Kids’ CODE CLUB at DniproWOA

This afternoon the WOA’s volunteer Mr. Oleksiy offered the second coding session for children within the CodeClub.UA framework in Window on America center in Dnipro, Ukraine.
The kids familiarized themselves with the functions of the SCRATCH program. Scratch is a free visual programming language developed by the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Media Lab. Scratch is used by students, scholars, teachers, and parents to easily create animations, games, etc. It provides a stepping stone to the more advanced world of computer programming.

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Speed English at DniproWOA: Picnics

This afternoon the SPEED ENGLISH session at Dnipro Window on America center, Ukraine, was dedicated to picnics. The May day and V-Day picnic are popular in Ukraine. So the Speed English players talked about the picnic preparation, activities and good place for picnic in Dnipro city.
Number of participants – 28 persons.

Questions for discussion:
• Do you like picnics? If you do, describe a picnic that was a success, if not, explain why.
• How can a person`s true character reveal itself at a picnic or at a similar circumstances?
• Do you remember any funny incidents at a picnic?

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The English Language Day and MAY Day

This afternoon the Gabfest Club’s session (Window on America center in Dnipro, Ukraine) started the session with the introductions of the newcomers who joined the Club recently. The newcomers represented people of different occupations – IT specialists, doctors, engineers. For different reasons they all need to improve their English skills.
 
The official topic of the session was the UN English Language Day. It is observed on April, 23 - the birthday of William Shakespeare. We listened to the video with an English-speaking wordsmith who explained the changes that already took place in the English language and predicted the changes that may take place in the nearest future. The expert commented on the arrival of new words (for example, from the WW soldiers’ lexicon) and the role of English language dialects. The group enriched the vocabulary with derivatives of the word “smith” – black smith, locksmith, silversmith, goldsmith, and wordsmith.
Our American volunteer Mr. Jason received a lot of information on another UN working language – Russian. The UN day of this language is observed on Alexander Pushkin’s birthday. As Mr. Jason studies Russian the Club members recommended him to visit memorial Pushkin places in Dnipro and Odessa.
In the second part of the session we discussed the difference between the Ukrainian Labor Day and the American Labor Day. The biggest surprise for Ukrainians was the date and menu of the American Labor Day.
Moderator and pictures: T. Gavryliyuk
Participants –  28 persons.

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WOA helps to host English teachers’ training

This afternoon #DniproWOA (Dnipro Window on America center, Ukraine) helped to host a teachers’ training event at DOUNB Library.
The methodology section of the Dnipro city municipal education department together with the world known language publisher arranged a methodology training for the city teachers of English.
The multimedia equipment provided by WOA for two groups of seminar participants helped the Ukrainian teachers to learn new ways to motivate students and teach writing for English final tests.
The WOA’s promotional materials were distributed among teachers.
Participants number – 60  persons.

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Interective Smartboard

NEW INTERACTIVE SMARTBOARD gifted to DOUNB Library and Window on America center.
The new Interactive board for library presentation was donated by American people the to the DOUNB Library .
The library IT specialist presented the functions and possibilities of the new equipment.
The librarians tested the interactive board and plan to use it for library events and presentations.

Code Club started at Dnipro WOA

Kids' Code Club started at Dnipro WOA!

This afternoon the WOA’s volunteer Mr. Oleksiy offered the coding session for children within the CodeClub.UA framework in Window on America center in Dnipro, Ukraine.
The kids familiarized themselves with the functions of the SCRATCH program. Scratch is a free visual programming language developed by the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Media Lab. Scratch is used by students, scholars, teachers, and parents to easily create animations, games, etc. It provides a stepping stone to the more advanced world of computer programming.

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English for Media Literacy: Week 3

In Dnipro Window on America Center participants of online English for Media Literacy course (MООС) gathered to discuss challenging questions of the third week of the course. Members of the group already easily distinguish the traditional mass media from the social ones. So we learned to be critical of the advertisement around us.  We’re improving our English with pleasure, renewing our vocabulary, learning to use it without effort.

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Speed English at DniproWOA: Environmental & Climate Literacy

This afternoon the Gabfest club session (Dnipro Window on America center, Ukraine) was dedicated to the observance of the UN Mother Earth day.
In the second part of the session the group was offered the “Speed English Game”. The questions for conversation dealt with environmental problems of this country. Our American guests actively joined the conversation and made happy the Club members.
Number of participants – 33 persons.

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Earth Day at DniproWOA: Environmental & Climate Literacy

This afternoon the Gabfest club session (Dnipro Window on America center, Ukraine) was dedicated to the observance of the UN Mother Earth day.
Earth Day now gathers over 1 billion people each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.
The theme for 2017 is “Environmental & Climate Literacy”. It aims to empower everyone with the knowledge of climate change in order to inspire action towards environmental protection.
The Club members were urged to make small green changes in their lifestyle:
-    Walk to work, cycle or take public transport
-    Cut back on single use plastics
-    Recycle
-    Go paperless
-    Go meat or dairy free at least once a week
-    Plant a tree
-    Buy local produce.
The group was offered educational videos about the “carbon footprint” and supermarkets’ secrets. The video introduced a lot of environmental terms and explained some “green changes” that were not clear to the session participants.
The discussion that followed engaged our American friends- Mr. Jason and Mr. Stephen and covered some controversial aspects of the climate change theory.
Number of participants – 33 persons.

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For a Fistful of Dollars

Tonight we, members of the Wednesday Movie club (Dnipro Window on America center, Ukraine) watched a spaghetti western film A Fistful of Dollars (1964).
A Fistful of Dollars (Italian: Per un pugno di dollari, lit. "For a Fistful of Dollars"), titled on-screen as Fistful of Dollars, is a 1964 spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood in his first leading role.
A Fistful of Dollars was filmed on a low budget (reported to be $200,000), and Eastwood was paid $15,000 for his role. Released in Italy in 1964, and then in the United States in 1967, it initiated the popularity of the spaghetti western film genre.
Plot: A wandering gunfighter plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by greed, pride, and revenge.
As few spaghetti westerns had yet been released in the United States, many of the European cast and crew took on American-sounding stage names.
WOA’s patrons enjoyed the film and the discussion that followed. We hope that movie club members were inspired to come again to improve their English.
Participants number – 8 persons.
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Activate English. 5.10: Graduation

Graduation of «Activate English 5.0.» group took place today at the Window on America center in Dnipro. The group had a 20 hour language course within the framework of the project “Express-English at the DOUNB Library”. The instruction was provided by the library staff member Tamara Gavryliuk who has the University degree equivalent of the MA in ESL.
The course was based on the materials from the textbook published by McMillan Language House and focused on the conversational practice for intermediate and advanced level learners of English.

During 10 educational sessions the students practiced popular conversational topics, studied new vocabulary and grammatical structures, learned about the basic etiquette of the English-speaking countries, mastered the skills of “small talk”.
All the participants found the session «Immigration Control» educational and helpful.At the final session the most diligent students received certificates of attendance.
 Instructor: T. Gavryliyuk
Pictures: S.Usenko
Participants number –  42 persons.