Project Geo-Tech: Saudi Arabia

Back in the groove!

2007-12-17T15:50:00.000-08:00

I am back at Rockford and in the groove. Saudi Arabia was amazing and I would like to thank Aramco for giving us the opportunity to peek into Saudi Culture. Saudi Arabia is far from perfect, but it was refreshing to see beyond the news coverage. I learned a lot from this trip, but I would like to return to get a more comprehensive perspective. I am hoping they will select some of us to come back in the future to see more "typical" aspects of their culture. I do not think that anyone was trying to hide anything from us, but rather I think they wanted us to see Saudi Arabia in a positive light. Prior to the trip were sent articles regarding many of the controversial issues regarding Saudi Arabia. They weren't trying to hide anything, but they wanted a fair representation of the rest of their society. I need to go to the board meeting now...

Until next time.

Questions and answers

2007-12-01T14:03:00.002-08:00

Many of you have had great questions. I have posted many of them, but have not had the opportunity to answer them. I will try to answer some of them, but this is going to be an ongoing process. I feel as though I am developing a new understanding for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I will be using your questions to deepen our understanding of Saudi Arabia through continued communication with some of my contacts. I have experienced Saudi Arabia from my own point of view, but there were twenty-four other teachers that were also developing an understanding of Saudi Arabia. Please feel free to click on the links on the right side to look at the blogs some of the other teachers have created. Since we all talk to different people and have different interests you may see a whole new side to Saudi Arabia.

Until next time...

We Rocked the Red Sea

2007-12-01T14:03:00.001-08:00

We arrived back at the resort early in the morning so we could enjoy the Red Sea. People spent time swimming, snorkeling, and jet skiing. Unfortunately, we could not go scuba diving because we were flying that night. I would have loved to go, but at least I did not have to worry about the Tiger Sharks. I spent all my time jet skiing and I am really. The Red Sea is absolutely gorgeous and I will not forget today.

View the full album by clicking on the picture below.

Red Sea

Until next time...

Celebrating the Hijazi Culture

2007-12-01T13:36:00.000-08:00

Saudi Arabia is country made up of tribes. The tribes were at war for many years until the king successfully united the tribes. Jeddah is made up of several different tribes together know as Hijazi. Hijazi folklore and culture was shared with us through music and dance. This traditional music was very uplifting and the entertainers were full of energy. We drank Saudi coffee, ate dates, and danced the night away. I have had a question asked of me regarding music in Saudi Arabia. I have found out that music is not taught in schools. Some students are self taught, hire tutors, and/or have parents that passed it down to them. Some conservative parents still tend to fear music because they are unsure of what effects it will have on their children and Saudi culture. I will see if I can verify this by asking it to several other people.

View the full album by clicking on the picture below.

Celebrating Jeddah

Until next time...

Day 6 in the KSA: Historical Jeddah and the Souk

2007-11-29T04:40:00.000-08:00

Click on the picture below for the complete album.

Saudi Arabia: Exploring Jeddah

We been continuing our journey through Saudi Arabia by exploring the city of Jeddah. This is a beautiful city that seems alive with excitement. It is on the Red Sea so there are many areas in which you can walk along the waterfront and enjoy the view. We have been enjoying a lot of seafood due to the location of the city. Today we had a chance to visit the historical district of Jeddah. The history of Saudi Arabia is very rich and interesting. Many of the buildings are made of coral stone with wood pieces strategically located throughout the structure. The historical buildings that are being preserved are surrounded by the Souk. The Souk is an outdoor market that is considered a very traditional shopping location. After our tour of the area we were able to shop the rest of the morning until it was prayer time. When it is prayer time everybody closes their business so they can go home to pray and eat. It was around noon that everybody began to close and they will not open again until around 4:30 p.m. so the temperature is not hot. When we went shopping we were escorted by police officers so we did not have any problems. I strayed from our group of five and found it to be quite safe. There were some beggars, but I was told that most of them were not really poor and if I gave them anything it would attract more people to me. The market was really fun because Saudis expect people to bargain for each item (most of the time and only in the outdoor market). I was able to buy several different items from the Souk that I will show to you when I return. I would say that this is what I thought Saudi Arabia would be more like in many different areas.

