English Language Fellow Alex Lowry presented a paper on the use of 3-D story cubes at AINET International in India. The paper, entitled “Adapting Rory’s Story Cubes for the Classroom Using Culturally Relevant Pedagogy” was based on research he had conducted in collaboration with the Access program at his host site in Pokhara, Nepal.
Lowry’s research and related presentation described the process of trying to impose a collaborative, bottom-up approach using the input from students and other teachers while integrating top-down technology and tools into the classroom, like the story cube product. This allows teachers to develop fun, interactive activities fine-tuned to local culture and students’ needs.
After his presentation, the 25 teachers present engaged him in discussion to further explore his research and teaching methods.