tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18249950249016095102024-03-13T07:55:44.442-04:00Journey Into ImaginationUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-68531801574370678982014-01-23T22:38:00.000-05:002014-01-23T22:38:59.327-05:00Update: My trip to India<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/TTuqe8a019I/AAAAAAAACo4/a-CagSMiKjk/s1600/100_0801.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/TTuqe8a019I/AAAAAAAACo4/a-CagSMiKjk/s320/100_0801.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565229213137819602" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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Wow,<br />
I haven't done an update on this site in ages. I did go to India in July 2010 and it was a wonderful but short experience that kept me asleep for weeks! We traveled to Delhi, India by way of Reagan National and J.F.K airports. We spent the first few days at JNU, the national University. That was an experience that tested my senses - visual, olfactory, hearing, and emotions. Going to India was an experience much different than I was used to. We have poverty here in West Virginia and the rest of the United States, but it does not compare to anything in India. Some of my travel companions said that this should not have been my first international travel experience due to the presence of such poverty. As Americans, we were not really going to see that side of India, but it was not avoidable due to driving through the cities and the countryside.<br />
We went to the capital building as well as other monuments throughout the capital city of Delhi. We also visited some temples old as well as newer. We traveled 120 miles to the south and visited the birthplace of Krishna, which was located next to a Islamic Mosque. That was an interesting experience the the rickshaws surrounding our bus and our "guide" in the birthplace. Among the travels south, we encountered a mass of humanity in the road that slowed our travel. There was temple that was having a festival and to my estimate I bet there were hundreds of thousands of people in their finest garb for this event. Then we ventured a few days to Agra where the Taj Mahal and Agra fort are located. These are magnificent structures in their own right and built in the Mughal period. In Agra, we went to Pizza Hut, which was a welcome diversion from the Indian diet that I was certainly not ready for.<br />
About half of the group didn't take the extended trip, including me, so we ventured back to the Delhi airport by way of a van and made the return trip which itself was an experience. It took over six hours to make our way back to Delhi which included encountering human traffic in the road along with the rest of the animal life that we observed in the road during our trip. This trip also included a trip to McDonald's and a flat tire on the way back!<br />
This was a short review of the trip. I'm sorry I didn't write in this blog when I returned, but it was memorable experience that I would never forget and I would be willing to return in the future!<br />
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These links below are YouTube videos of my trip to India:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzrKtkipkso">Delhi Traffic & Agra</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrmH_iLPkhE">Sitar and Drum Demonstration</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faxGhoOSdJ4">West Virginia Teachers Visit India</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PXyZubCqfc">India Gate</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-16197915657044787132014-01-23T22:15:00.001-05:002014-01-23T22:15:50.416-05:00Stroll through Downtown Clarksburg on Christmas Eve 2011<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I went walking through Downtown Clarksburg, West Virginia this morning. This is something I do about once or twice a year. It was kind of eerie feeling due to it being a Saturday and Christmas Eve. I was reading in the Clarksburg newspaper this morning on how downtown areas such as Clarksburg would be bustling in the days and weeks prior to Christmas due to all the stores in the downtown areas. This was before the malls, shopping centers, and the megastores that made their mark in the two or three previous decades.<br />
Also in today's paper, there was an article about building that would likely be demolished in the near future due to public safety. I would like to see these buildings demolished and something better take its place. But that would be unlikely due to most traffic just passes by on the expressway above the city overlooking many of the buildings that lie empty or underutilized. <br />
Some of the buildings slated to be demolished were once grand houses that are now empty lots. One such grand house demolished in Clarksburg was the Nathan Goff House which is now a pretty little park on Dominion gas property that is not open to the public. Another structure expected to be demolished was a former Sheraton Hotel that had been converted to a West Virginia State Office Building and a new state office building is expected to take its place. Another former hotel, the Waldo, has been owned by the Vandalia Foundation in hopes to be renovated or restored. But it is most likely to see the wrecking ball. Finally, Central Junior High is expected to be demolished. This is a building that has been visible to many due to its location next to the expressway. <br />
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I have scant personal memories to most of the buildings other than driving or walking by them occasionally, but to many people there are many great memories. Let's hope there are more memories to be made in the future.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-32112163998288580912013-07-17T19:36:00.002-04:002013-07-17T19:36:47.179-04:00Traveling as a teacher in the summer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ever since becoming a Social Studies teacher in 2009, I've had the opportunity to travel to workshops and seminars each summer. Most of these workshops will pay at least reimbursement for travel or a stipend for attending. In this post I will explain workshops I will be attending in the near future and hopefully will post updates as the trips occur.<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of Gettysburg Cyclorama</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lincoln Memorial</td></tr>
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In the summer of 2009, I had the opportunity to attend a <a href="http://www.gilderlehrman.org/" target="_blank">Gilder-Lehrman</a> workshop at Gettysburg College with the topic "Lincoln and the Civil War." This was really the first time I've had first hand experience or training as a teacher with the Civil War. Along with classroom sessions, we toured the Gettysburg Battlefields, toured the newly opened <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gettysburg_Museum_and_Visitor_Center" target="_blank">Visitors Center</a> that included a "backstage" tour of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gettysburg_Cyclorama" target="_blank">cyclorama</a> , and then onto Washington, D.C. to visit traces where President Lincoln had visited such as the <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/heroes/history1.html" target="_blank">Old Soldiers' Home</a> and the Lincoln Memorial. It is said that Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation at a cottage at the Old Soldiers' Home. That location was used instead the White House because of it location being cooler than where the Presidential mansion was located. There was much reading associated with this workshop, but it got me more interested in the Civil War.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Riv4ayH3IA/UecdvDyMfGI/AAAAAAAADyM/kwENHpuy43k/s1600/100_0590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Riv4ayH3IA/UecdvDyMfGI/AAAAAAAADyM/kwENHpuy43k/s200/100_0590.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IylGBinb58s/UecdoAjtMGI/AAAAAAAADyE/aKvVU3QRPFY/s1600/100_0681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IylGBinb58s/UecdoAjtMGI/AAAAAAAADyE/aKvVU3QRPFY/s200/100_0681.jpg" width="200" /></a>In 2010, I was blessed to go on my first overseas trip as part of a teacher group. I went to India as part of a group of West Virginia teachers through Davis and Elkins College. This opportunity cost participants $500 for the week. There were about 25 of us that went to a fews days of "briefing" to get ready to go to India about its culture. About a month later in July we went to India. India is a society much different from the United States and any other place I have ever been to. The society is very poor, polluted, and chaotic. But I was able to see architectural wonders such as the Taj Mahal and the B'hai Temple. Going to India made us blessed to be Americans. These are experiences that I routinely share with students in my classes.</div>
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Also in the the summer of 2010, I had the opportunity to have training for "We the People" program presented by James Madison University and the <a href="http://new.civiced.org/" target="_blank">Center for Civic Education</a>. This training program gave us the opportunity to learn how the "We the People" textbook is to be used and how to participate in student competition. Part of the program also included a trip to James Madison's Montpelier estate. Participants were given a stipend for attending, room and board, and paid for transportation. This program has ceased to exist due to funding cuts from Congress. I do use the textbooks in my Government classes.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montpelier </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the DMZ looking onto North Korea</td></tr>
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In 2011, I was able to go to South Korea as an educator through <a href="http://www.koreasociety.org/" target="_blank">The Korea Society</a> for two weeks. This was an intensive study group of 35 teachers from throughout the United States. I was blessed to attend this workshop. We stayed in Seoul for a week in hotels and travelled for another week in the countryside to tour UNESCO World Heritage sites and even the Hyundai shipbuilding yard. We had a BYU professor who was fluent in Hangul (Korean) that led our tours and we had lectures by different professors and leaders at University of Korea on different topics. We participated in the folk arts of Korea, learned to make and drink tea, took part in grand meals, and even dressed like traditional Korean royalty! By far, this was a thorough workshop to attend. They paid for everything and even gave us spending money for days on our own. Best of all, we were able to go to the DMZ to probably the most tense territory in the world!<br />
Also in 2011, I went with the TAH group to Washington, DC. It was a beautiful week to go to D.C. with a Potomac river tour from Alexandria to Georgetown. We visited the typical Washington sites and went to the Newseum for a workshop. This was definitely a unqiue opportunity to understand the role of media in society. We also visited George Washington's Mount Vernon and George Mason's Gunston Hall.<br />
