Final Report--Professional Development Day-August 16, 2010

On Monday, August 16, 2010, the first professional development day of the 2011 school year, I was delighted to continue with our Global Connections Program with our new Thailand component. My presentation covered the highlights of the summer 2010 Thailand Teacher and Principal Exchange Program, the lessons I learned, and my suggestions for direct applications to continue the collaboration during the school year. My goal was to show how the school and community will continue to benefit from my participation in the exchange program.

The highlight of my presentation was the use of this blog, created during my summer trip to Thailand. The blog was created to demonstrate the use of Web 2.0 tools to teachers and staff, and the opportunities to integrate the blog into district clasrooms during the first days of the new school year. Learning how to utilize a variety of Web 2.0 tools is a major goal for this school year for both staff and students.

Prior to showcasing my blog, I excitedly shared my experiences by using photographs taken during the visit to Thailand as a vehicle for discussion. The photographs were organized around each day of my visit, which started on July 12 with my arrival in Thailand, and ended on July 22 when I returned to the United States.

Discussions with teachers and staff focused on the differences and similarities betweens schools in the United States and Thailand. I described the panel discussion between administrators and teachers from both countries, and the emphasis on No Child Left Behind and school funding. I also discussed instructional practices and plans to link the schools in Thailand and the Brooklyn district through blogs and artifact boxes to be exchanged in the mail.

My descriptions of schools in Thailand, their academic standards, class size, number of teachers, and student respect for teaching and learning provided excellent comparisons for teachers in the Brooklyn School District. Teachers were fascinated by the Takraw presentation, and the skill required to play what we call volleyball using feet and no hands.

After staff were given an overview of the education system and the culture of Thailand through the first phase of our program, staff members were then allowed time to reread and/or read the blog for the first time and to post comments.

Integrating School Improvement Activities in our Thailand initiative:

In an effort to raise student scores, our district is participating in a several grants that require implementation of strategies that support Higher Order Thinking Skills. As part of this initiative, the strategy QAR, Question-Answer Relationships, was selected to assist us with this endeavor. This strategy is based on four types of questions: Right There, Think and Search, Author & Me, and On My Own. As part of the preparation, staff members were given several handouts explaining the question types and key words used to assist them in creating questions that required higher order thinking skills for their students. After practicing the development and getting feedback on their questions, each staff members was to develop 8 questions, using this strategy, from the narrative and pictures used in the Thailand blog, based on their subject area. At the completion of the activity, teachers shared their questions and received peer feedback as well.

Teachers will use these questions with their students during the first week of school. Students will be given time to read the blog on Thailand and post their comments. In the process, the questions will be answered to further promote Global Connections with our students and the people and culture of Thailand.
As Next Steps, classrooms at Lovejoy School will create Artifact Boxes of items depicting the culture and education system of Lovejoy, IL and the United States. We will share our boxes with students in Thailand. Students there will create boxes to be shared as well. This activity will further enhance the understanding and acceptance of different cultures in our world.

Teachers were eager to follow-up on the visit by Thailand Principal Areerat’s visit to the United States last spring. Student and teachers began their exploration of education and culture in Thailand during her visit, and prepared Power Point presentations, bulletin boards, dramatic presentations, dances, and a community reception, to name a few of the activities. My visit to Thailand in the summer of 2010 will allow teachers and students to continue their collaboration throughout the 2010-2011 school year.

The Brooklyn community has benefited from the exchange program. The community can aspire to meet the expectations of schools in Thailand, including the need to develop learners as quality citizens and good people that are self-reliant and perform at capacity. Schools in Brooklyn can become holistic and integrated in learning in economic, social, religious and political cultures. The Brooklyn community can emulate Thailand and, while committed to traditional values, still provide a dynamic educational environment that helps students develop a capacity for learning and personal growth that will last a lifetime.

I would like to thank the staff at American Councils for International Education for all their work in administering the 2010 Thailand Teacher and Principal Exchange Program. Their time and effort has certainly provided a life changing educational experience for me that I hope to be able to share with my learning community in the Lovejoy Schools in the Brooklyn School District as well as with the other local partner schools in the Granite City, Madison, Venice School Districtswho assisted in the April hosting experience.

Acknowledgement: The Educational Seminars Program is Sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, and is administered by American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS. ECA and American Councils are not responsiable for the views expressed herein.

Thailand-July 22, 2010

Today was my visit to the last school on my itinerary. We traveled to Nawamintrachinutis Satriwitthaya 2 School ( secondary school ).

