This week has flown by so quickly- tomorrow is our last teaching day in the schools. We have only been in the classroom since Monday and yet it feels as though we have gotten to know the students and faculty for far longer. As I’ve been reflecting upon my time here, there are many aspects of the trip that I would like future students to this trip and the OLPC experience to know for when their turn arrives.
First, come with an open mind. Be open to trying new foods, meeting new people, seeing and appreciating things that vary from our stateside counterparts. Some of my newest favorite foods have come from travelling to far flung countries. The newest additions to my fab food list from Barbados includes fried flying fish, roti and fish balls. If you’re in the neighborhood, Zaccios on Discovery Bay makes a killer iced coffee. Second, don’t assume anything. As teachers we tend to come to conclusions about certain types of students based upon how he or she acts in a first encounter. I find myself realizing that after getting to know the student, my original assumptions are in fact quite the opposite of what my initial perception might have been. This was quite apparent in our first day experience this week in our classroom. The second group of students were with a known disciplinarian teacher- we just assumed that meant the students in that particular class had potential behavioral issues. By the end of the hour long class, it was apparent they were far from having bad behavior. Eyes and ears were attentive, fingers were constantly poised on the keyboards and hands were raised every time a question was asked from the girls. Third, go with the flow. Sometimes what you plan simply goes straight out the window. This has been apparent time and time again in various situations with each of the teaching groups and chaperones since our arrival. My best advice? Don’t overstress. This is what CSG has prepared you for. Find a different solution. In fact, come up with a variety of different solutions and go!
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Today at Gordon Greenidge we had the kids make a quiz game where we asked them to code at least 3-4 questions for their classmates to answer. The kids picked it up quickly after we walked them through how to code the first question. Some kids went beyond the recommended and explored Scratch, and they did things that amazed me because we weren’t even planning on teaching the things they brought up. For example, they asked how to keep score of the questions they got right and wrong. After we had them code their questions we had them customize sprites and backgrounds. The kids definitely had a lot of fun with that aspect, and we gave them the idea to try to create a sprite that looked like them. This part gave the kids who weren’t as into coding something fun to do and it was also a nice break from coding. After we finished all of the questions we had the kids go around and play each other’s games and they had so much fun. I loved when the kids asked me to come over and play their quizzes because you could see the pride on their faces. All the difficulties throughout making the script were totally worth it when I saw how accomplished they were because they couldn’t stop smiling.
If I were to give advice to anyone coming to Barbados for One Laptop Per Child, it would be that this is an adventure. You start not necessarily knowing where you’re going, and you really have to find your way. Many times, you have to attempt new paths in teaching because the kids aren’t understanding it, and sometimes you will feel completely lost. When you feel lost you have to remember you have your co-teachers with you, because even if you guys have differences in teaching methods you all came here for the same objective; to teach these kids how to code and to give meaning to the word coding. The people of Barbados are some of the kindest I’ve ever met, and they are super understanding if you make a little mess up; not everything has to be perfect. The elementary schools in Barbados are completely different. Some of my friends at other schools are having polar opposite experiences from my school. You just have to adapt, focus on your own school, and remember that it’s a different playing field but you’re all playing the same game. I think the most important piece of advice I could give to a future OLPC student coming on the trip next year is the skill to adapt to changes and being flexible. There are so many curve balls that have been thrown at me throughout this trip. For example, on the first day here we were originally planned to teach the kids however that didn't happen because of the election. We had to regroup and discuss how we would plan our classes with one less class. Another example of unexpected events was that coming to class today we were told that we would only have the girls due to the boys playing football. However, when we actually arrived at the school the boys and girls were there! We were planning on teaching the girls a lesson that we had already taught the boys. Luckily my classmates and I were able to stay calm and come up with a lesson relatively quickly. We decided to teach how to create an adventure game on scratch until the boys left for their football game. Then we would teach the remainder of the class how to create a maze because they did not get the chance to do it yet. Everything turned out great because the boys who had already made the maze decided to help other kids and or make a second maze that was even harder. We were able to go around and help the students who had not made the maze game and everything went smoothly. Another piece of advice is to be able to teach kids the same concept but different ways because I've learned that all kids learn differently. Some kids struggle with certain concepts while others are able to get it right away. Lastly, it is very important to compliment the kids and make them feel like they are amazing. This will help them continue working if they are struggling and help them be more independent and trust that they are capable.
