First movie viewing session

It was interesting to see and compare the imovies that were created by other groups. There were a few imovies the other night that were hard to understand. I had an especially difficult time figuring out how the first imovie related to education. My confusion was cleared up when we had a mini discussion on their imovie, but overall I did not think their imovie did a spectacular job of explaining/proving their point. The second imovie was better, but was still a little confusing at first. I was also surprised as to what the "teacher" was wearing in the video. I am not trying to be too critical, but teachers dress professionally. They do not wear little tank tops that reveal a lot of skin. This imovie could have been really good if this group paid attention to small details, such as their attire. I thought the third imovie (KEDU NEWS) was the most successful imovie when it comes to accurately demonstrating what they were trying to get at. Their interpretation of Mountains Beyond Mountains was very easy to understand and intriguing. I really enjoyed this imovie.

I know my groups' imovie is not perfect and some people may question what we did in it a little, but I feel that we put a great amount of thought and effort into it. I also think we did a nice job of tying our book into our presentation.

Guest Speaker- Tuesday 2/3

This blog is long overdue, but never late than never I suppose. The guest speaker from Singapore began by saying "overseas education is one of the best kept secrets in the world." I think it is very important for educators to experience some sort of abroad teaching. I would love to teach abroad for a few years right out of college. In his presentation, he said that the key is to find the match of the things you are interested in and what the schools have to offer. This is very important because why travel to teach somewhere that you are not interested in going to and learning about submerging yourself in the culture. That is what this is experience is all about. I thought it was really interesting when he talked about the number of students expelled in the U.S. school he taught (19 in one year) in compared to the number of students expelled in the school in Singapore (1 in 15 years). Another thing I thought was interesting was the renewal of teacher contracts. If a teacher is not performing, their contract will not be renewed. The are not given an extra year to show that they can perform. I think this is a good thing because it keeps teachers on their toes and wanting to teach and do their jobs. This guest speaker was very helpful to me because I am interested in teaching abroad.