The lectures by Kenneth Jackson were great. I learned a lot about NYC. His insight was very helpful. I also enjoyed Mr. DeLorenzo’s perspective of teaching in NYC. He told me that I was the first farmer that he had ever met. I remembered that because I stepped off the plane from NYC to driving trucks and combines for a month, in one of our highest yielding wheat harvests ever.

Thanks Danna I enjoyed this trip and learned much that I have and will use in teaching United States History. It was an event of a lifetime.

It was such a grand opportunity to hear Dr. Jackson and study teacher techniques from Dr. LoRenzo. I know I will study primary sources differently.

Finally, thank you Danna for making this opportunity a possibility. This kind of learning CHANGES teachers and it cannot be obtained by a textbook. Dr. Shaffer and Dr. Rhoades are so delightful. I enjoyed their knowledge. Also, it was so much fun to get to know all of the participants.

It was amazing to get to see things in person that I’ve seen since childhood in pictures and on television. We were able to see a tenement, visit the Empire State Building, enjoy a Broadway play, and stroll through such neighborhoods as Chinatown. My favorite thing by far, however, was Ellis Island.

To witness first hand what people went through to be able to call America home was humbling and breathtaking all at the same time. We were able to see many artifacts and photographs of people, their belongings, and the grounds, and it all helped to solidify information for me.

A smaller group of us went to Philadelphia on our first full day of the trip. It was a L-O-N-G day, but it was well worth it. We were able to visit so many things, such as Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and Betsy Ross’ home. That was an exciting day as well.

The lectures at the New York Historical Society by Dr. Kenneth Jackson were very informative. It was also a treat to get to see the collections that were on display there. The Chelsea Jean display (clothing which had thick, untouched ashes from the 9-11 bombing) and learning the story behind it was very touching. The original Tiffany lamps and stained-glass windows were breathtaking. The exhibit on slavery was thought provoking. I particularly learned a lot from the pedagogy lessons taught by Bob DeLorenzo each afternoon.

The walking tours were great. Most visitors to NYC probably do not see the historical sites and hear the stories behind them, as we were able to do. My favorite site on the walking tours was the Tenement Museum. Actually being in those tenement apartments and learning about actual families who had lived there gave me a real connection to what their lives must have been like. I cannot imagine living with my family in a 350 square foot apartment with no windows, no running water, or no toilet. Of course, everything else that we saw closely tied as my favorite (especially Ellis Island).

I really appreciated getting a chance to learn to get around in NYC. Staying in the dorm at Columbia University was interesting, and then having to make our way here and there on the bus or the subway was a true education in itself. Dr. Jackson said there are 8 million people in NYC, and I think we talked to or ask help from all 8 million people. I was so surprised at how friendly and helpful everyone was to us. Once, some of us on a train mentioned that we teach history. Two young men actually left their seat and came over to talk “history” with us. They were from South America and knew more American history than you can imagine!

In short, (actually this entry is long) I want to thank Dana Beck and anyone else involved in planning this educational trip. It was fantastic, and I learned more than I can ever express! Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to expand my historical education in NYC!

I feel our experience in New York City was unique in that we were not just tourists, but we were historians and students. The knowledge of the City and the people and neighborhoods provided us a different viewpoint that was different than the common tourist. When I teach the Gilded Age and immigration this coming year, I will have a wealth of background information to share as well as the ultimate hands on experience of actually being there and seeing, touching, smelling and hearing New York City.

The evening cruise was incrediable because it allowed me to see just how huge Manhattan really is. I also loved the story that a woman shared with us while we were on the cruise. It was about her father’s real life experience as a Russian child immigrant that came through Ellis Island and was seperated from his parents for three days. Her emotions were reflective of her father’s emotions, which moved all that was listening. With her permission I plan to use this incrediable story with my students. It will make an enourmous impact on them as we study Ellis Island and immigration.

Standing in the Great Room of Ellis Island that so many scared, confused and excited immigrants stood so many years ago made a huge impact upon my heart. What courage they had to leave a home that was so familiar for a dream that took them across a deadly ocean to a strange place of uncertainity.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was the Tenement House Museum. The fact that I have seen for myself the homes that the earlier immigrants lived in will greatly enhance my teaching of this subject. I truly had no comprehension of what the tenement apartments were like and how crowded they were.

I feel that I was truly blessed with the wonderful opportunity to attend the Gilder Lehrman Institute in New York City. As a teacher I gained an enormous wealth of information and ideas to share with future students. This is my fourth year in PACETAH and my students are always excited to learn about what I have seen and done. My experiences make the classroom come alive. If I can’t take them to the places that we learn about, I can give them the next best thing, which is my personal experiences and photographs.