I am again beginning to understand what the differences are in their culture. Today I spoke to a Saudi that would probably be considered quite liberal for the Kingdom. She wants Saudi Arabia to keep evolving, but she is concerned that it may happen to fast and that conservative groups will resist. The majority of Saudis are conservative, but this further divided. Some are culturally conservative and fear that change will take away the Saudi’s unique culture, while some are religiously conservative and want the religion to dictate the country. As an outsider here it was difficult to distinguish between the two because they sometimes blend, but it is getting clearer. Unfortunately, the culturally conservative sometimes try to apply Islam inappropriately, which can give the religion of Islam a bad reputation. One example of this is the abiyah. This is a product of Saudi Arabia that is used to help teach people the concept of modesty as written in the Koran. In Riyadh many people will push that the color of the abiyah needs to be black because of Islam, but this is not true and it is not written in the Koran. I am sure many of you see both conservative and liberal groups in our country, but may have not heard of these terms. In what ways are you conservative? Liberal? Have you seen examples of the two in the news?

Thanks for all of your comments.

Until next time…

Day 5 in the KSA: Digging Deeper…

2007-11-28T14:39:00.000-08:00

We are getting more opportunities to figure of this land of contrast by meeting with the educated women of Saudi Arabia. We began by visiting Effat College to have a discussion regarding the role of women in society. The discussion continued in the evening with a never-ending meal. When Saudis have guests they are extremely hospitable. Last night we ate at a restaurant that rotated so we could enjoy the view of the city of Jeddah. The meal lasted three hours and consisted of approximately ten courses. If you visit Saudi Arabia you will be offered coffee or tea and something made with dates. The cardamon coffee is quite flavorful and the dates are the better than I have had in the United States. A traditional meal usually consists of rice and bread similar to pita.

Click on the photo below for the complete album.

New Album 11/29/07 1:57 AM

Here are some of the discussions we had regarding the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

1. Saudis are private
Saudi Arabia has problems just like every country. They have a short modern history and are going through an amazing growth period. They do not always share things because they are culturally private. We have all felt like people are not telling the whole story at some point in time on this trip. This is due to their private culture and the need to save face. Knowing that when traveling to Saudi Arabia is essential to understanding how to communicate with them.

2. Dress code
The requirement of Abiyahs is an element of Saudi culture, not Islam. The Islamic women must wear Abiyahs according Saudi law. It starts at around ten years old so they start to understand the importance of begin modest. If they do not wear them to school they are not allowed to attend. Wearing the Abiyah in public is meant to protect women from men (inappropriate thoughts and rape). Some women do not wear the Abiyahs when they travel to places that are non-muslim—it is a personal decision. Most women wear a black Abiyah, but as they become more fashionable they are starting to see more colors and/or styles to accommodate for the wants of the women. We have seen some of the women wearing makeup, nose rings, a diamond grill on their tooth, imprints on the Abiyah, and designer sunglasses. The contrasts can be very dramatic, but the main thing is that the Abiyah cover the body in a modest manner to protect them.

3. Driver’s license
Many Saudi women want and need the right to drive. If you are rich it is not a problem because you have a permanent driver. If you are poor it is difficult because the man has to drive everywhere and the women is limited.

4. Education
We were told last night that 56% of college graduates are women, but only 10% represent the workforce. The average age of Saudis is 22 years old with 60% of the population under 16 years old. The current students are going to have a huge influence as they begin to take power in Saudi Arabia. I believe an overhaul of the educational system, growing use of technology, and time are going to be the driving point for change in the Kingdom. The next ten to twenty years will be an interesting experience for Saudi Arabia. I am positive they will have many growing pains, but it will hopefully open up some doors for opportunity.

5. Every conversation we have leaves me with more questions.

Until next time…

Comments and questions!

2007-11-26T08:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the comments and questions. If everything goes well tonight I will see if I can answer some of your great questions over the past few days. Okay, I have to go so I make it to our next destination. I hope all of you are considering traveling as you grow into adulthood because it is an adventure and there is no better way of learning about the world and yourself.

Later.

Day 5 in the Kingdom: Education

2007-11-26T07:15:00.000-08:00

I have a short time before we fly to the west coast of Saudi Arabia. We will be staying at Jeddah which is very near the Red Sea. Hopefully they I will be able to get my computer connected to the Internet at the hotel so we can begin to Skype tomorrow. I have been using the desktop here at Steineke Hall which has worked for most things I need. It is important that we make sure we have back up plans when we travel because not everything is the same and it is not as easy to get things to work.

