Vietnam project: more last day impressions and group pictures

Here me together with Trung (Cheung), the IT-man of the project. Thanks to his technical support ànd the frequent translations ànd his bright schemes on the blackboard (the real one...) the workshop went very smoothly!!



I found my thrilllllll.... on Blueberry Hiiiiillllll

Little physical effort! Don't mind the earthquakes!

They don't seem to mind...

Great oriental feedback!!! I love this target group!!!

Hello Dolly.... + some Christmas songs together!

Then there were group pictures...

Close encounters of the oriental kind... ;-)

Here is THE team!! Jan, Jef and me...

Vietnam Project: last day impressions

On the last day, I introduced a number of time saving Web 2.0 techniques including the use of RSS on a site like www.netvibes.com . Later, the teachers worked on their new lesson plans and presented them. And then... there were flowers and gifts and laughs and singing and kisses and hugs and goodbyes....

Here some impressions through the eyes of Jan, who took the pictures.

Thank you, team members, for this great opportunity!!

More group pictures later.... ;-)

Vietnam project: Day 2 Warming up...

Yes, even in these tropical temperatures warming up is essential! ;-)
But first things first! Breakfast at the Majestic on the panoramic 5th floor is a great way to start the day, even at 6 in the morning!
The Grand Buffet is so impressive that I even think of getting up even earlier!!!

Here the panoramic view! Yes, it looks like a picture from before the war (world war 2, I mean... I had told myself... don't mention the war!!!), but it was taken this morning. You see the ferry boats cross the Saigon river...

Here I am being introduced by Mr. Thach, head of the institute. He expresses his gratefulness to the organisers of the workshop...

Intro by Jef on "Active Teaching and Learning" + Presentation of 5 lesson plans by the local teachers. The idea was to have them prepare a lesson plan involving some use of ICT before the start of the workshop. Then during the last day of the workshop, they can take the same lesson plans (themes) and implement the new techniques.

The teachers were introduced to the learning environment Blackboard, hosted by the EloV project in Flanders. I'd like to dedicate these pictures to Karel Van Rompaey and Mia Quartier, the real parents of the EloV project of which they have been bereaved! Many years of good work were not rewarded and wrongly taken away from you. Once more I express my gratitude of having been able to work with you, guys! I hope that the coming year will bring you prosperity and joy.
Here the local teachers are experiencing the use of the discussion board to build a tree story. They also used it as a brainstorm instrument on the theme: the future.

The next part was on the cyberpoetry site Poëzome. I presented this older site, although it is in Dutch because it was made by students, for students, because it is an interesting way of showing that language, poetry in particular and IT can go together, more even, that IT can create new forms of language-experience, poetry-experience, and finally because it is a good introduction to the possiblities of webquests... I browsed through poëzome, translating, explaining,...

And the workshoppers looked...

...and listened...

In the evening, I prepared for the next day...

... ate my evening chocolate, waiting for me on the sheets, and read the bedtime story: a tale on Trang Quynh, a half real, half mythical character of Vietnamese popular literature, loved particularly by the working class people.

Vietnam project: Day 1: School visit.

During the first day we visited a school in HCMC. Here are some photo impressions of the event. We were received by the management of the school.

The idea was to attend an English lesson. Students were already waiting...

It's a revision lesson, since exams are approaching. Students work in groups and the teacher uses a combination of powerpoint, Hot Potatoes exercises and the whiteboard.

As you can see, students are very enthusiastic. It's evident that this lesson has been well planned, prepared and repeated. There are hardly any mistakes to be seen (or heard), but to me the idea is clear that these students have a lot of energy and are glad to be in school!
The technical frame helps this motivation even further. Some people think that IT prevents people from being social, but once more I see another proof of the contrary...

I expressed these impressions in a short speech that they expected after the lesson.
I start to love Vietnam already... People smile at you all the time, and the buddhist root seems to bring me luck...
Here a picture of Jef and I in front of the school.

In the evening, after yet another lovely dinner with Jan and Jef, I'm off to the Majectic hotel for the final preparations of the next day. (Like this serious picture? My arm was getting tired of holding the camera at a maximum distance, waiting for the timer-click)

T - 3 and counting

In three days, I will be flying to Saigon...
The preparation is in overdrive. I have prepared a Blackboard course on EloV. I have received 30 free accounts for 30 days... I'll try to find a solution to make the content available for the workshop attendants for a longer period... I'll probably give them a CD which I will prepare in HCMC.
I will go into detail when I'm over there. I'll probably have to change quite a lot on the spot... Important is to take as much material as I can, so I can improvise if necessary...
Tomorrow, late in the evening, I'll be checking my photo equipment. Charge the batteries, clean the lenses, check the memory... In the second half of my trip I will be concentrating on that... photography in Mui Ne and Phu Quoc. Although that's in 10 days, it seems like an eternity...
By the way: do you know what the weather is like over there?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?world=0157
Just check this out!!
During daytime, my energy goes to school business! Busy, quite busy with wireless audit! But I'm also upgrading the two computer classes with about 10 programs and upgrades. Geography pushes its ambition to 4 programs! Google Earth, OrbitGis, and two programs on "water in our environment". Hope the other subjects will follow...
Tomorrow I'll be programming another 14 computers, upgrade one from Win2000 to Win XP pro, secure a data projector and have a meeting on network-matters...
Had some very sympathetic reactions on my coming Saigon-trip today. My old friend EM embraced me and wished me good luck, three other colleagues tapped me on the shoulder. Some even wanted to know what I was going to do there! Of course there are the sceptic ones... I don't comment on them. Suppose they still have a long way to go. If they want some help: I'll be there. You know what a push from me can do... ;-)
Anyway: life is short and if you can add to the evolution of man - just a little bit - on your own level... just go for it! ;-)