Projects/Ganta Mission School

Ganta Mission School working with local students is developing activities with XOs.

Developing a school newspaper, recording audio interviews with parents and community members about the conflict in their area. Below are some images of our work in March, 2012 and March 2013. We plan to return in January 2014 with another group of students from Salem State University to continue our work on this project. We will be presenting our work to the faculty at United Methodist University of Liberia with the intent of introducing XOs to their teacher training program.

Images from March, 2012

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  1 Ganta United Methodist School Students (GUMS) learning the XO's from Dr. Shwedel

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  2 GUMS students taking over the instruction

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  3 GUMS students exploring the XO

Image from March, 2013

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  4 GUMS students exploring the XO

PARTICIPANTS

Dr. Greg Carroll, and Dr. Allan (Rocky) Shwedel  have started an XO project
in Liberia that is seeking to use the XO's as a way of recording and documenting
aural histories of the recent conflict in Liberia.  

The initial project started with the 10XOs.

1 laptop XO or other laptop with the capacity to install a wireless internet usb or card (3g or Edge)

Loan Length—How Many Months:

• Phase I: 3.5 months ( December 1st – March 15th
• Phase II: 5 months (May 1st – October 1st)

During Phase II, XOs would only be needed from May 1st through early August

2. Team Participants

 
(1) Allan Shwedel, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Adolescent Education and Leadership
School of Education.
College of Health and Human Services
ashwedel@salemstate.edu
(978) 542-6643

Dr. Shwedel teaches computer literacy courses for education majors at Salem State University and he is 
the Assessment Coordinator for the School of Education
He has traveled to Liberia three times and was involved in a collaborative peace and 
reconciliation training project that brought together students from Salem State and 
students from the University of Liberia’s Kofi Annan Institute for Conflict Transformation
 
 
(2) Greg Carroll, Ph.D.
Associate Professor,
Chair, Interdisciplinary Studies Department
Program Coordinator, Peace and Conflict Studies
College of Arts and Sciences
gcarroll@salemstate.edu
(978) 542-7082
 
Dr. Carroll is the Coordinator for the University’s Peace and Conflict program.
He has worked on projects in Timor-Leste through the University of New England in 
Armidale, Australia
He has traveled to Liberia three times and was involved in a collaborative peace 
and reconciliation training project that brought together students from Salem State 
and students from the University of Liberia’s Kofi Annan Institute for Conflict Transformation.
 
(3) Other Partners:
a.) Ganta United Methodist Mission Station, Ganta City, Nimba County, Liberia Reverend Priscilla Jaiah
b.) United Methodist University, Monrovia, Dr. Evelyn S. Kandakai, Dr. Alfred C. Chea
c.) Kofi Annan Institute for Conflict Transformation (KAICT, University of Liberia, Monrovia, Dr. T. Debay Sayandee
 

3. Objectives
Project Objectives:  
 
Phase I Objectives   (December 1, 2011 through March 15, 2012)
i)      Develop an Activity Guide that is targeted for students 9 to 14 years – presented
 in narrative, audio and graphical/concept map formats. This would include the following:
(1)    Develop an interview protocol to be used by students to talk with parents and other 
adults about their experiences during the years of conflict.
(2)    Develop release forms for audio and pictorial recording that do not require a signature. 
Thus this would be an ‘audio-signature’
(3)    Develop guidelines targeted for students 9 to 14 years – for recording, editing and 
sharing interviews.
(4)    Develop guidelines for reflecting on the content of the interviews – both the 
interviews the student has personally collected and the other interviews.
(5)    Develop guidelines for collaboratively summarizing the interviews and producing a digital report.
ii)     Pilot test as many components of the Activity Guide as possible within the 1 week on-site period.
(1)    Students will develop the basic skills to use the XO for interviewing and editing interviews
(2)    Students will acquire a basic understanding of the interview process
(3)    Students will acquire a basic set of compassionate listening skills.
(4)    Students will become aware of local referral resources in case their interviewees need such services
(5)    Students will acquire a basic understanding of the process of collaborative writing process.
iii)   Revise the Activity Guide as needed
 
Phase 2 Objectives  (May 1, 2012 through October 1, 2012)
i)      Each student will interview at least two individuals who were caught up in the civil wars and their 
aftermath.  The target will be at least one of the interviews should be with a family member.)
ii)     Collaboratively students will prepare an audio-based narrative of their findings.
iii)   The audio narrative will be shared with the interviewees during a community meeting with support 
from project staff.
iv)    The revised activity guide will be shared with KAICT faculty a the University of Liberia and  
Education faculty at the United Methodist University of Liberia and the Liberian Ministry of Education
 
4. Plan of Action
Phase I
(1)    Finalize agreements with KAICT, Education Department at the United Methodist University of Liberia, 
and the Ganta Mission School   (by December 1,  2011)
(2)    Carroll and Shwedel with develop the initial outline for the training manual and meet via SKYPE 
with Liberian counterparts to write the basic manual  (by December 10, 2011)
(3)    Liberian counterparts at the KACT Institute will develop background information and links to
 additional information tailored to youth’s level of understanding.
(4)    Carroll and Shwedel will develop the initial graphical/concept map format and meet and meet 
via SKYPE with Liberian counterparts to organize the final layout.  (by December 12, 2011)
(5)    Liberian faculty will develop the audio version of the activity manual (by January 5, 2012)
(6)    Shwedel, Carroll and up to 10 SSU students will travel to Liberia to work with Liberian 
counterparts to pilot the activity manual. (January 7, 2012 through January 15, 2012)
(7)    Shwedel and Carroll will work with at least 2 faculty at the selected Mission school to 
provide basic training  on how to use the XOs and other aspects of the project. (January 9t, 2012)
 through January 13, 2012)
(8)    Shwedel, Carroll and SSU students will prepare an initial revision of the activity manual 
and share it with Liberian counterparts.  (by February 15, 2012)
(9)    Revisions suggested by Liberian counterparts will be incorporated into the activity manual 
for Phase 2. (by March 15, 2012)
 
Phase II
i)      Liberian counterparts select 4 to 8 students for the activity and finalize logistical 
arrangements for a 2 week ‘class’ in late May 2012.  (by April 5th)
ii)     Shwedel, Carroll and up to 10 SSU students will travel to Liberia to work with 
Liberian counterparts to fully implement this activity (May 12, 2012 through May 27, 2012)
iii)   Shwedel and Carroll will train at least two faculty at the selected Mission school 
to supervise and facilitate this project. 
(1)    If the activity is not completed during the two week interval, the Mission faculty will 
take over responsibility for completing the activity and sharing the results with Carroll and Shwedel.
iv)    Students and facilitators will host a community meeting to present the student’s work 
to everyone.  The Liberian counterparts will facilitate the community meeting which will be 
videotaped. (May 25, 2012)
v)     Shwedel and Carroll will meet with Liberian counterparts over SKYPE to make final 
revisions in the 3 versions of the Activity Guide.  (by October 1, 2012)
vi)    The Activity Guide will be posted on the SSU website and given to the Liberian 
counterparts on a CD.  (by October 1, 2012)