Is this the future generation of Aperture users …?
Why we should spend more time educating the not so privileged ones… thankfully as I discovered recently in Chuuk, Micronesia, there are some people out there who do just that.
We finally arrived in Chuuk. Now where is Chuuk you might ask? Chuuk is located about an hour and 45 min. flying time slightly south and east of Guam, at approximately 8 degrees north latitude and 152 degrees east longitude, and is part of Micronesia. Otherwise know as TRUK LAGOON, Chuuk is best known for the huge fleet of 2nd World War ship wrecks now resting at the bottom of the ocean in the famous Truk Lagoon. Arnold my I.T. staff & friend and I are on assignment for one of our clients, Truk Lagoon Dive Center and Truk Stop Hotel.
Tuesday 7:30 in the morning during our breakfast I noticed three guys in the restaurant with iBooks and a Mac Book. I thought to myself “wow this is very strange” in a remote place like this to see three Macintosh computers and that’s not including ours. Well, the curiosity got the better of me and I approached the breakfast table with the Mac’s and started a casual conversation. That’s how I met Clark, Ben and Andy, and found out that Clark is teaching at the local Chuuk public high school using all iBooks in his class. Now I got more curious and during my conversation with Clark I found out that there was a donation of some (10) ten iBooks some time ago. With the support of the Touhy Foundation in Albany, New York, a group called Learning Currents International and the Episcopal Church in Micronesia (ECIM), obtained 10 iBook computers to use in its education programs.
Clark teaches a group of high school students, some photography, art, communication and English. Clark who is a very dedicated volunteer (see his Bio below) managed to organize these iBooks for the Chuuk Public High School, an amazing task and a great opportunity for these children in this remote part of the world.
© Gunther Deichmann – Clark Graham and Andrew Kerr working with the students on a Podcast
If you saw the place you might understand a bit more about this public school, it is guys like Clark who dedicate their life to projects like these with the occasional help from Andy Kerr from Guam who was there this week on a visit to help out. The local Government and education Dept. don’t seem to care that much; the facts are: a public high school with 600 children and not enough teachers, only two toilets, most of the time no power and drinking water, hence the children’s Podcast project reflecting the need for water and better facilities.
Clark invited me for a visit and showed me around. I met the students and was very impressed with their work done on the refurbished second hand iBooks. Producing podcasts and stories to be used and shown to other schools on the island, openly speaking from their heart about the conditions at their school and the lack of support from the local education department. Very impressive indeed, and as I discovered later, some great talent amongst this group of students!
Photo: © Gunther Deichmann, Left: the door to Clark’s classroom, note the notices posted by the students. Right: in one of the corridors at the school… too hot work inside; no power/electricity… no water
Take this example; Clark has to take all the iBooks home everyday for security and get them charged for the next day, which he does at the Truk Stop Hotel since they have reliable power and also the only place in Chuuk with a wi-fi connection. Sometimes Clark takes his students there for some learning experience on the net. I decided to help out a bit too, so on Friday morning I visited the school again to provide Clarks students some basic Photography lessons which he welcomed and thanked me for it, but then I should really thank him for showing me something that not so many people are aware of, another learning experience and a reminder of the “forgotten ones”.
© Gunther Deichmann – Left: the door to Clark’s classroom,
A small field trip around the school grounds showed the students sharing the only digital camera available, some evaluation of the images afterwards was appreciated very much by the students. Who knows, some of these students could be the next Aperture users in the future. I certainly detected a lot of excitement and interest in the visual arts.
We are so blinded by too much technology these days, but here I saw something very beautiful, a group of children with very little equipment getting some amazing results with just the basic iBook and sharing the only small digital camera patiently amongst each other.
Photos courtesy of Clark and Andy – the students at local Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center,
Thanks to Clark and his endless efforts these children have been given an opportunity in this remote part of the world, and as Clark explains… if only a handful of them make it then I have achieved something. Clark needs some more help with additional basic digital cameras and iBooks. From the ten originally donated iBooks 5 went back for repair to Guam with Andy Kerr who is donating his time and knowledge to the forgotten ones. Read more about Andy below, another guy with a good heart and soul.
© Gunther Deichmann – top: Outside the classroom, is it too hot? below: Andy Kerr is helping out with a project
We take things for granted and forget about the children who could use our help and knowledge given them a chance in life, this is what Clark does relentlessly. I take my hat off to Clark and Andy, for giving their precious time and energy to this amazing project, well done guys.
Photos by Arnold Munoz. GD during his brief photography session
My small contribution for a few hours was only a drop in the ocean, but seeing the students enjoying themselves gave me a great sense of satisfaction and when I return to Chuuk I am only to happy in contributing a lot more. For info on Gunther Deichmann visit his website at: http://www.deichmann-photo.com/
GD
Clark Graham:
Came to Micronesia in 1966 with the Peace Corps Volunteer as an ESL teacher. He also ran a dive shop for many years, did underwater photography and taught the only secondary Maritime History & Archaeology with students doing submerged cultural resource projects documenting the aircraft and traditional sites in Chuuk.
Since 1989 Clark has been the executive director of the Society for Historic Investigation & Preservation (SHIP), an FSM non-government organization (NGO). SHIP’s purpose is to promote historic preservation, environmental protection, to educate Micronesians and assist in preserving valuable knowledge and information, encourage pride in the past and use it as a bridge to the future, and using this information to empower young people to live healthy, wise and satisfying lives.
With the support of the Touhy Foundation in Albany, New York, Learning Connections International and the Episcopal Church in Micronesia (ECIM), SHIP obtained 10 iBook computers to use in its education programs.
SHIP choose Apple, specifically iBook laptops, because they are user friendly, offer excellent software, are rugged and reliable. With Garageband and all, they allow our students to interact easily and positively: they really get excited about learning.
Chuukese people have a high percentage of spatial and visual intelligence and our work with students in audio-visual projects, photography and multi-media activities allows them to achieve this without being proficient in English.
For more information and other disturbing images visit the Blog Site:
http://chuukhighschool.blogspot.com
About Andrew Kerr
Chuuk is one of four volunteer projects for me in Micronesia: Palau, Yap, Guam, Chuuk. All computer-related projects and all dealing with digital equity issues and Palau and Chuuk dealing directly with visual arts as a teaching mechanism (i.e. digital photography).
Andrew (Andy) Kerr, is an eLearning consultant whose clients private and public sector entities in the Asia/Pacific. His background includes 12 years of education and education related activities at the K-12, higher education and adult education levels throughout the US mainland, Pacific and Asia. The work has included distance education (Internet, satellite, video conferencing and hybrid models), instructional design, technology training and integration. Andy is the former Associate Director of the U.S. Department of Education program, the Pacific Regional Technology Education Consortium (PRTEC), and a university instructor, instructional technologist, and technology coordinator. Current projects include technology planning, staff development, and distance learning program implementation. He specializes in working with technology solutions for under-served areas, especially in rural and remote areas with little to no access to modern infrastructure and services.
© Gunther Deichmann. More computers… less or no Graffiti on the walls?
CHS-Chuuk High School: Chuuk’s oldest public high school located at Wunungenota: an important historic site for the Chuukese people. SHIP-Society for Historic Investigation & Preservation: SHIP an FSM NGO founded in 1989 with the purpose of promoting historic preservation, environmental protection, education, and the empowerment of young people to live healthy, wise and satisfying lives.
By Gunther Deichmann | Posted: 27-01-2008 | 15:35 Filed in: Aperture | Apple Mac | Interesting News
