Kong Hwa School

With Kong Hwa Faculty

Mrs. Davila observes students working

With Kong Hwa Students

Mrs. Muscarello in front of the school

Today we went to the Kong Hwa School to observe mathematics classrooms and discuss educational strategies with the faculty. We were able to sit in on three classes and then spent an hour afterwards discussing our observations with the teachers. We saw lessons on decimal multiplication and division for both grade 4 and grade 5 students. The teachers focused on mental math and quick, precise answers (including units, if necessary.)

We were most impressed with the level of dedication of the students. At one point, the teacher randomly called on a student for an answer. The boy did not have the problem completed, so he stood to finish the work using paper and pencil. After about a minute, the teacher left the boy standing and went on to the next problem by calling on another student. The boy continued standing and working on the problem as the class went on with the lesson. The student worked for 10 full minutes until he arrived at an answer. He then raised his hand to indicate that he was ready. The teacher called on the student and he explained the answer and his thinking process. We were both in awe of the attention to detail and perseverance displayed by the 10 year old boy. We were so impressed that at the end of class, we asked to take his picture.

Ziplines and Rickshaws

Today we headed out to Sentosa Island for a little fun in the sun. While exploring the island, we happened upon a Zip Line. We decided to go for it and had a blast sailing down the line from the top of a hill back down to the beach. It only took about 90 seconds, but the view was fantastic.

In the evening, we went on a trishaw ride through the city. It was hilarious (and a bit scary) to watch the riders jockeying for position on the city streets. The trishaws were complete with party music. It was a fun night! Tomorrow, we are planning to hit the city streets and explore the Singapore Flyer. Tuesday is a full day of math classroom observations.

Singapore

Singapore Merlion

Thian Hock Keng Temple

National Orchid Gardens

Today we went on a Singapore City Tour. The morning began at the National Orchid Gardens. The flowers were beautiful. We meandered the gardens for 30 minutes and then headed to the the Thian Hock Keng Temple. The temple was built in 1840 and is used by both Buddhist and Taoists for worship. After the temple, we drove to see an icon of Singapore, the Merlion. What a beautiful waterfront structure. We took a picture and then enjoyed a Starbucks before heading back to the hotel.

For lunch, we met with two international school teachers, Danny and Kendra. Danny teaches high school mathematics and Kendra is the resource coordinator for the school. We discussed similarities and differences between teaching in the states and teaching in Singapore. We are looking forward to comparing their opinions to our observations of Singapore schools on Tuesday.

Tonight we are go to China Town for a cultural tour. It should make for a fun evening!

Rest and Relaxation

Clarke Quay at night

View of the river at Clarke Quay

Today, we flew out of New Delhi at 1:00 a.m. headed for Singapore. We arrived at 9:00 a.m., checked in to our hotel, and proceeded to take a well deserved nap. By mid-afternoon, we were ready to hit the town. We did a bit of shopping and had dinner at Clarke Quay. It was refreshing to sit down to a taste of home. We chose a nice Italian restaurant and even went for dessert at the end of the meal. Singapore is just beautiful and we look forward exploring more of the city tomorrow.

Indian Education

The road to the school

Flooding in the road due to monsoon season

The Heritage School entrance

With Mr. Prekash at the school

On June 30^th we went to the Heritage School in Gurgoan, India. Getting there was hysterical. In India, there are no street signs or addresses. The land is split into large sectors and you wander around that sector until you find what you are looking for. It took us a while to find the right dirt road that led to a nice white school building surrounded by not much else.

Inside the guarded gates were children playing and learning as you would expect at any school. We met with four teachers about their philosophy of teaching mathematics and using assessment to drive instruction. We were able to observe a 6^th and 7^th grade math lesson. The 6^th grade lesson focused on problem solving using multiple operations. The teachers really make an attempt to write the problems using settings the students will experience. The classroom reminded me much of my own with the students working in groups and helping each other to solve the problems. Some strategies we took away were increased high level vocabulary, modeling strategies, and high level rigor. The teachers are challenged with the same issues we are in Texas and actively teaming to drive instructional decisions. Although the infrastructures of the two countries are so different, education seems to level the playing field and provide commonalities.

