Any time I do a workshop, my lesson plan turns into a marsh

I had this nice, clean copy of my lesson plan to guide me through today’s workshop … but then I went to a class and heard a teacher say this or I thought about this idea, or realixed that the teachers would need more background or another resource, etc.   

In the end, my lovely printed page looks like a scientist suddenly went mad, summoned a spirit with Ouija boards as evidenced by auto writing, or that I was drawing a map to a treasure that I don’t have.  Lots of writing and very little sense.  

In the end, I also had to do some adjustments.  The teachers were a few minutes late.  Signing on to Edmodo took longer than I expected.  In the end, though, we got through many of the developments.  The workshop “came at the right time” as Denis said, since many of the teachers are interested in using video resources in the classroom.  It’s a great match for the Flipped Classroom concept, though it should, of course, be an addition to what they are already doing right.  

We talked a little about Edmodo, Forums, the Flipped Classroom, Differentiating instruction, and the resources that are already available to the teachers (so many!).  I was actually surprised at how quickly the teachers, on being given their “homework”, went straight to starting the work.  It was clear to me that they would at least make the effort this weekend to interact with Gooru.  

All in all, a good beginning.  We still have to see when I will be leading PD next week.  Hopefully, I can have the full sessions (5) or at least 3.  

I did sign folk up for interviews next week for the research study that I am doing on the lives of teachers here at Daraja.  I’m really excited to have 6 scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.  I’m hoping to set up more interviews next week for follow-ups and initial interviews.  I’ll continue doing observations in classes next week, too.  I really want to get to an Agriculture class, since I’ve never been to one before now.  

In other news, I met James, who works with Global Platform, an organization that trains volunteers in doing community work.  Global Platform is housed on campus.  James worked with the Baraka School (of Baraka Boys fame) from around 1998 - 2003, when the school was shut down because of terrorist threats to Americans worldwide.  I wondered aloud if any of the students from that time would ever think of coming back to see the changes.  From what I understand, much has changed since then.  Daraja came to the campus in 2007. 

Tomorrow, I’m headed to Twala Cultural Center again.  I’m really interested in learning more about how I could potentially connect with them, how student writers might be able to work to support the work of Twala, in hopes that this Jan Term course of mine will be approved for next year.  I would really like to set up at least a retreat at Twala midway through the time or thereabouts to learn more about the Center, and perhaps have some students partnered at that site.  Tomorrow, Stephen is also taking me into town.  I’m hoping to see the Simama project there and learn more about its work, connect with an organic garden with a restaurant in Nanyuki (I have to ask Stephen the name again - I think it was something like Move On or Moving On), and learn more about the space.  

I’ve been asked a lot of questions, but there is still so much more to learn.  

I think I’ve taken two pictures:  one of my notes and the other of a bird that hopped into class today.