Greetings from Phoenix! This week I am attending the Science Olympiad Summer Institute, a conference for educators involved in Science Olympiad. My family decided to tag along, too. Monday, we hit the road much later than I had planned to. Registration was at 4pm and a storm was supposed to hit Phoenix in the late … More SOSI 2014, Day 1: Racing the Storm
I’m two weeks deep into summer vacation. Don’t get me wrong… I’m not complaining but it hasn’t turned out the way I envisioned it so far. Last week, I spent much needed time purging my classroom of stuff that I’ve been hoarding for years. This week, well… I’ve not been feeling too well. My chronic … More Two Guys, a Teardrop, and a 10k
[Originally Published 08.07.2013] That last morning in Colorado was a somber one. My friends and I were gathered around the breakfast table. In silence. Then Renee broke the silence pointing out that we were having a “chicken shawarma” moment à la The Avengers http://youtu.be/vSIXlkFOkJ0 So we didn’t just finish saving the world, but we did … More Chicken Schwarma
[Originally Published 08.06.2013] Our last night at Key Issues Institute was a memorable one. Since we were teachers from all over the United States (and one from Jamaica), we were instructed to bring a gift that represents our geographic location.Here is a photo of 4/5 of the teachers from California. I was lucky enough to … More Key Issues, A Celebratory Night
[Originally Published 08.05.2013] Our final Dawn Patrol Hike at Key Issues Institute took place on Saturday, July 27. My friends and I had been looking forward to it all week. At 5 am we boarded the bus to Loveland Pass on the Continental Divide. We were thankful for beautiful weather and clear skies at 12,000 … More Key Issues Institute, Dawn Patrol on Day 5
[Originally Published 08.03.2013] Friday, at the Institute, was data collection day. Three groups were sent out to three different locations to test water quality. At each location we had three stations where different measurements had to be taken: 1. biodiversity 2. depth & surface velocity 3. dissolved oxygen, zinc, & pH So on went the … More Key Issues Institute, Day 4
[Originally Published 07.31.2013] Thursday morning a group of us left the hotel at 6 am to walk the Ptarmigan Trail behind the La Quinta Inn. The fresh air and spectacular views made this walk a great start to the day here at the Institute. In today’s first session the focus was on sustainability– more specifically … More Key Issues Institute, Day 3
[Originally Published 07.25.2013] Wow! Yesterday was a full, busy, but fun day! Once again, thank you to my sponsor Alcoa for making this trip to “Key Issues Institute” possible. My day started at 6 am. I opted to go for a morning walk along the Blue River Trail in Silverthorne led by Mary, one of … More Key Issues Institute, Day 2
[Originally Published 07.24.2013] Greetings from Colorado! I’m here for the “Key Issues Institute,” hosted by Keystone Science School. I am extremely grateful to Alcoa for sponsoring me and giving me the opportunity to attend this conference. Getting here yesterday wasn’t without incident. The plan was to fly out of John Wayne Airport at 7:11am, arrive … More Key Issues Institute, Day 1
[Originally Published 07.23.2013] Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Science Olympiad Summer Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. This was my fifth time attending this conference but it was easily my favorite, mainly because my family tagged along for the trip so they could enjoy the resort while I attended the various sessions at … More Balancing Work and Play
Me In The Balance 