International Journey Begins

My last few minutes on plane a21 hr trip around the world

My journey began on Monday, June 23,,2014 with an early morning plane to catch at 6:45. I’d given myself plenty of time to check bags that I would normally have packed for a plane ride. I thought I had been pretty diligent about meeting the weight requirements for both bags. Needless to say, I hadn’t. One bag was over by 6 lbs. and would have cost another $75 to check. The other one was under the limit by 4 lbs. I quickly began removing things from the $75 one- to be placed in the lighter bag. Perfect.. problem.. solved. It was now off to Detroit, then Los Angeles, Tokyo, and the Philippines. 

Four plane rides& over 21 hours later…I arrived at my final destination- Manila, Philippines! The view from my hotel is amazing.  

12th floor view from the Makati Shangri-La hotel in Manila

Now it’s time to get down to business and really explore my essential question- to what degree and in what ways is access to information valued? Inspired by my current role as Library Media Specialist and fueled by my love of history, other questions come to mind when considering this:

• Where do Filipinos get their information from?
• Is there a preference? Based on what? Is there a generational  connection? Regional? Etc?
• How is information shared?
• How much emphasis is placed on the quality of information? Global Perspectives? 
• Is certain news or historical information, off limits?

The essential question I’ve chosen has some assumptions. For example, credit should be assigned for information gathered and that quality of information does matter. In America, giving credit to a source and considering the reliability and credibility of a source are important. Copyright, fair use, open use are areas involved in research and information gathering.
Based on what I’ll see, do and hear during tours, visits, meetings, etc. I hope to engage my school and community in conversation about the significance of gaining global perspectives.
I'm looking forward to international travel and cultural experiences and the directions it will take me in.

“This blog is not an official U.S. Department of State blog. The views and information presented are the grantee’s own and do not represent the Teachers for Global Classrooms Program, IREX, or the U.S. Department of State.”

The famine is over in my previous reference to feast or famine. I don’t know how bloggers do it, but I respect the occupation title of “full-time blogger.” As I have been a “full-time” high school library media specialist, my time has really gone in to daily activities revolving around that.

International Research & Exchanges Board is a non-profit U.S. based organization committed to international education.

The year has been filled with eventful programming and activities, all leading up to this summer’s U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs/ IREX- Teachers for Global Classrooms, (TGC),  global competencies trip to the Philippines. After receiving multiple emails about the program from colleagues, (http://www.irex.org/project/teachers-global-classrooms-program-tgc), I decided to look into the opportunity. After the application process I was accepted
and prepared for the rigorous graduate-level  8-week online course. The online course became a professional learning committee for me, providing a chance to connect, reflect, share, and analyze with teachers from around the country with a common goal. Our common goal is to have a personal learning experience that would prepare us to share and guide our school communities to develop and increase the emphasis on global perspectives and competencies.

This Media Center Quest blog will also serve as the international travel blog. I’ll be sharing my travel reflections, thoughts and experiences and my wish is that students, the school community, and families at home and abroad view my efforts as one of a U.S. Ambassador with a unique voice that engages and hopefully inspires thought provoking questions.

Department Mission Statement
Shape and sustain a peaceful, prosperous, just, and democratic world and foster conditions for stability and progress for the benefit of the American people and people everywhere.
          --From the FY 2013 Agency Financial Report,
         released December 2013

TRT @ CVNP Teacher-Ranger-Teacher Wrap up

TRT @ CVNP
I am a "feast or famine" kind of gal. All or nothing they say and my blog life is apparently following that path too. I've gone months without posting and then suddenly I have time and energy to post multiple times a day.

Click on the picture above to follow the Animoto link.

I've completed my Teacher-Ranger-Teacher, (TRT), duties and it has been a busy and exciting year. I wanted to share the feeling in this Animoto show. Click on the link or photograph above to view.

