World Wide Wildcats

A Trip to "The City of Gold"

2017-12-01T10:39:00.000-08:00

It was such a privilege to be given the opportunity to travel to Dubai this year! The trip was definitely a once in a lifetime experience, and something I will never forget. We were surrounded by different cultures and exposed to different ways of life the whole time we were on our trip. It was amazing to see the different architecture as well as the wonderful landmarks of the country. We traveled around the Palm Islands, rode to the top of the Burj Khalifa, and marched through the desert sand on camels. We even visited the souk and gold market on the Dubai Creek.

On our first day, we rode out to the desert reserve where we would go "dune bashing", riding over sand dunes in a car that has little air in its tires in order to create friction. On our way there, we rode past a number of mosques and open plots of land which eventually turned from dead grass to sand. As we got farther away from the excitement of the city, we got further into the desert and began seeing people on camels. The most interesting part came next when we saw a large "camel racing" stadium. We finally arrived at the desert reserve and began the dune bashing experience. Later we visited a "camp" where we rode camels and ate an authentic Emirate dinner. There, some of the native women gave us henna tattoos and the men served us coffee and dates.

The next morning we visited the Dubai Marina and rode a boat around the Palm Islands in the Arabian Gulf (we refer to it as the Persian Gulf.) There, we saw the Atlantis Hotel and the world's first seven-star hotel, Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. We also saw the "Dubai Eye", which was still under construction and expected to be larger than the London Eye. While all of this was happening, we got to experience the beautiful cityscape as we drove further into the gulf and we saw the Jumeriah beach being enjoyed by tourists and locals. It was winter in the Emirates so there were a lot more visitors than usual. Aside from all of the buildings and recent renovations, we learned that the city had been there for only a number of around twenty years. Before then, there was just desert and no marina, cityscape, or Palm Islands. We also learned that the Sheikh of Dubai had contributed to most of the renovations and now-tourists-attractions in the area.

Later in the evening, we presented to a group of teachers, principals, and other people with careers in education. We shared with them the amazing things that we do in Mrs. Vicki's classroom every day and how all of it is valuable to us. After our presentation, we spoke with some of the educators that were in attendance and learned where they were from. Some of them were from places in Europe, such as London, and some of them were from the United Emirates. It was such a great experience to be able to speak with these people and learn the ways children are educated all over the world! That night we enjoyed another authentic meal only it was traditional Thai food. It wasn't uncommon to have many People from Asia living in the area, as we learned from our tour guide the next day, because the population of Dubai is mostly Asian and only a small percentage of the population is native to the Emirate. This was somewhat a surprise to us, yet it made sense because the Emirate of Dubai is very open to diversity.

On our last day, we toured the city. We saw pieces of "Old Dubai" as well as "New Dubai." We rode on the Palm Islands and beside the Atlantis Hotel. We also stopped at a local Mosque. Our guide explained that even though the Emirate's official religion is Islam, say that they don't discriminate other religions. He told us that there were also a large number of Churches and even some Hindu Temples. We learned that the government actually controls what is taught in the Mosques and that they appoint their Imams, or service leaders. Aside from the government controlling the Islam faith, Churches and Hindu temples are led by their own leaders and the government has no involvement in them. If you want to build a Church, you simply request a land grant from the government. They are also given cemeteries by the government and the right to advertise Church functions, however, it is prohibited by law that they distribute any religious literature, such as a Bible.

Since it was beautiful outside, we got to stop by Jumeirah Beach and we were able to walk down to the water. It was unbelievable to be at the beach in their “winter”, but I guess if the weather was like that during any month of the year, I would be at the beach too. Next, we rode down to the Dubai Creek and took a small boat to the souk and gold market on the other side. Our guide walked us through the whole market and showed us a store with the best souvenirs. There was saffron, frankincense, and other spices displayed outside the small stores. We also saw the World’s Largest Ring and some of the craziest pieces of gold. There were full breastplates of gold and diamond placed in windows of almost all of the gold stores. In their culture, when a woman is married, she wears all of her most expensive pieces of jewelry so that she will have them with her when she leaves. Our guide also shared with us that once a couple is married, the Sheik provides them with a house. It’s not surprising that wherever we went there were pictures of him hanging on the walls and the sides of buildings. Everyone loves him! The country is also cemented to being the best at everything which is why the next place we visited that Day was the Dubai Mall.

It is one of the largest malls in the world and it happens to be connected to the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. It was amazing to see the whole city from the top of one building. You could see the beautiful lights of the city and by looking down you knew that they were a reminder of how far the Emirate had come in the short time that it had been able to innovate itself. It was so fun to explore a new world far away from home! I will always remember the amazing experience it was.

Good-bai

2017-11-29T10:44:00.000-08:00

Our class trip to Dubai was truly a life-changing experience that I will never forget. Many lessons were learned by all of us. For example, I learned that 10 hour flights are as bad as they sound, and I start losing it around halfway through! On a more serious note, I learned that venturing out of my comfort zone (Very, very far) can ultimately pay off greatly.

