Sunday, February 19, 2006
Final Project
The Harvest: final project for Coursequest #1
Through the course of this inquiry it has become increasingly frustrating to me that there is just not enough time to thoroughly explore these Transcendentalist and Romantic authors and their great works. This frustration allowed me to reach a decision about my final project and give me the seeds of an idea for what my topic will be when I apply for the Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship. This award can be as much as $8000. One must submit a proposal and explain, detailing expenses incurred on a six week timeline, what the teacher will do for six weeks to renew herself and most importantly will take back to the classroom to inspire and motivate young people.
My six weeks will be spent traveling in Virginia, New York, Massachusetts and Maryland, visiting the homes, museums, and places of interest to these Transcendentalist and Romantic authors. I will also build into my travel schedule at least one day at each place that allows me the time to read the work of each author. How amazing it will be to spend a day at Walden Pond reading Walden! Or reading Dickinson poetry while I am in Amherst visiting her museum homes. My inspiration web details the authors, the cities or places of interest to that author, and in some instances educational opportunities that I can participate in while I am visiting these places. Because the deadline has passed for this year’s award, the web will be a valuable tool in helping me compile a more thorough timeline in the fall when the next fellowship becomes available.
The way I organized this concept web is by categorizing the authors, their place of interest to learn more about them or a place they loved, and an educational opportunity for me to either visit a museum or attend an educational activity. The most time will be spent at Walden as there is a two week teacher seminar. This is one opportunity that I would absolutely love to have. I will also have the opportunity to attend a student writing workshop at the Poe Museum. This is a one week workshop.
The links associated with the cities give great recommendations for places to visit and things to be sure to do while I am there. One thing that I will try to include when I do this for my proposal is a list of reading I would like to accomplish when I set out on this journey. There was not enough time to compile that list for this final project.
I thought I would be able to put my inspiration web here and you would be able to access the websites through the hyperlinks. Wrong. Or either I don't know how to do it. Here are the links to the educational opportunities and my favorites websites from doing the research!
Poe learning opportunity: http://www.poemuseum.org/news_and_events/writers_conference2006.html
Thoreau learning opportunity
http://www.walden.org/Education/TWS/The_Walden_Seminars_2005.htm
Alcott learning opportunity
http://www.fruitlands.org/education.php
Whitman learning opportunity
http://www.charityadvantage.com/waltwhitman/ResearchLinks.asp
Dickinson learning opportunity
http://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/index.html
Melville learning opportunity
http://www.mobydick.org/
The greatest site of all for my research
http://www.shepherd.edu/transweb/travelguide.htm
You can access the places relating to the authors through this site, except for Poe and Melville.
Drumroll, please.... Here is how I could spend six weeks if I were to be awarded a Lilly Creativity Fellowship. I have based it on dates from this year so it would be easier to plan.
Timeline of Activities:
WEEK ONE
Friday, June 16 Travel : Drive to Richmond, VA
June 17 Visit Poe Museum and Old Stone House Museum
June 18 Young Writers Conference 9-12/free time to read and write/explore
June 19 Young Writers Conference 9-12/free time to read and write/explore
June 20 Young Writers Conference 9-12/free time to read and write/explore
June 21 Young Writers Conference 9-12/free time to read and write/explore
June 22 Young Writers Conference 9-12/free time to read and write/explore
WEEK TWO
Friday, June 23 Young Writers Conference 9-12/free time to read and write/explore
June 24 Young Writers Conference 9-12/free time to read and write/explore
June 25 Travel: Drive to Amherst, MA
June 26 Visit Emily Dickinson Home/brother’s home/cemetery
June 27 time to read and enjoy Dickinson’s poetry
June 28 Travel to Boston
June 29 Tour Boston and sites related to authors
WEEK THREE
Friday, June 30 Tour Boston
July 1 Read authors of interest
July 2 Drive to Salem/attend Salem Ghosts, the Paranormal and Unusual 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
July 3 Tour Salem and visit attractions, memorials
July 4 Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthday Celebration at House of the Seven Gables
July 5 Read Hawthorne
July 6 Travel to Concord/Visit Fruitlands
WEEK FOUR
Friday, July 7 Tour Concord/Read Alcott
July 8 Tour Concord/Read Emerson
July 9 Tour Concord/Read Fuller
July 10 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
July 11 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
July 12 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
July 13 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
WEEK FIVE
Friday, July 14 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
July 15 Stay at the Inn—work on projects—read Thoreau literature
July 16 Stay at the Inn—work on projects—read Thoreau literature
July 17 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
July 18 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
July 19 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
July 20 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
WEEK SIX
Friday, July 21 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
July 22 Stay at the Inn—read any Romantic author I want
July 23 depart for New York City (travel day)
July 24 Tour New York City, Brooklyn/Read Whitman
July 25 Tour New York City, Brooklyn/Read Whitman
July 26 Tour New York City, Brooklyn/Read Whitman
July 27 Drive home to Greenfield, IN
Thank you for looking at my final project! I would love to hear your suggestions!
