SIMON’S REPORT 14: Regional Collaboration

Monday: Ntugi Secondary

The projects have already started working and integrating the OLPC/Sugar activities in the curriculum.I introduced the Fototoon Activity which will help in improving creativity and storytelling ability of the students, as well as increasing written and media literacy.

The students were ready to use this capability of the XO’s in creating interesting stories which demonstrates the school culture to the  incoming Form Ones (Grade 9’s). I left them to create a comic which I will review next week.

Tuesday: Ngare Ndare Secondary/Lewa Primary

Walter, a chemistry teacher from Ntugi Secondary, traveled with me to introduce the Vernier LabQuest activity on the XO and how it works with USB sensors that Ntugi uses in the lab for experiments.

Faith, the teacher at Ngare Ndare is also a chemistry teacher, like Walter, and has great interest and also knowledge in ICT4E.

She found it very helpful in teaching sciences in the school. Mr Muthamia the Head Teacher showed his gratitude and said he would plan a visit to Ntugi in exchange. This kind of regional and district cooperation is one of the long term goals of Ntugi Group’s program. I then proceeded to Lewa primary where I taught the teachers  how to create a memorize game to suit different occasions like teaching the opposite of words and synonyms.

Wednesday: Subuiga Primary 

At Subuiga there was a meeting that involved the teachers and we were not able to do anything.

Thursday: Lewa Conservation Education Centre

At the CECe we had the last group from Githongo, but the room we use computers in was under construction and we were not able to access it.

 Friday: Leparua Primary 

I went to Leparua to finish up on the Fototoon project.They had taken nice photos demonstrating the life there and it features a day at Leparua and what happens there.

The students were happy with their creativity and the support of the community was encouraging. The Computer Club is now led by Moses, one of the students who is provided with  a sign-in/sign-out book which he uses to monitor the laptop loans. He has divided the club into groups of three and each group has a leader who is assigned a laptop for the group and makes sure that its in order before its returned to Moses who inspects it before returning it to teacher Doris.This ensures total security of the laptops.

Post by Simon Mwangangi