learner-centered</li>
<li>Must use organization, planning and be able to manage the teaching and learning process</li>
</ul>
<p>#7. How do you evaluate your students?</p>
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<li>Question and answer method</li>
<li>Oral questions</li>
<li>Test and exams</li>
</ul>
<p>#8. What are the challenges that your students face that impact their learning?</p>
<ul>
<li>Lack of teaching and learning materials</li>
<li>Language barrier (Students are taught in Kiswahili in grades 1-7 then switch to English for the remainder of secondary school)</li>
<li>Economic problems in their families</li>
</ul>
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<p>What I found most interesting about the questions and answers is that teachers everywhere face some of the same difficulties. We all try to find ways to support our students and make changes in our classrooms to positively influence the learning outcome of the students we work with. In our workshops we strive to share ideas and find ways to overcome the difficulties that teachers face. Our week will continue with two days of collaborative workshops and two days of inquiry workshops.</p>
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<p>After wrapping up our workshop day we drove to nearby Mbaseeny Primary School were we are staying. The accommodations are basic but comfortable. We are sharing a room outfitted with safari cots, mattresses, sleeping bags and mosquito nets. We have a common area for meetings and meals. The day was beautiful and the view of Mount Killamanjaro was spectacular. We took full advantage of our free time to read, relax and practice yoga. At our evening debrief we discussed the many stars, great moments, and wishes from the day.</p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541422873?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541422873?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="531" height="398" class="align-center"/></a></p>Arusha, Tanzania 2012tag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2012-07-14:2213732:BlogPost:399222012-07-14T14:58:19.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p>July 13, 2012</p>
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<p>I’ve already been in Tanzania for six days which is so hard to believe. I already feel so far away from my usual western world. When I arrived last Sunday evening the Kilimanjaro airport was crowded with people arriving to climb the mountain or others ready to go out on safari. I felt like an anomaly in the crowd, more visitor than tourist. Abu picked me up and we headed down the highway for the forty five minute drive to Arusha. With the window rolled down I…</p>
<p>July 13, 2012</p>
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<p>I’ve already been in Tanzania for six days which is so hard to believe. I already feel so far away from my usual western world. When I arrived last Sunday evening the Kilimanjaro airport was crowded with people arriving to climb the mountain or others ready to go out on safari. I felt like an anomaly in the crowd, more visitor than tourist. Abu picked me up and we headed down the highway for the forty five minute drive to Arusha. With the window rolled down I was able to breathe in the unique East African air and feel like I was finally back. It’s so hard to explain how it feels to breathe in deeply and think in your mind “ahhh.”</p>
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<p>My first two days were spent reacquainting myself with the city, the language and my general surroundings. I spent time with Shannon, my co-leader, and Nahla, her daughter, as we waited for the remaining members of our team. Once they arrived we began the process of orientating them to a new country, new project and for three of them, Education Beyond Borders. As we continued our orientation Noble joined us.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541418798?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="468" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541418798?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="468" class="align-left"/></a>Our first journey out into the country and the village we would be working in was on Thursday as we ventured out to Leguruki which is one and half hours from Arusha. Forty five minutes of the drive is on the highway and the other forty five is spent on winding, bumpy, challenging roads. We made it to the village to meet with Mr. Urio, the Ward District Education Officer and Mr. Mussa, the Cluster Education Officer, at noon. We met over chai and chapatti at a local café before driving to Shiston Secondary School for a principal’s meeting.</p>
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<p>Our meeting was with principal’s or their designates of the five secondary schools in the school ward. Noble discussed the Education Beyond Borders model and led the group through a variety of discussions about their schools, their roles and how Education Beyond Borders could be part of their ward. We also introduced and discussed the plan for the next two weeks of teacher workshops and school visits. It was an extremely positive meeting and set the stage for the upcoming weeks.</p>
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<p>This evening as I write this blog post I’m feeling like the first days have been productive. I’m also blessed to be in one of the best places I can be with a wonderful group of people. </p>School Visits in Leguruki Ward, Tanzania 2011tag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2011-07-28:2213732:BlogPost:288232011-07-28T14:45:31.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
We awoke each morning to the sounds of children playing in the school yard at Mbaaseny Primary School. The first morning the children were very curious about the mzungu teachers at their school then got used to us being there. Each morning the primary students gathered on the school grounds to sing the East African national anthem and their school song. On our final morning they completed active morning drills while singing. One song was about all of Tanzania’s national parks. The morning’s…
