How does LOEP make sure our work does not trample over cultural
values of our colleagues in Liberia?
LOEP volunteers are a diverse group of highly experienced educators
and trainers, successful professionals in the fields of communication,
academia, the Arts, international development, former Peace Corps volunteers,
Liberians and others of African parentage. All LOEP training programs including
workshops, training materials and instructional materials are carefully developed
with an eye for sound educational concepts.
LOEP educators recognize that sound educational concepts are based on
appropriate cultural frame of reference.
LOEP looks to a broad range of international leaders in the
field of education and training for source materials. Educational resources as diverse as UNESCO, Edutopia.org, Reading Rockets, education journals, NAEYC, and many, many others have provided source materials for LOEP
workshops and materials.
How do we make sure we provide “culturally appropriate”
materials and books for children to use in the classroom?
LOEP volunteers spend many hours sorting and selecting
materials and books that promote general universal themes (friendship, animals,
peace), covers a range of disciplines (language arts, math, science, social
studies, the Arts), up to date atlases and maps, educational children’s science
and literary magazines and educational games and puzzles.
Although games and puzzles are not used much in Liberian
classrooms, LOEP has had some success introducing teachers to use of Scrabble
and other games with students. One of
LOEP’s teachers has organized Scrabble tournaments within his school and the
activity has become enormously popular.
The tournaments are lively and have a high rate of participation.
How do we determine what is “culturally appropriate” for
Liberian classrooms?
LOEP volunteers look for materials that have a multicultural
viewpoint. This means materials that
include children of all ethnic groups, stories of children and daily life in
other countries, customs and practices outside of Liberia. Another
way of providing multicultural viewpoint is, for example, the language arts and
social studies materials that incorporate elements of and appreciation for the
strong African tradition of oral story-telling.
These are most useful for Liberian classrooms.
Study of literature, art, music and science can transcend
cultural boundaries and LOEP volunteers see examples of creative teachers using
such materials in the classroom all the time.
One of LOEP’s Trainers of Teachers uses a well-worn copy of
the Collected Works of Shakespeare in his high school classroom. The Bard’s dramas have endured because they explore
universal human themes common to us all, regardless of ethnicity. Our LOEP colleague helps students select
portions of Shakespeare's plays to re-enact in the classroom as part of the literature
study. They discuss how the drama’s
theme (greed, jealousy, leadership, etc.), may have affected public life in Liberia and
their own personal lives. The drama form
itself is perfectly suited to the wonderful African affinity for dramatic
presentation and the students follow up discussion with a skit based on the
play. Both content and form are relevant
for students, the creative teacher makes it exciting and they delight in the
study of Shakespeare’s classics!
