mwalimuandrew@gmail.com
School laboratories always fascinate me. Perhaps this is because the secondary school that I attended had no lab. If you remember, I touched a pipette for the first time in my life during my KCSE Chemistry practical exams – at a neighbouring school. For four years, we only learnt theory as we had no facilities. During chemistry lessons, our teacher always talked of how some chemicals reacted to produce a pungent smell, while others generated a white precipitate.
“Unfortunately, we do not have a lab, so I can’t show you ‘live live’. But if you are lucky one day to enter a lab, try out these things and you will remember you can try these reactions.”
During our KCSE exams, we trekked some 15KMs to the neighbouring school for the practicals – with our teacher spending the first half an hour teaching us the difference between a burette and a pipette! I scored a strong D in Chemistry – a record that was only broken recently. I would have scored an A- if our school had been well equipped.
So when I was sent to St Theresa’s to invigilate KSCE, I looked forward to the practical exams since I planned to try out some of the tests I was taught long ago – but which I never got an opportunity to observe.
The first practical exam was Physics. Physics and I were a case of hate at first sight. I dropped it in Form 1 week 1 – although I continued sitting for physics exams for two years – writing only my name in many of the tests! Physics wasn’t that tough for me but I never saw any way pendulums were going to add any value to my life!
On the day for physics last week, we were served early lunch a few minutes after the practical sessions began and we left the physics teacher to handle the exams as our food was getting cold. Even if we had attended the entire session, I doubt we would have been of any help.
Next was Biology practicals. Biology initially interested me since my father always wanted me follow Alfayo’s footsteps. Alfayo is our neighbour and village doctor, who used to move around with his bicycle injecting kids with Procaine for every ailment. He was very respected by our parents. Layer I learnt that Alfayo had been a messenger at the District Health Centre – during which time he had learnt how to use a syringe. On hearing this, I gave up my dream of being a doctor, and lost interest in Biology.
I did not even move near the lab during the biology practicals. My day was Friday, the day for Chemistry practicals. I arrived at school early morning, and found Madam Kagendo and two other students in the lab preparing for the exams. It was a scene to behold: well arranged burettes, Bunsen burners, test tubes etc. I loved the smell of mixed chemicals, and the sight of the colourful flames.
“We shall be ready by 9 o’clock for the first group,” said Kagendo. We ushered in the first group of students at 9.20. With Madam Kagendo and the lab assistant around, we left for breakfast. I left the other invigilators still taking breakfast, the woman complaining that the smell in the lab was nauseated her.
“I don’t want to miscarry,” she said
I arrived just as the first group was finishing. Three students, including Annastacia, came in to prepare the lab for the next group
Once we gave them the papers, I joined the lab assistant in his office, partitioned from the main lab using card board. There were many chemicals all over, in pretty bottles.
Just then, a student’s test tube broke and the lab assistant went to assist – leaving me in the office alone. . Here was my opportunity to carry out a few tests. Next to me was a bottle that when I opened had some two solid particles. On the bottle was written K, and I assumed the Lab assistant had marked the bottles alphabetically as I could see H, N, O etc.
I decided to mix the contents in the K bottle with Spirit to see what happens. Somehow, I felt that these could be a dangerous reaction so I decided to try with water. There was water in a basin nearby so I opened the bottle, and dropped the contents from Bottle K into the water. I can’t remember well what happened next, but I remember hearing some explosions followed by huge flames and fumes. I jumped out of the lab as the flames and fumes increased. The students who were doing the practicals ran away – as teaches and the lab assistant rushed to the room.
The school gate keeper poured in a pail of water in the room, but this only increased the flames. The fire was only put down by the lab assistant using a fire extinguisher.
“What happened?” Madam Kagendo asked.
“I don’t know, but Potassium Metal accidentally came in contact with water,” the lab assistant said - shaken.
“Do you know potassium exothermically reacts with water causing explosive flames?”
“I must have forgotten it uncovered,” he said. With no one suspecting me, I joined the other invigilators in looking for the candidates - some of whom had run away with the exam papers when the fires began.
