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.