HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY PRACTICE – IN YEI- AGAIN

The partucipants during blog session

Under umbrella of Teacher Development Program the workshop is held at mine action building in Yei. The participants were combination of mine action employees and Norwegian people aid Yei vocational training centre.
The workshop started on Saturday 28th by following up the progress which the participants have done since the last workshop
The focal points of this workshop were:
· How can the participants find out a mechanism for improving their practice between the workshops.
· How can they benefit from learning groups as an effective tool of learning within and between the workshops?
· How can they use the blogs to describe their practice in details in order to build up an awareness about their practice and discover the weak areas for further improvements?
· Sharing their knowledge and experiences through group discussion.
· How can they utilize the above points to facilitate learning to their students.
The workshop concentrated on the importance of students centered learning as an effective

process which consider the needs of student with respect to his/her ability to learn.
The participants started to accept the new approach of student centered learning carefully at the beginning but after more demonstration about this approach by using brainstorm and group discussion they began to appreciate this as a new way to facilitate learning and to improve their practice putting into their consideration that they can’t learn on behalf of the student and the best thing that they can do is to let the students to take responsibility on their own learning instead of sitting in the classroom and listening.
I think now the participants have gotten many things to apply in their practice and in their daily life. In the same time they are looking forward to the next workshop.

How can I improve my practice -in Juba-

The workshop started on Monday 23th march at Mango camp in Juba under the umbrella of how can I improve my practice to train 22 participants from Multi training center MTC the main focus of the workshop is to help the participants to build up their won awareness toward facilitating learning to their students and trainees through:
Group discussion
Writing a daily log to sum up each day using their own observation and reflection upon their activities and vocational pedagogy as an approach which support and emphasis the practical area.
Sharing their knowledge and practice through face to face interaction and by using Internet as a global mean for sharing ideas and knowledge which is going to help them to reflect on their won practice related to their won trade. They are too interested in explore this area of technology. Their coming challenge is the sustainability of access to Internet in the coming soon future after the workshop ends in order to get familiar to use it.
How to identify problems which are facing instructor in practice and how can he solves them through experiences and doing then learn.
The participants are motivated and eager to participate in all activities especially when it related to Internet and blogs.

see it, do it, you will never forget it

Five days ago, we attended a lecture with second year students of nutrition and environmental health . the lecture was about meat, different types of meat, differentiation between these types and how to cook diverse dishes which meet is the main ingredient in each.

The lecturers were two smart ladies from Norwegian Meat Marketing Board . They gave the students intensive information about meat by the aid of PowerPoint presentation and some selected books.

The most excited part of the lecture is the practical part. The students were divided into groups. And the task was preparation of diverse dishes of meat using the information and instructions which the lecturers gave previously.

All the students actively engaged to achieve their task.

The kitchen was well prepared with all needed tool and stuff. now the good smell is everywhere and the lunch is ready and we are ready too for this delicious table .

I was thinking while I was enjoying my lunch about how the practice can make difference in the whole educational process when the students apply what they have been taught immediately and possess the ability to solve problems which they might faced during their task. This may give them opportunity to innovate something new and this is one of vocational education principles, I think .

After lunch the students present their dishes,and the instructor asked them some questions. I am quite sure they will never forget this lesson.

Thank you nutrition and environmental health students, I enjoyed my lunch.

FK preparatory course

We have finished our Fk preparatory course at Hadeland hotel 9-28 November 2008. And I mean by we Kathrine from Norway, Grace from Uganda, Sabet and I from Sudan .We represent the three ribs of triangle for collaboration between Hiak, KyU, UNU. Of course there are other participants from Africa and Norway(South and North participants).The exchange will take place as following : North -South , South-North and South-South.

The main goal of this course is to prepare the participants for the exchange by attending lectures, had discussion, interaction between the lecturers and participants and between the participants themselves. the focal point was diversity of culture and how to avoid cultural shock. In addition to many deep issues which had been discussed such as human rights, development issues and peace building, institutional capacity building, physical health and security,development challenges, personal challenges : psychological approach and cultural approach.
This program was supported by many activities in evenings. A good opportunity was made to create strong bond of friendship between the participants which may consider as one of the main goals of this course.





I do believe that the most beneficial part of this course is to put some issues under spotlight area then you realize that there are some issue you have to deal with to change your attitude towards them.
I do believe this exchange is the first step towards the change .