Welcome back! Hopefully you all had a restful and relaxing holiday filled with lots of fun things! Prior to break I spent some much cherished time with the Littles.
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| "Stop asking me to look and smile!" |
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However, when there are books in the mix, 18 month old Little Miss is all about that.
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| Little Mister (9mo) was distracted so he didn't remember having a hat put on him or he would've grabbed it right off! "Too cool for my hat!" |
For the last few years, my tradition has been to spend Christmas on a warm sunny beach in south Florida. On the way to the beach Christmas Eve Day, here comes Santa Claus zipping past on his motorcycle!
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| What?? Hey Santa!! Where's your sleigh?? |
I love to travel and I love sunny and warm! Finding some seaglass treasures are even more exciting!
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| This trip's seaglass finds along with a couple of lucky but corroded coins. |
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| Rough waves but gorgeous morning sunshine. |
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| Hollywood Beach near Fort Lauderdale Light at the end of the tunnel! |
Besides walking the beach and soaking up the warmth and sunshine, I love looking for historical sites I haven't been to. One such site was The Barnacle Historic State Park in Miami, Florida. Here is what appears to be an old well possibly dating back to the 1700's. Rumor has it that this could be the Fountain of Youth. Okay, if that's the case, let me have some of that stuff!
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| Barnacle Historic State Park, Miami, Florida Could this be the long lost Fountain of Youth?? |
So all this sunshine and traveling has me thinking about plans for more sunshine and traveling over the summer of 2019. A year ago, I sent out this post to make you aware of the upcoming summer opportunity of National Endowment for the Humanities teacher workshops. The NEH website now has their summer 2019 programs listed. You will definitely want to check them out! If you missed seeing this post last year or if you can't remember what NEH is, keep reading!
You do not want to miss out on this! The National Endowment for the Humanities has this summer's workshops now listed and available to apply for! Each year, NEH offers tuition-free opportunities for school educators to study a variety of humanities topics. Stipends of $1,200-$3,300 help cover expenses for these one- to four-week programs. NEH Summer Programs in the Humanities for School Teachers use historic sites to address central themes and issues in American history, government, literature, art, music, and related subjects in the humanities. Take a peek at the website below, keeping in mind the application deadline is March 1st.
(As of 1-3-19 due to government shutdown, you will see that the site has a shutdown notice on it. However you can still scroll through the links to the various workshops.)
I have experienced this amazing opportunity two different summers by participating in two different weeklong workshops. Each was packed full of historical sites and learning from experts! If you are someone who loves history and learning new things about other parts of the country, this is definitely for you! Any K-12 specialist or classroom teacher may apply.
I became interested in NEH after hearing about it through one of my district colleagues who has participated in several. Here's what she has to say about the NEH program.
I have participated in many NEH workshops and seminars throughout the country. Each NEH program has been outstanding. The programs are well designed, providing a balance of visits to historic sites and presentations from expert professors. You have unique experiences that you couldn't have on a personal vacation, like a hard-hat tour of the stabilized but not yet preserved hospital on Ellis Island and conducting research using Winston Churchill's actual papers from World War II. In addition, it is great to spend time with other dedicated teachers from around the country. I encourage all teachers to apply. First-time applicants are given priority. In the past, it was beneficial to be a teacher from the Midwest because fewer teachers from our region apply. NEH programs are looking for diversity, including elementary school teachers, who apply less frequently.
Christine Kadonsky
Wausau West H.S., WI
During each workshop I met teachers I have kept in contact with...even exchanging pen pal letters between our students.
I have found that the NEH Landmarks Workshops provide me with background knowledge and experiences that make my instruction have more impact. Through learning from experts on specific topics and participating in the "lived" experiences of places where the workshops are held, I have gained professional development unlike anything I have ever experienced.
Dr. Rose Bulau, NBCT
4/5th grade looping specialist, GA
At NEH workshops and seminars, I get to recharge my soul in anticipation of the new school year. Studying and learning and having fun with colleagues from around the country reignites my passion that originally drew me to education.
Shannon Rozewski
High School English, OR
Philadelphia was the site of my first workshop in 2015 and it was Ah-May-Zing! Our group was given a special tour of Independence Hall bell tower. You know...where Nicholas Cage filmed National Treasure? I really got a feel for how old the building was when I walked the same stairway that was there in the 1700's! The National Constitution Center was an incredible place as well as all of Ben Franklin's sites, and of course the Liberty Bell!
Staircase from the 1700's leading to the Bell Tower
Ben Franklin and I posing in the Constitution Center (2015)
Independence Hall
Liberty Bell
Philly Cheesesteak!! A yummy cultural experience!
My second workshop took place in 2017 in Eatonville, Florida, the first entirely African American city to be established in 1887 after being settled by former slaves two decades after the Civil War ended. It was hometown to not only former Green Bay Packer player Ha Ha Clinton Dix, but Zora Neale Hurston who is considered one of the best writers of Twentieth-century African-American literature. It was her literature and folk tales that I studied during this workshop and her formative years in Eatonville that influenced her writing. As a result of this workshop literature study, I developed a lesson plan based on using hyperbole that fits perfectly into my Tall Tale study for 4th graders.
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| Among many of her great pieces of literature, this novel is one of Zora's most well known books. I definitely recommend this as a good read for yourself. |
Our Zora group with the fabulous Zora
impersonator front row second from the left.
Boat tour at Rollins College, Winter Park, FL
where Zora taught for awhile.
Zora spent her final decade in Fort Pierce, FL.
We all became ZoraHeads that week!
If you are anything like me, I want to know exactly what I'm getting into before I commit to something such as this. Here are some basics you can expect from any of the workshops. You will be with approximately 35 other educators from across the U.S. and you will take part in workshops from authors and those who specialize on the theme of the workshop. Tours also link to the theme.
You will be sent a list of readings prior to the workshop to help you get versed in the topic. Some of them will be sent electronically and others can be purchased secondhand via Amazon. Do as much as your time allows, but I found the more reading I did, the better understanding I had during the presentations. Walking to see the sites, getting to know other educators from across the country, and learning about a new area are all part of the experience. Most of the workshops ask you to create a lesson plan based on what you learned, to share with others, and use in your classroom.
Hopefully by now you are ready to check out the website. But if you still need another reason, a great plus about going on an NEH adventure is that you can use it in the following ways to support your Effective Educator plan for those that teach in Wisconsin:
1a Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy
1c Setting Instructional Outcomes
1d Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources
1e Designing Coherent Instruction
1f Designing Student Assessments
Domain 4-Through attending and participating in a weeklong workshop with other educators from around the U.S.
4a Reflecting on Teaching
4d Participating in a Professional Community
4e Growing and Developing Professionally
4f Showing Professionalism
Here is the link to check out all the fun places to apply for:
Be sure to look over the sites, lodging, and expectations. Lodgings vary by site. They usually suggest a specific place to stay such as hotel or a dorm if the presentations are on a campus. I have done both. However, you are free to stay elsewhere and make your own arrangements. You can email specific directors with any questions and in my experience they are very good about responding.
To apply, you will need to send an updated resume and answer short essay questions. You can apply for up to two different workshops but may only accept one. You will be notified the same day from both sites either way. The stipend will help cover costs of travel, lodging, and food. Consider making it a family vacation if lodging is at a hotel (however your family will not be able to attend any of the daytime tours or evening activities with you). If my kids had been grade school age, we would have traveled to the destination as a family and my hubby would have taken the kids all over the Philly area as well as Disney in Orlando. Something to consider.
If any of you have gone on an NEH adventure, please let us know about it in the comments. And I am happy to help guide with the essay aspect or any questions you might have.
