So we're going to Cuba, and we're not taking any electronics.
The last time I was in Cuba was a hundred years ago, before the Special Period, and certainly well before smart phones and ubiquitous wifi (which is not so ubiquitous in Cuba anyway). I was about 12 years old, and I survived. Imagine!
So now I have two 12-year-olds who are virtually connected most if not all of the time. Given Cuba's limited (emerging?) connectivity and our short time (one week) there, we've decided it's best if we just go digitally naked for the week. In an age where one's personal digital devices is not only one's phone and wifi connection, but also one's map, alarm clock and camera, among other things, it's a pretty significant decision.
That being said, I'm not about to give up the opportunity to document our experiences, despite not having a camera or the ability to blog or post to Instagram in real time. I've made a lovely little workbook for the kids and for me to journal our adventures...
The last time I was in Cuba was a hundred years ago, before the Special Period, and certainly well before smart phones and ubiquitous wifi (which is not so ubiquitous in Cuba anyway). I was about 12 years old, and I survived. Imagine!
So now I have two 12-year-olds who are virtually connected most if not all of the time. Given Cuba's limited (emerging?) connectivity and our short time (one week) there, we've decided it's best if we just go digitally naked for the week. In an age where one's personal digital devices is not only one's phone and wifi connection, but also one's map, alarm clock and camera, among other things, it's a pretty significant decision.
That being said, I'm not about to give up the opportunity to document our experiences, despite not having a camera or the ability to blog or post to Instagram in real time. I've made a lovely little workbook for the kids and for me to journal our adventures...
Truth be told, when I shared this little gem with Alex and Simon, it went over like a lead balloon.
"But we're supposed to be on VACATION!", Simon lamented.
He was particularly unimpressed with the suggested learning goal and success criteria I had noted on the inside cover. Their 7-year-old selves would have loved it, but their adolescent selves were not so easily bamboozled by fancy fonts and bold borders on clean, white printer paper.
Alex, at least, succumbed to the colourful cardstock and little sticky note tickets I introduced to sweeten the deal, and even got into the spirit of crafting his little workbook, posing obediently for a photo.
"But we're supposed to be on VACATION!", Simon lamented.
He was particularly unimpressed with the suggested learning goal and success criteria I had noted on the inside cover. Their 7-year-old selves would have loved it, but their adolescent selves were not so easily bamboozled by fancy fonts and bold borders on clean, white printer paper.
Alex, at least, succumbed to the colourful cardstock and little sticky note tickets I introduced to sweeten the deal, and even got into the spirit of crafting his little workbook, posing obediently for a photo.
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Simon was not so easily swayed, and the activist in him continued to protest in any way he could; three guesses which of the three booklets below is his!
For all his groaning and complaining, though, I know he's excited about the trip, and I'm willing to bet my bottom CUC that he'll jump on board within 24 hours of our 4 a.m. airport arrival on Friday and get on with the journal-ling. (In between swimming in the pool and the ocean, that is!)
#TeacherMomAF
P.S. Want to make your own travel journal for your kids or a student in your class who will be away? Download the word doc below, and customize the text to suit your needs. If you want to take it to the next level, arrange the pages so that you can print back to back and have a self contained booklet!
#TeacherMomAF
P.S. Want to make your own travel journal for your kids or a student in your class who will be away? Download the word doc below, and customize the text to suit your needs. If you want to take it to the next level, arrange the pages so that you can print back to back and have a self contained booklet!
| cuba_documentation.docx |
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