In terms of trying to fully experience everything that Barbados has to offer is to try new things and get over fears. For example, be open to try new foods that may be out of your comfort zone. You may turn out to love it! Another is trying new activities at the beach; we go to the beach very OFTEN! For example, today was my first time going tubing and climbing this big floaty called the iceberg. It was so scary but at the end of the day, it was so fun! One of my biggest fears is talking and meeting new people, but there are so many amazing and unique people you will meet here. The teachers at the schools are all so sweet and so are the kids!! So at the end of the day, the best way to experience Barbados is by trying new things and adapting! Teaching in the schools has been one of the most rewarding experiences. It has allowed me to connect with the students and is so great to see how happy they are when they solve a problem or complete a project. Some advice I have for future student teachers is to be patient. The students here are not used to being creative and have never been exposed to coding. However, once they see the script, it is important that you let them explore on their own. The kids are so good at teaching each other and pick up on things quickly. When teaching the scripts, it is important that you simplify the terms and explain why we use certain tiles, rather than just tell them to do certain tasks. The schools have also allowed me to experience their extremely polite culture. The people of Barbados are truly some of the nicest people I’ve met and it has been wonderful working with them. Going to the beaches has also allowed us to meet locals, who are all so generous and welcoming. Traveling from place to place is the best way to experience the culture. The culture shines through by seeing the people on beaches, at food stands along the roads, and even their habits driving. I am looking forward to the last day in Barbados!
Hi everyone! My school is called the West Terrace School and it is a literature based school, so my group and I decided to create stories with the kids. After working hard on their stories for many days they were able to finish them and tomorrow we'll have some time for the class to share the stories they made! This experience has been so amazing, but I have some advice for the future OLPC students! First, PLAN AHEAD! At our school, you have to be very flexible with everything, whether it's planning more lessons ahead of time, or expecting more kids to be missing. For example, today my class got mixed up, so we had some completely new students, and some students who were all in different places during their stories, but we were able to make it work. During this whole experience, I have realized that island living is significantly different than that of America. For example, there are beaches everywhere, all the roads are one-laned, and a lot of people that we see here are very friendly. Overall, through both teaching and experiencing this new culture I found that both learning and living in different countries differs extremely compared to what we know at home.
I feel privileged to be here in Barbados during such a unique and historic event in their history. As you may have read in previous posts, the election of the first woman Prime Minister has created a spirit of hope and joy in the adults. This kind of hope is catching and inspiring.
Yesterday a lady who, last week, was in the Ministry of Education came to observe the classes. Her excitement shown through as she walked around the class speaking to students and observing. When class dismissed for break I had a chance to not only introduce myself but speak with her. She could not stop smiling as she told me that she was no longer with the Ministry of Education and that her title was now part of the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology Advancement. I couldn't help but look around at the computer lab and reflect on what a great experience this is for both groups of students. She went on to tell me a little about the history of Barbados politics and how over the past eight or so years she'd seen heart and joy of her people decline. She expressed how, to her, the whole island feels alive again. She commented on the real sense of momentum and hope for change that the people here have. She was eager to tell me about her new roll in promoting and encouraging science and technology all over Barbados and how she knows that work begins with getting students and young people to enjoy science and technology. This vision is very near to my heart; it is why I teach. The excitement and sense of hope is evident in the classroom teachers as well. I've had two teachers want to come and be in the computer lab with the students to learn Scratch along side of them. One of our CSG students commented that it was neat but very intimidating to have an adult want to come and sit down and learn from them. Both teachers displayed the same hope as the Ministry officials and genuine joy to be learning something new that will help them and their students. Talking with the adults in education here I can't help but get a sense that they are on the cusp of something great. Momentum is building along side excitement for the future of their students and Barbados. I'm excited for them and for this program which is making an impact in the lives of students. I have had a lot of fun in Barbados so far, going to beaches, stores, restaurants and other tourist attractions. Today we went to Mullins beach and It was by far the best out of all of them. We had the options to go tubing, jet skiing and we were also able to jump on the water inflatables. It was a really fun way to end a good day at school and I enjoyed seeing a new side of Barbados. Today was my second day teaching and in my opinion It went really well. We covered a lot of material such as “if then” pieces and creating conversation between different sprites. Overall, the kids really enjoyed these activities and they understood the concepts very well.
