The Excitement Begins...

Way back in November, I researched and wrote a grant proposal for the "Teacher Creativity Fellowship" offered by Lilly Endowment, Inc. This was my third attempt, but honestly, it was the one I took the most time to research and prepare. Today, I was working late preparing a new lab for my Physics class, when my wife Ruth called to inform me that I had received an envelope in the mail from Lilly. She reported it as being heavier, thicker, and larger than the two rejection letters that I had received before. She begged me to allow her to open the envelope. Not wanting to wait until I got home, I relented. Upon opening it, she read the very first sentence, "Congratulations! It gives me great pleasure..." and she began screaming!


One of the previous proposals dealt with traveling to Scotland to study the physics of castles and medieval times. Although the concept was one of my interests, I didn't give it the thought and research that it deserved. This time, I had the great idea of combining two of my favorite pastimes, geocaching and learning about history. (If I wasn't a physics teacher, I would have been a history teacher.) My teaching style includes lots of stories and situations to get concepts across to students. I'm also a big proponent of using technology as a tool to further students' understanding/comprehension. I felt that this proposal could tie it all together.


To give you an idea of what I plan to do this summer after being awarded this grant, below is an excerpt from my proposal:

"My goals for this proposal include the following: 1. Travel to historical and notable sites, 2. Use a handheld GPS receiver to find several geocaches, waymarks, and Earth caches (a family favorite activity), 3. Learn a bit of history and science by finding these sites, 4. Enjoy a fun and educational family trip (one that we haven’t had for 4 years), and 5. Develop a website that includes a blog of our trip about our findings. I will include on the website ideas and lessons on how to use waymarking and geocaching to actively engage students to become authentic learners rather than passive. Educating and learning are my passion, especially as it pertains to my family, my students, and myself."

So this is the beginning! I plan on keeping a regular blog leading up to the trip as I book the hotels and fine-tune the itinerary. Upon leaving for the trip, the plan is to blog and post pictures every day (as much as it is feasible). To give you a taste of the trip, we plan on visiting Gettysburg, Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington DC (to name a few). In these cities, we'll use our GPSr to learn, explore, and enjoy historical sites. Now all that I have to do (besides a huge amount of planning) is to shed a few pounds so that I can survive this 4-week whirlwind tour of the east coast! 


And so the excitement begins...