Mini Stanford Reunion 9/19/09
Posted by: sfucharoen on: September 20, 2009
Hi everyone!
This is my first blog under Kin’s name! Finally… Currently we are hanging out in Art’s room, aka “team meeting” at 8pm. Pak Hin was calling for a spotlight on Max. Art is holding his guitar and playing random tunes. Meanwhile, Max is probably messaging his girlfriend with his cell phone. Kin is also checking his cell phone while Kasama and Edwin are just sitting and chilling. Of course, Adriana (which is me) is writing her first blog entry. I love this SEALNet Stanford hangout. Unfortunately, not everyone is here because we can’t reach them at the moment. Next time though, we’ll definitely try to get everyone. For those not at Stanford now, we can totally have a reunion online so that we can complete the last spotlight on Max! More will come later…
Awesome awesome!
Adriana
active learning: English class
Posted by: white14139 on: September 2, 2009
On Monday, the English teacher comes up with the lesson plan on the topic “sickness.” On Monday the teacher runs the class himself. Start the class with “Parts-of-body song” and let students touch the right body parts. Then he introduces the conversation: “How do you feel today?/Are you OK?/Are you feeling well?” and the answers are “I feel well.” or “I don’t feel well. I have a cold/fever/headache/diarrhea/stomachache/” (Students learn to pronounce and remember these sickness words first.) Group activities require student to write sentences on the paper. The problem arises. The teacher did not explain clearly enough what he expects students to do, and students cannot write the reply to the questions.
In general, the English teacher understands fully what active learning is and it is very promising that the teacher will further the project and put it into action not only in his class but also in the classes in the entire school. After SEALNet team and the teacher have been working together for one and a half week, we come up with the simple finalized version of active academic activities and their results. The English teacher can explain the lessons to the students very well and he can always add the funny tricks into the lesson to entertain students, and it works!
On Tuesday, SEALNet team runs the class in the same topic as yesterday.
1. Body Parts Song
2. Competition between 2 groups to perform the song/dance
3. Skits
Class is divided into 4 groups. Each group is assigned one new vocabulary word, they have to come up with a skit in Thai that presents the word’s meaning. In another word, the students are responsible of teaching their classmates new vocabulary words. (In this case: headache, stomachache, cold, fever). Then each group comes up and performs their skit in front of the class. The class repeats the new word after each skit.
1. Question&Answer lesson
Students learn the meaning and pronunciation of one question (How do you feel today?) and two answers (I feel well or I don’t feel well). By using the new vocab words they learnt, they can make up an answer about having a headache or stomachache, etc…
Outcomes and problems:
Students seem to enjoy the lesson and they are more creative than we have expected. Group activity seems to be a very fit exercise for them. There is no particular problem that’s worth mentioning here J
View from the hotel
Posted by: dianeiam on: September 1, 2009
Hey guys! 
Am writing this from the particular part of the lobby that has internet access.
Trust you all are having fun with workshops and signing autograph books and teasing someone about her ever-growing fanclub haha jk.
Anyway just wanted to say that I hope everyone is wellish or getting there and thanks so much for the care and the niceness. Feeling fine since yesterday.
Feel bad that Kin and Adriana have had to manage much of this trip without a core team haha but they’ve been doing so splendidly and being so super nice that I am just really impressed.
On another note, I miss spotlight on so much. I am such a gossip. I can’t believe I’ll only get to attend the very last spotlight on and that it will be MINE. And everyone will have had so much practice at asking awful questions. You guys got to tell me the best questions that were asked though. My favorite is still ‘Which part of the bicycle do you look at first’. Priceless:D
Thanks for being such an awesome team guys! And if there’s anything that can be done from a spot in the hotel lobby definitely let me know. you’ve all been doing such awesome work. goodluck with the last bit it will be GREAT:D
love you guys
Diane
Library: Tuesday 9/1
Posted by: ikasama on: September 1, 2009
Hello September. We have finally come to the last day of our routine library active classes—only three more sessions. The day began at 8.15 AM when we started playing “Chippie Chip,” a copycat game in which a person has to copy his/her motion from the previous one.
Then, our classes kicked off at 9.30. It was for 6th graders. We didn’t expect it to be so smooth since the other sixth graders’ class on Thursday. An image of quiet, not participating students still lingered in my mind. Surprisingly, this class was more active. Although boys and girls are still separated (I would now assume that it is because of their age), they talked. Also, the class was quieter than yesterday’s 7th graders. It was easier for Beer to control them.
