Lab:
The semester is coming to a close and the holidays are coming, yet the lab stands as it has. I keep telling myself that to find funding and equipment is difficult. It takes time. Of course more than time is needed to build a computer lab in Burkina Faso.
As the holiday season approaches, I am reminded of shops full, presents around trees, feasts, laughter, family and Santas ringing bells for charity. Thinking of such made me realize that more than time, the lab needs HELP. I can write letters and implore businesses to donate something but what is one small voice from distant Africa? What I need is YOUR help.
As you sit with your kids to write letters to Santa, could you write one to a computer (or any) company you know seeing if they would be willing to help in the construction of our lab? As you decide which parties to attend, would you be willing to set up activities that could help benefit Kongoussi children for many Christmases to come? As you hand out holiday cheer and hot cocoa, could you hand out the address of this blog to those that have the means to help?
If you are interested in helping to work with me to build the computer lab, please let me know. Contact me through this blog, through facebook or via email.
On this note, I would like to thank those in SLC for taking the time to see what they can do to aid my community here.
For more information about our goals for the lab, please see my blog from Nov. 2nd.
Community:
The end of the year for Mossi has little to do with December and January. The mark of years follows along the dancing paths of Fangos. Fango is nine day festival following the finish of the harvest. They call it a feat but, by American standards, it is hardly so. People do eat a few special treats like fried bread or a slice of coconut but the real celebration is in the dancing.
Each year, the different quarters put together a drum group. This drum group then gathers and beats out the rhythms for the entire quarter as they slowly swinging their hips inline around the market. It is a wave of nodding and hip thrusting that lasts for hours. Small boys lead the procession with a small flag attached to an overly large limb. Next comes a line of small children, setup by height. Each progressive line is older and taller. Women then follow the children before the final waves of men and drummers.
Anyone can join the dance and many do. They giggle, smile and belly laugh when I join. They dance to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. It is the dancing version of our Thanksgiving and it continues for nine nights, often lasting into the wee hours of the morning.
As I danced and mingled, students, friends and former neighbors came and greeted me. We shared fried bread and guava. We teased my favorite boys for being too shy around girls and too bold when the girls left. It is Rambo as I remember it and how I will always remember it, whether I am forty kilometers away or three thousand.
Unfortunately, it was my last Fango (at least for my Peace Corps service) so it held so many touches of bitter-sweet. It was a wonderful harvest and I am beyond thankful.
As our Thanksgiving approaches, I cannot help but be filled with more thankfulness than I can express to my family, friends, community and co-works. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and here’s to a bountiful harvest next year.
-------
When African elections come to mind, it brings up thoughts of Peter Pan. Follow me here. Pan’s shadow is off rushing before Pan can get a hold of it. Wild action runs rampant as Pan tries to hold it down and sow a stitch of control. Anything can happen in an election. The president can fly off with all the countries money before the people can get a handle on the situation. Riots can overwhelm the government and break apart formerly strong stitches that have worn in economically unstable moments.
The elections have thus far gone off without a notice. Yesterday was the presidential election and who noticed? Had I not been informed by Peace Corps, I would really not have known, as occasional presidential shirt could merely have come from the previous election. The streets were as any Sunday. The buses ran as if it were n’importe quel jour. It was as if the people walked quietly with their tame shadows.
It was not what was expected when elections were discussed. It is hard to say if it was nicely quiet or eerily silent. Perhaps it was simply the soft sound of progress or, at the very least, peace.
Personal:
Today is the 18th birthday of my little brother, Jay. I cannot tell you how proud I am of him. If you read this Jay, get your application ready to join the man club. Oh and happy birthday!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Frustration
I have so much frustration coursing through my veins that it would kill a moose. My sweat comes out as blocks of salt. And my back has enough knots to sail the Mayflower.
This is teaching.
You have days like mine today. I taught more than two hours over my time (something I can do in Burkina without worry), trying to get my students to be quiet and do their exercises. It is tough being that teacher that borders between strict and fun. Yes, we can sing song and make jokes with what we learn in English. No, we cannot turn in sloppy work and just blabber (especially if it’s not English).
