Standing Waves on a string

The first workshop was held on January 20.  The physics teachers got to play with the new frequency generator donated by Amanda Stevado (former student of mine) and her husband Trevor.  The generator was brought to us via a physics teacher from Spain who was coming to teach in Dar Es Salam.  I had previously found it difficult to purchase this item due to the power rating of 240V in Tanzania.  The teachers reportedly had great fun investigating activities it can be used for.

The National Exams are marked centrally. Teachers are ‘invited’ to participate in the marking.  They are paid about 20 cents per exam.  The have to go and live together for up to two weeks.  They work day and evening with little time for sleep and not very elaborate meals.  The work is tedious and exhausting however, a teacher can make a little extra money at this special time of year.

The executive committee of DST has been meeting frequently and have planned activities for the January 30th workshop.  Everyone is enthusiastic and have come up with some great ideas.

I am getting things in the Equipment Library organized for easy accessibility by others when I return to Canada.

Things are coming together and oh yes, I think it is Christmas soon.  You really don’t notice the build up to Christmas here as the commercial hype is nonexistent. No one talks about Gifts or spending money at all.  I asked a boy today if he celebrated Christmas.  He said he did and when I asked him what he does, he says he goes to church.  I guess that is how it should be.  I think many families will get together and share good food and company.

I will be missing my family this Christmas but look forward to a retake on January 25.

I have appointed an executive committee of 3 local teachers. These teachers will run the Do Science workshops from January until June of 2012. I have confidence that these three teachers have the leadership skills, the creative passion as well as the time management skills required to take on this challenge. We have chosen tentative dates for the workshops and are making plans for introductions of the executive to our contacts at the Moshi Municipal Council as well as to individual schools. I will introduce the members in the next post.

We have had two executive meetings so far and will continue to meet regularly until I leave in January to return to Canada. This big step has given me renewed hope for the continuation of Do Science in Moshi. It will also allow me freedom to return to my job and to raise more funds for future Do Science Initiatives.

As I have mentioned before, most schools are now undergoing national exams and the year close end of November. We don’t plan to have any more group workshops but are organizing ourselves to make school visits to heads of schools to remind them of the Do Science opportunities in January.

Meanwhile I am busy with other commitments I have made to people in the community. Things are not easy here. Simple tasks take an enormous amount of time. I am getting good at waiting and this is good for the soul.

Meshack Timoth, Korongoni Secondary School, Moshi

On September 28, we held the sixth DST Workshop for teachers.  This time all activities were organized and run by Meshack.  Meshack is an envisioned science teacher with a broad scope of interest across Physics, Chemistry and Biology.  He has wonderful ideas and also understands first-hand the challenges that he and the other teachers here are facing.

The day started by previewing some of the HIV related dvds that were recently purchased..  We then shared ideas about future of DST and Meshacks plan for a Hands-on Science Centre for Moshi.  It was a small group due to the problems of teachers being assigned to National exams, last minute.  We distributed first aid kits to all schools represented and provided each teacher with a First Aid Training video provided by the Canadian National Office of St. John Ambulance.  We also distributed CPR face shield pouches to each teacher.

Intense Frog Anatomy

The remainder of the morning was spent doing frog dissections.  Meshack put the frog down with Chloroform.  It was fast and painless.  You can still see the heart beating inside.  Very fascinating.  These biology teachers were well enthralled in their studies.

Ran out of propane....

Later on Meshack conducted a Salt Analysis Lab.  The students will be given a sample and asked to conduct tests to determine which elements are present in the salt and decide on the formula of the salt.  This is authentic science.

Fortunately we have a Lab Supply store located very nearby in the Bus Station.  We always find we are in need of something as the day progresses so it is handy to be able to run out and pick it up.  They are also very kind and can give me materials on credit allowing me to come back next day to pay.

Slowly my DST chemical supply is growing so I should not have to be buying everything we use each time.

The Teacher Education Centre, which is being renovated is almost finished and it looks wonderful.  Our next workshop will be there which will reduce our costs a lot.  The year is going quickly. I hope we’ll have one or two more workshops if we can pull the teachers away from school.

Thank you Meshack for organizing this day.  Your passion for science is infectious.  Your students are very lucky to have you.

Anatomy 101

My mother, Jennifer Housden came to visit.  It was so wonderful to see her.  She brought a special friend with her…a full sized skeleton for the Biology teachers.  She also brought 3 more microscopes from Valley Microscope and a spare brain amongst many other goodies.

Putting the bones together the night before the workshop with no power was fun.  She did a great job and he / she (the skeleton) looks great.

Mom was able to attend the recent workshop for teachers held again at Buffalo Hotel. Her visit allowed her to meet the teachers who are participating in DST and see what kinds of activities and challenges they are involved in.

The week went fast and she is now safely back in Canada. Thanks so much for coming Mom.

Madame Kisanga (Neema) and Mr. Timoth (Meshack) are two very enthusiastic and knowledgeable teachers who I am hoping will be playing big parts in the leadership and future of DST.

The schedule for high schools at this time of year make it not very busy for me.  The schools are involved extensively with national exams.  This means that the school is basically closed except for the classes writing the exams.  Teachers are taken from other schools to come to invigilate the exams.  It is very confidential and this makes it difficult for teachers to plan their activities.  They may show up for school today to find they are being sent to another school for national exams.  It also means that there is little time for in class activities in science or anything else.

The school year will end in November and it seems they close them down grade by grade.  First Form 6, then form 5…  Form 4 is finishing up around now.

Looking ahead to the future

Mme Neema Kisanga, Biology teacher at Kiusa Secondary School has implemented

motivational sessions for her Form IV students.  This involves going off site on Saturday and holding discussions about the students role in the direction of their lives.  I was not invited to the first one.  I understand there were 14 students.  I was asked to support the next one.  Yesterday, 60 students came out to the Umoja Hostel where I booked a large hall for their meeting.  The students arrived, dressed up as if for a formal dinner.  Mme Kisanga told me after that the students would not likely have a graduation and so this was a bit of an ‘instead’.   We watched Dr. David Suzuki speak and then a bit of IMAX life under the sea movie while we waited for all to arrive.

Neema Kisanga and her husband

Of course 2:00 start means maybe 3:00 in Tanzania.

Neema’s husband conducted the session and DST then provided a meal for the students of chicken and chips or rice.  They students were  most appreciative and thanked me formally and from the heart.

This wasn’t specifically science based but I felt it was valuable nonetheless.

The group

Look.... I'm in a photo!

I held a teacher workshop August 5.  The teacher centre is being renovated so we returned to Buffalo Hotel.  There were around 15 teachers who came out but over 25 said they were coming.  This is a difficult thing to deal with.  Teachers expect and appreciate being fed at these seminars but I cannot easily predict the number to be fed.  I’m not also finding that many expect that they should also receive extra payment for attending such a session.  I’m trying to figure out how to deal with this.  How can I convince them that the money can be better spent on equipment?

I canceled the workshop on Aug 25 due to lack of response.  This is a continuing problem.  Teachers cannot seem to predict whether they will be able to attend or not.  I canceled it the day before, having only heard from 3 teachers.

I am thinking that in future I may decide to hold the formal workshop portion of DST only from January until June, when teachers are freer to attend and when activities are easily incorporated into their lessons.  I’m not sure how I will accomplish this but I am working with a few of the teachers to determine the best way to get organized so that the equipment will be accessible during times when I am not here.