New York Subways

This is a video taken on our last subway ride in New York.  Always expect the unexpected!

Brain Overload

As our fellowship comes to an end, I have started trying to put into perspective all that we've experienced and learned over the past 13 days.  The overwhelming amount of knowledge we have gained during both our own self-guided experiences and the writing institute has my head spinning.  There have been multiple nights I haven't slept well because my brain just won't stop.  There is so much I need to do:  organize all the valuable information I've collected at the writing institute, set up meetings with my team and staff, begin planning lessons using our new primary sources, download and set up Evernote on the phone and iPad (the absolute best way to keep track of reading and writing conferences), and most importantly, prepare to meet my wonderful students on Monday.

I'd like to thank Fund for Teachers and PEF again for given us this invaluable opportunity.  I know the many "small moments" (writing verbiage) I have collected have made me a better, more knowledgeable person, and will definitely make me a stronger teacher.  Thanks to all that have followed us throughout our trip by reading our words.  The "I hate you" messages can stop now (Daniel Middlebrooks), since real life begins again Monday.  A big thank you goes out to Leigh for being my navigator, random fact holder, and support during this trip.  Thank goodness she MADE me finish revising the grant with her!  Finally, I'd like to thank my husband who had to survive without me for almost two weeks (although at times I'm sure he really enjoyed it).  He has shown tremendous support and patience while I've run around the US looking for better ways to teach.  What he may not realize is that none of this would be possible without him.

So, on that note, I am going to close my computer and start to pack.  I pray that my suitcase will still be under 50 lbs AFTER all the resources (and goodies) I've collected.  Thank goodness I had to bring along that extra bag at the beginning of the trip!

The New York Experience - A Note to Mrs. Hartley's Students

One of the most memorable experiences in New York is riding on the subway.  It's hot, it's noisy, and you get to see ALL types of characters on the train!  Watch the quick video below to see what it's like to get on a train during rush hour (in the morning or evening when people are going to/from work).

 

Below is a view of Time Square.  Look how busy it is!  Thousands of people are out on the street here at the same time.  There might be just as many cabs, too.

A quick view of Lady Liberty, the Statue of Liberty located on Liberty Island between New York and New Jersey.

View of New York from the Empire State Building.  Buildings and people packed in like sardines!

 

Me on top of Rockefeller Center with views of the Empire State Building.

Don't forget to scroll down and check out the responses to your questions from yesterday!

Mrs. Hartley's Class - Response to Questions & Comments

I was SO excited to receive your questions and comments yesterday (even the potty one)!  You have no idea how frazzled my brain was about missing the first day of school.  I am really glad there is a way to talk with you.

I took the "potty" picture while I was at the National Air and Space Museum in DC.  This is what the toilet in an airplane looks like (specifically an old Pan Am plane).  Have you ever thought about where everything goes when you use the restroom on an airplane?

Here is what the sign says:  Airplane bathroom waste has always gone into a storage tank in the airplane, which is pumped out after landing.  If the tank gets full, there is an overflow valve that discharges extra waste out of the aircraft - during flight (Yuck!).  The chemicals used to treat the waste turn it blue, and the waste freezes during its fall to earth - the infamous "blue ice."

So...if you are ever struck by "blue ice" while you are walking down the road, run for the shower quick.  You've just had airplane waste land on you! :)

In response to...
*  Sherry - I would have loved for you to eat with me also!  My meal was one of the best I'd every had (especially the coconut cream pie at the end), but also one of the most expensive.  For only me I spent $70!

*  Class - Mmmmm.  Gifts?  All depends on how good you are while I'm out.  Make sure I receive a great note about your behavior!

*  Jordan - You won the book?  Won the movie?  Won the game?  Can you write out a sticky for me and put it under the car (back closet) in the parking lot? :)

*  Rose and Jerod - Wouldn't it be nice if we were close enough to visit the Statue of Liberty as a class?  A couple quick Lady Liberty facts:  There are 357 steps inside the statue, she weighs 450,000 pounds and had to be sent to the United States in pieces, and her shoe size would be size 879.  And I thought I had big feet!

