Scorpian and Runaway Horse

While walking to the TRC the other morning I saw this in the pathway.

It was dead and very big.

It was an interesting morning.

While walking to the bank on Thursday, March 12, down Agogo High Street (the main street in Agogo) Betsy and I saw a horse running in the lane with traffic. The horse had a lead, but no one leading it. It was galloping quickly toward us as we were walking median in the middle of the two-lane street. All of a sudden we noticed it was heading straight toward us. We stopped and the horse came right to us and then walked across the median toward on coming traffic. As soon as it passed I realized I had my camera and snapped the picture seen below. Both Betsy and I wondered if we should have tried to stop the horse and tie it somewhere safe, but we just hoped that an adult caught it before the crowd of school children chasing it.

After spending 15 minutes on our trip from the bank to town we came across the horse tied to a tree in the shade next to a tro-tro station. Betsy took a picture of me with it.

As soon as we snapped the picture a gentleman came up and wondered why were taking pictures of his horse. I said “Because I love horses”. So later, further in town, he finds me again and asks me to take his picture…not with the horse- just a picture of him. So I did.

It was an interesting day in town.

KNUST came to APTC

On Monday, March 9th Mariama and a fellow arts education lecture, and 29 Arts Education Masters and Doctoral students from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology came to Agogo Presbyterian Training College. During their visit we showed them our TRC and examples of TLMs that our students had created. It was fun to see these students get so excited about everything. The students and teachers traveling with them snapped pictures left and right. Papa and Ma paid our visitors a visit at the TRC.

After our introductions Betsy and I talked about the benefits of using TLMs in the classroom and how using found materials is cheaper and environmentally friendly. Then we let this art students show us their stuff by stepping back and letting them form groups and create. They came up with so many amazing TLMs.


Another great use for water bags...a small bag!

The following groups created a pencil holder/flower holder out of a toliet paper roll and the lid of cheese.

I also thought this Styrofoam house was a hit.

And what about this Styrofoam duck with a liquid pump head.

The movie screen for counting used to be a raisin bran box. How cool.

Here we have Shape Man. Can you name all of the shapes?

The group presenting below has a nice 3-D poster with water bags holding the words to match the Styrofoam shapes.

Here we have movable toilet paper rolls to demonstrate the primary colors.

This bottle cap match primary colors to make secondary colors.

Below is a basketball net for throwing words into. If you don't make the basket you have to write a sentence with the word.

This group created an interactive color wheel.

The group below used bottle caps to help students identify their colors.

It was so much fun to see what new ideas for TLMs could be made from toilet paper rolls, boxes, water bottles, and water bags.

After class we went to Agogo’s finest restaurant, Dollar Days Inn. Here Marima treated ups to delicious fried rice on the three-story porch over looking our beautiful town. After lunch we set them on their way back home. It was a successful and fun visit.

On the 28th of March APTC is having a celebration for the students and Betsy and I are going to put together an exhibit of the TLMs created for a competition we are having. We have invited the KNUST students back and we hope they can make it!

Send-Off Service for Mrs. Grace Ofosuhemaa Odjidia

When I first met my principal, Ma or Mrs. Grace Pfosuhemaa Odjidia, she told me she had retired the previous year. However, no one was found to replace her. So as soon as her replacement was found she would be leaving Agogo. In December she told me she would be leaving in February. Luckily I got an extra few weeks with her. On Sunday, March 8th the Agogo Presbyterian Church held a Send-Off Service for her. Betsy and I walked to church with Gloria, Emmanuel, and Rama.

Rama is Ma’s niece that always comes when she has college breaks from her teacher training college in Kumasi. This past visit we traded books. She read the first three Twilight books and we discussed them. Now I am reading two of her book The Judas Touch and The Kite Runner. She reads so much faster than I and is so excited about good books. It has been really fun hanging out with her over the past three weeks.

When we headed to church the service started right on time at 9:30am. We saw many coworkers and community members. Agogo's chief showed up as well.

It was a nice program. We left church at 1:30pm and then headed to the dining hall on campus for the presentation of gifts. People brought their gifts to Ma and then said a few words at the microphone. We were also served water, minerals (soda), and fried rice. I gave my rice to a friend since it wasn’t vegan…but it looked good.

We got home around 5:00pm and I made myself dinner…fried rice. How fitting.

Ma just left campus yesterday, Thursday March12. Not only did she leave, but Josephine (my Twi teacher/cooking teacher/friend) too. I am going to miss them both I so much. But I am planning to see them in Accra soon.

IFESH and World Cocoa Foundation Visit #2

On Friday, March 6, 2009, not only did Betsy and I celebrate Ghanaian Independence Day, but we also received a visit from: our Country Representative, the World Cocoa Foundation Education Program Director, and the IFESH Program Director. All three gentlemen were excited about visiting our principal before she left the school for retirement, and seeing what work we have done in our TRC. The week before this visit I had more time to send in the TRC since we had no workshops or classes. So I made a bunch of new posters and created new bulletin boards for the TRC.


My favorite board it one that Betsy and I are going to keep adding to. It is called “TRASH = TREASURE” where we showcase a piece of “trash” and talk about what TLM you can make from it. Currently we have shown bottle caps and boxes.


It was a nice visit and I think Betsy and I have done a good job added on to what the past IFESH volunteers had created.

Ghana’s Independence Day

On Friday, March 6, 2009 Ghanaians celebrated the anniversary of gaining their independence. Weeks prior to Independence Day students in schools all over Agogo were seen and heard preparing to march on this special occasion.

On this Friday I caught the parade while on my way to town for the Friday market. It was so much fun to see all of the different schools marching in beat to the student drummers. All of the schools made there way down to the park grounds, which is the open area across from my school where the Minster of Finance’s funeral was held.

Once in place each school took turns marching around for the crowd to see while on lookers cheered for their favorites and were able to buy snacks from vendors.

After each school (over 15 schools from primary to high school) and other organizations (police, military, etc) marched people celebrated in town. Each school was judged and the winner was announced later on the radio.

Workshops for APTC Primary School

February 17th, 24th, 25th, and 27th Betsy and I hosted workshops for the Agogo Presbyterian Training College Primary School. We divided the day up into three one-hour workshops KG/1, P2-3, P4-6. Our workshops included classroom management tips, graphic organizers, and creating TLMs with items already in the classroom. We began the workshops with a “Burnout Quiz” to have the teachers self assess their stress levels and then we gave suggestions for burnout prevention. Our classroom management tips included a go around cup (slips with each child’s name on them placed into a container to be used to call for answers), classroom helpers, being consistent with rules and consequences, and funny cheers to encourage students to keep up good behavior. We taught graphic organizers such as KWL charts

(charts used to assess students prior Knowledge on a subject, find out what they Want to learn, and what they have Learned once the subject is finished) and Venn diagrams

(used to compare and contrast) to be used on the chalkboard. Since the workshops we have already had teachers come during the TRC’s open hours to create TLMs and borrow from our collection of big books.