The first full day was lost to traveling. We arrived in Dubai on Monday morning after leaving Atlanta on Saturday. Later that day we got to experience a true Arabian dinner in the middle of the desert. After an afternoon of dune bashing, watching a falconry show, and riding very tall camels, I tried many different foods including falafel and lamb. Peyton and I even got beautiful Henna tattoos as well! I even impulsively decided to climb up a huge dune and slid down it on a snowboard. Not even halfway up the steep slope was I regretting it immensely, yet I persisted and eventually reached the top, breathless. The ride down was blissfully relaxing but over far too quickly, yet I would do it again.

The next day, the group and I took a yellow boat water tour of the Isle of Palms and many other incredible structures, like the “Seven Star” hotel right on the coastline. After trying desperately to tame our unruly hair from the wind, we attended the Edutech conference in a huge ballroom. I filmed the panel while the other students talked about Miss Vicki‘s class and teaching habits that should be followed. Everyone, in my opinion, did really well, and many people loved the panel. We even received an invite to a school from one of the teachers that attended the conference, but unfortunately, we could not fit it into our busy schedule.

On our final day in Dubai, we all got up early and quickly ate breakfast so we could start our full day of touring. First, we drove to the palm of Jumeirah and buried our toes in the sand on the beach there. Then we ate lunch and looked around one of the many marinas, or malls, in Dubai. After that, we all traveled back in time as we walked through a museum of ancient Middle Eastern life. There was even an exhibit that made visitors feel as if they were underwater, looking up at the people casting their nets hoping to catch fish. Later that evening the class got to experience one of the coolest parts of the trip, which was seeing Dubai glow in the night from the top of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. I could see every vein of the city glowing from beneath me through the windows. there is a scene in one of my favorite movies called Ferris Bueller‘s Day Off where the students press their heads against the windows of the Empire State building and look down at the ground below. I copied this idea and saw the streets flowing with traffic below. That is one sight I will never forget. After exiting the Burj Khalifa, we made it just in time for a huge and brilliant fountain show directly outside of the monument. The water sprayed higher than any other, and I think we were all surprised that none of us ended up soaked.

On the plane rides back, I think we all breathed a sigh of relief that we were heading home, but it was truly bittersweet. I know I’ll miss Dubai with all its luxuries and gorgeous sights, but I’m so glad I went on this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Thank you to the adults and students that made this a safe and fun trip, and thank you to Mrs. Vicki for giving us this incredible opportunity. I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.

Goodbye Dubai

2017-11-28T06:46:00.001-08:00

I am sad to leave, but at least we all got some cool souvenirs. The educational conference was awesome. In fact, our speakers did so good that the whole group was invited to go and tour a school there, but we did not get to go because we did not have clearance. We had a fun, cool, and great group from Westwood Schools speak such as: Brent Johnson, Brantley Shiver, Spence Cranford, Peyton Worsham, Levi Warren, Jonte Harris, and the person that made all of the trip possible, Mrs. Vicki Davis. We also cannot forget our filmer, Perry Fears. I am very proud of our speakers, filmers, and parents for never saying no but instead went and tried new, interesting, and cool things such as: a desert Barbecue, dune bashing, sandboarding (especially Brantley Shiver), riding on boats for tours, and climbing to the top of the Burj Khalifa, and going to the Dubai Mall. The trip was very educational and we always learned cool new things, such as: the Burj Khalifa was inspired by the spider lily, and I also learned that the Burj Khalifa will only be the tallest building in the world for about a year, because China is building one taller, but Dubai is already working on one taller than China’s tower and naming it the Burj Dubai. I noticed something odd about the buildings there, if you go look at the buildings closely and you will notice that no building has a normal shape. They are built in the forms of all different shapes such as: pyramids, prisms, and a lot of them have domes on top of them or have something protruding from them. The architecture there also has very many different influences of different countries such as: Italy, America, Rome, and Greece that is put into the way it looks, or how it was built. I have also learned that also being the world’s richest city, everything there cost a lot of money and it is hard to get a good deal there on anything you try to buy. One of the interesting things in Dubai is that they believe in polygamy, which means the men can marry up to four women. One of the amazing things about Dubai and the people there is the productivity rate, and work ethic, because where it would take 5 years to build a building here in America, it only takes them a little over a year. The leader of Dubai is called a Sheik, which means the son of, and his name is Sheik Mohammed, so his name in English means” the son of Mohammed” I have also learned that everything in Dubai has to have “The World’s Biggest Everything”, so if you order a small order of fries they fill up a whole box with fries. There are a lot of exotic cars in Dubai, but after a day there you realize what the normal cars are. The normal cars consist of: Range Rovers, Hyundai, Audis, and Porsches.

Heading to Dubai: New Adventures for the Wildcats

2017-11-10T08:04:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, seven students, four parents and I will be heading to Dubai to present at the Edutech Middle East Conference. We'll be presenting and learning but we'll also be learning about the culture, foods and more. We're ready to go

Post Reflection : Was Beijing fun or what ?