Then there is the frustration of speaking in a second language. Add the racial issue. Add the poverty issue. Add the cultural differences. Add the educational differences. Add the structural differences. Add the weather differences. Add the differences in living conditions.
The amount of frustration in my blood could kill a moose but I have a smile on my face.Wednesday, November 10, 2010
play to learn
Lab:
Learning via play, it’s a simple idea that we have come to respect (for the most part) in the US. Kids can build on their skills by practicing them through entertaining and interesting activities. I learned most of what I know about computers not from lectures but from playing on them. Sometimes it was overtly educational materials such as Typing Pal. Sometimes it was simply figuring out how to make Oregon Trail work properly so I could try to save my little brother from dysentery then hunt a bear in Colorado. Either way, I was constantly finding new ways to use computers and manipulate them to do even more. As the computer lab progresses, the program’s focus will be educational but the means will be something not normally seen in Burkinabé schools. It will simply be fun.
Most of my kids have never touched a computer in their entire lives. Thus, it is necessary to start simply with ‘how to communicate with a computer’ via both keyboard and mouse. Without these basic concepts, further development is merely a chance for the professor to show how much he knows (which, one hopes, is a fair amount).
Already, I have started a few students on Tap Touche, the French version of Typing Pal. The tutoring section is perhaps a little dry but, overall, it has enough animation, competitive goals and even a full out games section that keeps the attention of my short apprentices. Tap Touche ultimately bridges the gap between having never touched a keyboard and knowing where the keys are relatively located. With any luck, we will also acquire the French versions of more challenging typing games such as Typing Shark that require a basis in typing but can be used to develop accuracy and quickness. Our goal at the moment is simple 10 words per minute at 95% accuracy.
Second comes games that work with the mouse. Initially, the games revolve around the idea of simply moving the mouse from one point to another then build to incorporate clicking, double clicking and dragging of the mouse. These games are a dime a dozen, including typical cards games, internet flash games or even old school arcade games. I am personally a fan of Plants vs Zombies which requires faster mouse reaction than is ultimate available currently in the lab. (Light-based, non-ball driven, mice will soon seep their way in to my dreams, I’m sure)
Hand-eye coordination and the use of it to communicate are the real goals. From that point, it is possible to move to other programs and begin a larger curriculum. I will discuss that in a later blog. For the moment, interaction with those funny pictures on the screen is the key. Funny, it’s something we almost assume to be instinctual in the US. Burkina is a definitive argument that says otherwise.
Work:
The website (pcburkina.org) is expanding all the time. At the moment, it seems there is always a new page en cours de construction. I have been trying to relinquish as much of the control (and therefore the responsibility for content) as is possible to different interested individuals and committees. So far I have gotten enthusiastic responses. We will see how that builds into actual content. The key is really to build and reach that tipping point where it becomes an indispensable resource for volunteers and family members and their first contact for needed information. Feedback is ultimately crucial beyond just content building, as well. If you check out the site and have any comments, leave them with me, contact the IT Committee at peace.corps.bit@gmail.com or use the Conact Us link on the site.
At the moment, I am building mostly volunteer resources. One example is administration forms. Every volunteer dreads them but cannot ignore their role in our service. Thus, building pages that allow quick and easy access to forms and form information is imperative. Not exciting for me but hopefully quite useful for everyone else.
Community:
I actually spent the last weekend more or less around volunteers which can be considered its own type of community here in Burkina. It was a weird sort of feeling being in that community. For the past two months, I have simply been here in Kongoussi or chilling in Rambo without much interaction with large groups of ex-pats, volunteers or non-Burkinabé. It was, for the most part, wonderful to talk in English and be amongst those that shared most of my cultural leanings. However, I perhaps am becoming a bore. I found those conversations that I enjoyed most evolved around work, future work or potential for work. Not to say that I did not have fun. I just really enjoy what I do (and hopefully do it with humor) and relate to those that feel the same. I want to talk about Kongoussi, Rambo, the lab, the website, agri-projects, development plans, etc. I don’t mind throwing in some Glee references or catching an episode of Modern Family but what I want most from the volunteer community is encouragement, engagement and expansion of ideas (yep, to be nerdy, I made those all ‘e’ words).