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The Summer of 2012 was very busy for me. I went with a Teaching American History group from West Virginia. We started off to Montpelier overnight in the cottages they have there and a brief tour and workshop. Then we travelled by bus to Atlanta, Georgia. There we went probably the coolest June days Atlanta have ever had! There we visited Morehouse College and were intrigued with their culture on campus. We also followed the steps of Martin Luther King in Sweet Auburn were the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/atlanta/kin.htm" target="_blank">Martin Luther King Historic Site</a> is located with his childhood home, visitors' center, and <a href="http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_ebenezer_baptist_church/" target="_blank">Ebenezer Baptist Church</a>. We also visited the <a href="http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov/" target="_blank">Carter Presidential Library<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WqPfDQZFAjc/UeckahZA1AI/AAAAAAAADzI/wCcT_cN5YnU/s1600/102_2509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WqPfDQZFAjc/UeckahZA1AI/AAAAAAAADzI/wCcT_cN5YnU/s200/102_2509.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ebenezer Baptist Church</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HkLx5wd9pzk/UeckY_3boHI/AAAAAAAADzA/7ni1XQ4bDhs/s1600/102_2561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HkLx5wd9pzk/UeckY_3boHI/AAAAAAAADzA/7ni1XQ4bDhs/s200/102_2561.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stone Mountain</td></tr>
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, CNN Center, and World of Coke among other locations in Atlanta. We also spend a day at Stone Mountain. <br />
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I also went on a EF Tour trip to Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, and Hawaii for two weeks. This was a trip I paid my way and it was with a student group through my school. I am not going into this trip because this was a more personal trip rather than part of any workshop. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cef98wqBS0Y/UecoS1_MeBI/AAAAAAAADzg/Gu_dAHb95uA/s1600/100_3584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cef98wqBS0Y/UecoS1_MeBI/AAAAAAAADzg/Gu_dAHb95uA/s200/100_3584.JPG" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicago Theater</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Loop in Chicago</td></tr>
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To complete my summer teacher workshop experiences, I took 5 flights from Honolulu to Chicago. In Chicago I attended the <a href="http://www.neh.gov/divisions/education/other-opportunities/the-american-skyscraper-transforming-chicago-and-the-natio-0" target="_blank">Historical Skyscrapers workshop</a> at the Santa Fe Railroad Building. This was a workshop through the National Endowment for the Humanities. This NEH workshop took us through the history and development of Chicago, tours of historical skyscrapers and other historical buildings, and art through the central loop. The Taste of Chicago was also taking place during the same week. This was a great workshop for me due to my great interest in architecture.<br />
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This summer is almost just as busy. Next week I will be touring Washington, D.C. with another group. I am looking forward to going to the Lincoln Memorial and going to the place where Dr. Martin Luther King spoke his "I Have a Dream" speech that will be celebrated 50 years ago in August. We will be visiting the Supreme Court, the Capitol Complex, the National Archives and the National Portrait Galleries as well as George Washington's Mount Vernon. <br />
I will have a day home basically to do laundry and stock up for the next two weeks.<br />
I will be departing to fly to San Francisco towards the end of July to attend a Gilder-Lehrman workshop on the History of the Supreme Court workshop that will be held near Stanford University. I won't have time to visit San Francisco, but I hope to see some of the sights of the Silicon Valley. After this workshop I will be attending a workshop on <a href="http://www.neh.gov/divisions/education/featured-project/frank-lloyd-wright-and-the-prairie-school-in-the-midwest" target="_blank">Frank Lloyd Wright</a> in Mason City, Iowa. <br />
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Hopefully in the next few weeks I will add new posts to this blog to share my experiences over the next few weeks.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-79850999487826666272012-08-11T23:36:00.000-04:002012-08-11T23:36:19.551-04:00Architecture of Downtown Clarksburg<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
THIS PAGE IS NOT FINISHED YET.<br />
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I recently took a walking tour of Clarksburg taking a look at some of the architectural elements of the city, particularly downtown. I knew there was a great deal of historical architecture in the city, but in recent decades, the downtown core has gone through a decline of businesses in favor of retail establishments along the interstate. So the core of business in downtown Clarksburg today is primarily banking and law offices due to the location of the Harrison County Courthouse in downtown.<br />
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I am going to post some pictures with some comments about each. All of the photos were taken with an iPhone 4S. I would like to see a regular walking architectural tour of downtown Clarksburg in the future led by docents who know the historical background of the buildings and their construction. Some information can be obtained from this outdated website: <a href="http://www.clarksburg.com/historic.htm">http://www.clarksburg.com/historic.htm</a><br />
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Quality Hill Historical District National Register of Historica Places Nomination Form: <a href="http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/nr/pdf/harrison/85001815.pdf">http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/nr/pdf/harrison/85001815.pdf</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-27J8Xo7VK74/UCccHO7szXI/AAAAAAAADfQ/0_iiOaYgapw/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-27J8Xo7VK74/UCccHO7szXI/AAAAAAAADfQ/0_iiOaYgapw/s320/photo+(1).JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgervey/3327069281/</u></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel Waldo has been abandoned for many years. The current owner is the Vandalia Foundation who lacks funds and a suitor to renovate this structure. The City of Clarksburg and Vandalia has been at odds for years over the condition of the building.<br />
<a href="http://www.abandonedonline.net/commercial/waldo-hotel/" target="_blank">http://www.abandonedonline.net/commercial/waldo-hotel/ </a><br />
<a href="http://www.vandalia.org/waldo.htm" target="_blank">http://www.vandalia.org/waldo.htm </a><br />
<a href="http://kingstonlounge.blogspot.com/2012/05/waldo-hotel-clarksburg-wv.html">http://kingstonlounge.blogspot.com/2012/05/waldo-hotel-clarksburg-wv.html</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel Waldo</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clarksburg Post Office. Most of the distribution has been moved from this building to the EastPointe Distribution center in the past year. The Post Office still has a retail store in the building, but Federal offices and courts are located in much of the building. I didn't get a great photo of this building due to the fact it was business hours and I didn't want to get in trouble for photographing a Federal building.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clarksburg Fire Department. This building originally had arched doorways, but as fire engines got larger, the doorways had to become larger. <br />
<a href="http://www.cityofclarksburgwv.com/government/city-departments/fire">http://www.cityofclarksburgwv.com/government/city-departments/fire</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Goff Building is located next to the Harrison County Courthouse. <br />
<a href="http://www.goffbuilding.com/" target="_blank">http://www.goffbuilding.com/ </a><br />
<a href="http://scenicwv.org/sketches/Goff%20Building.pdf">http://scenicwv.org/sketches/Goff%20Building.pdf</a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgervey/3327069281/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgervey/3327069281/</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The former Empire National Bank Building. Over the years, Empire National Bank had been absorbed by One Valley Bank, then BB&T Bank. BB&T built a new facility nearby. A law firm currently operates out of the building. MVB Bank is now renovating the first floor and drive-thru and will open there later in the year and the law firm will operate from upstairs.<br />
<a href="http://urbanup.net/cities/west-virginia/clarksburg-west-virginia/downtown-clarksburg-west-virginia/empire-national-bank/">http://urbanup.net/cities/west-virginia/clarksburg-west-virginia/downtown-clarksburg-west-virginia/empire-national-bank/</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rose Garden Theater. Formerly the Robinson Grand. This theater has not been used in years. <a href="http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/21090">http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/21090</a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nessachan/2691703170/" target="_blank">http://www.flickr.com/photos/nessachan/2691703170/ </a><br />
<a href="http://urbanup.net/cities/west-virginia/clarksburg-west-virginia/downtown-clarksburg-west-virginia/robinson-grand-theatre/" target="_blank">http://urbanup.net/cities/west-virginia/clarksburg-west-virginia/downtown-clarksburg-west-virginia/robinson-grand-theatre/</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Masonic Lodge. A large fire destroyed the adjacent building to its east several years ago. The east side of the building sustained heavy fire damage and has since been repaired. Many lodges have built large buildings in the early 1900s and rented out much of the building to offices and retail.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3r9YRo2dWm0/UCccmYV6RcI/AAAAAAAADiA/1lJfubOmqy4/s1600/photo+(9).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3r9YRo2dWm0/UCccmYV6RcI/AAAAAAAADiA/1lJfubOmqy4/s320/photo+(9).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clarkburg Baptist Church. They recently completed a family life center in the past two years. Previous additions include classrooms. <a href="http://www.clarksburgbaptistchurch.com/">http://www.clarksburgbaptistchurch.com/</a></td></tr>
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Sephia photos of many of these buildings are located on this website: <a href="http://sepiatown.com/wvarchives" target="_blank">http://sepiatown.com/wvarchives </a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-65598583359755137962012-01-23T21:05:00.002-05:002012-01-23T21:05:35.397-05:00Infographic: Can Apple Save Education<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.onlineeducation.net/can-tech-save-education"><img border="0" alt="Can tech save education?" src="http://images.onlineeducation.net.s3.amazonaws.com/can-tech-save-education.gif" width="500" /></a><br />Via: <a href="http://www.onlineeducation.net/">OnlineEducation.net</a><br />
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-24919491529720368842012-01-20T07:29:00.000-05:002012-01-20T07:29:49.710-05:00My Look at Apple Jumping into the Textbook Business<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.blogcdn.com//media/2012/01/ibooks-author-cjr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.blogcdn.com//media/2012/01/ibooks-author-cjr.jpg" width="183" /></a>It has been less than 24 hours since Apple has announced enhancements to its iBooks app and now has an iBooks Author app for the Mac platform. I see some great promise and great reservations in this process. It could be a boon for those teachers who are very creative and have some technology wit in using iBooks Author. But many people are criticizing this new app as not being friendly to everyone and only can be applied to the iPad.<br />
