KDAP Quarterly Newsletter
April 1, 2023
Welcome to KDAP’s first quarterly newsletter!
For the last 3 months, KDAP implemented a pilot project where blind students can boundlessly explore their curiosity. All the while, developing crucial skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity. This was done through experiencial, hands-on workshops around STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and math). Skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking were also developed by O&M (orientation and mobility) training. The pilot project was implemented with 12 students of Discover Your Possibilities (DYP). A local organization that offers basic education and vocational training to the blind. So they can be integrated into Cambodian society.
Introducing STEM To the Students and Gauging Curiosity
The 12 students had no prior knowledge or experience with STEM. During the initial workshop, STEM was explained to the students. How science is about asking questions and using the scientific method to extract data and form conclusions. A brief session about inaccessibility of STEM for the blind followed. Next, students were asked if they have ever been curious about how planes fly, or if a noise they heard ever made them curious. Like most other children, they were. They then shared how people treated them when they asked curious questions about the world around them. Most of the students said people would shut them down. Not answer their questions or just expressed their annoyance with them. They shared how that made them feel. They wanted to know, to understand, but people around them weren’t willing to give them the opportunity.
Last part of the workshop, students were asked if they were ever curious about how structures could hold weight. They explored by building simple structures with paper cups and cardboard. First, they each put their weight on individual paper cups. Students were asked what they thought would happen. Most of them thought their weight would flatten the cups. They all put their foot on their cups and the cups went flat.
Next, students were each given five cups and a sheet of cardboard. They were instructed to arrange the cups on the floor and place cardboard on top. Would the results be the same? Some students were surprised the structures held their weight. Others weren’t.
They all gave feedback on the activity. How some thought results would be the same as when they stepped on individual cups. Others thought results would be different because of the cups being spread out, distributing their weight. Over all, they enjoyed the activity because it was hands-on. It helped them grasp the concept of weight distribution. They looked forward to the next workshop.
The Importance of Cane Travel
Most of the 12 students initially did not like using their canes. They often walked using their hands to navigate. It was not an ideal way to walk around, but that was what they wanted to do. They did not understand the importance of using a cane.
During the first O&M lesson, students shared how they got around. A lot of them were very familiar with where they lived. So they were able to move about independently. When they traveled outside their places of familiarity, they walked with another person. Some of the students were totally blind. Other students had low vision. SreyTit, one of the low vision students said she would walk to her neighborhood market to buy fish for her mom. Besides that, she didn’t go anywhere by herself.
During the first O&M lesson, Students began to understand the importance of using a cane when traveling. They learned about detecting objects with their canes and how that information could be used to decide how to navigate. How high they needed to step, go left, go right, or find another way to go. The cane could also keep snakes and other animals away. The cane is recognized by the world at large. When people see it, they generally would move out the way. If cars see it, they may stop or slow down. The difference between Cambodia and countries such as the US were explained. Cambodian streets, traffic laws, and sidewalks are much different from those other countries. E.G., sidewalks may contain chairs, vendor stalls, markets and other obstacles you wouldn’t find on US sidewalks.
A lot of the students were nervous and scared during the first lesson. They weren’t confident they could travel independently on the scale larger than their places of familiarity. They were scared because they didn’t know what they were getting into. Were they going to fall down a hole, walk into something?
First lesson consisted of learning how to properly hold their canes. 3 fingers and thumb wrapped around the cane. Index finger down along the cane. Using the energy of their wrist to move their canes back and forth. Aligning their toes, nose, and shoulders to help them walk straight.
Most of the students have advanced to lesson 5. Here, they begin learning how to safely cross lighted and non-lighted intersections. What to do if there is a masking sound (a sound that is louder than vehicles) such as a jet. How to cross with a sighted person who wants to help you a cross. So far, they have learned how to begin building a map in their minds. A lot of them have become experts in discerning east, west, north, and south. How to use sighted guide. How to navigate stairs. How to use the sounds produce by tapping their canes to identify cars, walls, narrow and wide spaces and more. How to handle street crossings. Lesson 5, the street crossing lesson, students were using an area of DYP’s campus designated as a street, both lighted and non-lighted. In a future, lesson, they will be crossing real streets.
