Hello again,
The last week has come and gone in a whirlwind! The teachers performed the plays they wrote based on fairy tale books. The activity shows them how they can use drama to practice the language, which is usually more fun for the students than drill and practice of grammar rules. Part of our philosophy is that students will learn more if they like what they are doing, and they will remember more if they actually use it. So we do a lot of drama and activity based application of the language. Anyway, the plays were very entertaining. Try to visualize the Prince from Sleeping Beauty wearing a soup bowl on his head for a crown, or Cinderella putting her foot into a bedroom slipper.
There was a good presentation from the local Cultural Center demonstrating how to incorporate music and dance into vocabulary and grammar lessons. I believe the teachers now understand better how to make their lessons more motivating for students who really don't like school anyway. It's the same in the States!! Many of the teachers have felt tied to books and lecture methods authorized by the Ministry of Education (MINED).
On Wednesday, the class sort of hijacked us (with my permission,) arranged for a small bus and took everyone to Allegria, a beautiful colonial town in the mountains at the foot of a volcano. After a wonderful lunch at an open air restaurant overlooking the Rio Lempa, we hiked around the lake at the top of the volcano (no longer active :) This was the teachers' gift to us rather than giving us stuff. We were humbled by their generosity.
The closing ceremony on Friday went very well. My problem was trying to get address lists and certificates printed using borrowed computers and printers, trying to find printers that actually had ink, and trying to get an accurate list of how the teachers spell all 4 of the names they use in formal circumstances. The UNIVO university helped conduct a very formal ceremony with speeches and introductions, but we made it a little informal by giving the teachers and volunteers an opportunity to use the microphone to give their own comments. There were many friends and family there, and a few "directors" from the schools also attended. We had arranged a nice reception afterwards and people stayed around to visit for nearly an hour. Food does cut across cultural boundaries.
The final surprise in a day of surprises was an invitation to appear before the university Dean's council at the end of the reception. They expressed how pleased they were that we chose their university for the workshop, and issued us an invitation to please return next year. That was VERY nice to hear.
On Saturday we head back to the capital and then all of the volunteers start leaving to go back to the States. The other co-director and I are staying until Monday to tie up loose ends, so I'll plan to do one more journal entry.
My best to each of you,
Daphne
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