2011-03-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

China being a foreign country and all i had not idea what to expect ,but there was no let down for us south Georgians. Beijing was the coolest place I think I've ever been to. Even though we were their tour, they were all very welcoming. My favorite places would have to be the Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, and the acrobatic show. The Great wall was fun and exhilarating. It's just the fact that it's the seventh wonder of the world, but the seventh wonder of the world did have a huge slide all the way down the mountain. All I have to say is cocktail. It is the game they play that is similar to hacky sack. We first encountered this game in the Temple of Heaven. The people in the park were absolutely nice people and loved us Americans. Then there was the acrobatic show. I was so scared. They had no fear of falling three stories with no safety line. Beijing was just the experience of a lifetime and I want to go back again someday.

2011-03-13T20:12:00.000-07:00

Going to Beijing, China, was the trip of a lifetime for me. I learned many things while I was in China. The main thing that I learned about was chinese culture. We got to see what many people do during their everyday life in China. We got to see many cool sites while we were in China. My favorite was the Temple of heaven and the tea ceremony. At the Temple of Heaven there were old people playing this game that is like hackie sack. At the tea ceremony we got to try five different types of tea. My favorite was called the "Black Dragon" tea. We got to eat what they eat, see what they see, and see where some of the children go to school at. Their schools are very different than ours are too. They offer a wider variety of sports for their kids to play including badminton, soccer, and rugby. They also offer different classes like orchestra and they have a class for running a video scoreboard like the one that is at the Atlanta Braves's stadium.
At the conference I met people from all around the world! There were kids from Oman, Europe, India, China, Korea, and many other places. I learned about all of their different cultures. I also learned how to collaborate with these people when we were trying to make our ideas for the next flatclassroom project. In my group I had a girl from India, two girls from China, and a boy from China. The main idea that we focused on was child labor. We came together and thought a good way to stop child labro was to publicly embarass the companies that were using child labor.
I would like to thank our school for letting us go. I would also like to thank Mrs. Vicki. She booked all of our tours and helped us get over and get back alive. She was one of the two women that started the flatclassroom project. I do not think that any of this would be possible without her.

post china reflection

2011-03-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

I had an amazing time in Beijing. It was truly a once in a lifetime trip that was both awe inspiring and eye opening. China's educational system is employing some cutting edge educational techniques. While in China, I had the opportunity to tour WAB(Western Academy of Beijing) and it is truly one of the nicest and coolest places I have ever had the privilege of visiting. The 5th graders there who were operating the million dollar scoreboard system probably have more technological knowledge than me. The elementary school there is extremely advanced. I looked over a kids shoulder in a 2nd grade and he was reading a 600 page Harry Potter book that I read in the 6th grade. The High school looked like some of the best colleges in the United States. On top of all the high tech aids they even had a lazy river going through the lobby with fish in it...how cool is that?
The Beijing city tour was beyond awesome. China has so much to offer in terms of places to visit and scenery. Among the places I visited were the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs, the Llama Temple, and saw the Kung Foo show. Among all the places I visited though, by far my favorite was the Temple of Heaven. As our tour guide Vincent said "its a Chinese Disney Land". But, there were no roller coasters in the Temple, nor any of the young screaming children. the temple is filled mostly with retirees who are dancing, playing cocktail(a game similar to hackysack), and participating in other activities. The Temple is truly a happy place.
At the conference itself, I was paired with a brilliant team. We came up with an idea of a mass student exchange program. We believed that by sending students to foreign countries we might gibe students a unique experience in a foreign countries that some businesses can find useful. in addition to the experience gained in the actual visit to these foreign countries, students could help end stereotypes that are springing up in today's society.
I would like to thank my teacher Mrs. Vicki for giving me the opertunity to go to this confrence. I would like also like to think Mrs. Julie Lindsay and BISS for hosting this confrence.

After the Trip of a Lifetime: Post Beijing Reflection

2011-03-02T17:55:00.000-08:00

I had the BEST time in Beijing! It truly was the trip of a lifetime, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to attend this conference, and tour the spectacular city of Beijing. While I was there, I made two videos, one a slideshow of pictures from the trip, another our team project video called Culture Connect. I learned so much about other cultures and on movie making! Even though we had some problems (lost luggage, "stolen" debit cards) this trip was truly a worthwhile experience! I thouroughly enjoyed every part of if (well... maybe not the Peking Opera). I really loved my team members! There were two from China, Sarah and Issac, one from Africa, Jasmine, and one from India, Gal. I really think we worked very well together and learned about the true meaning of collaboration. I was almost scared of the conference, because I didn't know what to expect, but I loved it! There were people from all over the world that were so interesting! I really want to thank all my team members, Ms. Bernajean, Mr. Frank, Mrs. Julie, and, of course, Mrs. Vicki. I never would have been able to have this amazing experience without all of you. Thank you!