The children here in Barbados are a lot different to the children i’m around everyday in the US. The kids at West Terrace are very interactive and always willing to learn more which makes my job a lot easier. Most of the kids are super excited to learn new things and it’s amazing to see their faces light up when they find something new in their own. After my first day of teaching, I realized that some kids learn different from others. A group of girls in particular learn the concepts a lot better when I am around them and encouraging their actions. Not only does giving them attention help but letting them know that what they’re doing is really good, makes their smiles grow bigger and bigger and that’s really rewarding to see. Aside from those girls. the kids are generally very independent and they thrive of off teaching themselves and the others around them. It’s really cool to see the kids teaching one another and It makes me feel good when I can see the excitement in each of their faces after figuring out something we hadn’t even taught them. In all, the kids at West Terrace are very easy to work with and each of them are very eager to learn more everyday we’re there. I’m excited to see the progress these kids make and what they teach each other over the next few days. I’m so glad I was given this opportunity and I can’t wait to go back the rest of the week. Today in class our goal was to teach the kids about background changes, conversations, if-then statements, and quizzes. It was a really fun day because the kids were really starting to get the hang of it, which meant that they were enjoying it much more. It is an awesome feeling to work with a kid on something, and see their face light up when they finally solve a problem and make something happen. I am really glad that they are learning but also really enjoying their experience at the same time. In terms of communication, I have really been tested in explaining things in new ways. For example, I can explain a concept in front of the entire group, but when I go to work with the students individually, I am challenged to find new ways to help them understand what I am asking them to do. This was a real issue in explaining the if-then statements. Haley originally taught the class this concept up front, but Elena and I jumped in after she had finished and reiterated what she had said in different ways. I think that since each of our learning styles are different, the three of us understand and therefore can explain the same concept in different ways. Also, today I observed that the kids were more eager to help each other, rather than automatically get help from one of us. This was really great to see, because it showed us that our kids really understood a concept. In agreement with Mrs. Murakami, I think that simple words of praise and encouragement go a long way. It gives them an extra boost to go further, and do more to show us and their class mates what they can do. In general, our kids in class are so so sweet. I felt so welcomed by the school as a whole; it was evident that everyone was excited about us coming, and that the administration really valued what we had to offer to their students. I have absolutely loved getting to know and teaching these kids and am so excited to see what they can accomplish with their stories these last 2 days of class.
Today is my third day of teaching the Barbados kids in a second language. It was the first time that I realized the magic and importance of a piece of compliment. At first, I explained the X-Y axis to a girl and they did not really understand it. Then, I explained again by using my hand gestures to show them the X-Y axis. I taught a girl, “When the sprite is moving to the left or right, we are always going to change the x value.” Then I made her repeat what I just said, she still did not know how to change X value to make the sprite move.” Then I taught her again and made her repeat what I just said. Finally, she managed to move the sprite to the right and I was extremely happy for her. I praised that girl and encouraged her to figure out how to make the sprite move up and down. After being commended, that girl started to believe in her ability to move the sprite and make a maze. She performed much better than I expected. The same teaching technique of praising worked perfectly well for every single kid. Even my smallest action of encouragement kept the kids from giving up. This unique experience of teaching taught me the vitality of being patient and encouraging as a communicator.
i! Today was an awesome day. I started it off by teaching. Today we chose to teach the kids how to do a personality quiz game. We taught them how to ask questions and code different responses for different answers. The questions we had them ask were along the lines of what their favorite color, movie, and candy are. The kids loved playing each other's games and we even taught them to put a picture of themselves as their sprites. The kids loved to make their quizzes tricky and test their friends. They were all so sweet and overall it was a great teaching day.
There are many methods of communication I use in the classroom with the kids. Many of these methods are embedded in the way we teach the kids. We try to use lots of resources to help the kids understand the questions we are asking. For example, we use sheets that have the different scratch tiles on them for the kids to look at before they start coding. We can ask the kids to find certain tiles and this lets them use visuals to learn. I also use a lot of positive reinforcement for the kids to encourage them to do better, and a lot of repetition of tiles and codes to make sure they understand. An example of this is when we used if then statements in the maze, and then used them the next day with the personality quizzes. The last way that is the most effective is helping the kids help each other. If one kid understands, they then can teach others what they learned in their own way in a more simplified or understandable manner. Overall we had an amazing and relaxed day of teaching. The kids loved the personality quizzes and learned a lot about Scratch! |