ET NO MORE....
The weirdest and most amazing thing happen to me today. It was the opening of the convention today and I got a chance to meet teachers from all over the world that are here for the International Innovative Teacher award.
After registration, we all got our little Microsoft goody bag with cool Microsoft goody bag shtuff! I was really excited 'cause teachers love free shtuff.
After the welcome address, we were all put in random teams based on a color system on our name tags. There were teachers from all over the globe and we had to walk around the conference room looking for our team members (that match our name tag...well..tag). I had problems finding anyone from my team 'cause I was too busy being in awe and gawking at everything like the farm peasant I am.
Finally, one of my team members from Singapore found me...and guided me around 'less I hurt myself. She is an elementary school teacher in a model 'school of the future' in Singapore. I immediately asked my brain..."school of the future? SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE??? Yeah...What the ying yang is THAT?"
She must have read the puzzlement on my face 'cause she kindly (and speaking really slowly) told me the kinds of things that go on in a "School of the Future". Geeeeeezzzz, my knees started shaking as she spoke and I had to quickly find a chair before I made a bigger fool of myself. Wow! (more details to come)
The event MC then spoke of the homework that he was going to give us. The homework is due next year in South Africa!!!! Each team was given a challenge and technology tools that could be used to enhance student learning across international lines. Each team has to construct a project (long distance mind you) within the next year that pushes global barriers, overcomes technology obstacles, and is able to be piloted by every one of our students simultaneously (regardless of age, language, geographic location, income and race). Oh...God is soooo good!
Today, they are taking each team on a separate field trip around Hong Kong so that we can find inspiration and begin to brain storm about our project. I am so excited, I keep wetting myself!!!
These teachers are like...my people. We speak the same educational technologista language, we finish each others sentences, they study ed tech trends, twitter, use LMSs, pour over ed. projections, use virtual communities to play with our students...Oh sweet St. Pete....they even snort when they laugh. I am an Alien NO MORE. Could it be that I am not crazy?....I have found my pack!!!!!
1 comment:
You sound like you've found religion! I'm glad you are having such a great experience.
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