Reflection on Beijing

2011-03-02T17:19:00.000-08:00

Beijing is unlike any other place I have ever visited. The people are so friendly, and as our tour guide Vincet says, "you don't get old in China." The people at the Temple of Heaven awere mostly retired, yet they all played this fun game called shuttlecock, which is somewhat like hacky-sack and some were even dancing in the park. One of the funniest memories I will have is this older Chinese women dancing with Daniel, one of the juniors from Westwood. Those people made me smile. The vendors in Beijing are crazy! They are definitely not afraid to do anything they need in order to sell you something, even if it includes chasing you down and dragging you by the arm. The vendors are especially pushy in the Pearl Market. When you buy anything thing there, it's a battle to get a good price. It might even require twenty or more minutes just to assure that you are not ripped off! I think the majority of us did not do so well at first, but we definitley got better at bargaining. The food here is great, too. I'm looking forward to the Peking duck dinner, if not the Peking Opera. I am immensly enjoying my time here in Beijing (even though I wish I had my own clothes)! I'll keep you posted!

China Trip Reflection

2011-03-01T16:40:00.000-08:00

We have officially returned from our China trip, and I'm still getting over jet lag! We had such an amazing time! We got to see MANY sites including Lama Temple, Hutong City, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, The Temple of Heaven, Ming Tombs, and of course THE GREAT WALL! Needless to say, we were able to see many historic sites. We also were able to go to The Tea House the first day we were there after we toured and try many different types of Chinese tea, and some of them were super good! Out of the many sites we saw, The Great Wall was definietely my favorite part! We climbed tons of steps to get to the top but it was well worth it! The view was amazing and even better than pictures on the internet. After we had reached the top and taken our photos, we got to toboggan down. I didn't know what this was until I did it. There was this long slide all the way down and each person sat in a sled type thing and rode all the way down. It was super fun because you were able to control your own speed! Along with touring, we were also able to experience the joys of shopping (and BARGAINING!!). We went to a dirk market, as well as the infamous Pearl Market. There was so much stuff in Pearl Market, it was impossible to look at everything. We were constantly being bombarded by the vendors, but that was the fun of it! Real or fake, we got some really good deals and had alot of fun in the process! Experiencing the food in China was also a big part in the trip. We went to many different traditional Chinese restaurants, where we were able to try new cuisines. Most of it was actually pretty good, although by the end we were ready for some American food! They did, however, have a McDonalds, KFC, Dairy Queen, and Pizza Hut which gave us a little taste of home. By the end of the trip, MOST of us were pros at using chopsticks.
In addition to touring, shopping, and eating we also got a chance to tour two different schools in order to compare our education system with theirs. The first school we toured was fairly new. They had very small classes with up to date technology and were quickly advancing. The second school we toured was the Western Academy of Beijing, which was absolutely AMAZING! It was a one-to-one school, meaning all the students had an iMac. It looked like it was based on more of a college type feel rather than a middle/high school feel. There were cafes and restaurants everywhere you turned. The students could also go and sit in the lounge area during class if they needed to study. Compared to our classes and general school environment, their's was so much different. Their music and theater departments were awesome. They were also training 5th graders all the way up to 12th graders in broadcasting. They had a screen out on the soccer field to record games and it was run strictly by the students. We found this pretty amazing because the students were learning a huge thing at such a young age, and they needed no help to do it. Looking at our school compared to the ones in Beijing, we saw alot of differences. Their schools were alot more advanced in technology as well as the general surrounding atmosphere. Although this school seemed like a utopia for us as students, I am very happy to be a part of Westwood. Even if we don't have the greatest technology there is out there, I feel like we have one of the best educational curriculums around. I am very thankful that I was given this amazing opportunity. Many people think that it was just a vacation for us, but in fact it was an educational experience in which we put alot of effort into. During the conference we brainstormed, created, and pitched in groups of people from different countries. It was well worth all the hard work because we got to form relationships with people from all over the globe. Upon getting to know them, we also learned what it was like where they were from and alot about their culture. Through all of this, we had a very educational experience. I'm looking forward to sharing what I learned with other students as well as the community. Any person, if given the opportunity, should take advantage of travelling to another country and experiencing the culture because it gives you a whole new perspective on the world. Thank you Mrs. Vicki and the Westwood faculty for providing us with this amazing opportunity and making this trip possible!

CHINA BOUND!

2011-02-17T09:08:00.001-08:00

Okay, so this is my first time leaving the United States, but have no fear! We are off to the unknown!! Okay so maybe it's not completely unknown, considering we know quite a bit about it already, but my ocular experience of China is pretty much below zero with the exception of what I have found via Google. Our caravan Camilla folk will be making our exit this coming Friday, the 18th at a very early time of 4:30 in the AM (which I'm just jumping for joy about). Oh! Don't let me forget to mention the 12 hour plane ride we get the joy of being a part of not too long afterwards. Yet, I have officially turned my frown (if there ever was one) upside down! This will be a whole new experience for everyone going on this adventure. Here is what I know: China women don't appreciate jeans, tennis shoes, and bright colors (which limits my attire to pajamas), but they do like SPARKLES! Still smiling! I have also heard that it is supposed to be very cold and luckily I just LOVE cold weather (sarcasm) but hey I'm still smiling. On the upside though, we get to meet students from across the world which I am VERY excited about! I love meeting new people and learning about their cultures and dichotomy in life as to ours. I am also eager to see the sights in China, such as the Great Wall, which is a world wonder! Not many people can say they've ever been to China and not too long from now I will get to cross my name off of that list! All in all, it will be a very exciting learning experience for all of us.

