Meeting up with Sr Philippa

Just had a wonderful day catching up with Sr Philippa and hearing all about her studies here in San Francisco. Also played tourists in Fisherman's Wharf and Alcatraz. Certainly nothing compared to the majesty of our "rock" but a great audio tour. We then had tapas at the Ferry Building. Hope to catch up again this week after her lectures. I've got three computer workshops booked this week, an author's talk on Wednesday night and have just been invited by my landlady to an open night at the Science Museum she works at. Hitting the phone tomorrow to use the contacts I made yesterday to set up a couple of teacher interviews for the week. Loving it here!

Please be aware that the music has been overlaid when it wasn't in the original therefore the quality of sound is impaired.

Fallon Middle School

Spent Saturday on the train from San Francisco to Dublin where teachers met for a biannual fair. Could not believe the line in front of me of new/out of work teachers applying to work in the district. Class sizes being pushed up to the 30 because so many teachers getting 'pink slips' for the new year (in the fall - or August in my language). Managed to speak to some middle school students about their English and have a couple of invitations to talk to teachers on stalls next week.

Santa Monica High School

Staying in the hotel opposite the school. Listening to the students leaving this afternoon and I could only here "dawg" and "dog" not sure what else they were saying! Security guard on the gates as they came out. Very different schooling experience than for my students. Are these students enjoying English? How different are their classroom experiences?

Preparing to go - Video Message

Really proud of the filming four Year 10 students did with minimal preparation on Thursday. It allowed me to put together a 7 minute video message to students in California showing them what it is like to go to school at St John's College. As soon as I get the parental approval back, I can upload it here. 

ICT and Middle School English focus?

This research project seems to be twisting and turning towards the many needs of the Darwin school system. I want to focus on the technology, the digital learning and how students at Year 10 remain engaged and motivated in the reading process through these tools. Discovered Eluminate and edublogs again today. 

Winner of the Chief Minister's Westfield Scholarship for 2008 finally books tickets!

Thanks to CEO, I now have flights out of Melbourne to LA on Thursday 2nd April arriving back on Saturday 9th May. Great news that Mark is coming for two weeks to stop me from dying of loneliness every night for five weeks. Fingers crossed, my first school will be in Antioch, Northern California, then Long Beach and Los Angeles, then a "quick" pop over to Bermuda and back via two schools in San Diego. Hoping to see Dad and Julia in Los Angeles and San Diego. Thinking of doing some ICT training courses to fill in the down time.