We awoke each morning to the sounds of children playing in the school yard at Mbaaseny Primary School. The first morning the children were very curious about the mzungu teachers at their school then got used to us being there. Each morning the primary students gathered on the school grounds to sing the East African national anthem and their school song. On our final morning they completed active morning drills while singing. One song was about all of Tanzania’s national parks. The morning’s activities were led by Mary, a class five and six teacher at the school. Mary had visited us for two evenings and provided us with Kiswahili lessons. We were also joined each evening by Mr. Laurie the school principal, Amos our cook and Ava who helped with the cooking and cleaning. We were definitely the community hub for the few nights we were there.<br />
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Our first stop was Maruanogo Secondary School which we found with the help of our guide, Baracka, who is a form four student at Shiston. Katharine and Shannon visited Wilson’s classroom and tried a jigsaw activity on relative pronouns. Aarthi, Clare and I visited a form four biology class. We also visited a form four geography class where we had a question and answer session with the students. Thankfully Aarthi was there to answer the tough biology questions while Clare and I could tackle the questions on colonialism, Canadians in Tanzania and second language learning. Some of the questions were: What was the relationship between Canada and Tanzania?, How do we compare the two countries? How do we compare the students in the two countries?, and Is Canada trying to colonize Tanzania?<br />
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We continued on to Leguruki Seconday School. Leguruki is a private boarding school that was recently accredited for “A” level classes which are form 5&6 which are needed to continue to university. We split up and visited communications, physics, geography and commerce classes. In the commerce class Shannon and I supported the teacher in a jigsaw activity on banking. Mr. Loi the principal invited us to stay for refreshments and cookies before we left for our next school. He also provided us with water for the trip.<br />
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Our final school for the day was Miririny Seconday Schools which is in quite a remote location adjacent to Arusha National Park. We arrived at the school at 2:43pm but the students were being sent home early for the day because the school did not have food to feed them lunch. Usually schools provide lunch for the students then they are dismissed at 4:30pm. Families are asked to provide beans and rice for meals. The principal would be meeting with the parents to bring more food to school. We spend the afternoon planning lessons with the teachers to include collaborative techniques and learning more about their textbooks and syllabus.<br />
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It was a varied but very successful day. I believe it was an invaluable way to follow-up the workshops and support the implementation of new teaching techniques.<br />
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Wednesday was spent at Shiston Secondary school due to the number of teachers who requested visits. We arrived in time for morning break and enjoyed chai with the teachers. The teachers along with the academic head decided which teachers we would visit and what classes we would be part of. We visited with many teachers and students during the day but the high light for me was my time spent in the form two mathematics class with a first year teacher. She had one hundred students in her class and still asked the students to work with partners to solve division questions then divided the class into groups of ten to solve a difficult equation. Give time and practice I am sure she will be incorporating more collaborative techniques.<br />
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Each day we were joined by the ward education officer, Mr. Urio, who was completely supportive of our efforts in his schools. His support was invaluable in helping us to develop our relationships with the teachers and encouraging the use of collaborative learning techniques.<br />
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We were happy with our first visit to Tanzania and feel encouraged by the response of the all of the teachers we were fortunate to meet. Discussions have already begun about where EBB goes from here and how the workshops will grow and develop for next year.First Few Days in Arusha, Tanzania 2011tag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2011-07-28:2213732:BlogPost:294852011-07-28T14:31:43.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p>Aarthi Naidu and I traveled together from London, England to join our team in Arusha. We were greeted at the Kilimanjaro Airport by our team leader Shannon Howlett and her family. The trip to Arusha was a forty minute drive through a scenic landscape of rolling hills and corn crops. Unfortunately the corn crops have mostly failed this year and the World Food Bank will be working in the area to help feed people. We were joined later in the day by our other team members Katharine Kan and Clare…</p>
<p>Aarthi Naidu and I traveled together from London, England to join our team in Arusha. We were greeted at the Kilimanjaro Airport by our team leader Shannon Howlett and her family. The trip to Arusha was a forty minute drive through a scenic landscape of rolling hills and corn crops. Unfortunately the corn crops have mostly failed this year and the World Food Bank will be working in the area to help feed people. We were joined later in the day by our other team members Katharine Kan and Clare Mian.</p>
