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11 days ago
Today the National Council on Social Studies 89th convention began. Well, actually a few events happened yesterday, but for me - this was the first day. After I ate breakfast I walked the six blocks to the convention center and the adjacent Omni Hotel. I picked up my registration materials and the all important program. The next 45 minutes was filled by perusing the offerings in the program and scheduling them into my electronic calendar while drinking some coffee. I decided my first event would be the annual meeting of the elementary curriculum subcommittee for the NCSS. The meeting was mostly attended by board and committee members, most of whom were university professors - teachers of teachers. Yup, as some of you would probably predict I would walk out of such a meeting having committed to take on some sort of formal role. And that's exactly what happened. I am now the board secretary which, in essence, has committed me to attending next year's convention in Denver. This ...
11 days ago
This is the first full day of my visit to Atlanta, and marks the only day dedicated to visiting sites of interest to tourists. In keeping with the goal of my trip, I have dedicated my time to three sites which represent the history of Atlanta and the American South. I picked up a rental car from a Budget office just two blocks from my hotel. I drove north into the Buckhead area, easily the equal of Beverly Hills or Bel Air when comparing sprawling estates and mansions. My first stop was the Atlanta History Center. It's a beautiful museum and well laid out. I spent about three hours touring the extensive exhibits and two historic homes located on the property. The most fascinating part was focused specifically on the city of Atlanta and its development over the last 150 years. Until the Civil War, Atlanta was a small city of three thousand that existed as a railroad crossing. The war increased the population to almost 40,000 in just three years. The destruction of Atlanta was ...
13 days ago
Atlanta is the biggest city in the old South. It's well known as the hometown for Coca Cola, CNN, Georgia Pacific, UPS and Home Depot. I'm here for a teacher convention focused on social studies (history, economics, geography, sociology, civics). The convention will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center (aka Atlanta convention center). My flights to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport were on time and relatively comfortable. I flew through Chicago. After I landed, I rode MARTA from the airport into downtown Atlanta, getting off at the Peachtree Center station. MARTA trains impressed me as fast, clean, comfortable, and safe. Then I walked two short blocks south and I was at the hotel - Marriott Residence Inn. I walked into the lobby at 8pm EST. It was dark, rainy, and dreary. I'm in the heart of the business district (which is surprisingly small). My room is a one bedroom suite with kitchen. From the living room, I have a view over Woodruff Park toward the state ...
19 days ago
This is a very cool video. Aren't humans adaptable? Nothing stops free enterprise.
31 days ago
Good news! I'm going to a convention focused on the teaching of the social studies (history, sociology, economics and geography). It takes place in Atlanta, Georgia. It's a short event. The National Council on Social Studies annual convention is just four days long. It takes place after Veteran's Day in mid-November. I hope it's a worthwhile trip. I'm going alone, so I won't have anyone with whom I can share the adventure. As is usual for me, meeting people will be challenging. While I am plenty friendly in these kinds of situations, and engage well when required to - I have never been able to get deeper into a social situation such as meeting new friends and going out for drinks or a dinner. We'll see if that changes during this event. The school will only take care of the cost for my substitute for two days. I'm covering the cost of travel, hotel and registration. Knowing I will likely spend most of my time alone, I've secured my usual room at a Marriott Residence Inn ...
