Sunday Reflections

Today is the last day of our odyssey. Tomorrow will be spent flying 17 hours back to Houston.
It has been twenty-six packed days of learning more about literacy, visiting Australian and Auckland schools, learning about culture, history, and ways to protect the environment, and meeting friendly and helpful people from all over the world.

What do I bring back from this trip?

• learning strategies to help my lessons become more relevant and me a better teacher
• ways to conserve energy and the environment
• knowledge and appreciation of 2 countries' history and culture
• over 500 pictures
• hope to make the statement, "I'm not a reading teacher, but I teach reading," a reality at Kempner High School.
• gratitude to Mr. Mooney for informing us about the grant
• hope that my colleagues will apply for a grant next year
• gratitude to Fund for Teachers for allowing me to make this trip of a life time.
  
  
  

Saturday

Saturday was another jammed full day of spectacular sights. I didn't think anything could compare to the rainforest, but I hadn't visited Sydney's Opera House.

In the 1950's drawings were submitted for the opera house, and the construction on the building began in the 1960's. The foundation was actually poured before the plans were finalized. It was finished in 1973 and cost 95 million dollars more that allocated. The people of Sydney paid this off in 2 years through their lottery.

The beauty of this site cannot be described, and it still is a building of the future. It is the second most recognized building in the world. Sorry I don't know what the first building is.

The architect was a perfectionist down to the smallest detail. The beautiful roof tiles are self-cleaning. The materials that make the chairs absorb the sound so that no matter how many people there are in the audience it sounds like the theater is full of people. This was one of the most fascinating hours I have ever spent.

We rode a water taxis to view the harbor which included seeing Sydney's famous Harbor Bridge. We ended the day at one of Darling Harbor's seafood restaurant.

What I have learned from Australian schools

I have learned much from the literacy conference and visiting Australian schools.

• They have dedicated teachers who like their American counterparts are looking for relevant teaching strategies.
• They have less paper work than American teachers-only 4 reports and 2 of them are check lists.
• No numerical grades are given. Reports indicate what standard they have met and whether they met it proficient or advanced. Teachers write comments about students' work.
• Literacy teachers have more opportunities to make curriculum more creative and meaningful since there is no state adopted text.
• Students keep portfolios
• Greater variety of electives
• Writing and reading are more integrated into all of the curriculum
• Half way around the world teachers are still facing the same problems: motivation, relevancy, and test scores.
• Reading is a priority

Sydney

Friday we arrived in Sydney. What a change from the slow pace of Cairns! This is a 24 hour city. After settling in our hotel, we went exploring. Our hotel is located not too far from China town, so our first meal was at a Japanese-Korean restaurant. The food was great.

As I am sitting here writing this, I am in an Asian-run Internet cafe. It feels a little strange being the only American. Although Sydney is a bustling city, I feel safe. We ventured out last night and did not worry about our safety. This is something I would not do in Houston.

Later today we are planning to tour the harbor and explore more of Sydney.

This truly has been a trip of a life time. I have seen so many great places, met wonderful people, and learned more teaching strategies.

Will update blog tomorrow. Off to explore more of Sydney.

Sydney along the Waterfront

Sydney is a beautiful city. Comprised of many tall buildings, you could say its a vertical town, with the same population as Houston. Many buildings are along the waterfront like the ones pictured here at Darling Harbor. Janice and I took a water taxi across the Harbor to the Sydney Opera House. We were so very impressed with this magnificent structure. It took over a decade to build, and was the brainchild of Danish architect Jorn Utzen. He wanted the people to experience the building forgetting about the daily cares and worries. It is truly one of the most interesting sites I have had the pleasure to visit.

Cairns and Green Island

Green island is a 45 minute boat ride from Cairns. There we explored the coral island on a semi-submarine and glass bottom boat. We saw all types of coral and fish.

The day concluded with a trip to Tjapukai. There we learned more about native culture. First, we learned more about the didgeridoo. It takes anywhere from 30 to 40 hours to make. Also, we learned the history of the boomerang. Next, we were involved in a ceremony to create fire. The night concluded with an international buffet and native dancing.

We were able to see many amazing things while we were in Cairnes. We were on the go all of the time. Friday we headed for Sydney.

