Ah mi gat wahn gud gud taim

  Hi again!

I want to use this blog as a chance to share some final thoughts and say hello from back home in Vancouver! So... Hello! :-)

I've recently really enjoyed reflecting on the experience in Belize in all its aspects: the workshops; teachers; co-facilitators; administrators; old and new friends; relaxing in the Cayes; adventures in Cayo; the amazing food, and; long bus rides to Punta Gorda.

First, the workshops...

The teachers in Belize District were very willing and eager to learn something new which was made my job so much easier. During week one, I really appreciated the patience exhibited by the teachers while dealing with Hurricane Ernesto, other schedule changes and especially the changes made on the fly due to slow internet connections and other technical obstructions.

 I had a large group (27 teachers) for the first week and I felt that each of them was able to add a few more tools to their pedagogical tool kit. They were also able to come away with new knowledge about how technology integration can benefit them on an individual basis in and out of the classroom in each of their own unique contexts. At the same time, I was able to learn from them and gathered lots of new ideas ranging from ways to use Google Docs for collaboration that I hadn't thought of to issues in education in Belize and Canada that I had never considered.


Then there were the other adventures...

In the seventeen great days Nicole and I spent together in Belize, we were able to seize the opportunity to see as much of the country and take in as much of the culture as possible. Of Course, there was our first weekend in Caye Caulker which included snorkeling with nurse sharks and stingrays. What else is there to say? It was amazing. It was also great to meet up with many of the facilitators in Cayo, and make the most of the postponed workshops due to the hurricane. We were able to see Cahal Pech and Xunantinich - both of which were both educational and awe-inspiring.

One of the highlights of the trip was taking the bus down to Punta Gorda for a weekend and visiting friends there. We all went out to the falls at San Antonio instead of Placencia and it turned out great! It was a fun weekend full of highly anticipated reunions, great food, swimming at the falls and we even squeezed in some relaxation and a football (soccer) game.


We finished off our trip with a weekend in San Pedro and wind down. It was nice to slow down the schedule before ramping it up again when we got home.  So, in closing, I'd like to thank everyone again for the opportunity. It was a very rewarding experience and I am glad to have made new friends - Belizean and Canadian alike, no chroo? I hope to keep in touch and I know I will certainly do all I can to remain involved in the Belize Literacy Program.

Ah wi gat wahn gud gud taim, no chroo?

  We had a great time, eh? ;-) > 

Cheers