Time to blog again

I love blogging and have not had much time lately. Now, I have an
excuse to blog again so here it goes...

MY HAT, MY LAPTOP AND MY RED BAG.... And I am off again....

For me, teaching is filled with possibilities of learning so much. I learn by observing, by doing and I learn thru experiences. I love the magic of getting into an airplane in one part of the world and ending up on a huge learning adventure on the other. It is like being on the Miss Frizzle bus....

I am humbled and extremely excited to have been awarded by Marathon Oil Co. a coveted position in a feasibility study travel team that is researching in W. Africa for the next 2 weeks. We will be studying technology integration in their global educational centers and researching the feasibility of using technology to build more fiscally acceptable English Language centers on location.
This award is a tremendous yet humbling vindication of my current teaching philosophy and practices....however, I readily admit that I am still fumbling. Bringing 21st century teaching tools to remote areas of the African rain forest will give me immeasurable angles into how to best improve my implementation of GL district technology offerings in Rm 103.

I would like to take this chance to thank every one of you coming to class every day ready and willing to do your best. Thank you for giving me a fair chance to share with you and thank you for accepting me as your teacher. This was an AMAZING Tri for me and you had all to do with it. I learned so much from you that I know that next Tri will be even better because of you and because of you valuable input.

I also want to give a shout out to my administration for being brave enough to allow this little farm town teacher to reach for the sky to bring back the moon to her students. Opportunities like this simply do not happen to people like me and I promise to use this privilege to refill my teaching goody bag and share on my return. Please take a moment to thank my admin. so that they know that the community has their backs in innovative and bold decisions like this one.

So I am off to learn, so I can teach, so I can learn, so I can teach, so I can learn....and may learning never stop

IT BEGINS

It has been an amazing school year already and it is only week 4!!! I am teaching an extended schedule just like last year so it is difficult to make time to blog. However, I cannot possibly give up journaling about what goes on in Rm 103 so I will post when I can.

So far this year, I have introduced the newly restructured, all improved Blackboard aided Hybrid course to my students. I am very excited about sharing each online chapter with them, because there are goodies at every turn. Each year, the students seem to accept this learning option, more and more. I have 99% freshmen this year and I am really glad they are the first to see this new version of my World History Hybrid course.

Right now about 92% of my students are actively hitting the blackboard website almost every day. I have even seen a hike in numbers of students using Blackboard who do not have internet access at home. Student of different learning styles and academic levels are finding useful online resources on Bboard to help them learn.

This week, we used the new high school iPod lab to take online quizzes. The feedback from the students was surprisingly very positive. More and more students feel more comfortable with the idea of taking academic assessment on a gadget they normally used for entertainment. Like last year, the students will have the also be taking quizzes and test from home....They absolutely LOVED this idea....I absolutely LOVE them for LOVING this idea...LOL!

GOOD BYE HONG KONG

I was sad leaving Hong Kong because I had such an amazing experience. I also wished I could stay another couple of months to really get to know this place. I am still pinching myself every day to convince myself that I really had this experience...the phone call, the excitement, the rock star treatment, the people, sights...this stuff only happens in movies!
In this video footage, you can see the extent of Honk Kong proper.

Good bye Honk Kong...I will see you again!

Found Jackie!!

Many of you know that Jackie Chan is one of my all time favorite mega celebs. He is from Hong Kong...I didn't see him (sigh!) but this was close enough! Yeeey!

Victoria Bay

Woah!!!

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BAMBOO SCAFFOLDING???

Man, Hong Kong's skyline is dominated by some of the world's tallest buildings. However, the city still uses bamboo scaffolding for much of its construction work – a traditional skill passed down over 5000 years.
As you know, bamboo is sustainable, lightweight and cheap and, as long as it remains fairly dry, a good construction material with significant mechanical properties. Researchers, engineers, environmentalists and bureaucrats have taken an increasing interest in the craft, such that regulations and practice continue to be improved and refined.

Hong Kong obviously does not have the safety and structural design codes that we do here in the US. However, the bamboo structures seem pretty sturdy and safe. Bamboo is a weed and it grows very quickly so there is tons of this recyclable resource everywhere here in China.....Brilliant!!

This stalls where squeezed in a small alley!

Gold Fish for sale by the hundreds!

Meat and Fish also sold here way into the nightlll

On of the most amazing things about Hong Kong is, of course, the flea markets. There are markets for everything: Bird Market, Gold Fish Market, Ladies Market, etc... Locals and tourist make shopping a favorite past time here in Hong Kong. In fact, Hong Kong is know as the world's best shopping destination. People from all over Asia, come to Hong Kong just to shop!

These markets stretch for blocks with hundreds of stalls selling all kinds of cheap merchandise. There re also food stalls (many specializing in seafood), plus a few fortune tellers and palm readers that add to the exotic atmosphere of HK.

Unfortunately I did not have too much time to shop. I intended to shop for a couple of hours but I found myself walking and walking because I wanted to see it all and take hundreds of pictures. I will have to shop on my next visit to HK