Info about the Individual Desks = Individual Attention
Collectivization in Soviet and post-Soviet education in Kyrgyzstan has created a situation where the structure of a classroom is extremely rigid and students often depend on each other to get by in their studies. The current structure of a typical Kyrgyz classroom is several rows of two-person desks, all facing the front of the classroom. The desks are often difficult to move, discouraging alterations in the learning environment to facilitate activities. In addition, the two-person desks often encourage cheating, as students can simply look at their neighbor's material with whom they are sharing desks.
In planning the remodeling of the current English classroom at a village school, we are proposing replacing the two-person desks currently in the classroom (which are bolted to the ground and impossible to move) with single-person desks that can be easily moved around the classroom. In choosing the desks, we are selecting desks that resemble the single-person desks currently found in most American classrooms. We are attempting to create a microcosm of an American-style classroom learning environment in order to change the way students are learning English in the classroom, and to offer a model to other classrooms.
Note: This summary was provided by a Peace Corps Volunteer and the community administering this project.
