By Lucia Valente

As noted in my earlier blog I had hoped to meet with both Khaled‘s and Anwar‘s students while I was in Palestine. Due to time constraints it was not possible to meet with Anwar’s students. I did attend Khaled’s class at Jenin Industrial Secondary School.

Jenin is an agricultural area – with a large flat plain with lots of farms and crops growing way into the distance. There are miles of poly-tunnels along the way to Jenin. In some ways, it reminds me of Southern Spain. Many of the students come from farming families in the region.

When I visit schools to meet with teachers, I like to meet with students also and get feedback from them. Students provide such valuable feedback and I obtain excellent insights from discussions with them. I was fortunate that Mr. Watheq Hithnawi, the Principal of the school permitted me to spend time in the classroom to see Khaled teaching using our modules.

Through LoG, Professor Kelso authorized deployment of some of her course modules for use in Palestine. For students in Palestine it is a very special experience to know that their studies align to modules being used at Olympic College, Washington State, USA. For students in an environment such as Palestine, this outward connection to another country that is so far away is unique.

One of the key questions I always pose to students pertaining to the learning methodology that we deploy. Universally I receive consistent feedback from students. They respond positively to our work and their ability to learn some of the most sophisticated mathematical concepts on mobile devices. And, as noted, for students in Palestine it is a unique experience to use the same modules as students in the US. This is indeed, the connected world. Our education methodology represents the 21st century and students understand and respond to education that reflects their world environment. Not only do students no longer need to purchase text books, they have access to their curriculum and learning modules 24/7 on their mobile phones.