The Heritage is a private school for middle and high class students whose parents can pay money for their children’s education. We did not have the opportunity to visit a government-run school due to the students being on holiday. However, we were able to meet with a graduate student from the University of Delhi to help represent those schools. She shared that compulsory education for all children was only recently put into law last year. Like any new program, it will take years to implement and uphold. Parents value education because it is the family’s way of improving their current means. We talked for about an hour regarding the educational system and teacher preparation programs.

From the university, we headed to the airport….See you tomorrow in Singapore!

Taj Mahal

On the way to Agra

View from the train to Agra

In front of the Taj Mahal

Mrs. Davila holding up the Taj

Mrs. Muscarello in front of the reflecting pool

We awoke at 4:00 for a 5:00 a.m. pick up. Our driver was waiting in the lobby and drove use to the Delhi train station to board the Shotabdi Express to Agra. The train arrived on time and we were off for the two hour ride. The train was fairly clean, and they served a small breakfast. We were seated next to a woman from Agra, who helped us by letting us know that the station was approaching. When we got off the train in Agra, our guide was waiting and walked us to our car. We then drove to the Taj gate and proceeded to buy our entrance tickets. The Indian government has an interesting system for admission to the site: 20 rupees for Indian citizens and 750 rupees for "foreigners". Yikes! After making our way through security, including a wanding and pat-down, we entered the gate.

I was hot, very hot, but apparently the monsoon rains had cooled down the temperatures. Unfortunately, those same rains sent the humidity through the roof. We thought Houston was humid, but this was a "whole 'nother level" of humid. Despite the heat and oppressive humidity, we continued on and were blessed with a stunning view of the Taj. In fact, the heat, coupled with free admission in the afternoon, kept the crowd level low and we were able to enjoy the beauty of the monument somewhat unspoiled by hoards of tourists.

We happened to be visiting on the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the death of Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who ordered the monument erected in loving memory of his wife. Because of the celebration, the tombs under the Taj were open to visitors. After visiting the tombs, our guide showed us the semi-precious inlay work that adorned the surface of the monument. The detail was astounding! The memory of adoring the monument will stay with us forever.

Tomorrow we are heading to Gurgaon to visit a middle school and observe mathematics teaching. We will then meet with a University of Delhi professor to discuss teacher education in India.

Culture Shock - Indian Style

Mrs. Davila in front the Sikh Temple

Humayun's Tomb

Flash Mob with Women at Qutab Minar

Qutab Minar

We arrived to the hotel in Delhi, India about 2am and quickly hit the sack. Our guide Aki picked us up about 9am and took us to see the Qutab Minar. As we entered the site we were greeted by every Indian woman we saw with a warm “Hello”. The ruins were breathtaking and we received schooling on Islam vs. Hindu architecture. While there a women asked us if we would take a picture with her. What started with one ended up with fifteen women surrounding us smiling! Everyone in the place had cameras out snapping photos. I had to wonder if they had mistaken us for someone famous. It was a photo flash mob that had us laughing for hours!

We then headed to Humayan’s tomb. This amazing display of a wife’s love for her husband and the sheer magnitude and intricacy of the architecture was a sight to behold. The Red Fort was next on our list. When we got there the line was too long to get in so we opted for a Mac attack and headed for the closest McDonald’s. Finding it was an education in Indian culture. The streets are crowded with cars and people and lots of shops, but we eventually made it to the golden arches. There are no hamburgers in India because beef is not part of their diet. We opted for some good ol’ chicken McNuggets and fries.

From there we asked the driver to take us to a place we could shop for souvenirs. After winding down several crowded streets we pulled up to a door. We walked down a staircase into a basement filled with beautiful Indian garments. The women wanted to show us everything. They were very kind and we were able to pick-up some beautiful items.

On our way back to the hotel our driver decided we needed to see the Sikh temple. We thought we would be passing by to look at it, but he had other ideas! Before we knew it we were inside, feet washed, head’s covered, walking around. It was a quick visit, but we were able to see another part of Indian culture.

And now….we are back to rest up for tomorrow’s trek to Agra!