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<p>Thursday morning started bright and early with a drive to the Leguruki area where we would be conducting the workshop on Monday. We drove thirty minutes out of Arusha then left the tarmac road to traverse the dirt roads to the various schools. We met Laura, Liz and Julia from “Education Power Change” an Australian NGO that we would be partnering with us on the workshop. We drove to Shiston Secondary School which would be the location of the workshop on Monday. The reception was not warm to begin with but after much conversation with the principal we were able to discuss the workshop theme of sharing ideas between teachers. We were shown the classrooms we would use for the workshops while there were discussions with the cook for the tea and meal. We spent the remainder of the day visiting schools and delivering official letters of invitation from Noble and the District Education Officer. The difference between this workshop and others in Kenya is that the schools would be open on Monday and teachers would be released to attend the workshop. One teacher would stay behind to supervise the students on a study day. We were happy that both permanent (government paid teachers) and temporary (volunteer teachers) were being included in the workshop invitation.</p>
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<p>The weekend was spent purchasing supplies for the workshop including all of the food except the goats which Laura was providing. Shannon also needed to acquire all of our living supplies including cooking pots, food, mosquito nets, cots and sleeping bags for the three nights we would be living in teacher accommodations at Mbaaseny Primary School. Laura’s foundation had built the house, new outdoor bathrooms and supported the infrastructure of the school itself. We also spent a great part of the weekend planning Monday’s workshop based on our theme of collaborative teaching with a small introduction to inquiry learning. Sunday night we were in bed early so we were ready for our 6:00 am departure to Leguruki.</p>
<p> </p>Workshop Day at Shiston Secondary School, Tanzaniatag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2011-07-28:2213732:BlogPost:291932011-07-28T14:30:00.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p>When we woke up Monday morning it was still dark out side and we began the task of packing the van and traveling to Shiston Secondary School. We were prepared for forty eight teachers from the five ward secondary schools but were worried that no one would show up. We had no idea what to expect or whether the teachers even wanted to be part of the workshop. We arrived at the school by 8:15am and began to set up the classroom, registration table and supplies. The first few teachers were from…</p>
<p>When we woke up Monday morning it was still dark out side and we began the task of packing the van and traveling to Shiston Secondary School. We were prepared for forty eight teachers from the five ward secondary schools but were worried that no one would show up. We had no idea what to expect or whether the teachers even wanted to be part of the workshop. We arrived at the school by 8:15am and began to set up the classroom, registration table and supplies. The first few teachers were from Shiston and slowly other teachers arrived from the Leguruki Ward until we had thirty two teachers. We were pleased that so many people had made the effort to come to our workshop. Many of the teachers had to travel a great distance either by foot or a ride on a piki piki (motorcycle taxi.) We introduced our day with an explanation of what EBB was then with the help of a local teacher drafted a community agreement that would guide our day. We were also fortunate to half both the Ward Education Officer who spent the day at the workshop, Ndekiruz M. Uriu and District Education Officer (DEO), Mama Mchome there to officially open the workshop. The DEO welcomed EBB and the teachers and her words echoed the goals of the workshop.<br/> Highlights of the DEO's welcome:<br/>
<br/>
- transition from teacher centered to learner centered<br/>
- involve students in learning<br/>
- have students be a source of knowledge<br/>
- she was sure that teachers would benefit from the seminar<br/>
- greatest challenge is to work with students who are in our class physically but not mentally<br/>
- share knowledge with teachers<br/>
- we all have things in common. Canadian teachers will also learn from Tanzanian teachers. We will collaborate.<br/>
- make sure to ask question of Canadian teachers and Tanzanian colleagues<br/>
- teaching is an art. We all may teach differently but we can learn from others. <br/>
- try to learn as much as possible from colleagues and our new friends<br/>
- when we plan for teaching we need to think of many factors<br/>
<br/>
We were pleased the high participation from all of the Tanzanian teachers. The teachers were enthusiastic and curious about collaborative learning. We discussed the rationale behind collaborative learning, introduced methods to use collaborative learning in the classroom and introduced inquiry learning and the idea of essential questions. The day was a wonderful opportunity to share teaching methods and exchange ideas about our various school systems, challenges and needs. At the end of the workshop there were eighteen teachers from four schools who requested school visits over the next two days to help support the implementation of collaborative learning techniques in the classroom.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Please look at photos from the workshop: <a href="http://www.educationbeyondborders.org/photo/albums/teacher-workshop-tanzania-2011">http://www.educationbeyondborders.org/photo/albums/teacher-workshop-tanzania-2011</a></p>The Journey Beginstag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2011-07-12:2213732:BlogPost:288882011-07-12T20:43:50.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p>Karibu</p>
