Today was my last official day at Accra Girls Senior High. Although I haven't had time to post anything today, I wanted to make sure I posted one of my own students' work on this site. Logan Milway spent a day taking quite a bit of video footage of what a day in his life is like at Oconomowoc High School. This can be seen in the two clips below. I think Logan did a great job on this at it really paints a very detailed picture of OHS and addresses some of the students questions in the second part. This will provide a great way for the students to begin interacting with one another. Although at times some of the questions I have asked are quite a bit surface level, the really do provide a good point to begin a conversation about culture.
More to come tomorrow as I try to reflect on my experience over my 2 week stay here.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Fun Days in Ghana
Last night after a fun day of presenting to students I had the chance to go to dinner at my cooperating teacher's house in Ghana. His wife prepared quite a feast as you can see below. This was my first experience eating a popular Ghanaian dish named kankay. Everyone here seems to love it. The best way I can describe its flavor is that of mushed up straw and grass that has been fermented thus has a strong vinegar flavor. It actually is pretty tasty when eaten with a spicy tomato salsa.
Today I had the chance to take a little field trip with some teachers to a town called Abri where there were a set of botanical gardens. We ended up taking a popular form of transportation here called a Tro-Tro. It is basically a 13 passenger bus that is packed with people. You end up constantly changing your seat as people get in and out of the bus.
An Oconomowoc student produced the following video to show a typical day in her life. This is something that I hope to be able to share with some of the girls in Accra tomorrow at school.
We spent the afternoon today back at the school. A US Airforce band on an ambassador type mission chose Accra Girls School as a place to perform. It really was an amazing concert. It is these types of Amabassador missions that the Armed forces does that makes me really proud to be an American. I feel like they help build bridges between our culture and others.
The girls posted some more things about their life in Ghana. They are relatively simple questions but what is interesting is to see how Oconomowoc students answers might differ from the Ghanaian students.
Today I had the chance to take a little field trip with some teachers to a town called Abri where there were a set of botanical gardens. We ended up taking a popular form of transportation here called a Tro-Tro. It is basically a 13 passenger bus that is packed with people. You end up constantly changing your seat as people get in and out of the bus.
An Oconomowoc student produced the following video to show a typical day in her life. This is something that I hope to be able to share with some of the girls in Accra tomorrow at school.
We spent the afternoon today back at the school. A US Airforce band on an ambassador type mission chose Accra Girls School as a place to perform. It really was an amazing concert. It is these types of Amabassador missions that the Armed forces does that makes me really proud to be an American. I feel like they help build bridges between our culture and others.
The girls posted some more things about their life in Ghana. They are relatively simple questions but what is interesting is to see how Oconomowoc students answers might differ from the Ghanaian students.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
My Tuesday in Ghana
Today I teamed up with the other two US teachers to put on formal presentations for most of the classes in the school. We figured out a way to rig up a projector to show some pictures, and video clips from our own home. Our hope was to teach our cooperating teachers how to use short video clips as a way to have our classes communicate. Although we would like to by able to Skype, the little computer access that the students have really limits what they can do individually. Below the girls say hello.
Several of the girls also had questions for Oconomowoc students today:
In response to yesterday's videos from the girls, several groups of Oconomowoc High School Students put videos together discussing their own lives.
One of the things the completely blows me away about the students at Accra Girls School is how hungry they are for any type of education. I look around the school and see so much drive but so few resources. It is a complicated issue. Say for example that someone was to give the school 100 computers. That would be great but if you even plug in 3 or four of them, it would be too much for the wiring of the school which is pretty basic. Most classrooms don't even have working lights and the entire time we have been here the water has not been running other than from a pump in the middle of the school grounds. I really think that the key to success here and in a lot of Africa lies in the utilization of mobile devices. Most of the girls have such things at home but are not allowed to have them on school grounds. Given the fact that Africa is smarter about using cell phones than most of the rest of the world, it is clear their is power here. The problem though lies in the fact that the idea of using cell phones in school would in many ways be against the culture that many of the girls are brought up in. Their parents don't want them to date an limit time spent with the opposite sex. Many feel that cell phones in school would just provide opportunities for the girls to get distracted on their studies. Since everything here is dependent on them passing their final exams (which are common to Ghana and 3 other Western African countries), anything to that draws away from the test is often seen as a distraction.
