More student workshops…

I just finished my third workshop with the students on getting to know yourself with careers in mind.  I continue to get lists of students from different schools who want to participate so I have to put on more.  I think it’s quite interesting to watch them interact with each other over activities that they haven’t ever done before.  Today we tried and activity to measure the speed of nerve impulses traveling through the body.  I learned this at an OAPT workshop and found it quite interesting.  The students had a tough time getting it together but we did get some results.  Quite a difference, not surprisingly between the Form IV and Form VI.  It was really difficult to get them to talk and carry on a discussion.  Think Pair Share only works as far as the pair, although one student did share what her partner thought.

I’m very happy with the work my student leaders are doing.  It has made my job ever so much easier.  Zahoro, Kilebo, Robert and Edward were there today and I am grateful.

Goodnight

Student Workshop

My idea for the student career workshop was very well received and I have now scheduled the third session for this Saturday and will likely need a fourth.

the form VI students from Moshi Academy came and we had an excellent session.  I invited some of them to return on saturday to faciilitate the next workshop and that was very successful.  These types of activites which required students to think beyond the curriculum were quite foreign to most of these students I think.

In this activity, students had to create a self portrait including any other images they wanted and being as creative as they choose.  Then another student would look at this artwork and list the characteristics that they think the drawing reflects.  Notice in the photo the use of colour in his portrait as well as in his wardrobe.

Brainstorming

Another activity required students to design a structure and build only half of it.  They should create instructions for the other half and commission another group to build it.  Afterwards they should see if the two parts actuallly fit together.

Students brainstormed problems that face Tanzanians as a pe0ple and Tanzania as a country.  The idea is to identify professions that would deal with each one and to see which ones light a fire in them and which ones they might be willing to work / fight to improve.

The stability of different shapes was explored and it was discussed that these must be consdered when designing structures.  After they built a geodesic dome from rolled newspaper although it was only finished after the second day by another group.

At the end of the day students voiced the activities they enjoyed the most and what they learned.  It was a success and we are planning Part II for December.

The Bio Field Trip

14 Biology Teachers from Moshi and I and Deo, went off to Arusha last Thursday.  Everyone was mostly on time except those that didn’t show up.  One had a good excuse as sadly he had had a house fire and all his possessions have now been burt.  The rest of us battled the traffic through Arusha and found the snake park in fairly good time.  They have many excellent guides and we had a good look around visiting the crocodiles, turtles and of course the snakes.  I don’t care much for snakes but found myself with one around my neck somehow.  There was a yellow baboon and a few birds.

Also at the park is a very interesting snake bite clinic where we saw a young boy who had been there for two weeks having had the bite site surgically cut out of his leg and was recuperatiing.  Another man had been there for one month.  The problem was they did not get treated straight away.  The nurses there are not trained nurses but learned via apprenticing with others.

There were camels, which the maasai were offering up for rides for $1.30 and a maasai cultural display and a maasai market.

We made the big mistake of heading into Arusha for lunch.  Massive traffic headaches and few places to park.  We ate in a tiny cafe which required musical chairs type activities for seating.  Next on the agenda was the National Park and Momela lakes.  Unfortunately the events where cut short when just inside the gate a large truch carrying concreate blocks plowed into the back of the car trying to evade the police who where trying to check his weight.  The rest of the day was spent at the police station and sadly the car is now in hospital.  We were very lucky that no one was hurt since the physics involved in that collision did not favour our vehicle.