Photo Update

March 22nd, 2012

Gap year photos from Fiji!

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The Latest

March 21st, 2012

Fiji Island volunteer updates!

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Sorry for the delay on the blog front!  It’s been a few weeks since we’ve been able to post from Fiji sadly, but we’re delighted to now be able to provide everyone with an update of all the experience our teams have been having in the South Pacific and the awesome achievements we’ve made in the rural communities!  We’ll start with Batiki Island, where we pick up the diary from mid project in Yavu village..

Having settled in well to school, kindi and build last week and a well-deserved rest on Sunday, everyone was ready for another big week. Laura, Ben and Maggie took up where they left off in classes 1 to 6. First lesson of the day was mathematics followed by English. All our teachers introduced their own ideas and teaching methods to both subjects, much to the delight of both the children and teachers. Ben had classes 3 & 4 learning about pets and how to look after and treat them. In 5 & 6 Maggie was teaching her kids about the life cycle and breeding places of mosquitoes and how to help prevent them. She also introduced the idea of biographies to her classes with each of the children coming up with a list of questions to ask each of our volunteers to help find out more about them.

In kindi Grace, Tanita, Charlotte and Oonagh had between 10 and 14 very lively kids to keep them on their toes. As well as introducing some new songs to the kids they decided to hold a kindi tea party on friday, so in arts and crafts on Thursday everyone made an invite to take home to their mum’s and dad’s. There was a great turn out on Friday and as ever a great feast of various cakes and buns was laid out for everyone to enjoy.

On the build this week saw the continuing of some heavy work for the boys as Casper, Charlie, Jamie and Jack looked to complete the concreting of the toilet block floor and also build and plaster the septic. The hot sun didnt make their job any easier but all credit to the boys they got stuck in and with a little help from a few of the village boys reached their target on Friday. Next week will now see the build take some real shape as the frame goes up and the roof goes on.

As ever the team had a full schedule every afternoon as well as the volunteer projects during the day. Monday evening saw all the kids on Yavu gather in the hall for a night of fun and games with the team. Tuesday was time to experience night spear fishing with a few of the boys from the village. Although few  fish were caught everyone had an excellent experience and some great pictures were taken. On Wednesday everyone had the chance to make their own bilo’s, which is the hollowed out coconut shell from which grog is drunk from. On Friday night the team organised a fundraiser in the village to raise money for Batiki District School. With nail painting, juice, family portraits and a raffle everyone had a huge laugh and of course the night ended in a fun night of grog and hop hop which went on to the early hours of Saturday morning!

The weekends have been fun packed too – no rest at all for this team! After lunch on Saturday it was off to Manuku for a quick sevu sevu and then a trek up to one of the highest peaks on the island where the team enjoyed some excellent views before sliding their way down for some well-deserved tea and of course a few more bowls of grog and some hop hop before going home to Yavu. As the village church service on Sunday is such a huge part of Fijian culture, our team decided to take part and sing a hymn. For anyone who has never heard a hymn sung by a Fijian congregation it is truly is an awesome experience and so it was fair play to our team with the performance they put on to impress the locals. Another incredible few days of Fijian life and south sea adventure from beautiful Batiki Island.

Yavu

March 1st, 2012

Volunteering in Fiji: The team immerse into life in Yavu village

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Our February team are now well and truly settled into life on their beautiful Fijian island. Yavu feels like a second home. It felt like this from the second we all set foot on Batiki. 
You’d be mistaken for thinking our team of 11 volunteers have  always been a part of this community. They spend their days working hard on the building project, where jokes, smiles and music complete the atmosphere of teamwork achievement and satisfaction.   Our volunteers take it in turns to plan and lead lessons within the tiny wooden primary school, control the mayhem that is kindergarten class in the morning and inspire huge games and sports competitions on the palm tree lined rugby pitch.
The team leisurely go from house to house, laughing with their Fijian neigbours, helping  ‘mum and dad’ with the daily chores of island life -  cooking, washing clothes by bucket, spear fishing and farming. The Fijian women have been in their element on the food front – baking cakes for everyone to enjoy on the beach and feasts which could feed a thousand hungry Fijian men.  In the afternoon, the guys pound yaqona for the evening Fijian parties and practise their guitars for some island style music to accompany the dancing.   We’ve already had two huge celebrations, with both Charlotte and Grace’s Birthdays, both resulting in some fun evenings, complete the cakes, presents and Fiji style entertainment!
  
