Ruth McDonald's blog

Entering the Home Stretch...

Six weeks have flown by since my last update, and now I have just 2 months left of my fellowship and time in DC. It has continued to be an awesome and enlightening learning experience, but I am ready to come home. Much as I have come to love it here, the returning humidity reminds me why I would have great difficulty being here permanently. I am a cool weather person at heart!

The spring has been absolutely gorgeous though! Flowers of all kinds in bloom everywhere, (unfortunately, so are my allergies!) The White House Garden Tour got us up close and personal with the tulips and the West Wing!

In the last few weeks of April I was very busy at NSF with a new round of IRES proposals to manage. I also  went on a site visit of Jefferson High School for Math & Science (U.S. News and World Report #1 ranked HS in U.S.) That was impressive! The scientific research that the 9th graders conducted was college level. 22% of the teachers there have PhD's and all the rest have Master's degrees. They have no supervision in the halls at lunch where the kids eat on the floor! And, the students put their packs and belongings right out in the open...honor system at work. The labs were remarkable for a high school. I will be bringing back lots of information to share with interested folks in Lincoln County.

At the end of April I went on a brief 4 day cruise with Don on Megan's ship, and it was great to see her loving her work. Her best friend Luana was on the ship as well!

The very last week in April and 1st week in May was filled with events honoring the Presidential Awardees in Math and Science Teaching. All of the Einstein Fellows were invited to all of the events, the most exciting being the formal dinner at the State Department, where we saw the desk that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration on, and the Original Treaty of Paris! There are beautiful antiques everywhere and even the men's and women's lounges were sites to see!

Earlier in the month, I was a presenter on a Senate panel on Nanotechnology in Education for Senator Wyden, and I later had a quick meet and photo op with him. He is much taller than I expected!

May has been busy in the office with what is now my normal work, and outside briefings and panels continued as well.

 I did a presentation on what it is like in the classroom with my Einstein colleagues at the U.S. Dept. of Education, attended several STEM panels and technology events, and served on another panel at NSF for the IGERT program.

I continue to meet folks from Oregon here in DC that I would never meet in Oregon! Hopefully these contacts will result in some cool partnerships for LCSD when I return.

This past week, Betsy Wilcox and Tom RInearson came into town for the Einstein Fellowship Poster session and reception. Betsy came a few days early, and she and I  went to the Capitol Memorial Day Concert, where we saw Gladys Knight, Gary Senise, Sara Brightman and Idina Menzel.

Then Tom arrived and they had a chance to do some whirlwind touring of the Capitol and Memorials.

I was so proud to be the only one whose superintendent and principal came to the Reception to support them. We had a good turnout of people to see our posters summarizing our accomplishments, projects and plans after the fellowship. We all went out to dinner at a Capitol Hill landmark restaurant, The Monocle, where on any normal night famous (or infamous!) elected officials are dining. However, this week Congress was in recess, so no celebrities were in evidence, other than the photographs adorning the walls. We tried to get the owner to put up a photo of all the Einstein Fellows, but he wasn't interested...

On Friday, we had our last Einstein Professional Development day. We went to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD and were given a tour and a 3 hour ship ride, 4 miles out into the Chesapeake Bay, where we conducted some water quality testing. We toured the chemistry and physics labs at the academy. The oceanography professor who took us out on the boat runs The Maury Project, where middle and high school science teachers come to Annapolis for oceanography professional development in the summer, so he gaves us a taste of what the summer program teachers do, and now we all want to do the project!

Don arrived Friday evening for a quick weekend visit. The weather is turning hot and humid with thunderstorms, but we managed to BBQ out Friday night. Saturday we had a neighborhood gathering for brunch and then went out on a "date" to dinner and to a really cool event: Artomatic. Each year in DC they take a brand new high rise, office building that is completed but not yet occupied, and fill it with an art show for 3 weeks. 12 floors of all kinds of  media, with entertainment, and the winners of the Washington Post's "Peep Show." These are diorama's made of Marshmallow Peep's. Yes! Very funny!

So, now Don is on his way back home, and I am really feeling blue...ready to come home and be  with him all the time, and  see all my family and friends as well.  I still have work to finish up at NSF, but am already starting  to plan and teleconference with folks back in the district. I will be the Project Director for our Oregon Mentor Grant now, along with other duties of my new position as a TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment.)

I am also off to Albuquerque next Sunday, June 8th, for 3 weeks to go back to the DOE ACTS program (Department of Energy Academies Creating Teacher Scientists.) If you go back in this BLOG, you can read about my experiences there last summer focusing on water science topics. This summer, we focus on Alternative Energy, and I will be likely working in a research lab on hydrogen fuel cell membrane research.

So, I will do my next BLOG in a few weeks from Albuquerque!  Then, when I return to DC, July 1st, I go back to NSF for a week before going to Mexico to  attend the International Mathematics Congress in Monterrey. I will spend my final 3 weeks back in DC with Patty Hunter and Evelyn Smith coming to visit, and Don will come the last few weeks to hang out and help me get moved home on the 31st.

It has been a great experience, and as it winds down to the end, I am a little sad to be leaving this wonderful city and the people I work with at NSF. I hope you all have had a great year. I really encourage my colleagues in science and math to apply for the Einstein Fellowship next year, as well as any of the outstanding professional development programs out there for teachers. I will share much more of my year when I get home- in person.

See you all soon!

Ruth

Time is Flying and the Cherry Trees are in Bloom...

