In October 2003, my Principal informed me that our students couldn’t afford the report book which included all their exams results. He proposed that we try to provide cheaper ones using a computer and the old duplicating machine we already had.
At that time I was only able to create simple word documents and get a single printout. Even that was a huge challenge for me. I had spent a week to learning how to use Windows media player. Since every report book has its own format it was difficult to design because I didn’t know how to apply a border, insert a picture, insert a table etc.
Again I got help from our Library. After a few days I figured out how to format a page for our own design. Then I designed a cover page, but I forgot to include the school logo. This again was a big problem for me because I didn’t know how to insert our school logo to the cover page. I asked a few people and I found that first, the logo must be scanned and copied to PC. But I still couldn’t get it right. I thought it was a complex task. How do I do this?
Then I met someone from a private computer institute In Tangalle city with a school letterhead and told them about my requirements. They taught me how to do it exactly . In addition to that I also learnt a bit about Photo editing tools and removable media such as floppy diskettes.
After a few days I started to design the report book. Mr.Jayasekara, a teacher in my school also helped me use the old duplicating machine. Finally we were able to complete our principal’s proposal. He was more satisfied than I expected. This Report Book can now be bought outside the school for 25 Rupees. However students can buy it at 5 Rupees.
My report book project created a new trend was in my school. I imposed a rule that every teacher must design their exam papers using our computer. This resulted in a big queue to use our single computer.
Then I launched my next idea - teaching students using a single computer. It is not an easy task. I got a big room reserved for the proposed computer lab. Then I set up the one and only computer inside the room and started lessons. Every class has 30 students. But I only had to manage like this until 24 November 2004. That day our dreams came true! A complete computer unit was given to our school through the Secondary Education Modernization Project (SEMP).
This was a new challenge for me. At the beginning I was informed that the SEMP will provide only two years of maintenance (electricity and repairs) for this lab. I like challenges and I made a sustainable plan for computer unit which is currently in progress. See the results of our efforts at www.ruhunulanka.org
At that time I was only able to create simple word documents and get a single printout. Even that was a huge challenge for me. I had spent a week to learning how to use Windows media player. Since every report book has its own format it was difficult to design because I didn’t know how to apply a border, insert a picture, insert a table etc.
Again I got help from our Library. After a few days I figured out how to format a page for our own design. Then I designed a cover page, but I forgot to include the school logo. This again was a big problem for me because I didn’t know how to insert our school logo to the cover page. I asked a few people and I found that first, the logo must be scanned and copied to PC. But I still couldn’t get it right. I thought it was a complex task. How do I do this?
Then I met someone from a private computer institute In Tangalle city with a school letterhead and told them about my requirements. They taught me how to do it exactly . In addition to that I also learnt a bit about Photo editing tools and removable media such as floppy diskettes.
After a few days I started to design the report book. Mr.Jayasekara, a teacher in my school also helped me use the old duplicating machine. Finally we were able to complete our principal’s proposal. He was more satisfied than I expected. This Report Book can now be bought outside the school for 25 Rupees. However students can buy it at 5 Rupees.
My report book project created a new trend was in my school. I imposed a rule that every teacher must design their exam papers using our computer. This resulted in a big queue to use our single computer.
Then I launched my next idea - teaching students using a single computer. It is not an easy task. I got a big room reserved for the proposed computer lab. Then I set up the one and only computer inside the room and started lessons. Every class has 30 students. But I only had to manage like this until 24 November 2004. That day our dreams came true! A complete computer unit was given to our school through the Secondary Education Modernization Project (SEMP).
This was a new challenge for me. At the beginning I was informed that the SEMP will provide only two years of maintenance (electricity and repairs) for this lab. I like challenges and I made a sustainable plan for computer unit which is currently in progress. See the results of our efforts at www.ruhunulanka.org
No comments:
Post a Comment