PAEMST Day 4

Wednesday was another early day as we had to meet the buses to take us to the awards ceremony in the  National Academy of Sciences building. we drove around a bit and finally pulled up to the building and most everyone had gotten off the bus before we were told to get back on the bus because we were at the wrong place. We finally got to the right place and were able to eat a quick, light breakfast as our guests were arriving on their own buses.

They eventually had us split up again so the awardees could practice walking in once. We then waited in line as we waited for the director of the National Science Foundation to show up. We eventually found out that she was stuck in traffic so we finally started without her and hoped she'd show up soon. We each had our name read over the stand, were handed our fancy certificates signed by President Obama, and had our picture taken. We had another speaker or two while we were there as well. When all was said and done, they had us take another group picture with all of our certificates. Some people went to the airport straight from the ceremonies while most of us headed back to the hotel on the bus so we could check out and move on.

After checking out, we took a taxi to our new hotel that Michael had arranged for his conference he would be attending the rest of the week. We were just a few blocks from the metro station at the end of the green line so we headed back to DC to do some site seeing together. We were able to visit the Natural History Museum before it closed and then we found a place to eat some burgers and really good fries at Ollie's Trolley. Michael went off on his own to find Institute and Diane and I made our way back to the hotel.

We had brought our groceries along and were glad that we had a coffee pot to heat water up for our Cup of Noodles and the hot chocolate we brought. Diane had to teach me how to use the coffee pot though.

PAEMST Day 3

We woke up early again to catch our buses this time to take us to the White House. We had the opportunity to go on a tour of the White House. We ended up having to stand in line outside so our IDs could be checked...twice. It was really cold, but at least it wasn't snowing. We had a bit of a chance to talk to the fellow awardees while we stood in line. After getting inside, we walked past some pictures of presidents, their families, and happenings at the White House and then a few rooms downstairs. We eventually made our way up the stairs to the main floor where we had been just the day before. Everything now looked different in that we had to stay behind the ropes as we walked briefly through the East, Green, Blue, and Red rooms. It wasn't nearly as exciting as we had already had the chance to wander (somewhat freely) around these three rooms less than 24 hours before that time.

From the White House, we walked a few blocks to the National Geographic Society building where our guests were waiting for us with a few snacks and a water bottle. We were then treated with a prescreening on the new show Cosmos with Neil Degrasse Tyson. We were the first group of people to watch it ever as it premiered on TV that next Sunday. We got this opportunity because the White House tour was originally supposed to include our guests but we were told just a week before the trip that our guests would not be able to come.

After Cosmos, our guests could either ride the bus back to the hotel or wander downtown from where we were, I think Diane chose to wander. The other awardees and I were put on a bus and taken to the National Science Foundation. We had a little talk and then we split up into groups and ate our lunches in breakout sessions with people the worked at the NSF. Some groups were better than others and talked about some interesting things and got ideas from the awardees how science and math education can be improved. My group walked away with a feeling that our hosts weren't sure what to do with us. After lunch, we had another group photo taken in the atrium and then we had another large group discussion before we went back to the hotel.

Diane, Michael, and I decided to go to the Washington, DC temple so Michael could take some pictures and then we could go do a session. We took a taxi there as we figured it would be faster and easier since we'd never been before. Diane and I waited inside while Michael took pictures as it was cold, but Michael didn't show up for the first or second session so we finally went without him. We found out later that he didn't have his recommend with him and it took too long to find the right people so he just went to the visitors center until we were done. When we left, we found out that a couple of brothers got a grant to run a free shuttle from the temple to the nearest metro stop. It would have been nice to know about that before the taxi ride.

After the temple, we decided to go eat a fancy dinner so we found a place on the way home called Copper Canyon. I decided that things like this don't happen very often and I would be reimbursed a certain amount so I splurged on the filet mignon. Our server kept coming back to make sure my order was right because I wanted the 9 oz instead of the 6 oz and I wanted the blue cheese topping that others found a little overwhelming. The cow was beautiful!

Diane and I made a little pit stop at the bathroom in the lobby of our hotel on the way back and found out that it was bigger than our hotel room! Maybe we could get a discount next time if we volunteer to just sleep in the bathroom.

PAEMST Day 2 Part 2

After making our way back to the hotel on the metro, we had just under an hour to get ready for our fancy banquet. Diane and I weren't in a big rush to make it down in time for the cash bar available to us, so I took my time in getting ready.

Everything was a bit fancy including the fancy lettuce in our salads. We sat toward the front of the room at an empty table until we were joined by three other couples, I had met the other awardees earlier that day so it was interesting to hear our guests talk about their day. Everything was shut down except for the Air and Space Smithsonian and it sounded like they found other guests of awardees to at least chat with a little.

After we ate, we had a few speakers that talked about sciencey and educational things. At the end of the event, they mentioned free stuff on the back tables for the awardees but that there wouldn't be enough of some of them for everyone so it was a mad dash to the back of the room. You don't tell teachers they can have free stuff without a lot of scrambling.