<p>Today is the beginning of my 2011 journey back to Kenya. I am sitting in the Toronto airport waiting for my flight to London, England. It's the start of two days of traveling and thinking about my family at home but also my friends in Kenya.</p>
<p>This year I am also fortunate to be working with EBB in Tanzania. A small group of EBB volunteers will be visiting Aursha, Tanzania to introduce teachers to EBB and our workshops. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet new teachers…</p>
<p>Karibu</p>
<p>Today is the beginning of my 2011 journey back to Kenya. I am sitting in the Toronto airport waiting for my flight to London, England. It's the start of two days of traveling and thinking about my family at home but also my friends in Kenya.</p>
<p>This year I am also fortunate to be working with EBB in Tanzania. A small group of EBB volunteers will be visiting Aursha, Tanzania to introduce teachers to EBB and our workshops. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet new teachers and share our ideas about teaching. I am thrilled to be embarking on a new adventure and look forward to seeing a new part of East Africa.</p>
<p>The last few months have been a busy time for myself and my EBB colleagues. We've had numerous skype calls and flash meetings. We've also learned to work collaboratively using google docs and this was often during a skype call. It is quite funny to see dueling cursers and writers working on the same document. Many documents have been created, edited then edited some more before we were happy with the results. These documents are still be works in progress as we make changes as we use them or receive input from our African colleagues. </p>
<p>I have also copied numerous teacher resources to bring with me that I feel will be useful for workshops. The resources will hopefully support and spark interest in new teaching methodologies. My bags are heavy and cumbersome so I hope the results are worthwhile.</p>
<p>I'll be updating the blog as internet access and power allow. Wish me luck on this new adventure! </p>
<p> </p>Thoughts about Kenya, 2010tag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2010-09-16:2213732:BlogPost:169252010-09-16T02:59:19.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<div><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541420520?profile=RESIZE_320x320" style="float:right;" width="300"></img></span></span></span></span></div>
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I felt fortunate to be part of a hard working, dedicated and prepared group of educators.Our Naivasha team had<br></br> decided to prepare the…</span></span></span>
<div><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img width="300" style="float:right;" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541420520?profile=RESIZE_320x320"/></span></span></span></span></div>
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I felt fortunate to be part of a hard working, dedicated and prepared group of educators.Our Naivasha team had<br/> decided to prepare the facilitator packages prior to departing</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Canada</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br/>
and if everything would have worked out the facilitators would have had them<br/>
prior to the beginning of the workshops. In theory this was a perfect idea and<br/>
would have given them time to prepare for the workshops along with providing a<br/>
Kenyan perspective on the material. Unfortunately the material did not get to the facilitators before the workshops. We're hopeful that some of the Kenyan facilitators will work on the workshop materials for next year and we will be able to distribute them prior to facilitator week.</span></span></span><div><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br/></span></span></span></span></span><div><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I enjoyed the experience of traveling in matatus and taxis along with the various drivers we had. Each<br/>
driver has stories and information to share with us about themselves, their<br/>
families and</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Kenya</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">.Our accommodation at Utumishi was great and the food was amazing. Thankfully I only gained 2 pounds which Titus found amusing even though he was hoping for more!</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br/></span></span></span></div>
<div><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">From discussions with the Kenyan teachers and other Canadian teachers the EBB model from this summer seems to be the most popular and successful.</span></span></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I’m glad we had the week to visit schools and prepare for the facilitator workshops. The week gave us time to be in</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Kenya</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">and<br/>
experience a small part of the Kenyan way of life. By no means did we become experts but it gave us a small lens to look through. I would definitely enjoy more time in schools particularly in classrooms working with teachers. I would really like to have the ability to communicate with Kenyan teachers prior to visiting again and preparing some team teaching ideas ahead of time. I would be thrilled to teach some math lessons with George or Redfern or work on science projects with Joseph or Christopher’s students. I hope to develop better relationships with the teachers I met so that we could develop opportunities for teachers to participate in classes in their schools.</span></span></div>