It is hard to believe that 10 weeks have passed since I last updated the DC BLOG! Time is going by rapidly, and though I am continuing to have a wonderful experience, I am looking forward to coming home in 3 1/2 months. Life here in the Capitol is busy and, at the same time, routine. I have really gotten used to walking and metro-ing everywhere, and know it will be a big adjustment for me to go back to driving long distances everywhere in Oregon. I am surprised at how much I am enjoying city living,

So, what have I been up to these last few months? Well, in February, I went down to Jefferson National Accelerator Lab for a tour of the facility and also to help out the the Virginia Regional Science Bowl.

  I also spent 10 weeks taking a Spanish refresher course 2 nights a week in preparation for a trip I am making on behalf of my NSF office to Monterry, Mexico in July to attend the International Math Congress. A few other things I've been working on are an Interagency project with other Einstein Fellows revising a Climate Change curriculum kit for middle school teachers, developing a white paper for my office on cyber-collaborations, and presenting on a Senate panel sponsored by Oregon Senator Wyden for Nano Days.

Senator Wyden @ Power of Small Premier

I also spent much of February and March traveling, so if I have not spoken much to many of you, it's because I have been on the road...or in the air! I went to Portland for a home visit, to Boston for the AAAS Annual conference, DC for the Triangle Coalition Conference, Seattle to a technology conference where I met up with LCSD folks, another tech conference here in DC, and finally back to Boston for the NSTA conference, where I presented 3 sessions. Whew! Very busy few months.

 And, while jetting the country, I was continuing my work as NSF on grants management, Broadening Participation workgroup, and attending some very thought provoking and enlightening panels, briefings and hearing here in town.

Just to give you an idea of a few: a House Physics Education Summit, several forums at the Carnegie Institute on education reform, No Child Left Behind, Teacher Quality and Professional Development, and several Nano technology events during Nano Days, including a premier of a new PBS series on Nanoscience called "The Power of Small" which you can all see on your local PBS stations in May.

All of the Einstein Fellows were also invited to lunch by Congressman Mike Honda of California, who is a great person. He is a former high school science teacher so he really "gets it!"

Honda and the Einsteins

I also met with staffers from Congresswoman Hooley and Senator  Wyden's offices, where I had a chance to offer my "teacher perspective" on education issues. One thing I have gained this year is a perspective on the complexity of our federal system, and how difficult it is to effect change on a national level. I have also learned that our congress people work very hard to represent us in this complicated system, much harder than I ever imagined! Every minute of their time is planned out and accounted for, and they are tired!

Around the middle of March, the current fellows hosted 27 applicants here to interview for next years fellowships in DC. We organized some DC tours and gatherings at current fellows homes, and tried to give them a bit of an idea of what to expect if they are chosen. It was rather bittersweet to think that just over a year ago I was here for interviews myself, and that my own experience would now be winding down. There is bit of "Potomac Fever" that I think most people get after being here, and I would certainly think about returning some day!

I've been able to see Don pretty regularly the past few months, in Seattle and Portland, and for 10 days during his Spring break He came to DC on his birthday and got to come spend a day with me at NSF and see where I work, He was also present for a presentation some of the Fellows did at NSF, and then spent a few days touring on his own and meeting me after I got off work. We were very lucky when he was hers that my next door neighbor gave us preview tickets to the new NEWSEUM, a fabulous new museum about the news on Pennsylvania Ave. on the National Mall.

He went with me and the Einsteins to NSTA in Boston, and we had a great time. Don got a chance to meet all my fellow fellows and see who I have been talking about and hanging out with while I have been away from him! The next few months will be a bit more challenging in terms of our  connection times, but we should be able to see each other  once or twice before I come home for good July 31st.

The weather has definitely turned to spring and this week is the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The trees were just starting to blossom when Don was here; now they are in full and beautiful.

It is definitely the best time of year to be in DC. Unfortunately, it will soon get hot and humid, and then I will be dreaming of the cool, Oregon Coast.

I hope everyone- friends, family, colleagues and students- is well and happy. Please drop me an email or call me to chat! I will try to do another update in May. See you all soon!

Ruth

Well into 2008!

Hi Everyone,

So sorry I haven't updated the BLOG for so long! 6 weeks have come and gone since I last updated you on my DC adventures, and of course, during that time I spent almost 2 weeks at home. I was able to visit with many friends and relatives, and it was great to be home and see everyone, but that now seems like a long time ago.

The 10 days before Christmas were hectic at NSF as we were focused on getting in all the IRES proposal reviews. Since the first of the year, my work has been primarily aimed at representing the Americas group on the internal IRES panel, and it is all very interesting and a great learning experience for me. I am continuing to have wonderful opportunities to go to briefings, panels and symposia on "the hill" and places like The National Press Club and AAAS on a myriad of education topics. The greatest focus in DC right now is on America's competitiveness with Asia and with teacher quality in STEM disciplines and how it affects student achievement. Much research is being conducted on how to improve teacher professional development, teacher quality and student learning.

Coming up in March, my directorate, OISE, is presenting a 2 hour briefing on what OISE is/does to the Director of NSF, Dr. Bement. Everyone is quite nervous and working to make this an impressive event. I have turned out to be the "point man" on helping everyone in with their Powerpoints! Hopefully, I won't be remembered just as the PPT animator girl....but at least I am contributing!

