Hello, Wisconsin!!!
Up at 5ish and loaded by 6 am and on to the great, but at times creepy state of Wisconsin as evidenced by the Odd Wisconsin displays at the museum and Ed Gein. After the long bus ride, we arrived at the largest state capital building to view just some of he holdings at the Historical Museum literally right across the street from the capital. A good museum where I really like the section dealing with how Wisconsin was formed and the early people of Wisconsin. It has been a long time since I taught 4th grade, but I do not believe that our own Colorado Historical Museum in Denver has as much information concerning the early people as it does with what happened after the silver rush of 1859.
After a great lunch at a terrific brew pub, we heard a lecture by Jonathon Pollack on immigration. He ran off naturalization papers over the course of time to demonstrate how by adding more and more paperwork, we made it more and more difficult to become a citizen and thereby naturally curbing immigration. I disagreed with his quick analysis of the first document that since it was so easy to become a citizen, why did Methias Schleck wait so long (30 years) to do he process. Professor Pollack gave the reason that he wanted to be very careful and did not take citizenship lightly. I thought the opposite. Did the fact that it was too easy to become a citizen cheapen the process thereby de-motivating people like Schleck who probably had adapted to life in America. Did Schleck do the paperwork after wanting to vote for a certain person? Was it out of convenience?
I liked the discussion of nostalgia and history and his Happy Days illustration using his parents. The show seemed accurate until Chachi arrived and Fonzie became a teacher before jumping a shark. I remember watching M*A*S*H with my dad who served in Korea. He hated the show because of cross dressing Klinger. There is no way that would be allowed! He would shout and storm off. However, my uncle also served in Korea and liked M*A*S*H because the scenery reminded him so much of where he was stationed. HE ignored the character of Klinger, but thought the overall show was accurate.
The holdings at the library were certainly impressive. I just grabbed the first box where no one was around as all were taken (even Hutch was busy researching somewhere). It was on Jewish immigration in America and a social history of the people and exactly which countrie they were from and where they settled. It also contained explanation behind the rituals and holidays. Interesting, but time was short in there and could not find the purpose behind such accounts.
The lecture given by Stan Schultz certainly lived up to expectations. He still has it! I could listen to him all day. I had read books of Roosevelt, but still did not have good grasp of the Progressive Era as I don’t teach that specific time period. I learned a great deal and tied in my previous knowledge concerning Roosevelt. In the future,when I read Wilson’s bio and another book on Roosevelt, I will better appreciate the Progressive Era. I find a few statements startling:
From the 1880’s, It didn’t matter who the president was before FDR.
Taft was a real good president.
I find his remarks on the Social Gospel Movement fascinating as the Christian church is still wrestling with the issues of the role of the church as reaching individual sinners for Christ or helping the poor and downtrodden.
Long bus ride home. Great day!
Making something easy to accomplish certainly cheapens it. That is an astute observation. Just look at a high school diploma- if everyone can get one by showing up and not angering anyone, it means less to those on the road to receive one, and cheapens the work high school teachers are trying to do. How would the drop-out rate be effected if we hired more teachers, required more of students, and made a high school diploma a more rigorous achievement?
Adding onto Paul’s comment about a high school diploma meaning something. Just in my first year at the high school I have seen kids just do the minimum to get by and think it is ok. This can also be said for the ATHLETES in the high school! I’m a big athlete, but I have seen so many ask me or another teacher to change their grades so they could play. And to make it worse I have had co-workers (that are not teachers) try and make me change a grade so they could play. Even if we are pushing them to do their best and to make a diploma mean something then, it needs to be an all around goal of the teacher, student, and parent.
Well, what I meant to comment before I read Paul’s comment is about the Progressive Era. Before Professor Shultz I did not care too much about the Era, but now I will go back to my class and try and make the time as exciting as I can!