1. Today was very enlightening. We began the day by visiting the Dhahran 3rd Street Middle School. This middle school is used to educate the students that have parents who work for Aramco, but are not from Saudi Arabia. It was very similar to schools back in the states, but it was unique to Rockford in that it was very diverse. Students are primarily taught in English, but they were also teaching Arabic. There were many clubs to be involved in and different levels for sports. Soccer, baseball, and basketball all seemed to be very popular to the students. What I found extremely interesting is this is where the students received their education and grew up. They live on the Aramco Compound and enjoy the perks of living there, while also having to make sure they are culturally appropriate off the compound. Students had about the same number of days in school, but there were many opportunities for different types of learing throughout the summer. The school is from Kindergarten to 9th grade. After ninth grade many of the students attend a boarding school away from their parents. There are some opportunities for students to study only a few miles away from the compound, but many of the students traveled internationally to continue their education. In fact, many would go to study in the United States for the very first time. Everyone we talked to seemed very confident about their decisions to send their children abroad to finish their high school career, including many of the students.

These are the things these students consider as they grow up.
How would you feel about studying in another country for your 10th, 11th, and 12th grade years?
Would it make it easier if all your friends were going to travel to learn?
Where would you want to go? Why? Would language be a barrier? How would you prepare yourself?

Please share your comments.

2. Next we went to Shumua Al Amal School for Special Education. I think there are many of you that will find this interesting because we don't always get a clear picture of what other countries do to help the people that have mental disabilities.
What kind of facilities are available?
What type of emotional support is available for parents?
How does society view this portion of their society? Are they respected?
Who funds the needs of these groups?

I would have to say that this visit was absolutely beautiful. It made my heart warm to see a determined group of people working to represent students with mental disabilities. I think one way of judging is a society is by looking at how well they value all of their different sectors of society. The good news is that the United Nations is getting many countries to sign agreements to meet certain regulations in special education services. They are being a driving force to help people gain support from their government so they provide adequate facilities and trained professionals. The facilities were state of the art in the school we visited. This will definately be the model for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and possibly the world. There are 125 teachers with 220 students. The staff is extensively trained and the students are from 0 to 45 years old. The focus of the school is to help students become respected as citizens, offer them the right to get help, and to gain financial help from the government in the future. The facilities are huge and have many different functions to meet the diverse learners. It is private right now because they need to do things that the government will not be efficient in and they want to make sure they provide an accurate model for the rest of KSA. There are other centers around Saudi Arabia, but many lack the quality professionals (e.g. psychologists) so they are not as effective as needed. The school has parents pay on a sliding scale and if they cannot pay anything they find a way to get outside help. They do not want to turn anybody down. The students were so cute and it is very evident that they are very lucky to have the support they have from the wonderful staff. I could have stayed there all day and played with the little cuties, but we had to keep with our schedule. If anybody has a question that is interested in this topic let me know and I will see if I can get it answered.

I have to go catch the bus so I get on the plane to Jeddah.

Until next time.

KSA Night 4: Sunset Beach Resort

2007-11-25T14:28:00.000-08:00

Wow! The Sunset Beach Resort was absolutely awesome. This is a resort for the extremely rich and I doubt many teachers have been here other than from the educator's program. We began by taking pictures with the camels and getting a very short ride on the beach. We had wonderful tea while we listened and danced to traditional Saudi music. The music was wonderful eventhough my dancing was quite autrocious. We had a great selection of authentic food that I thought was all very good. In-between dancing and eating I was able to interview one of our women tour guides that is high up in public relations at Saudi Aramco. She was very candid in her description of Saudi Arabia. It has changed in ways that she thinks is good for the country, but it has also changed in some unpleasant ways. She likes how the country is progressing in rights, but she does not like how children have changed. As times have changed teenagers have become more verbal and rebellious towards their parents. When she was growing up she would have never said no to her mother. She would have found a way to work out things with her mother, but never would have battled against her. Now, kids are being pushed to grow up fast, but they do not mature as fast as the media would like to help them think they do. She is concerned that teenagers will get more bold, disrespectful, and not make good decisions based on their parents experience. This is a concern considering the following statistics:

Population below age 15
Saudi Arabia: 38%
United States: 20%

Median Age
Saudi Arabia: 20 years old
United States: 36 years old

Statistics from CIA World Book

Click on the picture below to view the complete album.

Saudi_Arabia_Night_4_Sunset_Beach_Resort

Until next time.

Day 4 in the KSA: Education

2007-11-25T04:27:00.000-08:00

Finally, I went to bed at a descent time and I am feeling recharged. Today we had visited Dhahran Ahliyyah Schools. This is a private school approximately 25 minutes from the Saudi Armaco Compound. This not a typical school in Saudi Arabia because it is funded by Saudi Aramco. The facilities are similar to the U.S., but again, I would say that this is not a typical setting. The classes are segregated by gender, which is typical of schools in Saudi Arabia. The school is divided in a way that allows the boys and girls to share certain facilities (e.g. media center) without actual interaction throughout the school day. The students took each teacher on a private tour of the school. The men went to the boys side of the school, while the women went to the girls side of the school. The English these students spoke was amazing. If I had not know they were from Saudi Arabia I would have thought they were from America. At least 50% of the students had to come from parents that worked at Saudi Aramco. After the tour we gathered together to have a question and answer sesstion with the students. Several questions were asked to try to better understand the Saudi culture and schools.

