Ap Biology Lab 8 Pre Lab

My work:

was envisioned that I would at a Junior High School, the specialist ICT (Information and Communication Technology), that computer teaching, teach. I had been to Germany made contact with another volunteer who has taught in Ghana at the same junior high school. He could give me a very good picture of the situation on the ground. Once in Ghana, I was told that I ought to go to another school, namely a Senior High School of Business. In the higher grades, the students are of legal age, and thus only slightly younger than me. You will tell me anyway respect as any other teacher. A white man gives you general information here, a little more attention and respect.

found on the first day at school instead of an overall teacher conference. They told me I should come by 8 clock. In the staff room I've talked with some teachers, to the Conference at 10:30 clock finally began. Fortunately, the conference was only in English and I could almost understand everything. Amusing to me was that honestly every 5 min in the room a cell phone rang and the person to make phone calls just left the room. Eventually, it was also the Head Master (Rector) too much and he asked that the phones the next time to put on silent. Ten seconds later rang his own Phone and he took the call even - the laugh was big. During the conference, he himself was called three or four times. discussed dealt with until all issues were durchzusprechenden, it withdrew, as always. Some teachers also went too long and they wrote messages with their mobile phones, exchanged numbers, or read newspapers. As you clock up 14 could finally find a point, there was at the expense of the school to eat something for everyone. After I clarified a few things with my contact person, I was allowed to go home. Thus ended my first "working day" ...

In the following days the first week it was no different. I came to school, talked a bit with the teachers and went on again two hours later. I was told that in the first week of a new school year, the timetable is constructed, and most students still are not at school. Therefore, the real lessons begin until the second week of school - in this case, it was only Thursday. In the meantime, there was a Department-meeting (a meeting of the fan network, which also includes ICT). To address was that the rector would actually provide more money for computers in the school. It was also discussed that many teachers have no money for training. Only one teacher was out of school for financial support. Every detail has been recorded and written by hand in a large book. For this reason, the meeting moved unnecessarily long. At the end of the number of teaching hours was announced. I was to teach 17 hours. Spread over five weekdays, which acts not much, but I would take over the entire graduating classes. These are compact their ICT hours on Thursdays and Fridays of the week. So I had in the first weeks of Monday through Wednesday off and for Thursdays and Fridays, eight hours. At my school there are between the hours of classes a break. Only between the 3rd and 4 and between the 7th and are 8 hour it a half-hour break. If so you have to go to the bathroom, has is a problem. The toilet is located at a 5 min walk from my classroom. I swapped

For a few hours with my ICT colleagues had and was able to straighten my schedule, I am relatively happy with my project.
- Of course the circumstances. Some things are going well here obviously wrong. The use of batons, even for students who are underage, as a theme. Legally it is forbidden, but that is adhered to as little as the correct speed limit in Germany. A major problem is the lack of materials. The seats in the classes are too small for the students. There are few textbooks for the students, and if there are any, they are of very poor quality
(the material and content). The lines in the exercise books of the students seem to be pulled by hand. The gap is even bigger, even smaller. Especially to my school subject is to say that there are far too few computers. Normally, each class should have two ICT lessons during the week. Because of the limited number of computers, the classes (50 students) divided into two parts and thus we are left with a lesson. Despite the breakdown in part of four students sitting in front of a computer. Not every class can have ICT lessons, because, first, the room overcrowding, and secondly there with me only four ICT teachers.

The only thing that makes me to create in the school, is for the students (repeat senior year) and bad English can not understand some simple instructions. I think they are often not clear from the type of teaching, as I believe him. They are used to being in the smallest detail vorkaut them all and they just copy copy / need. If you expect a little initiative, they are swamped. The curriculum includes a variety of applications with Word and Excel. Today I wanted them to create newspaper articles, columns in Word. For this purpose they should first create a text and to keep it simple, I left them a report write about any animal. After 15 minutes had some just the heading and a half set. This was certainly not due to a difficulty with the computer. Many have problems regardless of a user manual to make something.
A teacher showed me the exam papers of last year. They were all Multiplechois issues. So I was already clear that they are not used to write my own text. The teachers just need a better education. At a Senior High School at least they are studying. The teachers at a junior high school are graduates of senior high school, without additional training.

