Pratham Books and Central Manor : A Multi-cultural Collaboration

So, we started our New Year with a bang! Here, we had just come back with big wide smiles and happy hearts after our success at the Bihar Reading Improvement Program and then we were having a reading session across the globe. Read on...

Via PM Technology Blog

Students at Central Manor recently had the opportunity to sharpen their reading skills while participating in the district’s first international voice call. Via Skype, students spoke with Gautam John, a representative from Pratham Books in Bangalore India. Pratham Books is a non-profit trust dedicated to publishing high-quality children’s books in multiple languages. Pratham has generously donated several books to the Central Manor Library collection.

Mr. John was treated to a private reading of books by two Central Manor students. First up was a book about automatic cow milking practices. Our students learned that in India most cows are still milked by hand; a process that takes up to 20 minutes. Next, a student read a book about Pennsylvania geography. Mr. John and CM students also spent some time talking about differences and similarities between PA and India.

While the call took place at 10AM EST, it was 8:30 P.M. in Gautam’s homeland. A big thank you to Pratham Books and the staff at Central Manor for helping our students develop a critical 21st Century skill: multi-cultural collaboration. We look forward to cultivating a long-term relationship with our new friends in India.

We look forward to many more of such exciting collaborations. Stay tuned!