Friday, May 28, 2004
Spoke to Julie B at length today regarding the past six months and the future of ROVs in the schools in our local community. We are on the same page.
Got a call from Dave asking if I would come up to CHS tonite for the Mock up testing for the nationals with A team. I readjusted schedule and drove up at 4:30. Took some dive gear and my new ikelite housing to test it out.
Bob had built a to scale mock up of the U boat and reef with help from Shirley and her parents who I met at the school. Dave and Elaine were there as well as Greg. The students flew great and Bob had all the projects just as they were on the MATE website. He has really put some effort into this for the kids. I got some good U/W photos with the coolpix. Was in the water for over 1.5 hrs. Helped Bob setup the Uboat and reef in the pool.
Chatted with Dave, Greg and everyone about the project and the future. I can sense the year coming to a close.
Bob and Shirley presented Dave and Elaine with a cool plaque of an iceberg with a very meaniful inscription:
"What we can easilty see is only a small percentage of what is possible. Imagination is having the vision to see what is just below the surface; to picture that what is essential, but invisible to the eye." That is such an accurate reflection of the legacy of Dave and Elaine. Kudo's to Bob and Shirley for doing this.
Home at 10pm and pretty tired.
Got a call from Dave asking if I would come up to CHS tonite for the Mock up testing for the nationals with A team. I readjusted schedule and drove up at 4:30. Took some dive gear and my new ikelite housing to test it out.
Bob had built a to scale mock up of the U boat and reef with help from Shirley and her parents who I met at the school. Dave and Elaine were there as well as Greg. The students flew great and Bob had all the projects just as they were on the MATE website. He has really put some effort into this for the kids. I got some good U/W photos with the coolpix. Was in the water for over 1.5 hrs. Helped Bob setup the Uboat and reef in the pool.
Chatted with Dave, Greg and everyone about the project and the future. I can sense the year coming to a close.
Bob and Shirley presented Dave and Elaine with a cool plaque of an iceberg with a very meaniful inscription:
"What we can easilty see is only a small percentage of what is possible. Imagination is having the vision to see what is just below the surface; to picture that what is essential, but invisible to the eye." That is such an accurate reflection of the legacy of Dave and Elaine. Kudo's to Bob and Shirley for doing this.
Home at 10pm and pretty tired.
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Drove to CHS today to meet with Dave, Greg and Bob. Tariq gave me an updated DVD and saved his Quicktime movie into a webformat.
I finished the electronic student survey and explained the importance of the students completing it. I emailed a draft copy to Greg and Dave for approval which I received. I launched the survey as well as had 3 immediate replies.
I stopped by Brian's house on the way home to see him and his Dad. We had a nice visit and Mike and I talked alot about education and the growth of the kids. I found out that Mike was doing home schooling with Brian a few years back and is interested in education.
Matt was there too and it was nice to see his energy and interest in what was happening with the ROV project. I fondly recalled a big revelation for me when he showed up at the pool with "the Flea" ROV that him and his Dad built. Brian shared some great news about team dynamics. He said that the teams get along and talk so much more now than they ever did. This was good news for me as he again acknowledged how social learning existed in this project and that each of them had come to appreciate others in the process.
I mentioned to Mike and Brian that the Skunkworks team will be critical in leading students next year as the ROV program is developed. Brian gave me a tape of him and his Dad Sturgeon fishing on the Columbia from 2001 which I watched when I got home. This is more evidence of his learning in social settings and context. It is important that he understands that these learning environments are very good for him.
I finished the electronic student survey and explained the importance of the students completing it. I emailed a draft copy to Greg and Dave for approval which I received. I launched the survey as well as had 3 immediate replies.
I stopped by Brian's house on the way home to see him and his Dad. We had a nice visit and Mike and I talked alot about education and the growth of the kids. I found out that Mike was doing home schooling with Brian a few years back and is interested in education.
Matt was there too and it was nice to see his energy and interest in what was happening with the ROV project. I fondly recalled a big revelation for me when he showed up at the pool with "the Flea" ROV that him and his Dad built. Brian shared some great news about team dynamics. He said that the teams get along and talk so much more now than they ever did. This was good news for me as he again acknowledged how social learning existed in this project and that each of them had come to appreciate others in the process.
I mentioned to Mike and Brian that the Skunkworks team will be critical in leading students next year as the ROV program is developed. Brian gave me a tape of him and his Dad Sturgeon fishing on the Columbia from 2001 which I watched when I got home. This is more evidence of his learning in social settings and context. It is important that he understands that these learning environments are very good for him.
Saturday, May 08, 2004
Had a morning beach dive to finish of the UCSB class and get them certified. It was a great day. We started at 7am and were done by 11:30. I told the students that the "candidates" they were working with were no longer candidates- they were now NAUI Instructors.
I spent the rest of the day getting things ready for the ITC graduation social at Harry's tonight. Dan came and we had the back room at Harry's. I passed out their certs and diplomas which I had framed for them. Ed was in Mexico, but I pre recorded a tape of him saying farewell and offering good advice to each. I played it at the restaurant and could see the reflective and positive effect that it had on them.
It was a good time. Curt totally spaced and when I called him he nearly died. At the end of the evening the manager came in and told me that Mr. Wiessner was buying dinner for all 10 of us!!
They are officially finsihed and certified as Instructors under the National Association of Underwater Instructors. The NAI ITC criteria is the most rigorous and intense in the diving industry.
In hindsight, I am now happy that I decided to overload myself yet again and do this ITC. I could have taken the easy way out and said "no" Im too busy with Pepperdine.. But this project gave me the chance to really apply more and more of the technology and constructivist tools I have learned. Use it or lose it. Better yet, My Cop is better off as there are six new strong instructors in it.
Welcome to the CoP folks.
I spent the rest of the day getting things ready for the ITC graduation social at Harry's tonight. Dan came and we had the back room at Harry's. I passed out their certs and diplomas which I had framed for them. Ed was in Mexico, but I pre recorded a tape of him saying farewell and offering good advice to each. I played it at the restaurant and could see the reflective and positive effect that it had on them.
It was a good time. Curt totally spaced and when I called him he nearly died. At the end of the evening the manager came in and told me that Mr. Wiessner was buying dinner for all 10 of us!!
They are officially finsihed and certified as Instructors under the National Association of Underwater Instructors. The NAI ITC criteria is the most rigorous and intense in the diving industry.
In hindsight, I am now happy that I decided to overload myself yet again and do this ITC. I could have taken the easy way out and said "no" Im too busy with Pepperdine.. But this project gave me the chance to really apply more and more of the technology and constructivist tools I have learned. Use it or lose it. Better yet, My Cop is better off as there are six new strong instructors in it.
Welcome to the CoP folks.