Welcome, Mrs. Hartley's 5th Graders!

Good morning to my wonderful 5th graders!  I hope you all had a great summer and are ready to get back in the swing of school.  Please watch the video real quick, so I can say hello in person! :)

 

I've gotten to visit many cool places the past two weeks.  Right below are some of the places I was able to visit while in Washington, D.C.

On our first full day in DC, we visited both the Lincoln and Washington Memorials.  Look at how tall the Lincoln Memorial is compared to me!

Below is a picture of the Capitol building in DC.  This is where both the House of Representatives and the Senate meet.

 This was as close as we could get to the White House.  Pretty, isn't it?

If you want to see more pictures from DC, click on the Washington, D.C. pictures link on the right hand side of the Blog.  You can also talk to me if you'd like (click on "No Comments" below then write me a line or any questions you have for me).  

I can't wait to hear from you!

Standing on Top of the World

Today at our writing workshop at the Teachers College at Columbia University we were able to hear Ralph Fletcher speak about the use of mentor texts in the writing curriculum.  Not only is he an incredible author, but he's an inspiring speaker.  Finding powerful mentor texts to share with students and adults alike can inspire us to write so many different things.  I can't wait to take back what I learned today and share with my students!

This evening Jennifer and I went to Rockefeller Center to eat dinner at Del Frisco's Grille.  After what has been the most delicious meal I've had on this trip, we walked around Rockefeller Center snapping pictures of Radio City Music Hall and the NBC Studios.  Then we took the elevator to The Top of the Rock.  It's an outside observation deck, well three decks actually, at the top of Rockefeller Center.  We went up at the perfect time.  The sun was setting, so we got some phenomenal shots of the Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, The Crysler Building, and Central Park at dusk.  While the concrete jungle can be intimidating from the street level, the beauty of the city shines through when you're standing on top of the world. 

Let the Writers' Block Begin!

Today was our first day at Columbia University. We both found it especially hard to stop our learning excursions and focus our minds on curriculum (and sitting in the classroom) again. We shouldn't have been worried, though. The Writing Summer Institute is full of movement and exceptional speakers. We (1000 teachers, administrators, and coaches) started at Riverside Church surrounded by amazing stained glass windows. Lucy Caulkins was our keynote speaker. She did a great job of getting us psyched about starting our new writing units. Her key phrase was, "Don't waffle. Go for it!"  In other words, even if it seems overwhelming, just jump in and get started.  Everything will come together once you decide to take the first step.

Following our keynote, we divided into a group of about 200 and talked about writer's workshop and the writing process, which due to our early summer training, we were already comfortable with the lingo (thank you Debbie and Jennifer). Our afternoon small group sessions were amazing.   My instructor, Cornelius, is a classroom teacher in Brooklyn. You could tell he loves teaching just by observing the energy he put into modeling a lesson for us today. It is amazing how much we learn by observing each other in regular teaching settings!  Our day closed with homework assignments (ugh) and a great feeling about the rest of the week.

Empire State of Mind

The concrete jungle has been messing with my sense of direction.  To get off the subway at the South Ferry Station, we had to be on the first five cars of the train.  I made sure Jennifer and I were in the first five cars when we got on our subway stop by the apartment.  The only problem was thanks to my awesome sense of direction, or lack there of, we ended up on the last five cars!  Awesome.  So for the next several stops we spent our time train hopping.  The doors would open, we would jump out and run up to the next car or two and jump back in before the doors closed.  We decided to take a break with about 10 stops left.  When we got down to the last 5 stops, we jumped off again only to realize that the car we were hopping into was the front car. 

Once we got to the South Ferry Station, we exited and made our way over to one of the ferries that transports people to the Statue of Liberty.  We were able to get to the top part of the ferry that is open and took some amazing pictures of the New York skyline and Lady Liberty.  The skyline still seems so bare without the Twin Towers there, but it's so good to see One World Trade Center standing tall and proud.  We wanted to visit Ellis Island, but it is still closed due to damage from Hurricane Sandy.  Upon arriving at the Statue of Liberty we realized we had made a terrible mistake.  We forgot to buy tickets to go onto the podium where Lady Liberty stands!  They don't sell tickets on the island.  So we walked around the base of the island taking lots of pictures and visited the gift shop to buy books about The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island for our classrooms. 

Once we got back to Manhattan, we took the subway to 34th Street and made our way to The Empire State Building.  While the building does a have a romantic feel to it, dismiss those An Affair to Remember and Sleepless in Seattle ideas of running in the building and being whisked away on one elevator to the 86th floor.  The line moved fairly quickly at first, but then it slowed down as we took a couple of escalators, two elevators, and traversed the labyrinth inside the massive building.  I felt like a lab rat making its way through the maze.  The treat for finding your way to the exit was the incredible view from the top.  It reminded me of being on top of the South Tower at the World Trade Center.  The streets were lines with little yellow taxis that looked like yellow ants scurrying around on the ground.  The Statue of Liberty appeared to be the size of a golf pencil, and the wind blew our hair about like we were in a tornado.  The experience was exciting, dizzying, scary, and breathtaking all at once.

Our final outing for the day was to see The Lion King on Broadway.  Wow!  It was absolutely amazing!  I have been dying to see this musical since it was released back in 1997.  After waiting 16 years to see it, it did not disappoint in any way, shape, or form.  As a teacher, I wish I could take my students to see more musicals and experience more of the arts.  While I completely understand and support that students need to know the core subjects, I'm afraid what many students in the country are missing when the arts are cut from the curriculum.  I wish all students could experience the museums, memorials, and performances Jennifer and I have had the privilege of going to on this trip.  I know our lives have forever been changed for the better from all these experiences. 

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Today Jennifer and I took the morning off to sleep in late, eat breakfast, and then go back to bed for a nap!  We have been constantly on the go visitng monuments, memorials, and museums since Monday, and our bodies were demanding a break. 

Finally around 2:30, we made our way to one of my all time favorite museums, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (the MET).  We viewed several different exhibits: Photography of the American Civil War, Musical Instruments, Arms and Armor, Drawings and Prints, The Civil War and American Art, the American Wing, European Paintings, Modern and Contemporary Art, Photographs, and my favorite - Egyptain Art.  This was my fourth visit to the MET, and everytime I spend the most time in the Egyptian Art wing.  When I was in college, I loved studying about the ancient Egyptians more than anything else.  i've always been amazed by the things they were able to accomplish.  Plus I'm a history nerd and love looking at things that have survived for thousands of years.  It's amazing something that someone used that long ago has survived for me to see in present times.  But today, something else in the museum topped my love for the Egyptian Wing.  In the American Art exhibit, there was the famous painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware.  The picture has always annoyed me because of its inaccuracies, but seeing the painting in real life brought a new found appreciation for it.  I stood for at least 5 minutes staring at it's enormous size while reliving in my head what those men had to endure that Christmas night so long ago to help our country gain its freedom.  In my classroom I always read the book George Washington's Socks to my class as we study the Revolutionary War.  The book is about the crossing of the Delaware, and this famous painting is on the cover of the book.  I can't wait to show my students the picture I took of the real thing! 

Where's the Love?

Today Jennifer and I went to the one place I've been dreading and looking forward to the most since we applied for our Fund for Teachers grant - the 9/11 Memorial.  I was fortunate enough to go to the observation desk of the World Trade Center (South Tower) twice before 2001.  The buildings were incredible, and the view was amazing.  The second time I went, my husband took a picture of me sitting on a bench reading a subway map in between the two buildings.  When the attacks happened on 9/11, I watched the North Tower collapse not realizing at the time that the South Tower had already fallen.  While I'm not a New Yorker, I felt a strong connection with the towers and was devestated by all that happened on 9/11.  The Memorial is a beautiful, peaceful sight that truly honors those who lost their lives that fateful day.  Jennifer was kind enough to take a picture of me in roughly the same spot my husband took that picture of me several years ago.  I spent some time today reflecting on the past, thankful that neither New York nor our country crumbled under this attack.

After lunch at the apartment, we took a stroll through Harlem on our way to visit the American Museum of Natural History.  We took many pictures of different artifacts left from different Native American groups we study along with pictures of how glaciers and plate techtonics can shape our land.  We are excited about putting the pictures together in various presentations to present to our students.  We can't afford to take them to see this wonderful museum in person, but we can take a part of it to them in our classrooms. 

This evening Jennifer and I splurged on tickets to go see Wicked on Broadway.  We both love musicals, and this one is phenomenal!  We're guaranteed to be singing some of our favorites from the show for weeks to come!  We laughed.  We cried.  We sang.  And we were inspired.  After a morning of reliving one of our nation's most horrible attacks, it was nice to end it on a happy note! 

Train Jumping

This morning we got up nice and early to take the 50 minute Subway ride downtown to Battery Park. Our goal was to use our passes to board a boat heading out to Liberty Island. About 2/3 of the way there, Leigh pointed to a sign that said we needed to be in the first 5 cars to disembark at the South Ferry stop. We, of course, were nowhere near the front of the train. We spent the next 4 stops hopping 1-2 cars forward and jumping back in before the doors closed. Reminded me of all the movies that show people running to catch the subway!  Finally we had arrived and OOOPS! Leigh forgot her City Pass which would allow us to board the boats. So...we decided to visit the 9/11 Memorial instead. We hopped onto another train and viewed the Memorial Pools. Now we are lunching back at the apartment, grabbing Leigh's pass, and planning the rest of our day!

"For the dead AND the living, we must bear witness"

Although not planned intentionally, today's theme ended up being about remembering.  Remembering those who have led our country (the good and the bad), those who have died for our country, those who fought by speaking out about injustice, and those who suffered when we (as a country) did not do enough to help.  There really is such a thing as emotional overload.  Usually I don't experience this until the last week of school when I am planning to say goodbye to my current class of 5th graders.  There was one point when Leigh and I didn't speak to each other for about an hour as we wondered through our exhibits.  There were just not words to express the overwhelming emotion we were feeling.

Our day started out with a Metro ride out to Arlington National Cemetery.  We arrived early (thank goodness) and missed the crowds.  Our original thought was to just visit the Tomb of the Unknowns and watch the Changing of the Guard, but that idea didn't last long once we found out the Tomb was a mile into the cemetery.  We ended up taking the tram, which included a guided tour and multiple stopping points.  Our first stop was John F. Kennedy's gravesite where the "Eternal Flame" still shines.  We continued on to witness the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. The precision and discipline the Marines demonstrated was amazing.  The Tomb was greatly honored by both the Marines guarding it, and the visitors observing.  Our final stop on the tour was Arlington House, General Lee's home, which was lost to him and his family during the Civil War.

From Arlington, we made our way to Ford's Theater where we traveled back in time to President Lincoln's years in office.  The Museum included explicit information about Lincoln's final hours.  After walking through the Museum portion, we were able to visit the inside of the theater and look up to see where President Lincoln was sitting when he was shot.  We then traveled across the street to the Peterson house where Lincoln passed away the next morning.  Being able to walk through the theater and the Peterson home has forever connected both Leigh and me to this historical event.  An event that we will now remain a part of us.

The American History Museum was our third stop for the day.  The first exhibit we visited was "The Price of Freedom:  Americans at War."  I must say, as an educator, this was a wonderful exhibit.  I think Leigh and I probably took over 100 pictures (her 4th grade standards and my 5th grade standards).  I figure we've got plenty of picture evidence to put together a nice PowerPoint when we start teaching social studies this year!  We also visited the "American Presidency" exhibit and "America on the Move," which focused on American transportation throughout the years.

Our final stop was the Holocaust Museum.  Please check out Leigh's post for more details about our visit here.  All I can tell you is that I was brought to tears multiple times as I walked through this monumental museum.  My earlier comment about not being able to express ourselves belongs with this part of our day.  We were both amazed at the respect shown by both the creators of the museum and the visitors were with us today.  Even younger children understood the importance of what they were seeing and were silent as we walked through.

