Welcome back and Happy New Year 2020! In this part of the country we are facing one or two or five more months of winter but it's been fun to view the season through the eyes of the Littles. One Little prefers to make snow angels and see if the stuff tastes any good, and the other looks a bit grumpy and doesn't know what to make of it at the moment. We choose our attitude, do we not?!
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| The joys of winter with the Littles
During winter break it's become a habit of mine to trade in the snow and Christmas tree for palm trees, sun, sand, and all things warm, FUN, and beachy in South Florida. I also love including historic stops when they are not too far off the route.
After my class and I recently read and studied the book, "Delivering Justice: W.W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights" a nonfiction narrative by James Haskins, I knew I had to stop in Savannah, GA. The book tells the tale of a mail carrier who helped establish voter schools, joined the NAACP and trained protesters in nonviolent civil disobedience. He led the famous Great Savannah Boycott in 1961. During this boycott, blacks refused to shop at Levy's Department Store as well as other shops in downtown Savannah. "Broughten Street" is specifically mentioned in the book and that many of its shops had to go out of business due to this boycott.
The building where Levy's Department Store used to be is now a local college arts and design library but there is a plaque that hangs on the outside of the building that commemorates the events that took place.
Savannah was the first city in the south to end legalized racial discrimination. W.W. Law is a little known activist who peacefully campaigned for equality between black and white people in Savannah, GA. As I looked down Broughton Street, I tried to imagine the now energy-filled historic district and bustling shops once full of "going out of business" signs posted in their windows and reflect on how W.W. Law and others brought about change for this city. I am excited to share my historic stop with students and connect it to their learning!
So all this traveling, sunshine, and history has me thinking about plans for more sunshine and traveling over the summer of 2020. A year ago, I sent out this post to make you aware of the upcoming summer opportunity of National Endowment for the Humanities educator workshops. If you enjoy learning about history much like the scenario above, you need to check out these summer workshops!
The NEH website now has their summer 2020 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 all about, keep reading!
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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.
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.
