Pupils immersed in puzzles as part of the exchange.
JAW JAW, Suriname--What started in October with a big kick-off party in the small Surinamese village of Jaw Jaw turned into a large and successful project with a unique collaboration between Dutch pupils from the Bijlmer and Surinamese peers from Jaw Jaw. It produced beautiful and creative results, according to a press release from Mediawegwijs, a teacher training organisation with digital literacy in the classroom as focus.
The daily workshops, which were given by the subject teachers Biko and Kay, brought the children, who live more than 7,600 kilometres away from each other, closer together. Not only did they learn about each other's culture, but they also got to try out the latest technologies. "I had never worn [virtual reality – Ed.] VR glasses before, but now it was really cool," said one pupil. Another pupil told his mother that he now knows what he wants to be when he grows up: a programmer.
It was a special moment when the Amsterdam pupils watched a personal message from the children of Jaw Jaw and vice-versa, via video. It caused moving reactions, according to the release. They saw each other's differences, for example, how the food is prepared and how they live in the Bijlmer and in the village in the rainforest. But there were also similarities, such as the things they like to do: playing football with friends.
"It's incredible how quickly the children got to know each other and work together on this meaningful project. You see them grow, not only as individuals, but also as media-savvy global citizens," says Ilse Godtschalk, founder of Mediawegwijs.
More than just making pupils media-literate
The project was about more than just education. Thanks to donations, during this project, a new dugout canoe boat was given to the community of Jaw Jaw. Through this crowdfunding campaign, initiated by Godtschalk, the children can not only go to their regular school, but also to music school Ko Haikal for recorder lessons.
This initiative symbolises the close bond that has been established between the two communities. Tablets and a computer also made great gifts for the school so that the pupils will have access to the digital world and can keep in touch with their Dutch peers, the release states.
Sharing life stories through videos
Kay and Biko were welcomed with enthusiasm every day, by both the pupils and the teachers. But their parents also saw the great added value of these lessons. Through videos, the children shared their daily lives and this also made their cultural heritage very visible, according to the release. For example, we saw videos about how they cook at home, what their day looks like and, for example, what pets the children have.
Innovative technology
The use of innovative technology makes it possible for children in both Amsterdam and Jaw Jaw to connect with each other. The content of the lessons in Suriname is the same as in Dutch schools: digital literacy lessons from different themes. For example, they can create a hologram of themselves and get started with a Bee-bot robot. They have this robot walk a route on the world map that goes from Amsterdam to Jaw Jaw. To be able to do this, they learn step by step how to programme the robot to make it do this. When they see the route, the children point out where they were born. "A very nice added value," says an Amsterdam teacher. "That way they get a very good picture of the world."
Documentary in the making
The project has been visible to the public through live updates on social media from Mediawegwijs, as well as a mini-documentary that is currently in production. Media in the Netherlands and Suriname followed the events closely, all the way to the eagerly anticipated the closing party on November 16, where all results were presented, the release concludes.