Let's start with iBooks Author. I just played around with it for a few minutes. There are six templates available with cover art that are placeholders and can be easily replaced. My first concern is that you can't simply copy and paste photos from different locations, but you actually have to attach by going through files. I do like the fact that you are able to set up a table of contents and glossary. It can be published in iBooks, PDF, and text format. I may be tempted to use this over the summer and create mini-units based on material that I cover in my classroom. I must admit I am not very creative when it comes to graphic design and this app can even help you create basic animation. Since I am a Social Studies teacher, I could create timelines and attach photographs or link details with them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://siliconfilter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Template-Chooser_ibooks_author.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://siliconfilter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Template-Chooser_ibooks_author.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">iBooks Author templete chooser</td></tr>
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Here is my reservation about this process: Copyright. It is funny that Apple releases this app the day after the internet protests of SOPA and PIPA which the basic premise of these bills is to give credit to those who deserve it. I would be using a variety of resources to put together one of my mini-units. How do I give credit? Could I consider this content mine? These are things adults are unsure of and we are expected to teacher our children this as well. I don't think this was addressed by Apple.<br />
Another concern I have is access to the material that has been published. Are schools going to provide iPads to all students. An iPad is easily $500 each and to be used effectively as a learning device all students should have access to it at all time (in and out of school). Apple has said that several textbook publishing houses are going to sell textbooks on iTunes/iBooks at $14.99 or less. So would this be $14.99 or less for each student copy. Also, Apple says that any book published through iBooks Author must be sold through the iBookstore. I would assume Apple would get a 30% cut of the price. Could I sell and distribute my book for free? <br />
Another concern I have is do these $14.99 books have the same content as what we normally would have in our hard-copy textbooks? I envision the publishing companies setting up packages for teachers and districts to customize their iPad textbooks. The World History textbook I use has 25 chapters, but I only use 10-12 chapters of the text every year. So I have students carrying an 8-9 pound book they only use less than half of it in a year. I don't see the textbook companies allowing teachers to omit any content, but they would be willing to have additional content added at a price and promising continuing service through the 7-year contract. <br />
Going back to creating my own textbooks, there are open-source material out there that I could use. I'll only create content that my state content standards and objectives cover rather than from a textbook company catering to Florida, Texas, California, and New York. I can make sure internet links work to make sure content is up to date (yes, history content changes every once in a while). I can also add activities I use in my classroom. <br />
I also see school districts hiring specialists to use iBooks Author to create units specifically for their school districts and bypass textbook companies. This could change the whole way textbook companies operate and cater to school districts.<br />
I would like to see a book that I publish be in a similar format as Amazon Kindle books that I can read on different devices and be able to sync up to the location where I left off on another device. <br />
There is a lot of work to do on this iBook Author app and iBook textbook format. Hopefully in future versions, Apple will see what the needs and wants of the teacher community and make changes for the better. <br />
These are just early, brief observations from me on the topic. Add any comments you have about iBooks, iBooks Author, or even iTunes U (which I have not discussed) below.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-10245210283830089852012-01-09T19:42:00.002-05:002012-01-09T19:42:22.350-05:00visual.ly<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Infographics and diagrams that cane be used for the classroom.<br />
<a href="http://visual.ly/">http://visual.ly/</a><br />
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-3432284241635770842011-12-24T13:57:00.002-05:002011-12-24T13:59:57.103-05:00Walking through Downtown Clarksburg...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I went walking through Downtown Clarksburg, West Virginia this morning. This is something I do about once or twice a year. It was kind of eerie feeling due to it being a Saturday and Christmas Eve. I was reading in the Clarksburg newspaper this morning on how downtown areas such as Clarksburg would be bustling in the days and weeks prior to Christmas due to all the stores in the downtown areas. This was before the malls, shopping centers, and the megastores that made their mark in the two or three previous decades.<br />
Also in today's paper, there was an article about building that would likely be demolished in the near future due to public safety. I would like to see these buildings demolished and something better take its place. But that would be unlikely due to most traffic just passes by on the expressway above the city overlooking many of the buildings that lie empty or underutilized. <br />
Some of the buildings slated to be demolished were once grand houses that are now empty lots. One such grand house demolished in Clarksburg was the Nathan Goff House which is now a pretty little park on Dominion gas property that is not open to the public. Another structure expected to be demolished was a former Sheraton Hotel that had been converted to the John W. Davis West Virginia State Office Building and a new state office building is expected to take its place. Another former hotel, the Waldo, has been owned by the Vandalia Foundation in hopes to be renovated or restored. But it is most likely to see the wrecking ball. Finally, Central Junior High is expected to be demolished. This is a building that has been visible to many due to its location next to the expressway. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XkJv-n9eWsY/TvYdzwPBACI/AAAAAAAADBg/MHamkkSyFyc/s1600/IMG_0110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XkJv-n9eWsY/TvYdzwPBACI/AAAAAAAADBg/MHamkkSyFyc/s200/IMG_0110.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Former Sheraton and John W. Davis State Office Building</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6PB2r2hnojc/TvYeM5hFNwI/AAAAAAAADBo/1tl1n8yfXlE/s1600/IMG_0111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6PB2r2hnojc/TvYeM5hFNwI/AAAAAAAADBo/1tl1n8yfXlE/s200/IMG_0111.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">former Central Junior High School </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1FGWFPpwBVw/TvYer-aMaXI/AAAAAAAADBw/X8AvTBTgBf8/s1600/IMG_0112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1FGWFPpwBVw/TvYer-aMaXI/AAAAAAAADBw/X8AvTBTgBf8/s200/IMG_0112.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the former Waldo Hotel</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3U4NRC9g8Gk/TvYfC0BkIdI/AAAAAAAADB4/CQppK6qnUPk/s1600/IMG_0114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3U4NRC9g8Gk/TvYfC0BkIdI/AAAAAAAADB4/CQppK6qnUPk/s200/IMG_0114.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">former home located next to the Caperton Center</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6a7Cy_nhstY/TvYfcT7bF2I/AAAAAAAADCA/3JECKx-yawg/s1600/IMG_0115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6a7Cy_nhstY/TvYfcT7bF2I/AAAAAAAADCA/3JECKx-yawg/s200/IMG_0115.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Location of former Nathan Goff House. Note sign stating "No Trespassing - property of Dominion"</td></tr>
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I have scant personal memories to most of the buildings other than driving or walking by them occasionally, but to many people there are many great memories. Let's hope there are more memories to be made in the future.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-80469300187620475362011-12-13T22:23:00.000-05:002011-12-17T10:51:36.737-05:00Cold War Project - WebLessons.com<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.9441897482611239" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cold War (WebLessons) Project</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">December 2011</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lesson Plan</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Richard Zukowski</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had the opportunity to travel to South Korea in the Summer of 2011 for 2 weeks as part of a teacher fellowship presented by The Korea Society. Much of the content covered will be based on my experiences from the fellowship.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Class: 20th-21st Century History Class (11th Grade Year) 50 minute classes</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Focus: Korean War and Korea today</span></div>
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<b>Monday: Events leading to the Korean War and origins of the Korean War: </b><br />
1. View Origins of Korean War timeline - discuss prior knowledge of the end of Pacific theater of World War II<br />
2. View and Discuss slideshare of the Korean War<br />
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<b>Origins of Korean War timeline: </b><br />
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<strong style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/udteacher/korean-war-247467" target="_blank" title="Korean War">Korean War</a></strong> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/247467" width="425"></iframe> <br />
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View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/udteacher" target="_blank">UD Teacher</a> </div>
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<b>Tuesday: Modern Korea - South versus North Korea</b><br />
1. View slideshare of The Republic of South Korea<br />
2. View slideshare of the North Korea Pwpt<br />
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<strong style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/orangetreeworks/the-republic-of-south-korea" target="_blank" title="The Republic Of South Korea">The Republic Of South Korea</a></strong> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/2710862" width="425"></iframe> <br />
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View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/orangetreeworks" target="_blank">orangetreeworks</a> <br />
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<b>North Korea PowerPoint:</b><br />
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<strong style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/tranceking/north-korea-pwpt" target="_blank" title="North Korea Pwpt">North Korea Pwpt</a></strong> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/167469" width="425"></iframe> <br />
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View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/tranceking" target="_blank">tranceking</a> </div>