Personal:
Tired. Should sleep more.
Learning via play, it’s a simple idea that we have come to respect (for the most part) in the US. Kids can build on their skills by practicing them through entertaining and interesting activities. I learned most of what I know about computers not from lectures but from playing on them. Sometimes it was overtly educational materials such as Typing Pal. Sometimes it was simply figuring out how to make Oregon Trail work properly so I could try to save my little brother from dysentery then hunt a bear in Colorado. Either way, I was constantly finding new ways to use computers and manipulate them to do even more. As the computer lab progresses, the program’s focus will be educational but the means will be something not normally seen in Burkinabé schools. It will simply be fun.
Most of my kids have never touched a computer in their entire lives. Thus, it is necessary to start simply with ‘how to communicate with a computer’ via both keyboard and mouse. Without these basic concepts, further development is merely a chance for the professor to show how much he knows (which, one hopes, is a fair amount).
Already, I have started a few students on Tap Touche, the French version of Typing Pal. The tutoring section is perhaps a little dry but, overall, it has enough animation, competitive goals and even a full out games section that keeps the attention of my short apprentices. Tap Touche ultimately bridges the gap between having never touched a keyboard and knowing where the keys are relatively located. With any luck, we will also acquire the French versions of more challenging typing games such as Typing Shark that require a basis in typing but can be used to develop accuracy and quickness. Our goal at the moment is simple 10 words per minute at 95% accuracy.
Second comes games that work with the mouse. Initially, the games revolve around the idea of simply moving the mouse from one point to another then build to incorporate clicking, double clicking and dragging of the mouse. These games are a dime a dozen, including typical cards games, internet flash games or even old school arcade games. I am personally a fan of Plants vs Zombies which requires faster mouse reaction than is ultimate available currently in the lab. (Light-based, non-ball driven, mice will soon seep their way in to my dreams, I’m sure)
Hand-eye coordination and the use of it to communicate are the real goals. From that point, it is possible to move to other programs and begin a larger curriculum. I will discuss that in a later blog. For the moment, interaction with those funny pictures on the screen is the key. Funny, it’s something we almost assume to be instinctual in the US. Burkina is a definitive argument that says otherwise.
Work:
The website (pcburkina.org) is expanding all the time. At the moment, it seems there is always a new page en cours de construction. I have been trying to relinquish as much of the control (and therefore the responsibility for content) as is possible to different interested individuals and committees. So far I have gotten enthusiastic responses. We will see how that builds into actual content. The key is really to build and reach that tipping point where it becomes an indispensable resource for volunteers and family members and their first contact for needed information. Feedback is ultimately crucial beyond just content building, as well. If you check out the site and have any comments, leave them with me, contact the IT Committee at peace.corps.bit@gmail.com or use the Conact Us link on the site.
At the moment, I am building mostly volunteer resources. One example is administration forms. Every volunteer dreads them but cannot ignore their role in our service. Thus, building pages that allow quick and easy access to forms and form information is imperative. Not exciting for me but hopefully quite useful for everyone else.
Community:
I actually spent the last weekend more or less around volunteers which can be considered its own type of community here in Burkina. It was a weird sort of feeling being in that community. For the past two months, I have simply been here in Kongoussi or chilling in Rambo without much interaction with large groups of ex-pats, volunteers or non-Burkinabé. It was, for the most part, wonderful to talk in English and be amongst those that shared most of my cultural leanings. However, I perhaps am becoming a bore. I found those conversations that I enjoyed most evolved around work, future work or potential for work. Not to say that I did not have fun. I just really enjoy what I do (and hopefully do it with humor) and relate to those that feel the same. I want to talk about Kongoussi, Rambo, the lab, the website, agri-projects, development plans, etc. I don’t mind throwing in some Glee references or catching an episode of Modern Family but what I want most from the volunteer community is encouragement, engagement and expansion of ideas (yep, to be nerdy, I made those all ‘e’ words).