Several of the girls also had questions for Oconomowoc students today:
In response to yesterday's videos from the girls, several groups of Oconomowoc High School Students put videos together discussing their own lives.
One of the things the completely blows me away about the students at Accra Girls School is how hungry they are for any type of education. I look around the school and see so much drive but so few resources. It is a complicated issue. Say for example that someone was to give the school 100 computers. That would be great but if you even plug in 3 or four of them, it would be too much for the wiring of the school which is pretty basic. Most classrooms don't even have working lights and the entire time we have been here the water has not been running other than from a pump in the middle of the school grounds. I really think that the key to success here and in a lot of Africa lies in the utilization of mobile devices. Most of the girls have such things at home but are not allowed to have them on school grounds. Given the fact that Africa is smarter about using cell phones than most of the rest of the world, it is clear their is power here. The problem though lies in the fact that the idea of using cell phones in school would in many ways be against the culture that many of the girls are brought up in. Their parents don't want them to date an limit time spent with the opposite sex. Many feel that cell phones in school would just provide opportunities for the girls to get distracted on their studies. Since everything here is dependent on them passing their final exams (which are common to Ghana and 3 other Western African countries), anything to that draws away from the test is often seen as a distraction.
Monday, March 12, 2012
More about Life in Ghana
Last night I was invited over to the home of one of my partnering teachers. His name is Osman Omar and he is originally from the Northern part of Ghana which is traditionally an Islamic region. His wife, Amina, cooked us a traditional meal from that part of the region. Osman is an amazing human being. HE has worked very hard to become a teacher and is one of the most dedicated educators I have ever met. At one point, he worked for over 2 years without a paycheck for the school. This is very common in Ghana. Below he talks a little bit about the community that he now lives in.
Below is a short video discussing the food. This is something that even in the most cosmopolitan cities on the planet, you are not likely to find. The reason it is so dark in the video is that the electricity in the area often goes out for long period of time.
At school today I had a chance to briefly interview many of the girls at the school. I asked them about what their aspirations were for the future and to pose questions to my US students. Below are a few of the responses. The first is a girl named Sheila and the second is from a girl named Naiipai.
I spent the afternoon today getting a detailed tour of the chemistry lab at the school One lab for 1800 girls. I also spent a great deal of time taking a detailed look at the national science curriculum. In terms of content and theory, the Ghanaian science curriculum is much more intense. Very similar to an IB Chemistry curriculum back home. Unfortunately the lab possibilities are greatly limited. Below you can see the type of equipment they would use to carry out a titration. Pretty rustic. As well, you will be hard pressed to find a pair of safety goggles.
In the afternoon today I spent some more time discussing questions with various classes about the differences between schools in the US and in Ghana. The girls had lots of questions that they shared below:
Later in the class the girls wanted to teach me a fairly modern dance that is very popular in Ghana called Azonto. Here is one girl demonstrating:
Here is my trying for myself. Notice the fact that most of my dancing occurs from the waist up. This is an affliction common to white Midwestern males of all ages.
Below is a short video discussing the food. This is something that even in the most cosmopolitan cities on the planet, you are not likely to find. The reason it is so dark in the video is that the electricity in the area often goes out for long period of time.
At school today I had a chance to briefly interview many of the girls at the school. I asked them about what their aspirations were for the future and to pose questions to my US students. Below are a few of the responses. The first is a girl named Sheila and the second is from a girl named Naiipai.
