Ideas For Learning

Today, I decided to get some research done on my plants that I have learned about.  I also wanted to buy ingredients to make a cake for Mother’s day this weekend, and look at possible presents I could buy my host mom. I really do feel like family with them, so I feel like I want to buy them something they can use in the kitchen to make cooking a little easier. 

I also had an idea for the Library, since Thursdays are game days, I decided that I wanted to create my own board game. There are so many things I could center it around, math, science, reading. While brainstorming, I remembered that the kids couldn’t tell me where Ecuador was on the map of the world, or even South America. I decided to ask a bunch of them, and found that none of them knew. My board game will be a geography of South America game.

I went to Pedernales and researched for a few hours. I also got all the supplies to make a board game, and blew up the map of South America. Service in Ecuador is so slow, especially on the coast, and it took me way too long to have them blow up the map and print it. This is one thing I do miss about the US, people actually work and know what they are doing most of the time. I missed Kinko’s, and the easy printing they do.  I finally got all the supplies and paints that I needed for the game. 

When I returned to Tabuga, I was greeted with a ton of hellos from all of the kids.  I talked to a few of my favorite kids, and one of their moms mentioned that they really wanted to learn English. I invited them over to have their first English lesson. Valentina and Eduardo came over, and I made them sweets as I had them write down common English words and phrases. They did not really retain much information, but they were so excited to learn English. I fed them S’mores and Rice Crispy Treats, so they were very happy. Fabiola, my host sister, while listening in learned more than they did. Later, she asked me about it. Apparently, she really wants to learn English, and she is really good at it.

Doing the girls' nails

Fabian came over again, and I had him sit in on English. He is really good at it, and understands a lot. The kids here that go to school in a different city have a better education than those who go here in Tabuga; another reason the Library is good for them!