<div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br/></span></span></span></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br/></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2424808603?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></span></p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br/></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Week two was an incredible learning curve. We had planned our facilitator week during week one but we had also allowed for flexibility to meet the needs of both ourselves and the Kenyans as the week proceeded. I believe that because our information packages were prepared ahead of time we had sufficient resources to work with the teachers but also valuable resources for them to use after we left.</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; color: rgb(94, 94, 94);">We were very fortunate to stay at Utumishi<br/>
with the Kenyan facilitators because we developed personal relationships with the teachers during meals and in the evenings. I think it would be difficult to do this during the day because some of our best conversations were at breakfast discussing the plans for the day or in the evening reflecting on the day. We were also able to get to know each other over a games night, a movie and our “Canadian” supper which strengthened our ability to work together during week three.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br/></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I left</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Kenya</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">with a renewed dedication to teaching and providing opportunities for my students to learn. I find that I’m thinking more about how my classroom can be student centered and directed. My students come from varied backgrounds bringing a lot of difficult experiences and baggage with them. In a student centered classroom I’m better equipped to deal with their individual needs while at the same time developing a collaborative learning atmosphere. As I work throughout the school year I hope to share my experiences with my Kenyan colleagues and learn about any changes<br/>
they are making in their teaching practice.</span></span></span></p>
<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br/></span></p>
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</div>Facilitator Workshops in Gilgiltag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2010-08-29:2213732:BlogPost:166342010-08-29T23:41:28.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
Wednesday, August 11th and Thursday, August 12th<div><br></br></div>
<div>There have been so many "Aha" moments the last two days both for Canadian and Kenyan teachers. As we exchange ideas and thoughts about teaching and our classrooms we're learning how to work together. On Wednesday we split into two group to work on differentiated and inquiry based learning. As we presented our ideas and information we used collaborative learning techniques to group the Kenyan teachers so they were able to…</div>
Wednesday, August 11th and Thursday, August 12th<div><br/></div>
<div>There have been so many "Aha" moments the last two days both for Canadian and Kenyan teachers. As we exchange ideas and thoughts about teaching and our classrooms we're learning how to work together. On Wednesday we split into two group to work on differentiated and inquiry based learning. As we presented our ideas and information we used collaborative learning techniques to group the Kenyan teachers so they were able to experience some of the activities they could use with their students. What I enjoy most is the conversations we have about our students and our classrooms. There are many differences but at the same time there are many things the same. We all have students we're concerned about and we want to find ways to help them learn. We're concerned about our professional development and spend time finding ways to improve our teaching practice.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541434611?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
</div>
<div>On Thursday we had great discussions about the differences between teaching and facilitating. We focused on the role of a facilitator as being a good listener and observer which is different from a traditional teacher who talks most of the time. There was lots of laughter about teachers talking because obviously we all love talking or we wouldn't have started teaching. The project based learning workshop was well received by everyone. We focused on the use of newspapers in the classroom because they are readily available and there are activities/projects for all subject areas. I worked with Simon, George and Redfern to develop primary math projects and once we started brainstorming ideas I think we were all amazed by how projects could be used to develop deeper understanding of math concepts. The beauty of project based learning is having students learn about the practical application of the concepts they're learning in class and realize that there is actually relevance to what we are teaching. It was another good day of learning and growing together.</div>Collaborative Teaching and Learningtag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2010-08-15:2213732:BlogPost:158992010-08-15T07:00:00.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<br></br>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<br></br>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tuesday, August 10, 2010</p>
<br></br>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541421383?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="721"></img></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Today our facilitator workshops focused on collaborative learning and teaching. There was lots of laughter as we shared ideas throughout the day. We facilitated an introduction to collaborative learning using a<br></br> reading circle approach that had the Kenyan teachers reading their…</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tuesday, August 10, 2010</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541421383?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Today our facilitator workshops focused on collaborative learning and teaching. There was lots of laughter as we shared ideas throughout the day. We facilitated an introduction to collaborative learning using a<br/>