I spent the afternoon today getting a detailed tour of the chemistry lab at the school One lab for 1800 girls. I also spent a great deal of time taking a detailed look at the national science curriculum. In terms of content and theory, the Ghanaian science curriculum is much more intense. Very similar to an IB Chemistry curriculum back home. Unfortunately the lab possibilities are greatly limited. Below you can see the type of equipment they would use to carry out a titration. Pretty rustic. As well, you will be hard pressed to find a pair of safety goggles.
In the afternoon today I spent some more time discussing questions with various classes about the differences between schools in the US and in Ghana. The girls had lots of questions that they shared below:
Later in the class the girls wanted to teach me a fairly modern dance that is very popular in Ghana called Azonto. Here is one girl demonstrating:
Here is my trying for myself. Notice the fact that most of my dancing occurs from the waist up. This is an affliction common to white Midwestern males of all ages.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Life at Accra's girl school is busy. There always seems to be quite a bit of movement. What amazes me so much about the school and the staff is how much they can accomplish with so little. The other day I had the chance to ask the girls some questions. They were hoping some students could respond with short videos of their own.
Saturday I spent the day on a field trip with about 50 of the girls. We traveled about 120 km to the Central region of Ghana where there is a Kakum National Park. Given traffic and the poor roads, this trip actually took about 4 hours each way. This is a huge tourist attraction but you really can't compare it to national parks in the US since the infrastructure is not too large. I assumed we would be doing more hiking but instead the whole attraction is a 1/4 mile suspension bridge. Pretty fun as you can see below:
After a trip to the National Park, we stopped on Cape Coast Ghana. This is an important city in Ghana in that there is a prestigious university here. As well, there is a UNICEF historical Cite called Cape Coast Castle. Here are the girls wishing Oconomowoc a warm welcome.
The significance of Cape Coast Castle is that it used to be a slave trading post. The Fanti (a tribal group in Ghana) were in constant battle with the Ashanti. Essentially the Ashanti were enslaved and then brokered by the Fanti to different groups looking for slaves. It is depressing to me to think that one group of human actually owned another group as property. Below is a video of the former slave dungeons. This small area is where up to 100 slaves were kept for "storage" until they were sold and sent throughout the world (North America). The video can't in capture the oppressive heat and smells the slave must have had to endure. It was like being in a sauna with a wall as a bathroom. This tour was one of the more human moments of my life. The racism that is embedded in the structural fabric of our own society is rooted here.
This trip was an important one for the girls. Although it took about 4.5 hours to return in very hot and humid conditions (no AC on the bus), there was not a single complaint to be heard. I have to be honest in saying that even my best students would have been struggling with the travel conditions.
Over the next week I am asking that any Oconomowoc student who can to produce a short video discussing their future hopes and dreams. I will be videoing answers from the girls here and posting them on the blog. They want to hear what USA students have. As well, please feel free to post questions about life in Ghana and we will do our best to answer them. The first group of students who do so will get a Ghanaian surprise when I return. Either copy the youtube URL into the comment section or login to the following Youtube page and upload the video:
YouTube name: OconomowocHighSchoolScience
Password: ohsscience1112
Saturday I spent the day on a field trip with about 50 of the girls. We traveled about 120 km to the Central region of Ghana where there is a Kakum National Park. Given traffic and the poor roads, this trip actually took about 4 hours each way. This is a huge tourist attraction but you really can't compare it to national parks in the US since the infrastructure is not too large. I assumed we would be doing more hiking but instead the whole attraction is a 1/4 mile suspension bridge. Pretty fun as you can see below:
After a trip to the National Park, we stopped on Cape Coast Ghana. This is an important city in Ghana in that there is a prestigious university here. As well, there is a UNICEF historical Cite called Cape Coast Castle. Here are the girls wishing Oconomowoc a warm welcome.
