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Mambo vipi? My name is Justin Rosenau and I'm currently volunteering with the Peace Corps in Tanzania. Tanzania is a nation about the size of the state of Texas located in East Africa. As a Peace Corps volunteer I work as a Biology teacher at Chief Senge Secondary School in the region of Singida. The Peace Corps has three goals as part of its mission: 1) to help developing countries fulfill their needs for qualified and trained personnel, 2) to provide a better understanding of America and its people on part of the people we serve and 3) to improve understanding of the countries we serve on part of Americans. The government of Tanzania realized that they have a large shortage of qualified science teachers that is slowing their national development. They have invited Peace Corps volunteers to Tanzania to work side by side with Tanzanian teachers to effect positive change. To that end, I work every day to teach and to improve my student's understandings of biology and the scientific method. I also work to try to improve the quality of teaching of my fellow teachers by promoting new and more effective educational methodologies and practices. During my first year teaching, I have made some progress towards these goals by getting my students involved and interested in science and asking good questions. I am, however, hampered by a severe lack of laboratory equipment at my school. So most of the science my students learn is completely theoretical-really just drawings or diagrams in their daftaries (exercise books) unless I can come up with an approximate simulation with local materials. As a biology teacher, I have an easier time finding simulations to improve their understanding of theory, but it is still very difficult for the other sciences. A lack of laboratory materials not only slows the students understanding of scientific concepts but also hinders the student's progress onto higher levels of education. Here in Tanzania, only the students who do best on their national exams get to continue with their education due to a lack of higher level schools. On their national exams, the students not only have to prove they have understanding of the scientific theories but that they can actually apply those theories in a practical manner. When the school does not have the requisite materials to conduct practical exams, the students are put at a disadvantage to students at other schools with proper materials in continuing onto higher education. This past school year had only two of the one hundred four graduating students continuing on to an A level school. I want to try to increase that number this year by giving practical demonstrations and experiments.
To that end, I hope to
collect enough money from donors back in the states so that I can go to Arusha
(the nearest large town that sells such materials) and buy the necessary
equipment and materials (like microscopes, basic chemicals, scales, glassware
etc.). I then hope to begin instructing both my students and fellow teachers
(because most times they themselves never had or used laboratory equipment
before) in the proper storage and usage of such materials and how to design
experiments to reinforce the science we teach. That is what I hope to
accomplish with your help. Asante sana! Tushukuru kwa saidie yako. Karibuni
Tanzania! (Kiswahili for: Thank you very much! We are thankful for all your
help. Welcome to Tanzania!)
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Tanzania
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