Yes, I’ve moved from Napier, New Zealand, across the seas to Bangkok, Thailand

It’s farewell to my very supportive principal and fellow colleagues for the last four years at TIS and hello to a fabulous new principal, deputy principal, some amazing new colleagues in Elementary School, fellow ex-pats, and without a doubt, some serious fellow-bloggers such as my wonderful friend Ms Cofino and Jeff Utecht.  I’m absolutely thrilled to be working the International School of Bangkok whose commitment to 21st Century Digital Literacy makes it an inspiring place to be involved in.

I’ve just completed my first week at ISB and even though it’s still early days when the shine of excitement still remains, I have to say I’m impressed.  For such a big school (and I’ve come from roll of 580 to a roll of 700 in just the Elementary School) I don’t feel too lost, I certainly feel very welcome, and it definitely feels right to be here.  I love my surroundings, I love my new apartment, I love my class and classroom and I love the fact that on Day 5 of being at a new school, my students and I began our own class blog!

Ye-ah! I live and work in Bangkok!  Contrary to popular suggestions (thanks Brian) I will not be changing to bkchrissy on twitter – Once a Kiwi, always a Kiwi – so nzchrissy remains!  Watch this space!

I have just had the privilege of taking part in an un-conference, in a school that I don’t work for, but one that was discussing the very issues that continue to be part of my professional questionings.
What’s the reason for this, the first of many un-conferences to come?

It’s called FLNW (Future of Learning in a Networked World 2)

“FLNW08 will kick off from Bangkok on the 16th January 2008. An itinerary of events outlines all that is happening through out January 2008. A blog is also being used to document progress and an email forum cops the incessant chatter of the participants. The Living Classroom is providing a Moodle as a forum to continue the conversations started during the FLNW 2006 visit to Waiheke around teaching English in a Mobile and Networked World and host new activities with educators in Thailand.”

Thanks to an open invitation via twitter from my good friend Kim Cofino, I was able to watch ISB’s un-conference via ustream and contribute to a backchannel via ustream chat.

Whilst speaking, Vance Stevens shared his Slideshare URL regarding Reading and the Internet so that we could follow along with his presentation for the staff at ISB taking part in this un-conference.
This particular slide speaks volumes to me, and encourages me to continue to include blogging in our classroom.

It is so powerful to hear what other educators around the world are thinking, what they are doing and especially today, how they are looking at ways to continue to instill a love of reading, plus the necessary skills of reading, into their students in this growing Web2.0 environment.  As Kim so eloquently put it during the the conversation …….

“It’s not Web2.0 to the students, it’s just the web, that’s what it’s always been to them”

This living classroom helps to remind us that we are not alone in our thinking, that it is worth pursuing the value of learning in a Networked World 2

So thanks International School of Bangkok. Thanks for being so open and inviting, thanks for letting educators from around the world be “flies on the wall” during your meeting and thanks for letting us be part of your conversation and connected to you.