Click on the picture below to view the complete album.

Saudi Schools in Eastern Province

1. How do you go about interacting with the girls when you are constantly separated from them during school and in public? All of the students smiled, but none of them answered because the principal and superintendent were there. They side stepped the question completly. Muhammed, my school guide, whispered to me that he would give the inside scoop later. He told me that many of the boys in this school have girl friends. They meet through friends and at certain academic functions outside of school and they use Facebook to send messages. Sometimes they will meet on the Aramco Compound because it is much more open to girls and boys interacting. Another student actually told me, "Thank god for Aramco." He was very thankul for ther "freedom" The boys told me that they like to hang out at the mall or play sports during their free time. If we were in Riyahd or other conservative locations it would be much more difficult to meet girls because they cannot interact in according Saudi law. In these places I am still unsure of how they exactly get to know each other prior to dating and marriage. I would suspect family would have a big say in these issues.

2. How many of the 50 students planned on attending college in another country? All of them raised their hand and named the different locations around the world. The United States was still popular, but many of the students would have Visa issues that lasted to long to resolve. It is my undertanding that this is a problem because there are many of the same names in Saudi Arabia. People are part of clans, sometimes very distant clans, but they are still defined by their names. Some of the names that the U.S. is looking for are flagged everytime they come through and it takes a long to time to do a background check. Unfortunatley we are losing international students because they have to decide on a different college in a different country.

3. How do you feel about going to the United States?
Many of them shared how they know many American are very nice and that the tragedy that happened on 9/11, along with a mix igorance and the media's perspective have put students in a different standing in the United States. They still were optomistic and the school works with them to try to choose schools that they think they will not determine a lot of discrimination.

It was really nice to hear from the students perspective. I made sure to give Muhammed my business card so he could contact me. I have a feeling we will have the possibility to Skype with him in class to ask him questions. He seemed very intelligent and was full of enthusiasm for life. I would love to give him a chance to visit Minnesota so we could take him around our state and have him come to our school. Hmmm.....

Next, we visited the college preparatory for boys, and then went on to tour the girls school. These are top-notch schools with the best of the best of Saudi Arabia. The students were very intelligent and well traveled already. They too all planned to study outside of KSA with many focusing on the United States. The women's preparpatory school was a huge ray of hope for women in Saudi Arabia. Most of these students have science and math down, but need a lot of work with reading and writing in the English language. Considering this is a foreign language it is impressive how well they can speak it in 10 months. These schools were the ultimate schools in preparation for rigorous academics and culture shock. The girls were so happy to meet us and some of them even allowed us to take pictures. They are going to do well in life, I hope they are treated right when they come to the United States. Again, the main thing slowing this change down is the dominance of religion. Change will take time, but it seems as though it is slowly getting there.

I am going to take a short nap and then we are going to the Sunset Beach Resort for Saudi entertainment and food.

Until next time.

P.S. I know some of you will love to hear that some of the boy students here were wearing Beckham jerseys. Soccer is a big deal here! Basketball also was a big interest for many of the boy students. I wonder if the girls find sports as interesting? I will have to ask and find out?

Tour of Dhahrain: Saudi Aramco

2007-11-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

Today we took a tour of Dhahrain, the home of Saudi Aramco. The Saudi Aramco Exhibit was amazing. I really enjoy the Science Museum of Minnesota, but this exhibit was 10 times more amazing. The focus of the exhibit was based on Saudi Aramco and it's affect on Saudi Arabia. We were given a PowerPoint presentation on Saudi Aramco by two very intelligent and well-spoken women. These women shared their hopes for Saudi Arabia and the future of women. It seems as though things are changing for women, but it will take time due to the focus of religion in the country. Saudi Amarco is a huge factor in the success of Saudi Arabia and a powerhouse in the world. They set the industry standards for oil production. They have the most cutting edge technology and are very proud of their thorough on-the-job training. The facilities we visited and services we recieved today reflect their attention to detail. Saudi Aramco has transformed Saudi Arabia by developing the petroleum industry. Many of the officials have shared the fact that Saudi Arabia is nothing like it was when they grew up as kids. It used to be a much smaller population with no huge cities. Now it is going through some tremendous growth which is evident by the housing developments and businesses being built.

Click on the picture below for the complete album.

