Today, we visited a government school. This school is part of the
Digital Equalizer (DE) program that AIF sponsors along with help from
both the government and corporate support. We were greeted with a rose
upon our arrival and we were escorted to a classroom were we were
introduced to the teaching staff. After the introductions, we had the
pleasure of witnessing a traditional folk dance performed by six girls
along with three girls singing. After the amazing dancing, we had the
opportunity to sit in on two different classes provided at the school to
experience both their traditional teaching styles and witness their
transition to incorporate more technology into the classroom. The
traditional classroom environment involved the students doing hands-on
projects
and experiments with the teacher without the use of technology. In the modern classroom the teacher used a power -point presentation to display pictures, movies, and ideas on the board. After talking with the kids about each style of teaching, they all agreed that technology had played a very important role in their education. Right before we left, we dispersed our candy amongst all the students and they were so excited! Some even tried to pretend they hadn't received candy in order to get more. Following our time at the school, we took our bus along with a handful of students to eat outside of a temple. This time was spent getting to know the students and discussing our upcoming home visits. From the temple, we made our way into the village where we separated into four different groups to visit four different homes. Each home was unique from the others. Some of our impressions:
Talia: I noticed that the members of the school did what ever possible to make us feel welcome and cared for. They gave each one of us a rose as we walked in and later on we were each given a pen as a part of a "token of love". We were made to feel very welcome and were so grateful for the opportunity we had today to visit the school and the village.
Emma: I was blown away by the immense kindness and hospitality we were met with today on our visit to the school and village. We were welcomed open armed into the home we visited and the family showed us around both their house and the surrounding area. In addition, everyone we met at the school and in the village was so nice to us and treated us as members of the community rather than tourists.
Mikayla: It was very interesting learning that there were 5,000 villagers in the small village. In the home I visited, there were 12 members living in the home, and there was even a space for the animals to sleep indoors. It was great seeing that they prioritized putting a roof not only over their heads, but also over their animals.
Once we reconvened after our visits, we walked together to visit one of the students bean farm and learned how many of the families make their livings. After a long goodbye with the students, we embarked on a two hour bus ride back to our hotel. Along our journey home, we witnessed some of the worst traffic we had seen in India, including cows on the median and an ambulance stuck in the traffic which was unable to quickly make its way to the hospital. With only an hour to get ready and dress up, we headed to dinner at an amazing Indian restaurant.
Be prepared for another post tomorrow about our projects!
Missing everyone lots!
-Talia, Emma, Mikayla
and experiments with the teacher without the use of technology. In the modern classroom the teacher used a power -point presentation to display pictures, movies, and ideas on the board. After talking with the kids about each style of teaching, they all agreed that technology had played a very important role in their education. Right before we left, we dispersed our candy amongst all the students and they were so excited! Some even tried to pretend they hadn't received candy in order to get more. Following our time at the school, we took our bus along with a handful of students to eat outside of a temple. This time was spent getting to know the students and discussing our upcoming home visits. From the temple, we made our way into the village where we separated into four different groups to visit four different homes. Each home was unique from the others. Some of our impressions:
Talia: I noticed that the members of the school did what ever possible to make us feel welcome and cared for. They gave each one of us a rose as we walked in and later on we were each given a pen as a part of a "token of love". We were made to feel very welcome and were so grateful for the opportunity we had today to visit the school and the village.
Emma: I was blown away by the immense kindness and hospitality we were met with today on our visit to the school and village. We were welcomed open armed into the home we visited and the family showed us around both their house and the surrounding area. In addition, everyone we met at the school and in the village was so nice to us and treated us as members of the community rather than tourists.
Mikayla: It was very interesting learning that there were 5,000 villagers in the small village. In the home I visited, there were 12 members living in the home, and there was even a space for the animals to sleep indoors. It was great seeing that they prioritized putting a roof not only over their heads, but also over their animals.
Once we reconvened after our visits, we walked together to visit one of the students bean farm and learned how many of the families make their livings. After a long goodbye with the students, we embarked on a two hour bus ride back to our hotel. Along our journey home, we witnessed some of the worst traffic we had seen in India, including cows on the median and an ambulance stuck in the traffic which was unable to quickly make its way to the hospital. With only an hour to get ready and dress up, we headed to dinner at an amazing Indian restaurant.
Be prepared for another post tomorrow about our projects!
Missing everyone lots!
-Talia, Emma, Mikayla
You were obviously given a very warm welcome. How lucky to be treated to a traditional folk dance and singing. These are traditions that have almost disappeared where I come from and I am always in awe when people have managed to preserve their traditions. It is very generous indeed to let you into their classroom and share their day with you. As a teacher, I always worry about the part that technology plays in my classroom (Am I using too much? Am I using enough?) and it is reassuring to hear that students there think that technology is enhancing their learning.
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