Technology Touches

http://www.tagxedo.com/artful/3408be6068494d8d

This Tagexdo word cloud was for an e-Facilitator training course and a great way to run inventory on what the course highlighted. The word cloud is easy to use and has a big payoff. One's motivated to continue to finish the project to see the end result. The personal choices that your allowed to make on the way makes the process that much sweeter. This is a must due for any classroom. It doesn't require a lot of time but access to computers, Internet, etc.

Adding Technology Touches

One of my collaborating colleagues heard about Voki and wanted to try it. I wanted to play around with it and see how easy it would be to use and then brainstorm some ways we could use it with students. My own son saw me working on it and decided he was going to use a similar app on his ipod to have a "face-off' with me. His version of me was so flattering. I told him he'd obviously won- after all he knows how I look better than I do since I have to look in a mirror! I'm still exploring this tool, so I'll add updates.

Teen Read Week is October 14-20

LRC helpers did a fantastic job creating our first display case,
"Fall for a good Book" 

I've been working hard and getting acclimated to my new position. Teaching is truly a rewarding occupation. Having a sense that your efforts can actually help someone, is priceless. And as the school librarian I get to be a part of so much...helping students find the resources they need, the delight on their faces when their requested book comes in, the peace they show when they enter into the quiet sanctuary like setting of the LRC, (depends which period), the focus they display when working at the computer-typing, researching,or completing their math problems. I'm proud of the LRC helpers I have too. They've created displays and promoted programs and the opening weeks of the school library would not have been possible without their day-to-day contributions.

The school website addition is my first virtual trek outside the LRC. YALSA's Teen Read Week inspired me; Teen Read Week is October 14-20

Face Your Fears

One of my most significant milestones during the TRT experience so far, has been my experience with the Beneath the Fishing Pole program.

When I was a girl, my grandmother would always ask if I wanted to go fishing and I always declined. When I reflect on why, I can recall not wanting to touch any worms, put bugs on a hook, or touch a live or dead fish or clean fish or eat fish! Nothing, and I mean nothing about fishing sounded fun or enjoyable at that time.

Fast forward three decades… and here I am in a situation to undue all of those past thoughts by helping young children overcome the very thing I’d avoided when I was their age! Yes I faced my fears and said that out loud as I hooked my first cut up worm onto the hook. The kids and the adults in the group marveled. I just convinced myself that if my family and I were starving and our survival depended on me fishing- I would do it, period. Once I was past that initial obstacle, I helped several children get the worm parts that Ranger Jack had cut, onto the hooks. Once those were gone I had to cross another bridge and conserve the worms we had and needed by cutting the whole worms into three parts. I watched Ranger Jack cut the worms with the scissors and I got down to business myself. I could not contain my excitement and surprise when the worm parts continued to wiggle around even after I’d cut them. Who knew…not me… but now I do.

I learned so much about the anatomy of a fish, how to cast, how to hook, how to line up poles, transport poles- the joy of learning has always been in me and I am so thankful to our Creator for letting me share that part of myself with others and for allowing me to be a part of such a wonderful experience with others.

I must be prepared. To help me prepare for my first Ledges Ramble program, I took my sons and two of my nephews on the hike with me and had them do the scavenger hunt. I matched an older with a younger and emphasized to them that they didn't need to find everything and that the most important thing was to enjoy the hike and the park.

They were so wonderful to watch and so helpful. I was so thankful for the time I spent with them and felt a connection and love for them and the outdoors. Wow, I sound so sappy but it's so true. I can't wait to do this again.

On Top! Ledges Ramble...

Despite all of the challenges with being a TRT, there are so many worthwhile moments. When I got to lead my first Ledges Ramble program, I described the “tight space” we could go into near Ice Box cave. A couple of the children voiced their concern and had decided they would go around rather than slide and slink through the tight space.  After some thought one of the little girls said, “Well, face your fears,”  and had made up her mind that she was going to slide and slink. I was truly inspired. I had just said those same words a week before. I high-fived her and before you know it, it became our group mantra- “face your fears!” We were all high-fiving and when it came time to go into the tight space, we all went through, they squealed with delight and wanted to go through again. Amazing.