The arrival into Yavu was a huge moment indeed. The people of Batiki lined the shore eagerly awaiting for our volunteers to sail into their beach side community. Our excited group arrived by tiny motor boats, slowly cutting through the Pacific Ocean, navigating the reefs and lagoon.  It was a clear and relatively calm crossing but a long one all the same. And always an adventure from our castaway island to the outer island villages of the Lomaiviti. Now the bigger adventure begins, It was finally time to experience traditional Fijian life and for the team to meet their families. 
Think Pacific performed a Sevu Sevu, a traditional Fijian custom and welcome ceremony as we presented a gift of Yaqona roots to the Ratu (chief) and we were formally embraced as part of the village.  Naturally lots of kava drinking and Fijian dancing and feasting followed!  A welcome into a Fijian village is always a very special and humbling moment and with Grace’ birthday falling on the arrival day, the village made sure it was a birthday to remember!
 
Life on Batiki started with an orientation, time to meet all the excited children and mountains of smiling faces with a visit to the local primary school and kindergarten.  The team walked along the white sandy beaches, played in the lagoon and explored the village and surrounding jungle.  They talked through the aims of the building objectives and sports and youth ideas flowed as the volunteers decided which volunteering project they would like to start first.
The first couple of days are always new, exciting and nervous for every team. But adjusting to life at the heart of a traditional village and living in the homes of the Fijian families has been easy. The warmth of the villagers and the Fijian hospitality and kindness is always astounding.  The passion, which the local people hold for the team’s arrival into their community and the excitement for the project aims ahead, make for an incredible atmosphere. Villagers trekked far and wide from other settlements on the island to visit and chat to our team.
 
Each evening has been very busy, with big communal evening meals, where the whole village gather to eat and chat.  Spear fishing is soon on the agenda too as well as cooking sunday lunch in the Lovo (underground earth oven).  Fun team activities such as quiz nights, beach bonfires, star gazing, sports and hop hop have been a staple part of the team experience.  The village organised a Fijian mat weaving night and the hall was full to bursting with village ladies, men and kids who came to join in and teach the volunteers some traditional island skills.

The building objective is to create improved and healthy sanitation for the community by installing toilet blocks and wash facilities to replace the existing and extremely basic infrastructure. After talking through the plans with our building team, our volunteers started early,  getting straight to work digging the foundations ready for the septic tanks and the cemented wall that will follow.

In School, the first week saw Laura in class 1&2, Maggie work with class 5&6 and Ben with class 7&8.  The aim in week one is to work with the teachers as classroom assistants and offer personal tuition to children as they improve their English.  Class 7 was much more of a challenge, with a teacher missing (delayed from a boat journey from the mainland), the headmaster asked ben to take 7&8 entirely on his own. Ben rose to the challenge and did an outstanding job, as did Laura and Maggie, who now have a passionate and growing fan base from the Fijian children on the island.

Charlotte, Tanita, Grace and Una started their volunteering in the kindergarten.  This school, which Think Pacific built and established last year is going from strength to strength with so many eager children now taking part each morning. There were introductions, games, songs, story time and lots of excitement and energy from the young ones as our volunteers started their project.  The school is now running so well and the local Fijian volunteers have established a fabulous routine.  Our girls began brilliantly and with ideas brainstormed for next week, we hope to introduce lots of new elements to the programme.