Outside of teaching you will receive in school quite nice. The teachers meet in their free time usually under a large tree in the schoolyard. The bench under the tree is nearly always. Not that the teachers had as many free hours. In Ghana, the teacher every day but go to school, even if they did not have classes in one day. If another teacher is not there, they take lessons. Only some teachers have a part time job and work on their days elsewhere. Especially the teachers at a junior high school earn very little and have to feed this need for a family. They earn as much as I by my organization as "pocket money" to get ...

PS In http://picasaweb.google.de/raffael.mueller
there are a few pictures from my school!

V.bernardelli Model 60

My Town (Agona Swedru)


If you get into the city center seems to look like every corner, for every five yards is a state of similar sold. The only major orientation haunted are the gas stations. Here are the transportation hub, where it has the only traffic lights in the city. The buildings are going through almost one story and they do not differ much from each other. Man sets is not much value to the external appearance of a house. Many shops can be found only by chance, as they often have no duties to name tags. There is rarely a real general store. Typical items are either dresses, fabric, household items or food stalls. For dining, there are usually fried in fat yam or potato pieces with a chalice schafer sauce. If you want something better, you also get rice with stew (brown sauce and fish) or different fruit What I first noticed recently is that it's considered bad manners when you eat on the run. In that sense, I've been here often behaved badly. But in Ghana are certain behaviors for us Europeans "strange" to say the least ...

By the time you are immunized against the constant shouts of the people when a road running down. In order not to seem rude, I got used short wave, which is not too tiring to constantly repeat it. If you investigate each one makes cries himself only problems. Every little small talk and makes connecting to a quasi-boyfriend. The next time you meet the person, will only turn up right, that greets you and leads a discussion. Is this the 10 people on the morning commute, one can have the very annoying. I can understand the Ghanaians to this behavior already. It is firstly to their mentality very open and friendly to be. Second, it must be very boring to stand all the time in a stand and to wait for a customer. In addition, there is something special to have a white person as a friend.
However, not even a small talk is targeted and the first words "Give me money" or "coins" (coins) are still by my side from the (not too strenuous, short) wave.
But you need a self-help, you can really ask anybody on the road running around people. If you want to buy something, one is also liked to show the way where you can buy it. One day I was shaving powder (~ Rasierpuder) and asked to buy a booth, where there would be this. Faster than I could see, the seller ran away and brought me a can it. The crux of this kindness was that he wanted to sell it to me four times the price.

Although the city is rather small, the streets from morning to evening full of cars and people. Private cars are barely visible, but many taxis and Trotros. The Trotros means of transport for some longer distances and are of size comparable to a minivan. One enters through a side door and sits at fourth in a row (although the place is normally meant only for 3 people). Beside the door is the "mate" who cares about the money. At some point during the trip will be paid and if it has not fit, you get the latest when getting his change back. Only in larger excursions, for example, in the capital will get a hand-written ticket, which must be paid before the trip. In general, driving a los Trotro until it is full. This may take from time to time just two hours. Another problem is if you want to travel in larger groups. Until you find a car, for example, has six seats free, just might take a while. The waiting time until a Trotro drives off, amounts to a shorter but before than it is. Through the windows of a water bag, bread, sweets and be sold from time to handkerchiefs. Often you come up with some interesting Ghanaians in conversation, which had been to the U.S. or Europe. You can tell the people also said that they tell not only simply to get attention. With them you can have a good time on policy issues in Ghana. When it finally starts, be to the taxi, people stopped and recorded. The side door seems to always be claimed by a lot because they are in many Trotros not close properly and must be of material recorded. One last sentence to the Trotros: The trips are very uncomfortable, because it is quite shaken, has no leg room and has a permanent smell of exhaust fumes in the nose. In my case I can not even enjoy the scenery, I too big and I am therefore not much can look out the window.

The appearance of the city center at night is very different. Although the streets are still full and honking taxis clog the streets, there is a different atmosphere. There are no street lights, so every class is equipped with a type of candle. The air has hardly cooled, but there is no sun, it is compared to the day, pleasantly warm. Since so many people on the streets are on the road, you need to not be robbed fear. Only at night to go home alone should be avoided, since outside of the center and fewer people on the streets and you see nothing without a flashlight can. Not to be neglected are the mosquitoes that are active at night. I had until now no malaria, but gradually it meets any one time.

The description of my town you can actually be transferred to almost any other city in the southern part of Ghana. There are no real places in a city that stand out, except a few old relics of the colonial period, on the coast.