Pre-China Blogpost

2011-02-16T05:27:00.001-08:00

I am very excited about to going to China. I think that when we get to China, after the sixteen hour flight, that we will learn many different things about Chinese culture. We will get to see what they wear, what they eat, and many other things that they do in their day to day life. I am also ready to go on the many tours that we are going to take in China. I am very interested in going to see Tiananmen Square, the acrobatic show, and the Temple of Heaven (right). I am looking forward to visiting the Chinese markets and seeing what they have to offer. I think that collaborating with people from all around the world at the conference is going to be a great learning experience for everyone that is going. I hope that everyone that comes to the conference will have a great time. I hope to learn many things while I am over there and maybe pick up on some of the Chinese language.

preproject blogpost

2011-02-16T05:27:00.000-08:00

I am excited about going to china. I think this could be a valuable learning experience and it is a chance to get a view of life outside the United States. I am glad I have the opportunity to view a few wonders of the world, such as the Great Wall of China(right) and the Forbidden City. I also look forward to buying Chinese goods in the markets. I think it might be difficult for me though, because I do not speak Chinese though. I hope to pick up some terms and a basic understanding of the language during my time in china. This trip will be good for me, as I have the chance to experience another culture and learn about new technologies.

China Reflective Blog

2011-02-16T05:23:00.000-08:00

I am looking forward to going to Beijing, China on Friday. I'm very excited about collaborating with children from other countries, and making new friends. I am also ready to go on the tours. I have never been out of the United States before, so this is going to be an adventure! The tour I am most excited about is the Great Wall of China. Also, I am looking forward to going to eat at some of the nice oriental restaurants in China. Those are just some of them. I am looking forward to all of the trip. I can not wait to go, and make friends from other places. This is going to be an amazing trip, and a wonderful experience.

My Life B.B. (Before Beijing)

2011-02-15T12:05:00.000-08:00

The Great Wall of China

Tianamen Square
(Entrance to the Forbidden City)

Lama Temple

Needless to say, I am very excited about my and my classmate's trip to Beijing, China on this upcoming Friday. I am so excited to see the Great Wall and visit the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City housed Emperors and government officials from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty and now is the home of the Palace Museum. I am also very excited to see the Lama Temple and Tianamen Square, where many people laid down there lives for what they believed in. More than visiting the sites, I am interested in being able to experience another culture. From the food, a kung fu show, shopping in Chinese markets, and attending a Chinese opera show, this ten day trip is almost guaranteed to show me aspects of a culture completely different from my own. B.B. has been a lot of trouble for all involved (joining wiki's, coordinating skypes, finding air plane tickets, tour prices) and, let us not forget the sacrifices my parents made to let me attend this conference, but I am sure that it will all be worth it when I return on the 27th. I am looking forward to it!

Pre China Reflection

2011-02-15T10:11:00.000-08:00

Last year, going to India was an amazing opportunity for me. It was a chance to see new things, try foods, and of course learn. Learning from this trip made me anxious to go this year as well. Traveling to a different country is very much an eye opener. It puts you out of your comfort zone and forces you to learn day-to-day life skills. I view this trip not as a chance to get out of school, but a chance to learn. Yes, we do a lot of sight-seeing, but once the conference starts, it's a lot of hard work. There is little free time and the trip itself is very exhausting. I have already learned some things about China that I wasn't aware of before. We were told not to wear blue jeans because the Chinese look down on people who do. We were also advised to wear dark colors to be careful not to draw too much attention to ourselves. The Chinese women also like sequins and sparkles, which we can wear to the opera. The things I have learned about China so far have been interesting, even though it's only been related to dress. Although we may not understand some of these customs, we are advised to abide by them in respect to their country. I'm very exciting about leaving this Friday and can't wait to view the sites and experience the country. I hope we can accumulate much information to relay back to the people at home in order to make this project a school wide event. I'm very eager to learn as much as I can and to share my knowledge with those who won't get a chance at the first-hand experience.

This is the pearl market in Beijing, where we will have a chance to shop.

The Great Wall of China is another tourist site that we will visit.

Post India Trip!

