Day Three

This will be a shorter post as I left my camera in a friend's car :(  We had a great day and the teachers are starting to conceptualize the whole process. The are getting more and more engaged and it is fun to see their personalities emerge from the haze of keeping up with my English! Tomorrow, I will visit a special needs facility, and I am very excited. Double pictures tomorrow, I promise.

Day Two

We had a very productive day today. The teachers are working hard and struggling with their tolerance for ambiguity, because there is a lot of ambiguity going around :)  As we say, many moving parts. I think they are slowly getting the idea of the English Camp next week and their roles in the activities. It is a bit messy now, but they are showing good faith. I am just about over my jet lag, and I had one of those dreams you have during a 5pm "nap" today. Somehow, I was involved in a bank robbery and it was apparent the police were closing in. This dream went on for quite some time. I woke up happy to be in a strange bed halfway across the world!
My digs here are very nice! I have a suite with four rooms and a great air conditioner, even though the weather hasn't been very bad at all.

My work space - The internet signal is very good here

Nice to have a small kitchen

The bathroom is fancier than I expected, and I am still trying to figure out all those knobs on the shower command center

I have a balcony overlooking University Circle here and there is no lack of activity outside

Today started the group work phase of the workshop and it went well:

The groups have named themselves the Challengers, Hope, Peace, Stars, and Sunshine :)

They are beginning to reach out to their mentors and I am looking forward to hearing about the interaction. 

*A few more pics:

Diving Right In

Today was the first day of the teaching workshop. True to form, when it was time to start (9am), I was the only one in the room. Once we figured things out, the teachers were all there and were very energetic. We had the talk about me being an American, and more importantly, a German-American, so they got the time issue straightened out. We had a wonderful day with lots of energy and questions.

Getting started in the morning - They warmed up quickly

Heba, our MVCC star, was in town and decided to come down and help out :)

Alaa, the principal (or mudeera saghera, "little boss") wading right into the sessions

We ended up with 25, a good number for the workshop

Since the workshop is about engaging students, Alaa engaged the teachers :)

Some of the day's take aways for the teachers. Back at in a few hours

I Am Here!

After a few flights, I have arrived in Amman. The business class flights on Turkish Airlines were out of this world! I will do a proper post soon. When I was in Istanbul, I ran into one of my old students from Jordan, Ahmed. He was heading back to Amman for a short vacation from his job in Qatar. That was a nice coincidence, as he was part of the first Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Seminar I did here six years ago.
The flight from Istanbul was short and comfortable. Immigration procedures have improved greatly here and I got to my baggage relatively quickly. Upon leaving the secure area, I was met with a very nice reception committee:

This wasn't the reception committee, but he was a bit skeptical I think

Here is my welcome - As always led by Alaa (Mudeera Saghera) with her uncle Moatisam, his daughter Jocelyn, and Alaa's brother Mohammed

Being Arabs, they had to treat me to dinner even though it was the middle of the night. So of course, we stopped in Abdoun (hipster area) and had a wonderful mixed grille. We got up to Irbid around 3am and I managed to get a few hours sleep before we headed to school to prep for the next day's activities.

I was amazed at the progress of the new school construction. Everything looks great! Tomorrow, we hit the ground running and I will share some more pics of the school and staff :)

First Leg Done

I am in Istanbul waiting for my flight to Amman. Flying in business class was amazing and I got a lot of sleep in the 180 degree bed :)  I should not that I am paying the extra cost for the business class flights out of my own pocket and it is separate from the other expenses we have been using the GoFundMe site for. The lounge here is two or three stories and bigger than the building I work at in Chicago. I would eat, but I had so much on the plane (pictures later), that I am stuffed. I will arrive in Amman at 11:30pm and will get to Irbid sometime around 2am I imagine. Saturday is a planning day so I should be on top of things come Sunday when we begin. I can't wait to get going!

T Minus 1 And Counting

Well, it's down to just under 24 hours until I depart and I have just now begun to think about packing. I don't have a lot of clothes to take, but I do have a lot of materials and resources to cart over there (the benefits of having a lot of generous friends and coworkers :)  In a few minutes I will check in online and it will probably all feel a lot more real than it does now. I do have my head around everything (I think) and I am getting a bit excited. Lots to do tomorrow, but I have a lot of help.