Afraid of the fires, we only gave out the papers and sat far away from the labs. As for me, am not returning to any laboratory any time soon.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Laptop virus that spoilt my presentation
mwalimuandew@gmail.com
When our AEO called for a meeting for all Primary School Heads and Deputies, I planned to use this opportunity to win favour with him – with an eye on a promotion.
In the invite, the AEO had asked each of us to draw strategic plans for our schools and share this at the forum in an effort towards “making our division the epitome of best academic practice in our great county.”
A week before the meeting, our HM, Mr Juma, called me from Mombsa where he was attending a Heads meeting and asked to prepare the presentation. “You will also present it at the meeting,” he also said.
I knew that his English was poor and so he never wanted to embarrass himself by presenting the plan before his seniors and colleagues.
I spent last weekend preparing the plan, but when I showed Pius what I had done, he had other ideas. “You have a laptop, use it for the presentation,” he advised.
When I told him I was not good with laptops, he helped me come with a presentation on the laptop with the information I wanted organized in such a way that it bounced on the computer every time I clicked any button.
Pius also encouraged me to use the laptop to perform my job better. “What did you buy it for?” he asked. When I told him that we do not need computers in our job, he laughed off at this.
“You can prepare your schemes of work here and update them after every lesson,” he explained. “You can also enter the students’ mark on it and easily and accurately calculate get their totals, averages, ranks, at a click of a button.”
Following this, I started going with the laptop to school every day since last Monday. Although I rarely use it, every time someone comes into my office, I immediately switch it on and pretend to be busy with it. Just as expected, word spread around other schools that there is deputy who runs the school on a laptop. The only challenge is that I have to charge it at the neighbouring secondary school every morning.
So on the day of the meeting last Thursday, I woke up early, and put on my latest Kaunda suit. Under the Kaunda suit, I put on the yellow T-shirts we used during the 2007 elections. This really matched with my white Reeboks and red socks.
I passed by school to ensure that all was fine – then rode my bicycle to the venue of the meeting, arriving to find the place milling with many teachers. All the trees around had already been taken and I had difficulty finding a place to park my bicycle. Since the meeting had not begun, I sat behind, took out my laptop and started going through my presentation again. This attracted other teachers who surrounded me marveling at the laptop and asking many questions.
“Is it true that if a student sneaks out of school you can see it on the computer? Can it tell you the teachers who arrived late? Can it show tell you how many teachers are absent today in your school? Is it more expensive than a motor cycle?” These are some of the questions that I was asked.
Soon after, the meeting began and I switched it off to save battery since I had not charged it that morning.
“With the creation of a new county, we need to start positioning ourselves early enough so that we remain relevant in the new county dispensation,” started the AEO. “This is going to be a performance based meeting and so I expect each Head or Deputy to present facts.”
Three Heads made their presentations. They simply went in front with a piece of paper and read aloud with little elaboration. Next our school was called and Juma gestured on me to go make the presentation.
I walked in front with my laptop and greeted everyone as I unpacked it. I placed it on the table from where only the AEO and other senior officials could read what I had on it.
“Professional colleagues, my presentation is entitled Marching our school to the next level under the new constitutional dispensation,” I said. Just when I was still on the introduction, something popped up on the computer screen: Low Battery, it read. I knew that I had to present very fast but elaborate fully as I noticed the AEO, who was behind me, taking notes from my presentation, something he had not done as the other teachers presented.
Abruptly, the screen of the laptop went black and the following message appeared on the screen: Preparing to Hibernate. Even before I could do anything, the laptop just went off at a time when I had just started my presentation.
This really confused me as everything was on the laptop and I had not written it on paper. I tried to switch it on but it only produced a loud beeping sound. “Am sorry my computer has been attached by a deadly virus and I have to rush to have it removed,” I said as I packed it ready to leave. Everyone was disappointed.
I went straight to St Theresa’s where Mr. Mboya helped me repair it. “The laptop had a very dangerous Virus,” he said after repairing. He said that he suspected that the laptop must have contracted the virus when I allowed a few teachers to touch it. He charged me Sh3500 for the repair. Going forward, I will not allow just anyone to touch my laptop.
