I decided to write about our computer “lab” (somehow) since I’ve been spending a lot of time there recently. In April when the now re-elected member of parliament (MP) for our district donated 5 desktop computers to our school we talked about and then started writing a grant to renovate an existing classroom to convert it into a computer lab but it proved expensive and we struggled to come up with more community contributions. Before the term ended, the headmistress of the primary school offered for us to use a room (with electricity and a ceiling fan) that was just storing desks to setup the computers. I personally preferred the more local solution especially since computer labs are difficult to make sustainable. This is a good way to see how the lab gets used, who takes ownership over it, and if there really is a need to have a fancier lab. We accepted but it took a while to get desks made, buy voltages regulators, chairs, etc. Finally it was setup in the end of October mainly because the carpenter took forever to make the desks. Last month it was used a few times but not as much as I was hoping since I travelled a lot and the lights went out some too. This month the students have been eager to go there and I’ve been spending a lot of time with them after school and on the weekends. Right now the focus is on them learning mouse and keyboard skills but they’re also looking at word processing, spreadsheets, and other topics we cover in class. So far it’s mostly been students who live closer to the school who’ve been coming but next term I want to start bringing students there in groups. We have more work to do in order to install additional software and get another socket installed so the lab will be up to 5 computers instead of just 3.
When they get tired of typing and the like, I sometimes put on films for them such as BBC’s Planet Earth and Life. It’s so funny to watch their reactions to new wonders of the natural world, especially to some of the fish and sea episodes. They’re amazed by the behind the scenes portions where it shows scuba diving. During one episode on reptiles and amphibians some of the boys got scared of the chameleons. Turns out they’re more afraid of chameleons than snacks whereas I’m fascinated by chameleons and love their eyes. So much so that just before Thanksgiving one was working around our school and I touched it. My students were watching and thought I was pretty crazy. I went home to get my camera but by the time I came back they put it back in the tree so I had to settle for long shot. Now I understand why when I showed Tangled to some students last year they were all jumpy when the sidekick chameleon came on the screen. In other news, I had an interesting insect encounter over the weekend. I went to go get a fork to eat the crepes I made for breakfast and lo and behold a praying mantis crawled out of the cup where I keep my utensils. Occasionally a mantis finds its way into my house; they especially love my white curtains in my living room. This time I decided to send the guy outside. When I dropped him into my gated area near my latrine he went into attack mode. I swear I saw flash of red mouth or something. Then I grabbed my camera and provoked it some more so I could capture it in “fight” mode. These are the things I do at my house when there’s nothing else to do. I sometimes wish there were more exotic animal encounters, especially when people back home ask me about animals in Ghana, to be had in my village but it is nice to be able to walk and bike without fear of coming across something. I think had more to be afraid of when I lived in Florida and would go biking!
When they get tired of typing and the like, I sometimes put on films for them such as BBC’s Planet Earth and Life. It’s so funny to watch their reactions to new wonders of the natural world, especially to some of the fish and sea episodes. They’re amazed by the behind the scenes portions where it shows scuba diving. During one episode on reptiles and amphibians some of the boys got scared of the chameleons. Turns out they’re more afraid of chameleons than snacks whereas I’m fascinated by chameleons and love their eyes. So much so that just before Thanksgiving one was working around our school and I touched it. My students were watching and thought I was pretty crazy. I went home to get my camera but by the time I came back they put it back in the tree so I had to settle for long shot. Now I understand why when I showed Tangled to some students last year they were all jumpy when the sidekick chameleon came on the screen. In other news, I had an interesting insect encounter over the weekend. I went to go get a fork to eat the crepes I made for breakfast and lo and behold a praying mantis crawled out of the cup where I keep my utensils. Occasionally a mantis finds its way into my house; they especially love my white curtains in my living room. This time I decided to send the guy outside. When I dropped him into my gated area near my latrine he went into attack mode. I swear I saw flash of red mouth or something. Then I grabbed my camera and provoked it some more so I could capture it in “fight” mode. These are the things I do at my house when there’s nothing else to do. I sometimes wish there were more exotic animal encounters, especially when people back home ask me about animals in Ghana, to be had in my village but it is nice to be able to walk and bike without fear of coming across something. I think had more to be afraid of when I lived in Florida and would go biking!
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