Helping the Children

My day to day involves a lot of meetings and planning and agreements on further action. But the one thing that remains the same (at least Mondays through Thursdays) is my Intro to Computers class I teach at the primary school. Each day I teach two sections of each grade, starting with the 4th graders on Mondays and finishing with the 7th graders on Thursdays. At this point we are working on basic mouse skills, like single/double-clicking, drag-and-drop, resizing, as well as navigating the Start Menu. It has been fascinating watching the learners use a mouse for the first time. The younger ones are timid at first, almost as if they expect the computer to hit them (not out of the realm of possibility here) but they are catching on very quickly.
I am also drawing up a schedule to begin workshopping the educators on computer skills and ways to utilize the computers for learning (other than just learning how to use them). To help with that, as well as address the dire need for resources, I have installed Encarta Kids, an encyclopedia program geared towards younger children. With its large font, simple English, and colorful yet simple menus, I am hoping it can begin to bridge the knowledge gap, both within and outside of the prescribed curriculum.
I have similar hopes for the high school across the street. I have begun instructing the educators there on using a more advanced encyclopedia software that will be used in their future computer lab.
It's not all about computers here though. During a meeting today of the science dept at the high school the principal, Mr Luvuno, challenged the educators to improve the pass rate in all of the subject. While that may not sound very inspirational as I write it out, it was. Suppose it was one of those had-to-be-there things. So tomorrow I am meeting with the department heads to formulate a plan on how I can best help the educators. Exciting times here!
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