DEDICATION

Facebook  09/29/2012

DEDICATION

Last Saturday we had a three-hour workshop ("seminar") on "Using Sounds to Teach Reading in English," attended by twelve teachers from Maranatha Primary Schools, one from Maria Assumpta, three toddlers, and a baby. We served snacks, learned a lot about each other, and had a good time. 

Thirteen experienced and dedicated teachers, who work from 7 to 5, five days a week, spent a precious Saturday morning learning new skills to help their students. We started about 8:45, and the last people left about 2:30.

Two current areas of emphasis for improving education in Uganda are phonetic reading skills and preschool education, and training in teaching decoding skills has only recently been provided in university teacher education programs. Additional training is expensive and requires traveling to Kampala, the capital city. Amazing that these are two areas that I actually know something about from both education and experience.

We discussed introducing decoding skills into an established reading curriculum, practiced teaching English language sounds and sound-blending using Dubard Association Method techniques, and demonstrated activities for ages 3 to 10, using methods and materials developed by Dr. Maureen Martin, Director of the Dubard School for Language Disorders at USM, and the late Dr. Etoile Dubard. We also viewed short internet video clips of students using this method at the TALK Institute and School, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Cathy Walusimbi, who organized our workshop, and I have been invited to teach something similar later this year at Maria Assumpta School on the other side of Mityana.

A good day ... Dancing in the Sunshine in Mityana!

 Polly Brady Sumrow Marilyn, I am in love with your updates and pictures. You are an awesome teacher and a blessing to the other teachers and students. What a wonderful way to learn from each other. Thank you for your service. God is good all the time.

Thursday at 1:36am · Like · 3

Marilyn Vlahos Polly, it's nice to have such kind words from my former boss. See what wonderful experiences you can continue to have when you retire!
Thursday at 3:20pm · Like

Johnnie Quick Phelps How wonderful that your trip is turning out to be everything you hoped it would be and more!
Thursday at 2:18am · Like · 1

Marilyn Vlahos Johnnie, it's nice to get to do all the fun part of teaching school. The adults are kind and caring, the children are precious, and the village life is in many ways like Mississippi when we were growing up.
Thursday at 3:29pm · Like

UPDATE  10/08/2012

Kind words from Eva Walusimbi.  She and her husband Patrick, Pastor of Golgotha Missions Church here in Mityana, Uganda, are the founders of the Maranatha Integrated Schools Project, which operates five schools in this area.  They are graciously allowing me to live in their home and teach in their schools this fall.  

Facebook  10/04/2012

Eva Walusimbi

posted to

Marilyn Vlahos

Thursday

The greatest love that one can give and demonstrate, is for one to give his/her life for the other, You have done that so be blessed by the only one who can reward you abundantly, That is God.

You, Jenn Lynn and Ed Davidson like this.

Marilyn Vlahos Thank you, Eva.
Thursday at 8:27pm · Like