tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373610422024-03-05T04:13:21.903-06:00It "Techs" a VillageA dear friend and Technology Coach once said, "Technology! It takes a village." I laughed and loved the saying and still use it from time to time. And so what if integrating technology in the classroom takes a village. The inhabitants of our village share and collaborate and help each other to continue to grow and learn.Technology connects us in ways that we never could have imagined. It connects us to our global village! Take a look at some of our villagers.Cathy Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00657921796971797765noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37361042.post-25652940848370834242011-04-12T08:59:00.024-05:002011-04-12T10:10:40.138-05:00Use Members of Your PLN for Great Professional Development<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsV2Oc4-HI6uRklEa0UrSDFjDM5HHd2ZfWfcwjPjXZ79ZqxL4bc8YOwLdr4YAVGlL4HhYLB6orU1izFtUyGEsFi6x1V02jS4W_AsZKSozJfPwnlbHZk5zXlQtaRFowR6J6Tt18Ag/s1600/-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsV2Oc4-HI6uRklEa0UrSDFjDM5HHd2ZfWfcwjPjXZ79ZqxL4bc8YOwLdr4YAVGlL4HhYLB6orU1izFtUyGEsFi6x1V02jS4W_AsZKSozJfPwnlbHZk5zXlQtaRFowR6J6Tt18Ag/s200/-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594704694329930290" border="0" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWaeIOADmOZh3SIDnK10U4gtmB6XEvuUAW9PPEldeaXHjyDDa-L5uM-XEk0qjH8gkdg6pwS1vWJyY6cYuo9d4dBp6iZzPhol9miSVxX0RxwVninMSkOe8Z0FZhCCuZN5ual_qaQ/s1600/innovatED2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float: left; 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Where typical professional development sessions are an hour in length and tied to a day or more of a conference, InnovatED (a play on the words Innovate and Education) took place between 4:30 PM and 8 PM in 4 rooms where 4 sessions were going on simultaneously for 20 minutes each for a total of 36 sessions. The event began with registration and pizza provided by Presbyterian Day School from 4:30-4:55.<br /><br />In addition to the 100 plus attendees on campus, others could attend virtually by following the #InnovatED twitter stream or watching on the uStream.tv channel, since each presentation was streamed live. Our headmaster <a href="http://www.pdsmemphis.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=331&Itemid=348">Lee Burns</a> watched two presentations via uStream while out of town!<br /><br />Presentations were made by educators from Shelby County Schools and independent schools including several PDS teachers. What made this event even more unique were the several presentations made by educators in other states and outside of the U.S. via Skype. These included <a href="http://roryfundora.blogspot.com/">Rory</a> Fundora, CIO of Todd County Schools in Kentucky, Edna Sackson, Teaching and Learning Coordinator from Mt. Scopus College in Australia and writer of the popular blog <a href="http://whatedsaid.wordpress.com/">What Ed Said</a>, Jerry Blumengarten from Florida who shared his very popular <a href="http://www.cybraryman.com/">Cybraryman</a> website, and Jen Wagner, creator of <a href="http://projectsbyjen.ning.com/">Projects with Jen</a>. There were several other educators outside the Memphis area who also presented using Skype. To see a complete list of presenters and their topics and websites, check out the event <a href="http://innovateducation.wikispaces.com/Presentations">wiki</a>.<br /><br />The event was open to teachers, administrators, college education majors, home school educators, and anyone interested in education. InnovatED was organized by a committee of public and private school teachers in the Memphis area, including PDS Technology Coaches <a href="http://itscindybrock.blogspot.com/">Cindy Brock</a> and <a href="http://edutechsmith.posterous.com/">Melissa Smith</a> who committed much time in helping lead and organize this very successful event. One of our athletic coaches, Spencer McLean, also created the great logo for the event shown at the top of this post!<br /><br />You could do what Cindy and Melissa did. Through their use of social media, they promoted the event and asked others to promote the event. Originally they had thought they would use only two rooms with presentations taking place in each room during each time slot. As more people signed up to attend, they continued to add rooms and presentations. Once they asked local educators to present, they began asking educators in their PLNs if they would present via Skype. These educators readily agreed, and we appreciate everyone’s participation.<br /><br />With presenters Skyping in from other states, Canada, and Australia, and with some attendees “attending” the event through a twitter stream and through uStream, what might have been a local affair turned into a night of global interaction and networking, which will benefit many, many students across the world!<br /><br />As a side note: InnovatED was a form of a TeachMeet. Wikipedia describes a TeachMeet as an organized (but informal) meeting for teachers to share good practice, practical innovations and personal insights in teaching with technology. Participants volunteer (via a TeachMeet website) to demonstrate good practices they've delivered over the past year or discuss a product that enhances classroom practice. TeachMeet events are open to all and do not charge an entry fee. The first TeachMeet was conceived in 2005 in Scotland.