Megan was here with me for a little over 2 weeks, from Jan. 4th-22nd, and we had a great time. She got to see all the usual sites, and then Don came and joined us over MLK weekend and we went to Mt. Vernon. George's home is quite interesting and I plan tp go back in the spring when it is warmer. Megan was also lucky enough to be here when we Einstein's were given a White House, Supreme Court and Capitol tour. All very cool, and we even got to ride the underground subway that connects the House and Senate offices to the Capitol itself.

One of my fellow fellows also had his college age daughter here while Megan was here, so the two of them hung out a bit, and over a weekend we all went to NYC. We had a blast! We took a $35 round trip us and stayed at a real flea bag by Madison Square Garden, but had so much fun. We saw RENT on Broadway, went to Ellis Island, ate midnite dessert at Carnegie Deli, went to the top of 30 Rock, and window shopped in SOHO and Greenwich Village. We also met our friend, Bryce Clark, from Waldport, for coffee. He is a nurse at Columbia-Cornell and loves it in NYC. We had fun, but I actually like DC better! It is like a small town compared to NYC!

I also spent some time with Cheryl, from Oregon Dept. of Ed. Science person. She was at NSF for some meetings and workshop, so we had dinner one night. It is so strange to make more connections with folks from Oregon while I am here than I did when I was back home....I have had several wonderful opportunities open up , as well as several coincidences and interactions with folks that are like "6 degrees of separation...."

I have some great photos I will upload tomorrow, but need to get to sleep right now. I am taking a Spanish refresher course 2 nights a week and have a midterm presentation to do next week...

Until I post photos and next BLOG, I hope all is well with all l of you! Drop me an email and come for a visit! Happy 2008!

Ruth

Nearly Christmas...

The time between Thanksgiving and the holidays is speeding by. Julie and Don were here for Thanksgiving, and we had a wonderful time. Julie spent her days prior to Thanksgiving seeing all the sites in DC, and we also had a chance to go out to the Shenendoah Valley and Appalachians to see the fall colors and go to some outrageous caverns.

Don fixed a wonderful feast for the holiday and my roommate, Chris, and her family joined us.  We spent the weekend continuing to explore DC, including an Impressionist exhibit at the Phillips Museum, the National Building Museum, the Spy Museum (highly recommended!) and the Ansel Adams exhibit at the Corcoran Gallery.

 

The following week, I served on the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math & Science Teaching review panels. It was quite an experience and I now have much more of a true understanding of how much work is involved in the review process at NSF and other agencies. We worked from 7:30 am to 8 or 9 pm each night and ate as we worked. It was pretty exhausting, but a great learning experience.

Last week was a busy one in OISE at NSF. The reviews are just about all in for the IRES proposals and also for some Doctoral Dissertation proposals, so I spent most of the week in panel reviews and writing review analyses, summaries and abstracts. When I first interviewed for the position, I was asked to submit an “on the spot” writing sample, and now I know why! Lots of reading and writing involved in this position, particularly at certain times of the grant cycles.

I did also attend a House Science & Technology briefing on Technology and 21st century Skills, including some research on successful technology integration to improve student learning and on Virtual online schools. I also took part in an ISTE web seminar at NSF about Emerging Technologies.

The holidays have definitely arrived in the Capitol. We had our Einstein Fellowship Holiday Party on Tuesday. It snowed about 4 inches and was very cold all week, and the white stuff added to the Holiday feel of the Capitol Tree Lighting on Wednesday night and the White House Tree Lighting on Thursday night. The Capitol tree is from Vermont, and since one of the Fellows, Jennifer, works in Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT) office, she was able to invite us to the reception after the lighting in the U.S. Botanical Gardens. It was beautiful and they served the best food we’ve had at a reception so far! Friday it began to warm up to the 40’s and rain, and now the snow is melted and it is just gray. (The photo on the left is the White House Tree, next is our patio, next is the snow on our street (my house is the one by the streetlight), and the last 2 are the Capitol Tree.)

This week and next are bound to fly by quickly. I have a meeting on STEM education at the Wilson Center and a science and technology briefing in the House on Tuesday, as well as an American Youth Policy Forum briefing on Friday. The rest of the week and beginning of next, I will be working to finish up my reviews and leave things organized at the office before I head home to Oregon on Dec. 19th. I am ready to come home for the holidays and see my family and friends! I will be home until the 1st of January, and then will take the red-eye back here to DC.

Megan has a month off between contracts, and will be coming out to stay with me on Jan. 4th for 2 weeks! I can’t wait to see her. It was very strange not to have her with us for Thanksgiving, and I am sure it will be even more so at Christmas. But, she is having a great time and we will see her shortly after the 1st of the year. She will have to adjust to cold DC weather after being in Hawaii! One thing I am excited about is that she will get to join the Einstein Fellow tour of the Capitol and White House while she is here. How cool is that?

I hope you are all well and that I will get to see many of you while I am home. I will also be home in February for a long weekend (16th-20th) so if I don’t get to see you this time, hopefully I will see you then.

Have a wonderful Holiday! I will not be updating the BLOG until mid-January.

Cheers!
Ruth

Nearly Thanksgiving...

It is hard to believe that the holidays are upon us! Time is beginning to speed up, and I am busy attending conferences and trainings, as well as increasing my work here in OISE at NSF. (How do you like those acronyms?) As I mentioned, I attended the 2007 National Leadership Development Symposium, "Changing the Course of Science Education," sponsored by the National Science Resources Center of the National Academies of Science and the Smithsonian Institution. The symposium focused on ways of leveraging the involvement of a wide range of organizations in the science education of our nation's youth. Topics included: Research-based, effective K-16 science teaching and learning, characteristics of effective programs in school districts and states and forming effective partnerships for sustaining systemic reform. I learned about some fantastic science and math programs in other states and districts, as well as meeting several business leaders from Bristol-Meyers-Squibb and the Michelin group who are involved in trying to improve science education for K-12 students.