reading circle approach that had the Kenyan teachers reading their handouts and<br/>
in their circles sharing what they had read. We discussed the various elements<br/>
of collaborative learning and how these could be applied to their classrooms.<br/>
The large group broke into subject groups either primary (1-8) or secondary and<br/>
began planning sessions for next week.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">Later in the day the entire group spent quite a bit of time planning the week 3 timetable when we will be joined by approximately 80 more teachers. This will be the time that the facilitators take everything we worked<br/>
on together and facilitate their own workshops. We’ll be here as observers,<br/>
supporters, recorders and resource people but will not be facilitating the<br/>
workshops.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are many cultural and teaching differences that we are discussing and having fun with. We break for tea at 10:30am and 4:00pm as is the Kenyan tradition. The Kenyans usually break for 30 minutes while we’ve only<br/>
schedule 15 minutes. The Kenyan teachers like to sit and enjoy their tea<br/>
leisurely while as Canadians we are comfortable bringing our tea to class. At<br/>
every meal we are being told that we aren’t eating enough and we need to gain<br/>
weight before we go home. The Kenyan diet has much more starch than us with a<br/>
typical meal for us at the school having rice, potatoes and ugali which is made<br/>
from maize flour. Titus, the assistant catering manager, hopes that he can put<br/>
5-10 kg on us before we go home. I hope not!</p>First Day of Facilitator Workshopstag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2010-08-15:2213732:BlogPost:158762010-08-15T07:00:00.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p class="MsoNormal">Monday, August 9, 2010</p>
<br></br>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541424685?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="721"></img></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is the first day of facilitator workshops with the Kenyan teachers at Utimishi Academy. Many of the facilitators arrived last night so we had a chance to get to know<br></br> each other over supper. Today there was an amazing amount of great discussion<br></br>
about Professional Learning Communities (PLC), the graffiti activity questions<br></br>
prompted…</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Monday, August 9, 2010</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541424685?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is the first day of facilitator workshops with the Kenyan teachers at Utimishi Academy. Many of the facilitators arrived last night so we had a chance to get to know<br/>
each other over supper. Today there was an amazing amount of great discussion<br/>
about Professional Learning Communities (PLC), the graffiti activity questions<br/>
prompted thinking from all of us while the development of a community agreement<br/>
helped to make sure we were all on the same page for workshop expectations.<br/>
There are lots of questions about our schools in Canada: class sizes, schedules,<br/>
grades taught, university requirements and testing. Our theme for the workshop<br/>
is “Focus on Learning. Not on Teaching.” In the PLC sharing session the purpose<br/>
for a PLC was established:</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sharing Experiences</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sharing Challenges</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">Establish roles, wants and needs</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">Opens door for interactions</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">Team building</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">Common goals</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">In a conversation with one of the headmasters I found out that it’s their job to secure outside funding from donors to make improvements to the school, build new classrooms or purchase resources. In the seven years<br/>
he had been at his school he has secured funding to build 8 new classrooms and<br/>
a computer lab with 6 laptops. He has been very successful in finding funding<br/>
to improve his school.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>Planning for Facilitator Weektag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2010-08-15:2213732:BlogPost:158742010-08-15T07:00:00.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p class="MsoNormal">Thursday, August 5 and Friday, August 6, 2010</p>
<br></br>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<br></br>
<p class="MsoNormal">We’re busy planning for the upcoming facilitator workshops. We had worked on our handout packed for the four teaching methodologies that we are presenting next week. This was the best thing that we ever did because now<br></br> we can focus on planning and using the handouts as a guide.</p>
<br></br>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<br></br>
<p class="MsoNormal">We were also watching…</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thursday, August 5 and Friday, August 6, 2010</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">We’re busy planning for the upcoming facilitator workshops. We had worked on our handout packed for the four teaching methodologies that we are presenting next week. This was the best thing that we ever did because now<br/>
