This is a picture of one of the "School Buildings" its the main sports hall manufactured and built by one of the pupils in the class from their drawings and sketches. Its when you get something like this produced you realize the effort was worth while. What is more satisfying though is the evaluations that were being handed in.. all of the ones I have marked up to now almost to a person praise the project highly from allowing them to work with the machines but also to do something they have never had the opportunity to do before. One girl commented that at the start she thought the project was crazy as she could not see how she could hope to make anything even closely resembling the school when the architects had had years of training but that as she and her team started putting the buildings together she had a great sense of self worth and self satisfaction seeing something come together that she thought was going to be impossible. I have also had 2 other pupils also both girls stating that although they hadn't considered a job in architecture they have had such an eye opening experience to the drawing skills and model work that they would like to look into taking it further. No pupils have been critical of the project even though I gave them complete freedom with their evaluation and told them critical comments were as useful as ones praising the project. The project sadly is unfinished though perhaps between now and the end of the year a few more buildings might be completed.
The second part of the day was taken up with meetings though today was a special briefing about Earth Day which took the form of Spiders are our friends and can be included in every subject area... I admit my first thought was I had no problem with physics, a body in motion will continue in motion till it meets an equal and opposite force.. Shoe - Spider - Ground came to mind. That said the presenter was obviously very keen and amongst the small collection of spiders (which apparantly there are 700 varieties in colombia...yes someone just walked across my grave too and made by back shiver just typing it.) One demonstration he showed was to take a small spider about the size of a thumbnail and get it to spin an almost continuous web as he moved it around 2 poles set approx 9 inches apart after about 4 turns he hung a parker ball point pen from the silken thread - which apparantly in size and ratio is stronger than steel!.. Needless to say no spider demonstration is possible without the Tarantula... I was just glad I was at the other end of the room as those at the front got the pleasure of having it walk over their faces... apparantly Spiders hate heat (where did I put my blowtorch) and even the heat from your face would kill them over time therefore they will not stay on you prefering to find somewhere cool (Turns up the room heating) Spiders don't jump (Thats a relief though I am not 100% sure I believe him)and finally spiders don't bite ... EXCEPT for the one in Australia !!! I knew there was a reason I didn't go there.
So the day was interesting and enjoyable I even managed to get my washing back home in the evening though I now have 14 Shirts to Iron, I think maybe I should research the Spanish word for ironing and see if the Launderette can iron too, No cost would be too much !!
manyana mi amigos
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