Marshall teacher returns from Bangladesh

Joseph Dunn, dressed in a Panjabi, a traditional outfit worn in Bangladesh, gives a student a sample of fruit chutney. Photo by Susan Arensman

Joseph Dunn, seventh-grade teacher at Marshall Middle School, is teaching his students about the culture of Bangladesh with the voice of experience. Dunn recently returned from that country, as one of two teachers in the U.S. selected to be part of a teacher exchange program through Relief International Schools Online. Dunn has shared with his students about life in Bangladesh, including the music, the clothes, the religion and the food.

One day he had his students sample different snacks from Bangladesh, including Dal, fried peas, charachur and chutney. The students were asked to write reviews of the snacks. Some students liked the items and some didn't, but Dunn stressed the important thing was to try them.

"The best way to learn about a different country and culture is to experience it," Dunn said. "These kids weren't able to go, but they were excited to hear about my trip. It makes that country a real place to them."

Dunn communicated with his students on-line during his trip. He kept a blog and posted videos of different places and schools that he visited.

Dunn’s students have been involved in a cultural exchange with a school in Bangladesh since the beginning of the school year. The students have communicated via the internet and mailed items to each other to explain what life and customs are like in their countries. Dunn’s students also have shared items with students in Israel, Spain, Brazil and Taiwan.

http://www.usd259.com/news/express/2008-2009/032309.htm#marshall

Questions that we still have about Bangladesh...

Ms. Bennett's language arts students were asked to consider questions they still had about Bangladesh. This is what they came up with:

My Dear students:
I would like to say that I am quiet impressed with many of your questions and I am so happy that you have taken a interest in Bangladesh and its people.
I will be able to answer many of your questions in detail when I get back to America. But I would like to tell you that many of your answers are just a "click" away.
That is right, I am going to ask that you look for some of the answers yourselves. You may use the internet and go to Google and search for some of the answers.
I am telling you to do this because it will help with time management. I hope that many of you take time to look up this information and find out for yourselves the wonderful culture and people of Bangladesh.
*I would also like to note that I have addressed several of your questions in a previous posting on this blog. Check them out!
I miss you and will see you soon!
Mr. Dunn :)

Sandra Paz: I think I would like to know more about their culture, like who they are.
Yuliana Mejia: I would like to know if they have a children’s home there like here for when the children are abused? I would also like to know if there is a juvenile and jail in Bangladesh? I also want to know more about their culture. What’s there?
Jesus Alvarez: I would like to know if they like school. Do they watch T.V.? And do they want to know Mr. Dunn. Are there pretty girls there? Do they play soccer?
Juliana Vela: I would like to learn a lot more about Bangladesh. I would like to know what their climate is each season. What are their houses like? I would also like to learn what they celebrate each year. There are many things I want to learn about Bangladesh, including many other things.
Itssel Berumen: I would like to know about their different beliefs and how they dress. Why what’s right and what’s wrong. How the schools are. Do they wear uniforms?
Blake Payne: Well, I am curious if they eat any American food. What is the government system like? What are their colleges like? What is their healthcare like? What kind of prisons do they have there?
Natasha Judd: I would like to learn more about how they dress. Why do the men have to wear fancy clothes? Do all the women have to wear dresses? Is Bangladesh a wealthy country? How much is their money worth in U.S. dollars? If I bought a meal there how much would it cost?
Jesus Castillo: How do they make the rickshaw? Why do they drive on the right side of the car? What is there second language?
Robert Maldonado: Do they have rickshaw races?
Pablo Juarez: I want to learn a lot. One is how to speak their language. I also want to know if they like soccer. I bet they want to know about the U.S. too.
Jorge Hernandez: Why is their favorite sport cricket? How do you play cricket? What other sports do they play? What do they do for fun?
Atlanta Beal: What kind of T.V. shows do they watch? What kind of pets do they keep? What is their population? When was their last war? What do they dress like?
Sam Taylor: I would like to know if there are beaches there. Do they eat American food? What do the kids do in their spare time? I would like to know a lot more about Bangladesh.
Lynndon Bais: Why don’t they eat with their forks and spoons if they have them? Why is the steering wheel on the right side of the car? Why do they eat rice all the time?
Citlali Flores: I would like to learn about the food. Also, about the celebrations they do, the one in February. What is their daily life like? How does their school look?
Jesus Correa: Does Bangladesh have a national flag? Does it have a national animal? How is the music like? Do they dance? How do they dance?
Mariah Lee: I want to learn how do they talk? How do they work? Do they shop a lot? What do they do for fun on the weekends? Do boys and girls go to school together?

Work, work, work

Work..... yes work is the magic word kids.
Its why we go to school and work hard so that some day we can have a job that you love. It can be anything from a doctor, actor, singer, professional athlete, etc.

