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Originally uploaded by tamra hays

The most popular pic of last week: What can I take to work for lunch?

The Storm

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Originally uploaded by tamra hays

After weeks of tinkering with the DSL, Mohamed finally told us, "There is a problem between the big box (at TeleCom headquarters) and the little box (our modem). They will repair it next week." Then on Wednesday things went from bad to worse when a maritime cable was cut during a storm, knocking out service to the Middle East and India. We went from slow internet to no internet.

This reminds me of times when the electricity goes out. Without access to my electrical entertainments, I usually decide it's a good time to tackle that pile of ironing. Without the DSL, I decide it's a good time to answer that pile of email. Eventually I remember that I need electricity to iron and I need some kind of connection to send email. It turns out that it isn't the about the electricity or the internet, it's about habits. I'd been thrown out of my Habit-Trail and I didn't know where to run.

A friend described it this way, “When I get home from work, I check my email and surf for an hour or so. Then I exercise or read or watch a movie. Now, what do I do between 5:00 and 6:00? Can I not exercise or read or watch a movie an hour earlier? No , I pace around the flat until 6:00.”

After the initial discomfort wore off, the entertainment value of the internet was easy to replace. I read and wrote more. Mike practiced oud more. We had coffee with that restless friend on Friday morning, and we went to a museum on Saturday. We watched a couple of movies on DVDs borrowed from friends.

We’ve learned, however, that we don't have good backup systems for our communications and financial transactions between Egypt and the U.S. These aren't matters of habit; they are more like life support systems. So, I'll be looking for good backups - a better cell phone with an international plan (transparent excuse to get an iPhone) and more automated services from our banks.

Class Websites

One of the most valuable tools for traveling teachers is an on-line content management system that helps you build a class website. I have all of my course materials stored on Teacher Web, and I can activate or deactivate documents according to the unit I am teaching. This is my virtual file cabinet where I can store documents, worksheets, and presentations until I am ready to use them. It’s a great way to communicate with parents, students, and other teachers. Students (and their parents) can download handouts, take on-line quizzes, ask questions about assignments, check their schedules, and look at their grades. When they are traveling or sick, they can check in to find out what the class is doing, and they can submit assignments by email.

Last fall, another Teacher Web user, a social studies teacher in Florida, was preparing a unit on the Middle East for his 7th graders. He browsed the directory, found my class, and sent a query: Would I be interested in setting up a pen pal exchange? It was a great opportunity for my kids to be good-will ambassadors for Egypt, and a great opportunity for his kids to do the same for the U.S. They all discovered that 7th graders, no matter where they are, like about the same things -- food, friends, and fun. In the second semester, we plan to set the kids to a more focused set of discussions and tasks.

A good CMS uses templates and menus that allow teachers to post materials without much knowledge of HTML and includes more than just assignment postings. Some basic features to look for include:

Calendars
Email
Distribution lists
Document uploading and linking
Discussion forums
Document sharing and web page collaboration
Individualization of forms and content
Archiving
Secure grade reporting
File storage
Interactive survey/quiz pages
Worksheet generators
Links

For a huge list of different types of systems, check out Least Tern Resources for Teachers and Schools. Their report provides useful analysis of content management systems, course delivery systems, grade reporting systems, and web filtering systems.

Finally, I’m getting ready to step into the world of educational wikis. I know nothing about how to use or build them, but I’ve got some vague ideas for the spring term. I don’t even know how feasible it is at a school that uses WebSense. If you have any advice, experience, or tips, could you send them my way?

Portable Resources for International Teachers

You can’t take it all with you. That file cabinet full of lesson plans and curriculum ideas is too much to lug from school to school and country to country. This week, I asked my colleagues about their favorite web-based curriculum resources. These range from general teacher resources to specific content area resources to professional organizations. There are some obvious gaps, so if you use another great site, let me know.

General Education Sites

ABC Teach

Boogle’s World ESL

Brain Pop

Ed Helper

Quia Web

Dr. Lebeau

Teacher Vision

Busy Teacher’s Cafe


Culture and Commentary

Arts and Letters Daily

Edge

3 Quarks Daily


English

Read Write Think

Web English Teacher

Teachers and Writers Collaborative


Psychology

John Crane’s IB Psychology


History

Best History Websites

History Alive!

Library of Congress American Memory Project


Science

Cells Alive


Subject-Specific Professional Organizations

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD)

International Reading Association (IRA)

International Technology Education Association (ITEA)

National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)

National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)


Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)


Regional Associations of International Schools

Association of International Schools in Africa

International Schools of Thailand

Mediterranean Association of International Schools

The Association of International Schools of India

The Association of German International Schools

Association of China and Mongolia International Schools

Association of American Schools in South America

Central and Eastern European Schools Association

National Slow Down Week

I don’t know what goes on here when we are away, but while we were in the States the heater broke, the internet service stopped working, and the kitchen sink sprung a leak. What I’ve discovered about Cairo is that most things sort of work most of the time.

It could be worse. Most things could not work most of the time.

It could be better. Most things could work well most of the time.

Regardless of better or worse, the “sort of" category is the cruelest because of the intermittent rewards. Intermittent rewards are powerful; they are what hook gamblers. They keep you trying. They keep you hopeful. It’s cruel because when things don’t work most of the time, you give up caring about it and so your hopes aren’t dashed. And it’s cruel because when things work well most of the time, you aren’t prepared for the hardships of cold, damp, lonely apartments.

So when I finally remembered that I could use Cairo’s free dial-up service and read all of my email (the school’s WebSense program censors about 70% of my internet life), I discovered that this is National Slow Down Week. I discovered that instead of grumbling about the natural slow-down of this place, I can celebrate it.

This post will take about 5 minutes to upload. Meanwhile, here’s a little video from adbusters about National Slow Down Week.

Enjoy your time!