Unintentional learning

Way back in October we started this process.  The process of dreaming about what we would do with $10,000 to spend on an education enrichment experience.  We knew we wanted to do something big, something that we would never be able to do on our own.

So during our 4 minute class changes Connie and I would stand I'm the hall and dream.  As we have both said before, Connie really did think it was just a good thing to keep my drifting mind busy.  I also knew it was a long shot, but I desperately needed the space to dream.  So, dream we did.  We would look something up, meet in the hall "Did you see that program in the Galapagos?"  Or how do you feel about traveling across Mongolia and staying in yurts to learn about mammals of the grassland step?"  "Oh, you would rather not, ok I'll go back to looking."  But finally we found something that sounded outstanding to both of us, researching elephant cognition in Thailand.

From October to January we researches, wrote, revised and edited our Fund for Teachers grant.  The grant had us really do a lot of thinking about how we would use this experience to make our teaching better.  We literally wrote pages about the ways we would bring back what we learned from our expedition.  And.... Now that we are just 5 days from leaving, I can already say there has been a whole lot of learning going on from this end of the trip.  Just for memories sake I am going to list a few of the skills I have picked up, and I am sure Connie can add more:

1) trip budgeting and expense reports
2) how to set up Blogger to have a co-author
3) loads of non-fiction reading and research skills.
4)  map reading skills for Bangkok to pick a hotel close to the sights
5)  apps like Kayak and Trip Advisor are very handy
6) I now know what a burner phone is.
7). I have learned that Martial Law is not an equal phrase around the world
8) I have a much greater understanding of Coups
9). I have learned loads about the geography and topography of where we are going.
10). I managed to complete 10 conversational Thai lessons, and while I can order two beers, I did not make it to the lesson on "where is the bathroom?"
11). I now have a twitter account so I can keep up with Thai news in light of TV being suspended.
12). I have the most stocked first aid kit I have ever had after learning about all of the infectious diseases we could be exposed to.

While theses types of lessons will probably not be where we start with sharing our experiences with our students, I do find value in showing them that huge dreams do not happen with subject isolation.  We are applying civics, government, geography, grant writing, blogging, guidebook and news reading, map reading, social media consumption, networking, Buddhist temple etiquette budgeting, currency conversion and time zones, all so we can do some amazing science about elephants.

So now, dear readers, I should probably start believing this is going to happen and get around to packing.