On Thursday night of the conference, they invited us to a beautiful, sit-down dinner in the Smithsonian Castle. it is apparently fairly rare to get to do this, and the surroundings were unreal! Take a look:

On the Friday night the symposium ended, most of the Einstein Fellows and I went to the Air and Space Museum for Smithsonian Teacher's night, where we got to see the new IMAX "Sea Monsters 3D" movie (highly recommend for all students and teachers alike!)

The teachers in the DC area have so many wonderful resources and opportunities available to them for their own professional development and for their students' learning. And, they treat educators well here! Always free, lovely food and drinks!

I also squeezed in a panel discussion at the Carnegie Institute sponsored by Common Good, called "Class Disrupted." I found it very relevant, and cause for thinking about all we are doing in education. The Program director of Educators for Social Responsibility, the RCCP folks, was there, along with several other social and education researchers. Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Mary, was the closing speaker, as he is involved in RCCP through his "Operation Respect" program. (Photos are of me, with fellow NASA Einstein Fellow Ann Coren, and me and Peter- he is ery friendly!)

The main point of the panel was to try to highlight to the NCLB folks that, you can have the highest standards, best trained teachers, best curriculum, etc., etc. however, if we don't address the social and emotional issues of kids (poverty, violence and such) they won't be ready to learn. LCSD had a big push some years ago for RCCP, and we seem to have just let it go by the wayside in our focus on academic achievement. I think we all need to be reminded that we are working with children with many needs and that, just because we have to answer to the feds, we need to take care of kids' basic needs before they can benefit from the Highly Qualified teachers and great instruction we offer!

On Monday, the 5th of November, we went to another panel, Wireless and Well-Prepared: The E-mergence of Technology in the Classroom with David Thornburg,founder and Director of Global Operations for the Thornburg Center, Mary Cullinane, Director, U.S. Partners in Learning, Microsoft Corporation and consultant to the new Philadelphia High School of the Future, Walter Bender, President of Software and Content, One Laptop per Child Foundation, and Amy Klobuchar, United States Senator, Minnesota and a member of the Senate Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Innovation. Since all of us were true technology in education believers, it was a bit like preaching to the choir, but it was interesting to hear about the High School of the Future, and see the new One Laptops. It will be interesting to see if these take hold in the U.S. and throughout the world, as there is some controversy surrounding giving children in developing, poor countries technology, rather than food, shelter and medicine.

I continued working in the office on the IRES proposals, getting more reviewers for them and the IRFP's, and I wrote an abstract for a funded proposal that will appear on the NSF website (eventually...) I have also been going to panel reviews for biology and geosciences proposals with an international component. This has been very interesting, and should be helpful in the future to our grantwriting efforts. It is informative to see how the experts critique the proposals, and I see that writers must be brief, but explicit, and not leave anything to the reviewers assumptions. I also went in and out of several sessions at the NSDL (National Science Digital Library) Conference that wwas held here at NSF (well, at the Westin across the street, anyway!) That is an outstanding resource for science and math teachers, especially middle school, and I hope to do some professional development around that when I get back. In the meantime, if you are interested, here is the website, http://nsdl.org/

On Thursday, the 8th, I had a wonderful opportunity to go to the Louden Academy of Sciences, a magnet high school math and science program, to see about a dozen U.S. and a dozen Singapore students present research projects they have been collaborating on over the web. First, I was astounded by the sophistated level of equipment in their science labs. I was also stunned by the advanced level of the research that the students were undertaking and that they were using their social networking and email and web-based video conferencing to collaborate internationally. I feel so lucky to be able to go and visit exemplary programs this year, and hope that LCSD colleagues might be able to see some of these firsthand as well.

Last weekend, Veteran's Day, I traveled to St. Louis for the National Quality in Education Conference, and met up with my LCSD friends and colleagues. It was so great to see everyone and spend some "Quality" time with them.

We had many interesting and thought provoking conversations, and though I am having a unique and memorable experience here in DC, I miss everyone from home- both personally and professionally- and look forward to coming back and working to implement some of the great ideas people in LCSD have and meshing them with all I am learning this year.

Finally, when I returned to DC from St. Louis, I had the chance to go to a few more discussions and events. I went to the Woodrow Wilson Center for a panel discussion on Science and Math Education in Asia and the differences between Asia and the U.S.

Wilson Center Asia Panel

Of course, the U.S. is well behind Asian countries in science and math student achievement, and some of the differences that contribute to this are elements that are being studied by education researchers, such as teacher preparation & professional development, standardized national curriculum, parental support and cultural respect for teachers and education. One interesting piece of information was that the bottom 20% of Asian students were still performing at significantly higher levels than the bottom 20% of U.S. students.

From this panel I went to the Kennedy Center for a reception for American Education Week that introduced a new professional development effort, supported by the Verizon Foundation, to train teachers to use Thinkfinity.org, a website that offers 55,000 lesson plans and resources for all subject areas. Reg Weaver, the NEA President, was the guest speaker, and spent some time conversing with me and Another of my Einstein Fellow friends, Jennifer Berry-Rickert, from Tennessee. Oregon is not currently one of the 17 states this effort is focusing on....wonder how we can change that?

