Today we went to visit the MG school, after a visit to Sultan Bazaar yesterday. Both schools are partnered with The Modern Story through AIF and the organization’s initiative to donate computer resources to government schools. I was touched by the enthusiasm of the teachers and administration at both schools. When we sat down with the headmistress of Sultan Bazaar to discuss the days we will be coming to teach the class, we agreed to come on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The next question she asked us was, “Can you start now? Today is Tuesday.”

The teachers at both schools seemed eager to participate and learn more about the digital skills taught in the TMS curriculum. As a teacher myself, I understand where they are coming from. I am also eager to practice and develop my skills working with and teaching photography and film-making over the next six months. Upon my return, I know I will incorporate my new expertise in the classroom in a meaningful way for my students.

At MG we sat down in the computer lab on the customary plastic chairs with three teachers and the AIF coordinator. We went through the general and slightly awkward pleasantries of a first meeting, and then, presumably to fill time, the AIF coordinator began to show us a Power Point presentation the Biology teacher had created about different organisms and systems of nourishment. We all huddled around the computer and watched as the pictures, animations, and text scrolled across the screen. I was catapulted back to my high school and early college experience where I recall first being presented with information through Power Point. I remember thinking how refreshing and exciting it was to learn information through a new method of teaching. I was also touched by the glowing sense of pride the teacher took in her work as we “ooooh-ed” and “aaah-ed” over her animations and transitions. She immediately opened up and began showing us the YouTube videos she had downloaded to bring the natural world around us to life for her students.

It felt like a poignant moment, seeing the promise and importance of initiatives such as TMS to bring technology to these classrooms. In the US, I realize how much I took these basic resources for granted, when I sat next to these teachers who were overjoyed to explore the potential of new teaching methods. It was just the meeting I needed to open my eyes to the significance of the work we will begin tomorrow at Railway.