Service-Learning Workshop

          All UCBC teachers were expected to attend the SL workshop that took place on June 18, 2011 at UCBC. The coordinator of  the UCBC Service-Learning, Chelsie Frank, had on her agenda different points to address:  SL as a philosophy/ method, SL Leadership, Professor survey, and a planning chart for all the participants, for small groups and for each teacher individually.

Mr Honore, the UCBC academic opened the cession with the word of prayer before giving the floor to the SL coordinator. She gave a clear presentation of SL as a philosophy and method. The second point was developed by Mr Honore, who emphasized on each one’s role for the success of SL at UCBC. From the rector to students, everyone has a vital role to play.

The next step was the teachers’ survey. The SL coordination did not do the survey for them to evaluate the teachers. Instead, it aimed to help teachers to evaluate their understanding of SL.

Then the UCBC coordinator presented a sample planning chart to all the participants. They all brainstormed about kinds of projects that can connect to a given class. At the end of a four-hours-workshop, each participant presented a SL project in a group, and individually.

Thanks to this SL workshop, the UCBC SL coordination office now has ten different SL projects for next year in Theology, Economics, Communication, Language Arts, and Applied Sciences departments

Better Late than Never

         The intermediate level 1 English teacher conducted a SL project in her class. Meredith understood that it is never too late to do something good. Even if it was only two weeks left before the reading week, she thought it is better late than never.

One group of students went to tutor English at the UCBC language Institute, while the other group went to a local language Institute known as Vocational Training Center (VTC).

            VTC is a very special language Institute in Beni town. It is located in one of the United Nations Mission’s camp. The school used to teach English to street children and demobilized children from the army. Nowadays, they teach English and computer skills to any one who is willing to learn.

Tutoring was a very new experience for the students of the intermediate level at UCBC. Each student was expected to share with a small group of three to five. They discussed objectives covered in their English class. For example: paragraph structures, modal auxiliaries, gerunds, and comparison/superlatives. They learned more by doing a service.

            Many students from UCBC did not have much confidence in their English ability. They thought VTC students knew better English than theirs, but at the end of the class they felt more confident and were eagerly waiting for the next tutoring session.

Teaching English at the Language Institute

The students in advanced class went to teach English at the UCBC language

institute in Beni.We met three of them: Adelfine, Ashura and Kikwaya. Asked

 separetily,they said that what they loved the

most about teaching English is the fact that they were not only

 teaching, but above all, they learned beyond their expectations.

Adelfine said," I got new knowledge because I had to prepare my lessons

and read a lot, it's inspires me to become a teacher one day."
Adelfine found the project very helpful for the students at the language institute,

" the students found our english easier to understand than their

teacher's.This enabled them to understand some lessons that they could

 hardly ever understand from their teachers due to their high level in

english", she added.

However, Adelfine thinks two weeks are not enough for such projects. Her

wish is " to sustain this teaching project, it could be better to have

an entire class  just for teaching practice after the intermediate level."

She is very willing to work again in such project.

Kikwaya found that the project was very helpful for their students because

they made them work hard. About the sustainability of the project he is very optimist" I would like to stop learning english and continue teaching. I took it as an opportunity to learn, for me the one who is teaching is learning more than he who is in class.I had to check all my notes from L1. To keep this project, we should censetize students who have reached a high level in english."

The fact that one had something to communicate and someone else was

ready to listen and wanted to learn attracted Ashura's intention.

Morover she said,"I learnt a lot from the students experience. It good

to teach for you share what you know."  

Ashura suggests that UCBC students should not only teach for grade, but

instead, they should take this as an opportunity to learn. "They can either

go in some primary and high schools or teach at UCBC in law classes",she

concluded.