Coming Soon: Geo_Learning Project in Kenya Schools

                                                                                                       Map of Africa, from the Geo-Quiz Activity

So the Good folks at OLPC Foundation just approved my Geo-Learning Projact, This Project aims to find use in XO’s (the child and learner friendly laptops ) in impacting knowledge and teaching pupils how they can be Local Cartographers and at the same time providing local solutions to local problems.The approval was made at the March 23rd Meetup for 5 XO’s to commence the project. See the Meeting Notes HERE.

Among the Objectives of the Project include:

1. To develop a curricula for teaching pupils mapping as both part of the education learning and as a community tool for creating locally relevant maps
2. Use the various XO Activities and tools as a learning tools for developing their own creativity, intuitions and intellect
3. Use the XO to improve and introduce  ICT literacy among the pupils and teachers….

See the Complete Proposal HERE.

1. Fun Learning Moments

Taking Map Activity to amazing Eshibinga Pupils

Am seated on a pikipiki enjoying the ride from Khumusalaba to Eshibinga .Its the C39 road and I have mixed emotions on the ride. I am excited to be on way way to teach kids about maps, excited that I am ridding on this road that I worked on as an intern three years ago but am saddened and disillusioned just like the local as I suspect about the state of the road. Hardly a year after it was commissioned, the road is already in a sorry state. Am not shocked because as an intern, i witnessed first hand blatant impunity and unethical practices. it saddens me and i chuck out my Ideos phone to tweet about it…tweeting, riding..

As we alight at Peter Amunga, I relish in the he fresh air and I quickly throw myself on the lush grass  as I wait for Sandra. apparently our host strictly instructed the pikipki guy not to0 over-speed. I wish he only new how she is a need for speed lady . Soon she arrives and we are in no time unpacking and packing our XOs, GPS units and off we cross the road to Eshibinga Primary School. We are met by an eager audience of both teachers and learners. I am more taken with the learners who had been briefed of our Map Activity the previous day. The pupils here are simply amazing: they all have some sketches of their community maps. I have a feeling these kids are going to impress me.

I

True to my expectation, as i take to the chalk board, am not disappointed. As I take the pupils through the Map elements, the  (x,y) staff, the l(at,long), the Greenwhich Meridian, the equator and finally the GPS, the pupils were all but amazing. In fact they took charge of the lesson and I felt bad having to go to JKUAT for a whole half a decade to study GeoInformatics yet here are this pupils who know at at such a tender age. Their attention amazes me and I am so happy to take them a little too far by explaining to them what GPS means, how it works all the satellite staff in a mild way. I have a strong feeling that this pupils are going to be great Geographers some day, I tell them that and with that I have nothing much but to tell them ” go yee and make maps!”

 

Teaching Bukokholo Kids GPS and Maps

It has taken me lengthy and sleepless nights pondering over this day and how I am going to do it. I am going to teach kids the things i have learn at University level! Sounds crazy haaaa! Anyway I have volunteer and am happy as step on the pikipiki and take off from my small village to a place I have no idea of.But fisrt I have to meet my friend in town and grab one for the road,just to make sure I will have the courage of the most feared animal in the jungle.

As I check in on the matatu to Bungoma, I am feeling on the top of the world and am all set. I arrive an find Sandra and Fred awaiting me in probox.. As we take off,I can only think of the lenghty and exciting days ahead.We drive on the smooth tarmac for a few kilometers as we exchange a few pleasantry with my Odiero friend. We soon turn into a dirt road that takes us a bout 3hours to get to Bukokholo. as i check on my phone, I am reminded that I am now using Musevenis network,MTN. My geography tells me am barely a few kilometers to Uganda.

We enter our “Hotel” ( our Hosts home ,Juma) and we are greeted and met by a whole village.  i am dog tired and i quickly grab a few bites of Ugali an head to bed.I get to meet the OLPC kids the following ddaya and they are just amazing in using XO laptops.They were talented in Rapping and they clearly blew me with their music.

As I stepped into the makeshift class to introduce the abstract concepts of GPS and Coordinates, UTM and WGS, I am a bit scared if the concepts will sink home. Casually and comically, I start gently by introducing the kids to the Cartesian plane( woe unto me for thinking it was a simple concept ), the (x,y).

Taking kiods through the basics of GPS and the Globe

Am surprised at how long it takes me but am happy at the end when I drive home the (lat,long) and the GPS concepts.I am more than thrilled as I take the kids out and they start to collect the GPS coordinate date from the Garmin etrex Unit and using the Write activity in XO, they record the same together with attribute data. I sigh with relief and let them carry on as I sit down under tree to catch some fresh air.

I am however shortly bombarded by a crowd of students who demand ” something ” from me too.Looking into their shiny and expectant eyes, I cannot afford to let them down.  I take out my Ideos phone and recollect my Scout days. the activites we did to keep jovial come in handy. I start my teaching them some a few corrupted songs, take them through the Kitendawili sessions ,Mchongoano and before I put on Merimela an let them dance .

A Mchongoano session in progress

They are realy excited and so am I. so far so good an I can only sigh with relief as the end of break bell (a thick mettalic plate placed on a tree) rings …..I drift off and cant wait for lunch.

