Friday, March 16, 2012

3-16-12 Memories



3-16-12 Good bye Ghana




3-16-12 Goodbye Ghana



3-16-12 Farewell to Ghana

Well I have said goodby to Accra girls and I am meeting with the other teachers. Tomorrow I will start a flight home that will go overnight to Frankfurt Germany and then wait for 6 hours. From there it is on to Washington DC and wait a few hours before flying home. If you are interested I will be posting one last movie from this trip in about 10 days that will show my students at Geneseo with my Ghanian students answering the same questions. I think I will keep this blog and also post over the spring other videos that the 2 classes create. If you are interested I think you can sign on as a follower and get an email when I update the blog throughout the spring as I collaborate with my Ghanian counterparts.
Mr. French

3-15-12 How to eat Fu Fu

Listen to how to eat the Fu Fu. It is made from pounded cassava root and pantain mashed and mixed together. It is a taste and texture experience.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

3-15-12 Last day at Accra Secondary School

This is my farewell speech to the Accra Girls Secondary School.

3-15-12 Last day

Hi
I am almost done in Ghana. Today was our last day in the schools. Friday I will shop a bit in the morning and then we will have a meeting with all 11 teachers that have been in different schools to share experiences.  On Saturday we will have time to tour a museum I think and then we fly out to Frankfurt Germany, Washington DC then home. That is about 26 hours of travel. I may be a bit tired on Monday at school so be nice to me if you see me. I will post a video shortly of my farewell to Accra Girls Secondary School. It is too bad you could not all be here to meet these wonderful students, teachers, administrators and others, they have all been very kind. It has been interesting to see how another country goes about education. They teach basically the same thing we do but have much more limited resources especially in the form of technology. Class sizes are bigger and the teachers change rooms instead of the students. We have started an idea of sending video information back and forth. We will start with general "what is your life like" type of information and eventually move to sharing our thoughts on science topics.  Much of what they do is abstract to them. For example, they have never dissected a frog, yet would write notes about the dissection.  They are very good writers and spellers as they use that style of learning extensively.  We hope to have a partnership that will continue for many years. I will probably blog on Friday briefly but not on Saturday or Sunday. Next week I will post a final blog movie that I am making that shows both Ghanian students and my students. It will be interesting for you to note the similarities and differences.
Mr. French

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

3-14-12 Dancing

The United States Airforce Rock Band happened to be scheduled at the school today for a concert. Check out the dancing teacher.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Monday, March 12, 2012

3-12-12 Accra Secondary School Classroom

This is a typical classroom in Accra Girls Secondary School. There about 40-50 students in a class. The students and teachers are really nice. The students are well behaved and friendly. They do not have many books so today they listened and wrote in their notebook about a page of text before they then started analyzing it for how to summarize. There after they answered many of the same ideas that we do such as evidence and rephrasing. The building is one classroom wide so the breeze can blow through the room. This is good as I am very hot here.

3-11-12 Dinner

I am in Osman's house, (see prior video) we are having a typical Islamic dinner as would be served in the north. There is a white millet based dough (for lack of a better term) that has the consistency of cold oatmeal (but it is hot) and that is dipped using your right hand into a green vegetable sauce and a red fish and chicken sauce. It is not spicy and tastes good. For desert we had fruit. The bottle is non alcholic grape juice. The electricity had gone out so we ate be flashlight.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

3-11-12 Independence Square, Accra

Hi- I am out on the morning run. This is an arch at Independence square.

3-10-12 Visit to Cape Coast

 Inside Cape Coast Castle.
Many goods are carried and sold on the head.

3-10-12 Trip to Cape Coast

 This is the toll booth on the road. note all the people selling things.
 Here we are in the rain forest.
At Cape Coast.

3-10-12 Field trip to kakum National Park

We took a day trip to Cape Coast and Kakum National Park. I will also post some still pictures. It took about 4 hours on the bus to travel about 100 miles. It was rather hot but nice to get out of the city to see what the countryside looked like. We walked in a tree canopy walkway suspended a few hundred feet above the ground. The girls from the school are very nice and friendly as are most of the Ghanians.

3-10-12 Cape Coast Castle

This is a group of girls from Accra Secondary school at Cape Coat Castle. This castle or fort dates back with European history over 500 years. It was one of the key points in the sad history of slave trading where Africans where taken never to be see their homeland again.