We eventually made it back up to our room and I looked through my bag of goodies. A lot of it ended up being really old coloring books. There was an outdated calendar, but it included science teaching ideas and activities. I even found a letter addressed from April 2009 congratulating the winners. I had guessed from the beginning that the "free stuff" would be at least some leftovers from something else. The best thing I got was a drawstring NASA backpack!

PAEMST Day 2

 Due to the storm that made its way across DC, most of the city was shut down including most government offices. There were only a couple of inches of snow, no where close enough to shut down the cities I live or work in, but DC is not used to that much snow or having to remove it. We were told the night before that everything would be shut down, but the offices where we would be meeting guaranteed that they would be open to receive us. The problem would be getting to our meetings since public buses would not be running so our hired buses probably wouldn't be running either. We were told not to worry about it because if that were the case, then we would take the metro! It was quite the sight to see as 102 professionals gathered in the hotel lobby wearing their nicest business attire with their dress pants tucked into boots of all shapes and sizes and a bag of dress shoes in hand. We still wanted to look nice because we were told that we would be taking a group photo with someone important, but that was all that was said even though we all knew what that meant.

On the metro with my fellow Utah awardee.

After maneuvering the metro with such a large group, we then walked a few blocks in the snow and wind to the White House offices located in the Eisenhower Building.

We had to go through two security check points before we got to the meeting room with our agendas for the day waiting for us on the tables.

Check out the last item!

We had a bit of time to wait for everyone to get through security and then change into their regular shoes. We also had to wait for some of our speakers and presenters to get there as they had to battle the snow and the streets of DC. Most of us took advantage of the following photo opportunity with a picture hanging on the wall.

I sent this picture to my friends and students, they were all impressed, but some were skeptical of its validity even though I told them it wasn't the real thing.

We had several science people talk to us about education and led a Q and A session where we got to put our thoughts about math and science education out there for all to hear. We were fed a nice lunch of a wrap and given a few cute boxes of White House candy.

After our meetings were done, we walked over to the White House. We immediately were placed on risers to get ready for our group photo. Once we were all set, Obama's OSTP advisor talked to us about STEM education and the importance of it. He went to go get the president from the Oval Office and the main guy in charge of events at the White House talked to us a little about the White House and its history. We were in the East Room for the photo. President Obama walked in and quite a few people were atwitter. He spoke to us about the importance of math and science education and then took the picture with us. Afterwards, he wanted to shake each of our hands so we each got a chance to say hello and where we are from as we shook his hand and were then ushered into the next room which happened to be the Green Room. People keep asking me what it was like to shake the president of the United States's hand, and I'm no sure how to respond. As I see it, he is just a man, but he is a man in a high office of power. It was interesting in that I'm used to only seeing him on TV or in photographs, but in real life he is three dimensional and right there. He was a nice man for the three seconds I interacted with him and his hands were big and soft. He is pretty tall, but everyone is tall compared to me.

As we waited for everyone to shake his hand, we got to look around the Green Room, which most people only get to walk through between two ropes on the tour. There were so many of us that we then got to walk into the Blue and Red rooms. We even got to look out the windows and saw the Obama children playing in the snow on the lawn.

After the president left, we were given time to look around the East Room and the front hall area. We knew we would be taking a tour the next day and that cameras wouldn't be allowed, but we were given the opportunity to take a few photos in the hall so everyone scattered and started taking photos like crazy because we knew we wouldn't be able to ever again. We were asked not to post any pictures of the residence on social media though.

As we were leaving, a runner was going by and asked us who we were as he had never seen any normal people coming out where we were. He was very impressed when we told him we were a group of award winning teachers.

PAEMST Day 1

Last Sunday, I got on an airplane and flew to Washington, DC to be recognized and honored for receiving the 2012 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). I won the science portion for the state of Utah.

I met up with my sister, Diane, at the Salt Lake City airport and we then caught plane to DC. The long flight wasn't too exciting, but we survived. We me tup with our older brother, Michael, at the airport in DC as he was going to a conference later in the week and decided to come out early as he could stay in our hotel room. We were going to take a taxi to the hotel as I had to be there for some meet and greets and registration in an hour, but the line for getting a taxi was so long, we decided to jump on the metro with all of our luggage. It was a fun experience and a great way to get our feet wet as we used the metro the rest of the week.

After checking in to the hotel, Michael and Diane walked to a local grocery store to buy a few things we could eat throughout the week before the "big storm" was supposed to come through dropping six inches of snow. While they were at the store, I was at the introductory and welcoming meeting. I got to meet quite a few of the other awardees as they had us get into groups of different numbers to introduce ourselves and then switch groups around.

After my meetings were over, Michael, Diane, and I walked across the street to McDonalds for some dinner.