Of Cramming and the Library

Crammers rule is a fairly common rule we use in campus.It refers to that art and/or science of cramming,word to word what the lecturers have been feeding us for the past semester.In a campus where success and passing are measured by how much and well you can recall what the lecturer gave you in class in form of notes,this is a noble rule.As usual I have been running up and down,from club to club,Gulping one after the other.Now its exam time and I am not well prepared..Or is it prepared at all?
Nevertheless,I know I will surely pass my exams.I have a fairly Good memory.First I just need to make sure I have all the notes that were given,and of-course there order.I will start by locking myself in that isolation chamber-i stopped going to the library long time ago since I got more distracted by the sight of too much flesh to stare at.The girls have made our library a hunting ground.they get to the library dressed to kill.and I mean literally to kill.one time i was sited close to this girl,she had a very short tight skirt.I happened to drop my pen, mischievously of course- and what followed…when i bent down to pick it up, instead of her putting her legs together,she opened them wide apart.i stayed down there for about a minute wondering and lost on what to do…When i stood up,she was looking me straight in the eyes like she wanted to gauge my reactions.MY evaluations of whatever i had seen…One look at her and i was dead meat from the inside.I pretended to be so engrossed with my books so much.starring so hard at my books,but i kept repeating the same line.When i noticed i could not grasp anything,i went out and that was the last time i ever wanted to get near the library.

i have to get back to my cramming,the lectures will be very impressed when I duplicate to them there notes in the exam.i don’t care, that’s the system here.You only know as much as your lecturer gives you.Try being smart by say using a different method to solve that calculus problem,heeyyy,u will see fire\.especially of the lecturer doesn’t know about it.I learnt that long time……

G-Kenya2.0:Time to Pretend am a Developer

Its yet another time for all techie or aspiring techy students to test Google’s profits.The G-Kenya is here and i tell you there is no event like G-kenya for students.The food is nice,the talks boring or is it that i just dont understand code?,(but we always clap and cheer coz it Google right?) and most of the time nobody even understands what the Googlers teach but we always nod in acknolwdgements…i wish they knew we get nothing,Why?Coz this guys teach very fast,they make lots of assumptions that the existing infrastructure and platforms in kenya are like in the developed world!Last year I saw this guy using the Linux OS,He looked very geeky and i was scared i knew nothing.he was typing commands that i knew not,being a windos boy,i watched him mesmerized…but that was shortlived.I was dumbfounded when he saw me open Google Maps and hew was like,”dude,thats awesome?!”…i regained my courage…
woiyi,me am already filling my spot for the buffet lunch,and ofcourse the Google Swags,that I will have to floss to my friends back in Campus how techy I am and how am connected to Google…Cant wait …see it here:

G-Kenya 2.0

The Joy and Fun of Graduating

I can now sigh with relief.The past 2days have been graduation days.Damn graduation!The hell we have to endure in the name of graduation!ehemm!I have been in campus for a long time,believe me when I say long its long…so far I have witnessed 5graduation ceremonies!–thats for another day….As i was saying,I hate and loothe graduation days as much as I love the comic and comedy they bring.
First we have to endure and live bila network for the entire graduation days!Can you imagine campus bila network?Imagine no facebook,no sms,yaani literally no gossip!its like you have been thrown into the dark ages.As if that’s not enough,they have to totally disrupt my “normal campus life”.That means I have to walk around with my campus ID!ukoloni kabisa…all the messes have been “messed” up.In pretext,wameweka blinders na kutandika meza!Crap.and worse they have restricted my entry into the mess,eti its been rersevedto the gusts!Painfully and sadly I have to dig dipper into my pocket to eat.I am used to eating 22 Beans,a a cheap and energetic meal that comprises Ugali@5bob,Beans@12bob and Highly Boiled Skuma or Cabbage for my constipation @5bob!whwre else to you eat such?Outside I will have to part with at-least 30bob yet hata sita shiba hata nusu ka mess…that’s my biggest reason for hating this damned graduation.

The other reason why I hate this graduation is that I had not called Cindy-my chips funga-to ask her to come we watch movies all day long.Since its an early weekend and its about that time of the semester where we all eat like Chicken,I cannot afford to take her partying.Am dry!And the movie is just an excuse to get her to my room!oh eti room,this is just a prison cubicle.The only sweet thing about is that I have freedom;freedom to bring anyone in and do as I please.My room mate has gone home and its just that perfect time to have the room to myself…damned the network.All my texts have all bounced nd my calls cant get through…i guess Vaseline will just have to do it.After all si “tunapenda vaseline”?I mean the hit song?

Now to the comic!Feeling disappointinted.,I wander around campus to see the old and young folks who have come all the way to celebrate the degree of their son and daughter!I cannot stop to smile seeing how elegantly the chicks are dreesed to kill ti impress on the campus boys!uhmmm,lipsticsk shining on their lips,some spluttered on their necks.Face shining,full of Kimbo i guess…the boys are not left out!Sahara and Timberlake original sub-standard boots abound.With the 50Cent adorned caps and timber shoes,they walk majestically around campus.They are out to hunt,i pity them.Dogy ziko kila place.Crumbs and steaks are allover.and business is good too.Looks like Ngara has been moved to Campus..anything you want from flowre,cards,instant photos to even “barafu” yaani the village ice-cream…wololo..hata steel wool.I wonder what one may need a it for!As i stroll in campus,i forget all my woes as i get entertained by all the drama of the graduation.I cant wait for it next year….

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