Personal:
Tired. Should sleep more.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
"God helps those that help themselves" (I hope)
When I arrived in Kongoussi, I was surprised not with the computer lab at the high school but the lack of one. Enthusiasm for information technology was abundant but expertise was lacking. In the last two months we have duct-taped our way to build a lab of eleven rather ancient computers. Then hope appeared on the horizon. Former students that have graduated from the high school in Kongoussi have banded together to raise money and find equipment to add to our well-intentioned lab. However, even with their efforts, we will fall short of having a suitable computer lab to teach the almost two-thousand students that attend the high school.
This is where my abilities fall short. I can rebuild computers from bug infested and water-damaged parts but I alone cannot fund the remainder of supplies needed to build the lab. Thus, in order to truly serve the Kongoussi community, I am reaching out to groups and individuals will to help. This blog will not only serve as my personal reflections on my service but will work to raise and fund a working computer lab so that my kids can finally join the rest of the world in the Information Age.
Starting today, I will include, first and foremost, a Computer Lab section to this blog to keep updates on what is going on with the lab, its funding, student involvement, current trainings and needs of the lab, itself.
Lab:
To start this section, I am simple going to outline the goals and needs thus far of our computer lab:
Goal: To build a working computer lab for the almost two-thousand students attending high school in Kongoussi.
What does that mean?
A single IT teacher (me) can use 40 computers to teach 650 students a trimester at two hours per week. This equals out to about 33 hours a week of lecture time. Therefore, all students in the high school would receive a full trimester of training. Then would be allowed to use the lab during open lab hours (non-lecture and work hours).
Further, because of dust, insect, frog, rain and heat issues, the lab will need repairs to its roof, ceilings, walls and seals for the windows and doors. Further, the lab room itself will need to be re-wired in order to not suffer from reoccurring power outages suffered due to circuit breaks with the current class line. Finally, an air-conditioning unit will need to be installed in order to keep the computers from over heating during the school year when temperatures reach over 110 F. (These projects are currently being handled in negotiations with the former students)
Due to the lack of electronic (let alone computer) stores and easily accessible equipment, a spare keyboard an d mouse for each computer will be necessary. Further, in order to maintain the computers over time, batter backups and surge protectors will need to accompany each machine.
Possible other equipment needs include a projector (for class demonstrations), printers (1-2) and internet/router and cables plus an internet subscription. Again, these are only possibilities or extensions of the original goal.
Finally, the funds necessary to pay for shipping, taxes and/or customs for machines bought here or shipped from foreign locations.
Those our the current needs and goals of our lab. Follow this blog for future updates.
Work:
Beyond the lab, English classes are going well. Though my schedule has gotten busier and busier, I was approached by students in Terminal (final stage of high school here) and agreed to work with them on evenings as a sort of English club. So, teaching English is really becoming a big part of this year which is really satisfying for the simple reason that it is something everyone here wants and I can easily provide.
My English classes (you could call them 7th graders) also had their first exams this past Friday which is always a time of excitement, anticipation and a bit of struggle. We include in the test, oral (for all 105 students per the class, two classes), listening, writing dialogue and translation. With only two hours, it can be a bit difficult to test students on every aspect thoroughly but I think we did a good job of getting at the fundamentals. In any case, one of my favorite things is to put up interesting 'mistakes' made my students on their exams. So here goes:
Spelling is a big part of the listening exercises. Here are some unique spellings:
window - windoor, windood, wendeow, waynddoor, wend'wo, windween and windown (that one was really popular seeing we also were tested on 'sit down')
those - doos, vose, thoses and dhose
happy - hanppy and yapy
door - dword, doow, dorw and doll
chairs - tables (?!) and theherse
student - stubent and stoodient
hungry - ingruit, angri and hundri
books - boobs (kid you not!) and boor
you - yoo and yiue
goodbye - goodbye, goodboy and goodbag
good day - good dog
good afternoon - good fneyaretabies (I think this student took spellings from my little brother, Justin)
Some great phrases that came out of the exam:
God evening, how are you?
