Applied Geography formerly Rural Training Center, Thailand

please clarify to me what exactly the volunteers teach or do in their ''visit classrooms'' time. I doubt we the can go on this trip, but I still would like to better understand how exactly the volunteers can help, are utilized, etc.

Winter 2007 volunteers in class

The latest request from the faculty there (when Saifon and I visited last summer, 2006) was aimed at having more time for students to practice hearing spoken English, and being brave enough to speak English....with the goal of encouraging the students to use English more and more in daily life.

So we are thinking:
1) continue the Geographic Systems Model and Recycling Games from summer 2005 as these build vocabulary specific to the original programs of REEEPP

2) reading stories aloud to the students

3) doing simple word games (e.g. using pictures cut from old magazines here that volunteers take with them) and getting students to name colors, shapes, objects (at the low end) to asking questions about what they see in the picture or think is going on in the picture.

4) asking students simple questions about their school, classroom, and daily school activities (many of which are quite different from what students do in elementary school here)

5) teaching them simple songs----giving the shy ones a chance to ''lip synch'' yet participate without feeling ''out of it'' because they can't get all the words or pronunciations right--really helps if gestures and actions are incorporated so they have to get active, engaged, and have fun all at the same time

6) and....miscellaneous others....based on the opportunistic ''seize the moment'' things that either catch your eye / or responding to a request from the students.

I hope this helps....You are limited only by your imagination....so...in some sense, the sky's the limit.