Making a Difference

1. Making a Difference By Claire Dean claire@stirlingps.co.za Stirling Primary East London South africa Innovative Teacher TeachMeet

2. Five Grade 4-6 students. From an Eastern Cape Government School. Marco, Phiwo, Sabriyah, Siliziwe and Mbasa. Entered their project into ThinkQuest’s International Competition 2012. The MaD Team

3. ThinkQuest Competition • Collaborated with a disadvantaged school, A. W. Barnes Primary, to Make a Difference. • The MaD Team created a website of 13 pages for the ThinkQuest competition. • The Project was assessed on: • Critical Thinking Skills • Communication Skills • Technology Skills

4. At the end of the project The MaD Team received • Letters from: the principal, and librarian of A.W. Barnes Primary School.

5. A few quotations from the principal’s letter: • " We would like to acknowledge your school's generous donation of library books to our school library.“ • " Our learners have very enthusiastically started to read and to take out these books." • "The number of books in the school's library allows the learners to take the book home to read." • “Our learners also appreciated the opportunity to visit your school and to read to your young learners." • " Our learners have grown in confidence since they have been able to communicate and to collaborate with fellow learners from Stirling Primary,"

6. A few quotations from the librarian’s letter: • "Our school's learners feel so privileged to be involved in the MaDproject.“ • "It is amazing to see what a huge impact for young, enthusiastic children can make in the lives of others." • "This project has opened doors to, not only the leaners you met and worked with, but also to the other children in the school.” • "Our prefects were given an opportunity to interact with children from another school, gain confidence in reading by reading to your grade 2 learners, doing book reports, interviewing other children.”

7. More from the librarian’s letter: • "They have taken these skills and used them at our school to cultivate a love for reading.” • "We have also started giving learners the opportunity to read books to the rest of the school during assembly." • "The books that you collected and donated to the school are stunning.!” • “The children are so excited and they could not wait to start taking out the books at the library to go read them in class or at home.” • "Our school's ThinkQuest involvement with you had a huge impact in the reading culture of our school.”

8. Comparison between the two schools Stirling Primary A. W. Barnes Has about 1100 students from Grade R to Grade 7. Has approximately 9000 books in the library. Has a budget to purchase new books every year. Has about 1100 students from Grade R to Grade 7. Only 4500 books in the library Has no budget.

9. What did the MaD Team do? • Making a Difference in the lives of the students of an under-privileged school by: • Visiting them a few times. • Promoting Reading Events. • Donating books. • Creating a website of the entire project.

10. First Meeting • The MaDTeam met with the librarian of A. W. Barnes and her library prefects asking questions such as: • " What do you know about National Library Week?" and • "How we can help you?". • A.W. Barnes School is situated next to a rubbish dump site. • Is 10km from Stirling Primary. • Unfortunately no photographs taken during the visits can be published on the Partners in Learning website. It’s not possible to trace the A.W. Barnes former students as they have now moved on to a high school of their choice.

11. In preparation for the second visit • A Reading Tally Sheet was prepared by Siliziwe and • A Reading Survey created by Phiwo

12. Brainstorming questions. Preparing for Surveys

13. Siliziwe (tally sheet expert), Sabriyah (photographer),Marco (photographer), Mbasa (permission form expert and refreshment provider)and Phiwo(reading survey expert) Second visit in front of the school bus

14. Replies from Siliziwe’s Tally Sheet • The A.W. Barnes’ library prefects interviewed 206 students • Most studentsread magazines, enjoy reading and think it is fun. • The author Roald Dahlis the favourite author of 35,5% students interviewed • Readathon Week: about three quarter of the students have heard about it.

15. Reading Survey – some questions and replies • Who is your favourite author and why? • a)Roald Dahl because he writes terrific books. b)Roald Dahl, his books are nice stories to read. c)Laurie Fredman she understands what she writes. d)Annie Bryant, she writes interesting books. • What do you enjoy about reading and why? • a)I enjoy reading because it builds up my vocabulary. b)I enjoy reading because it makes me clever and makes me find interesting things. c)The peaceness and the joy it brings to me. d)I enjoy reading because it memorises, feeds& freshens my mind. • What kind of books do you like? • a)Books that are interesting like Roald Dahl books. b)Roald Dahl books. c)Love stories. d)I like BSG books (Beacon Street Girls).”

16. Marketing the Project • “Tell: our students, teachers and parents about our ThinkQuest project. • Ask:for books to donate for A W Barnes Primary School's library. • Encourage:reading • Educate:students from our school and those of A W Barnes about the special reading events in 2012.”

