(Fourth part) The Infobourg tells you, over the months, the extraordinary adventure of two retirees from teaching who generously offer their time to share their ICT knowledge with the 15 school in Mayo, Mexico, within the framework of of an OLPC project.
On the occasion of their annual vacation in Mexico, Louise Le Bourdais and Guy Bergeron, education retirees and partners in life as well as in their passions, have in mind to bring an ICT project to life for young people from the school of Lo De Marcos thanks to the OLPC Foundation. Here is the fourth article in the series!
On November 24, 2010, Guy and Louise meet the teachers of the 15 de Mayo school. They will have about 30 minutes during recess to convince them to take part in the project with their class. The director, who has had little success so far, hopes this will help rally his staff to the cause.
When Guy and Louise arrived at school, no one was there to welcome them. Alfonso, the manager, had to be away, and they did not know the room assigned to the presentation. However, by talking to teachers crossed in the hallways, they managed to bring them together.
The ten teachers, a little reluctant at the beginning, finally showed themselves receptive to the project. At the start of the presentation, they felt like they had more work to do. Some of them already have a task shared between two schools, and the prospect of a new project did not delight them. Next step: get their availability for a first training.
First meeting with the teachers
© Guy Bergeron
In the days that follow, Guy installs the equipment for Internet access in the school. However, there remains a concern regarding theft. “There are regularly thefts that are committed in the school. I brought the necessary to lock them, but we are still worried. The principal's office is securely locked, but the thieves break in by sawing the bars on the windows. "
To their surprise, 6 out of 10 female teachers signed up for the OLPC project. The director is also interested. Some teachers could not register because they live in villages far from the school and it is difficult for them to come back for training.
Preparation for training
© Guy Bergeron
The training begins the following week, according to the schedule they have chosen, that is, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The first official session was therefore held on December 7. Four teachers were absent, however ...
First step: open the XO. Before even starting the explanation, everyone had opened it and looked at the reception environment. “The director brought his two daughters, one of them in sixth grade, to the training. Her teacher was not registered for the class, so we told her that she would teach him how to use the XO in her class… With our help, of course! "
As the participants understood the explanations very quickly, the material provided was quickly exhausted. The session ended with a game that everyone seemed to enjoy. “This first class was so intense that we forgot to take pictures! "
“We believe this premiere was a success. The teachers were interested. There were even children in the windows (without glass) watching. They were very curious to see what was going on. We are therefore hopeful that these XOs will be used well in this primary school. "
Story to follow ...
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