Superintendent's Visit & Gymnasium #80

I am feeling so much better today - as I have said Nina (and Vladmir) take such good care of me. She cooks special food (chicken broth, stewed fruit, cauliflower, rice). They even make me warm milk with butter at night. It's supposed to help. The doctor called yesterday to see how I was doing - amazing! Today on our visit Nina brought herbal tea in a thermos so I would have herbal tea to drink. She carries the bag full of medicine and makes sure that I take it. Nina thought, in fact, that I should see the doctor again this evening and I told her I did not think it was necessary.

The day was full with many wonderful experiences. We first went to visit the Superintendent of the district. The district has 120,000 students with 5,000 teachers. The only teacher shortage they have is Teachers of English and Information Technology, otherwise, they have enough teachers that apply. Her wish for her district is to remodel all of the schools and give them all good equipment. There is a chocolate factory in town so I have received many boxes of chocolates as gifts. (I'll have to tell American Councils that the person going to Nihzny Novgorod should leave chocolates at home and not bring them as gifts.)

We then visited the Gymnasium. I have had trouble understanding the differences between Lyceums and Gymnasiums but it is finally clear. Gymnasiums focus on humanities and Lyceums focus on math, science, economics and physics. The students at the gymnasiums learn English and another language - either German or French from a very early age. Children start school at age 7 and go to school until 17. The primary school runs from 8:30 - 1:00. The children go home with homework. If their parents work, the children can stay until 6:00. The older children go home at 2:30.

We visited an elementary technology education class. They were doing exercises in logic which I suppose is the preliminary to programing. At the end of the class the students were using computers to create a card for the anniversary of their school. This school had received 2 million rubbles to buy equipment. So they purchased the 18 computers in the media center and connected them to the Internet. Ten teachers got laptops and projectors for their classrooms and 8 computers were placed in a math area. They also purchased a couple of whiteboards.

We then visited a math lesson for children that are eight years old. The children were actively going back and forth to the chalkboard and the teacher brought the theme of Spring into her lesson. She is a very creative teacher and cares very much for her students.
We visited the physics teacher (she teaches physics to children from age 7 - 17). She demonstrated the software that she has for each level - filled with video and simulations. Onto a math demonstration of software - very much like our Geometer's Sketchpad.

We then visited a technology teacher that showed us projects that the students had designed from recyclable materials. They first needed to study the materials, plan an invention and then create it. One student had created lights attached to the frames of old glasses so you could walk down the stairs in a dark basement and still have light as you carried up the potatoes. I will try to post some pictures later. (Since I am not on my own computer I am just learning to navigate the computer I have access to - since I have also been sick, the interest was not there as well). Also I cannot reach my First Class email so I am sorry if you have emailed and I have not answered.

I visited some extra curricular clubs where they worked with puppets and produced a school magazine. I also saw beading and students showed me their Russian museum. They are part of a Russian culture club that has gathered and continues to gather historical memorabilia. The students used the objects to tell me about their history.

The final meeting was with the teachers of English. They teach 28 lessons a week for beginning, intermediate and advance English learners. They were a delightful group. The vice principal is very interested in setting up a student exchange. She says they offer a formal invitation, the students stay with families, they have many excursions and the only cost is the plane tickets.

I was able to connect with Mark on Skype today. We will try again tomorrow and hope that Lee at Twining is on Skype at 8:00 in the morning.

I realize I have rambled on and on but my days are so full I want to remember. Nina and her husband, Vladmir, are taking many pictures. I will certainly get tired of seeing myself.

I truly believe that I have found some of the nicest and most caring people that I have ever met. I am worried tonight that Marcia, my interpretor, may have caught my illness.