Through the course of this inquiry it has become increasingly frustrating to me that there is just not enough time to thoroughly explore these Transcendentalist and Romantic authors and their great works. This frustration allowed me to reach a decision about my final project and give me the seeds of an idea for what my topic will be when I apply for the Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship. This award can be as much as $8000. One must submit a proposal and explain, detailing expenses incurred on a six week timeline, what the teacher will do for six weeks to renew herself and most importantly will take back to the classroom to inspire and motivate young people.
My six weeks will be spent traveling in Virginia, New York, Massachusetts and Maryland, visiting the homes, museums, and places of interest to these Transcendentalist and Romantic authors. I will also build into my travel schedule at least one day at each place that allows me the time to read the work of each author. How amazing it will be to spend a day at Walden Pond reading Walden! Or reading Dickinson poetry while I am in Amherst visiting her museum homes. My inspiration web details the authors, the cities or places of interest to that author, and in some instances educational opportunities that I can participate in while I am visiting these places. Because the deadline has passed for this year’s award, the web will be a valuable tool in helping me compile a more thorough timeline in the fall when the next fellowship becomes available.
The way I organized this concept web is by categorizing the authors, their place of interest to learn more about them or a place they loved, and an educational opportunity for me to either visit a museum or attend an educational activity. The most time will be spent at Walden as there is a two week teacher seminar. This is one opportunity that I would absolutely love to have. I will also have the opportunity to attend a student writing workshop at the Poe Museum. This is a one week workshop.
The links associated with the cities give great recommendations for places to visit and things to be sure to do while I am there. One thing that I will try to include when I do this for my proposal is a list of reading I would like to accomplish when I set out on this journey. There was not enough time to compile that list for this final project.
I thought I would be able to put my inspiration web here and you would be able to access the websites through the hyperlinks. Wrong. Or either I don't know how to do it. Here are the links to the educational opportunities and my favorites websites from doing the research!
Poe learning opportunity: http://www.poemuseum.org/news_and_events/writers_conference2006.html
Thoreau learning opportunity
http://www.walden.org/Education/TWS/The_Walden_Seminars_2005.htm
Alcott learning opportunity
http://www.fruitlands.org/education.php
Whitman learning opportunity
http://www.charityadvantage.com/waltwhitman/ResearchLinks.asp
Dickinson learning opportunity
http://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/index.html
Melville learning opportunity
http://www.mobydick.org/
The greatest site of all for my research
http://www.shepherd.edu/transweb/travelguide.htm
You can access the places relating to the authors through this site, except for Poe and Melville.
Drumroll, please.... Here is how I could spend six weeks if I were to be awarded a Lilly Creativity Fellowship. I have based it on dates from this year so it would be easier to plan.
Timeline of Activities:
WEEK ONE
Friday, June 16 Travel : Drive to Richmond, VA
June 17 Visit Poe Museum and Old Stone House Museum
June 18 Young Writers Conference 9-12/free time to read and write/explore
June 19 Young Writers Conference 9-12/free time to read and write/explore
June 20 Young Writers Conference 9-12/free time to read and write/explore
June 21 Young Writers Conference 9-12/free time to read and write/explore
June 22 Young Writers Conference 9-12/free time to read and write/explore
WEEK TWO
Friday, June 23 Young Writers Conference 9-12/free time to read and write/explore
June 24 Young Writers Conference 9-12/free time to read and write/explore
June 25 Travel: Drive to Amherst, MA
June 26 Visit Emily Dickinson Home/brother’s home/cemetery
June 27 time to read and enjoy Dickinson’s poetry
June 28 Travel to Boston
June 29 Tour Boston and sites related to authors
WEEK THREE
Friday, June 30 Tour Boston
July 1 Read authors of interest
July 2 Drive to Salem/attend Salem Ghosts, the Paranormal and Unusual 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
July 3 Tour Salem and visit attractions, memorials
July 4 Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthday Celebration at House of the Seven Gables
July 5 Read Hawthorne
July 6 Travel to Concord/Visit Fruitlands
WEEK FOUR
Friday, July 7 Tour Concord/Read Alcott
July 8 Tour Concord/Read Emerson
July 9 Tour Concord/Read Fuller
July 10 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
July 11 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
July 12 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
July 13 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
WEEK FIVE
Friday, July 14 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
July 15 Stay at the Inn—work on projects—read Thoreau literature
July 16 Stay at the Inn—work on projects—read Thoreau literature
July 17 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
July 18 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
July 19 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
July 20 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
WEEK SIX
Friday, July 21 Attend “Approaching Walden” Teaching Seminar—stay at Inn
July 22 Stay at the Inn—read any Romantic author I want
July 23 depart for New York City (travel day)
July 24 Tour New York City, Brooklyn/Read Whitman
July 25 Tour New York City, Brooklyn/Read Whitman
July 26 Tour New York City, Brooklyn/Read Whitman
July 27 Drive home to Greenfield, IN
Thank you for looking at my final project! I would love to hear your suggestions!