<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style=";font-family:";"> </span><span style=";font-family:";"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><a name="x_"></a><span style=";font-family:";">_<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a name="Pizza_will_be_provided_by_Presbyterian_D"></a><a name="x_Presentations_will_start_at_5:00_and_e"></a><span style=";font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div>Cathy Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00657921796971797765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37361042.post-78689700551395510012010-10-29T14:03:00.006-05:002010-10-29T14:26:57.366-05:00Teacher Reflections<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCrpJkrTTUrz9SZkS2QcZpoEFUYYOGalQIrd9U3A0LF9afYu84VE018c94edupAh8h8exEBjgpTJ7rJ6BaibF6vu4DNT78Tl9a5ytleTJeWnyJvTRz179ajMiRU291AtHUsmvnQ/s1600/IMG_0037.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCrpJkrTTUrz9SZkS2QcZpoEFUYYOGalQIrd9U3A0LF9afYu84VE018c94edupAh8h8exEBjgpTJ7rJ6BaibF6vu4DNT78Tl9a5ytleTJeWnyJvTRz179ajMiRU291AtHUsmvnQ/s200/IMG_0037.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533550532450968322" /></a><br />Last week, I was honored to make a presentation at the <a href="http://erblearn.org/">ERB</a> conference in New York with 3 of my colleagues. The presentation was called Integrating Technology Into Your School's Culture. It shared our school's experience with leading change and highlighted the challenges and opportunities of integrating technology into our school's culture. Part of the presentation included a video we made of some of our teachers reflecting on their use of technology. I purposely chose some teachers who have been here long before technology invaded our lives as well as some teachers who were maybe a little reluctant about making the change. What struck me is that these teachers used no script. Technology has become such a part of our culture that they just started talking, and I was amazed at the incredible things they were saying. Unfortunately, I had to edit the video to approximately 9 minutes for the presentation, but I wanted to share it here because it is always so powerful to here directly from the teachers. Click <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/16153465">here</a> and enjoy.Cathy Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00657921796971797765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37361042.post-50787898350575836422010-09-12T17:14:00.004-05:002010-09-12T18:35:31.667-05:00Skyping With the U.K.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeECrYn_4qZQB4T33YM2WNLgD92RCCV3z6ymPbcqasKX-3fIga33gqX4z7GkQ0SvYBYCJ1s-_IPDbV53fYEKNmhSeQDNX7YdDB2peY4ChReglEIziD52DhdpBuHv5ghYd7Uq6gg/s1600/IMG_0037.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeECrYn_4qZQB4T33YM2WNLgD92RCCV3z6ymPbcqasKX-3fIga33gqX4z7GkQ0SvYBYCJ1s-_IPDbV53fYEKNmhSeQDNX7YdDB2peY4ChReglEIziD52DhdpBuHv5ghYd7Uq6gg/s200/IMG_0037.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516169805103945138" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpQkUmZ-x91FxvOS6ASRndbkQ7qjEIzPBrbpKkiifkp3C0bBvMaqXVYFhgsG6jUqiFGGwmQT1ZaOdIVDoRMgNn8ETtXLIcRaams6J_FHaFWyiG-8oDpWLICvBQ3q-x7RGXgj3Kg/s1600/IMG_0036.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpQkUmZ-x91FxvOS6ASRndbkQ7qjEIzPBrbpKkiifkp3C0bBvMaqXVYFhgsG6jUqiFGGwmQT1ZaOdIVDoRMgNn8ETtXLIcRaams6J_FHaFWyiG-8oDpWLICvBQ3q-x7RGXgj3Kg/s200/IMG_0036.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516169792641937858" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7CwRtkhvEUiMQZ4NwjlmuDxuO6ioYs5pGlf6VFrDb-8XKkX_D3tw8V3QH9I-9WknDWXNgp-1prXG1PLf-eqR5STXxdGkA_9bGkI47K8g9UcI_m2ff14nmNKYn8ZnTQZUvYRsQg/s1600/IMG_0033.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7CwRtkhvEUiMQZ4NwjlmuDxuO6ioYs5pGlf6VFrDb-8XKkX_D3tw8V3QH9I-9WknDWXNgp-1prXG1PLf-eqR5STXxdGkA_9bGkI47K8g9UcI_m2ff14nmNKYn8ZnTQZUvYRsQg/s200/IMG_0033.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516169520780030466" /></a><br />When one of our second grade teachers wanted to Skype with a class in another country, her Tech Coach turned to Twitter to ask if there was another teacher outside of the United States who wanted to Skype with a second grade class in Memphis, Tennessee (Elvis country). She found a first grade teacher in a school just north of London. It can be a challenge communicating with a class in another country due to the differences in time zones. But we scheduled a Skyping session for 9:00 AM Memphis time, which was 3:00 PM U.K. time - right before their dismissal. We had some slight communication problems in that we saw and heard them but we couldn't seen them actually moving. It was fun for our boys from an all boys schools to see a coed school and to listen to their accents. We got a chance to exchange some questions also. We asked each other about the current weather. Interestingly enough, England was warm and sunny and we were overcast with drizzle, which is just the opposite with what you would expect. One little girl asked if any of our boys had been on any interesting trips. One of our students told of his trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania, and told them of the huge chocolate bar he had. When asked if the children in English had Hershey bars, they said, "No." I have to admit that I was a little surprised by that. I think that if we had had enough time to ask if they had Hershey "Kisses" they would have certainly answered with a yes!Cathy Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00657921796971797765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37361042.post-71222488624736956772010-09-12T15:54:00.003-05:002010-09-12T17:13:44.700-05:00Back to School Night Puts Parents Into Students' Role<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3ytQXwIFIBHmbUWF4KDcLLvGK0sV4GMc2s5hKMfjFlWdMe9_Nvn1-olJ3UhluiUqLmy2IvFYXTwTfXmhH-N6tZ9AQadgQ6uQF27V4OW_4h5n2yxoKCHGoAOashQKENsCPsT4cA/s1600/pdsmemphis.org.