When our AEO called for a meeting for all Primary School Heads and Deputies, I planned to use this opportunity to win favour with him – with an eye on a promotion.
In the invite, the AEO had asked each of us to draw strategic plans for our schools and share this at the forum in an effort towards “making our division the epitome of best academic practice in our great county.”
A week before the meeting, our HM, Mr Juma, called me from Mombsa where he was attending a Heads meeting and asked to prepare the presentation. “You will also present it at the meeting,” he also said.
I knew that his English was poor and so he never wanted to embarrass himself by presenting the plan before his seniors and colleagues.
I spent last weekend preparing the plan, but when I showed Pius what I had done, he had other ideas. “You have a laptop, use it for the presentation,” he advised.
When I told him I was not good with laptops, he helped me come with a presentation on the laptop with the information I wanted organized in such a way that it bounced on the computer every time I clicked any button.
Pius also encouraged me to use the laptop to perform my job better. “What did you buy it for?” he asked. When I told him that we do not need computers in our job, he laughed off at this.
“You can prepare your schemes of work here and update them after every lesson,” he explained. “You can also enter the students’ mark on it and easily and accurately calculate get their totals, averages, ranks, at a click of a button.”
Following this, I started going with the laptop to school every day since last Monday. Although I rarely use it, every time someone comes into my office, I immediately switch it on and pretend to be busy with it. Just as expected, word spread around other schools that there is deputy who runs the school on a laptop. The only challenge is that I have to charge it at the neighbouring secondary school every morning.
So on the day of the meeting last Thursday, I woke up early, and put on my latest Kaunda suit. Under the Kaunda suit, I put on the yellow T-shirts we used during the 2007 elections. This really matched with my white Reeboks and red socks.
I passed by school to ensure that all was fine – then rode my bicycle to the venue of the meeting, arriving to find the place milling with many teachers. All the trees around had already been taken and I had difficulty finding a place to park my bicycle. Since the meeting had not begun, I sat behind, took out my laptop and started going through my presentation again. This attracted other teachers who surrounded me marveling at the laptop and asking many questions.
“Is it true that if a student sneaks out of school you can see it on the computer? Can it tell you the teachers who arrived late? Can it show tell you how many teachers are absent today in your school? Is it more expensive than a motor cycle?” These are some of the questions that I was asked.
Soon after, the meeting began and I switched it off to save battery since I had not charged it that morning.
“With the creation of a new county, we need to start positioning ourselves early enough so that we remain relevant in the new county dispensation,” started the AEO. “This is going to be a performance based meeting and so I expect each Head or Deputy to present facts.”
Three Heads made their presentations. They simply went in front with a piece of paper and read aloud with little elaboration. Next our school was called and Juma gestured on me to go make the presentation.
I walked in front with my laptop and greeted everyone as I unpacked it. I placed it on the table from where only the AEO and other senior officials could read what I had on it.
“Professional colleagues, my presentation is entitled Marching our school to the next level under the new constitutional dispensation,” I said. Just when I was still on the introduction, something popped up on the computer screen: Low Battery, it read. I knew that I had to present very fast but elaborate fully as I noticed the AEO, who was behind me, taking notes from my presentation, something he had not done as the other teachers presented.
Abruptly, the screen of the laptop went black and the following message appeared on the screen: Preparing to Hibernate. Even before I could do anything, the laptop just went off at a time when I had just started my presentation.
This really confused me as everything was on the laptop and I had not written it on paper. I tried to switch it on but it only produced a loud beeping sound. “Am sorry my computer has been attached by a deadly virus and I have to rush to have it removed,” I said as I packed it ready to leave. Everyone was disappointed.
I went straight to St Theresa’s where Mr. Mboya helped me repair it. “The laptop had a very dangerous Virus,” he said after repairing. He said that he suspected that the laptop must have contracted the virus when I allowed a few teachers to touch it. He charged me Sh3500 for the repair. Going forward, I will not allow just anyone to touch my laptop.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)