My title post, "For the dead and the living, we must bear witness" is written on the walls throughout the Holocaust Museum.  I feel that I have been able to "witness" today and am now better prepared to share our history with those that I teach.

This Way to the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen

Since Jennifer is blogging about our day, I decided to take a page from her book and write only about my personal experience at United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 

The first thing that struck me as we walked through this amazing museum was how respectfully quiet everyone was - adults, teenagers, and children alike.  It's so rare to enter a place where literally thousands of people are and be able to hear a pin drop throughout the entire building.  But then again, I'm not sure how anyone wouldn't be stunned into silence upon seeing the pictures and videos of what happened to countless people during the Holocaust. 

There were a few exhibits that really have stuck out in my mind.  One happened when we stepped off the elevator at the first exhibit.  There was an enormous black and white photograph of soldiers standing over a mass grave with charred bodies piled deep in it.  That image set the tone for the remainder of the tour.  Another display that has stayed with me are photographs and paintings from a village of Jews that had been around for 900 years that was completely evacuated when the Jews were sent to concentration camps.  All those people gone because of who they were.  The photographs and paintings covered all four walls going from the 1st floor all the way up to the 3rd floor of the museum.  The exhibit that I personally had difficulty viewing was about the death camps.  I actually hurried through that exhibit because of the memories it brought back to me when I visited Dachau, a concentration camp in Germany.  I remember touring the barracks, the mass graves, and actually walking through the gas chambers there.  Even though I was only 16 when I went to Dachau, it is an experience I will never forget.  The aura of horror that surrounded that place has stuck with me all these years and returned with a vengeance today as I looked at videos, photographs, and dioramas of Auchwitz, the death camp in Poland. 

All of this is a reminder to me that just because a man (or woman) has the ability to speak boldly and move people to action, doesn't mean he/she should be followed.  Hitler was phenomenal at moving crowds toward action, but those actions killed millions and wiped out around 1/3 of the world's Jewish population.  And for me, that can never be acceptable. 

Love in an Elevator

Once Jennifer and I made it back to the hotel from our day of touring the National Mall, we couldn't wait to get to our hotel room.  We pushed the up button on the elevator and waited for what felt like forever.  Neither of us thought we could stand to take the stair up two flights to get to our hotel room.  We could hear all sorts of loud talking on the elevator as we were waiting for it to decend from the fourth floor.  After an eternity of waiting for the elevator to arrive, the doors finally opened, and we were faced with at least six boisterous women and two children.  They said they were not getting off but going back up.  I groaned internally and began to consider the stairs.  The elevator is small, and I didn't think there was any possible way for Jennifer and I to squeeze in there.  But I was wrong!  Jennifer and I crammed ourselves into this tiny elevator bringing our total of people up to 10.  The doors closed, the lady standing closest to the buttons pushed 2, and we waited for the elevator to rise.  We waited and waited and waited some more before we realized the elevator was not moving.  The lady pushed the "Open Door" button, but nothing happened.  It didn't take us and our new eight best friends long to realize we were stuck!  Although we were hot, sweaty, and packed into that elevator like a can stuffed full of vienna sausages, no one panicked.  The lady standing next to the buttons pushed the alarm button several times, but no one came.  She got out her cell phone and called the number posted on the elevator door.  Although we could hear the person on the other end of the line, he could not hear us!  Jennifer got out the number for the hotel, and I dialed it on my cell phone.  At least, I thought I did until the pleasant lady on the other end of the phone answered, "Good afternoon.  This is the Kauai Courtyard by Marriott (in Hawaii).  How may I help you?"  After politely apologizing for dialing the wrong number, Jennifer had me try to push the elevator door open.  At first, nothing happened, but after about 30 seconds, the door retracted, and we ran out of there like bats out of hades.  The stairs weren't so bad.  After our 5 mile track today, what were a couple of flights of stairs when it meant we could collapse into an ice cold hotel room! 

A Strong Man

Leigh has written a book about today's adventure (had to get that in there, Leigh), so I will only be focusing on one little portion... :-)

The Civil War is studied in depth in 5th grade.  It has always been difficult to help students understand the magnitude of President Lincoln's choice during this time period.  I was extremely excited and hopeful today as we made our way towards the Lincoln Memorial. 