2010-03-10T16:50:00.000-08:00

Thankfully, we had a safe trip back from India. The traveling was definitely the worst part of it all. Even though it had its pros and cons, it was a great experience, and I don't regret it for anything. We toured the first three days and then the conference started. We had to make an invention to present that was a way to improve education through the world of technology. It was very stressful because we only had a few hours to do it, and in Mrs. Vicki's class we usually have a week. The last day we went to a school for underprivelaged children. This trip was made so we could try and incorporate it in our project. Personally, this was my favorite part of the trip because the children's faces lit up when they saw us. We got to play with them for about an hour, and see how their school system worked. We are greatly blessed in America! Their recess area was dirt. When comparing where we live to where they live, I definitely learned to appreciate everything I have that much more. I had heard how bad the conditions were over there, but I didn't actually realize how true it was until we actually saw it: the smell, the trash, the pollution. the poverty, and the over-populated cities. Aside from this, we experienced good things as well. The first three days we got to see some beautiful buildings of the city. We saw 2 temples, Ghandi's residence, the Gateway of India, Ju-Ju Beach, and Elefanta Island. We also had the opportunity to buy many things along the way for very reasonable prices. After the conference started, we stayed with host families. Mine and Jordan's were Australian and they had two cute little girls. Their home was very nice and welcoming. We had a great time with them getting to know them and learning more about India, as well as Australia. I hope that we will keep in touch with them, and we cannot thank them enough for their hospitality. Another thing that caught my attention was the traffic and the driving. They drive on the opposite side of the road for us, and the driver's seat is on the right. They also do not have lanes; they just weave in and out. When they go to pass each other they just beep the horn. It's crazy! I think you either have to be a really good driver or a really bad driver to be able to drive in that sort of environment. It was an eye opener because it is nothing like what we are used to!
The food was also very different over there. They had a McDonald's and KFC, but instead of beef they use lamb. Needless to say...we did not eat at either of the two places. We ate out only three times in the city. In India, they put cury in everything. This is a different tasting Indian spice. We had a meal pre-ordered for us and everything was with cury. The other two restaurants were continental so they were pretty much compatible with our tastes. The other meals we received were either prepared by the hotel or the host families. The food, surprisingly, did not bother me as much as I thought it would since I am a very picky eater. I really liked most of the things I tried. Overall, this was an amazing experience. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to travel across the world. I definitely would recommend if any student has the chance to go to take it because it is a once in a lifetime experience. If this trip would not have been school related, I probably would never have gone to India in my life, but I learned so many things and have memories that will last forever!

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2010-03-07T18:52:00.001-08:00

The trip to India was a wonderful experience for me. It took us over 15 hours to get there, but once there it was all worth it. The hotel that we stayed at was very nice with very tight security. One of the things I noticed right away was the entire run down areas and poverty stricken places. You would see a nice building on one side with a rundown building on the other side. I can’t imagine what it would be like to grow up in those conditions; it really makes you appreciate the things that you have. One of the main differences I noticed while visiting was how they drive in India, there are no lanes to drive in, and it’s just a free for all they do not even care if their cars get banged up. When we were on our way to the hotel from the airport we saw a taxi flipped over on its side. No wonder the host families we stayed in had their own personal drivers.
While visiting Mumbai I learned a great deal about other people’s cultures, different technology and different ways of thinking. One of the things I enjoyed the most was living with my host family. I was able to realize that halfway around the world teenagers are not so different after all. They dress the same, socialize in the same ways, hangout with friends and listen to the same music just as we would in America. It was really interesting to see how they live and interact as a family as well. They have live in servants, chefs and drivers. I only saw Ishan’s Mom one time while we were visiting; the servants do everything for their families. This was very different than my family. The food that we ate while visiting was very different than what I was used to. Over there many people are vegetarian therefore many of the restaurants would have vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals. At first I will admit I was not that big of a fan of their meals but as the days passed it seemed to grow on me, although I was glad to be home and have some mashed potatoes and red meat.
The conference was one of the high points of the trip. When the conference began I was thinking to myself “wow three days of work this is not going to be much fun”, I was definitely mistaken. It was so cool to meet so many new people from numerous parts of the world. Many people I met shared the same interests as I did, it was really interesting to share favorite songs with them, and they even liked techno. At the conference we split into groups. My group was Hikaru, Jane, and myself. The idea was that each group would come up with various ways to help other people. Our idea was to show how technology could be implemented in the classroom and the advantages it could have if everyone was able to have a laptop. Unfortunately our idea was not selected as one of the top three.
When the conference was over I was excited and sad all at the same time. I had gained so much from this trip and have such wonderful memories. Although it was lots of fun I was happy to be going home to see my family and friends and start my normal life over again.

Thank you Mrs. Betty and Mrs. Vicki for taking me on this trip, it changed my life!

Daniel's Post Trip Blog

2010-03-06T13:30:00.000-08:00

The India trip is something I will never forget! The different lifestyles that I was exposed to and the great people I met changed how I view the world. The second I arrived in India, the hospitality was amazing and everybody had a smile on their face. It hit me, when we were touring the less fortunate areas of Mumbai, that my little problems are nothing compared to the starvation and the lack of hope of these people. The food over in India was very different from that back in the U.S. Since I always like to try new things, it was a new experience for me. Some of the food was actually good. The places we toured were very amazing from the architecture all the way to the exotic flowers everywhere. When it was time to attend the conference, my thoughts about it were mixed. I got there thinking it was going to be nothing but work, however it turned out to be the funnest part of the trip. The different people I met were amazing! I worked with other people from countries such as the UK, China, Korea, India, and various parts of the U.S. They were all very nice. Everybody had a different point of view on things which was interesting to hear about. The video that my group created made me really think about the aspect of students becoming the teachers in the classroom. The Flatclassroom conference taught me that students could come up with solutions to help improve education. All in all, I came home with a new view on life and an ambition to do something to help the less fortunate people back over in India.