The significance of Cape Coast Castle is that it used to be a slave trading post. The Fanti (a tribal group in Ghana) were in constant battle with the Ashanti. Essentially the Ashanti were enslaved and then brokered by the Fanti to different groups looking for slaves. It is depressing to me to think that one group of human actually owned another group as property. Below is a video of the former slave dungeons. This small area is where up to 100 slaves were kept for "storage" until they were sold and sent throughout the world (North America). The video can't in capture the oppressive heat and smells the slave must have had to endure. It was like being in a sauna with a wall as a bathroom. This tour was one of the more human moments of my life. The racism that is embedded in the structural fabric of our own society is rooted here.
This trip was an important one for the girls. Although it took about 4.5 hours to return in very hot and humid conditions (no AC on the bus), there was not a single complaint to be heard. I have to be honest in saying that even my best students would have been struggling with the travel conditions.
Over the next week I am asking that any Oconomowoc student who can to produce a short video discussing their future hopes and dreams. I will be videoing answers from the girls here and posting them on the blog. They want to hear what USA students have. As well, please feel free to post questions about life in Ghana and we will do our best to answer them. The first group of students who do so will get a Ghanaian surprise when I return. Either copy the youtube URL into the comment section or login to the following Youtube page and upload the video:
YouTube name: OconomowocHighSchoolScience
Password: ohsscience1112
Friday, March 9, 2012
My day at Accra Girls School started with me filling in for an English teacher. Within about 2 minutes the lesson on "The Tempest" soon became centered on the students asking me questions about what life is like for American teenagers. The girls were especially interested in learning more about the Free Masons (which I found quite odd). It appears that many are under the belief that the Masons worship the devil.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Today was my first opportunity to attend my host school in Ghana. For the next week I will be spending time in the classrooms of The Accra Girl's Secondary School. It is a school of about 1800 students in grades 9-12. Over half of the students actually board at the school which is very common in Ghana. Next year will actually be the last year that the school will hold seniors because the state is transitioning to a 3 year secondary school model in the near future. Below you will see me being introduced to the student body as the presented me with a ceremonial welcome garment. Later tonight I will present my own garments (Packers hats) to my host teachers.
The school day always starts with an assembly. An interesting difference is that there is no real separation between church and state so the school day starts with a prayer and the singing of the school song (yes this is a public school).
Welcome to morning assembly.
Here is a video of a typical physics class at the school. Notice that there are easily more than 50 students in the class.
I had a chance to talk with the school lunch ladies today. The food is definitely fresh and local but I think they might be pretty jealous of Chef Brian.
Here is the school media center. It is pretty clear that all of the books have been donated either from the US or the UK. They had more books in the back but no room to put anything and no real organization system. A cool project might be to help them organize this part of their school as they need some help.
Welcome to morning assembly.
Here is a video of a typical physics class at the school. Notice that there are easily more than 50 students in the class.
I had a chance to talk with the school lunch ladies today. The food is definitely fresh and local but I think they might be pretty jealous of Chef Brian.
Here is the school media center. It is pretty clear that all of the books have been donated either from the US or the UK. They had more books in the back but no room to put anything and no real organization system. A cool project might be to help them organize this part of their school as they need some help.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Another full day in Accra. Today consisted primarily meeting with a regional director for a collaboration of schools as well as meeting with directors of various education programs across the country. It has been interesting to compare the differences between the teachers' views of the great challenges that public education in Ghana faces as compared to what the more bureaucratic side of things is. From my discussions today it seemed that the biggest challenges were as follows:
Below is a short video where I pose a question regarding the traditional red soil you will find in Sub-Saharan Africa. Given the hot and humid conditions, my classes should determine why the soil is this color. Watch the video for a clearer description of this.
As in my last post, I am still seeking US students who will create a short video to explain what a typical life for high school student is in your town. Tomorrow and all of the next week I will be sharing these with Ghanaian high school students. The first 3 who submit are eligible for a prize....
- Most teachers make about 400 Cedi a month here (less than $300) and are assigned a school to teach at. This means that many have to teach in places hours from their homes. Often times bare accommodations are provided for these teachers making many unwilling to stay. Although there are many teachers in the US who see their profession as a calling, being a public school teacher here would be one of the hardest jobs I could imagine.