# posted by YourMediaSpecialist @ 7:58 PM 
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I enjoy your idea so much, I am inspired to look into the grant myself, how wonderful to renew the teacher who will, in turn, renew the students! In my Mindfulness project I was also struck by the amount of time I wished I had to devote to the readings and practices. Must it be inferred then that the topics must be speaking directly to our spirit, encouraging us to thirst for more study of the concepts? I had a dream last night that I was in a cozy, safe place (like a sleeping bag?) and just as I started to worry about all the things I had to do today, I was infused with the realization that in that very moment, in that very place, I didn't have to worry about anything, all I had to do was be happy, relaxed and sleep. I know that it stemmed from my readings on Mindfulness, meditation and transcendentalism.
I look forward to us doing more self-inquiry on these topics, soon we will do that lunch and talk about it!
Congratulations on a great project, good luck working on the grant!
I look forward to us doing more self-inquiry on these topics, soon we will do that lunch and talk about it!
Congratulations on a great project, good luck working on the grant!
Personal Connection
Before I started the project I'll admit I was a little befuddled about adding all the references to research and the inquiry process. How was I going to be able to do this and still research my topic!!! YIKES! I recognize now that if we had not had to do that during this inquiry process, I would not have done the research the way I would teach my kids to do! It's the old talk the talk now walk the walk method! I would have done the research, put it into a product, not done any evaluation tools, mapping or essential questions, and my project would have been completely different and I probably would have been disappointed with the results. I definitely feel that the next time I teach inquiry with my students I will be much more empathetic and supportive of them during the process. KUHLTHAU is my idol! I will watch a student and go oh, he's feeling frustrated; what can I do to help him out? I will also encourage students to be more flexible... thanks for that, Annette!
I just can't believe it over...It seems like I was just getting started... oh wait, I do have my grant proposal to finish... : )
Before I started the project I'll admit I was a little befuddled about adding all the references to research and the inquiry process. How was I going to be able to do this and still research my topic!!! YIKES! I recognize now that if we had not had to do that during this inquiry process, I would not have done the research the way I would teach my kids to do! It's the old talk the talk now walk the walk method! I would have done the research, put it into a product, not done any evaluation tools, mapping or essential questions, and my project would have been completely different and I probably would have been disappointed with the results. I definitely feel that the next time I teach inquiry with my students I will be much more empathetic and supportive of them during the process. KUHLTHAU is my idol! I will watch a student and go oh, he's feeling frustrated; what can I do to help him out? I will also encourage students to be more flexible... thanks for that, Annette!
I just can't believe it over...It seems like I was just getting started... oh wait, I do have my grant proposal to finish... : )
Nice job on the web. I learned a lot about what I don't know about transcendentalism. I want to see pictures when you decide to go. Keep blogging your experience. Thanks so much for the comments on my website and the encouragement. Good luck on your project.
Monica
Monica
That sounds like a great trip! I would love to do something like that. It would be great to read the works of authors in the places where they were inspired. I would like to do something similar with Japanese literature and manga...It would likely be a little more expensive, though.
I'm so jealous! I want to come! There were so many highlights on my trip, but one in particular is standing out right now.
We traveled to Amherst through a white-knuckling snowstorm. My professor was driving a van full of rowdy college students (though several of us were of nontraditional age). She asked suddenly whether or not everyone had on his or her seatbelt. We all got very quiet. I finally said, "the seatbelts don't work." Now, we had been on the road for about 5 days at this point. She'd woulda liked to die when I told her we'd been traveling that whole time without seat belts!
Anyway, it was worth the hassle and tension to get to Amherst because I got to read "There's a certain slant of light" while standing in Emily Dickson's bedroom "on a winter afternoon." Perhaps at the very window where she observed and wrote about that same light many years ago. Sends chills up my spine even now.
I so hope you get to go on this trip--or some version thereof. I know it would be life changing for you. You did a great job on your project. Thank you for letting me be a part of it!
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We traveled to Amherst through a white-knuckling snowstorm. My professor was driving a van full of rowdy college students (though several of us were of nontraditional age). She asked suddenly whether or not everyone had on his or her seatbelt. We all got very quiet. I finally said, "the seatbelts don't work." Now, we had been on the road for about 5 days at this point. She'd woulda liked to die when I told her we'd been traveling that whole time without seat belts!
Anyway, it was worth the hassle and tension to get to Amherst because I got to read "There's a certain slant of light" while standing in Emily Dickson's bedroom "on a winter afternoon." Perhaps at the very window where she observed and wrote about that same light many years ago. Sends chills up my spine even now.
I so hope you get to go on this trip--or some version thereof. I know it would be life changing for you. You did a great job on your project. Thank you for letting me be a part of it!
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