During lunchtime, I played with the kids who came to the library. (It was outside the library, though. A rule keeper or instructor cannot break the rule himself.) Fun, I realized that I had already forgotten a lot of Thai traditional activities.
In the afternoon, we had 2 classes: one for 1st grade and the other for 3rd grade. Classes for younger students were easier than those for older kids. Bee effectively used her kid-loving skills to control young girls. Art, on the other hand, help deal with the boys. With only two people holding the class, everyone else was happy. I’m sure those two were as well.
We held the last drawing contest at 2.30. 7th, 8th, and 9th graders congregated at the place where we had lunch as always. They are older, so we made them read longer articles about techniques to be a good reader and draw what they learned from the reading. The session went well. We now had all of the drawings. The next task is to judge for the winners.
Kasama
Math Day 3
Posted by: Edwin Sze Lun Khoo on: September 1, 2009
08/31/2009 (Monday)
We had our last two mathematics classes today and the topic was geometric transformations, specifically translations. The first class was pushed forward by an hour and thus caught us and the mathematics teacher off-guarded. The teacher was extremely competent at handling the class despite the surprise and was able to teach the class about translations in the spirit of active learning. Adriana, who was observing the class, and we are thus very encouraged and optimistic that the teacher would be able to sustain active learning. Of course, active learning only works if students are willing to learn and cooperate with the teacher and based on the feedback we have got from them, we are also confident that they are receptive to an active style of learning. Unfortunately, Nics had to leave the team early and the team would definitely miss him. I personally would like to thank him for his awesome ideas and teaching and it is my honor to be able to work with him for the past week to teach some cool mathematics stuff to the kids.
Quick update on our social life
Posted by: jaz08 on: September 1, 2009
Hey guys,
It’s Jaz. I noticed that we have had many posts about project updates, so here’s an informal one about how our social life is taking place during PT 09.
First of all, food! It seems that recently everyone has become quite happier providing that we keep getting fed with super good northern Thai food. From the Fun Day yummy lunch and fancy dinner to yesterday’s feast, we definitely had so much fun eating. Say good bye to the repetitive hotel dinner and hello to this new world of edible cuisine. Some gossips: Art eats just as much as Pak Hin or Park haha :p and Paul doesn’t seem to be keeping up with his diet anymore, at least not when good food is always around ^^ The school is also very nice. Yesterday they gave us papaya and guava for desert <3 I must confess that I ate a good portion of papaya :p They are sooooo good!!
Second of all, Spot Light On. We have moved on to the last 6 people on the team who haven’t been tortured, I mean, been on the spot light. Last night, Pup and Bee had their turns and it was quite fun asking them random questions. So if you haven’t been on the spot light, be prepared We only had some last chances to create some crazy, legendary questions for you anyways. so expect the best from us <3 I also like how some questions have become quite the “standard” spot light on questions. It’s like it won’t be complete if these questions are not eventually asked hehe
Third of all, health. I’m glad that most of us have come back to our normal, healthy selves. And for those who are still sick, I hope you will get better soon enough. Love Love Love <3
Fourth of all, we completed 2 paintings/posters for the library yesterday. It was super fun drawing and coloring with you all: Park, Art, Mei Yueh, Adriana, Paul, Max, Pak Hin, etc… Be proud, all the posters look super cool and thirty years later, they might still be hung up here when you come back to pay a visit ^^
Fifth of all, start brainstorming on our last nights together guys. We must be prepared :p
Love all of you guys <3
Awesome Team!
Posted by: Nics on: September 1, 2009
Hey friends,
I’m home. I would like to thanks all of you for making my past week so awesome. I’m very sorry that I have to leave the school before we finish the project (doesn’t mean I’m leaving the project – I’ll still be working!). However, this is a compromise that I need to have. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to do this project at all.
I want to make a proper good bye, esp. for those who I haven’t had a chance to say goodbye in-person. It’s so amazing that such a great friendship and bond like this can be made only in just a week. Thank you. If someone asks me one of the most memorable time in my life, this week surely will be my answer.