we can focus on planning and using the handouts as a guide.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">We were also watching the referendum results on television:</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yes 69% 6,092,618</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">No 31% 2,676,152</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">There were concerns about the reaction results and the army was at the ready to deal with any problems but there none reported on the news. We were interested in the results because everyone region in Kenya except<br/>
for the area we’re staying in voted Yes. Apparently there are many land owners<br/>
in the Naivasha area of the Rift Valley who disagree with the changes to the<br/>
constitution concerning land.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">We are starting to learn that Utimishi Academy is very self-sufficient. There are gardens to provide the kitchen with fresh vegetables, chickens for eggs and meat, cows for milk and meat along with goats<br/>
and sheep. We saw a group of boys gathered in the garden area with workers<br/>
tying a cow’s legs together. We thought it was an agriculture lesson but were<br/>
surprised when they actually killed the cow. For the next several days we were<br/>
looking for beef on the menu.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">We visited a used clothing market in Naivasha in the late afternoon. If you ever wondered what happens to the unsold clothes at Value Village we saw some of them in the market. Some of our group made purchases in the<br/>
market to prepare them for dressing for our facilitator sessions. Women usually<br/>
wear dresses here and occasionally pants so we wanted to be appropriately<br/>
dressed to facilitate sessions.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>Referendum Daytag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2010-08-15:2213732:BlogPost:158722010-08-15T07:00:00.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p class="MsoNormal">Wednesday, August 4, 2010</p>
<br></br>
<p class="MsoNormal">The schools are all closed now for a term break. The break came early due to a referendum vote today on changes to the Kenyan constitution. All Kenyans need time to vote either yes or no to the changes.<br></br> We’ve been asking about the changes so we have a bit of an understanding of the<br></br>
importance of the referendum. Some of the changes include: decentralizing the<br></br>
government and giving more power to local…</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Wednesday, August 4, 2010</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">The schools are all closed now for a term break. The break came early due to a referendum vote today on changes to the Kenyan constitution. All Kenyans need time to vote either yes or no to the changes.<br/>
We’ve been asking about the changes so we have a bit of an understanding of the<br/>
importance of the referendum. Some of the changes include: decentralizing the<br/>
government and giving more power to local governments; making changes in the<br/>
accessibility of school particularly secondary school because recent numbers<br/>
have 1 million students finishing grade eight while there are only spaces for<br/>
200,000 Form 1(grade 9) students; availability of abortion for incest or rape; changes<br/>
in the ownership of land and the development of a local judiciary system.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">We left the school and found that most of the local shops were closed to allow people to vote. Some of the group went on a boat tour of Lake Naivasha then continued on the Hell’s Gate Park while the group I was with<br/>
had a more leisurely day. We visited Elementeita Weavers and were fortunate to have a weaving demonstration on the large looms. We purchased some blankets and place mats to bring back to Canada.<br/>
We then stopped to see Sarah Higgins, a British Kenyan, who has lived in the</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">area for 45 years. Sarah has 45 acres around Lake Naivasha<br/>
which has many animals roaming around in. Coincidently we had tramped across<br/>
her property last week on a nature walk when a few of us took a boat trip. She<br/>
doesn’t mind the people walking on the property but apparently many people<br/>
leave garbage behind which she picks up in the evenings when she walks her<br/>
dogs. Sarah provides homes for injured birds particularly owls. We visited the<br/>
owlery where the birds live until they can be returned to the wild. Sarah has a<br/>
pelican, tortoises (one with the repaired shell) and many small birds. Sarah is<br/>
very involved in environmental concerns in the area and promotes sustainable<br/>
farming and land care.</p>
<div><br/></div>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541424468?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">In Naivasha we visited Life Beads Kenya which is “a project giving hope for a better life to disadvantaged women and former street children.” Minalym Nicklen’s project provides jobs for the people involved in<br/>
the project making jewelry and sewing to support the project’s expenses.<br/>
Minalym husband provides health care for the project members and their<br/>
families. This is an important part of the project as the members are HIV<br/>
positive and require medication.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m always amazed at the people you meet at home or traveling that work so hard to make a difference in other people’s lives.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>Utamishi Boys Academytag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2010-08-15:2213732:BlogPost:158642010-08-15T07:00:00.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
<p class="MsoNormal">Tuesday, August 3, 2010</p>
<br></br>
<p class="MsoNormal">This morning we visited classrooms at Utamishi Boys Academy in Gilgil. The school is our home for the next three weeks until we return to Nairobi on our way home. Utimishi is a<br></br> National boarding school for secondary students who have performed at the top<br></br>