Finally, some of us are going to be working on an interagency project with NOAA, USGS and the National Park Service to revise a Climate Change curriculum for middle schools. While we were at the meeting yesterday, we had a sneak peak at the Second Life Virtual Worlds learning tool that NOAA is developing. It was awesome, and I now have a small idea of why our kids' brains are different from ours! You have to see it to believe...

Whew! I now embark on a period of relative calm, between now and when I come home for Christmas on the 20th of December. Fewer professional development activities that take me out of NSF, and more OISE work, as the IRES proposal reviews start to come in. I am ready to focus more on my NSF work as I am actually on professional Development overload! And, Julie (my sister from Seattle) comes tonight for a week, and Don arrives Wed. night to spend Thanksgiving here in DC.

I hope all of you reading this will have a restful holiday and enjoy being with your loved ones. I look forward to seeing you soon!

 

Ruth

Fall News from DC...

It has finally turned to Fall here. After a much needed few days of downpour, the sun is out, the leaves are falling and the air is cool and crisp. All the locals are already wearing their wool coats and boots and scarves, but I feel right at home! I can walk the mile to the metro without sweat!

Let me fill you in on the last few weeks. Don came out for a weekend a few weeks ago, and we had a great time. We went to the Hopper exhibit at the National Gallery, visited the WWII Memorial, (which Don had never seen) and had some delicious meals. There is an abundance of great food here...unfortunately for me and weightwatchers! Fortunately, I walk anywhere from 3-6 miles a day. We also went to the National Archives to see the Declaration, Constitution and Bill of Rights, the Botanic Gardens, a woodwind concert at the Library of Congress, and to Georgetown. Don probably needed a vacation from his vacation!

Oh...we also had brunch with Peggy (my College roomate) and Louis and their daughter, Michelle, a senior at George Washington U. We walked along the old (1700's ) lockes along the Potomac in Georgetown.

The next week was fascinating. At work, I continue working on getting reviewers for NSF proposals for the IRES (International Research Experiences for Students) program, and attending lectures and symposia on increasing the participation of under-represented groups in STEM. I went to a House Science and Technology Committee Hearing on the issue of Equity for women in science and engineering at the university level. The data seem to show that the K-12 system is doing a pretty decent job of getting girls interested in STEM studies, but once they get their degrees, the higher ed establishment is tough on them. Medicine and biological science are the only area where women are equally represented.

One of our Fellow's Landlord works for the Woodrow Wilson Center here in DC, and he invited all of us to a conference that was put on by a charitablle organization out of LA called "Children Uniting Nations." The evening prior to the conference, we were invited to a film premier of "The Invisible Ones" directed by various international directors, including Spike Lee. Next day, we heard several speakers talking about educating children in poverty and about a program this group has going in LA for mentoring Foster Children. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez of CA spoke about her experiences growing up in Anaheim (near my hometown.)  Goldie Hawn introduced several other high ranking and famous individuals. But the highlight for me was the luncheon speaker, Jane Goodall. She was so gracious and is a wonderful person. I spoke with her for a few minutes and have these photos to remember the moment. (1st one is Rep. Sanchez)

Later that night, we attended a "Gala" dinner that included Goldie Hawn, the Princess of Malawi, the King of Ghana, Tom Lantos, and entertainment by actor Jeff Daniels, and singer Chaka Khan. Quite an experience for us mere teachers! Here I am with some of my fellow fellows!

Oct. 18-20th I went to the National Science Teachers Regional Conference in Detroit, and did a presentation about NSF and the office I am working in, as well as helped man the Einstein Fellows booth to try to recruit applicants for next year. Those of us there went up to the 72nd floor of the Marriott for a view of the Detroit River  and Lake St. Clair.

Last week, the 22nd -26th, was the 1st week I was actually at NSF in my office every day. It is hard to remember sometimes that this is not exactly like a job, and that about 50% of my time is for my own professional growth and development. I am so appreciative of the opportunities I am getting to go to congressional briefings, hearings, education workshops and conferences, and science and technology trainings. I was able to go back to the Archives one afternoon with a Washington group that has invited the Einstein Fellows to all their meetings and activities this year. (Federal Interagency Committee on Education =FICE) The education specialist gave us a "backstage" tour and took us through an interactive activity that they do with middle and high school students who visit the Archives. They are getting it set up so students everywhere can do it online.Very Cool!

Later that evening, most of the Einstein Fellows attended a reception in the Gold Room of the Rayburn House Office  Bldg. to celebrate National Chemistry Week and sponsored by the American Chemical Society.  We met and had a great time talking with Congressman Vernon Ehlers, of Michigan, who is a great supporter of science education, (he was a physics and nuclear physics professor at UC Berkeley!) Later, Ed and Lynn, 2 of our Capitol Hill Einstein Fellows, took us on a tour of their offices and the underground tunnels under the Capitol..(there is s train from the House and Senate Offices to the main Capitol building, but we needed special permission to go..another time!)

Had a quiet weekend and cleaned up a bit around the house, took my new "old lady" cart to Safeway and got some groceries to help me stay away from those fantastic restaurants for a bit, and went to an Einstein Fellows gathering at one of the Fellow's places in Virginia. Kent, from Minnesota, has his 8 & 12 year old boys with him, and we had a bit of a Halloween party with them. The rest of us get our "kid fix" from Kent boys, and they are now honorary "junior" Einsteins.

