Crocker Park
228 Market Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44145

Meet at the Vine Theater (in between Aladdin’s and Cheesecake Factory in the park).

What Time:

Meet at 3:00 PM

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&safe=active&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&q=crocker+park+cleveland&fb=1&gl=us&hq=crocker+park&hnear=Cleveland,+OH&cid=0,0,16656410460570932773&z=16&iwloc=A

Basic information:
We will be meeting with representative of Stark Enterprises, Stark is a regional development company http://www.starkenterprises.com.  You can take a look at the vision for this company by following this link http://www.starkenterprises.com/vision.html.

We will be meeting with Hank Rapport, the Vice President for Operations, you can read more about Mr. Rapport here http://www.starkenterprises.com/vision_biography-hankrapport.html

“You’re slaves now, on the run, fugitives…”

We were told to keep our eyes down, stay in a a single file line, and head over to the barn for the slave auction. Once there, we filed in, nose to the wall, and awaited our fate!

Turns out, us men were worth a pretty penny, but the “wenches” not so much.

“A bargain price of $12,000 for the lot!”

Once shackled and led out of the barn, our new master had a change of heart, and let us go free, towards Ohio. We quietly crossed the river, then found shelter for the night with a baptist minister, where we received instructions on how to continue towards Hope (Cleveland), and eventually Heaven (Canada).

“Are you a friend of a friend?”

On our journey went. A few nice ladies sheltered us in the barn, and we barely escaped detection by the slave catchers and the constables. We hid deep in the animal pens, and their footsteps above shook loose dirt and grime, which fell on our heads.

“What? I think I heard something! Where’s my shackles?”

On the run now, for the slave catchers, we’re told, have no boundaries, and will send us back down south. We take refuge in a church, where two ministers provide us momentary safety, a bite to eat, and advice on “free papers”. Tell ‘em this, it might save you:

“We are the freed slaves, from John Updike, of Covington, Kentucky.”

The coast is clear, and next we seek shelter with the ladies of a house, whose father is not to know. We hide in the dampest of basements, and feel safe, if only for a moment. The owner of the house comes searching for his daughters, finds us, and all hell breaks loose!

“I will not have these negroes under my house, nor abolitionists! Get out!

As we run away, scared, the father comes out on the porch, rifle in hand, and fires of a salvo! We take off running, get scattered, but finally make it to a small house, where we hear the story of a freed slave who is leaving for Canada. But wait! He’s left his papers behind… And just then, as we’re all cramped in the waiting room, the slave catchers bang on the door! Commotion, fear! We’ve been found out! We file outside, heads down, visions of Canada fleeting.

“Who are ya? Ya’ll got papers? You do! Well, these here papers ain’t no good to me!”

He tells us we need to move across the road, single file again, to his partner, who will shackle us once more. Freedoms lost, our prayers forgotten, and marching towards certain lashing, we walk solemnly.

“We didn’t make it! Now what?”

Our last stop, and our journey is over. We sit by the fire, relax, debrief, and decompress. Wow! What a trip! What an experience! We didn’t “make it”, but only 3 out every 100 fugitive slaves did on the Underground Railroad. We head back towards the main building at Hale Farm, reflecting on what has happened, hoping we can get some sleep tonight, at home, in our free, safe beds.

Students: Please reflect on your journey, and leave your comments below.

Our goal is to meet with them today to solidify the work that needs to be done over Spring Break in order to catch up, an stay on schedule.

Mainly, some of the areas of concern are the quality of the submissions, such as the bits and pieces of research we have asked them to do, as well as some of the other details. We hope to set that straight today.

Then, on to more working on the work, beginning to grade the PHASE I of our students’ final project items looking at images they’ve submitted, checking their meta data, and making sure it all goes together. Some of the stuff is really great, while other material needs improvement – all of which we’ll communicate to the students this upcoming week.

What Is It?
EFL teaches high school students how to integrate economics into the process of decision-making through a hands-on, experiential environment. Economics professors and leadership instructors, selected nationwide for their expertise and teaching effectiveness, lead classes that introduce students to “the economic way of thinking,” and help them develop an understanding of and skill in leadership. Students will also be challenged by creative decision-making simulations in which they apply the concepts learned in the classroom.

Sites and Dates
Programs are held on college campuses throughout the 2011 summer.
Click here to view sites and dates

What Does It Cost?
Lodging, meals, and materials are provided by the Foundation. The only expenses not covered are an administrative fee (site-specific, ranging from $125 – $500), transportation to and from the site, and incidental spending money.

Who Can Apply?
EFL is open to high school students who will complete their junior year in 2011.

Deadline to Apply
Applications will be accepted until March 4, 2011

*NOTE: Steve and I went to this a few years ago, and it’s a really excellent program, especially for the students. You’ll learn a lot, and have much fun at the same time, all while staying in a college environment. And hey, there’s one in Wooster this year, so no excuses for not going…

Make sure you attend – this meeting is NOT optional, rather a crucial piece of the puzzle we call your final project. If you don’t attend, you stand the chance of falling substantially behind on the project due dates.

If you want a preview of what’s ahead, please visit the website using the below link:

http://www.valleyvoyages.net/projects/instructions/introduction/

If you have any questions, feel free to check in with us – we’re here until 2:30 PM every day this week.

If you have work conflicts, call off now. Don’t wait until Friday…

Thanks,

Andreas Johansson

We’re setting up a phased release of information, in order to promote on time work, and timely submission of materials. The project, modeled loosely on a PBL (Project Based Learning) structure, is comprised of multiple stages, each one which must be completed before students will be allowed to move on, get the next piece of the puzzle, and continue their journey of learning.

The final products will be presented here, along with multiple versions of their products, both for virtual consumption, as well as in print media. The difficult, and exciting part, is to set all of this up in an efficient manner, collect all the bits and pieces, and presenting it all on a usable format. But hey, that’s our job, right?

I’ll add “I was joking,” to this list, because it’s an incredibly lame excuse for a failed interaction.

One more: Raising your voice while you say, “You’re just going to have to calm down!” (And I’ll add librarians yelling at kids to be quiet…)

It’s completely valid to come to the conclusion that someone else can’t be a worthy audience, conversation partner or otherwise interact with you. You can quietly say to yourself, “this guy is a stiff, I’m never going to be able to please him.” But the minute you throw back instructions designed to ‘cure’ the other person, I fear you’re going to get precisely the opposite of what you were hoping for.

(Generally speaking, the word “oh” is so neutral, it’s a helpful go to pause while you wait for things to calm down.)

From: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

via Questing is Coming to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. So…What is it? | National Parks Traveler.