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3ytQXwIFIBHmbUWF4KDcLLvGK0sV4GMc2s5hKMfjFlWdMe9_Nvn1-olJ3UhluiUqLmy2IvFYXTwTfXmhH-N6tZ9AQadgQ6uQF27V4OW_4h5n2yxoKCHGoAOashQKENsCPsT4cA/s200/pdsmemphis.org.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516153707587957970" /></a><br />One of our second grade teachers decided to put the parents in the role of the students during our back to school night. We use Photo Booth on our MacBooks quite often with the students. This teacher decided to let the parents see the ways that the students use Photo Booth. She asked them to think of their most favorite school memory and record themselves using Photo Booth. Parents had a great time with this "assignment" but did want to make sure that their recordings would not hit the Internet. No, not the recordings, only a picture!Cathy Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00657921796971797765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37361042.post-60908658851970059042010-09-06T19:08:00.005-05:002010-09-08T09:39:29.359-05:00Please Don't Leave Me, iPod!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvDNVvN6fm4Y0ai8tuCiip6S4caEx61JkurJwz6k-IEAdP5zCwm274qaDHBdFZ0PzjfG7VcObNmWYWeJ7LmQdexIJ7_pkUKlUbC9PsftVsbJHuDwYONj-tlDMR0aAefhKNg6BAw/s1600/IMG_0022.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvDNVvN6fm4Y0ai8tuCiip6S4caEx61JkurJwz6k-IEAdP5zCwm274qaDHBdFZ0PzjfG7VcObNmWYWeJ7LmQdexIJ7_pkUKlUbC9PsftVsbJHuDwYONj-tlDMR0aAefhKNg6BAw/s200/IMG_0022.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514249821123896914" /></a><br /><br />That's what one boy said as his class ended their lesson with the new iPod cart for the first time. The boys told our 1st-3rd grade Tech Coach that she was the most popular teacher for the week, because she had the iPod cart! We are a 1:1 laptop school where each boy from the 4-year-old classes through 6th grade has his own laptop. But this is the first year that we have incorporated iPods. I'm anxious to see what iPods can add to classrooms where there are already laptops. Right away I know it's important to give the students practice with a touch screen and the use of apps. I don't get this question much anymore, but on occasion I'm asked why we don't formally teach keyboarding. We have offered keyboarding as an after-school enrichment, but our day is so full that I honestly don't think it's necessary to try to fit in keyboarding - especially if we can't fit in a daily keyboarding class for several weeks in a row. The boys begin using laptops even before they come to our school, and we use them with our 3 and 4 year olds. That's too early to teach the standard keyboarding class. Their hands are just too small. And now with touch screens, I really believe that these children will be using touch screens almost exclusively by the time they are adults.<br /><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW1LeMr3gjwWs8XFCuGIIJbsOsLJRYPq0b830lhg7j3xEI8rtnSgcVN0i14hXG4Cw9EGOPhWpY_Z5thx2zk1-p1imEwj6Xw4Wbmkx68DK3PzhxcoKlO7SJ3sAGLo54ZOw4K2p-lA/s200/IMG_0025.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514250045718259890" />Today the tech coach introduced a "monster-making app." She told them that aliens had landed and they were to create their own monster/alien. The students had no trouble using the iPods. Most had already used an iPod or an iPhone at home. There was such excitement as they created their own alien. They then emailed their picture to their teacher, which she printed. This was followed with a thinking routine where the students had to create a headline for the "front page" of the paper announcing that aliens had landed. The first iPod lesson was a success as I will continue to evaluate the use of iPods in the classrooms.Cathy Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00657921796971797765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37361042.post-21170527824650080902010-09-06T18:55:00.005-05:002010-09-08T09:41:01.630-05:00Skyping With a Classmate<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1q21j6FYr7t5W0kCcPyoyikm_bCY4sf9jQ68yk7Mc_FkJOdzPPLHAHzKn7Hk9w_caDZTNOes8V3-vhJkrGZ3_VKM8LLLhNkcQHPcCCNQu4whVKq_lm3uOmL1PQNTSZ3iifBz7gg/s1600/IMG_0018.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1q21j6FYr7t5W0kCcPyoyikm_bCY4sf9jQ68yk7Mc_FkJOdzPPLHAHzKn7Hk9w_caDZTNOes8V3-vhJkrGZ3_VKM8LLLhNkcQHPcCCNQu4whVKq_lm3uOmL1PQNTSZ3iifBz7gg/s320/IMG_0018.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513955236059728450" /></a><br />In one of the third grade classrooms, a student is missing the first few weeks of school to be with his family in the country of Grenada. Not to worry! By using Skype, the student is still part of the class as he Skypes in regularly to share lessons. This day, the boy and his family shared information about all the different types of trees they've seen in Grenada even showing examples of some of their findings as you can see in one of the photographs.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sTXXgcEKyTuh9WKnJ6vwJQSjbmWXRrUA-qmJxbktvWqZKKmpUwIag1_aqfULj1fRP-CEjIGkOpqM-zNvEG1hZpU-dR33GekBDlN7xjTIxSeIvtdF27pi8xx2K0oaRF8O8Vg3Kw/s1600/IMG_0017.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sTXXgcEKyTuh9WKnJ6vwJQSjbmWXRrUA-qmJxbktvWqZKKmpUwIag1_aqfULj1fRP-CEjIGkOpqM-zNvEG1hZpU-dR33GekBDlN7xjTIxSeIvtdF27pi8xx2K0oaRF8O8Vg3Kw/s320/IMG_0017.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513953582763339938" /></a>Cathy Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00657921796971797765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37361042.post-4666422449095265712010-09-06T18:25:00.004-05:002010-09-06T19:08:05.538-05:00We All Learn DifferentlyOne of our 6th grade teachers uses Diigo to bookmark important websites where she highlights the important points for her students. You can see in these pictures that she also encourages the boys to choose their own way to take notes to study. Some choose note cards, some regular notebook paper, some enter notes into Word, and others use Diigo accounts. The students have their own Diigo accounts so that they can collaboratively take notes and share highlights and sticky note annotations.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsuUrXMSkG6G4rKayPfNKUjXdiB48e6JG9iRcT2EDzmiUL4WrLUIsFdFPxa7ck0N5S_vtT6rQannk7d7ebvxN1Vczbf1G5HwgOhy1Ks6uMAWN04WI1tJaFMgGbkKeoIgXxEIucA/s1600/IMG_0008.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsuUrXMSkG6G4rKayPfNKUjXdiB48e6JG9iRcT2EDzmiUL4WrLUIsFdFPxa7ck0N5S_vtT6rQannk7d7ebvxN1Vczbf1G5HwgOhy1Ks6uMAWN04WI1tJaFMgGbkKeoIgXxEIucA/s320/IMG_0008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513951660874551554" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKRSszgnrzDzyUTzqpHbmGiHs5CA85SIQGQtnUryNnEUQTXJRfspL07-ogydkJxmLs4Ti1cX5nDXTJRJ5Y_Vz55Sd50oHiSw6zDk6I6qJvsKZO42GqHe1y7vf40_KbqTorULcyA/s1600/IMG_0009.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKRSszgnrzDzyUTzqpHbmGiHs5CA85SIQGQtnUryNnEUQTXJRfspL07-ogydkJxmLs4Ti1cX5nDXTJRJ5Y_Vz55Sd50oHiSw6zDk6I6qJvsKZO42GqHe1y7vf40_KbqTorULcyA/s320/IMG_0009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513951873236237314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_16DOsc2qcB82-fiPZ0M1Jeaj30sJxOuafwWN9VsQO8ZE5crBR3yYGYlMmxlptImSVPwyRB1UnI0V9Dixc6pvBwW0aZnxgghsG1GEo2K-pSa_iydS7-QWnvVopv9BWbwFo5pCCA/s1600/IMG_0010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_16DOsc2qcB82-fiPZ0M1Jeaj30sJxOuafwWN9VsQO8ZE5crBR3yYGYlMmxlptImSVPwyRB1UnI0V9Dixc6pvBwW0aZnxgghsG1GEo2K-pSa_iydS7-QWnvVopv9BWbwFo5pCCA/s320/IMG_0010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513952262525725330" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkJi8-SnD3KWng88CpMxc7sjyjFUE7Ul_CuNuDUko-iFM4fkLssSn4PerMn8gWE9hYYWioOHxBQ1ar_BEFCHn9bT9UcTqgCrGGm5PX4bh6Hg5mhrlOUiWXEDLC5CSEGnP81URyA/s1600/IMG_0012.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkJi8-SnD3KWng88CpMxc7sjyjFUE7Ul_CuNuDUko-iFM4fkLssSn4PerMn8gWE9hYYWioOHxBQ1ar_BEFCHn9bT9UcTqgCrGGm5PX4bh6Hg5mhrlOUiWXEDLC5CSEGnP81URyA/s320/IMG_0012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513952469561525298" /></a>Cathy Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00657921796971797765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37361042.post-8346127820211240682010-08-23T18:26:00.008-05:002010-09-06T19:07:13.533-05:00A Daily Glimpse at Educational Technology or It Takes a Village<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvy5mDSIEjMcVwu8mQi3uY5efRYx8pgB3iknb2JQaXJr105J3mpTp6ehJlcLmHroJVexwh6KdUoS5zCIX7JBJ_l0ck52gZs1Nux-GV23mZt7nkZTL0_Ie0ahYb7zHngEpq7BgdVQ/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvy5mDSIEjMcVwu8mQi3uY5efRYx8pgB3iknb2JQaXJr105J3mpTp6ehJlcLmHroJVexwh6KdUoS5zCIX7JBJ_l0ck52gZs1Nux-GV23mZt7nkZTL0_Ie0ahYb7zHngEpq7BgdVQ/s320/IMG_0004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508780898141419698" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5Cl9_rWFU4igRFEKjCQChlKWUoSM6Qe23pnxBlrUx9Xu76jzgVz1HzTvQJu7h1Q0k16RdPNDQXfUgpPeRElmcMGH8c9px3-I0i29JWWEoPDJIL4pXUNrQCsC2HYvgJNq4EbDWQ/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5Cl9_rWFU4igRFEKjCQChlKWUoSM6Qe23pnxBlrUx9Xu76jzgVz1HzTvQJu7h1Q0k16RdPNDQXfUgpPeRElmcMGH8c9px3-I0i29JWWEoPDJIL4pXUNrQCsC2HYvgJNq4EbDWQ/s320/IMG_0003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508780410700871074" /></a><br />Several years ago, one of our Technology Coaches at the time was helping organize one of our first collaborations (video conference) with another school through an iSight camera, a microphone, and a video projector all attached to her laptop in a Senior KIndergarten classroom. The school was just down the street, and we both used iChat on our Macs.<br /><br />We were discussing what our students had learned about Ireland, and I really don't remember what the other school was sharing. We decided we should hook up to ethernet rather than use the wireless network to make a better connection. We rolled a mobile interactive whiteboard in to use only as a projection screen. Cables and cords were everywhere, but it was an incredible first experience and the students (and the teachers) thought it was magical.