Tour of Dhahran Community

Some facts I took away from today:
1. Dhahrain is in the Eastern Province. The Easter Province is the largest among the Kingdom's 13 regions.
2. The Population is about 3.4 million.
3. Has international borders with Yemen, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq.
4. The majority of Saudi Arabia's petroleum reserves, representing about 25% of the world's, and the headquarters of Saudi Aramco are in the Eastern Province.
5. History of Aramco:
1933-1973: Saudi is an American Company (100%)
1973: Saudi Government purchased 25% of Aramco
1974: Saudi Government owns 60%
1980: Saudi Government 100%
6. Saudi Arabia is beginning to shif interests to China and India. These are or will be the next huge markets.
7. Saudi Arabia is not opening up its borders to many outsiders due to the reputation of being rich. They are afraid of the problems this would bring to the country.
8. Saudi Arabia does not seem to be planning beyond petroleum. They are confident that there is plenty for many years to come. Maybe this is correct, but they do seem somewhat arrogant.

Question:
How many petroleum products are there? What are some examples of petroleum products?

Again, thanks for all of your comments.

Until next time.

Day Two in Saudi Arabia : Land of Beauty and Intrigue

2007-11-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

Last night was a late one. I finally fell asleep around 5:30 a.m. and woke up around 10:30 a.m. I missed breakfast, but I needed the sleep more than the food. Most educational trips are very busy with little time to rest and gather yourself. When arriving at a far-off destination it takes time to adjust to the jetlag and the time difference. Today turned out to be a very unique situation because of one very distinct cultural difference--religion. Saudi Arabia runs on the Islamic (Hijrah) calendar following the dates of the Prophet Muhammed's emigration from Mecca to Medina in the western portion of Sauid Arabia. This is different from the calendar we follow in the United States. In the United States the typical work week is from Monday thru Friday. In Saudi Arabia the typical work week is Saturday thru Wednesday. Thursday is equivalent to our Saturday, while Friday is similar to our Sunday. This calendar may be changing in the future so they match with more countries around the world. They may change the calendar so that the typical work week is from Sunday to Thursday. Friday will probably not ever change, but Thursay would be shifted to Saturday. This is important because it will give them one more day to do business with the rest of the world. It is hard to do business if everyone else is not working and the banks are closed. I am not sure of the timeline for this change, but I do believe talks have begun. Considering today was equivalent to our Sunday, many businesses were closed and we were limited in our options. We ended up leaving for another Armco compound named Ras Tanura. It is interesting going to these compounds because it is a mix of different people, but I am sure it is not completely reflective of the true Saudi Arabia. I suppose I will find out as the trip goes on and we travel to different cities. Ras Tanura was very beautiful considering it was on the Persian Gulf, also known as the Arabian Gulf to Arab countries. We able to enjoy the beautiful weather, beach, and water. This was great, but it was the cultural differences that continued to stick out. This is my first real day in which I was able to observe the Saudi culture and these are just my thoughts. Hopefully, as the trip goes on, I will be able to gain a deeper understanding. I am sure I will find that their culture is not perfect, but I am sure if we were to examine our own culture we would find many imperfections. Here is what I observed today.

Click on the picture below to see the entire album.

Saudi_Arabia_Day_2

1. Saudi Arabia is governed by the Islamic religion. They do not separate religion from government, but instead they use it to run the country. Unlike the United States, the Islamic religion dominates the country. This has huge implications for the countries laws and people's roles in the society.

2. Saudi women have expectations that are much different from U.S. women due to religion. I am not saying this is wrong, but it is completly opposite of most people in the U.S. I am trying to understand it, but it is very difficult. As we walked around the beach we were able to get our first glimpse of the women wearing there Abaya, Hijab, and Burqa. Each women covers themselves to a different degree, but many seemed to cover their entire face except for their eyes. It is my understanding that we are not to look or take pictures of them without permission. It seems it is especially taboo for men to talk to women. In fact, I would never go up to a women and start a conversation. If I were a women it would be okay, but I would still need to get permission to take a picture. I have been told that the women cover up to save themselves for their husband. They do not like to get there pictures taken because they feel it is important to be modest. I feel very disconnected from the women in this society because I feel I may break the "rules." Women cannot drive in Saudi Arabia so they have drivers. I am not sure if they all have drivers, but I am sure that the well-to-do families do. Again, it will be my job to try to give more definative answers, but I am not sure I will completely undertand it ever because I have grown up with such different expectations.