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<b>South Korea versus North Korea timeline</b><br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.9441897482611239" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Wednesday: The Demilitarized Zone and Joint Security Area</b></span></div>
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1. Teacher will bring in information on DMZ field trip, pictures that outlines the Memorials and locations along the route, and describe current feelings along the DMZ. Book from Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Panmunjeom-Facts-About-Korean-DMZ/dp/1565913116/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324136601&sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.com/Panmunjeom-Facts-About-Korean-DMZ/dp/1565913116/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324136601&sr=8-1 </a><br />
2. View video from CNN "Scariest Place on Earth" - ask why would it be scary?<br />
3. Watch Trailer of movie: JSA - we will watch this movie Thursday and Friday.<br />
4. First-hand account of experiences at the JSA this summer . Photos from teacher's personal album.<br />
5. Compare living conditions in South Korea versus North Korea.<br />
6. Story of North Korean Propaganda village and small farming village within the JSA.<br />
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Korea's DMZ: "Scariest Place on Earth"<br />
<a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/04/22/koreas.dmz/">http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/04/22/koreas.dmz/ </a><br />
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Trailer for movie: JSA<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FNLcjGamf8U" width="560"></iframe><br />
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At the DMZ/JSA:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wseXYjBgo4o" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<b>Thursday and Friday:</b><br />
View film" JSA: Joint Security Area (Korean language filmed translated and subtitled into English; available on Netflix streaming, Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/J-S-Joint-Security-Area/dp/B0009NZ78I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1324136147&sr=8-2">http://www.amazon.com/J-S-Joint-Security-Area/dp/B0009NZ78I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1324136147&sr=8-2</a>).<br />
1. Prior to viewing film, discuss the perception North Koreas and South Korea citizens and soliders. Remember that Seoul is only 30 miles from the border and another 60 miles from Pyongyang.<br />
2. Discuss following the film. How would relationships between the nations be different? Could this happen in reality?<br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-66147580494166131882011-01-23T19:54:00.000-05:002011-01-23T19:54:06.052-05:00http://thinkfinity.org/widgets/calendar_share.html<a href="http://thinkfinity.org/widgets/calendar_share.html">http://thinkfinity.org/widgets/calendar_share.html</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-50323996871977498702011-01-22T23:14:00.004-05:002011-01-22T23:17:44.574-05:00Update: My trip to India<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/TTuqe8a019I/AAAAAAAACo4/a-CagSMiKjk/s1600/100_0801.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/TTuqe8a019I/AAAAAAAACo4/a-CagSMiKjk/s320/100_0801.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565229213137819602" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/TTupzLMBIzI/AAAAAAAACow/1SzVh5cSsHY/s1600/100_0635.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/TTupzLMBIzI/AAAAAAAACow/1SzVh5cSsHY/s320/100_0635.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565228461187998514" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/TTuonkogY5I/AAAAAAAACoo/_MgoazGtnIo/s1600/100_0590.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/TTuonkogY5I/AAAAAAAACoo/_MgoazGtnIo/s320/100_0590.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565227162348315538" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/TTukpMBybUI/AAAAAAAACog/nTifpmEr7YM/s1600/SCAN0222.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/TTukpMBybUI/AAAAAAAACog/nTifpmEr7YM/s320/SCAN0222.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565222792056696130" border="0" /></a><br />Wow,<br />I haven't done an update on this site in ages. I did go to India in July 2010 and it was a wonderful but short experience that kept me asleep for weeks! We traveled to Delhi, India by way of Reagan National and J.F.K airports. We spent the first few days at JNU, the national University. That was an experience that tested my senses - visual, olfactory, hearing, and emotions. Going to India was an experience much different than I was used to. We have poverty here in West Virginia and the rest of the United States, but it does not compare to anything in India. Some of my travel companions said that this should not have been my first international travel experience due to the presence of such poverty. As Americans, we were not really going to see that side of India, but it was not avoidable due to driving through the cities and the countryside.<br />We went to the capital building as well as other monuments throughout the capital city of Delhi. We also visited some temples old as well as newer. We traveled 120 miles to the south and visited the birthplace of Krishna, which was located next to a Islamic Mosque. That was an interesting experience the the rickshaws surrounding our bus and our "guide" in the birthplace. Among the travels south, we encountered a mass of humanity in the road that slowed our travel. There was temple that was having a festival and to my estimate I bet there were hundreds of thousands of people in their finest garb for this event. Then we ventured a few days to Agra where the Taj Mahal and Agra fort are located. These are magnificent structures in their own right and built in the Mughal period. In Agra, we went to Pizza Hut, which was a welcome diversion from the Indian diet that I was certainly not ready for.<br />About half of the group didn't take the extended trip, including me, so we ventured back to the Delhi airport by way of a van and made the return trip which itself was an experience. It took over six hours to make our way back to Delhi which included encountering human traffic in the road along with the rest of the animal life that we observed in the road during our trip. This trip also included a trip to McDonald's and a flat tire on the way back!<br />This was a short review of the trip. I'm sorry I didn't write in this blog when I returned, but it was memorable experience that I would never forget and I would be willing to return in the future!<br /><br />These links below are YouTube videos of my trip to India:<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzrKtkipkso">Delhi Traffic & Agra</a><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrmH_iLPkhE">Sitar & Drum Demonstration</a><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faxGhoOSdJ4">West Virginia Teachers Visit India</a><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PXyZubCqfc">India Gate</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-30281477565035323682011-01-22T22:29:00.000-05:002011-01-22T22:30:44.715-05:00Wordle of Previous Posts<a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3023932/imagination_journey">http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3023932/imagination_journey</a><br /><br />This is Wordle for my previous postsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-3646082217476003932010-02-14T12:15:00.003-05:002010-02-14T12:27:53.370-05:00I'm going to....India!This past December, a flier was placed in my mailbox at the school promoting teachers from West Virginia to go to India for a teacher's institute. It was being sponsored by Davis & Elkins College and the West Virginia Humanities Council. <br />I decided to apply for it and wrote my application and I got my recommendation from my principal at the last minute. I mailed the application just prior to the deadline. <br />Last Wednesday I got a letter from D&E stating I had been accepted to this program. I am going to be one of 20 teachers in the state going to India in July. I have t0 pay $500. I don't think that's bad considering that airfare is well over $1,000. In June I'll have to go to Elkins for orientation for three days and then in late July we'll leave from Washington, D.C. to go to India for a week.<br />I am so looking forward to this as I have never really traveled much. I've been to a few places in the United States and certainly never out of the country. My concerns are how I am going to be on a flight that last almost an entire day, and their local customs such as food and customs against using your left hand. Also, July is the high monsoon season. It will be hot and humid and local customs usually don't look to shorts as being an acceptable custom. I hope the orientation in June will address these concerns of mine.<br />I've had a passport since 2006 and have wanted to use it and this summer I will. I'll have to apply a tourist visa for India for $73 this spring. I bought a Lonely Planet travel guide for India right after Christmas at a Waldenbooks store closing in the Uniontown Mall. <br />I'll keep posting about this trip on this blog every once in a while and I'll be sure ot post videos and photos once the trip is over!<br />Check out the following website for information on the trip:<br /><a href="http://www.davisandelkins.edu/csega.indiainstituteforteachers.cfm">http://www.davisandelkins.edu/csega.indiainstituteforteachers.cfm</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-55898463591718558562009-07-21T00:53:00.001-04:002009-07-21T00:56:47.401-04:00My Disney World Trip June 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/SmVKattKvcI/AAAAAAAAArI/zrbqCPgdYdI/s1600-h/DSC_0548.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/SmVKattKvcI/AAAAAAAAArI/zrbqCPgdYdI/s320/DSC_0548.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360772754260540866" border="0" /></a>