17. Marketing continued Mbasa published an article in our school’s own newsletter, the Green Gossip. Siliziwe wrote an article that was published on the School Communicator for all parents to read.

18. Marketing – example of poster

19. Marketing – example of poster

20. Marketing – example of poster

21. Marketing – example of poster

22. Bookmarks Creating, cutting and laminating the 60+ bookmarks designed in MS Publisher.

23. The MaD Team organised Special Reading Events 1. World Book Day: 1 March 2012 Theme: Read a book. Share a book 2. World Read Aloud Day: 7 March 2012 3. S.A Library Week:17 March - 24 March 2012 Theme: Develop at your library.

24. On 14 March the MaD Team attended an assembly at A.W. Barnes Presented their book reports Handed over the bookmarks Donated about 800 books that our school's students have donated. Carrying the boxes of books

25. At their assembly “Handing over the boxes full of books!”

26. MaD Team doing book reviews at the assembly.

27. Our Thoughts - a few quotations Sabriyah's Thoughts “22 February 2012: Over the past four weeks I have learned many different things. I learned how to work together as a team for me that is very important as it is a life skill. I also learned how to be a leader. I learned that not a lot of people know about National Library week so I am happy that I am teaching teachers and students about National Library week. I learned how to make bookmarks and posters using Microsoft Office Publisher. Over the past four weeks I learnedhow to use a camera. I am really happy in ThinkQuest.”

28. Our Thoughts - a few quotations Marco’s Journal “22 February: On the six of February we went to A W Barnes and I was excited to meet the new prefects. Turns out they were all girls and I think that is not fair. I was the Photographer and I took over seventy photos and edited two of them. Our school is donating books because their library is smaller than a classroom. Were are trying to make a difference in their school we care about them. 16 April 2012: I learned how to work with girls as I am the only boy in the team. I also learned how to work with a camera to take photos and I learned how to scan a picture on the computer. I had to read a book and prepare book report. This I had to learn and say in front of A W Barnes students. I learned how to design a poster and bookmarks. I had to put in extra time to complete my work.”

29. Our Thoughts - a few quotations Mbasa’sthoughts “06 March 2012: On the 6 of March, A W Barnes came with 7 prefects. They came to read to our Grade 2's and 3's. They had a great time reading to the Grade 2's and 3's. 12 March 2012: My book for the book review is about The 12 Dancing Princesses. The book is about Rowena the witch, she poisoned the king so that the king could get weak. Rowena tried to control the palace but she couldn't. I think you should read this book because it is interesting, fun and enjoyable. 16 April 2012: From the beginning I learnt team work, team work is an important life skill. I learnt how to use the scanner, camera and the laminating machine. We had different roles, mine was to take all the photos.”

30. Our Thoughts - a few quotations Siliziwe's thoughts “22 February 2012: In the last few weeks, I created a few tally sheets. We handed those to A W Barnes. They completed the tally sheets and send to us. I then created a note for our school communicator, which I have put on ThinkQuest to explain that we need books to send to them. I am going to use the school scanner to scan the tally sheets. 12 March 2012: This week we had to prepare a book review for Mrs Dean. The book is called Bambi. Bambi is a Walt Disney Classic story. Bambi is a new born prince. Bambi was learning about the different things in the forest. One day a man came in the forest and killed Bambi's mother. I chose this book because it looks interesting and it looks like you can learn something from it.”

31. Our Thoughts - a few quotations Phiwo's thoughts: “22 February 2012: Over the past four weeks we have worked on our bookmarks unfortunately I have not finished it, because I was working on my reading survey. My reading survey was to find out what people knew about reading. My fellow ThinkQuest friends worked on posters to say that we need books to be donated to A W Barnes. The last time we went to A W Barnes was on the 6th of February to meet the new library prefects and to give them The Reading Survey, The Reading Tally Sheet and The Permission slips.” 16 March 2012: I have learnt that a lot of schools are underprivileged and do not have a lot of books for the children to read. I now do not take thing for granted. I have also learnt reading is a very important thing in life.”

32. Book Reports A few weeks after the books were donated we received book reports from the library prefects of A W Barnes Primary School.

33. Final Thank You' s The Team wanted to know how they helped A.W. Barnes’s library and school. They sent letters to the principal and librarian of this school asking: Please let us know “How our project made a difference to your school”.

34. ThinkQuestCompetition – Good News In March 2013 we received an email from ThinkQuest that The Team finished in the top 10% of the competition. If the students were 18-22 years they would have been able to apply for an internship!