Today, my office held their annual Advisory Committee, so I learned even more about NSF and OISE. I also met a biology Professor from the U of O who is on the committee (Janis Weeks.) We discovered she has a house about 10 miles down the road from us in Oregon. Small world. I have actually met many interesting scientists, and several from Oregon and Washington, so my "network" is expanding, and hopefully that will bring some opportunities for future partnerships with LCSD and some of these academicians.

The news tonight is warning everyone to bring in their plants as the 1st freeze is predicted. It is chilly, and I may go splurge on an electric blanket! Everyone is warning me that it will get very cold in the winter. I will work at NSF tomorrow, but Wed-Friday I will be attending a Science Leadership Symposium at the National Academies of Science, including a reception/dinner Thursday in the Smithsonian Castle. It's hard to believe it will be November already! The time is flying and I am being inundated with knowledge and learning that I need to process before long. Mid November things seem to slow down and I should have time to reflect on everything I've been doing.

I am meeting up with LCSD folks in St. Louis for the National Quality Education Conference over Veteran's Day, and Julie and Don are coming here for Thanksgiving, Then, I will come home for Christmas, so if you don't make it out here to DC before then, I hope to see you all then.

Have a happy Halloween and a great Fall! Drop me a note with all the local news!

Ruth

So much happening!

I can’t believe how fast time is passing. I have already been here 7 weeks and my plan to BLOG weekly is already reduced to bi-weekly.  I have to look back at my calendar to recall what I have been doing.

Two weekends ago, on Saturday, Sept. 29th, I went to the National Book Festival, held on the Capitol Mall. It was so fantastic. Tents were set up for various genres, such as mystery, history, popular fiction, children’s lit, thrillers, etc. Every hour a different bestselling author gave a talk and answered audience questions to a packed crowd. This event is in it’s 7th year, and it’s worth a visit to DC next fall just to come to the Book Festival. Among the authors present were Jodi Picoult, Daniel Silva, Stephen Hunter, Ken Burns, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Jack Prelutsky, Patricia McLanahan, David Baldacci, and many more. PBS had a tent with all the characters from PBS shows and books, like Arthur and The Magic School Bus. Way cool!

The next week was a whirlwind! On Sunday night, a friend of mine, the lead chemical engineer on the Arsenic Project in the lab I worked in at Sandia last June, came for a visit on her way to a meeting in Maryland. We took her luggage back to my place from Union Station, then proceeded to do the nighttime Monument tour by foot. We walked from my place all the way to the Lincoln Memorial and most of the way back….a total of over 6 miles!!

Next day, she did a few museums while I went to work at NSF. Then, Malynda went with me and most of the other Einstein Fellows to a special Sputnik Documentary Premier at the National Press Club. There we listened to a Panel including Sergei Kruschev,

Sergei Kruschev

General Thomas Stafford (Apollo-Soyuz Astronaut, the head historian for the entire Smithsonian, Barbara Morgan, Educator Astronaut just returned from the shuttle mission, and Jay Walker, owner of Priceline AND a back-up Sputnik! We had fancy hors’doeurves and then saw the premier of the film. Very, Very interesting.

Tuesday, we were invited to the U.S. Department of Education to meet the entire Shuttle Endeavour’s crew, and we had the chance to talk personally with them and ask them many questions. Barbara Morgan and Tracy Caldwell, both of the female astronauts, are wonderful role models for girls. There were also about 50 students from a local school there and the crew was great with them…very inspiring.

Later that same eveining, we were invited to the Senate for a reception honoring Senator Edward Kennedy and Congressman George Miller (Ca) for their support of education. It was pretty impressive to be in the U.S. Senate building, and to be up close and personal with a Kennedy.

On our way walking over, we ran in to this guy on the street in front of the Capitol. He had just gotten out of his new black corvette and was checking his email on his Blackberry. Recognize this former presidential candidate?

On Thursday, we had an Einstein Professional Development Day at the National Academies of Science. What a fantastic experience. We had 5 different presentations and learned all about the research conducted by the academies. I did not realize that so many materials that I refer to were produced by them, such as the National Science education Standards, and many other education resources.  We were taken on a private tour of the Koshland Science Museum, which is run by the National Academies. We finished off our day with a visit across the street to the National Building Museum, one of the most beautiful structures in DC.

National Building Museum

So, you have an idea of all of the events we get to go to as Fellows, and I must admit I did not feel like I was “working: at NSF, since I was hardly there. After a train ride and great weekend visit to Philadelphia to visit Arline Toates, her son, Greg and his wife, Stephanie and son, Noah, this week is shaping up to be much more of a “work” week.

Greg, Arline, Stephani & Noah

Philadelphia was very different from DC. Lots of history, but very mixed in with modern high rises and the historical places were so crowded. Independence Hall is much smaller in person than it looks in National Treasure! I skipped the Liberty Bell as the 2-hour line was off-putting.