Sports began pretty much immediately.  With a glorious playing field in front of the village and school, the team were straight away playing with the kids and organising rugby, netball, rounders and football.  Fijian children have an unbelievable passion for sports and the volunteers made an instant impression. With coaching sessions planned every afternoon in the village, we will be helping to develop new sports skills and structured PE lessons as well as preparing for some immense island rugby and netball matches and tournaments.
It’s been a great start to Fijian life.  With so many more volunteer projects ahead and activities to enjoy on Batiki Island, we look forward to a huge few weeks ahead.   Moce from Fiji!

The Journey Begins

February 18th, 2012

Feburary volunteer team enjoy their orientation and castaway briefing

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Here’s the first group picture of our February team in Fiji.  Our volunteers have spent the last couple of days relaxing into Fijian life and of course soaking up the sunshine before the hard work ahead begins! The blue skies and high temperatures are certainly a welcome change for everyone!  Aside from splashing in the lagoon and enjoying some volleyball, games and beach time, our volunteers have visited the traditional village of Niubasaga to meet the Ratu (chief).  Being Charlotte’s birthday on the flight across, the villagers all sang happy birthday and we have a party planned this weekend to celebrate too, which will be a lot of fun. 

The group took a day trip and sailed across to Levuka, the old capital of Fiji on Ovalau Island to explore this historic little town and also pick up some last miniute items before they head to complete their volunteer projects in the outer islands.  Central to our volunteer briefing, the Fijian Ministry came to meet the group this week.  It’s always such a passionate presentation and an amazing opportunity for our volunteers to be inspired about their volunteer projects ahead, whilst seeing first hand how much the project aims really mean to the Fijian people.  We also had some members of the press attend who wanted to take pictures of the group ready for a story in one of Fiji’s national magazines! Our volunteers are about to become famous in Fiji!

Whickham School

Below is an account of my classroom experience so far, I have spend four days at Whickham School and in my return from The Fiji Islands, volunteering by teaching and other youth projects, I will return to Whickham on a more permanent bases where by I will be observing and comparing the teaching styles and functions from the schools I will have worked in within the different cultures of Fiji. Some of the lessons I observed have been displayed in my research sketchbook as in those particular lessons I took photographs of the pupils work as those lessons were more relevant to my Fashion Design practice and/or were more relevant to the multicultural research, I am currently carrying out.

Whickham Comprehensive School

My Classroom Experience

The first day on placement at Whickham School was very different to what I had expected. I was extremely fortunate to receive a placement in my previous secondary school, there is something comforting about going back to a placement you are already familiar with. The fact that I was going back to the same familiar teaching staff, the same old buildings and classrooms, and the same structure in which I was used to, relaxed my nerves. 

I wasn’t anxious at first. When I walked into the Art classroom, the teacher hadn’t arrived yet, so I sat on one of the Art tables and waited. The teacher walked in and didn’t even realize that it was three years later and I wasn’t one of her students, she did a sort of double take and then realized that I was on work placement.

Year 13 B-tec Art

Projects 

• Personal Sketchbooks
• UCAS Applications
• Interview preparation
• Portfolio preparation

I began to feel the nerves when the year 13’s started to file into the classroom, after all they are only three or four years younger than me so I felt that they wouldn’t take me seriously as a student teacher. I asked them to call me ‘Charlotte’ as I felt it would be best to go into a classroom of older people with a more like minded attitude rather than make the pupils feel uncomfortable by having to call me ‘Miss Appleby’. 

The pupils were preparing for their university interviews so they were quite focused and acting very independently through the duration of the lesson. The atmosphere was very laid back and relaxed, as was the teacher. She was always present within the classroom, floating around incase her assistance was needed but she informed me that at the stage the students were at, they need to able to work independently in order to prepare for the massive leap to university. 

I sat around a table with a bunch of students; of which looked slightly unmotivated. Rather than telling them what was right and wrong and instructing them what to do etc,  I offered my advice, from past experience I talked about the intense design based interviews I endured when applying for several universities. A few of the students that had already been to interviews previously in the week were overwhelmed by the process of interview and the quick paced manner of the lecturers. I informed them that it wasn’t a personal attack and that it was purely a process of elimination, they try and challenge candidates to reveal their best efforts, as many of them felt that their work wasn’t good enough and felt disheartened by the whole thing.  