<br /><br />But what I will remember most about that experience is what the Tech Coach said to me as we rolled everything out that we had just rolled in and disconnected everything that we had diligently connected. She said, "Technology! It takes a village." I loved that. I laughed because she was so right. What we did was new to us, and it did take so many people and so much equipment to make it happen. I still recall her saying that and use it on occasion when something is a little more laborious than I had hoped while integrating technology.<br /><br />It's even more special to me, because that Tech Coach became ill later and passed away at a young age. So I think of her fondly often and use her famous line at least twice a school year.<br /><br />And so what if integrating technology takes a village. The inhabitants of our village share and collaborate and help each other to continue to grow and learn. I've been in educational technology for almost 20 years, and the early naysayers worried that technology would isolate the student. As we know, that can't be further from the truth. Technology connects us in ways that we never could have imagined. It connects us to the global village. <br /><br />This school year, I hope to snap a few pictures of our villagers helping one another - specifically in integrating technology into the classrooms. Hopefully we can all take a little snippet away here and there!<br /><br />Monday, August 23, 2010<br /><br />Today we distributed laptops to our 5th and 6th grade students. This is the 10th year of distributing laptops to our 6th graders but the first year for the 5th graders. We have been a 1 to 1 laptop school for awhile. But until today, only the 6th graders brought them to and from school. We opened this up to our 5th graders this year. <br /><br />We refresh laptops every 3 years. This happened to be the year for new laptops. Our students received the latest white MacBooks from Apple. They were so new, so clean, so white, and so sleek. I've never seen so many 5th and 6th grade boys ooohhh and aahhh so much.<br /><br />One thing I want to share today concerns our Internet filtering software. Since these are young boys in an elementary school, we do feel that it is important that we filter the Internet. Until this year, our Internet filter wouldn't work outside the school building. We let the parents know that the filter would not work away from school and that we would support them and help them if they wanted to purchase and install a filter that would work at home. Few, if any, ever chose to do this. <br /><br />With the number of wireless networks in the home and other locations, we felt that we were doing a disservice in not providing this for our students when taking the laptops off campus. This year, we chose Lightspeed Systems, and we are very pleased with the outcome. While we all know that no Internet filtering system can ever block all objectionable sites, the filter works beautifully at school and picks up any wireless network and continues to filter as it did while the students were on campus.Cathy Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00657921796971797765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37361042.post-17735976959868638012010-04-18T18:19:00.002-05:002010-04-18T18:25:31.217-05:00Update of My Blog in the Works - ReallyToday is April 18, 2010. As you can see by my previous post in 2008, I had hoped to begin blogging again by now. I am beginning to give out the URL on my blog as I join various Nings, etc. I will begin blogging about Technology Integration in the schools - particularly what is happening in my school, Presbyterian Day School (PDS). PDS is an all boys independent school located in Memphis, Tennessee, serving boys ages 3 years old - 6th grade. We have 636 boys, which makes it the largest private all boys school in the United States. Our school is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.<br /><br />Please check back in a month or so as I begin to blog again. I will also Tweet when my blog becomes current. Thanks for visiting!Cathy Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00657921796971797765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37361042.post-44350306497424046392008-01-10T10:25:00.002-06:002008-11-29T20:18:52.965-06:00And Time Passes........It's been more than a year since I've blogged on my site. I initially used blogging to share my experience in China. Much has happened in the year since I visited China. Our school has decided to teach Mandarin beginning with the 2008-2009 school year. I am also part of an independent school cohort learning Web 2.0 tools. Hence, I thought I should pull up the old blog and start anew. I'll post back shortly. Cathy Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00657921796971797765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37361042.post-1163988178318243822006-11-19T19:53:00.000-06:002006-11-19T20:05:58.796-06:00Last Day in China - The Great Wall<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/1600/1scorpion.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/320/1scorpion.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/1600/scorpian.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/320/scorpian.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/1600/climbing.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/320/climbing.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/1600/GreatWall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/320/GreatWall.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />The scorpian dish - Yum.