Friday, March 9, 2012

3-912 Me in Accra Girls School with students

This is me with some students and the teacher.

3-9-12 Tro Tro ride

This is a Tro Tro. It is a van that is rather cheap to travel on. It is like a cross between a taxi and a bus. The hard part is knowing which one to get on and where to get help. Actually it was not hard as the teacher we work with us went with us.

3-9-12 Manoobi market

This is a market. There are lots of vegetables, dried fish and other things. This market is in a neighborhood that is mostly muslim. About 15% of people in Ghana are Muslim and about 80% are christian.

3-9-12 Lunch

This is lunch. The red soup is beans. The food that looks like french fries is fried plantain- bannana and the white is gari a grated root that is mixed in many ways.

3-9-12 Me teaching class

Today I taught a class of about 100 students. This is larger than most but not unusual. There were so many students that some were on seats outside the door because they did not fit into the room. We had conversation about what the differences were between the US and Ghana.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

3-8-12 Flag of Ghana

This is for Mrs. Pearson's class.

3-8-12 Me in Chem lab

Here I am in Chem Lab.

3-8-12 Me in library

This is the entire book library for a school of 1500 students.

3-8-12 Accra Secondary School Computer Lab

This is the computer lab. All schools in the country have a technology curriculum but not all have computers and electricity. This makes teaching technology one of Ghana's challenges. This school is lucky.

3-8-12 Preparing Supper at the Girls school

This is dinner preparation at Accra Secondary school. The fish are boughten the day before and kept in a freezer. About 800 girls board, so this will be their dinner.

3-8-12 Accra Secondary School Opening assembly

I am being introduced to the general assembly. This assembly occurs each morning and then the students, 1500 girls in Accra Secondary School will go off to breakfast.

3-8-12 Traffic jam

Sometimes the roads get a bit busy here. This is a market intersection that we waited about 45 minutes to get through. It is called Medina.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

3-6-12 Parade Independence day.

Independence day parade.

3-7-12 dinner

Dinner? Yummy Tilapia with rice, veggies and sauce.

3-7-12 School visit

Here is the desk factory behind the district office, how would you all like to sit at those for 6 hours?

3-7-12 Outing to the hills school

This is the school district office for Aikaupem school district. The man in the middle is the superintendent and the others are on the staff there. The office is not near any school though. Some of the schools have no water or electricity and the teachers and students have to walk to them so they all are tired, dusty and hungry when they get there. There have a technology curriculum, but some schools do not have electric let alone computers. I bet Mr. Larson and Mr. Holt could figure out a way.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

3-6-12 OSU


Shopping in Osu.

3-6-23 Independence Day Accra Ghana



Independence Square- The description below is from Kerri Rodgers, a fellow teacher, she is much more elegant in her writing.

1 of 3
Happy Independance Day!
March 6, 2012
Today is the fifty-fifth anniversary of Ghana's Independence. We left early this morning for the Ghanaian Independence Celebration in Accra, which was held at Independence Square on the ocean with battle cruisers in background. When we arrived, all the stands were filled with people crowded together, each person hoping to get a view of President John Atta Mills and former President Jerry John Rawlings as they passed through the several thousand military personnel and students lined up in formation to march around the square. Each branch of the uniformed services was represented in the ranks: marines, army, navy, fire fighters, police officers, special forces, and so on. One secondary school from each district in Accra was represented as well. Each selected school then chose the top students as participants for the day’s activities. It is considered a tremendous honor to be selected to march in the celebration. It is also tiring and difficult because those on the square remained at attention for over three hours in the hot, tropical sun as President Mills gave his speech, passed through and inspected the ranks, and lit a flame in a special caldron at the edge of the square. Then there was a performance of traditional music by various tribal groups and a blessing was given. Afterwards, each group marched around the square as the band played. This lasted for over an hour. The band must have been tired! Once all the groups had returned to their places on the square, the special forces from each service branch came out marching in full battle dress regalia.  The navy seals wore their snorkels, masks, and flippers with their packs and faces camouflaged while they gleefully high-stepped in unison around the square. They were by far the most entertaining group to watch and they were undoubtedly having the most fun as well.

While the ceremony was happening men and women were selling every imaginable food and drink possible. They pushed their way through the crowded stands carrying eggs, water bags, hot dogs on a stick, and countless other types of food in buckets and plate on their heads. Maybe I could learn a thing or two about balance and coordination from them!