I remember how daunting it was to present your personal art work to somebody who sat through several interviews a day, so I could very much relate to their experiences.

When looking at the pupils sketchbook they were all very different, one of the things I found fascinating was that most of the art work was very controversial and some very daring final pieces. Many pupils touched upon fragile topics such as anorexia, body image and poverty.

Whilst discovering different ways in which I could advise sketchbook direction I discovered some cultural art being produced by a student discovering her roots. She had based her final project around Mexican fashion and did several research pieces on the history of Mexico. I took this opportunity to ask the teacher if there was much cultural influences thrusted upon the students and the teacher explained that in most research projects she advises the students to research in cultural art history in relation to their themed projects. The teacher informed me it was difficult to teach a common culture throughout a class with so many different projects, she explained it was even more difficult to encourage cultural development on older groups of students as they already have their own views and opinions set in their mind.

Ten minutes before the end of the lesson, when everyone was packing there things together and tidying their paint supplies away, I took this opportunity to look around the classroom, only to pleasantly discover their were several various cultural influences such as tribal face painting displayed on the walls, influence from popular culture such as film and the music industry. There was a particular common theme around the walls - spirituality. The teacher seemed to be very spiritual and open to different religious traditions. There were lots of symbols and historical references to a diverse range of cultures, this gave me confidence in the multicultural education in this particular art classroom, that the students were being encouraged to research into cultural traditions. The teacher told me she had previously designed a project for her year 12 group based on idols and icons which was very much religiously based and students had the option of cultural backgrounds to choose from for their final piece. Although I think its extremely important for teacher to include various techniques to encourage cultural development, I think its even more important to give pupils a choice. This project seemed to be a very open brief giving the class many different routes to discover yet had a very structured cultural based theme and outcome. 

Year 9 Art

Projects

• Following a booklet for the proposed scheme of work.
• Using a variety of different media including paper mache and clay to make 3D pieces of art.

The next group of students were a year 9 class, where they automatically called me ‘Miss Appleby’ which I believe to be just their way of giving an elder person respect whether they thought I was a teacher or not. The class teacher also introduced me as a ‘student teacher’ which was helpful in establishing authority. The Art teacher was very hands on with all projects, no matter how much they differed from pupil to pupil. At the beginning of the lesson the teacher introduced the topic of the day, explained the tasks at hand and then set them off to work whilst giving a helping hand when needed. 

He later explained to me that at this stage he was preparing the class for more independent art work as a lot of them are very talented and will be taking art as a GCSE the following year. After observing the first half of the lesson where by I learned the structure of an art lesson, the teacher assigned me to a table of individual students who had been separated due to their lack of effort and creativity, therefore these students had been set a particular task designed by the teacher, rather than experimenting and developing their own idea. I found the teachers method to be slightly odd at first, it was as if he was paying attention to those that didn’t need it, and ignoring the students that seemed to be struggling. I sat with the struggling group and realised that the teacher had given them a template of a mask and they were told to use paper mache to build up the structure of an abstract face in any way that they wanted to. It was clear to me that these students weren’t naturally imaginative and had to be given a push to get the work done, it was a group of girls and they just didn’t want to get their hands dirty. I decided to get really involved in this group and try my best to get them motivated, making my own mask, I got stuck in to the paper mache bucket and started forming a basic mask which inspired one of the girls to get started and once one of them got stuck in the rest followed. I could see where the teacher was coming from, the idea of the lesson was to get the students to think outside the box a bit but from what I could see the girls were just quiet prepared to sit their and do nothing for the entire hour. The teacher assigned me to that table, but what if I wasn’t there? It got me thinking, at what point does a teacher interfere in a students creative path and how do teachers deal with students who just do not want to do anything? This is something I plan to observe more in future lessons and in other future work placements.

Overall, the atmosphere within the classroom was very calm and controlled, even though there was a lot of chaos with students up and down experimenting with different materials and techniques, the actual structure of the lesson was very productive and the class did not have any disruptive students at all. 