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</w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} 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mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Alright, it has been over a month since I left for Florida to go to Walt Disney World.<span style=""> </span>This was the first time to go to Walt Disney World since 2005.<span style=""> </span>I went on this trip as a solo traveler staying at the Pop Century Resort with the Quick Service Dining Plan and Park Hopper tickets.<span style=""> </span>I made a reservation with AAA in December 2008 when Disney first had the “Buy 4 Get 3 Free Plan”.<span style=""> </span>So I had 7 days to spend with me, myself, and I at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>On June 18, 2009, I left West Virginia early in the morning to take the drive to Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT).<span style=""> </span>I parked in the extended parking lot and boarded the shuttle.<span style=""> </span>At this point I am a little nervous and haven’t flown since 1997.<span style=""> </span>I went to the AirTran desk and was asked if I wanted an aisle or window seat.<span style=""> </span>I said I wanted an aisle seat because I was unsure about legroom and didn’t have to have someone on both sides of me.<span style=""> </span>I went to the gate and waited for the flight.<span style=""> </span>I got on the plane and felt relaxed.<span style=""> </span>I was two rows behind the business class, so I didn’t have to walk too far into the cabin.<span style=""> </span>As soon as the plane moved from the gate I was getting nervous about the movement.<span style=""> </span>I am thinking to myself “How am I doing to deal with the flight?”<span style=""> </span>The plane took off and it made me more nervous.<span style=""> </span>But as the plane leveled off I was okay.<span style=""> </span>When we were around the Carolinas there was some turbulence but I was comfortable with it.<span style=""> </span>I didn’t get up during the flight, but I turned around to look about the cabin to survey who was aboard the flight. <span style=""> </span>There were many children with families and the flight was quiet.<span style=""> </span>Two women sitting next to me were sisters going to Disney also and they were watching and giggling with “The Golden Girls” on their DVD player. Then the next thing I know, we are circling over the Orlando area and I hear families conversing about where they are and what they are about to do.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>We landed at Orlando International Airport (MCO) at about 12:30 p.m. and I directly went to the Magical Express Counter on the ground floor.<span style=""> </span>I showed them my voucher and was swiftly moved into a line for Caribbean Beach and Pop Century Resorts.<span style=""> </span>I wasn’t in line more than 5 minutes when my line was escorted to the Magical Express bus.<span style=""> </span>There were about 15 people on the bus.<span style=""> </span>It took about 30 minutes to get to Walt Disney World.<span style=""> </span>While we were on the bus, we watched a video about the Magical Express procedure, checking into the resorts, and then features about the Disney parks.<span style=""> </span>The bus pulled into Caribbean Beach and dropped off guests and then the next stop was Pop Century.<span style=""> </span>I only had a carry-on bag with me because I checked in my luggage where the Magical Express Program would deliver the luggage to the room after a while.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>I went to the online check-in desk at Pop Century.<span style=""> </span>The time was about 1:15 and the lobby had very few people in it.<span style=""> </span>I had checked-in online a few days previously and it was a new program so I decided to try it.<span style=""> </span>There was nothing to it.<span style=""> </span>They had the room keys ready and they described your package and told you using the map where your room was.<span style=""> </span>There was a little problem though when there were 4 keys in the packet and I said it was just me.<span style=""> </span>They had someone else’s keys in the packet and that was straightened out right away and I was on my way.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>I arrived to room 8432 in the 90s Section of Pop Century.<span style=""> </span>I wondered why they numbered the rooms that way.<span style=""> </span>I got into the room after fretting over inserting the room key a couple of times and the door was hard to open.<span style=""> </span>The room was decent and has two double beds, one sink, and a conventional shower.<span style=""> </span>I turned on the TV and watched resort TV.<span style=""> </span>Now I had to decide what to do.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>At home for the past 6 months I sketched out a rough idea of what I wanted to do by writing ideas into a Word document and changing it periodically.<span style=""> </span>This plan included Extra Magic Hours.<span style=""> </span>I knew that Epcot had Extra Magic Hours and compared it with the hours on the “Master Schedule” I got from the Resort desk.<span style=""> </span>So I left for Epcot at about 3:00 and it was open until midnight to Resort guests.<span style=""> </span>Ideally, I would have started with the Magic Kingdom but I was trying to maximize my ticket value for the day.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>I left and it was partly cloudy in the mid-80s.<span style=""> </span>I took the bus to Epcot and got there and walked around a little bit. <span style=""> </span>I got a Fastpass for TestTrack I decided to go to Mission:<span style=""> </span>Space and took the Orange Extreme challenge.<span style=""> </span>They really want to make you nervous about taking the extreme challenge.<span style=""> </span>I got through and walked the long hallway out into the gift shop and abruptly stopped.<span style=""> </span>I was wondering why it was so crowded in the gift shop.<span style=""> </span>Apparently it was raining.<span style=""> </span>I was thinking that the sky was partly cloudy when I went it, so it couldn’t be so bad.<span style=""> </span>Oh, yes it was – there was a torrential rain!<span style=""> </span>I waited a few minutes and I put on my rain parka (the only one I brought for the trip – I wish I brought a few more).<span style=""> </span>I went to the other side of Epcot Future World by cutting through Innoventions and then went to the Land Pavilion.<span style=""> </span>I decided to go to Soarin’ even with a <u>two hour</u> wait.<span style=""> </span>I liked the interactive activity they have after waiting for the first hour.<span style=""> </span>But it was well worth it to wait for the ride.<span style=""> </span>It is such a beautiful and exhilarating ride.<span style=""> </span>I exited the ride and found that the rain was now a steady drizzle which would remain for the rest of the evening.<span style=""> </span>I walked around until about 8:00 p.m.<span style=""> </span>I decided it was time to eat.<span style=""> </span>Remember I have counter service meals for my trip.<span style=""> </span>I had studied counter service menus from different websites so I had an idea what I wanted.<span style=""> </span>So I wanted Mexican for the evening.<span style=""> </span>I think everyone else in Epcot wanted Mexican at the same time too.<span style=""> </span>I waited over ½ hour in line for Mexican fare and was fortunate enough to have a father share his table with him and his two girls.<span style=""> </span>When I was done with dinner I found a viewing spot near China to view Illuminations.<span style=""> </span>I have always like watching Illuminations.<span style=""> </span>For the next two and half hours I ventured through the World Showcase Pavilions.<span style=""> </span>I watched an American Adventure, went to China, and rode Maelstrom (the Norwegian video was down).<span style=""> </span>I took pictures at night of Epcot but by the time I got to England and Canada.<span style=""> </span>Even the store at Canada was closed by the time I got there.<span style=""> </span>I also got to use my TestTrack Fastpass.<span style=""> </span>The last attraction I went to that day was Turtle Talk with Crush.<span style=""> </span>Even though there were not many people there, it was very cute and kept my attention.<span style=""> </span>At midnight I left the park for my first night at Pop Century.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>On Friday, my second day, I started with Extra Magic Hours at Hollywood Studios.<span style=""> </span>Everyone’s plan was to go to Toy Story Midway Mania.<span style=""> </span>I decided to go to Pixar Place and check out the area.<span style=""> </span>I saw a line for FastPass that seemed to be about a quarter-mile line.<span style=""> </span>I decided to go to Sunset Boulevard and rode Tower of Terror a couple of times and as a result of a Single Rider Line I was able to ride Aerosmith’s Rockin’ Roller Coaster three times.<span style=""> </span>I went to the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular show.<span style=""> </span>It was very hot sitting in that theater but it was enjoyable.<span style=""> </span>I then went back to Toy Story Midway Mania later in the day and waited about 45 minutes.<span style=""> </span>I was able go and see the entire queue of the attraction.<span style=""> </span>I got onto the ride and it was amazing.<span style=""> </span>The video screens were very vivid and makes me want to purchase a Wii and the upcoming Midway video game in the fall.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>I went back to Pop Century to wash up and sit for a while.<span style=""> </span>I went back out about 4:00 and the Magic Kingdom had Extra Magic Hours.<span style=""> </span>It normally closes at 12:00 midnight.<span style=""> </span>Extra Magic Hours made closing 3:00.<span style=""> </span>Normally I go to sleep at midnight.<span style=""> </span>But I never felt tired at all that night.<span style=""> </span>I immediately went to Adventureland then to Frontierland to get a Fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain or Splash Mountain.<span style=""> </span>I was able to get a FastPass for Big Thunder.<span style=""> </span>I went back to Adventureland and went to Aloha Isle.<span style=""> </span>I got a pineapple ice cream with pineapple juice.<span style=""> </span>Just wonderful!<span style=""> </span>I stayed on this side of the park throughout the night and didn’t even see Wishes or SpectroMagic that night.<span style=""> </span>I spent the night riding the rides on the left side of the Magic Kingdom. It was memorable to catch a ride on the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean.<span style=""> </span>The Skipper I had on the Jungle Cruise was Mike from New York and he did an awesome job.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>I rode Splash Mountain 5 times in a row that night to close the park.<span style=""> </span>The cast members allowed us to ride through and everyone was thoroughly soaked on the way home.<span style=""> </span>It was after 3:00 when they shut Splash Mountain down.<span style=""> </span>I walked to Main Street via Liberty Square and saw the custodial staff members working with maintenance and construction workers working.<span style=""> </span>It wasn’t until 4:00 by the time I went to bed.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>So I decided no more Early Magic Hours.<span style=""> </span>I like the later hours better than the early hours.<span style=""> </span>I went to Animal Kingdom on Saturday at about 10 a.m.<span style=""> </span>I went to see the Festival of the Lion King.<span style=""> </span>It looked the main characters were the same cast as the last time I saw it in 2005.<span style=""> </span>I went to Dinosaur and talked to a guy who was a Ski Instructor from Lake Tahoe and was also a solo traveler to Walt Disney World.<span style=""> </span>It was his first day and I told him he wouldn’t be board.<span style=""> </span>I went to ride Kali River Rapids three times and figured out with the Single Rider Line at Expedition Everest you can dry pretty quickly. I ended up riding Expedition Everest 5 times that day but the Yeti was not working, just the strobe light!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>I then went back to Pop Century and then went back to the Magic Kingdom for the rest of the day. <span style=""> </span>I took my camera and took pictures up and down Main Street.<span style=""> </span>As Lou Mongello says “look all around, up and down”, so I got pictures of the windows on the second floor façade of Main Street.<span style=""> </span>There were many Disney Legends’ names on display.<span style=""> </span>This time, I did go to Tomorrowland.<span style=""> </span>I knew Space Mountain was closed, but I walked through the area at night.<span style=""> </span>It was kind of desolate.<span style=""> </span>I went back over to the Liberty Square area and watched SpectroMagic in front of Liberty Tree Tavern.<span style=""> </span>It was a very delightful parade and very reminiscent of watching the Main Street Electrical Parade when I was a child.