After the Independence Day Celebration we stopped off at Osu Shopping District to meander around before lunch. I picked up a few Ghanaian dress shirts for work on Thursday, which I know you're dying to see…so stay tuned!

3-5-12 African Dance

Today was fun. We started the day with an overview of
Ghanian History. I am not sure this is covered in our school. Then we went to the American Embassy to meet some of the teachers we will be working with as well as some Embassy officials.  I have never been in an Embassy before. They have about 150 employees from the US as well as 5-600 local people.
We finished the day with a performance and participation in some African dance.
Mr. French

Monday, March 5, 2012

3-5-12 Highgate Hotel, my home for about 2 weeks in Accra Ghana. The people are really nice here.  There is airconditioning in my room which is good as the daily high temperature is about 90 degrees F. This morning I learned about the history of Ghana. I will tell you more tomorrow as it is independence day and we are going to the ceremonies.  This afternoon we went to US Embassy and met with some of the teachers that we will be going to visit in their classes. Apparently classes are bigger here, about 50-90 students in one class. On Wednesday I will visit some schools but not go into the classes with students until Thursday.

We watched and danced with a dance troupe tonight. If I can figure out how to post a video, I will put one up for you tomorrow. It is late here now for me, but you in Geneseo are 5 hours behind me.

Stay tuned ,
Mr. French

Sunday, March 4, 2012

3-4-12 Arrival day

From Washington DC it is a direct 10 hour flight to Accra, Ghana, the capital city. From the looks of my schedule, I will be spending most of my time here. Today we simply went to a mall that looks just about like any we have in the US. The computers are more expensive than ours.  We changed money. The unit here is a Cedi. One Cedi is worth about 59 cents US. The hotel is nice and has internet although between my computer and the wireless it is very slow. I am 5 hours ahead of you in time, which means when students in Geneseo are having lunch, I am having dinner. I will try to post at least writing and hopefullly some pictures each day. Tomorrow we go to the US embassy.
Mr. French

3-4-12 customs

Akwaaba is the universal greeting here that means "welcome". I had a picture of the outside of the airport but someone saw me take it and I had to delete it. It is about 90 degrees F here.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Friday, February 24, 2012

   “This blog is not an official U.S. Department of State website. The views and information presented are the grantee's own and do not represent the Teachers for Global Classrooms Program, IREX, or the U.S. Department of State.”

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Hello,
I just got a quick note letting me know who I will be working with in Ghana. I will copy their bios below and then you will all know what I know. The two American teachers I met last week in DC and we are part of 11 teachers going together to Ghana. I left my bio on there too for your amusement.
Randy

Melinda Bennett, Biology Teacher
Minneapolis South High School
Minneapolis, MN
Melinda has taught introductory and Advanced Placement Biology at South for her entire 22 year teaching career.  She is particularly interested in developing progressive teaching practices that encourage students to think creatively and drive their own learning and assessment.  She is currently working on an interdisciplinary team that develops thematic units where students delve deeply into subjects incorporating World History, literature/writing and Biology.  She feels very strongly that students are motivated to learn more deeply when they can see how the subject is directly related to life and their own personal passions.  She recently took a group of interdisciplinary team students to Greece and was invited to present and teach in China.  Melinda earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Oklahoma where she grew up and earned her Masters at the University of Minnesota.   She is married to a fellow biology teacher and they have two teenage children who are very active in sports, theatre, friends and school.  Her primary motivation for seeking this opportunity with TGC is to broaden her international experience and perspective to continue to bring new ideas into the classroom.  She wants to continue to be a lifelong learner and model that value for her students and family.

Randy French, Science Teacher
Geneseo Central School
Geneseo, New York
Randy French teaches science at Geneseo Central School in Geneseo, a small rural school in western New York state.  He teaches general science to mainly middle school students ages 12-14, but also teaches labs in Earth Science, Chemistry, and Biology to high school students ages 14-18.  Often, Randy runs workshops at school in technology.  He enjoys making movies for and of his students as well as helping students create movies.  His interests at school include getting students outdoors to generate curiosity and to develop dreams.  Outside of school, Randy runs, bikes, cross country skis, paddles, and generally enjoys most outdoor recreation.  Hios primary objective for participating in TGC is to help students from a small school realize there is a big, exciting world beyond their doors that they can access with technology, hope, and hard work.  He would especially like to develop ways for students to learn about different ecosystems for a new course his school administration has asked him to create.