Needless to say, my attitude greatly changed when we came face-to-face with the green paint that someone threw across the statue.  I have never been a history buff, and I am not one to voice my political opinion often, but seeing Lincoln's statue disrespected really got to me.

 We were still able to get some great pictures while we were there.  Hopefully I will be able to describe in detail, when working with my students, the intensity I felt when seeing Lincoln's statue for the first time

R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.

Today, Jennifer and I walked the entire length of the National Mall one and a half times, and we saw so many interesting monuments made of stone, granite, marble, and other various forms of rock.  The thing that amazed me most was the mixture of sadness, anger, joy, and pride that I felt at each
place we visited. 

We began today's journey at the Washington Monument which is undergoing repairs from an earthquake that occurred in August 2011.  We were quite annoyed that after almost 2 years, the monument is still closed, but we did get some great pictures.  You don't truly comprehend how tall the monument is until you see it in person.  As I was staring at it today, it reminded me of the six foot one inch first President: strong, tall, and reflective. 

From the Washington Monument, we continued our trek stopping to admire the World War II Memorial.  It was divided into two sides one for the Pacific and one for the Atlantic.  The memorial was a very peaceful place with its fountains and small pool in the center unlike the war that actually happened around 70 years ago. 

We were worried the Lincoln Memorial would not be opened due to the vandalism that took place last week.  Even though crews are still working to clean up the green paint, the memorial was opened.  Jennifer and I stood in awe at this great man that tried to keep our nation together during some of its darkest times, but we both expressed our sadness that this great memorial had been tarnished and our anger at the person who did it.  Our applause goes out to the crews who are working around the clock to bring Mr. Lincoln to his former glory.

Next we began to make our way back down the National Mall stopping by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.  I was struck with the sheer amount of names etched into each section of that great wall.  While my knowledge of the this particular war is small, my respect for those men who fought in the war continues to grow.

From there, we traveled down Constitution Avenue to the National Archives.  I could not wait to see the documents that I teach my fourth graders about every year: The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and The Bill of Rights.  Oh how I wish I could have taken pictures to not only show my students these all too important documents, but to also show them one of the rough drafts that Jefferson did on the Declaration of Independence. I told the teenager standing next to me, "See!  Even Thomas Jefferson had to revise his own writing!"  Of course, the poor teenager looked at me like I was insane, but he doesn't understand how passionate this teacher is about helping students see the importance of drafting and revising and then do it!  Of course the reason that I could not take pictures of any of the documents is because they are fading away.  Two hundred years of being exposed to not only regular light but flash photography as well has faded the ink on these precious documents.  Jennifer and I were both terribly saddened by the fact that you can hardly make out any words on the Declaration of Independence.  I had to get down as close to the glass as possible and squint really hard to even slightly make out John Hancock's John Hancock.

After a brief lunch in the Archive's cafe, we hustled down Constitution Avenue to the Dirkson Senate Office Building where Tennessee's Senators Bob Corker's and Lamar Alexander's offices are located.  At two o'clock, we were taken on a tour of the Capitol by two of Senator Corker's interns.  If you ever come to Washington, DC, I do suggest making arrangements with your state's congressmen to schedule a tour.  It is free, and it gets you to the front of all the lines!  We were able to bypass the crowds that went to the Capitol without scheduling appointments.  While this history nut enjoyed the tour of the Capitol immensely, my favorite part of the tour was going through the underground tunnels that connected the Congressmen's and women's office buildings to the Capitol.  We were able to take their underground trolley and even passed Senator John McCain and Senator Rand Paul while we were down there. 

After a day filled with historical landmarks, documents and tours, Jennifer and I returned to the hotel to soak our feet and rest our bodies until our next outing! 

Leaving on a Jet Plane

It's hard to believe that this morning, I woke up at Jennifer's house, and now we're sitting in our hotel room on Capitol Hill reflecting on a long day spent with jet airplanes and rockets. 