- Many of the more innovative educational things in this country are supported by NGO work from other countries (especially the US). Although this is important to build diplomacy, it seems to me that this is really an unsustainable model for educational systems.
- Many of the rural schools in Ghana do not have electricity or running water. As well, some of the students have to walk great distances even to get to school. This prevents many students from attending regularly.
Below is a short video where I pose a question regarding the traditional red soil you will find in Sub-Saharan Africa. Given the hot and humid conditions, my classes should determine why the soil is this color. Watch the video for a clearer description of this.
As in my last post, I am still seeking US students who will create a short video to explain what a typical life for high school student is in your town. Tomorrow and all of the next week I will be sharing these with Ghanaian high school students. The first 3 who submit are eligible for a prize....
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Happy Independence Day!!! At least in Ghana. On March 6th 1957 Ghana declared independence from British rule. Today I spent the morning watching the official parade and festivities since it is a national holiday and students did not have school. I can't say there were a lot of fireworks but it is clear that Ghanians are very patriotic. It makes me realize how much I often take for granted living in the US which has been under democratic rule for such a long period. Many people in the world don't have this freedom.
In the afternoon, I attended a lecture of the history of the Ghanaian Educational System. Although school through 9th grade is free and compulsory, attending secondary school in this country is not free. It costs anywhere from $500 to $1000 US dollars of tuition a year. This doesn't include the fact that many students actually have to travel away from home to attend secondary schools and have to pay boarding fees. Given that Ghana is one of the most progressive and safe countries in sub-Saharan Africa, it is amazing to think how many students simply don't have the opportunity to attend secondary school at all.
Ending the day, I had my first taste of Ghanian Blackberries. See the video below for more details of this tasty new treat.
In the afternoon, I attended a lecture of the history of the Ghanaian Educational System. Although school through 9th grade is free and compulsory, attending secondary school in this country is not free. It costs anywhere from $500 to $1000 US dollars of tuition a year. This doesn't include the fact that many students actually have to travel away from home to attend secondary schools and have to pay boarding fees. Given that Ghana is one of the most progressive and safe countries in sub-Saharan Africa, it is amazing to think how many students simply don't have the opportunity to attend secondary school at all.
Ending the day, I had my first taste of Ghanian Blackberries. See the video below for more details of this tasty new treat.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Hello everyone,
Day 2 in Ghana has been a full one. It started off with a 2 hour lecture on the history of Ghana. Not that one can actually talk about the history of any country in such a short period of time, but given the fact that most schools teacher very little about African history in high school, it was fascinating!!! After this I actually got a chance to visit the US Embassy here were we were led in a panel discussion about differences between Ghana's education system and our own. This panel was fun because my 2 host teachers were both leading the discussion, both having spent some time on exchange programs in the US. I will be visiting the school for the first time on Wednesday.
From what I can tell the average class size is about 50 students. Rather than the students moving, the students in the high school actually stay in the classroom and the teachers move between classes. My assumption is that it would be pretty difficult to do any substantial lab work in science classes. This is something I will learn more about later this week when I am actually in the school. Tomorrow and Wed. are both holiday here (Ghanian Independence Day). I should have some good footage of the Independence parade for tomorrow.
My evening tonight was spent learning about some of the traditional African dances that at one time were practiced by the tribes in this country. Below is a video clip that I shows a little of the energy found in such dancing. They did convince me to do some dancing as well which I will try to post tomorrow (it is on another person's camera). I am not sure how well the video upload will work given the relatively slow internet but we will give it a try.
So here is a little incentive for my students or any Oconomowoc students who may be following. When I go to the school, the students want to know what life is like for the average American high school student. The first 3 students to post short video clips on youtube discussing their life at OHS are eligible for a gift I will bring back from Ghana. Please just post them on youtube and then in the comment box of the blog just comment with the link. If you can post your own questions, I will have some of the Ghanian students respond back with video as well.
