KWash on GWash

Mike Rose's Blog

2010-11-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

Can't say it better myself. But I would add that George Washington, Franklin, and others did not go to college, but still became very influential people. Regular college is not for everyone. We need to consider that trade schools are college and a source of higher education. As Booker T. Washington says, traditional colleges solely focus on book learning, but do not teach students how to make a living.

My Summer

2010-05-07T21:13:00.000-07:00

Why is this called KWash on GWash...well guess who is going to Mount Vernon again? Yup me. Just less than 4 weeks of workshops this time and maybe more fun if I am lucky. So what will my summer look like after I leave school on June 23 by noon?

June 28 to June 2: Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History - The International Impact of the Declaration of Independence at Univ. of Virginia.

July 18 to July 23: National Endowment for the Humanities - America's Industrial Revolution at the Henry Ford in Dearborn, MI.

July 27 to July 30: Library of Congress Teacher Workshop in Washington, DC.

and of course

August 1 to 7: George Washington Teachers' Institute at Mount Vernon. And if I may inflate my ego for a bit, they claim I was unanimously chosen. Ego trip done.

I get a stipend for 2 and get a travel allowance for the others. Cats will probably go with me to MI and DC, but will have to find a kennel for Mount Vernon since we are staying on the grounds. Yeah, I can see some drama with that. Cats+American heirlooms=bad. Anyone know non-budget breaking places in No. Virginia/DC?

Well that is it for now. Funny how school kills my ability to blog...interesting.

Coming soon?

2009-11-25T07:51:00.001-08:00

I got the Gilder Lehrmann and NEH list of summer workshops, etc. So far here is what I am thinking off. I need to get accepted first though.

Gilder Lehrmann - The Declaration of Independence
NEH - 3 choices: Henry Ford, Minnesota's Iron Range, or Lincoln (first choice)
Other stuff: AP workshop? I hope not...she will not retire if I have to lock her in here.
Teacher workshop at Mount Vernon. Yes, I seem to be addicted to George. There is a workshop at Brown on Washington and another at Mount Vernon, but I need to study other presidents, you know?

More later.

More:

NEH Landmarks: http://www.neh.gov/projects/landmarks-school.html I can tell you which are good and which to avoid.

NEH Seminars and Institutes: http://www.neh.gov/projects/si-school.html

Gilder Lehrmann: http://www.gilderlehrman.org/education/seminar_course_offerings.php

All you have to be is a teacher. Some are state based though. Most offer college credit for an extra charge.

Opening Day 2009

2009-08-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

Reflections on Edward Kennedy

2009-08-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

As I watch the coverage of the passing of Teddy Kennedy, I am reminded of the death of George Washington. Yes, that was sudden, but the outpouring of love and admiration is similar to this. Granted, back then there were no blogs, Facebooks, Twitter, or TV. The news spread slowly, but the reaction was to same. We knew that this was coming, however, it does not lessen the sadness.
In 1994, I campaigned for Teddy during his Senate campaign against Mitt Romney. I was outside Holyoke Community College for one of the debates (if I remember correctly). My first memory of that night...having a Romney supporter hit me over the head with a placard. However, I got to meet and shake hands with Kennedy. For me it was a connection with my past as well as the history of the nation. I even got to meet Alec Baldwin at a campaign event. All our work paid off and we had four more years of an amazing man and Senator.
Today is a very sad day for America. We lost a man who truly cared about the people and their needs. Yes, he had his issues, but the good work he did overshadows any of that. I do not know if there is anyone in Congress now who will ever come close to Kennedy.

Fort Necessity

2009-08-16T07:08:00.000-07:00

HUGE DISCLAIMER:
If you are travelling to FLW's Fallingwater from Washington DC, I VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY highly suggest you follow Rt. 70 and take the PA Turnpike. It takes the same amount of time and is much better on your engine, brakes, gas mileage, and sanity. Plus, although you are dealing with wicked mountain climbing (up to 3,000 ft), they are hard to find. I coasted to the gas station on weak fumes. Now back to the main topic.

The only good thing about the way Google took me to Fallingwater is that I got to go past Fort Necessity. How the heck did George get there? Those are some wickedly evil mountains on the way. My 4 cylinder CR-V had issues...those poor horses. I certainly got a brand new respect for George yesterday.

Plus it also makes his loss look less like a loss (say that five times fast). I didn't go, I just past it twice, but honestly thinking about the terrain, he did a good job just getting there. Don't know how they did things without our simple conveniences like cars with AC.

PLUS, he wanted to build a canal from the Potomac to the Ohio to help settle the area and bring the union together. Like Wow. Rt. 68 and Rt. 40 are called the National Road/Highway. Maybe that is why, although, I would rather just go through Buffalo to get to the Ohio and the Midwest. That's it for now. I have to upload pictures of the Dung Repository to finish up my Founding Farmer lesson. Will have to link to my Washington projects. What will I do next year?

So hard keeping up

2009-08-14T06:55:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy with my institutes and workshops that I have not been able to keep up with my blog. Who knew it would be so much work?

