Intel Teach

July 1, 2009 · Filed under Achievements · Tagged , , , , ,

Today IT and ICT have become a vital part of our life. In a nut shell, IT is the main Key to open the Global world. We therefore say that it is impossible to live in this world. So as to adapt to this modern era and the millennium, we should have a wide range of knowledge and experience, which enables us to click into inventions, innovations and modernizations. IT gives us rapid, reliable and accurate solutions. Consequently, we must be familiar with ICT and live in it. Now ICT and IT are our shared partners in every system or unit.

To establish ICT in Sri Lankan schools today many steps have been made so far. Under SEMP project, what have been given to the government schools is immense and ample. The government has optimistically donated CLC centres and has given IT training to fifty percent of teachers from the government sector. Today CAL (Computer Assisted Learning) has also been introduced in schools to teach other subjects. Internet, which is the fastest communication media in this world, has been given to schools to fly to other countries without a flight.

In August 2006 a well equipped computer center was received to Damahana Maha vidyalaya in Rathnapura District. This computer center was setup with the assistance provided by the Asian Development Bank, through the Secondary Educational Modernization Project (SEMP). The unit consists of twenty computers with all its accessories. After setting up of this unit the school has made vast strides in the sphere of education in general. With the use of these computers and Internet, students are able to access vital and relevant information pertaining to their general education. In school hours we use these computers as part of our normal teaching and learning process. Besides, it serves as a useful tool to source information.

During extra classes held during after-school hours students are thought how to use computers for internet exploration, English language education, and special online courses. The students have their own website and are encouraged to maintain their own blogs. As a result, now, about 180 children are blog writers.

As an appreciation of all the good work done so far, the ministry allocated 20 Intel classmate PCs to Damahana maha vidyalaya donated by Intel co-operation.
With these laptops we also received wireless internet facilities. This is the fast e-village introduced to the Sabaragamuwa Province. With the addition facility the area surrounding Damahana Maha Vidyalaya has access to WIFI technology.

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The teachers who are training in the moment

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Mr. Sepala Kuruppuarachchi(Provincial Manager of SEMP Sabaragamuwa) in the Training programme.

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Mr. Alapathe IT co-odinater in Balangoda education Zone.

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Mrs. Tilini Hettiarachchi (Intel Teach) conducting the training programme.

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The Principal Mr. B. Somasiri of  Balangoda Damahana Maha Vidyalaya.

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Mr. K.M.W. Bandara of Balangoda Damahana Maha Vidyalaya.

Now in the world, the most common issue is INTEL TEACH Programme, which is currently in progressive in many parts of the world. In Sri Lanka Intel Teach was launched after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in October 2006 in between Ministry of Education, Government of Sri Lanka and Intel EM Ltd – Sri Lanka Liaison Office. Through this MoU, Intel has offered Ministry of Education the services at no cost a teacher professional development program specifically designed for Sri Lanka.

We were very happy about the exertion made by INTEL EM Ltd to bring this programme to Sabaragamuwa Province. Ratnapura Balangoda Damahana Maha Vidyalaya, which is the one and the only e-village school in Sabaragamuwa and is located about 7km away from Balangoda city.
The 3rd Intel Teach Batch in Sabaragamuwa province, with 24 teachers from 13 school in Balangoda zone have trained form 25th june 2009 to 02rd july 2009 in Rathnapura Balangoda Damahana Maha Vidyalaya.

A.M. Fazi (Centre Manager, CLC, R/ Hindu College, Balangoda). Said

“I was very happy about the exertion made by INTEL EM Ltd to bring this programme to Sabaragamuwa Province. I also attended the ‘Intel Teach workshop’, which is currently engaged at Ratnapura Balangoda Damahana Maha Vidyalaya, which is the one and the only e-village school in Sabaragamuwa and is located about 7km away from Balangoda city. When I entered the school premises first, what I saw was unbelievable and amazing. Students were seen carrying class mate PCs looked mini laptops, which have been donated by Intel. I found differences and uniqueness in methodology and everything.

The Resource person appointed by Intel Teach Programme, Mrs. Thilini Hettiarachchi was also exceptionally talented and performed her duty well in a pleasant and friendly way aiming at focusing the PBS (Project Based Learning).

I am very confident that I can make changes in their attitudes by what I got as experience through this effective workshop.”

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The glory of Balangoda.