<br />"Climbing The Great Wall"<br />The Great Wall. <br /><br />They say there are two things you can see on earth from outer space. One are the lights of Las Vegas and the other is the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall extends approximately 4,163 miles from the east to the west of China. The construction of the Great Wall began in 221 B.C. to ward off invasions and took approximately 10 years to complete over a period of time. Portions of the wall are now in ruin, but the area we visited around Beijing is the most well maintained and also the most commercialized. You can get great deals on “Rolex” watches but my favorite was the Chairman Mao watch with Mao on the face and his arms the hands of the watch. But the commercialization in no way diminished the magnificence of the Great Wall.<br /><br />More than 1 million people were involved with building the wall. Soldiers, local people, and prisoners were brought in to build the wall. Building the wall was so tortuous, that many died while building it. Our tour guide said that the Great Wall is also called the longest cemetery in the world because so many people died while working on the wall and were buried along the wall. <br /><br />Our delegation walked a considerable portion of the wall. We chose to walk the steepest side. Most of the walking area is an incline with a few steps in various portions. The views were spectacular, not only of the mountainous area but of the various views of the actual wall you can see as you climb the wall. While you’ll see the picture of me climbing the wall, I can also proudly display a certificate we were given saying that we indeed completed this great feat. <br /><br />We ended our incredible journey with a farewell banquet at the famous Peking Duck Restaurant. It was the most delicious and interesting food I had eaten the entire week. The Chinese restaurants serve family style. Various dishes are continually placed on a huge Lazy Susan in the middle of the table. Diners continue to swirl the Lazy Susan as they choose items from the various dishes. The farewell meal ended with a roasted duck. We were shown how to take the sliced pieces of duck and place it in the Chinese version of the round tortilla. You then add soy sauce and scallions and roll it up somewhat like a burrito. It was delicious. But the most exciting dish of the night was the dish of scorpions (see the picture). Yes, after much coaxing, I ate a scorpion! It tasted like a pork rind. It really wasn’t bad at all, and I was quite proud of myself for totally immersing myself in the Chinese culture. <br /><br />My trip to Beijing was an incredible journey and opportunity. I look forward to sharing more interesting tidbits and many more photos when I return. See you soon!Cathy Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00657921796971797765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37361042.post-1163681903376793282006-11-16T06:39:00.000-06:002006-11-19T20:21:54.046-06:00Thursday, November 16, 2006 - Beijing China<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/1600/Forbidden.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/320/Forbidden.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/1600/Square.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:left;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/320/Square.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/1600/coaches.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/320/coaches.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/1600/redscarf.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:left;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/320/redscarf.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/1600/pingpong.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/320/pingpong.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Architecture in the Forbidden City.<br />Tiananmen Square.<br />Coaches playing basketball. <br />Cathy with the Chinese student - notice his red scarf. <br />Students playing ping pong during P.E. <br /><br />Hello from Beijing. Beijing is in the north of China, and the word actually means north capital. “Bei” mean north and “jing” means capital. The north and south of China have their own distinctions much like the north and south in the United States. For instance, it’s cold and dry in the north and wet and humid in the south. The Northerners prefer to each wheat while the Southerners prefer rice. The people in the north are considered generous but have a fighting attitude, while the southerners are softer and milder but not as generous. I found the comparisons very interesting.<br /><br />As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, we witnessed a computer class where 13 year olds presented their Power Points on the Olympics. I’ve posted a picture of one of the students with me. Notice the red scarf around his neck. When we asked about the scarf, we were told that at around the age of 13, the students join an organization much like our boys scouts. It is an honor to be in this organization. They are called Pioneers. What’s interesting about this is that this is there first official introduction to the Chinese Communist Party – hence the color of the scarf is red. <br /><br />Sports and PE are a big part of school life in Beijing. The P.E. curriculum has changed to include more exercise, and most schools now have P.E. each day just like at PDS. You’ll notice the picture of the students playing ping pong (table tennis). The children go to school from 7:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon. That makes for a long day, but they get a very extended time for lunch and recess. Each school we visited had huge play areas. You’ll see a picture of men playing basketball with students watching. These are the coaches, and they play a game of basketball most everyday after lunch. Coach Smith will have to see if he can arrange that for our coaches.