Our teacher is in the _____. (Fill in the blank, answers below)
- teacher
- wendo
- Safi
- and you
- pupil
- hit
- evening
Sometimes, I like to think my students make the mistakes just to amuse me. Really, I know it's just because some of them have not yet gotten into the habit of looking over their answers before handing in their tests. We will work it.
For those of you that have kept in close contact with me, you will know too that I have been working hard on building a website to act as a resource for current volunteers, family members and even local community members. We had a first year of lightning strikes and bumps and bruises that took us to the limits of what we could do and beyond. Recently, I sat back down and started over with the external site, building it to be as user friendly as I could. What came out of that sweat has been thus far well received and has already gotten to be an every-other-day updating site. It is building and building by the day. You should check it out if you have not already at:
pcburkina.org
Let me know of any suggestions you might have, as we are always working to make the site a better resource in any way possible. Ultimately, this site may be the type of resource that volunteers can use to further projects in the communities started by other volunteers, start projects of their own and keep them from re-inventing the wheel, as they say. Really, go check it out. I'm kinda proud of it.
Community:
This last weekend, I went back to Rambo. It's a typical trip that I take about every three weeks or so. In any case, last time they surprised me with peanuts and all. I was overwhelmed by their kindness. This time, as I pulled my bike up to my old neighbors house, he had water, peanuts and twenty guinea fowl eggs waiting for me. For people that do not often get eggs, that was A LOT! Then, people proceed to stop by and give me more and more peanuts plus a bowl of sesame seeds. There is no use in trying to explain to them that I am here to help them and not to eat up all their crops. After all, it was a good cultivating season and everyone is thrilled to share and enjoy the fruits of their labors with those they care about. I am unbelievably lucky to be considered a part of that group. Thus, I have been regifting peanuts to those I see through my days (though the pile never really seems to diminish). Need-less-to-say, it was a good visit.
Personal:
What can I say beyond, I am busy. What a pleasant feeling. After two years of not always having the resources to do a lot of the IT work, I have been able to work on the volunteer site when I am not in class, amongst students or putting together the lab. The great reception from volunteers (and especially committee members) has been such an uplifting bit of encouragement for me.
This is where my abilities fall short. I can rebuild computers from bug infested and water-damaged parts but I alone cannot fund the remainder of supplies needed to build the lab. Thus, in order to truly serve the Kongoussi community, I am reaching out to groups and individuals will to help. This blog will not only serve as my personal reflections on my service but will work to raise and fund a working computer lab so that my kids can finally join the rest of the world in the Information Age.
Starting today, I will include, first and foremost, a Computer Lab section to this blog to keep updates on what is going on with the lab, its funding, student involvement, current trainings and needs of the lab, itself.
Lab:
To start this section, I am simple going to outline the goals and needs thus far of our computer lab:
Goal: To build a working computer lab for the almost two-thousand students attending high school in Kongoussi.
What does that mean?
A single IT teacher (me) can use 40 computers to teach 650 students a trimester at two hours per week. This equals out to about 33 hours a week of lecture time. Therefore, all students in the high school would receive a full trimester of training. Then would be allowed to use the lab during open lab hours (non-lecture and work hours).
Further, because of dust, insect, frog, rain and heat issues, the lab will need repairs to its roof, ceilings, walls and seals for the windows and doors. Further, the lab room itself will need to be re-wired in order to not suffer from reoccurring power outages suffered due to circuit breaks with the current class line. Finally, an air-conditioning unit will need to be installed in order to keep the computers from over heating during the school year when temperatures reach over 110 F. (These projects are currently being handled in negotiations with the former students)
Due to the lack of electronic (let alone computer) stores and easily accessible equipment, a spare keyboard an d mouse for each computer will be necessary. Further, in order to maintain the computers over time, batter backups and surge protectors will need to accompany each machine.
Possible other equipment needs include a projector (for class demonstrations), printers (1-2) and internet/router and cables plus an internet subscription. Again, these are only possibilities or extensions of the original goal.
Finally, the funds necessary to pay for shipping, taxes and/or customs for machines bought here or shipped from foreign locations.
Those our the current needs and goals of our lab. Follow this blog for future updates.