June 18, 2009 · Filed under History · Tagged , , , , ,

History runs back to the period of the famous legend “Rama Ravana” . Balangoda which is situated at an attitude of 670 m (2096 ft) belongs to the Sabaragamuwa province. Its surroundings are enchanting. One can reach this city traveling 147km east of Colombo and 57 km west of Badulla. This is one of main cities that belongs to kadawatha mada korale in Rattnapura district. This area is bounded by the pettigala mountain range in the west, the steep crest of Detanagala known as the southern steep in the north and mahawalatenna plateau in the east.
The irrigation system of Balangoda mainly consists of two rivers called the walawe ganga and way ganga. Dorawela oya and Belihuloya meet the Walawe River at Balangoda. The Way ganga originates at Mawela. The average temperature of Balangoda is about 27C and the average rainfall exceeds 2000 mm. Heavy rain is experienced during the months of March,April October and November. February and August are warm and windy.
When the geographical history of Balangoda is taken into consideration it is evident that it runs to the prehistoric era. Evidence shows that lives originated from the period of plistozena in the geological era.
The geological structure of Balangoda is a result of chemical and geological evaluation that originated from the prehistoric era. There for Balangoda is famous for precious stones such as Cats eye, blue sapphire, emerald, geuda, and so on.
The majer type of soil is red and yellow Podsolic which is very fertile.
Clay and Kaolin are widely found and used in various industries such as the pottery and ceramic industries. The iron industry is also popular as a domestic industry in Hatanpola nad Hatangala. The “Maran” tree which is abundant in this area is used as fuel which is required for the above industry. The name given to the village Marangahawela implies the fact of abundances of this particular type of plant which has a high thermal power found in Kirimatitenna is used for making tiles Lanka walltiles LTD.
The population density of Balangoda is 256 per one square kilo meters, and the population consists of businessmen’s, Farmers and government officers.
Duwili Ella and Diyawini Ella waterfalls which are situated about 18 km away from Balangoda town enhance the natural beauty of this charming city.
As the very name implies the waters that cascade from the height of 92 feet forms a spray of tiny drops of water like a cloud of dust. The Ride waterfall of the Walawe river is a blessing to Balangoda today. Diyawini Ella which is also a creation of the Walawe river falls down facing a vast stretch of paddy fields.
Kuragala is yet another charming village that one should not forget to visit. It is situated between Kaltota and Rajawaka. Though it had originally been a Buddhist religious place it has how slipped in to oblivion and as a result has become a religious place of Muslims. Among the older stone pillars, the ruins of a place that is believed to be that of king Wimaladharmasuriya are also found in this area. The world famous cluster tombs of homosaphien Balangodaensis whose history runs up to 450000000000 years back are in the close vicinity of this waterfall.
The “Aluthnuwara Maha saman dewalaya” and the University of Sabaragamuwa are the landmarks of the modern development of Balangoda Mahawalathanna walawwa the birth place of the late Mrs. Sirimawo Bandaranayaka the first woman prime minister in the world and also the home of Clifford Ratwatthe, Mallika Ratwatthe and Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumarathunga contributes to creating history in Balangoda
It’s with pride mentioning the names of the most venerable Balangoda Ananda Maithreya thero and veverable Nahinne Sumanatissa thero who rendered a great service to uplift of this area.

Our URL :-www.oasisdamahana.org

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The National Productivity Award- 2008

May 24, 2009 · Filed under Education · Tagged , ,

Damahana Maha Vidyalaya, Balangoda of the Ratnapura District is foremost among the Schools in the region when it comes to maintaining high standards of education;in the sphere of teaching as well as learning skills.
Among the schools in the area Damahana MV has achieved the best G.C.E. –Ordinary and Advanced Level results for the past several years. The Year-5 scholarship exam is no exception.

Besides the normal curricular activities it appears the school has also excelled in extra-curricular activities. In sports, producing national level sports men and women, winning first place at District level for the school with the best child-friendly
environment and receiving awards of appreciation at the National Productivity awards ceremony for two consecutive years, are among the highlights of those achievements.
The school band participating in a zonal competition for the first time and wining second place, has been exceptional.

Damahana MV, this year too entered the National Productivity awards competition and gained selection for the first round of evaluation. The school was visited by National Productivity Secretariat officials who completed their initial round of assessment on 19 May 2009. All aspects of education including teaching-learning methodologies, the environment, extra curricular activities and administration came under their close scrutiny.
OUR URL: www.oasisdamahana.org

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Wood sculptures and handicrafts.

May 5, 2009 · Filed under community · Tagged , ,

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Sri Lanka is famous for handicrafts since very ancient times. Especially in the up country regions of Kandy and its surroundings. These talented craftsmen present many creations with wood.