A Nice Surpise

As we continue to prepare for the trip, more and more details are surfacing. Last week, I asked a friend who supervises the bookstore for any giveaways or gifts he could scrounge up. Today, 40 book bags and 40 t-shirts showed up :)  Thank you Kash!

The gifts are being modeled by Christian, Patrick, and Lauren our education specialists who are helping me get things ready on this side

Tentative Schedule

Here is my first stab at a very interesting schedule:

Learning-Centered Teaching Workshop

July 29 – August 1

Schedule:

Sunday, July 29

9-11                 SoTaL Group

                        Overview of SoTaL

                        Role during the workshop

11-11:45          Break

11:45 – 1:45    Both Groups

                        Overview of workshop

                        Assigning group, names, and leaders

                        Assign HW

                        Explain and assign mentors

                        *Leaders meet

Monday, July 30

9-11                 Instruction

                        Lesson Plans

                        Student Engagement

                        Activity Design

11-11:45          Break

11:45-1:45       Groups

                        HW

                        Select scheduled activity for EC

                        Further Topics?

                        *Leaders meet

Tuesday, July 31

9-11                 Instruction

                        Special Needs

                        Physical Disabilities

                        Down Syndrome        

                        Refugees

11-11:45          Break

11:45-1:45       Groups

                        HW

                        Activity Design (Individuals)

                        *Leaders meet

  

Wednesday, August 1

9-11                 Instruction

                        Topic?

11-11:45          Break

11:45-1:45       Groups

                        HW

                        Activity Design

                        *Leaders meet

Thursday, August 2

9-11                 Instruction

                        Topic?

                        Schedule for EC

11-11:45          Break

11:45-1:45       Groups

                        HW

                        Activity Design

                        Assessment Plan/Form

                        *Leaders meet

English Camp

August 5- August 9

Sunday, August 5

9-11                 Teachers:

                        Preparation

                        Evaluation of Workshop

                        Students:

                        Meet with assigned staff members

                        Groups/Names

                        Explain Schedule

11-11:45          Break

11:45-1:45       Activity

                        *Leaders Meet

Monday, August 6

9-11                 Activity

11-11:45          Break

11:45-1:45       Activity

                        *Leaders Meet

Tuesday, August 7

9-11                 Activity

11-11:45          Break

11:45-1:45       Activity

                        *Leaders Meet

Wednesday, August 8

9-11                 All Group Activity

11-1:45            Break

11;45-1:45       Celebration and Certificates

Thursday, August 9

9-11                 Both Groups

                        Debrief and Evaluations

11-11:45          Break

11:45-1:45       SoTaL Only

                        Schedule

                        Instruction (PIAE)

                        HW

Activity Timeframe

30-45 Minutes             Instruction/Explanation

60-75 Minutes             Activity

15       Minutes            Evaluation with teachers and students

Group Schedules

Teachers (30 teachers, 6 per group)                        Students (40 students, 8 per group)

Group 1                                                           Group A

Group 2                                                           Group B

Group 3                                                           Group C

Group 4                                                           Group D

Group 5                                                           Group E

Activity Schedule (Five Activity Sessions)

Activity 1

1-A

2-B

3-C

4-D

5-E

Activity 2

1-B

2-C

3-D

4-E

5-A

Activity 3

1-C

2-D

3-E

4-A

5-B

Activity 4

1-D

2-E

3-A

4-B

5-C

Activity 5

1-E

2-A

3-B

4-C

5-D

Getting Started - The Arar Academy Student-Centered Teaching Workshop and English Camp