Jeremy "Pete" Peterson, Chemistry Teacher
Oconomowoc High School
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Jeremy "Pete" Peterson has been a teacher for the past 10 years. He began his career working in schools in Utah, Texas, and in an international school in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. He has been teaching high school chemistry and physics for the last 6 years in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin --- a community of about 12,000 people just outside of Milwaukee. Pete's classes average about 25 students ranging between 15 and 18 years in age. Along with many leadership roles at the school, he sponsors a popular community service program called Students-4-Service. Pete is a National Board Certified Teacher who graduated in 2001 with a B.S. in biology from Gonzaga University and later received a M. Ed. degree from the University of Notre Dame. Pete is currently finishing a second Masters degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 2010 Pete was awarded as a Kohl Fellow for Excellence in Teaching. Pete is married to a beautiful doctor who he says will always be his better half. In his free time he enjoys running, cycling, grilling out with friends, and playing Scrabble. Through participation in TGC, Pete hopes to better challenge his students to think more globally about how their actions impact the world.

Osman bin Umar, Social Studies Teacher
Accra Girls' Senior High School
Accra, Ghana
Osman bin Umar has been teaching history, social studies and government for the past 4 years. The age of his students ranges from 18 to 20 years. On average, there are 46 students in his class. Osman is an active member of his school's parent-teacher association, where he has played a role in promoting effective parental involvement in student education. Osman received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. His primary objective for participating in the TEA Program is to explore new methodologies for engaging students in a more participatory and active classroom setting.


Jonathan Mpete-Lah, Biology Teacher
Accra Girls' Senior High School
Accra, Ghana
Jonathan Mpete-Lah has been teaching biology and integrated Science at a public high school for the past 25 years.  His students range from the ages of 16 to 19 years old with an average of 48 students per class.  Jonathan is an active member of his school’s parent-teacher association and the 50th anniversary planning committee where he has played an effective role in getting parents and students to participate in student education and celebrations.  Jonathan received his bachelor’s degree in science from the University of Ghana, Legon in 1979, a post graduate degree in Education from the University of Cape Coast in 1999 and a master’s degree in Administration and Management from the University of Education, Winneba.  Jonathan is married with a son and a daughter and his hobbies include traveling, reading and playing squash.  His primary objective for participating in the TEA program is to explore new methodologies for engaging students’ interactive and participatory learning.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Back home and preparing ....

I am back home from Washington DC and about to send out emails to people to let you know to check this site out. I leave on March 3rd and arrive on the 4th. I should be able to post an update from Accra, Ghana on Sunday the 4th. If you have any questions for me before I go post them on this so I can practice with the blog before I leave. For example, are you curious how I got selected to go, what I am supposed to do there, what will I do when I come back? Once I am there you can think about questions that might help you understand what the difference in life is like in Ghana. Think about questions about food, houses, school and transportation and I will answer them. I hope to be able to skype too, if you are interested in Skype, let me know and I will try to connect with you.

February 17th, 2012 Mr. French Lincoln Monument


Thursday, February 16, 2012

February 16th, 2012- I am in Washington DC getting ready to meet 65 other teachers from across the USA as part of a Teachers for a Global Classroom grant. It is a program run by a government agency called Irex. In 2 weeks, from March 3rd to March 18th I will be going to Ghana. I will try to post daily but I do not know if I can get on a computer there. Below is a short overview of Ghana. I have not used this blog before so offer me some tips if you have them. It will be fun to hear from people especially while I am traveling. I will try to answer questions, so ask away.

Here is a brief description of Ghana.
Ghana is located in West Africa. Within the country is the latitude and longitude of 0 degrees N and 0 degrees E/W. One edge of the country is coastal with much of the country described as sub saharan. I would expect daily high temperatures to be about 90 degrees farenheit with lows in the 70s farenheit.  Formerly called the Gold Coast this country was liberated from Great Britian in 1957. English is the language for business with more than 60 other languages spoken. I will be staying for several days in the capital city of Accra.

Although the economy is rated as one of the fastest growing in the world, average per capita income is still low by USA standards, between $1200-$3000 depending on the source.  The currency is the cedi and the country is on Greenwhich mean time. Flight time from Washington is about 10 hours although I will have to fly home via Germany making my return flight about a 2 day affair.