<br /><br />Today we visited Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is the largest city square in the world. It holds a half of a million people. It held even more until they erected Chairman Mao’s mausoleum. The Forbidden City was where all the emperors of China lived. It was called the Forbidden City, because only the emperors were allowed to be there with their staff. <br /><br />Tomorrow we go to the Great Wall of China. I can’t wait to share some pictures with you. This is an incredible experience but I miss you all!Cathy Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00657921796971797765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37361042.post-1163600897304144992006-11-15T08:18:00.000-06:002006-11-19T20:22:27.520-06:00Ni Hao (Hello) from Beijing - Wednesday, November 15, 10:10 pm (8:10 am Memphis time)<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/1600/paul.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/320/paul.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/1600/mascot.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/320/mascot.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/1600/guides.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/320/guides.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/1600/bikes.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/320/bikes.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /> <br />Paul's counterpart in the Beijing middle school. <br />The mascot for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.<br />Cathy and her three student tour guides at the middle school. <br />Bikes, Bikes, Everywhere!<br /><br />So sorry I didn’t blog yesterday. We have not stopped for even a minute since we arrived Sunday evening. As you know, I blogged Monday evening after we returned around 9:00 pm. I awoke Tuesday morning at 5:45 am and did not get back to the hotel until after 10:00 pm., so I decided to wait until Wednesday night to update you. (You should be getting this Wednesday morning.)<br /><br />There are so many things I’ve learned since I arrived in China. One being that of course it’s shorter going from San Francisco to Hong Kong by traveling north and then across the Bering Sea and then South to Hong Kong. I had to be reminded of my geography lessons to realize that going from San Francisco to Hong Kong directly over the Pacific Ocean in a “straight line” is not a shorter way (stop laughing, Paul).<br /><br />Other things I have learned – when eating noodles, never cut your noodles. Long noodles equal a long life. I learned that you must always be very careful when speaking Mandarin Chinese. For instance, the word “ma” can mean many things depending on the tone in which it is spoken. One “ma” can mean the universal word for mother. Another “ma” can mean a horse. Yet another “ma” can be a curse word. Lastly, another “ma” can mean you are feeling numb. You can only imagine the trouble you could get into if your tone is not quite right.<br /><br />Another item I learned is that although cars are very plentiful in the big cities in China now, they still have not given up their dependence on the old bicycle. <br /><br />On Tuesday we visited a middle school in the middle of Beijing. The school had almost 5,000 students. We spent the entire day at the school. For an hour during that time, I actually had my own private student tour guides. Three students, all age 14 and in the 9th grade, guided me through the school and answered all my questions as well as asked me a few also. Their English was quite good, although they did not think so. <br /><br />Earlier that day, we attended a computer class where the students presented their Power Points about various aspects of the upcoming 2008 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Beijing. The entire city is already buzzing about the Olympics and signs of it are everywhere.<br /><br />Today (Wednesday) we visited a high school on the outskirts of the city. This school was actually built as a university by American missionaries in the 1800’s. The first three principals were American, and they have only had 9 different principals in the entire history of the school. This school also has around 5,000 students, but all but 100 are boarding students. <br /><br />In addition to talking with the students at both schools, we spent several hours in discussions with the teachers and administration at each school. We have been taken to several Chinese restaurants, where I have become quite adept at eating with chopsticks. (It’s amazing what you can do when you have to.) All I could think as I tried all this food is what Becky would possibly say about all of it. She would be worn out by saying “Mmmmm” to me each time I would put something in my mouth. We have been quite immersed in the Chinese culture.