The Flat Classroom Conference officially kicked off this morning, and the day was a blur. The variety of people and places represented is remarkable, and everyone is excited to be here and is eager to learn from each other. The eight of us UNI students, nicknamed “Panthers” after the college’s mascot, are assigned as facilitators for various sessions throughout the day and to help in any way as needs arise. This morning I assisted Madeleine Brookes as she taught a session about Wikispaces and another one on Shamblespad and Preview.
After lunch we gave our presentation on Instructional Design Using the ADDIE Model. It’s not an especially riveting subject, so we tried to jazz it up by telling an original fairy tale and then relating the ADDIE steps to particular parts of the story. Dr. Z concluded the presentation and the grand finale was giving everyone in the audience a little rubber duck (made in China, of course) to help them remember the model.
Tonight buses took all the adult attendees to the Grand Mansion Restaurant for the conference dinner and social event. It was a beautiful restaurant and an incredible 15-course meal. Cynthia Sarver from SUNY Cortland and I sat at the same table as Adrian from Taylor’s School of Hotel Management in Malaysia. He speaks Chinese, so he could explain what we were eating, along with other interesting tidbits such as the fact that K-Pop is all the rage in Asia these days—Korean pop/rap singers. The meal started with sliced beef tongue with dipping sauce and black fungus (mushrooms) that looked just like the "roast beef" my mom put on the sandwich in my school lunchbox many years ago. The meal ended with some dessert-like dishes, including a white fungus soup that looked like a clear gel with a few peach bits in it.
Following the meal was an amazing array of entertainers: Chinese opera, bian lian (face-changing masks), Kung Fu, acrobatics, spinning plates/balancing act, pop singer, erhu music, and a few others I can’t remember. I wish I had brought my camera with me because it’s unlikely I’ll ever see all those things at one time in such unique surroundings ever again!
After lunch we gave our presentation on Instructional Design Using the ADDIE Model. It’s not an especially riveting subject, so we tried to jazz it up by telling an original fairy tale and then relating the ADDIE steps to particular parts of the story. Dr. Z concluded the presentation and the grand finale was giving everyone in the audience a little rubber duck (made in China, of course) to help them remember the model.
Tonight buses took all the adult attendees to the Grand Mansion Restaurant for the conference dinner and social event. It was a beautiful restaurant and an incredible 15-course meal. Cynthia Sarver from SUNY Cortland and I sat at the same table as Adrian from Taylor’s School of Hotel Management in Malaysia. He speaks Chinese, so he could explain what we were eating, along with other interesting tidbits such as the fact that K-Pop is all the rage in Asia these days—Korean pop/rap singers. The meal started with sliced beef tongue with dipping sauce and black fungus (mushrooms) that looked just like the "roast beef" my mom put on the sandwich in my school lunchbox many years ago. The meal ended with some dessert-like dishes, including a white fungus soup that looked like a clear gel with a few peach bits in it.
Following the meal was an amazing array of entertainers: Chinese opera, bian lian (face-changing masks), Kung Fu, acrobatics, spinning plates/balancing act, pop singer, erhu music, and a few others I can’t remember. I wish I had brought my camera with me because it’s unlikely I’ll ever see all those things at one time in such unique surroundings ever again!
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Sounds like you all have been doing very well. Hope the Chinese Opera was fun. When we went to Tokyo eight years ago, I had the chance to see authentic Kabuki theater - very enlightening.
ReplyDeleteWho knew mom's cold roast beef sandwiches (with ketchup) and Chinese beef tongue and fungus slices had anything in common!?! Love your posts! Take care.
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