From: BBracey@aol.com
Subject: NSTA- The Big Easy- Fun stuff... at the convention
Date: Sun, 6 Apr 1997 21:34:08 -0400 (EDT)
I just got back from the convention. I took the 8:55 AM plane, and so if I make errors... I am tired. I explored the city what was in walking distance.. and my tennis shoes were the final footwear of choice. It rained on one day.. was worried about some who went on the swamp tour.. but they cancelled the tour with the tornado watch. I went along the Riverwalk with friends, and we saw where the barge struck, and I went to the aquarium party. I am Bonnie Bracey, and I love going to the NSTA conventions because there is so much for everyone. I missed the first day of the conference because of ticket snafus and meetings. I actually flew to Philadelphia to be able to get to New Orleans on Wednesday night. So I missed the dinner . I had a cheap room , so I am not going to tell you where I stayed. Very inexpensive. It was probably not the hotel of choice, but who was there anyway most of the time.? Because like a lot of you I am involved with several groups that are in advocacy, I actually missed three dinners, the POPS dinner, the PTK dinner, and a Chem Society Outreach dinner. The dinners in N'Orleans were not your usual rubber chicken kind of thing. The NASA `outreach, and connection with teachers who work in classrooms is so important. Many school systems do not create interface for NASA projects as they feel a competition in developing programs, and projects. So the mission for me , was to be able to connect, to share, to learn about as much as possible to share on a national basis. I will have an announcement later. HELLO MARILYN!! The first person I found was Marilyn Wall. She was working the booth. I was working the floor for the exhibits. She was spreading the word to people and sharing her experiences with Passports to Knowledge with those who dropped by the booth.. and informally answering questions. WHY DO I HAVE A WHEELY? WHY FILLING BOXES TO SEND HOME When I started to attend the NSTA conferences, I learned to work the convention floor for the goodies and bargain rates, and grants and initiative that were meaningful. NASA and the space educators, and this group had a wonderful , wonderful set of exhibits. There was so much to get, to share , and to participate in , that I started visiting the sacksitters on the first onehalf of the browse. ( THe rumor is that I sent 4 boxes home.. the truth is 5 and two poster tubes and then I lugged stuff including " Hermie" my new pet.) I fed him toast, and lettuce.. and misted him for his plane trip. Goodies galore.. so many that I can't remember.... NASA STUFF Fun things to get.. a holographic lollipop A hermit crab Bottle biology strategies for raising brassicas in bottlecaps All the NASA posters and CD( free) so great poster we usually pay 20 dollars for , at free or reduced prices.. great ideas and books in the bookstore. There was also a list of the workshops that allowed us to get the reprint of the workshops , some of them that we were not able to attend. I can't remember all the great things I got. I was working fast so I could try to cover the whole floor. THere was a badge that blinks red.. battery activated that had numbers on it you were supposed to match with someone else with the same number but , I always forgot to look. The exhibits were in groups, ecological, NASA related and so on I spent the first day doing the science related workshops and events. Meeting people in outreach and who work the NASA Initiatives and checking out their projects. I had a Space educators photo taken somewhere, like a passport. I could have stood in line to be photographed with an astronaut ( the suit). There was a wonderful walkthrough NASA project and I am not even going to start to tell you all about it. Too much to tell... I generally chose workshops that were something out of the normal participating channels so that I could learn new things. Some of the fun of attending the convention is to run into PTK advocates , people you have had classes with, workshops, and to see funders, and to retell the stories of adventures while... being in the learning stages.. People I know would greet each other and start to remind each other about the stories from our "ed Ventures". WE laughed a lot. Jason from the NEWEST project and I met and I was able to share PTK, and other initiatives with him. He shared information with me too. I have a photograph of our adventure in the limo on the way to the PTK conference at NASA headquarters.. ( for those who don't know .. the subway was not working and we sent for a cab and it cost the same, just held more people we did NOT waste taxpayer money. It was a blast from the past) The convention is a celebration of learning using science as a vehicle. The offerings were as big as the telephone book in the DC area for Northern Virginia, there were all kinds of learning adventures and field trips, and the workshops were so many and outstanding.. Principals would benefit from allowing teachers to participate for the interface with new ideas and people and information. We ate well. Even in the convention center. ..but you knew that? eh? Can you say Etoufee? Gumbo? Jambalaya? Bread Pudding? Boudin? Kitchy , kitchy gumbo, ja ja..Praline? Preservation Hall, Bourbon Street French Market? A lot of walking went on... Start to save for the trip to Vegas, and find two or three roommates as fares to Vegas and rooms are fairly inexpensive!!)Better yet, do a savings thing. You need to celebrate with people who understand you. Marilyn will probably write a more scholarly description.. I just gave you an overview.. Bonnie