of the grade eight national exams. The majority of the students at Utamishi<br></br>
have parents who are police officers. Half of the students are away for…</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tuesday, August 3, 2010</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">This morning we visited classrooms at Utamishi Boys Academy in Gilgil. The school is our home for the next three weeks until we return to Nairobi on our way home. Utimishi is a<br/>
National boarding school for secondary students who have performed at the top<br/>
of the grade eight national exams. The majority of the students at Utamishi<br/>
have parents who are police officers. Half of the students are away for term<br/>
break but 400 boys are here for a short revision term.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">I visited the Form 3Y (grade eleven) physics class of Mr. Onyari. Many of the students had calculators and worked with their problems while the teacher worked on the chalkboard. The teacher led discussions on the<br/>
problems with the students answering or agreeing in chorus with the teacher’s answer.<br/>
The teacher moved through the classroom checking student work. Mr. Onyari used<br/>
short explanations on the concepts, drew diagrams, brought in props<br/>
(fluorescent tube and a kettle) and discussed examples around the school. The<br/>
teacher and students joked during the class and seemed to have a good rapport. It<br/>
was great to see the similarities and differences between this classroom and my<br/>
own. Some students were very attentive while others not as much which would be<br/>
the same in classroom. The students whispered together while working on the<br/>
physics problems while my students would have been louder. The teacher gave<br/>
most of the answers while I try to have my students give me answers and explain<br/>
why they think their answer is correct. It was a good physics class and if<br/>
asked I can now calculate the power draw on small appliances in my house. You<br/>
never know when that will come in handy!</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>First Day Visiting Schools in Kenyatag:www.educationbeyondborders.org,2010-08-12:2213732:BlogPost:155962010-08-12T14:30:00.000ZKimberly Brownhttp://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profile/KimberlyBrown
Monday, August 2nd, 2010<div><br></br></div>
<div><p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541433004?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="721"></img></p>
<br></br>
Today was our first day of school visits. We traveled over incredibly bumpy, washed out roads that Canadian drivers would never venture down unless they had four-wheel drive vehicles. But there we were in our Kenyan matatu van venturing where no van should be going. <br></br>
Our first school visit was to Ngetiti Primary School in Gilgil. After a adventurous drive and a wrong turn or two we ended up at…</div>
Monday, August 2nd, 2010<div><br/></div>
<div><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2541433004?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/>
Today was our first day of school visits. We traveled over incredibly bumpy, washed out roads that Canadian drivers would never venture down unless they had four-wheel drive vehicles. But there we were in our Kenyan matatu van venturing where no van should be going. <br/>
Our first school visit was to Ngetiti Primary School in Gilgil. After a adventurous drive and a wrong turn or two we ended up at the school. Joseph Karanja is the head teacher of the school and has participated in Education Beyond Borders workshops in the past. <br/>
The school has 237 students which travel from a radius of 4 kilometers. There are approximately 30 students in each class which we are told is quite low for a typical Kenyan class especially in the younger grades. We discussed how the EBB workshops have helped him and how he promotes the ideas to his teachers. Joseph has begun a lending library in his school which is something different for Kenyan schools as they are usually a place for textbooks or studying. Joseph has received a donation of fiction and non-fiction books for the library but would like books that are more focused on Africa or particularly Kenya. Joseph has also created a guidance room for students that provides a <br/>
space for teachers to help students with problems outside of school. The school has received funding from outside donors which has resulted in a school with large, bright classrooms and space for all of the students. <br/>
<br/>
In the afternoon we visited Gitare Secondary School which was started five years ago by parents who wanted a nearby school for their children. Principal John Mwaura has been at the school since last fall when the Ministry of Education assigned a principal and an assistant. The school has 125 students but has grown considerably over the last year and projections has it adding more students in the new term. The students also come from a 4kilometer radius to attend school. The school has no electricity and the cost of 56,000 Kenyan shillings to bring electricity to the school is very prohibitive. The school is very short on resources and classrooms. There is 1 student book to every 4 students and with the school growing they will need more classrooms. We were asked to participate in the term closing ceremonies, which was an exciting end to the day.<br/>
<br/>
There are many similarities between our schools. We discussed the concerns about high numbers in classrooms but Kenyan primary classes can have up to 100 students in a room with averages of 70 which makes our complaints seem silly. The teachers were also concerned about resources and facilities which are a concern at home as well. I’m sure we’ll have many more discussions about the similarities and differences between Canadian and Kenyan schools as the weeks go by. <br/></div>