At the end of a whole month of education on George Washington, I can honestly say that he is my favorite president at the moment. Why? Simple. Under his generalship, presidency, etc., he was a simple man. Say the Candide of America if you will. Yeah, he did not have the education of the others, but he had the very best education possible...experience. He learned from what went on around him. Did he make mistake. You know he did, but it is how he handled those mistakes that truly makes him a great person.

Well that is all for now...still at workshop and need to work.

Book Review coming...I promise

2009-07-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

I have written my review for The Genius of George Washington, but I thought I would let you know that if you are a teacher, you should apply for the NEH George Washington Institute at Boston Univ. I has only been two days, but I am so impressed by the scholarship and collegiality of all involved. It has been everything that I expected and more. Tomorrow we go the the Lonfellow House in Cambridge and Thursday we go to the Adams homestead. This is great and I still have 2.5 weeks left. I have heard from another participant the the one I am attending in 3 weeks is also great. Here is the link to the Summer Institutes. The list for next summer should be out in November.

http://www.neh.gov/projects/index.html

General Housekeeping

2009-07-05T12:34:00.000-07:00

As you can see my educational exploits begin Tuesday (not Monday like the ticker claims). I will keep this spot open for Washington discussions and use my other blog http://professionalstudenttraveler.blogspot.com/ for info on the other work I am doing this summer. Other summer exploits will be discussed there as well. Oh yeah, add another. I am doing on from the American Antiquarian Society after the last GWash one. So that is 7 weeks of study. I hope to have another book review done by the end of the day.

YAY, I figure out tickers + Reading Countdowns

2009-06-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

I thought (last week actually) that it would be cool to do a ticker for all my workshops and institutes the mega mondo amount of reading that I have to do for each. Although I will be going to Madison, WI and Mackinaw City, MI, I will honestly not have a vacation to speak of (see my other blog for details). Oh well I guess.

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Choices Unit (student text and teacher RB)
Various articles

HUGE book of readings
Chicago: City of the Century

George Washington: Ordinary Man, Extraordinary Leader
The Genius of George Washington
George Washington Reconsidered
Other Readings given at Institute

Founding Friendship
LOTS of (online) readings from:
The Federalist
The Founders Constitution
George Washington: A Collection
The Writings of James Madison

I guess I should stop blogging and start reading right? But I need something to do on the beach in Michigan.

Review: 143 Questions and Answers about George Washington

2009-06-07T11:21:00.001-07:00

By Frank E. Grizzard, Jr.

Yep. The title says it all. This is a great and accessible book for anyone who want to know more about President Washington. The questions cover several topics covering his childhood, life as a general, and work as our first President. It also works to explain many of the myths that have endured the ages, such as that cherry tree incident. Everyone will enjoy this book, even a middle/high school student.

The first question injects some very witty humor that just sucks the reader in. Warning: once you start, you will not put this book down. But this book is not all fun, Grizzard covers serious matters about Washington's temper, his struggles as a general, and of course what it was like to be the first president. You will learn facts that are not readily known unless you are an archive rat (and there is nothing wrong with that, she said as she brushed the archival dust off herself).

If you are interested in learning more about our Presidents, then this book is a great start. Grizzard offers a page of other books about George Washington. Of course, there are hundreds of other books, but that would be another book. I highly recommend this book. Just make sure you have enough sunscreen. You know how good books lead to sunburns ;)

The end is near

2009-06-03T18:37:00.001-07:00

I need a post for June, so here is my end of year, actual vacation ticker. I will do some book reviews later.

What is Summer?

2009-05-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

So what are you doing this summer? Me? Well, let's see...

July 7-10 Choices Institute on Living in a Nuclear World at Brown University
July 12-18 NEH Landmarks - Chicago Architecture
July 19-August 8 NEH Institute on George Washington at Boston University
August 10-14 NEH Landmarks - George Washington at Mount Vernon

Yeah, that's it. Now off the tackle that HUGE reading list. Not as bad as the one for my graduate school exams, but there will be no lack of things to read on the beach...if I can ever go :(

Edit: Sending Get Well Wishes to Jerry Remy. Get healthy and back in the broadcasting booth soon.

A Month of George Washington

2009-04-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

Think three weeks is enough to learn about George Washington? WRONG. I just added another week to my study of George Washington. I am now participating in another NEH Seminar sponsored by the Bill of Rights Institute. This one is called, Shaping the Constitution: A View from Mount Vernon, 1783-1789. I will spending a week at Mount Vernon studying Washington's view of government. With this and other programs I am participating in, I think I will have a whole two weeks free all summer. I have five straight weeks of study if I do not get into another program, then it would be six straight weeks. In addition to these, I am participating in another NEH program in Chicago and possibly one at Brown University focusing on the Cold War.

Check this space often for more information on George Washington monographs and collections, as well as more information on his life. Plus a lesson on architecture and Cold War politics is not out of the question.

About this blog

2009-04-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

This summer I will be participating in a National Endowments for the Humanities Institute titled, George Washington and His Legacy: Myths, Symbols and Reality. I will be at Boston University from July 19 to August 7 studying the thoughts and ideas of George Washington. There are many interesting facets to this Institute, so check back in mid-July to find out more about George Washington.