Antigua 2014

We brought along some new and used smart boards this trip. Below you’ll see the progression of one of our students outlining where it goes, leveling the mounting bracket, adjusting the projector and then another one of our students instructing a teacher on how to use it (there’s no picture of the board going up on the bracket because I was helping lift it).

They’re pretty cool devices and new to Antigua (FYI, every school in the Bellevue and Lake Washington districts has one in every classroom, not just in every school). You can use it as a touch screen to control the computer, write on it and then save what you wrote (to the computer) and much more.

After some technology issues here are some more updates. Below is a picture of some happy kids, with their goofy faces, after getting their illustrated dictionary.

One new thing we’re doing this year is giving some schools a pre-dictionary quiz. In June they’ll get another quiz and we’ll have some metrics on how well the books are received, how the kids are learning, etc.

The teachers like it. A couple asked for our quiz because they found it well put together (thank my daughter-in-law Amanda for that) and want to more quizzes similar.

We presented the Ministry of Health with seven defibrillators and many boxes of testing supplies for blood pressure, diabetes and pap smears. They just don’t have the money for the supplies. All of the preceding will also have training for the medical people and the citizens.

Computer lab installations are ahead of schedule.

 

February 17, 2014

We arrived in Antigua Saturday about 4 pm their time. Our 5 hour layover in Miami turned into a 4 hour delay in Seattle. Glad we were able to use the Delta Sky Club (even though flying on American) and that we had the long layover.

Below are three pictures. Our crew of students who started working in the schools today, installing computers and smart boards in the three “interactive learning centers,” two of which are connected to new libraries that we helped furnish.

The other two pictures are from our first day of dictionary distribution. I guess it’s safe to day that the kids were happy to get their books!