3. Many men wear their igal, gutra, and thobe, but I do not think the expectation is as high. Men seem to have more say in what is done, but I am not completly sure. I am curious to know if women really run the show in the household or if they are submissive. Our tour guide has told us that "women are treated like princesses. They get a rider and men worship the ground they walk on. Whenever they want a new dress for a wedding they get it and it is very expensive." This may be true of the well-to-do families, but I cannot see this working as much with the poor. Again, hopefuly time will fill in the gaps and I am able to report them to you. I am trying not to make judgements, but rather report what I see throughout the trip.

4. I carefully took the pictures of the women. I tried to keep my distance to make sure I respected them and did not get into trouble. It is very difficult to see them cover up their face, but it is not threatening in any way. It is very mysterious and intriguing which makes it even more difficult not to look at them. I will not get used to this custom in the short time we are staying here. Please do not gain a sense of fear from seeing them dressed in such a way.

5. Saudi people are convinced that the United States hates them. Saudi people seem to understand that there are many nice people in the United States, but the government has completely isolated the Saudi people according to there looks. Before I left, I would say that many people gave the impression that Saudi Arabia is very dangerous. I have not seen this side of Saudi. Person to person they have been very accomodating.

I am curious about your thoughts. Do you think the U.S. government treats Saudis unfairly? Are there any stories in the news that may show unfair treatment? Does fear justify our actions?

Please share your comments and links.

Until next time.

I am in the Kingdom...

2007-11-22T14:51:00.000-08:00

We have finally arrived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was a long day of travel, but everything went well. It is currently 1:55 a.m. and I am inside the Saudi Aramco compound in Dharan. As planned, we flew from Houston to Germany, and then onto Bahrain. Then we bussed over the King Faud Causeway into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. There were many checkpoints to pass through, but everyone was very polite. As we rode on the bus and entered the compound we listened to some Arabic music. It was a nice way to start our journey in the Kingdom.

Click on photo below for full album.

Journey_to_Saudi

Comments?
Causeway: A raised roadway, as across water or marshland.
1. Have any of you every crossed a causeway similar to the King Faud Causeway? Where? When? Why?
2. Share a url address leading to a description, photo, and/or map of the causeway you crossed in your comments so we can compare it to the King Faud Causeway.

Side note:
During my flight from Houston to Germany, I was able sit by a man from India that was flying home to visit his family. He was a mechanical engineer that graduated from Texas A&M. He currently works for a company that does business mainly with the oil companies (including Saudi Aramco). He has lived in the United States for six years and he really enjoys Houston. He and his wife are trying to decide if they should stay in Houston or return to India before they have a child. He was very nice and we were able to have some very interesting discussions pertaining to the United States and India. In fact, when the plane landed, a lady sitting in front of us said she would have loved to take my geography class considering she heard the entire discussion. Remember, when you are traveling to a destination make sure you enjoy the journey. I never thought I would have had the opportunity to learn about India on my way to Saudi Arabia. India is a fascinating place to study due to its history, culture, and population. I cannot wait to study India later this year.

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you all had a wonderful time with your family and friends. Enjoy your weekend.

Until next time.

Perceptions of Saudi Arabia

2007-11-20T21:49:00.000-08:00

What are your perceptions of Saudi Arabia?

What questions would you like me to ask regarding Saudi Arabia?

I would love to have you comment on these questions. Whenever you comment it emails it to me and then I can publish or reject your comment. If it is legit and well written I will be happy to post it for everyone to see. I really enjoy receiving your comments and look forward to hearing more from you in the near future.

شكرا ليشارك في رحلتي.

Tentative Itinerary

2007-11-20T21:27:00.000-08:00

I finally received a tentative itinerary regarding my trip.

Wednesday and Thursday, November 21-22
Flying:
Houston to Germany
Germany to Bahrain

Friday, November 23
Bahrain King Fahd Int'l Airport (KFIA), Dammam

Saturday-Monday, November 24-26
Dhahran

Monday-Friday, November 26-30
Jeddah

Friday-Monday, November 30-December 3
Riyadh

Monday, December 3
Minneapolis

Tuesday, December 4
Rockford

Notice I also created a Google Calendar on the right that you can view or subscribe to if you have a google account. If you don't have a google account this may be a good time to consider it. They have a number of tools with multiple purposes. I began using it last June and it has become a big part of my life. I recommend the following:
iGoogle (customize your page)
Google Calendar (create, share, subscribe to number of calendars)
Google Documents (collaborative format that updates in real time)
Blogger (the blog site I am using to create this blog)
Photos "Picasa" (online album site I am using to share pictures online)
Reader (Pulls content from selected RSS sites)

These may seem foreign to you, but if you play around with them they can become excellent learning and organizational tools.

