Day 4 June 27

We had 4 students come to both the morning and afternoon classes today, an increase of one and two students, respectively. The kids seem to be getting the hang of working on the Khan Academy, and they are beginning to need less help from the teachers, at least in navigating the website. Their learning is becoming more focused as they engage with the program, which in turn helps us teachers understand where the students are having difficulties and help them out. In the afternoon, Cindy Jackson, a middle school math teacher who has worked with the Khan Academy in the United States, gave a presentation to the teachers on how to best engage with the students. With the anticipation of more students next week and a limited number of computers, Ms. Jackson gave suggestions for math games and exercises to play outside of class that would reinforce the material students were learning with Khan Academy. She also spoke about the rote style of education in both the States and Bolivia, and about how we could teach our students in a way that emphasized understanding over simple memorization. Ms. Jackson showed a paper-folding exercise that worked as a visual learning tool for fractions, a subject with which her students have particular trouble. The program is picking up speed and as both the students and teachers become familiar with the classroom and Khan Academy. We are excited for the next steps in this program as more students arrive and learning progresses.

IP