The appearance of the classroom had slight cultural influence from where older age groups had left work behind to dry or for the next lesson etc, yet there was nothing permanently displayed on the walls that appeared to be encouraging cultural development. 

Year 13 Textiles

Projects

• Personal Sketchbooks
• Statement of intent
• Final Piece

I observed another Year 13 class, where they were working on individual projects producing a final sketchbook and product for their A-level coursework.  Although all students were working toward their final piece and continuing various work within their sketchbooks, the teacher still put structure to the lesson and informed me she needed to set aims each lesson or they would just keep going on the same thing, rather than start and finish a task. In the introduction the teacher used the white board computer aided facility where she took the register and displayed the aim of the lesson. Each student had to complete their ‘Statement of intent’ before  the end of the lesson. The panic started to set in amongst the students which had not started, yet some of them were one step ahead and had already finished their statement. It was interesting to see a definite divide of groups in terms of effort rather than ability as it would be grouped in younger years.

Again I found it difficult to act as a ‘teacher’ with the year 13’s but some of them were creating garments and were coming across construction problems, and although pattern cutting is not my expertise I found I could be more of an assistance in the ‘fashion’ side of things. Once student had started off with a standard size 10 pattern and somehow through pattern cutting and construction it had reduced to a size 6 and would not fit on the design mannequin. The teacher encouraged the student to try and research into solving the problem, suggesting to add another panel in the to back of the dress and making it into a feature panel, which would technically solve the fitting of the dress but the student was very passionate about her design and felt it would take away the simplicity of the dress. Myself and the teacher left the student to test out various ideas yet to no avail. Before the end of the lesson I came up with a suggestion to lower the back of the dress so there was no need to insert another panel and take away the minamalistic design. The student and the teacher were both happy with the suggestion. I felt almost relieved when the problem had been over come, almost as if it was my own project and I had a strong need to make it perfect. I think if in future if I become a successful teacher I will be very passionate about students projects and I think its important for pupils to know you are interested in the progress of their individual projects. 

The actual brief the students were following was to create a sketchbook of research and development and eventually a final piece which was personal to them. Several pupils researched and designed products in terms of their hobbies and/ or  likes dislikes but one student that particularly interested me was a girl researching her roots. She was developing a design based around classic Russian architecture. She explained to me she hadn’t lived in England all her life and she has a strong instinct to keep her culture the main focus of her self development. Her work was experimental and mostly photography based where she had visited her home city and evidenced this in her sketchbook. After when discussing this with the teacher, she informed me the student may be passionate but in terms of ability and quantity she was only on a grade D for the project. The teacher and I discussed cultural development and the pupils choice of project, the teacher explained she found it difficult to help the student in terms of research as it is a topic she knows nothing about, and has never had to deal with before. Technique, structure and problem solving is as far as the teacher gets involved at this stage as the students should already be aware of what is expected etc. I couldn’t help but think that what if the teacher new more about the subject this particular student was researching, would the student end up with a higher grade as she would receive more encouragement from the teacher? But if the teacher has never had a case of this particular culture then why would she know about it? And if the class doesn’t have a variety of multicultural students then how will these creative artists ever experience and learn the artistic backgrounds and textile traditions of other cultures?

SWOT

SWOT Analysis 

Strengths

• Creative imagination & broad mind
• Open to new ideas
• Good Organisation skills
• Confident in my abilities to communicate effectively
• Work part-time within the fashion industry

Weaknesses

• Illustration 
• Don’t take crisis well
• Prone to stress 
• Worry too much
• Lack of funding and connections

Opportunities

• Adobe illustrator and photoshop
• Connections in the work place and previous jobs
• Working alongside personal shopper
• Working alongside visual team
• Extra responsibility due to a vacancy or holiday within the company
• Able to attend meetings and contribute opinions and ideas
• Exhibitions
• Work placements
• Fiji
• Whickham School

Threats

• Only work part-time so feel like I miss out on a lot.
• Difficult industry - very competitive