I’ll watch you guys on TV… 
Please keep in touch,
Nics
Ps. Someone please tell Mama that I’m home – safe. Tell Kong that I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye, but that’s because I’ll see him again in the US, when he goes there with a scholarship.
Library: Monday 8/31
Posted by: ikasama on: August 31, 2009
Monday… Going back to school after a fun weekend, the library now was 90% done. The day began with 2 classes: 1st grade and 4th grade. They were really energetic, and though many of them were not fluent in reading. They were really enthusiastic about reading books. Many of the 1st graders were really interested in dinosaurs and reptiles. For the 4th grader, though it was not easy to make them learn to sit still and read. They, by some incomprehensible way, managed to read as well as play around in the library ^ w ^
During lunch break, there were so many students coming to the library!!!!! I am not sure if it was due to the fact that it was raining, due to us being there or due to the fact that they wanted to read. Still I am glad to see them there.
In the afternoon, we had more classes: 7th grade and 8th grade. They were quite loud and even though they could manage to do well in the presentation, the class did not go as well as previous ones.
Other than that, other members also helped us decorate the library with ribbons and posters. The library looked cuter now. Thanks to all the members. The library sub team really appreciates it ~
Bee ^ w ^
Library: Thursday 8/27
Posted by: ikasama on: August 31, 2009
Basically, today was similar to the past few days. We started the day at 9.30 with a class for sixth graders. Fifth graders worked well yesterday so that we hoped for a better class. Because they were older, we thought they were more mature and would make our work easier. However, maturity could not explain this case. Unlike all of the previous classes, they didn’t talk to one another. Bee called me to help in a situation that no matter what she did, the kids didn’t respond. I did go, and I found them problematic for holding a class.
I do not know the reason. Will I blame them? No. Will I blame us? Same answer. The activity might not fit the 12-year-old kids. We need to use this situation to improve our performance. I promise.
All other classes were good. Students participated even though our jokes might not work so well due to repetition.
In the afternoon, we held an art contest for first-to-third graders. We asked them to draw and paint about their dream library. Owing to facilitation of the teachers, the kids stayed in order, and I was pleased.
As Thais, the team went to the Green Room to help the leadership component with brainstorming the project. It was fun and challenging. The project was about promoting library and reading, on which we had been working. We knew how the situation would be. Sorry for the mentees if I overanalyze the pros and cons of their projects.
Kasama
Library: Tuesday 8/25
Posted by: ikasama on: August 31, 2009
The task began immediately after we stepped into the seem-to-be-good library. Having planned only to swap between the reference area and the kid’s corner, we thought this task would end very soon. Things turned to be more complex when we actually moved stuff. We came up with other issues. The librarian made a new request, and Adriana visited us. Greeting, she proposed her ideas. They all were awesome, but 11AM wouldn’t be the end of the scheduled renovating time anymore. Then we decide to rearrange everything but half of the Dewey Section at the very end of the library. We talk, discuss, brainstorm, and whatsoever about half an hour. A disaster.
On the ground, thanks to everyone who helped and were patient enough to say “ok” to every change of the plan, the work went quite fast. We learn an important fact: the school had a lot of interesting books which fit the kids very well, but most of them were in the reference section. Not many students had made uses from this school resource. Anonymously decided, these books needed to be moved to the Kids Section.
We move, move, and move. I was glad that all of the SEALNet PT09 Team members were enthusiastically involved in this manual labor work. Everyone, yes—including us, tirelessly brought the books out of the shelves then pushed the shelves to another place one after another. Not very soon (around 2.30PM, to be more precise), the structure of the library had completed—physically. I left the library for a break with mixed feelings. I was glad that we successfully moved most of the shelves, but thousands of books were on tables randomly.
Planned, about 30 third-graders came to the library to help the librarian put the stickers on the books. Those stickers were used for easier recognition of category of a book when the students searched for it. The kids were excited.
Everything went just fine until Dr. Nirund came and talked to Beer. He wanted PT09 to establish a program called “pay it forward.” The program was to encourage the leadership mentees to love readings and extend their interest in books to their friends. For me, this was feasible, but the other plan wasn’t. The latter was to promote reading to the mentees families. He said, we needed to visit their house and talk to their parents. We should guide them to create book-loving environment, and possibly, at least ten families will be the pilots of the whole municipal area. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…
The day ended with mystery of what to do next.
Kasama
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