Why I Went to Saudi Arabia -or- How I Got to Have a Few Dates and Meet My Prince

Abstract

I’m a high school media director. That means I sit behind a desk, read books, and have answers to all the questions, right? WRONG!! I teach information literacy skills – which means instructing students and staff on selecting, analyzing, organizing, and presenting information – and that manages to sound as boring as what people think I do! Okay, let’s rewrite that job description… I work in the information center of a school, and I help students learn to enjoy reading and to locate, analyze, and present information, and I help teachers plan projects. In other words, I help students develop into 21st century learners! To do this, my skills have to be honed, and I have to be excited about teaching students. To keep motivated, one must be exposed to new experiences, so when the chance arose for me to participate in Saudi Aramco’s American Educators to Saudi Arabia Program, I could not pass up such a great opportunity. After completing the application process, I was accepted as one of twenty-five social studies teachers and media specialists who would tour the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from the 17th through the 29th of November 2006. We would visit Dharran, Jeddah, and Riyadh with additional visits to the Fol Resort on the Red Sea and to the Al Hasa Oasis.