<span style=""> </span>Then I went to Pecos Bill Café to eat a cheeseburger.<span style=""> </span>Gotta love that toppings bar!<span style=""> </span>I hurried back to the Hub to see Wishes, but the best I could do was get a spot under a tree.<span style=""> </span>I couldn’t get good photos, but I was able to see the fireworks well.<span style=""> </span>Afterwards I went back to Tommorrowland and saw The Laugh Factory.<span style=""> </span>I was almost “That Guy” and my mug was put on the screen.<span style=""> </span>I went on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger ride and it doesn’t even compare to Toy Story Midway Mania!<span style=""> </span>I went to see the Carousel of Progress and I always enjoy seeing it.<span style=""> </span>Then I went to Stitch’s Great Escape – there were about 15 people there! <span style=""> </span>Then I drove for the first time in several days at the Tomorrowland Speedway.<span style=""> </span>Then I finished the day at Big Thunder Mountain where I was able to ride through 5 times that night and at midnight I went back to Pop Century.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Sunday came along.<span style=""> </span>The Weather Channel stated that it was going to be 99 degrees with 108 heat index.<span style=""> </span>I went to Hollywood Studios that morning and I enjoyed the shows and stayed in the air conditioning.<span style=""> </span>I did see High School Musical 3 show and wondered how these cast members stayed cool.<span style=""> </span>I kept the day short at Hollywood Studios and went back to the room.<span style=""> </span>I then went to Downtown Disney.<span style=""> </span>I wanted to ride Characters in Flight.<span style=""> </span>Characters in Flight is a tethered helium balloon on the shore of Downtown Disney that goes up 400 feet.<span style=""> </span>I was a little nervous going on this but I paid my $16 and anticipated my 12 minute ride.<span style=""> </span>Even at 100 degrees that day, Downtown Disney felt cooler because of a breeze from the lake.<span style=""> </span>Because of the breeze, Characters in Flight restricts the number of guests with increased winds.<span style=""> </span>By the time my group was able to board, we were told we would have to wait about 20 minutes.<span style=""> </span>The group waited the required time for the winds to die down and the group of 7 finally was able to board and go up.<span style=""> </span>It was wonderful to see the views of the Orlando area.<span style=""> </span>The pilot was able to tell us where certain locations were.<span style=""> </span>Just don’t look directly under you because you will lose your bearings!<span style=""> </span>After I toured Downtown Disney and spent the required amount of dollars at the Lego Store for my nephew and at the World of Disney for the rest of the family.<span style=""> </span>The rest of the day was spent at Magic Kingdom.<span style=""> </span>I just strolled through the stores and went on the rides.<span style=""> </span>I enjoyed the park until close.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Monday was another hot day.<span style=""> </span>I rode the bus to Blizzard Beach to go to Winter Summerland.<span style=""> </span>This is mini-golf.<span style=""> </span>I had a voucher for a free round of golf and I took advantage of it.<span style=""> </span>I then went to Boardwalk Resort and looked around.<span style=""> </span>I took a boat to Epcot and went to Future World.<span style=""> </span>I was able to go on Soarin’ and in the scene where the golf ball came up to me I thought I should have got out the ball that was given to me at Winter Summerland and pretend that I caught it.<span style=""> </span>I ran into a lady I worked with this year.<span style=""> </span>She asked me who I was here with and she was very surprised that I went by myself.<span style=""> </span>That was only of 1 2 experiences where I was questioned about being a solo traveler.<span style=""> </span>I then went back to Pop Century and this was a hot day again.<span style=""> </span>Animal Kingdom had Extra Magic Hours for resort guests.<span style=""> </span>My intention was to ride Expedition Everest at night.<span style=""> </span>And boy I did!<span style=""> </span>I was able to ride it 6 times and the Yeti was working!<span style=""> </span>It is a totally different experience riding it at night.<span style=""> </span>I was disappointed with Animal Kingdom during Extra Magic Hours as there is Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids, Dinosaur, and Primeval Whirl open.<span style=""> </span>I now know how the Dinosaurs became extinct – they rode Dinosaur and Primeval Whirl and were jostled to death!<span style=""> </span>I got bruises from riding Primeval Whirl and Dinosaur!<span style=""> </span>I was sore for sure!<span style=""> </span>I left the park at close to keep my record perfect.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>On Tuesday morning, I toured the Monorail resorts and took pictures.<span style=""> </span>Only if I had the budget to stay at those resorts!<span style=""> </span>I was concerned about the vultures (?) or whatever birds were at home at the Contemporary Resort.<span style=""> </span>I finished my tour at the Grand Floridian and went to Downtown Disney.<span style=""> </span>I had gone to Planet Hollywood for lunch with my $15 meal voucher.<span style=""> </span>I went in and said I was by myself and they wanted to seat me at the bar.<span style=""> </span>I said I wanted to be seated in the actual restaurant.<span style=""> </span>The restaurant was neat, the entrée of chicken fajita was lackluster, and the dessert was good.<span style=""> </span>I went to Hollywood Studios later in the day just to see Fantasia.<span style=""> </span>For a 9:00 show I lined up at 7:15!<span style=""> </span>I was able to get a front row seat with no obstructions.<span style=""> </span>I’ve never been to Fantasia before and it was very memorable!<span style=""> </span>After the show I went to Epcot by boat for Extra Magic Hours.<span style=""> </span>I went to the Canadian Pavilion to view the film and had fish from Yorkshire County Fish and Chips.<span style=""> </span>I went to TestTrack and Mission:<span style=""> </span>Space again.<span style=""> </span>TestTrack at night is another enjoyable experience.<span style=""> </span>I just hope they keep TestTrack open and maintained if GM drops as a sponsor of the attraction. <span style=""> </span>Again, I stayed to close.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Wednesday came along and it was my last day for tickets to the parks.<span style=""> </span>I started the day by going to Animal Kingdom because I wanted to see Finding Nemo:<span style=""> </span>the Musical.<span style=""> </span>I was very impressed by the performance, but in my mind The Festival of the Lion King was better.<span style=""> </span>I went to the Festival of the Lion King afterward.<span style=""> </span>There I saw a different cast than before and I was impressed with the first cast I had seen.<span style=""> </span>I also went to see A Bug’s Life and then went back to Pop Century.<span style=""> </span>I was tired that day and took a nap for about an hour.<span style=""> </span>I finished the day with Hollywood Studios after 7:00 and it was their Extra Magic Hours.<span style=""> </span>I had eaten dinner at Pop Century and a guy gave me a card that had 3 Magic Fastpasses from DVC.<span style=""> </span>I was palling to use it for Midway Mania.<span style=""> </span>It was not to be.<span style=""> </span>I used them on Tower of Terror though.<span style=""> </span>Hollywood Studios has the same problem with Extra Magic Hours with limited amount of attractions open.<span style=""> </span>I went to Star Tours, Rockin’ Roller Coaster, and Tower of Terror since Midway Mania was out the question with no Fastpasses and a long 120 minute wait.<span style=""> </span>So I went to Sunset Boulevard and got 5 Fastpasses ultimately for Tower of Terror.<span style=""> </span>The preshow got old after watching it over and over.<span style=""> </span>I pretty much rode it 5 times in a row within two hours.<span style=""> </span>I think I got a concussion after the third consecutive time.<span style=""> </span>The ultimate experience of the night was when I ended the night at Rockin’ Roller Coaster.<span style=""> </span>I went in the Single Rider Line for the third time of the night.<span style=""> </span>But it was different as a guy in the regular rider line wanted to ride at the front of the coaster.<span style=""> </span>I was next in the Single Rider line and I was to ride in front of the coaster.<span style=""> </span>Usually with Single Rider Lines, the single rider does not ride in the front or the back.<span style=""> </span>The guy was there with his family but they didn’t want to ride so he went by himself.<span style=""> </span>The first part of riding Rockin’ Roller Coaster is almost frightening but it is a really enjoyable ride.<span style=""> </span>I thanked the guy I was sitting next to because it was the last ride of my trip and I got to sit in the front of the “limo”.<span style=""> </span>I went back to Pop Century at park close knowing it was to be the end of my trip.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>On Thursday, I spent the day at Pop Century after I left the room at 11:30.<span style=""> </span>My bus for Magical Express didn’t come to 3:00 so I have to wait several hours.<span style=""> </span>I checked into the airline at the resort and checked in my luggage there also.<span style=""> </span>I got on the bus and the two sisters from my original flight boarded the bus at the same time.<span style=""> </span>They were to be on the same flight but in the row behind me.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>The bus was not a Magical Express bus as we know, but it was a Mears bus with large Expedition Everest decals on it.<span style=""> </span>We arrived at the airport.<span style=""> </span>Everyone but the sisters and I remained on the bus after everyone else got off at Terminal A.<span style=""> </span>We got to terminal B and went upstairs to the main mail area.<span style=""> </span>I visited the stores for about an hour and a half.<span style=""> </span>I went to the competing theme park stores as well as the Disney stores at the airport mall.<span style=""> </span>I went to the gate and CNN was on and found out that Farrah Fawcett had died.<span style=""> </span>Then a few minutes later, it said that Michael Jackson went in cardiac arrest.<span style=""> </span>By the time we boarded the plane, we found out that he had died.<span style=""> </span>Then I knew what was going to be on every TV show for the next few weeks!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>I was among the last on the plane as I was talking to the pilot with an older couple.<span style=""> </span>He told us his schedule as he started his day in Las Vegas to Charlotte, and then to Orlando.<span style=""> </span>As we ascend, the flight attendant stated that there was sad news.<span style=""> </span>Everyone was startled as if we needed to go back.<span style=""> </span>She was telling us that Michael Jackson had died and we could find more information about on Wi-Fi.<span style=""> </span>She advertised that Wi-FI would be free if you filled out an airline credit card application!<span style=""> </span>Wonderful!<span style=""> </span>I listened to XM radio (admittedly a little of MJ, but mostly music).<span style=""> </span>The flight back to Pittsburgh was pretty looking out the window.<span style=""> </span>It was going to storm in Pittsburgh.