Nawamintrachinutis Satriwitthaya 2 School is a large Government Secondary school of approximately 2,600 students, situated in the northern suburbs of Bangkok about 50 kilometres from the city centre. Eighty percent of the students are Buddhist, twenty percent are Muslim. The school consists of two well-maintained brick core buildings with the panoramic views of the rice field all around the school’s area. The school started 17 years ago on the special occasion of the Queen’s Birthday. The name of the school “Nawamintrachinutis” was given by the Queen. Nawamintrachinutis Satriwitthaya 2 School provides both girls and boys with substantial educational opportunities. As an academic school with the commitment to excellence, and a commitment to traditional values, the school provides a dynamic educational environment, which helps the students to develop a capacity for learning and personal growth that will last a lifetime.
( www.nmrsw2.ac.th )

The administration, staff, and students were very gracious. They took me on a very informational building tour and hosted a luncheon for me which included performances of traditional Thai music and dancing.

This school as did others, had very impressive technology. During our initial welcome session, I was able to actually show my blog using a large flat screen monitor connected to the Internet. We discussed our continued collaboration using Web 2.0! The possibilities continue to excite me!

Thailand--July 21, 2010

Today I visited Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) School. It is a large secondary school under the supervision of the General Education Department of the Ministry of Education.
The school was founded in honor of Lord Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni), the Civil Prime Minister and Supreme Military Commander during the reign of King Rama III. Khunying Nakorn Ratchaseni, a descendent of Lord Bodindecha, donated the land for the purpose of building a school. In 1971, the school was given Royal Permission to use the “ Prakiew ” or Prince ‘s coronet as the symbol of the school. The school’s motto, “Bodindecha students are well-behaved and well-informed” aims at producing students who are virtuous, happy and prepared to be an active part of society.
School Vision:
Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) School offers a professionally managed, educational environment, designed to foster the following:
- academic achievement
- high moral standards
- achievement of international recognized standards
- initiative and leadership quality
- the preservation of Thai culture
- community awareness and involvement
- high quality of life
School Mission:
1. To manage and administer the school with maximum efficiency and to the highest standards.
2. To pursue our vision vigorously at all time.
3. To build a strong parents network to support the school

I then visited Prayaprasertsuntarasai ( Krajang Singhaseni ) School ( primary school )
The school is intended to achieve the following key expectations (as translated from Thai):
1. Learners are developed as quality citizens which mean to become good people and good in learning. Living valuable lives happily is based on the right Thai way in the new context. High-level capacity, technology and communicating are to be self-reliant and performance capacity.
2. Schools become standard schools and pass Thailand Quality Award (TQA). Holistic and integrated learning in economic, social, religious and political culture is for sustainable development.

3. School curriculums, programs and learning process focus on the differences of learners potentially. Teaching materials, innovation, appropriate information communication and technology are applied usefully in the up to date world.
4. School principal, teachers, supervisors and educators are trained by various, appropriate methods continually in order enhance their own knowledge and effective working as well as to maintain satisfaction and commitment towards teaching career.
5. School associated network management deals with develops other local areas, regions, country, and between countries network supports. Getting supported from other institutions and organizations, and working as a learning center is to develop people’s knowledge.
Tel : ( 662 ) 539 - 8197 ( http://www.prayaprasert.org/ )
How do you think the vision, mission, and key expectations of theses Thai Schools compare to ours?

July 20, 2010 continued

After the school visits, we went sight seeing at the Ayotthaya Floating Market
( www.ayothayafloatingmarket.com ) Then to my delight, I was given the opportunity to ride an elephant, which I was told would only take about 10 minutes—long enough for a few good pictures. To my surprise and everyone else’s, the elephant driver decided to take me on a 45 minute journey into the historical temples. I got a little concerned since I had given my cell phone to Sorn and I didn’t know where we were going. The ride was fantastic though! I saw many other native elephant riders (without passengers) and their elephants along with some wild pigs and wild dogs! It was quite exciting, but I was glad when my driver finally brought me back!

Thailand-July 20, 2010 (continued)

In the afternoon of July 20, 2010, we traveled to the Ayutthaya Province to visit Jirasartwitthaya School (the famous private school in Phra NakornSri Ayutthaya Province) ( http://www.jirasart.com/ )This is a prívate elementary school. We received a warm welcome and were escorted by student guides throughout the building. It is quite evident that this school provides and excellent academic and extracurricular program to its students. In addition to the very impressive Director and her Thai staff, I was introduced to two foreign teachers (native speaking teachers of English) with whom I hope to be able to collaborate on student projects via the internet. Teacher “Bird” seemed to be interesed in getting a cooperative project moving! I am looking forward to getting email from him. To be continued……more adventures to come this afternoon!