Will's Post-Trip Post :)

2010-03-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

This trip to India was AMAZING! I would go back in a heartbeat!
We had lots of fun sightseeing.

On Monday we went to an Islamic Mosque, where Muslims go to pray and
worship, although a few people in our group were not allowed in the mosque
because they were wearing shorts, the Islamic faith has a very strict
dress code and if tourists are not dressed properly they are not allowed in to
see the mosque. The mosque is a very old building that was built hundreds of
years ago on a jetty that juts out into the Arabian Sea.
After that we went to a Jain Temple. The Jains are a group of Hindus that
are unlike most Indian Hindus today. The Jains never beg for money (They
feel that their gods will provide for them in their own ways), and the
Jains that have money give most of it to provide for the temple, they only buy what they need, not what they want. The temple was very beautiful, with many
statues of gods and elephants.
Then we went to Gandhi's house where he lived when he traveled to Mumbai.
The house is now a museum that has many pictures and exhibits on Gandhi and the work that he did while he was in India.
After Gandhi's house we traveled all the way back through the city to Juhu
Beach, Mumbai's biggest and most visited beach. We had an authentic Indian
meal of chicken masala, dal, and naan bread, and the best chocolate ice
cream i have ever tasted for dessert.
And finally we traveled back to the hotel. We were all so tired we all
went straight to bed and slept for about 10 hours!
But that was only the first day!

On Tuesday we took a ferry across Mumbai bay to Elephanta Island. This was
my favorite place so far! They ancient temple was very beautiful. The
temple was cut right out of the stone cliffs in the center of the island. Shiva
was the Hindu god that was worshiped in this temple, there are many murals,
rock cuttings,and statues depicting Shiva and some other gods as well. On this
island, monkeys can roam free almost everywhere. I have never seen so many
monkeys in one place in my entire life!
When we got back from Elephanta Island we shopped for the rest of the
afternoon. and returned to the hotel even more tired than we were on
Monday!

Wednesday was the first day of the conference. But today was also the day that i got sick! I think i got because i took my doxycycline on an empty stomach! i missed the tour of Mumbai with the other students, but kaycie said i didnt miss anything, except another chance to shop. That night we stayed with our host families, Ishan was our host student, he is pretty cool. He lives with his mom and their two servants. Their house is pent house on the first floor with a big terrace veranda and a view of the sea. that night i slept like a dead baby because my medicine that i was taking made me so tired!

On Thursday, i met my teammates in my group for the Flat Classroom project. Beatrice was from Korea Intl. School, Jeongmin was from Beijing (BISS), and Arjun from ASB. We had 3 virtual participants, Riki from Japan, Nancy from Madrid, and some girl from Germany. Our project was IMPACT, Inspirational Museum Promoting Arts by Children through Technology. I think we had the best idea, and the most votes for our pitch.

Friday was just another work day, we worked on our project all day and gave our pitch and moved on to the next round with Like-Write and AHA! teams.

Saturday was the bad day. we advanced to the next round and the finals and had to create a video about our project. we worked really hard until about 1:30 when all of a sudden... ALL of our work was gone!!! we dont know how it happened but it did so we were pretty mad! so we had to work really hard and almost didnt make the deadline! Our video wasnt as good as we wanted it to be but Beatrice is working on a revised version of it so maybe we can get more votes and possibly win and get our project made into a reality!!! maybe...

That night was the night we left for home. Our flight left at about 12:00 midnight from Mumbai and then we took a 15 hour plane ride back to Newark and then we returned home! the first thing i did when i got back to Camilla was go to McDonald's and get Big Mac!!! it was SOOOOO good. then i went home , took a shower, and then slept for about 12 hours!!

This trip to India was a once-in-a-lifetime trip and i enjoyed it very much! I learned alot about technology and education. Next year i plan to go to Beijing for the next conference! i hope to see all my new friends there next year!!

Thank you mrs. vicki and mrs. betty for taking me on this trip!!! I LOVED IT!!

Post-trip blog

2010-03-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

Our trip to India was very interesting. The flight over was around seventeen hours long, total. When we got to India, we were taken to a hotel where I realized just how large of a contrast there is between the living standards of the rich and the living standards of the poor. Here we were staying in a beautiful and luxurious, and right outside we could see the small dank houses of the impoverished. A drastic distinction between the wealthy and the poor was apparent. While I was in India, I learned how to bargain, I learned about the Hindu religion, and I learned much about the Indian culture. The traffic was outrageous and helped me to appreciate our traffic system and the value of patience much more. The cuisine was quite peculiar. In some places, it was entirely vegetarian. In other places, it was not vegetarian. In some places it did not seem vegetarian, but in actuality, the meat was stuffed with vegetables. We saw many interesting land marks, such as The Gateway to India, Elephanta Island, and an Islam mosque. The Islam mosque was very interesting because of its rules and regulations. I was not allowed to wear my shoes into it. Tayler and Ethan had to wait outside of it because in order to get in, you have to wear pants. They had on shorts. An interesting side note to me was that all of the citizens and tour guides claimed that there was little risk of danger in Mumbaii because all of the inhabitants were happy. Yet there seemed to be max security everywhere I went. Perhaps this security was just a formality to put the minds of the paranoid at ease. My host family was very hospitable and I really enjoyed their company. They had two live-in servants and a driver. This was very interesting for me, because I’ve never been anywhere that had a live-in servant before. We stayed with an ASB student named Ishan and his mother. He was a very generous host and taught us much about the Indian culture. We accomplished much during the flatclassroom conference. We prepared a presentation in about two days. My group’s project was about worldwide collaboration of literature. We did a short skit about how worldwide collaboration on a literature project can help to expand a student’s mind after hearing an opinion from another culture. Then we did another project which became one big presentation. My part of the presentation was to participate in a skit that represented the difference between a traditional narrow-minded teacher and a more tech-savvy teacher that uses Web 2.0 tools to teach students. Needless to say, the tech-savvy teacher has more of an impact on his or her students. We also attended a meeting in which we learned about new technology and methods of teaching. It was all very interesting and productive. I hope that more students will get the chance to experience what I have experienced this past week. This project is certainly an effective way to enlighten students and make the world more "flat."