During the morning, we traveled on Delta Airlines from Chattanooga to Atlanta and onto Washington D.C.  All I can say is thank goodness for electronic devices!  Jennifer and I passed the time on the planes and in the airports playing Candy Crush, Solitare, Bejewled Blitz, and a couple of intense games of Wheel of Fortune. 

Once we arrived in D.C., the nerve racking part of the trip began for me - finding a taxi to get us from the airport to the hotel.  Thankfully, Jennifer was well prepared.  Once we picked up luggage, we had a cab in about 60 seconds and quickly arrived at the hotel.  After we checked in with our families to let them know when had arrived safely, we ventured out onto the streets of DC.

We spent the afternoon at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.  I was so excited upon entering the museum to see two of my favorite planes, The Spirit of St. Louis and Glamorous Glennis.  Thanks to my husband's passion for aviation, I was able to tell Jennifer about not only those two planes but several others as we traveled throughout the years of aviation.  I'm always eager to look at anything dealing with NASA.  Seeing the Apollo 11 space craft and one of the lunar rovers along with Gene Kranz's Apollo 13 Vest were just a few of the exhibits we saw that I loved!  We were able to blast off into space with the Discovery Space Shuttle thanks to the IMAX movie The Dream Is Alive.  While I've never witnessed any of the rockets or shuttles being launched into space, the images and sounds during the movie made me feel like I was there.  We concluded our 5 hour tour of the National Air and Space Museum at the Albert Einstein Planetarium.  Whoppi Goldberg narrated Journey to the Stars, a video about the birth and death of stars in our universe.  We enjoyed the video, and our exhausted bodies enjoyed the reclining seats in the dark room! 

We ended our day getting take out from We the Pizza.  Those 3 slices of pepperoni pizza and Diet Coke hit the spot after the first exciting day with jet airplanes.

Now if only we could stop our brains from spinning, we might get some sleep and be ready for tomorrow!

Countdown: 5 more days

Let the packing begin!!!

We have recently been the lucky recipients of the Fund for Teachers learning fellowship grant.  Our fellowship focus is divided into two separate learning opportunities. The first opportunity will help us become more knowledgeable and comfortable with teaching writing. The second part of our experience increases our first hand knowledge of our country’s rich and diverse culture.

After looking extensively at our new Common Core standards, we decided to attend the Columbia University Teachers College Summer Writing Institute.  While there, we will focus on curriculum development and the structure of writer’s workshop. We will acquire strategies to help us teach various genres of writing, determine methods to hold students more accountable, and find ways to improve student writing through the use of quality text examples. We will then be able to apply these learning immediately in the classroom on our return.

Before and after the Writing Institute we will have the opportunity to visit historical sites around both New York and Washington, DC.  There are so many locations in these two cities that support our current curriculum standards.  We will have trouble narrowing down our focus!

Thank you again to Fund for Teachers and PEF for giving us this amazing learning opportunity.  We can't wait to share our learning experiences with our students and faculty!

Reservations

Planning a 10 day fellowship can be just a tad overwhelming!  We've researched so many places and activities.  All I can tell you is that there are way too many great locations to visit and restaurants to eat at while we will be in DC and NY.  I can say that we completely lucked out with our living arrangements in NY.  Since we had to VERY quickly change our trip dates, our original NY apartment selection also changed.  Leigh immediately started searching airbnb and hit the jackpot!  We found the perfect place to stay!  The apartment is EXTREMELY close to Columbia University and ended up being cheaper than our original apartment (which is good since our DC hotel went up in price).  After we had the lodging and transportation taken care of, we were able to start planning the other learning aspects of our fellowship.  Here's what we've come up with so far:

• Washington, DC
• Air and Space Smithsonian
• The Capitol Building (special permission is needed for this if you ever plan a tour)
• National Mall
• Arlington Cemetery
• American History Smithsonian
• Ford's Theatre

• New York
• American Museum of Natural History
• Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island (if open)
• Twin Towers Memorial Site
• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Empire State Building

Hopefully our schedule (and energy levels) will allow all of these learning opportunities!