Thailand-July 20, 2010

Today I visited Suankularb Wittayalai School ( Rose Gaden School )( secondary school ). This school is where Sorn worked as a teacher. She said that she loved her time here very much! Suankularb Wittayalai School is the most famous all boys’ school in Thailand. "SUANKULARB" means "rose garden" in Thai, the original school being located in the area of the rose garden in the Grand Palace. The school was founded by King Rama V in 1882 and was originally established for Royal Page Lieutenants; it has always benefited from Royal patronage. Under the patronage and guidance of King Rama V the school became popular and grew quickly, changing its focus from military training to a much more broadly-based curriculum that reflected the needs of its students. As a result of increasing numbers of students the school was moved from the Grand Palace grounds in 1893 and to its present site in 1910.In 1981 a multi-purpose building and gymnasium was built to commemorate the school's centennial. It was opened by the present King, H.M. King Bhumiphol (Rama IX), on July 30, 1984. A great auditorium was built in 1995 and opened that year H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirintorn. The teaching of science and technology has been a central policy of the school. This is a simply fabulous institution of learning. Many former Priministers of Thailand attended here! I would like to mention that I had a wonderful young man, who is a current student at the school, as my guide. He is so bright that I think that one day he may also be a Priminister of Thailand! I will be posting his picture with some other interesting sites sometime this evening.
( http://www.sk.ac.th )

More to come about my exciting visit to the Jirasartwitthaya School ( the famous private school in Phra Nakorn Sri Ayutthaya Province) (http://www.jirasart.com/ and my other afternoon activities including my observation of the temples on an elephant!

Thailand-July 19, 2010

Today I visited Satri Witthaya School. The Principal, Dr. Kasem Sodngam, is a former Minister of Education. He is a very impressive educational leader.
Satriwitthaya 2 School is a co-ed middle school under the royal patronage of the King’s Mother with the total amount of 80 rai, which is really a large area. So large that one cannot comfortably walk the entire perimeter and the principal has offices in several buildings. There are 5,631 students. You can view more information at the following web site ( http://www.sw2.ac.th/ ). Once again I was treated royally and a reception was held in my honor. A group of students prepared a dynamic power point presentation, which they delivered using excellent conversational English skills. A special traditional Thai dance was performed by students who were not only elegant and artistic but also very beautiful. One of the students is a real movie star!!! This school has received an outstanding academic rating and I can definitely understand why!

Thailand-Sunday, July 18, 2010

Today we spent time visiting Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the adjoining Grand Palace. This site consists of over 100 brightly colored buildings, golden spires and glittering mosaics and dates back to when Bangkok was founded. I felt as if I were lost in time and was in awe of the intricate detail that was used in the construction of the magnificent temple and palace buildings. Many statues and murals tell the story of the Thai culture. The spiritual awareness that one is able to experience while contemplating the view is one of peace with the universe. This site was yet another example of why this country is called “Amazing Thailand.” My special guide today was Natcha (I don’t think that my spelling is correct so please forgive me). Natcha is an IB (International Baccalaureate) student who won a scholarship to a very prestigious school in Norway! I am so lucky that she is home on break and is acting as my interpreter and guide. She has explained many things to me today including helping me on my shopping excursion later in the afternoon at JJ Mall. In addition to looking for special gifts for my family and friends back home, she and other very helpful school staff members allowed me to visit the animal section of the mall where I was able to look at all kinds of animals including teacup Chihuahuas and pet squirrels dressed in hats and coats!

Thailand—Saturday, July 17, 2010

What a joyful weekend I had! On Saturday Morning we left for the beach. Along the way, we were able to view the country side and it was much different from Bangkok. We traveled through rural country side to reach the Prachuapkhirikhan Province. We relaxed by the seaside at the Beach Garden Hotel Cha Am. I walked along the beach and collected many sea shells but I had to be aware of the jelly fish that were in the shallow water and washed upon the shore. There were signs alerting us the dangers of the jelly fish sting !We then journeyed to Plearnwarn, which is a historical place that only the very rich people could come to during their stay at the beach. After visiting many shops there, I had my portrait done and then Sorn and her staff took me to get my hair done! I was given a Thai head massage during the process and it was like heaven! My hair also looked fantastic! In the evening we came back to Bangkok and went to a Western (Cowboy) Style restaurant called Robinson Ratchada. In addition to traditional Thai food, we also had Margaritas and steak! We are going back Monday night to do some county line dancing and maybe drink some more margaritas!