<span style=""> </span>We flew over PNC Park as a Pirates game was going on and then flying into PIT there were increased winds and lightning all around.<span style=""> </span>I got into the shuttle bus in the parking lot, it was windy.<span style=""> </span>By the time it got to my car it was raining sheets and terrifying lightning!<span style=""> </span>But I was glad I went to Disney by myself.<span style=""> </span>I would recommend to anyone to go solo because you can do things at your own pace and do what you want to do when you want to do it!</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-84562065035023518322009-07-17T16:37:00.002-04:002009-07-17T16:49:39.906-04:00West Virginia State Museum at the Culture CenterThe West Virginia State <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Museum</span> opened in the Culture Center (not Cultural Center) at the Capitol Complex in Charleston, West Virginia. This <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">museum</span> opened on West Virginia Day, June 20, 2009. Yesterday, I went to the museum with a couple of fellow Social Studies teachers. I was really amazed with the layout of the facility.<br />You enter the Culture Center through the main lobby and take the escalator or elevator downstairs to the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">museum</span>. The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">museum</span> is laid out as a "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">showpath</span>" which is basically a walking timeline. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Visitors</span> start out in the prehistoric age, then meander to the first cultures in what is now West Virginia. There are samples behind glass and in drawers of rocks of the era. <br />The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">museum</span> progresses to the settlers and the Revolutionary War, to the Civil War, statehood, the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Capitals</span> of West Virginia, and then to the 20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">th</span> Century. There are also exhibits of mines, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">pastimes</span>, fairs and festivals, as well as West Virginia's involvements in wars throughout history. <br />We teachers were talking about how we would take middle school and/or high school students through this <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">museum</span>. We talked to the people at the main desk and said there is an Education Director for the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">museum</span> who is going to send out much information by the time school starts. We talked about including a tour of the Capital building to alternate with students in the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">museum</span> so it would not get too crowded. There is also the possibility of having students do a scavenger hunt to find details in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">museum</span>. This is not an all inclusive <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">museum</span> of West Virginia and its History but I feel it aligns with the 8<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">th</span> Grade West Virginia Studies Curriculum. This <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">museum</span> will takes 3 to 4 hours to go through at a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">leisurely</span> pace. I would suggest you to go to the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">museum</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">because</span> you would much appreciate it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-73805066711834486022009-04-13T20:57:00.002-04:002009-04-13T21:07:14.390-04:00Civil War Re-enactorsI had some Civil War Re-enactors in my school last Thursday. Two of the boys were sons of Julie Rowand, a teacher at Taylor County Middle School. She came to me several months ago and asked if she could have her family do a presentation for my students. So last Thursday I had all the 8th graders during their West Virginia Studies period to go to a colleague's room to see the presentation. Drew Rowand is a Junior in High School and Zack Rowand is in seventh grade. Their friend, Jesse, graduated from South Harrison High School last year.<br />They did a great job describing how a soldier from the Union and Confederate sides would live on the battle front. They brought in paraphanalia of soldiers. They were dressed in garb of the time and even brought in weapons of the time.<br />I learned a lot about this time period. I taught about the battles in the classroom but I didn't teach about the lifestyle of the time. It is very improtatn for the students to see up close how people lived then. Since it is hard to take students on a field trip, this is the next best thing. This is a perfect primer for me when I go to Gettysburg in July.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-14417283736579000732009-03-21T21:56:00.003-04:002009-03-21T22:03:37.982-04:00Accepted to study Lincoln<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/ScWcKXYcnGI/AAAAAAAAAF0/GY25-McDTX4/s1600-h/Lincoln.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/ScWcKXYcnGI/AAAAAAAAAF0/GY25-McDTX4/s320/Lincoln.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315826637069917282" border="0" /></a><br />The other night I got an e-mail and I opened it up. It was for a program I applied for in February. It is the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. I filled out an application online and chose from several seminars to study. I found out I got accepted to study President Lincoln and the Civil War at the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. It is going to be from July 5th through July 11. Here is a link to the website. I'll be sure to blog about it when July comes. This is alink to the website: <a href="http://www.gilderlehrman.org/teachers/seminar_descriptions/seminar_borrit.html"> http://www.gilderlehrman.org/teachers/seminar_descriptions/seminar_borrit.html </a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-45671974793676490792009-03-04T22:54:00.002-05:002009-03-04T22:59:11.459-05:00A new "toy"I got a new toy over the weekend. A Nikon D40 SLR camera. I have always wanted an SLR camera and I got my state tax refund the other day and decided it was the time. I have been using my digital point and shoot camera for several years and taken several thousand pictures. I just wanted something that was faster and more powerful. The new camera could use more zoom, but that is something I could buy at a later time. It isn't cheap to buy a new lens, but at least these days, I don't have to develop pictures for everything I take. <br />I had actually researched SLR cameras and what I saw was that D40 was a good starter SLR. I could have paid a little less for it. I have been playing around with it. I used it on Sunday to add on to my other blog and it worked well. So, when you see pictures on my blogs, you will probably see pictures taken by this new camera.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-40201149019723386782009-02-27T21:58:00.003-05:002009-02-27T22:07:39.066-05:00Technology in SchoolsAfter a week in Charleston with my students, I had them to write a journal that I would post on the following website: <a href="http://www.tcmsyandg.blogspot.com"> www.tcmsyandg.blogspot.com </a>My roommate in Charleston taught at Ripley Middle School and he asked me how much I used technology in my classes and how much my colleagues used technology. I said I try to use technology but I am limited because I only have one computer in my classroom and the labs and library are usually booked up. I assign work for students to look on the computer feel they don't have to use a computer for class outside of the actual classtime, so I feel limited with that. As for my colleagues, I try to get them to use computers and similar technology in the classroom as well. In fact, I had one teacher give me an e-mail from our County Technology Coordinator today suggesting that I should go complete courses for a Techonology Integration Specialist certification the state has. I was asked by another teacher to do this last year also. But the dates of the training conflicts with a vacation I have this year although I would still like to do.<br />I see my kids imersing themselves with technology everyday that adults including most teachers cannot catch up with and grasp how they are using it. I got a couple of students added to my Facebook account today. So I have to be especially careful with what I put on that, but I don't put anything incriminating on it anyway.<br />So here I go working on a new chapter in my class this weekend and trying to figure out what technology to use!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-90879685614718545502009-02-17T23:21:00.001-05:002009-02-17T23:23:36.312-05:00I just started a new blog today that I intend to chronicle auto dealerships in the area. With changes in the auto industry and the economy, I would like to record changes with pictures and a brief history. The site is <a href="http://www.autodealershipsusa.blogspot.com">www.autodealershipsusa.blogspot.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-62359387553370640792009-02-02T22:48:00.002-05:002009-02-02T23:01:34.340-05:0010th AnniversaryToday is the tenth anniversary of my father's passing. I remember February 2, 1999 in detail and even the week prior to that. It is one of those days in which all four of us were at the house at the same time. It was 7:00 P.M. and "Jeopardy" had just started and he suddenly convulsed and passed. We called the EMS and they spent about an hour trying to revive him. My sister was just getting ready to wash the dog, Missy, and the dog was in the tub. The dog was in the tub four about four hours I bet. After the hubbub of the EMS crew, my mom, sister, and I just sat in the living room talking about dad. By the way, Missy was still in the tub.<br />I also remember as the EMS crew was in the living room with dad laying on the floor, one of our outside dogs, King, came in. King never comes into the house unless there was a thunderstorm. (Big scare-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">dy</span> cat) King just looked at him and wanted to know what was going on. He did not try to intrude, but we got him out of the way quickly.<br />I remember the next few days with making funeral arrangements and family coming in for the funeral. It's still surreal but I know it's something that families go through all the time all over the world, yet in different manners of paying homage through funerals. Dad had been ill for a long time, but he was one of those people you can see who is struggling with his issues, but didn't want to let his family down. I remember that he took naps and that is something I treasure myself. He like to cook and I remember what he had cooked on the last day. He baked a cake and cooked pork for dinner. That is a passion he passed to my sister. She likes to cook and share what she cooks. No one else would eat the cake that he baked, so I ate it all. And just look at me - of all people, huh!<br />These aren't all the memories I have of that day or of that week, but just some of them. It wasn't a tragic time, but it was somber but memorable.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-16372211527449660572009-01-25T22:02:00.004-05:002009-01-26T23:32:49.482-05:00West Virginia International Auto Show<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/SX6OYTUAPmI/AAAAAAAAACA/m8f5KgT9VHw/s1600-h/100_2607.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/SX6OYTUAPmI/AAAAAAAAACA/m8f5KgT9VHw/s320/100_2607.