“Clean School”

Project on Waste Management  

Abstract

Class VI children of Kuengarabten Primary School chose to study waste management as a class project. This article discusses how the project evolved, describes the three phases of the project, and provides the teachers’ observation on the project. It also has photos and video recording taken during the project and children’s sketches are also included. 

Introduction

We have several types of waste produced in our campus every day and all this relates to our school environment and child’s health, the waste problems in and around the school campus must be managed by school itself. Keeping school campus clean is the challenge for our school as it lies in the heart of the village and just under the public ground. Most of our people and school children don’t have awareness about the waste, throwing wherever they like is the common behavior of Bhutanese people. Children of our school collect waste every day during the social work time, but why is it necessary to collect every day? In fact if the children are aware about the waste it could be managed properly or could be reduced if we have imparted the awareness of the waste. If our children are taught basic things about waste and management, they would have positive attitude towards waste. In order to try to change the attitude of our nearby people and our school children, class VI of my school have unanimously agree to carry out this project on “Clean School” we hope after the completion of this project we have achieved what we planned.  

Objectives:

• Increase awareness of waste and its management among school staff and nearby pupils. 

• Encourage and support schools to reduce. 

• Transfer the knowledge gained by children on waste from this project to achieve increasingly sustainable waste management in the home.

Culture the Pillar of Happiness

“Culture is the pillar that drives GNH more than any other. Good thought, good speech and good action and being polite, courteous and respectful – not before high officials or Lamas – beget respect and therefore happiness for oneself.
Most of us want to become doctors, engineers and teachers but none of us express our desire to serve our parents, return the love, affections and support we received from them. This shows the nature and kind of children we are.
If we cannot think well for our parents, we are the least likely person to take care of our country.
How many of say La, Laso, to parents? Our parents deserve our respect. Now a day none but few address our relatives as Acho, Au, Atta, Anna and as a result the sense of affection and care by the elder to the younger – a simple GNH is lost.
Therefore let us respect and love our parents, brothers and sister from the heart, so we achieve one of the simple GN”.

This was the best speech of the week delivered by my daughter Phuntsho Peldon Wangmo of grade IV.
Any comments please.


Thanks

Week 10 : Moment of Truth

Collecting authentic information for evidences was the foremost challenges posed by my study. At the same time, I had to face other challenges such as inadequate references, location of school away from the centre, lack of consultancy, limited time and burden of heavy work load having to teach as well as look after the school administration. In the beginning, I was a bit worried on how would I be able to complete this course, but moral support and encouragement of my colleague gave me added strength to marshal the task that I undertook. The starting was smooth but the course of continuation became harder and harder.
Nevertheless, I was determined to carry out this Herculean task and learn appropriate strategies for teaching our today’s youth. I guess this online course would be able to remove some of the confusion of the ways of our today’s teaching and learning.



Along with course of my online class, every single topic was discussed with my colleagues here, their suggestion were crucial for my study because we are the one who have first hand practical experiences and about using technology in teaching and learning purposes, integrating technology in fact I believe that we the workers in the field know better than anyone else. From the analysis of the teacher’s suggestion I found all most all the discussion I carried during online class are essential and applicable provided we are equipped with sufficient basic equipment.
I have gained a good amount of knowledge and skills by participating in this online class. The thing that I have learnt throughout the process will create a lasting effect in my life because it is invaluable. I performed this study with full dedication, for a good cause and not just for certificate form aboard.
Unquestioningly, this online class helped me broaden my knowledge and change my perspectives of today’s teaching. I believe the teaching skills I conquered during this course, (although late but still gaining momentum in our country) would be meaningful to others. For the reasons, I think this course regarding BUILDING TEACHING SKILLS THROUGH INTERACTIVE WEB hopes to act as an eye-opener generating rewarding discussion among my small school teacher, making maximum utilization of little resource we have and hope to influence other nearby teachers. Finally, in a nutshell, Building Teaching Skills Through Interactive Web will never be a failure but a stepping stone to success.

I would also like to entire participants for providing timely and unfailing support and assistance through the course of discussion and task. I would like to thank my project partner Miss. Nesrine Ourari, Tunisia for going through my draft project report and giving very valuable suggestions and direction. I would like thank her for being my guiding spirit.
Last but not the least; I would like to thank the system of University of Oregon USA for offering their services and experiences of many years. My deep gratitude goes to Professor Robert Elliot for being with us the entire course of time, working with us in odd hours and making the class live, for the many insightful discussion we had. It has been a personal education working and travelling with Mr. Robert.


Thanks

Jigme Norbu, Bhutan

Week 9 : Learning Styles and Technology Tools for Multiple Intelligence

Each child is a unique individual with a distinctive learning style. Learners often feel isolated and are unable to connect with the process of learning because either the learning is too easy which often leads to boredom or too difficult leaving the learner frustrated and as a result not interested in their learning. It is therefore very important that when planning for teaching we need to keep in mind learners preferred learning style, readiness, ability so that we can connect the learning with the learners.

Differentiated instruction provides children equal opportunity to explore learning in their own preferred style. Learners no longer feel isolated and are therefore actively engaged in the process of learning. Student motivation and task persistence increase when students can work with topic that are of personal interest. To best fulfil the needs of varied learners and to keep trace/focus on individual use of technology is only the alternative tools we the teachers are left with. With the use of technology varieties of learning activities could be designed. Teachers could create academically diverse classroom, include students working at different readiness levels, having varying interest and learn in a variety of ways.

Thanks