<br /> <br />As I said, there are so many more stories I could tell, but I’ll save those for later. We will be going to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square tomorrow. The Forbidden City also has Chairman Mao’s mausoleum. Chairman Mao is still much beloved in Beijing even 30 years after is death. Today we saw a line of Chinese at least a mile long waiting in line to pay their respects to him.<br /><br />I’m writing this in my hotel room at 10:00 pm Wednesday night. I’m then going down to the 2nd floor lobby and connect to the wireless Internet and then copy and paste this in. (It's easier than connecting with ethernet in my room and it's free.) I’m actually anxious to get on the Internet and check my email to see if there is any news from home. I haven’t checked in since Monday night. I’m having email withdrawals. I hope everyone is well. I’ll check back with you tomorrow.Cathy Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00657921796971797765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37361042.post-1163430662404978042006-11-13T08:48:00.000-06:002006-11-19T20:19:40.833-06:00Monday, November 13, 10:40 pm Beijing Time<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/1600/IMG_0410.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/320/IMG_0410.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/1600/IMG_0393.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/320/IMG_0393.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/1600/IMG_0365.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/320/IMG_0365.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Performers at the Banquet at the Great Hall of the People. <br />The Great Hall of the People.<br />Sunrise in Hong Kong on Sunday morning.<br /><br />Technology is just incredible! I am sitting in the lobby of the hotel in Beijing, China. I turned on my Mac, and it immediately connected wirelessly with the hotel's network. I was just able to read my 145 plus emails, and I am posting this blog. As some homeroom teachers will shortly see, I will even email them to let them know when the wrapping paper will be delivered to their homerooms. A parent just emailed me and asked me to do that!<br /><br />I finally arrived in China on Sunday, November 12, after more than 22 hours on planes. We arrived at the hotel around 1:45 p.m. (11:45 pm Saturday in Memphis). We were allowed to freshen up (an overhaul was actually what I needed) and then we were to meet at 5:30 for logistics and introductions within our delegation followed by dinner. I was finally able to get to bed around 9:30 (7:30 am Sunday morning Memphis time). The last time I had seen a bed was Thursday night. <br /><br />I won't bore you with personal details. Those will have to wait until I get back. It's enough to say that I didn't even make it out of the Memphis airport on Friday before I lost my cell phone. As I left on the first leg of my trip to Dallas, I looked for my cell phone to make sure it was off. I couldn't find it. I took the contents of my purse in and out at least 5 times while we were waiting to take off. I know the woman next to me thought I was insane. When I reached San Francisco, I purchased a phone card and called home to learn that someone had found my cell phone in the airport and called the last number on it (my mother). Anyway, enough of that unpleasantness. <br /><br />Today we rose early to go to the conference hotel to learn about the Chinese culture and the etiquette we should follow while in China. We had 4 keynote addresses in the afternoon - 2 from the US and 2 from China. The Chinese Minister of Education spoke to us about the new curricula in China. What I found most amazing is that many of their problems and issues are also ours. <br /><br />We were then taken to the Great Hall of the People for a reception and a dinner banquet. This was the official beginning to the US - China Education Conference. Many of our Chinese counterparts attended and were seated at our tables. We enjoyed interesting and informative conversations as we also enjoyed Chinese dish after dish. During dinner we were entertained by musicians, dancers, and actors from the Beijing Opera.<br /><br /><br />It is a huge honor to be invited to the Great Hall of the People. It is the equivalent to our Capitol Hill and Congress. It is almost 11:00 pm here, and we are beginning early again tomorrow with an all-day visit to a middle school. We will then be taken to dinner and a show. We won't return to the hotel until 9:30 tomorrow night, but I will try to get in a quick posting. I have already learned so much about the Chinese people and their education system, and I've already met many US teachers who will be great to network with. <br /><br />Keep looking for more postings. I've got to email the homeroom teachers and then I'm calling it a night!Cathy Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00657921796971797765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37361042.post-1163005388098707552006-11-08T10:58:00.000-06:002006-11-08T11:03:08.106-06:00Cathy Kyle's Blog<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/1600/images.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6461/4195/320/images.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />China Bound<br /><br />Two days and counting.....<br /><br />Check back for China updates as I travel to Beijing for the U.S. - China Education Conference.Cathy Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00657921796971797765noreply@blogger.com0