Work:
Beyond the lab, English classes are going well. Though my schedule has gotten busier and busier, I was approached by students in Terminal (final stage of high school here) and agreed to work with them on evenings as a sort of English club. So, teaching English is really becoming a big part of this year which is really satisfying for the simple reason that it is something everyone here wants and I can easily provide.
My English classes (you could call them 7th graders) also had their first exams this past Friday which is always a time of excitement, anticipation and a bit of struggle. We include in the test, oral (for all 105 students per the class, two classes), listening, writing dialogue and translation. With only two hours, it can be a bit difficult to test students on every aspect thoroughly but I think we did a good job of getting at the fundamentals. In any case, one of my favorite things is to put up interesting 'mistakes' made my students on their exams. So here goes:
Spelling is a big part of the listening exercises. Here are some unique spellings:
window - windoor, windood, wendeow, waynddoor, wend'wo, windween and windown (that one was really popular seeing we also were tested on 'sit down')
those - doos, vose, thoses and dhose
happy - hanppy and yapy
door - dword, doow, dorw and doll
chairs - tables (?!) and theherse
student - stubent and stoodient
hungry - ingruit, angri and hundri
books - boobs (kid you not!) and boor
you - yoo and yiue
goodbye - goodbye, goodboy and goodbag
good day - good dog
good afternoon - good fneyaretabies (I think this student took spellings from my little brother, Justin)
Some great phrases that came out of the exam:
God evening, how are you?
Our teacher is in the _____. (Fill in the blank, answers below)
- teacher
- wendo
- Safi
- and you
- pupil
- hit
- evening
Sometimes, I like to think my students make the mistakes just to amuse me. Really, I know it's just because some of them have not yet gotten into the habit of looking over their answers before handing in their tests. We will work it.
For those of you that have kept in close contact with me, you will know too that I have been working hard on building a website to act as a resource for current volunteers, family members and even local community members. We had a first year of lightning strikes and bumps and bruises that took us to the limits of what we could do and beyond. Recently, I sat back down and started over with the external site, building it to be as user friendly as I could. What came out of that sweat has been thus far well received and has already gotten to be an every-other-day updating site. It is building and building by the day. You should check it out if you have not already at:
pcburkina.org
Let me know of any suggestions you might have, as we are always working to make the site a better resource in any way possible. Ultimately, this site may be the type of resource that volunteers can use to further projects in the communities started by other volunteers, start projects of their own and keep them from re-inventing the wheel, as they say. Really, go check it out. I'm kinda proud of it.
Community:
This last weekend, I went back to Rambo. It's a typical trip that I take about every three weeks or so. In any case, last time they surprised me with peanuts and all. I was overwhelmed by their kindness. This time, as I pulled my bike up to my old neighbors house, he had water, peanuts and twenty guinea fowl eggs waiting for me. For people that do not often get eggs, that was A LOT! Then, people proceed to stop by and give me more and more peanuts plus a bowl of sesame seeds. There is no use in trying to explain to them that I am here to help them and not to eat up all their crops. After all, it was a good cultivating season and everyone is thrilled to share and enjoy the fruits of their labors with those they care about. I am unbelievably lucky to be considered a part of that group. Thus, I have been regifting peanuts to those I see through my days (though the pile never really seems to diminish). Need-less-to-say, it was a good visit.
Personal:
What can I say beyond, I am busy. What a pleasant feeling. After two years of not always having the resources to do a lot of the IT work, I have been able to work on the volunteer site when I am not in class, amongst students or putting together the lab. The great reception from volunteers (and especially committee members) has been such an uplifting bit of encouragement for me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Kong Comp Lab
 |
| From Kong |
 |
a little about burkina faso
Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Current President Blaise COMPAORE came to power in a 1987 military coup and has won every election since then.
Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens. Recent unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find employment in neighboring countries.
Location:
Western Africa, north of Ghana
Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 2 00 W
Area:
total: 274,200 sq km land: 273,800 sq km water: 400 sq km
Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens. Recent unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find employment in neighboring countries.
Location:
Western Africa, north of Ghana
Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 2 00 W
Area:
total: 274,200 sq km land: 273,800 sq km water: 400 sq km