Cairns and the World Heritage Rainforest

Words cannot describe the beauty of the rainforest. Our day began with a train ride to Kuranda where we were treated to lunch and had time to view native crafts and handwork. Next, we saw native dancing. After a brief demonstration, we tried to throw a boomerang ourselves. There is an art to this. You throw it at 1 o'clock if your right handed and 11 o'clock if you are are left handed. Needless to say, animals would not have to worry about me killing them with a boomerang. Next, we learned how an aboriginal-musical instrument, the didgeridoo, is made and played.

We were treated to an army duck ride through the rainforest. The duck was developed during World War II and has a six wheel drive. The duck travels both on land and in water. It was awesome to be so close to nature. We were instructed to keep our arms in because some of the leaves were extremely poisonous.

For me, the highlight of the day was taking a cable car above the rainforest. At first, it was scary to be so far up in the air. All I can say is the views were amazing. We took many pictures that will be posted soon.

Brooks High School

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Brooks High School. Because of its demographics, it is considered a disadvantage school. Test scores are below the state average.

To enhance students' learning and performance, Brooks has introduced 3 new programs. The first program is block scheduling where they have grouped English and math in the first block. Secondly, 7th grade teachers have a teacher assistant. When you enter the class, you can't tell who is the teacher and who is the assistant. Both work side by side in planning and helping students. "Catch up" is the last section of the program. Twice a week for 15 minutes low performing students are sent to the "hub" where they spend time working on individual programs on a computer program called Lexius. ( Matt, I hope I'm spelling this correctly.)

Also, they have a wide selections of electives which include: mountain biking, junior computer programs, photography, a variety of cooking classes, and model making.

A big thank you goes to Matt Donaldson who gave us a guide tour of the school and discussed the school's new programs. He also explained a literacy and math project called " the band". The students create their own band. The project incorporates math, writing, design, creativity and interviewing.

At the end of the day, we left with new ideas to add to our "tool boxes".

Cataract George Reserve

Yesterday we visited the Cataract George Reserve. We took a chairlift over what is suppose to be the longest central span in the world. The scenery was breathtaking, and we became buddies with the peacocks that would come to your table looking for food. We were able to get some great pictures!

Last night we went to the Prickly Cactus Restaurant which was suppose to serve Mexican food.
Let's just say that I don't know where they found the recipes because the food was not like our Mexican food!

Odds and Ends

• The average house price in Hobart is $290,000
• No one expects a tip. We found this out Tuesday. We had been tipping everyone.
• Waitresses earn $20.00-$30.00 an hour.
• If possible Tasmanians are more crazy about sports than the United States.
• Last night cricket, rugby, soccer, and football were televised.
• Sweaters are called jumpers.
• Both Hobart and Launceston roll up the streets early.
• Shops close between 4 and 5 PM.
• Their pace of life is slower and less stressful.
  

Old Richmond and the Tasmanian devils

Friday we traveled to Old Richmond and the Bonorong Wildlife Park. Richmond is a quaint town where many of the homes were built by convicts.

At Bonorong Wildlife Park we encountered Tasmanian devils. The guide kept assuring us that they were not dangerous. The ugly animals kept making a fierce, piercing sound and showing their teeth. I wouldn't want to be in the same room with them!

Also, we not only saw kangaroos but were able to feed them. We saw some of the babies in their mother's pouches. Unlike the Tasmanian devils, they were adorable.

Koalas are very shy and cute. Our guide brought one of koalas out of the trees so that we could pet it.

Tomorrow we leave for Launceston. We have enjoyed staying in Hobart and are looking forward to the rest of our trip.

Port Arthur

Thursday we spent the day at Port Arthur which is a notorious prison. This is where England sent its convicts. Men and boys were housed here. Women were housed in Hobart. Two to three thousand convicts were sent here. Punishment for disobeying rules involved whipping with a knotted rope soaked in salt water.

When the whipping no longer worked, a new type of punishment was devised. The prisoners were housed in cells without any light for 23 hours. They had 1 hour of exercise and wore masks to conceal their faces. No talking was allowed by the prisoners or guides. I don't think I would have lasted very long there!