India!

2010-03-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

India was such a great experience! It was so fun to be able to travel to such an interesting place! This is the second time that I have had to opportunity to travel to the flat classroom conference, and it was definitely worth the 15 hour flight from Newark to Mumbai. I could tell an immediate difference when we got off of the plane at the Bombay airport. Obviously, the people looked much different, and it didn't smell much like America did, and that's all I'm going to say about that. When we left the airport, we went straight out onto the interstate with our cab driver. It was so cool how everyone weaved in and out of the other traffic, not really heading that there were even lanes on the road. The hotel that we stayed at was very nice, and one of the nicest in India. I was a bit nervous whenever we had to leave the comfort of staying at a 5 star hotel to stay at a host family's home, but it turned out to be great. The family that Daniel and I stayed with had two personal drivers, four at-hand servants, and two chefs. That alone was great, since the chefs prepared eggs and chocolate pancakes every morning for Daniel and me. That was sweet. The conference was very fun too, and I enjoyed meeting people from other countries. In my group, there was a girl from Korea and a boy from India. Also on my team was a man from Oman, and a guy from Germany. My group's project made it too the top 3, and it is now available to be voted on.

The Student Conference

2010-02-26T02:05:00.000-08:00

The conference is going amazingly well, in just a few minutes, the kids are going to be presenting to the conference. For more information, see this blog post.

Find more photos like this on Flat Classroom Conference

Indian Voyage

2010-02-24T08:53:00.000-08:00

Hello, I am in India at the moment learning all about these exotic things and I'm going to tell you about a few. Well, it all started right off the bat when we got into the car. I was put into a whole another world of chaos on the roads. Surprisingly the people don't have wrecks even though they have no restrictions. They mainly drive by the rule of I won't hit you if you wont hit me .

The Indian cuisine is very exotic in that it is different from the regular type of food we are used to eating. We ate a traditional Indian meal our second night in India, which consisted of boiled lemon chicken, flat bread, and spicy marinated chicken.

We woke up the next day and got to see the Gate Way to India which is a gorgeous monument next to the Taj Hotel. We rode on the local ferry for an hour before getting to the Island Elephanta. The island is solely tourist based and gets water from the top of mountain from the rain. We got to bargain with the natives for items for loved ones and got to see Sheba's temple with all the stone engravings .

We visited the house of Ghandi's cousin where Ghandi lived for at least 5 years. We have done so many things in India and we have gained a different prospective of life outside of America .

India Trip

2010-02-24T06:57:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. I am here in India, and this is a great experience. We have done and seen so much. It is much different from everything I am used to in south Georgia. I have enjoyed my time here so far, and I am looking forward to the conference that starts tomorrow. I am anxious because I'm not quite sure what to expect, but excited at the same time. I think it should be fun. We have been touring the past three days, and the city is so different. There are a ton of people here, and they have been welcoming for the most part. The first day we went to an Islamic temple and a Hindu temple. Both of those places were interesting to see because at the Islamic temple so many people were coming giving gifts and visiting the temple. At the Hindu temple they were actually having a church service of some sort, and that was cool to see. On that day we also went to the place where Ghandi would stay when he came to the city. It was once his friends house, but now it is a huge museum dedicated to him, and that was one of my favorite parts. Yesterday we went to Elephanta Island and the Gateway of India. That was fun because we took a one hour boat ride there, and it was like a island out in the middle of the ocean. It was really pretty because there was a lot of trees and nature, it has been preserved and no buildings have been built on it. My favorite part about it were the monkeys that were running around. The monument on the island was really interesting because it was one piece of stone that they formed all the sculptures from, using only a pick and a hammer. That was neat to know. After visiting the island we went around the town and shopped for a while, and did the same thing today. We also rode on the tour bus and our guide told us a lot about the history of Mumbai. Here in India the food is unlike anything I've ever tasted. It is very different from the food I normally eat. It was interesting to try out the different types of food they have. Tonight is our first night at our host family's home. I love it here, the Sullivan's are my host family and they are so nice.