I am finally working on some proposals, called IRES (International Research Experiences for Students) and have been busy finding reviewers and learning to navigate the whole process. My proposals deal with experiences in Belize and Nicaragua, and I have another one in the Netherlands, It is an entirely different type of work than teaching, and though not nearly as hard, tough on these old eyes. Even a computer geek like me did not realize what 8-9 hours looking at the monitor will feel like on the eyes! I am continuing to learn about NSF and their procedures for reviewing grant proposals. Just having the chance to read so many proposals should help me in writing grants in the future. If nothing else, I will come away from this year an expert on the NSF format. Here is my "office" at NSF:

Office Cubicle

Finally, Don arrives tomorrow (Thursday) nite, late. I will take the Metro to meet him at Reagan National Airport and we’ll get back here by midnite. I am taking the day off Friday to spend with him (I do really miss him!) We are going to take in a few DC museums and a concert Friday night at the Library of Congress. The weather is supposed to finally cool down to fall-ish levels by tomorrow as well. Sunday, Don and I will meet my college roommate, Peggy (from Chicago) and her husband Louis for Brunch as they are in town visiting their daughter, a senior at G-dub (George Washington U.)

The next week I travel to Detroit for the Regional NSTA conference, so my next update will likely not be till I return from there on the 21st. Megan calls me tomorrow from San Diego on her return from Mexico and way to Hawaii….rough life! I miss her, but know she is having a wonderful time working on the ship, and she will come stay a few weeks in January. I hope all of you are doing well. Though I am having an unbelievable experience here in DC, I miss everyone and Oregon. See you in December…unless you come here 1st!

Ruth

Wow! What a week! I...

Wow! What a week! I never imagined I would be so busy. Every day some new event or opportunity presents itself, and I always try to take advantage of all there is to do since I know I am only here for 11 months...and one month is already gone!

Last week, I met with a Fellow from the Japanese Education Ministry. He was finishing up a year here and then will go back to his job in Japan. I found it very interesting that his main question was "How do you get students to LIKE math and science?" I asked why he would even be worried about this for Japanese students, since they have among the highest math and science scores of any industrialized nation. He related that while most Japanese students do very well K-12, once they get to college they feel like they don't have to work hard anymore, and fewer students are choosing math and science studies.

On Friday, I attended a Briefing in the House by the STEM Education Caucus, where they described the proposed changes for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) in the NCLB reauthorization. Afterwards, we went to the Triangle coalition for the Education Policy Briefing, where we learned how Federal education Policy is made. What amazed me was how much influence the Federal Policy has on states and districts when the actual percentage of most budgets from federal dollars is an average of 8%!

Over the weekend, several of us enjoyed a free and fabulous performance on a gorgeous, fall afternoon of "La Boheme" right on the lawn in front of the Washington Monument. As are the majority of the events here in the Capitol, it was free. Hard to pass up that price!

Monday through Wednesday I attended a 3 day "Education and Workforce Summit" by the U.S. Chambers of Commerce. It was held at an historic hotel in DC, the Omni Shoreham, where many famous politicians, dignitaries and  entertainers have stayed. The opening keynote speaker was Dr. Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve. He took the opportunity to offer advice to the listeners on the best investment one can make, even though he does not usually give investment advice. What was it? Education.  I met and heard from many leaders in the business, education and political world. I had lunch with the President of the Exxon Mobile Foundation and former Director of the Edison Schools, and got to hear former governor of North Carolina Jim Hunt and the Ambassador to the U.S. from Finland. We were invited to the Finnish Embassy for a lovely reception, with the Vice-President's house across the street. Riding down Embassy Row is amazing.

On Thursday , I attended a Conflict of Interest training at NSF and began learning the proposal and review process for NSF grants. I will be helping out with the IRES (International Research Experience for Students) program, while also working on developing International Collaboration opportunities for K-12 students and teachers. Today I spent most of the day on the Hill (as in Capitol Hill- the House and Senate!) The Congressional Black Caucus presented a symposium on Science and Technology that featured Black technology and engineering executives and scientists. There were about 100 local high school students present, and it was enlightening to hear them express concern about their opportunities for education and careers.  Later , we headed over to the Senate offices for a briefing on a study about high-achieving, low-income students.

Much attention is focused on education tight now, and on STEM education in particular. On Monday, we've been invited to the National Press Club for a special showing of a film about Sputnik and how it changed education in our country. Kruschev's son is a speaker and Barbara Morgan, the educator astronaut that just returned from the shuttle mission, will also be there. And....today at 3pm we were all invited to attend a special meeting at the Department of Education with the entire Shuttle Endeavour crew! How cool is that? I will certainly try to have my photo op with them!

On Thursday we are all being given a tour and special workshop at the National Academies of Science. This fellowship is giving me so many educational and cultural opportunities, and I hope this BLOG enables me to share them with all of you in a small way. Tomorrow is the National Book Festival on the Mall and many famous adult and children's authors will be there. I especially want to meet Patricia MacLanahan, and Jack Prelutsky. A friend of mine from Sandia Lab in ABQ is coming to town on Sunday night.

Don is coming to visit in 2 weeks, and next weekend I am going to Philadelphia to visit Greg Toates, wife and baby while Arline is there. I will put up photos of Philly, where I have never been.

Hope you are all well and enjoying some good fall weather. Today it finally cooled of and the humidity left town.

Ruth

Hi Everyone, I have been...

Hi Everyone,

I have been so busy that I didn't realize I haven't updated the blog. Last week I was at "Boot Camp," also known as NSF Program Management Seminar, for 4 days. It was located at a rustic resort in the Appalachian Mountains (not Smokies as I said earlier!) We drove through the Shenendoah Valley and over the river and through Harper's Ferry on our way. I now have a much clearer picture of what the National Science Foundations is and does, as well as what I will be doing this year. If you want to know more about NSF, here is a good link with a photo of the building I am in, description and a 3 minute video: http://www.nsf.gov/about/glance.jsp

This week I have been working on a briefing for the Public Affairs Office to give background information on NSF funded projects in Ecuador (mostly in the Galapagos) for a Congressional Delegation visit to Ecuador. I am becoming very familiar with using a database and abstracts. I also attended a AAAS conference for Women's International Science Collaborations and got to meet some amazing women PhD's doing International research. They presented their work and we enjoyed lovely hors d'eurves and wine!

