Margaret on Tour

 I am travelling to America on Sunday 5 November from Heathrow at 11am.

This is my first trip to America, so I am really looking forward to all the new experiences.

Lots of people have been giving me advice on what I should do on the plane, what I should wear on the plane, and what I should drink on the plane. (lots of water – what else?) I just hope they are not showing Die Hard 2!!

Hopefully I will be able to update this page as the week progresses in America.

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Sunday 4.40pm (San Francisco time)

Arrived at 2pm after a good flight – those socks are great! Watched Die Hard 4, Pirates of the Carribean, Blades of Steel and then an episode of CSI. They always seemed to be serving food, but I did not take everything, and only had one glass of wine as the inflight booklet said do not consume too much alcohol. Managed to sleep for about an hour so that was not too bad.

I met up with the group from Shirelands Academy at the immigration point. They all seem really nice and have made me very welcome. We came to the hotel by taxis and are now all having a rest before we meet later to go for a meal. Don’t know the last time I went out at 3am for a meal. (I must stop thinking in gmt).

Keep looking in – maybe even put some photos up

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Monday 5 November 23.28

Well first day of training over. The clocks went back here in America on Saturday and so the clock in my rooms were not at the correct time, I woke and looked at my watch (n glasses on) and thought it was 6am. I got up, showered, got dressed and then looked at the clock. It was only 4am. As you can imagine, I was rather tired at the training this aftternoon – especially after a lovely lunch. Think I may be travelling back with extra baggage – and I don’t mean my case!!

It is good to meet people from other countries and hear their stories. Today I was talking to Beverley from the Phillipines and she has classes of 65 children and this is the norm in the country. We are working on our project that we will bring back to work on with a class. The actualy training is very similar to the modules we did online for 4 weeks at home and I think people were expecting to be doing something different. Tomorrow I hope we will move onto creating the project. There is quite a mix of people, in that some have worked on project based learning for a while and have actually won the think quest competition, to others who have not worked on project learning and will find it difficult to work on one when they go back to their school as the management are not really behind them. All problems to solve.

We are hoping to find time to actually go into San Francisco to see some of the sights. Think this may be Wednesday as we have our banquet on Thursday.

Went out for a meal tonight to an Italian restaurant. They do not eat late here in America. By 9pm the restaurants are emptying and they are starting to sweep the floor!!

Better get some shut eye. Not starting until 9am tomorrow so getting the bus at 8.30. Hope I don’t wake too early.

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Tuesday 6 November

Today the training was much better and we had time to discuss and reflect on our training. We were able to leave the class to work in groups and feel we are now getting others to appreciate the British sense of humour. (See flickr pics)

Have now decided on a topic and am going to work with a school in England and Kentucky.

Introduced the group to hetemeel.com and they think it is great.

Caroline took us out for a meal tonight after we did some shopping. Unfortunately most of the shops closed at 6pm and we were to meet or a meal at 7.30pm. Not many shops so no shopping. I don’t think the ‘children’  would be pleased if I brought them back a pair of socks. Had a meal in an Indian restaurant. When we went in we were the only people – not really a good sign. When the owner came to take out order, he put a wine glass on the table and smashed it – a good start to the meal. Look on my Flickr pics to see him. The meal was really good so we cannot complain.

Back to the hotel and then to my room to start on my work plan.

Who said this was a holiday?

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Wednesday 7 November

Woke at 5am again but fell asleep and then had to rush to get the shuttle to the hotel for the conference. Working on the project again and also had to do some presentations. Our group have been putting in music and also a couple of the hetemeel pics (you see you cannot take the primary teacher out of the girl) and so now others are putting cartoons in their presentations too.

The keynote speaker for the banquet tomorrow night has become ill so they have told each of the 4 groups that they have to do a presentation – this is of course after we have finished our project plan and posted it up on think.com.

I am taking my laptop in tomorrow and we are going to do something with Crazy Talk for out presentation.

Actually managed to go into San Francisco tonight. Got the shuttle to the airport and then a train into the city. Travelled on a trolley car. It was amazing – just like you see in the films and people actually hang off them. We had 3 young lads coming home from school hanging in front of us and they thought it hilarious that we were so excited at travelling on the trolley. We walked down to Pier 13. By this time it was really dark so we could only see a light on Alcatraz and the silhouettes of the seals. Mind you they were making plenty noise. We had originally decided to return to the hotel and go for a drink, but by the time we got back, we were all shattered. I actually fell asleep on the train back to the airport. Must be my age.

Well better go and get some sleep as I have got to be up early tomorrow to work on my plan, then show someone how to use think.com.

We also found out that we have an assessment to do tomorrow afternoon. Don’t know what happens if we fail – maybe they will keep us here until we pass it.

Let you know how the banquet goes.

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Well that is it all over and I have to say I have had a ball. I have not enjoyed all aspects of the training but the experience of meeting people from different countries has been great.

Glory from China and Beverley from Philipines are so dedicated and quietly go about thir business whih is more than I an say for Sarah!

We finished our past project assessment and prepared for our prsentation at the banquet.

Crazy Talk featured heavily in ours – this is the one thing I have brought to the USA, and we had fun having an iphone talk to us.

We had our banquet tonight and it was as if we had been released. The noise was amazing and when everyone went up to get their certifiate – the noise was deafening. It finished after the meal -quite suddenly – no ceilidh or anything like that. We had  a drink at the hotel and then came back to the hotel. It is now 10 minutes to midnight and I get the plane tomorrow at 4pm.

All in all I have had a wonderful time here – work to do when I get home – but have met some lovely people and I hope to keep in touch with them.

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Just to let you know that I have arrived home safely -a little tired I have to admit. I think it was the 4 hour wait at Heathrow that finally did me in. I could not really sleep on a seat – just in case somebody stole my lap top. Good flight back from America. This time it was with BA but I think Virgin were just a little better with in flight entertainment and food. Think I will go with Virgin both ways next time!!!!

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