Thailand-July 16, 2010

Today I had the honor of visiting Principal Areerat’s (Sorn) School. The Rattanakosinsomopoch-bangkhen School. I was delighted to have such an overwhelmingly warm welcome! The students greeted me with a beautiful banner that had a special picture of Sorn and me taken when she visited Lovejoy. The school is absolutely amazing. There are 2,355 students and approximately 100 teachers. It is evident from the student performance that Principal Areerat and her staff have dedicated much time to the education of their students. The students are very respectful and very bright. After my presentation about Lovejoy School, a group of students led the tour of the building and spoke excellent conversational English in the process. I visited each department and to my delight, there were pictures of me and Principal Areerat (taken during her visit) decorating many, many bulletin boards. I participated in a question and answer period with a class of English students and once again, was delighted with their obvious academic excellence! I was also taken to the gymnasium to view a Takraw presentation (this is an very breathtaking sport—it consists of three players on each team and can be compared to high powered volleyball played with the feet!). I was surprised by the beautiful reception that was planned in my honor—the decorations were fit for a Princess! Staff had prepared a variety of exotic dishes and students very skillfully performed both traditional Thai music and dance! Today was my best day! I can truly understand why the saying “Amazing Thailand” applies to not only this country but also in particular to this excellent school headed by their outstanding leader, Principal Areerat!

Thailand-July 15, 2010

Today we attended two very prestigeous events for which we received a special engraved invitation. In the morning we attended an Internatonal Symposium on "Caring Leaders across Cultures" In Celebratoin of the 60th Anniversay of the Fulbright Program in Thailand at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was at this event that Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn was presented with a special award and spoke to the audience. Also speaking was Ms. Alina Romanowski, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State. In the evening, we attended a Reception hosted by the U.S. Ambassador to Thailand in Celbration of the Fulbright 60th Anniversary. The event was held at the Dusit Thani Hotel--very high society event! I wore traditional Thai dress! I felt like I was in a scene from a movie!

Thailand, July 14

Today was another great day! The US educators (including me) participated in a "Sharing Seminar between U.S. Administrators from U.S.A. under the Educational Seminar Program, Fulbright Program and Principals, Teachers of the Member of the UNESCO Associated Schools Project (ASPnet)." As a panel, we discussed the "Overview of the US Education System" emphasizing No Child Left Behind (NLCB) and the differences in school funding between the US and Thailand. We then attended a special luncheon in honor of the program and received a token of appreciation for our services. We decided that we would try to form some simple linkages using Web 2.0 tools such as Blogs and also preparing "Artifact Boxes" to be echanged in the mail. We discussed some of the instructional practices that could be used with both Blogs and the "Artifact Boxes." I exchanged contact information with educators from many schools. I would like to begin work on this project when I return to school. We spent the afternoon sightseeing in the city and shopping and that was really fun!We then went to an international restaurant that was located at the top of the Baiyoke Sky Hotel! The view was awesome! Tomorrow we will participate in the 60th Anniversary of the Fulbright in Thailand Program, where HRH (Her Royal Highness) Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will be presenting. We were given special invitations to the this event and attendance is quite an honor!

Thailand-July 13, 2010

Today, I was fitted for a tailored suit--that was quite an experience! Then I gave myself some time to recoup from the flight and organize my luggage--what a luxury! This evening I was taken for dinner by Principal Areerat (Sorn) to the very famous Somboon Seafood Restaurant. The food was quite delicious. I was amazed at how many people were moving about the city--walking, in cars, and riding motorcycles. The city is quite exotic! Many different vendors line the streets with all kinds of things to purchase, especially unusual food items. I am still having a little difficulty with the time change. Tomorrow is a big day with the start of the 60th Year Anniversary Celebration of Fulbright Thailand.

July 12--Arrival in Thailand

July 12--Arrival in Thailand

At the airport, I was given a very warm welcome by Principal Areerat and her staff. They were waiting for me with a special banner and some beautiful flowers. They transported me in a stately looking vehicle to the All Seans Sathorn Hotel. I was really tired, but after a 20 hour flight I was glad to arrive safely and delighted by my welcome and accomodations! I am really looking forward to my adventures here in Thailand!