The jobs that you might be able to have are limitless.... but many people in the world and also in parts of the U.S. do not have that opportunity.



I had the opportunity to visit an organization that is working with RELIEF International Staff in schools and bettering the lives of many of the lower class in Bangladesh. The organization teaches its participants skills they will need in the work place.

Take a look at some of these different jobs that people get training for better job placement.

It is interesting to see the various types of jobs that are available for many people in Bangladesh. The jobs that are most readily available are in big factories. Because of labor costs many factories have made large buildings filled with machines that work almost around the clock making goods for the western world.

As some of you may know or have heard the labor laws differ in Bangladesh from the United States. The laws of Bangladesh state that a person can start working at the age of 14!!! Now this is not full time work and cannot be strenuous. You cannot have full time work or the most difficult until a person reaches the age of 18...... I pause because what I am about to tell you is hard for many of us to understand.

There also exists a substantial area of work that is illigal in Bangladesh. These places employ people and pay them under cost but they also use children under the age of 14 and have them work very strenuous hours/jobs. This is not a site that we as westerners like to see or think about but it is importnat that we know it does exist. Now all we have to do is figure out a way to stop it.....

Talking to Mr. Dunn in Bangladesh

On Monday, February 23, the students at Marshall Middle School had the unique opportunity to speak to their social studies teacher half a world away in Bangladesh.

The streets of Dhaka

In the streets of Dhaka you can see many many things. One thing that I have noticed is the amount of people on the streets at all times. There has not been a time of day when I have not seen people walking. It is not a surprise to see so many people when you look at the population issues in Bangladesh and in Asia. There are lots of people and the cities just keep growing and growing.
It is not unlike big cities of the U.S. The only difference is that you have to add several million more people in the same space, and then you will feel what it is like in Dhaka and I imagine other parts of Asia with population issues.

Because of some of these issues you run into problems like traffic as well. I consider myself to be a competent driver and very good at getting to one place or another. I feel comfortable in just about any city in the U.S. and have had little problems. The only place that I have been afraid and flat out refused to drive has been Mexico City, but now I can add Dhaka to that list. IT IS CRAZY!!!!

There is another issue with traffic and population in Bangladesh and Asia. There are often so many people going to a certain place that they fill every seat..... so when the seats are full, they put people on the roof! It is quite a spectacle when you are going down the highway and you see a group of people on top of a bus. It makes me nervous, but also I am amazed that there are not more accidents in Bangladesh.

The traffic is so hard to navigate, and not only that, but they drive on the right side of the car, not the left like in the U.S.

So let me explain: right side driving + crazy traffic in Bangladesh= Mr. Dunn scared out of his mind!

So you can see how hard it is to travel in Asia. But they do have a mode of travel that I like very much, and that would be the rickshaw.

Awwww, there is nothing quite like a nice ride in the back of a rickshaw....that is unless yours happens to be full of two very.... umm.... rotund teachers from America. Enjoy the ride with Mr. T and I and check out a form of travel that has been around for centuries. Before the invention of the bicycle, the rickshaw was pulled by a runner. Now that was hard work! Even today it is not an easy job to pull a rickshaw, but somehow these people make it work.

21 of Feb Monument

The amount of people that show up for this celebration is just amazing. The air is filled with excitement and with energy. It was a wonderful time and something I will remember forever!

21 of Feb in Bangladesh

The 21 of February is a very important holiday for the people of Bangladesh. They celebrate their mother language day.

For those of you who do not know what that is, let me explain.



On the 21 of February there was a protest in Bangladesh. The reason that people were protesting was because they wanted the right to speak their mother language. Bangladesh at this point in time was part of Pakistan, and they wanted to make the national language Urdu (the language of Pakistan), but the majority of the people spoke Bengali.



There was a protest in the streets of Dhaka. People pored out in droves to show their support for their national language. Because of the mass of people, the government stepped in. There was a miscommunication, and shots were fired. This lead to the shooting and killing of many people of now Bangladesh. Several of the main people in the protest were students and professors from the University of Bangladesh.



They were killed and are today honored because of their valor and fighting for their native language. Take a look at this video and see the amount of people that commemorate this event.

Today it is customary to place flowers on the national monument in remembrance of these "freedom fighters" as they are now called.

You will see the monument that has several pillars and a big red circle in the middle. The circle is a symbol of the sun and its importance to this region. It is colored red to symbolize the blood of those that have given their lives for this country. The pillars represent the people that stood up for their beliefs. (This is what I have been told by several people).

If you look at the first picture you will see Mr. T and I with one of the original freedom fighters. He told us about what happened on the 21 of Feb. It was amazing to see this gentleman's passion and his spirit. Just being able to spend some time with him was enough for me. I enjoyed talking with him very much.