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The craft itself has been preserved and handed down through generations of tradition and skill. Working with timber to produce is also an art that has been mastered and refined with time. There are many groups or schools specializing in different aspects or styles of handicraft. At present, the traditional craftsman who inherited the art has been replaced by a new generation of those who show an aptitude and skill for the trade. It is evident that this new generation is giving new meaning and purpose to the trade through the display of their capabilities and talents. Often new generation craftsmen are innovative and creative unlike their traditional counterparts. “Ruk kalawa” or wood carving is the other form of wood creations closely related to handicrafts. It is generally the bark, trunk, branch or root of a fallen or perishing tree that provides the source for such creations.

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Even a stump ready to be chopped off for firewood can become a new creation of art in the hands of a good craftsman. At times a ferocious animal, at other times a human figure or a venomous snake, are ways in which the artist brings to life a dead piece of wood. Mr.E.W.Siripala is a craftsman living in Kongastenna, not too far from Damahana, in Balangoda. A painter by profession, Mr. Siripala spends his past time carving figures out of wood. His house is filled up with such creations of his own.

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What seems a piece of firewood provides the source for his creations. “As I see the piece of wood- the design is formed in my mind’ is how he describes it. ‘I, then begin to put the tools to work’ are his words.

Siripala has not received any training in this field but has developed a natural flair and skill for the craft. It is astonishing to see him working with knife, axe, and hammer to create figures of various sizes, shapes and form as birds, lions deer dogs and humans.
We wish him well and success with his creations

Our URL: www.oasisdamahana.org

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Education in an open environment

April 23, 2009 · Filed under Education · Tagged , ,

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Balangoda Damahana Maha Vidyalaya is rather a school faced with many obstacles within the Balangoda education zone of the Ratnapura district. Amidst many difficulties a very high standard of education is maintained by the school resulting in excellent results being obtained in many spheres. In addition to that, the school has made great gains in the area of extra curricular activities. Of the many awards and accolades received, the most significant is the National Productive award received in 2008. The year 2008 is important for yet another reason. Sureka Dulanjalee representing the school at athletics obtained 1st place running the 200m, and the 2nd place at the 100m, at the National Athletic Championships. These are just a few examples of achievements at national level.

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The school has done much to create a child-friendly environment to enable students to gain the maximum of their study time. As a consequence the school was selected for the school with the best environment in the Ratnapura district of the Sabaragamuwa province. This is yet another achievement. To achieve these victories various projects and suggestions were activated by the school authorities.

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A vital feature of education is an environment suited for purpose. With this concept in view, the school has put in place an open-air education centre where the children are encouraged move out of the traditional classroom setting and in to a more free and relaxed setting that mixes and blends with nature. This approach has gained popularity and the children seem to take to this new venture like ducks to water.

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A courageous mother from Damahana

April 3, 2009 · Filed under Agriculture · Tagged , ,

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Vinitha is from Damahana. She is a mother of four and a grandmother of one toddler. Two girls of schooling age, and daughter with child live with Vinitha. The husband of the young married daughter is in jail. The husband is an alcoholic with no regular income. The two girls at school are bright and studious. They have received many awards for good performances at school.
In desperation Vinitha went looking for work and eventually ended up at the farm where she worked for six months and got trained in the process. With the money earned she was able to up keep the family and care for her married daughter as well.

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But the work was not easy. Feeding the birds, collecting greens, and tending the garden was all hard work. But the greatest challenge was the mixing of feed. Lifting 50kg bags of raw materials and mixing large quantities of feed each day was strenuous, yet she did it for the sake of the children and grandchild.
In the meantime, her only son, in his early twenties and married, joined the Army. With support from him and the married daughter’s in-laws, Vinitha decided to set up her own pen for broilers. Her husband also pledged support.

vinitha2Today, six months after working on the farm, Vinitha had the skill and confidence to launch on her own. With the encouragement received she and her family today run their own little broiler project.
For now they buy their feed from Balangoda sold at an exorbitant price. It is expected that with the introduction of machinery for feed mixing that Vinitha will purchase her feed from the project. This will reduce her costs by a considerable amount. There are many more farmers like Vinitha and other potential farmers, some temporarily given up but hoping the project will be able to provide them feed at an affordable rate for them to build and develop their own farms.