مساء الخير

Saudi Arabia Orientation

2007-11-20T16:23:00.001-08:00

بحاجة الى مترجم اللغة؟

اليوم اتيحت لنا مقدمة الى المملكه العربية السعودية في خدمات شركة ارامكو. كانت لدينا العديد من المتحدثين مختلفة يتبادلون التجارب والخبرات في الثقافة السعودية. بعد عشاء راءعه والوقت لاجراء محادثات مع عدد اكبر من الخبراء على المملكه العربية السعودية تمكنا من ممارسة اعمالنا بالعربيه. كنت أظن انكم قد تتمتع عند النظر الى bbcarabic. ومن الجميل جدا ان اللغة المكتوبة انني اعتبر ان الفن. انا سوف نرى ما اذا كان يمكنني ان podcast او شريط فيديو وبعض العربية للكم. انا بحاجة الى الممارسه أثناء ركوب الطائرة ، ولكن اعتقد انني استطيع تعليم لكم بضعة بعبارات بسيطة.

حتى في المرة القادمة.

Aramco Services Company

Click on the picture below to see the full album.

Aramco Services Company 11/20/07 10:55 PM

Need a language translator? The future is now and we need to start utilizing the tools that are available to us. Think about the possibilities of communicating with people from around the world right now. Enjoy my blog above by taking advantage of Google Translator--Arabic to English. This is awesome considering you can translate entire websites at a click of a few buttons.

مساء الخير

Meeting the other participants

2007-11-19T19:36:00.000-08:00

Many of you have been asking me how many people applied for the trip and how they selected teachers. Today I found out that 200 people applied for this experience. A board of Middle East experts, educators, and trip alumni read through each of the applicants and gave them points according to a set rating system. They then all met in Washington D.C. to compare ratings and debate in an effort to narrow it down to the top 25. I am proud to have been selected and have had an opportunity to meet the other participants. I am sharing my room with another teacher that teaches at Governor Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is the Social Studies teacher for high school students that are visually impaired and/or blind. The fun part of traveling is the people that you meet during the journey. He shared a story of a blind student that was taking a geography class with him during his years as a university student. They were required to take a geography test that required them to locate and identify all of the countries of the world on a map. The blind student used a braille map to locate and identify all of the countries. He scored 100% on his assessment. I can only imagine the amount of concentration that it took to accomplish this feat. In geography class we often talk about improving our mental maps of the world, but it is more than just memorizing maps. It is more about challenging our perceptions of the world so we can form an accurate mental map. This is a daunting task considering the influence of media on our perceptions. This is one of the reasons that I love Web 2.0 technology. We are gaining the ability to make our own connections to form our thoughts about a place or person. We can begin to go right to the source rather than relying on the media. I think this is a very exciting time for everyone, so get connected and challenge your perceptions of the world.

Intercontinental Hotel in Houston

2007-11-19T19:09:00.000-08:00

I was finally able to check into our hotel room. We are staying at the Intercontinental Hotel. The hotel is rated at 5 stars and many delegates have stayed here from around the world. It is a very nice hotel, but I am only rating it at 3 stars. My rating is based on the fact that you are charged separately for Internet service per each computer. Don't get me wrong, everything is very nice here, but I am convinced that the appearance of a building does not compete with access to Web 2.0. McDonalds in Buffalo has free high-speed Internet, need I say more? The Internet should not be considered an amenity, but rather it needs to be viewed as a necessity. If we are going to stay competitive as a country and educate ALL of our students we will need to make sure we develop more and cheaper access to high-speed Internet. The sooner we are able to accomplish this task we will be able to bridge the gaps between varied learners while connecting with the world. What are your thoughts on this issue? Do you have high-speed Internet? Is cost a factor? Availability? Feel free to comment.

Until next time.
حتى في المرة القادمة .

Trip to Houston

2007-11-19T11:33:00.000-08:00

I am at George Washington Intercontinental Airport. I have collected my luggage and found my ride to the hotel. I will now have to wait until some of the other participants arrive so we can meet and make our way to the hotel. Tune into my podcast to learn more about how I used my iPod during the flight. If you don't have iTunes consider downloading it on your PC or Mac and start to explore the possibilities. If you already have an iPod consider searching iTunes for the variety of content that may be of educational interest to you rather than only for entertainment purposes. Enjoy your journey and my brief podcast.

