Packing up in DC and getting ready to head to Dallas to see JP before heading home. It's been an outstanding trip! The pic is what I looked at each day from my hotel window. The Andrew Carnegie Washington public library built in 1899. On the front, it says "Science - Poetry - History" and one of the stone blocks is engraved, "Dedicated to the diffusion of knowledge". Inspiring - but I had no idea just how inspiring this trip would be. I won't bore you with the details but suffice to say my name came up out of over 2000 others who wanted to be here. I didn't know why - a friend was very instrumental in making this happen, but why was it happening? The reason has become more and more apparent. Leaving the safety of my comfort zone once again, growing professionally. Another leap is going to take place in the future. How and in what context I'm not sure - but it will.
Two days of top scientists from all over the world sharing their ideas on teaching and learning. Awesome and so humbling. I will be sharing some of the interesting keynotes I heard when I get some time. Things we have learned from geckos that are changing industry and medicine to optical properties found in beetles and butterflies. Geniuses turning what were once humdrum and boring science concepts into real, relevant and riveting lessons that cross many disciplines. I couldn't get enough of them and didn't want their sessions to end.
We all have fleeting visions of what we want to do and maybe a hope of ending up there. I am so thankful - my once fleeting visions are coming true, becoming reality - more and more every day. And I never, ever thought they would really get here. A student once told me to keep going and stay on course. She recently wrote to me "to whom much is given much is expected". I thought about that a lot this trip. I want to deliver.
Sounds exciting! Can't wait to hear more. Rah, rah!
ReplyDelete