Students have expressed they are no longer nervous or scared. They feel confident enough to travel more independently. They can use their canes to gather all sorts of information and decide what to do with that information.
There is only 1 student who is still on the first lesson. We’re trying to find a solution for her not being able to walk straight. We can’t have her advancing to street crossing and other lessons if she cannot walk straight. Walking straight is very important for crossing streets and traveling elsewhere.
Building Bridges
Most of the students were familiar with bridges. They have walked on them, touched them. Swinging bridges, floating bridges, suspension bridges, stone bridges, they were familiar with most of those types of bridges. You can walk across a swinging bridge yourself, if you ever get the chance to visit Cambodia and visit the famous Angkor Temple complex.
During this workshop, students got to build bridges using tongue depressors and glue. Students were divided into 3 groups of 4. Each group designed a bridge. Instead of giving them designs to follow. The students constructed bridges on what they already knew about bridges from seeing them, walking on them, and touching them.
When the glue didn’t stick, they went and got rubber bands and string. Those worked to hold their structures together. It took a bit of time. However, all 3 groups finished their bridges.
Students shared their thoughts on teamwork and problem-solving. They said a project like this, they could begin to see why and how teamwork is crucial. Besides this project requiring more than one person to build, they said working together, they can share ideas for possible solutions and the work would get done faster. Students shared their thoughts on how much weight their bridges could hold. Mech, said his group’s bridge would probably break around 2 kilos or so.
Students had a good time. A staff member joined in on the action. She joined one of the groups and built their bridge with them. Thei students’ only request was, if they ever do this project again, could different material be used for design and strength. Or at least more tongue depressors so they can double the material for their bridge for strength.
Wind-powered Cars
All of the students were familiar with cars. How they looked. How they sound. Some of the students, like Pich, use to make cars ot of plastic jugs to play with when younger.
In this activity, students were tasked with building cars out of cardboard, plastic drinking straws, wooden skewers, plastic bottle caps, tape, scissors, and card stock. They were again divided into 3 groups of 4. Each group designed a car. Group members were to discuss amongst each other about the design of their car before cutting the cardboard and slapping on the wheels and sail. The thought was to just do simple, plain cars. But, the students went all in on designing their cars. They got creative and fancy. One group built an ambulance. Another group built a pig transport truck. A staff member, one of the teachers, also joined the fun. Designed his own car. The students were very engaged in the activity, from discussing what design they were going to use, to ensuring all group members participated in building the car. The final part was cutting out a sail from card stock. Using another skewer as a mast, the sails were attached to their cars.
After finishing building their cars. They tested to see if their cars would go. One group had to adjust their wheels. Another group had to adjust their sail. That day was windy. So it was a good day for the workshop. The wind pushed on the sails of their car and pushed their cars forward. The students were really happy and excited with their results. They laughed and smile and exclaimed “It’s going! It’s going!”
There was a race. The students really got in to it then. They jumped up and down, screamed for their car to win. The fastest car that day was the car designed by one of the teachers who joined the activity. The speed of the other cars varied.
A lot of the students thought the project would be impossible to do. They weren’t confident they could design the car and make the car go. After the activity, they thought and felt different. They also shared their frustrations with some elements of the activity, such as cutting the body of the car. Making the axles, taping them to the bottom of the car. The teacher who joined the activity, Kru Roth, expressed how proud he is of the students. Able to work together, use their creativity, and produce such results.
This activity helped them grasp the concepts of forces, engineering, and design. The force was the wind pushing on the car’s sail, moving the car forward. Engineering and design was cutting the body of the car, aligning the axles and centering the wheels on the axles. So the car would roll smoothly. The car’s speed depends on its design. The student’s expressed if this activity were conducted in the conventional approach–drawing on white or black boards and reading from textbooks. They would have had a difficult time grasping the concepts. Even the low-vision students said that approach would make it difficult for them to grasp.
Thank you for reading KDAP’s first newsletter. We hope you found this project as impactful as the students have express. Have questions or would like more information. Please email us at info@kdap.asia .
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