Flight of the iPod

I just arrived at the Lindbergh Terminal

2007-11-19T06:43:00.000-08:00

I am here at the Lindbergh Terminal and waiting to board my plane at Gate E5. I had to pay a small fee to gain wireless Internet access, but it was well worth it already. I researched some statistics regarding the airport and tested my Skype with one of Mr. Madson's sixth grade Digital Literacy classes. Since I recently started using Skype I have noticed the power it could have in the classroom. It is fairly easy for many of us to email or call people considering we can forgo many of the nonverbal requirements in personal and public situations. With Skype the distance is eliminated, but it is still important that we use all of the important social skills we have been taught. Imagine using this tool to invite a guest speaker from Saudi Arabia "into" the classroom. Students would be able to take turns asking questions that would help them dig deeper to understand Saudi culture. It reminds me of the interviewing techniques that take place on television news casts. The difference being that the students would actually be in control of the interview. The video conference could be videotaped and then delivered to the community via the Internet or public access television. Now that is authentic learning.

Thanks for tuning in, I have a plane to board.

Traveling with Technology: A New Experience

2007-11-15T21:28:00.000-08:00

I cannot wait to learn about Saudi Arabia through my travels. I am even more excited with the technological possibilities during this journey. Technology is very similar to travel. They both can be very powerful when everything works, but from time to time they don't always turn out the way we envision them in our minds. I am excited to try a number of different technologies on this journey. I am sure I will run into some issues, but I plan on sharing my experience in a number of different ways for you to learn. Here are the technologies that I will be attempting to use throughout my journey.

Google Tools (Blogger, Google Maps, Calendar, Gmail, PicasaWeb, Reader)
Skype and/or iChat with video/audio capabilities and video recorder
iPod (Listening, watching, and recording)
iLife (GarageBand, iPhoto, iMovie, iWeb)
iTunes (Podcasts)
iWeb (Sharing pictures, videos, and audio)
Photo Booth (Video/Picture)
Voice Thread (Picture and file sharing with commenting capabilities)
Gabcast (Podcasts via phone)
Flight Tracker (Mac Widget that tracks flights)
Before you Know It (Translator)
Epals email (teacher monitored)
RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

I love the technological opportunities available to all of us. We are moving forward at an unbelievable technological rate and I hope everyone is enjoying the possibilities.

The Journey before the Journey.

2007-11-15T20:56:00.000-08:00

I feel very honored to have been selected for the Educators to Saudi Arabia Program. I cannot wait to share my journey, but I feel it is very important to share what it took to get to this point.

Augustin competes in Geography Bee at Macalester College. Jane Hertel, member of Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education (MAGE), shares her travel experience to Saudi Arabia during the competition.
Develop a vision.
Approval from Superintendent Mike Smith.
Application for exemplary grant is approved.
Educators to Saudi Arabia Program Application is completed.
Educators to Saudi Arabia Program Acceptance Letter received.
SHOCK!
The remaining requirements must be met (e.g. Visa, medical examination, etc.).
Join Listserver to communicate with other teacher participants.
Discussion about technology possibilities begin.
Shopping, packing, and planning.
Blog page created.
Technology tested.
Cross fingers.

I am now ready to travel and cannot wait to board the plane on Monday, November 19, at 10 a.m..

Thank You. شُكْرا، أشْكُرَك

2007-11-15T20:02:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe how fast time has gone by since I heard the news about my acceptance into the Educators to Saudi Arabia Program. I am going to Saudi Arabia in less than three days. People have been very supportive since I heard the news and I am very appreciative. In fact, before explaining what it took to get to this point, I would like to make sure I thank the important people that have helped me along the way.

Kim Andres
Thank you for putting up with me at school and at home during this exciting time. You inspire me both personally and professionally. Without your help through the past 13 years we have been together I would not be anywhere close to where I am in my life. I love you.

Jamie Madson
Thank you for all of your support. Your passion for teaching and technology is inspiring. It all started with the TIES conference in 2006. Within two weeks Kim and I purchased cell phones, upgraded to DSL, and began to dream about the possibilities at Rockford. We are only beginning this awesome technological journey.

Marie Flanary
Thank you for all of your support over the last three years. I am very proud to be a teacher at Rockford Middle School. We have made some huge progress in the face of financial adversity and it is due to your hard work as the principal.

Beth Knudsen
Thank you for working hard to make our co-teaching experience an absolute blast. In the two years you have taught at Rockford Middle School you have shown an incredible amount of professionalism as the 8th grade Language Arts Teacher. As I often say, "It is hard to believe you have only taught for two years."

RMS Staff
Thank you for all the chances you have taken over the last few years. I am proud to be part of such an awesome "family." You make everyday an awesome day.

Partners in Education
It started with a vision and was made a reality with your support. You have an unbelievable commitment to Rockford Public Schools. Thank you for all of your hard work.

شُكْرا، أشْكُرَك