Education Program Revamp

This month we are excited to roll out a number of changes to the AP education program. Intern Darley Tom has been brainstorming with Director of Programs Soy Socheat and together they have come up with a number of improvements and fine tuning of our curriculum. Changes have been made with the aim of creating more structure and greater consistency in our classes. We will also implement evaluation and monitoring methods, for regular feedback from students and teachers to assess the progress of our Khmer, Maths, English and Computer classes.

Our English program is being enhanced in a number of ways. Students are now divided into four different levels which makes it easier for each individual student to be given the attention they need. The schedule has also been changed to enable one volunteer to teach three of these levels, while staff member Yi Makara teaches the beginner class. While our volunteers all provide unique input and inspiration to the children’s lives at Aziza’s Place, it has become apparent that the constant change of teachers can be disruptive for learning. In creating a schedule that allows one volunteer to teach three levels of English for at least 3-6months at a time, we reduce our dependency on volunteers while being able to maximize their teaching role. New volunteer Hayley Carter has been doing a great job in getting this new approach underway.

We have been able to purchase text books for each of the children which will contribute significantly in creating a consistent English curriculum that can be used as a basis for teachers as they develop their lesson plans. A quality English program will hold the AP students in great stead as they build their skill sets to be well equipped for future opportunities.

We are also excited to bring in a new Khmer computer teacher take to the classroom and develop a more structured program for the children in their computer studies. We have hardware resources for the children to become proficient in the use of computers and we are excited to be able to maximize this with guided instruction from a qualified teacher. The children will use their XO laptops and shared desktop computers to create projects that integrate various computer programs, developing another essential skill in today’s technology-filled society.