Day 2 in Ghana has been a full one. It started off with a 2 hour lecture on the history of Ghana. Not that one can actually talk about the history of any country in such a short period of time, but given the fact that most schools teacher very little about African history in high school, it was fascinating!!! After this I actually got a chance to visit the US Embassy here were we were led in a panel discussion about differences between Ghana's education system and our own. This panel was fun because my 2 host teachers were both leading the discussion, both having spent some time on exchange programs in the US. I will be visiting the school for the first time on Wednesday.
From what I can tell the average class size is about 50 students. Rather than the students moving, the students in the high school actually stay in the classroom and the teachers move between classes. My assumption is that it would be pretty difficult to do any substantial lab work in science classes. This is something I will learn more about later this week when I am actually in the school. Tomorrow and Wed. are both holiday here (Ghanian Independence Day). I should have some good footage of the Independence parade for tomorrow.
My evening tonight was spent learning about some of the traditional African dances that at one time were practiced by the tribes in this country. Below is a video clip that I shows a little of the energy found in such dancing. They did convince me to do some dancing as well which I will try to post tomorrow (it is on another person's camera). I am not sure how well the video upload will work given the relatively slow internet but we will give it a try.
So here is a little incentive for my students or any Oconomowoc students who may be following. When I go to the school, the students want to know what life is like for the average American high school student. The first 3 students to post short video clips on youtube discussing their life at OHS are eligible for a gift I will bring back from Ghana. Please just post them on youtube and then in the comment box of the blog just comment with the link. If you can post your own questions, I will have some of the Ghanian students respond back with video as well.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Akwaaba!!!! I just learned today means "welcome" in the Akan language. This language is native to Ghana and is spoken by about 1/2 of the population. One of the most surreal things for me so far though is that almost everyone here speaks fluent English with a British accent. This make sense since the country was at one point a British colony. I have been many places but few so foreign in which English is the primary spoken language.
The group (10 teachers and myself from all over the country) arrived today at about 2 pm Ghana time. It is pretty hot and humid (32 deg C which is about 90 deg F). We are 6 hours ahead of central standard time which means I have basically been up for 36 hours since I slept little on the 9 hour plane ride. Below is a picture of my first meal. Sorry of the low quality picture. The meal was referred to as red-red. It can best be described as a fish that has been cooked in a slightly spicy tomato sauce and served with fried plantains (basically across between a potato and a banana but not sweet).
To my students I am posing the following factor label problem. Mr. Holzmiller, I would appreciate if you could see they tackle this one.
The currency in Ghana is the Cedi (see picture below).
So 1 US dollar = 1.67 Cedi. If the cost of gasoline here is 1.71 Cedi per liter, and there are 3.78 L in 1 gallon, figure out how much money it would cost to fill up a 10.0 gallon tank of a Hyndai which tends to be a popular car model here. Please respond as a class with the correct answer to this.
Tomorrow I will try to give a video blog update. I am pretty jet lagged today
The group (10 teachers and myself from all over the country) arrived today at about 2 pm Ghana time. It is pretty hot and humid (32 deg C which is about 90 deg F). We are 6 hours ahead of central standard time which means I have basically been up for 36 hours since I slept little on the 9 hour plane ride. Below is a picture of my first meal. Sorry of the low quality picture. The meal was referred to as red-red. It can best be described as a fish that has been cooked in a slightly spicy tomato sauce and served with fried plantains (basically across between a potato and a banana but not sweet).
To my students I am posing the following factor label problem. Mr. Holzmiller, I would appreciate if you could see they tackle this one.
The currency in Ghana is the Cedi (see picture below).
So 1 US dollar = 1.67 Cedi. If the cost of gasoline here is 1.71 Cedi per liter, and there are 3.78 L in 1 gallon, figure out how much money it would cost to fill up a 10.0 gallon tank of a Hyndai which tends to be a popular car model here. Please respond as a class with the correct answer to this.
Tomorrow I will try to give a video blog update. I am pretty jet lagged today
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)