Well, the countdown has begun - just over a week until I leave for Irbid. I have a team here that is helping me prepare and another group of people that will serve as mentors once the workshop begins. Patrick, Lauren, and Christian are busy helping me with the design and resources, while numerous faculty, staff, and friends have signed up to be mentors. I am not used to this level of support on these projects! I am very blessed.
Our fundraising campaign is going nicely, due in large part, to very many generous friends and colleagues. We have just about settled on a scope and sequence for the workshop, so we are collecting resources for the teachers and students. We want to build in enough flexibility so that the teachers and students will be able direct some of the activities. There is a really good vibe to all the synergy we are producing.
I am most excited about the possibility of helping the teachers learn to work with students with different needs, and then, helping the students learn to work together. I love going overseas to work with teachers, particularly in Jordan - they are always so receptive, hungry, and passionate about their professions. Spending two weeks thoroughly engaged with them will be fantastic. It is one of the clearest times I feel God's grace.
Tomorrow's task - designing the first few workshop sessions dealing with lesson and activity planning and working with students with different needs. We are still figuring out a lot of the logistics as we will have teacher and student groups that will rotate throughout the four days of the English Camp. The principal is also lining up several visits to local schools and community partners. It will be a very fluid fortnight.
I will be updating this blog daily from this point on. The posts may not be exciting, but feel free to stop by to see how things are going..............

Our GoFundMe Site

On July 26th, I will travel to Irbid, Jordan to help start a new K-12 school a former student of mine is opening this fall. The school is the Arar Academy. I will be there for two weeks working with teachers and students. The first week is a training for the teachers, focusing on how to make their classrooms more interactive and student-centered. Extra emphasis will be placed on issues that impact students with special needs and refugees. During the second week, the teachers will host and English Camp for local students (including special needs students and refugees), where the teachers can practice their new ideas and strategies.

We are asking for financial assistance to help pay for food and refreshments for the two weeks and for teaching supplies. We hope to raise $3,000 for these expenses. In addition, it would be nice to raise another $3,000 to help provide scholarships for students. None of this money will go towards my expenses as they are covered by Moraine Valley Community College, the Arar Academy, and my own pocket :)

Here is a note from the school's principal:

As a member of Arar Academy School (AAS) family, allow me to extend my warmest greetings and kindest regards to all and welcome you to Arar. I personally feel honored to be part of this school, which I trust will make a big difference. We at AAS believe that a school should be led by set of shared values and beliefs; Education is a covenant between us and the community of Irbid who we set one of our priorities, we are optimistic about our serves and the education we will provide our students. Our mission and vision is to situate our students in the center of learning and create a new generation of responsible individuals. Therefore, our programs are adopted to meet the unique needs and abilities of all our students. Arar invited both the local and the international community to share our mission and vision and we are honored to receive Mr. Michael Morsches from Moraine Valley Community College, Illinois- USA who will be visiting Irbid to lead a two-week training for teachers and students. Mr. Morsches' training is dedicated for teachers and for students with disabilities, Syrian Refugees, Down Syndrome children and other students, the training will be the first of its kind in Irbid and we are excited about it. We do thank Moraine Valley Community College and all the staff for the opportunities they will provide for our teachers and students alike. Hand in hand we can contribute to the goodness of this world, a journey of thousand miles, begins with Arar.

Here is the fundraising site:

https://www.gofundme.com/89wue-arar-academy-english-camp

I will do a blog post here everyday of the training and camp, and we also have an opportunity for folks to serve as online mentors for the teachers as they prepare their activities. In addition, some of the teachers will then go on to a semester-long Scholarship of Teaching and Learning training.

I hope you find this a worthwhile investment! To show my gratitude (and to satisfy my woodworking cravings), I would be glad to offer you some incentives depending on the level of donation you would like to make. I am not selling these crafts, simply showing my appreciation. Here are some of the items that are available:

For a donation of $75 to $199, a shot glass carrier or wine glass carrier. They can be made from oak, cherry, walnut, or zebrawood:

The alcohol and glasses are not included :)

I can ship these to the lower 48

For a donation of $200 to $299, a beer/ barbecue caddy or candle holder. These can be made out of oak, walnut, or maple. The beer/barbecue caddy can have your favorite sports team embedded in the side:

Unfortunately, I cannot ship these

For a donation of $300 to $999, a wine rack. These are made from old whiskey barrel staves and have ebony or wenge rails:

I cannot ship these either

Finally, for a donation of $1,000 or more, an outdoor cedar cooler:

I can deliver these locally

I hope you are as excited about this school project as I am. As always, I appreciate your support for my work!