Articles of Interest

Pat and I have been hopping this week.  We have a camp (Shewey Science Academy) that has over 120 students in Mingo County this week.  Students can attend the academy at any of four sites (Gilbert, Lenore, Matewan or Williamson) to do inquiry based science and math. 

While we love seeing all of these students enjoying learning, it sure does wear a couple of old guys out!  We look forward to the beginning of the Shewey Science Academy each year but we also look forward to having it completed.  This is the fifth year that we have done it and we think it gets better each year.

Working with us are Wes Neal of Huntington High, Derek Fry, a recent chemistry education graduate and Keri Gregory a science education major at Marshall University.  This is a fantastic team that gets has done a great job for the students here.

In the evenings, I have been doing some reading to prepare for our trip in July.  I found a couple of things in the Elkins InterMountain Newspaper that may interest you:

West Virginia’s Largest Butternut Tree – also known as a white walnut

Historic Beverly Plans a Busy Summer – we will spend a day in Beverly, just south of Elkins

Don’t forget to register and attend the blog sessions that Brian McNeel is doing.  I am confident that Brian can help you improve the content and appearance of your blog.

Summer itinerary updated

Plans for the summer trip around the state to locations of importance to the timber industry continue to take shape.  You can access the updated draft itinerary HERE.

Please note that on July 16-17 (Monday-Tuesday) you must wear long pants and closed toe (not sandals) shoes for safety reasons.  You will be provided with safety glasses and hearing protection for your tours.

Also, please note that some time has been built into the schedule for walking tours of areas with local trees and with structures of historical importance.  You may especially want to check the walking tour of historic Beverly, WV.

Don’t forget that there are specific blogging requirements prior to the summer trip.  If you need assistance with blogging, two sessions have been scheduled before the trip.  If you are available on June 14 and/or 21, please contact Karen at the central office to register.

Keep watching the blog for updates to the trip itinerary.

Extra helping of blogs

As you are aware, there are some requirements for your blogs prior to summer culminating trip to places of importance to the timber industry in the state.  Although we have addressed some of the basics of blogging with you, we realize that you may have forgotten some things about blogging or feel that you need some extra help.  After all, blogging is not something that many of us do every day.

To help you get on top of the blogging requirement for this project as well as to enhance your blogging skills, we have asked Brian McNeel to conduct a couple of sessions where you can catch up on your blog, sharpen your blogging skills and learn some new tricks and tips.  Brian has a lot of technology savvy and can help you make blogs that are attractive, informative, educational and professional.

Brian will be in a computer lab at the Cabell County Board of Education Central Office from 12:30 – 2:30 on June 14 and 21 (Thursdays) to assist you.  You may attend either or both sessions.

If you are interested in attending one or both days of Brian’s blog session, please call Karen McClanahan at 304-528-5011 to register.  If you register and attend, I can provide you with a $50 stipend for attendance at each session that you attend.

Please take advantage of this opportunity to improve your blogs through Brian’s workshop.  The skills that you learn will not only improve your timber and rail blogs for your students but will give you the knowledge to make better blogs for other educational projects.

Closing of School

I hope that everyone is getting ready for closing out school and has had a great semester.  Having summer break start this early in the summer is wonderful.

Since I have been on vacation for the past couple of weeks, I have not been checking your blogs recently but I hope to read and comment on everyone’s blog updates within the next couple of days.  Hopefully, you are keeping up on your blog updates and preparing a resource for your students.

While I was on vacation, I kept my trip journal as a blog (http://fourcornerscircle.blogspot.com/).  The purpose of my blog was to record our vacation sites and experiences.  My audience was my family and friends.  Although I don’t think that my blog is excellent, it does show how information can be joined with links, photos, maps and other tools.  Keep in mind that your blogs’ purposes are not the same as my vacation blog.  You are creating an educational resource and your audience is your students so your writing should be like any other resource that you would provide as an educator.  Please do not neglect to update your blogs as identified in prior postings as well as discussed on our April 21 field trip.