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Another Success which we received

March 25, 2009 · Filed under Education · Tagged , , ,

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In August 2006 a well equipped computer center was received to Damahana Maha vidyalaya in Rathnapura District. This computer center was setup with the assistance provided by the Asian Development Bank, through the Secondary Educational Modernization Project (SEMP). The unit consists of twenty computers with all its accessories. After setting up of this unit the school has made vast strides in the sphere of education in general. With the use of these computers and Internet, students are able to access vital and relevant information pertaining to their general education. In school hours we use these computers as part of our normal teaching and learning process. Besides, it serves as a useful tool to source information. During extra classes held during after-school hours students are thought how to use computers for internet exploration, English language education, and special online courses. The students have their own website and are encouraged to maintain their own blogs. As a result, now, about 180 children are blog writers. The school maintains two websites: www.damahana.sch.lk www.oasisdamahana.org These two are continuously updated. www.oasisdamahana.wordpress.com and www.damahana.schblog.lk are the two main blogs.

The successes shown here are only a very few of our achievements that outline our progress. Yet another good opportunity has come our way. The Microsoft Company has donated 500 Classmate laptops to the education department. Of these, in appreciation of all the good work done so far, the ministry allocated 20 laptops to Damahana MV. Those were received 16th Feb, 2009 by our principal Mr B. Somasiri from Hon. Mr. Susil Premajayantha, Minister of Education. With these laptops we also received wireless internet facilities.

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This is the fast e-village introduced to the Sabaragamuwa Province. With the addition facility the area surrounding Damahana Maha Vidyalaya has access to WIFI technology. With the introduction of the IT Unit and all its developments our children who otherwise have very little interaction with the out side world are allowed the opportunity to expand their horizons beyond the confines of a village and explore the vast world that lies beyond.

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This in turn paves the way for rural communities such as ours to interact and advance in technological, cultural, social and economical spheres among others. The rural community, in other words is exposed to other cultures and value systems which can contribute to an overall enhancement in the quality of life and ensuing challenges to be faced in the world.

OUR URL: www.oasisdamahana.org

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Suwasara Taksalawa

March 9, 2009 · Filed under Education · Tagged ,

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Suwasara Taksalawa was an Island wide competition Organized by the Education and awareness Building Unit of the Central Environment Authority. The Authority has successfully organized this programme since 2008. The objective of this programme conducted throughout the country including the North and East has been to establish a suitable environment within the school ensuring the Nation receives a generation of healthy children. Accordingly, based on the evaluation done for the year 2008, Dahamana Maha Vidyalaya, Balangoda was awarded the First place in the Ratnapura District.

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With this regard, an awards ceremony is to be held on March 12, 2009 at the Central Environmental Authority in Colombo. The chief guest will be the Hon. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources

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A leadership workshop on overcoming challenges.

February 13, 2009 · Filed under Economy · Tagged , , ,

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A residential leadership training programme to train the student leadership of the school was organized and conducted by Damahana Maha Vidyalaya Balangoda of the Rathnapura District.It was held in two days on 13th ,14th of February in the school about 160 students involving the school’s prefects, monitors and scouts participated for this.

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The training programme which was commenced ceremonially on 13th February in 2009 is due to over of 12 midnight. This training programme has been plained to ran on lectures, game activites, activities on solving problems, funny games and the night pageant of fire flaming to be given leadership knowledge and the responsibilities through out the day.Again the programme is due to start on next day morning and to over at 11.30.Finally the dressing the badges to monitors and prefects and offering the appointment

letters to them will be done.

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The parents, the old students and well-wishers gave their fullest co-operation to up lift the programme. It is a very special  thing. The training officer of the Balangoda, Belihuloya Adventure training Acedemy Mr.T.D.K. Madagama,The Zonal educational director of Balangoda Mr. M.V. Jayasinghe, The venerable highreverent Mawela Sumana in sabaragamuwa provincial Pirivanas for giving lectures for the affairs of religion.The government agant of sabaragamuwa province Mr. Mohan Saliya Ellawala, The director of the Balangoda Pirivens, Venerable reverant Maithree Murthi, And many others participated the occation.

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A New Library

February 5, 2009 · Filed under Education · Tagged ,

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“Reading makes a completed man “to get that statement, the man should be facilitated to collect books for reading. Regards to get a better knowledge, to conquer the future problems, the ways of knowledge must be supplied more and more.

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A centre which the knowledge can be found and delivered the school has additional ways of getting the knowledge was very important. To gain that knowledge the best and the most suitable place is the school library. Getting a completed school library to its students is an expected thing. So this chance was given to the present students of Balangoda Damahana maha Vidyalaya in Ratnapura district. The government has estimated 1835000.00 LKR for the construction work of the building. Next they issued 200000.00 LKR to buy books and electronics instruments.

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From the Asian development bank’s donations and under the secondary educational modernization project, these library facilities were given to Rathnapura Damahana School. Both students and the teachers had to face for many difficulties when they search books to gain the knowledge. But this obtained resource is a very useful and helpful one to continue their education
in successful way.

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