Last weekend I went to Kennedy Center again and walked around the Potomac in Georgetown. We had a BBQ with all the Einstein Fellows at our place on Sunday, and everyone shared how their fellowhips were going. The Capitol Hill Fellows just got started, and one of them in working on the Health, Education and Labor Committee that is "marking up" the revisions to the NCLB reauthorization. Tomorrow we are all going to the House Office building for a briefing from the House STEM Education Caucus on proposed STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) changes to No Child Left Behind. Then, in the afternoon, we have an "Education Policy" briefing where will learn how Federal education policy is made.

Every day I get multiple emails with opportunities to attend hearings and briefings on Capitol Hill, Science conferences, workshops and symposia, embassy events and receptions....it is all pretty amazing. I plan to take advantage of these whenever possible. The cool thing is that as a Fellow, I am expected to learn, grow and develop this year, so I am not always "working" in the technical sense. It's extremely different from teaching, and not nearly the hard work that preparing for and working with students is! I wish all my colleagues could have the opportunties I am enjoying this year, and to that end, I encourage any of you reading this Blog to start thinking about applying now for next year. Applications open October 1st, and the deadline is usually in January. I'd be happy to help anyone interested with their essay questions!

My roomate's daughter is coming in from Chicago Friday night, and her name is Megan, too. Chris has invited me to go with them to her cousin's engagement party in Bethesda, MD. On Sunday, a group of Fellows is going to the Capitol Mall in the afternoon to view a live Simulcast of La Boheme (free) around the Washington Monument. Next week I go to a 3 day Education and Workforce Summit by the US Chamber of Commerce, and on Friday I attend an American Youth Polivy Forum on High Achieving, Low Income students.

I will add some photos to this post this weekend, so check back on Monday to see them. I hope you are all doing well. If any of you are planning to come visit, December and January, April and May are wide open. Other months I am traveling, so check on dates with me. I'd love to have visitors and you've got a free place to stay.

Keep in touch and let me know how things are going with you.

 

Ruth

Getting Oriented...

This week was all about getting oriented, and though I have a better idea of what I will be doing, it will take some time to really feel comfortable and learn all I need to do a good job. Tuesday all 17 fellows went to the Triangle Coalition Office at the NSTA building for a day-long orientation. We heard from the DOE head guy in charge of the Einstein program and from a few former fellows, who offered up words of advice. At the end of the day, we hopped the metro and got off at Foggy Bottom, where GWU (George Washington University) is and walked down past the State Dept. to the National Academies of Science, where we had a photo "shoot" at the Einstein Statue.

07/08 Einstein Fellows

Afterwards, the Triangle folks took us out to a fantastic dinner at a famous, family style Italian place in Dupont Circle called Buca di Beppo. It was great, and there is one in downtown Seattle, so if you are there, try it. Howard Dean was also eating dinner and was a little annoyed with us for being so loud when he wanted a quiet dinner...

The rest of the week I went to my NSF office and learned how to use the data base...holy cow! I really know how my students feel when I have just explained something, they say they "get it," and 5 minutes later they don't and I have to show them again. That's me now! Fortunately, everyone I am working with is kind and patient. I am assigned to the Americas group, as I may have mentioned earlier, so I am getting some data together on Brazil for a briefing for one of the guys  going there next week. Thursday I was invited to tag along to a meeting at the State Department to discuss issues that NSF funded U.S. researchers have with permits and sample collections in foreign countries. Very interesting. Friday I was invited to go to a reception at the Brazilian Embassy with my supervisor and the colleague going to Brazil, but at 3pm I broke a tooth! I managed to get in to a dentist right away and he filled it temporarily. However, when I got back to work, it was clear I couldn't go as the entire right side of my face was numbed and I couldn't even talk from 4 shots of novacaine! I had to bow out this time, but was assured other opportunities will come along.

Yesterday, (Saturday) my roomate, Chris and another NSF fellow, Nicole and I went to the FREE Kennedy Center  Open House,

where we saw the  Jesse White Tumblers from Chicago

Tumblers Video: Click on it to watch

and a pop-rocker named Ben Kweller in the Concert Hall.

Kennedy Center Concert Hall

DC  has so many free cultural events, that I am sure I will never be bored, and if I am it will surely be my own fault! Today, after doing some laundry and household chores, we are going to Old Town Alexandria to see the old town (of course) and an art show on the streets.

I have only 1 day in the office this week, as Tuesday through Friday I go to NSF Program Officer "boot camp," where I am to learn all I need to know about NSF and how to do my job this year. It is at The Woods Resort in Hedgesville, WVA  on the edge of the Smoky Mountains, and is supposed to be very nice. Two of the other NSF fellows are also going with me, and the other 5 go in October.

Today is supposed to be the last of the 90+ humid summer days, with 80 degrees and rain coming soon. I can't wait. If anyone doubts I am coming back next year, rest assured the weather alone here will send me back to lovely, COOL and NOT HUMID Oregon! I can't wait to turn off the air conditioning and wear a sweater!

Hope you are all well and school, work, retirement are going well.

Ruth