The Advanced class went excellent this week!! Six out of eight students were right on time and a seventh one showed up for the last hour (he was writing and exam). The two students who were not there last week started by finishing last weeks assignment, which was to research YAN, Social Justice and Advocacy.

“What is Youth Advocacy Network?”

Cardaine Abah (pictured bellow on the left) wrote:
“According to the way YAN was described to us last year it is as followed:
Youth: Citizens at 13-18.
Advocacy: Teaching and showing others.
Network: Social network like Facebook or access to something on the internet.”



AchoCho Shemilove (pictured above to the right) wrote:

“The full abbreviation of YAN isYouths Advocacy Network. It is a very good club in BGS Molyko because it deals with computers and problems. I suggest that it I the best and most interesting club in BGS Molyko.”


While those two students were writing their answers, the rest of the class explained to me how to do successful web based research. As we reviewed what they did last year in YAN and last week, I made a brainstorming web on the board. The question I originally asked, “How do you do web based research?” took a lot of thinking for the students. I really had to probe them with other smaller questions lto get them going: “What program or application on the computer do you use for research? What are some major websites or search engines you use? Do you write down everything? How do you know what is good and trustworthy information and what is not? How would you explain the process to a friend if you were teaching?” The students were much more responsive to those questions than the big daunting one I originally asked.

Two weeks ago, the Advanced students who attended class had started their brainstorming for their topics (big topic, specific question(s), things they already know, questions they still have, people they want to contact and groups they want to contact) and saved what they had completed on my flash drive. Today was the day to finish the brainstorming and begin research! Before research on the web could start, they had to show me their completed brainstorming worksheet. I was surprised with how long it took the students to finish working on it, but the end result was very worth it!! All of the students and myself included want to do more community research so that they can get specific information for Buea and the Southwest Region. That sort of area specific information would be hard to come across on the internet since it is such a small area and of no particular interest to the world as a whole. This means more interviews and more videos, podcasts and photos! Each topic had several groups or people they wanted to contact in the area to learn more and conduct research. Although some of the students mentioned that video editing was not a favorite point, I have faith that they will improve there skills as they are learning to love it!

After the brainstorming was finished, I wanted them to compose an email to me (and if applicable, CC their partner). The body would be their Word document (brainstorming). The next step was to move onto research and collecting facts for their website. But unfortunately, only one group was successful in sending the email by the end of class because of a combination of slow internet and students not remembering their correct password form last year. One of the first classes we had, I asked all students to sign into their email – they all did successfully so I’m not sure what has happened between then and now but figuring out emails will be the first issue on the agenda for next week.

The students who were missing last week have the following research topics:

Malaria (continued from last years project)
Achocho Shemilove

Prostitution (continued from last years project)
Henry Ekema