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295826759986462306" border="0" /></a><br />Yesterday I went to the West Virginia International Auto Show in Charleston. For me, this was a relaxing time looking at all the cars and trucks. I have been a fan of new cars and trucks since I was about 6 or 7 years old. I can recall most car models from the late 1970s on. It is sort of an obsession since I have car magazines and car brochures at my house dating back from the 1980s. Of course they are all organized into a computer database. However, I don't look at them very often. Sometimes I think I would be able to sell them, but not now.<br />I got into some of the cars. Some were easy to get in and out of, but others such as sport cars were easy to get into, but very hard to get out. It's a result of the extra girth around my waist.<br />Right now I plan to go to the Pittsburgh Auto Show in February. I liked going to Charleston since the ceiling were more intimate (lower ceilings) and separate rooms. The Pittsburgh Convention Center is more open and more crowded.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-43190399630901751312009-01-20T22:06:00.003-05:002009-01-20T22:20:38.859-05:00The Inauguration of President Obama<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/SXaUaxyU_II/AAAAAAAAABY/kC6KY6cavXY/s1600-h/Gallery-Obama-President-O-011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 235px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/SXaUaxyU_II/AAAAAAAAABY/kC6KY6cavXY/s320/Gallery-Obama-President-O-011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293581599782534274" border="0" /></a><br />Today was a day of fanfare and optimism as President Obama takes the oath of office on a cold wintry day in Washington, D.C. The oath was fumbled by both the Chief Justice and the President. It was amusing to see a such an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">eloquent</span> speaker such as the President being tongue twisted by the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Chief</span> Justice.<br />I didn't get to see much of the days events except for watching the oath of office during my lunch period. But I tried to catch bits and pieces throughout the day such as the parade and the balls. And check out "The Beast" aka the Presidential <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Limousine</span>.<br />So tomorrow is going to be a different story. I want to see change in the air in Washington, D.C. to shift to our cities and towns. I want change for the better. I want to see jobs to stay and multiply. I want to see new energy resources open to the populace. I want to see children stay in school and educated. I want our country to have a sense of optimism. Most importantly, I want everyone to make the right decisions for themselves, our nation, and our world. Don't just rely on our lawmakers to make decisions for us, but make decisions for yourself and to help others.<br />President Obama wanted the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday to be a day of service. I just don't want one day to be devoted to a day of service. I want lifestyle devoted to service. I want families to be role models and spend time and money for those who are less fortunate and be an example how lives can change. <span style="font-style: italic;">That is change we can believe in!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">God Bless America!</span><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-50908611015149588942009-01-17T19:43:00.003-05:002009-01-26T23:31:01.828-05:00Brrr...A Cold Day Out!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/SX6N_sM5SnI/AAAAAAAAAB4/uq1UXkDjRDA/s1600-h/100_2572.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/SX6N_sM5SnI/AAAAAAAAAB4/uq1UXkDjRDA/s320/100_2572.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295826337170803314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/SX6NxcAdpQI/AAAAAAAAABw/pwJ-ameL5mo/s1600-h/100_2574.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/SX6NxcAdpQI/AAAAAAAAABw/pwJ-ameL5mo/s320/100_2574.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295826092305523970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/SX6Nj12wkJI/AAAAAAAAABo/-P9J3OdZaL4/s1600-h/100_2578.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/SX6Nj12wkJI/AAAAAAAAABo/-P9J3OdZaL4/s320/100_2578.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295825858725974162" border="0" /></a><br />This morning I got the dogs out at 7:30 in the morning and the temperature was -6 degrees. I got up early to go to the RV Show in Pittsburgh. This is the third <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">consecutive</span> year I have gone to the Pittsburgh RV Show. I has shrunk every year to contract with the economy. A slowdown in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">RV's</span> and travel are one of the first signs that an economic slowdown in coming. This year it was very evident. There were many less vendors at the show and the show was normally on two different floors, but this year it was on one floor. I spent a couple of hours there talking to some of the vendors about their feelings this year and they have seen an extreme downturn in their sales. I wished them the best. There usually are a good mix of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">motor homes</span> to trailers. There were many trailers and very few <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">motor homes</span>. The most expensive <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">motor home</span> this <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">year was</span> $260,000 when in the past I have seen half-million dollar <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">motor coaches</span>. The dealers were heavily discounting their vehicles, many by as much a 1/3. One new vendor I saw there was Trailer City from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Fairmont</span>. Usually all the vendors are from Pennsylvania and I told Trailer City that I thanked them for coming to the RV show this week.<br />Later I went to Wheeling to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Cabela's</span>. That place seems to be bustling even with the economy. There is still some growth in the area with new retail and new restaurants. Across the interstate from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Cabela's</span> was a new <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">dealership</span> built for Bob Robinson Chevrolet-Pontiac-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">GMC</span>-Buick that had relocated from downtown Wheeling. They are continuing to build more showrooms adjacent to the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">facility</span> that they have open now. I just hope after all the financial investment they put into the new showrooms, General Motors doesn't go out of business.<br />Then I went to Washington Crown Center outside of Washington, Pennsylvania. All of its anchor stores are still open, but many stores have closed such as AT&T, Old Navy, and The Gap. KB Toys are in the process of being liquidated at this time. It's sad to see the demise of that mall since a year or two ago it was still bustling.<br />After going to Washington Crown Center, I went to Washington Mall. I first went to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">JCPenney</span> that had moved back to that mall after the new store subsided last summer. They had the glass doors to the mall closed and painted over. I wanted to go into the mall and see whats left. I exited <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">JCPenney</span> and went to the mall doors on the outside. The first set of doors I went to were locked, then the second, and a man exited the third set and went through those doors. I walked in and on the left there was a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Coldwell</span> Banker agency and on the right there was a photography studio. They were both closed, I presume for the day. I noticed the entire mall was cold, maybe 50 degrees. I kept walking through the hall, turned left, and show no stores or signs until I saw the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">JoAnn</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Frabric</span> store at the end. I circle around and walked to the other end thinking about all of the stores that were once in the mall and all of the people who have once worked there. I remember the pastry shop and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Baskin</span>-Robbins, as well as the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Langs</span> and the Christian bookstore that was once there. The ceilings in the mall were leaking through. I had a camera in my car and I had the notion to go get it, but it was just too cold to go back in the mall to take picture.<br />Let's just say it was a day to reflect on where we are now at in America! God Bless America in our next four years!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1824995024901609510.post-5460878403801998112009-01-16T08:55:00.004-05:002009-01-26T23:34:46.570-05:00BBBrrrr!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/SX6O3a_datI/AAAAAAAAACQ/miYKsSc0eCk/s1600-h/100_2589.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/SX6O3a_datI/AAAAAAAAACQ/miYKsSc0eCk/s320/100_2589.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295827294623722194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/SX6Or9InXkI/AAAAAAAAACI/xoS-4Z5ZMGI/s1600-h/100_2586.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LApCGiaOmWk/SX6Or9InXkI/AAAAAAAAACI/xoS-4Z5ZMGI/s320/100_2586.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295827097630498370" border="0" /></a><br />We are now in our second consecutive snow day and the third so far this school year. I a concerned that students are missing instruction. I know as a teacher I am working about three hours a days finding new material and arranging ideas for school. In my humble opinion, I believe students should be working on <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">content</span> during snow days. Teachers used to be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">urged to</span> make snow day packets for students to work on during snow days, but I haven't heard of anything like that for several years.<br />Many schools have <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Ed Line</span> now and my school does too. I like adding material to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Ed Line</span> for resources and I encourage students and parents to utilize it besides checking for grades. But I don't get much feedback on it. I would like to see students use <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Ed Line</span> on snow days to put in at least 15 minutes of time into an online quiz or activity to keep up <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">their</span> skills. Another idea I have would be to use a conferencing tool such as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Skype</span> that allow teachers and students to interact with one another during an assigned time.<br />These are just a couple of ideas I have for using snow days instead of letting it go to waste. For this work, we need families to have computers in their homes with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Internet</span> connection. We know this isn't going to happen anytime soon, but I want students to know that I am making education available to them right now even if it isn't a requirement!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0