Across the harbor, was the isle of the dead where we heard interesting stories about the men buried there. Even in death, there was a class system. All of the prisoners were buried on the lower side of the island, and officials were buried on the upper side so that they could look down at the prisoners.

Rosetta High

Graham Speight is the principal of Rosetta High which has an enrollment of 610 student in grades 7-10.

It is the first high school in Australia to use "the big picture". It is designed for students in 9th and 10th grade. "It caters for all ability levels and is aimed at providing a different kind of learning for the secondary age." Students select questions to research. They list skills they will need to answer the questions and include work projects and excursions. Three "r's" are stressed in this program: relationship, relevancy, and rigor. Since this program has been initiated suspensions and absences are down. The center of this program is to find what interests the students.

Another learning strategy used is called the lesson cycle. For those of you who like me were teaching in the 1980's, it is similar to Madeline Hunter's lesson cycle. Posters in classrooms indicate the various learning stages: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating..

Like all Australian schools, tenth grade is a crucial grade. This is when students choose either to attend a technical school, become an apprentice, or going on to the 11th and 12th grade to prepare for the university tests.

We enjoyed touring the school and learning about "the big picture" and their literacy cycle. Student were well behaved and teachers friendly and informative.

New Town High School

New Town High School has 800 boys. We started the day with a visit with their principal Darryl Moir who answered many of our questions about the school. The tuition for the school is $450.00 to $500.00 a year plus uniforms. Their school day begins with a 15 minute homeroom. After second period, they have a 20 minute recess. After fourth period, they have a 45 minute lunch. The day ends after 5th period. Sports are outside of the school day. Students bring their lunches because there is no cafeteria.

We observed a 9th grade English class which was set up much like the classes at Kempner except there were windows on two walls of the room. The class first did some journaling. Next, the teacher distributed a new novel and began asking questions about the cover. From there, they began making predictions about the novel. At the end of class, the students wrote the answers to 2 questions.

Next, we visited a history class in the library where the students were researching different topics. Some students were on computers and other students were watching a DVD. The students showed us some of their projects on Captain Cook. We saw power points and my face book pages that the they had created.

Overall, the students were well behaved, and the teachers were friendly and eager to share ideas with us. I was even given a Tasmanian curriculum guide. Jill Alexander suggested that we visit Rosette High School to see their lesson cycle and "big picture" curriculum. That's the next school to visit.

Our Hotel Room

Tasmanians conserve not only their water but also their electricity. In our room, we have 2 overhead lights which are probably 40 watts each. Then we have 2 lamps with 15 watts each. It makes the room rather dark and somewhat depressing.

Our electric blankets are next to the mattress not on top of the sheets. There is no central heat, and the halls are cold.

On the plus side, the room is not expensive and breakfast is included in the price. We have found out what a traditional single is. It means 1 double bed and 1 single bed.

Out hotel has a great location, right across from the harbor and walking distance to the Internet cafe. We have found that Tasmanians are very friendly people.

Today we are going to visit another high school that we are told is very progressive.

Conference Overview

All of the workshops were great! The speakers were excellent, and we were given the opportunity to speak to many Australian teachers. We loved tea time which was at 10:30 and 3:00.

I added many reading strategies to my "tool box". The one workshop that impressed me the most was called STEP. This is a program that provides in-services to all teachers and teaches them reading strategies. The quote that I came away from this workshop with was "I am not a reading teacher, but I do teach reading."

After the workshop, I talked to the presenters who gave me a report that was from a Southern Association of governors which Texas is a member. The report emphasized that "reading must" become the number 1 priority in all schools. If students' reading levels are improved, than their grades will improve.

Salamanca Market and Drifters Internet Cafe

On Saturday we took a ferry to Salamanca market from the conference center to Hobart, Tasmania. Salamanca is an open-air flee market lined by shops that were built in the 1800's. Patrick from Drifters' Internet Cafe was wonderful. By the way Errol Flynn was from Tasmania. I was amused to see a Peruvian Pipe Band at the market. Some of the members look like locals to me.