Also, please keep in mind that you can send your lesson plans any time prior to August 15.  A template is provided although you may feel free to use another outline if you prefer.

Plans are continuing to develop for the summer culminating experience for the Forestry and Rail Transport project.  We want to make this year’s trip even better than the past two years.

Hatfield & McCoy Feud TV Show

As you have probably heard, The History Channel will be airing a special on the Hatfields & McCoys beginning on May 31.  The series stars Kevin Costner (Devil Anse Hatfiled), Bill Paxton (Randolph McCoy) and many others.

While working in Mingo County over the past few weeks, I have spoken to several people who were interviewed for the series.  They report that the show portrays the events fairly accurately and does not show people from the region in an especially unflattering light.

As a resident of West Virginia, I would suggest that we watch the Hatfields & McCoys.  The previews look excellent.

An interesting article on the Hatfield-McCoy Feud can be found on the West Virginia Archives and History website.

As an early timber baron, Devil Anse Hatfield is of special interest to educators in the Forestry and Rail Transport project.

Stipends Increased for Summer 2012

As you are aware, one of our deliverables for the Forestry and Rail Transport project is the development and sharing of three lesson plans that use forestry, forest products, logging, railroads and/or water quality as focal points.  These lesson plans should be closely tied to content standards in your field and include at least two other content areas (total of three subjects). 

These lesson plans should be of the professional quality that will be of use to educators not only throughout Cabell County but across the state and beyond.  Although a lesson plan format is provided, you may feel free to use a format that you may be more comfortable using as long as the quality remains high. This template is also in our shared TimberRail Dropbox folder.  A link to the template is also in the Handouts area of our project blog.

Lesson plans should be in Microsoft Word format and sent to Steve via email.  They should also be provided on a link from your blog page and available to visitors to your blog.  You may find that it is convenient to upload your lesson plans to Dropbox, SugarSync, Amazon Cloud Storage, Box.net, or ShareSend.

In the 2010 and 2011 projects, participants were paid $100 per day for the 6 day summer culminating experience and $200 for the development and posting of three lesson plans.  Total stipend for the summer was $800.  This year, the stipend will be restructured slightly.  You will be paid $1000 for the completion of the summer project.  This includes participation in all aspects of the summer trip and the development and posting of three professional quality lesson plans based on the project.  All work must be completed by August 15 since the last stipends must be submitted for payment on that date.

You may prepare the required lesson plans at any time.  If you would like to write your lessons before the summer trip, that is not only acceptable but is highly desirable.  I can get payment for your $1000 stipend submitted as soon as the trip is complete and you have sent your three high quality lesson plans.  I cannot provide stipends to participants who do not complete the project.

Successful (cold and wet) Field Trip

Despite the uncooperative weather, the spring fieldwork at Ritter Park last Saturday was a huge success.  In the morning, we were able to identify over two dozen trees, learned how many paces are 66 feet for each of us, practiced determining the height of trees using our formula, determined the radius of a tree from a measure of circumference and calculated the board feet of lumber in the tree.  In the afternoon, we collected water from Four Pole Creek to assess, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and total dissolved solids to assess water quality.  We reviewed procedures to calibrate sensors and ways of cleaning and storing sensors at the conclusion of an outing.

From this field experience, we would like three additions to your blogs prior to the summer trip:

1.       Local tree guide (including photos and descriptions of at least 12 tree species) that your students can use.  This may be best done on a tab of your blog although you may have other ways as well.  Carla Snell’s blog has a good tree guide that is appropriate for her students.

2.       Narrative and photos on the determination of board feet from a standing tree

3.       Assessment of water quality on 4 Pole Creek including data tables

We were very impressed with the quality of your work and attitude on a miserable cold and wet day.  You worked efficiently and accurately on the water project although we had a number of distractions at the shelter were we were attempting to work.

Based on your work this weekend, I can’t wait to work with you again this summer on the culminating field experience around the state.  Plans continue to develop.  Links to many of the places that we hope to visit are provided on our blog.  An update to the itinerary will be posted to our shared TimberRail Dropbox folder soon.