HughHarris

Educator, Husband, Dad, Visionary

They say we are leaving.

After de icing about 3 times. It looks like we are leaving.

November 7, 2012 Posted by | Education | Leave a comment

40 mins late and the snow is getting heavier.

We are sitting on the runway with engines running but the snow is coming down harder. Not looking good. If they send us back to the terminal it’s going to get ugly.

November 7, 2012 Posted by | Education | Leave a comment

Ok so much for exit row. Half an exit row & Michael Strahans twin next door.

November 7, 2012 Posted by | Education | Leave a comment

Winter wonderland starting in New York

Made it to JFK with very little problems but it was rainy & now is snowing. Place is packed. Checked my bag which I usually don’t do but since this is non-stop to Beijing and with a large group I’m not going anywhere until everyone gets their stuff.

Good news is I got exit row for the 12+ hour flight.

Bad news the Tablet I brought on an experiment is now not connecting to the Boingohotspot piece of junk Internet. And discovered that entertainment that been downloaded before hand will not play unless you are connected to the Internet. Who am I to think that “downloaded” meant it was actually on the tablet! These are rented movies thinking that wifi might not be available but apparently Google Play wants to be connected to the Internet to play “downloaded” content. So, the trusty iPhone may have to do.

Technology – I’ll live.

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November 7, 2012 Posted by | Education | Leave a comment

First leg underway! Way to early.

6:00 AM flights are great on the price but tough to get going this early. Headed to Charlotte & connecting on to JFK for a 3:50 pm flight on Air China. Meeting with the group from College Board.

November 7, 2012 Posted by | Education | Leave a comment

Boarded in Charlotte- can we say full flight?

This flight is primed for a “bump”. Grieves me not to take advantage of one but can’t risk missing JFK departure.

November 7, 2012 Posted by | Education | Leave a comment

Departing in the morning for China. Life long dream coming true. Here’s why:

I have the very distinct privilege of traveling to China with the College Board (these are the folks that develop and oversee the SAT exams) on their China Delegation to learn more about education in China, its culture, its people, and build relationships with educational institutions.

Here is the stated purpose from the College Board-

The delegation provides an opportunity to:

Visit Chinese K–12 schools and postsecondary institutions, meet with Chinese educators, observe classes and interact with students.  Establish meaningful partnerships with Chinese education institutions and network with U.S. colleagues
Attend presentations on best practices and gather resources to build and support Chinese language and culture programs
Experience China firsthand and marvel at the rich traditional culture set against stunning modern development.

Click on the link for more information regarding the program:

http://professionals.collegeboard.com/k-12/awards/chinese/bridge

One of the most amazing aspects of this trip is that the College Board is paying for the majority of it with the exception of a nominal fee.

I will fly out of Nashville at 6:00 am and travel to JFK to meet the rest of our group. Its my understanding that there will almost 200 traveling on the trip and we will be divided into 3 smaller groups of roughly 30 to go to various regions of China for more in depth visits with students and schools.

Yes we will do some cultural tours and learn about the country and its people. I will try to blog as much as possible. I’m venturing out on this trip with a new tool and taking a HP tablet to save weight and leaving my laptop behind. Stay tune for updates

November 7, 2012 Posted by | Education | Leave a comment