Tuesday, August 12, 2014

The Windy City Experience


Working at an educational institution have loads of perks. I don't need to list them all down here but one thing that's so obvious is the continuous learning and improvement
Anyhoo, as part of my professional development, I was selected to attend a conference in Chicago. Wooohooo! It's not only about learning new educational tricks or meeting pips, it's also a privilege to explore the Windy City! :)

Well, the conference is mainly about assessment, collaboration, and e-learning. I was like, "Great! Perfectly aligned with my job description and goals!" FYI: This is what's "in" from most educational institutions right now. Any top schools who goes through ministry licenses and/or accreditation particularly brags shows how they plan, document, and execute assessment within their curricula. Anyway, I am not here to lecture how to assess or measure student success, I am here to share a little bit about the great conference and more of the leisure experience :)

So the conference was organized by LiveText - an American-based assessment management web application which basically what my university plans to integrate and embed into our current management system. The conference went on a 3-whole day training, workshops, break-out sessions, and entertainment. The event was jam-packed yet very organized and well executed.

Since it is my first time to visit the US, I need to enjoy and make the most out of this work/vacation trip. I went through visa application which went unsurprisingly fast and smooth. The trip to Chicago from Abu Dhabi was like 16 hours or so (not to mention the plus 4-hour layover in Ireland). Landed at O'Hare airport a day ahead of the scheduled conference, rented a car, and went straight to Michigan.

For those who knows the real me, I'm kind of an OC-freak in my daily life. So what more would you expect if I will make a decision or even going for a trip? Well, some say that this is a gift. You're actually lucky (but will be extremely exhausted) if you will go on a trip with me! I make use of the allocated time properly and conduct research a week (ok, a month) ahead on the best places to go to, bars and restaurants to dine, and yes, even the road maps and transportation system. I don't know about you but I find this productive and interesting.

I consider this trip extra special because it is my first time to celebrate my birthday peacefully and quietly all by myself in a foreign country or should I say on board, over the clouds on top of Pacific Ocean hahaha. Oh well, here's my itinerary for this trip. P.S. shopping and eating time was completely random so you won't see anything about those two here :P But you can ask me for the best restaurants in downtown Chicago, I would be happy to share.

Chicago Itinerary
Schedule
Location
To-do/Occasion
Sat, Jul 19


2:25AM ETD
AUH Airport

12:05PM ETA
ORD Airport

1PM
Chicago
Drive to Detroit
6PMish
Detroit
Dinner with Joseph's
Overnight chikahan with Grets!
Sun, Jul 20


10AM
Detroit
Drive to Chicago
3PM
Chicago
Check-in at Hyatt Regency
5PM-7PM
RCDH
Optional: Registration to conference
5PMish
Chicago
Free time
Dinner
Short trip to Skydeck open until 10PM or 360 Chicago open until 11PM
Mon, Jul 21


7AM-4:45PM
RCDH
Registration
Training Session: Experiencing FEM from All Sides
Sessions and Workshops
Pre-reg Workshop: A Problem-Based Assessment Process Focused on What You Want to Know and What You Need to Know about Your Students’ Learning
5:30PM-7:30PM
Chicago
Monday Evening Event: LiveText Farmer’s Market
Tue, Jul 22


7AM-4:45PM
RCDH
Training Session: Analyze This: The Power of LiveText Analytics
Sessions and Workshops
Pre-reg Workshop: Developing Effective Rubrics
6:30PM-10PM
Chicago
Tuesday Evening Event: An Evening Out with LiveText at the Field Museum
Wed, Jul 23


7AM-11:30AM
RCDH
Training Session: Evidence of Continuous Improvement: Using e-Portfolios and the ExhibitCenter
Breakout Sessions
Closing LiveText Brunch Session
12PM-onwards
Chicago
Free time
Short trip to Museum of Science and Industry open until 4PM
Short trip to Adler Planetarium open until 6PM
Short trip to Shedd Aquarium open until 6PM
Thu, Jul 24


Whole day
Chicago
Free time
Drive and stroll the city :)
Tour stops: Hancock Center, Water Tower, Museum of Contemporary Art, Oak Street Beach, Tribune Tower, Millennium Park (Cloud Gate, The Bean, etc.), Art Institute of Chicago, Auditorium Theatre, Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower), Union Station, Bella Bacino's, Buckingham Fountain and Wrigley Building
Fri, Jul 25


Morning-Afternoon
Chicago
Get ready for flying home!
6:35PM ETD
DTW Airport

7:40PM ETA
AUH Airport



You wanna see some pics? Here!

There you go. Looking forward for another US trip soon! Ta-ta!


No comments: