Saturday, June 13, 2009
Summer in TAH Land
For most of this decade, Teaching American History grants have dominated my summer responsibilities and taught me as much as I ever learned in any formal schooling. We just finished up our fourth grant, TAHPS (Teaching American History with Primary Sources), with a trip to Boston the first week of June. With a week in between at home to mow lawns, water flowers and gardens, and other various duties, I'm now preparing to go to Andover for a the first summer institute with our new group of teachers. This is the first grant we've had where teachers are all from the same district so it will be a new experience regarding curriculum coordination. It's a growing district and I'm looking forward to getting to know the teachers.
We've set up a Google groups account since the education service center is moving away from Blackboard and we didn't want to be stuck with various transition issues. It's also a way to more fully utilize Web 2.0.
Our Logistics Director is on maternity leave but has made arrangements for most everything we need this month. Two critical members of the team are two veteran teachers who compose part of our Teacher Leadership Team. Will has been with us since our first TAH grant, Project Mine. In fact, that's how I first met him. Kevin was a former student who also possesses keen insight into what works for teachers and what doesn't. The informal feedback they continually provide throughout the grant is as crucial as the formal feedback.
Through our partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute, David Blight and a master teacher will be joining us to share his expertise on slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Civil War in modern memory. They will be with us Tuesday through Thursday. On Monday, Kevin and Will will be sharing what they have learned about teaching with primary sources from their involvement in previous TAH grants and how they have implemented more primary sources into their classrooms. The teachers will do some presenting of the work they have put together on Friday. This fall, we will have an online class focusing on historical cognition and then in the spring we will have a spring institute and three reading seminars where they can get together to discuss significant monographs in American history.
The weather looks good for next week, too - always an added bonus.
We've set up a Google groups account since the education service center is moving away from Blackboard and we didn't want to be stuck with various transition issues. It's also a way to more fully utilize Web 2.0.
Our Logistics Director is on maternity leave but has made arrangements for most everything we need this month. Two critical members of the team are two veteran teachers who compose part of our Teacher Leadership Team. Will has been with us since our first TAH grant, Project Mine. In fact, that's how I first met him. Kevin was a former student who also possesses keen insight into what works for teachers and what doesn't. The informal feedback they continually provide throughout the grant is as crucial as the formal feedback.
Through our partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute, David Blight and a master teacher will be joining us to share his expertise on slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Civil War in modern memory. They will be with us Tuesday through Thursday. On Monday, Kevin and Will will be sharing what they have learned about teaching with primary sources from their involvement in previous TAH grants and how they have implemented more primary sources into their classrooms. The teachers will do some presenting of the work they have put together on Friday. This fall, we will have an online class focusing on historical cognition and then in the spring we will have a spring institute and three reading seminars where they can get together to discuss significant monographs in American history.
The weather looks good for next week, too - always an added bonus.
Labels: Andover, Blight, Boston, Gilder Lehrman Institute, TAH, teachers, Teaching American History, USD 385
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Final Prep for Boston
Just like right before we went to Kansas City, I need one more day in my week. The trip to DC was well worth making on a variety of fronts but it took several days to recover.
I made more progress than I expected working in the yard last night despite the high humidity. I tried to wait until it cooled off a bit -both for me and for Shadow. I woke up about 5:30am this morning with all that was going on the next week running through my brain - again, not an unusual occurrence.
Think I'll skip the farmers' market this morning. My favorite farmer hasn't been coming given that his berry crops mostly froze and I will be gone all week and I'll be here next week to go. I'm going to wash the car and finish the lawn and get the sprinklers ready given that there is no guaranteed rain - unlike the last two months. My friend's husband is going to come check on the roof leak - I caulked what appeared to be the loose shingle causing the problem.
Most importantly, I cleared out the gutters yesterday. There wasn't much in them, so I was puzzled given how they seemed to be full based on how the water was overflowing. However, it was primarily the drainspouts being totally clogged - which doesn't take much - so now that that is taken care of, I should be set. Which makes me realize I did forget to doublecheck the back downspout. I guess there's always something to add to the joys of home ownership!
I'm mentally ready to be in Boston - especially since Rich will be in charge of the tour tomorrow and the logistics on Monday when we go to the Archives and to Lowell Mills. And it looks like there's not much chance of rain and that the cool weather has subsided. I would love the cool weather - I just hate packing for such big ranges.
I made more progress than I expected working in the yard last night despite the high humidity. I tried to wait until it cooled off a bit -both for me and for Shadow. I woke up about 5:30am this morning with all that was going on the next week running through my brain - again, not an unusual occurrence.
Think I'll skip the farmers' market this morning. My favorite farmer hasn't been coming given that his berry crops mostly froze and I will be gone all week and I'll be here next week to go. I'm going to wash the car and finish the lawn and get the sprinklers ready given that there is no guaranteed rain - unlike the last two months. My friend's husband is going to come check on the roof leak - I caulked what appeared to be the loose shingle causing the problem.
Most importantly, I cleared out the gutters yesterday. There wasn't much in them, so I was puzzled given how they seemed to be full based on how the water was overflowing. However, it was primarily the drainspouts being totally clogged - which doesn't take much - so now that that is taken care of, I should be set. Which makes me realize I did forget to doublecheck the back downspout. I guess there's always something to add to the joys of home ownership!
I'm mentally ready to be in Boston - especially since Rich will be in charge of the tour tomorrow and the logistics on Monday when we go to the Archives and to Lowell Mills. And it looks like there's not much chance of rain and that the cool weather has subsided. I would love the cool weather - I just hate packing for such big ranges.
Labels: Boston, home, Project Primary Sources, Shadow, travel, yard
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