Governor's Mansion

Paula and I had the opportunity to visit the governor's mansion. Unfortunately, we forgot to bring our cameras. As you walk in, you feel that you have taken a step back into time. The chandeliers, the furniture, and pictures were gorgeous. The size of the mansion was unbelievable.

Three hundred of the 1,200 delegates to the conference were at the cocktail party where we were treated to Tasmania's finest wines.

Opening Day of Conference

Paula and I thought it was very ironic that the speakers were both from the "states".

Today we had the chance to speak to several Australian teachers. We found out the following:

• There are 3 types of schools- public, Catholic, and private.
• Parents pay a tuition for their children to attend the schools. The tuition can be between $400.00 to $15,000 a year. This does not include uniforms.
• There are no state approved textbooks. Teachers select the literature that fits the needs of their students.
• Australia has now adopted a standardized national test. Many educators feel that this might be a step backwards.
• Australia has dropped from the 7th most literate country to 8th. Teachers feel that this happened because they are not challenging the brighter students enough. Does this sound familiar?
• Australia is in the process of developing a national curriculum.

Arrival in Hobart, Tasmania

We haven't been able to get to the blog lately because we have been so busy! July 7th meant spending 7 hours in Sydney's airport. The worse part was getting through customs! It took us between 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours. It was unbelievable how long the lines were! To make matters worse, our debit cards would not work. It seems that Master Card had blocked all of Australia. The next day it took about 5 minutes to unblock our cards. The blocking issue did not make much sense to us.

Our hotel room had a beautiful view of Hobart's harbor and the mountains that surround it. As soon as we were in the room, we collapsed.

English Language School Site Visit: Academic Colleges Group

A special thanks to School Director, Phillip Morris, who showed us around the campus and even let us attend an new student orientation. The private college offers English Language Instruction to foreign nationals. Many of the students are Asian and come as early as 14 years of age. Students under 18 stay in homes of locals. English Language Schools are a big business in New Zealand due to the large number of immigrants from Asia. The government had to step in to regulate the schools, and to regulate the "private home stays" in which the younger students stay. Families are paid an allowance to house students.

This school is very well run and has very high standards. They assess the students frequently using Cambridge assessment to check for progress. We noted that their curriculum was very similar to the one Janice and I have both used teacher ESL at Houston Community College.

Overview of Auckland

We have stayed in a quaint hotel that is super energy efficient. To turn on the electricity, the hotel key must be put in a slot.

The first thing we learned was not to walk on green or you risk the chance of getting run over.

Our first day was spent in Devonport, a unique town across the harbor from Auckland. Many of New Zealand's famous writers live there.

That evening we went to the top of Sky Tower. The city is gorgeous at night! Both Paula and I felt queasy during and after our elevator ride to the top. I guess we would never make astronauts! The tower is the largest building in the Southern hemisphere. Inside the tower is a miniature Las Vegas with shows and gambling.

It felt strange spending the 4th of July 1/2 around the world.

This city does not sleep! The bars do not shut down until 5 AM. No, we didn't stay at a bar until closing time.


This is an international city, and one that also reminds us of home. Burger King, Wendy's, MacDonald's, and Starbucks are every where. Internet cafes and coffee houses are found on most streets. In fact, I'm writing this at an Internet cafe across the street from the hotel!

A highlight of our visit was a trip to the museum where native Maori sang, danced, and chanted. It was like a step back into time.

General information: New sayings- "no worries," "take away," and "anti-clockwise."

There are no beggars or homeless on the street. Cafes do not offer French fries or potato chips.

Tomorrow we leave at 2:50 AM to catch a 5:50 AM flight to Sydney. We have a 7 hour layover there and then on to Hobart!

Devonport, New Zealand

Devonport, New Zealand is a quaint settlement across the harbor from Auckland. Here you can see Auckland's Sky Tower in the background. Devonport is the home of many New Zealand writers. We visited a hillside tunnel dug during WWII.

Layover in Los Angles

We are off and running after a layover in LAX Los Angles airport. We will have a twelve hour flight to our first destination in Auckland, New Zealand.

Saturday, April 19 began our journey to Tasmania. We met with all of the other fellows. The room was filled with excitement and energy. Fellows were going to places like Greece, Italy, France, and different parts of the US. Tasmania here we come!