After Words ...
Posted by Carolan Gladden at 6/26/2010 10:09 AM 
Categories: thoughts,science,Experiences,Current Events
Categories: thoughts,science,Experiences,Current Events
The national organization from which my salary is derived has come, has seen, heard and most of all questioned and now is back in DC with our fate in their hands.
Yes, for 3 days last week the National Science Foundation folks were in residence for a monumental Site Visit to the Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center. This singular event, along with our grant renewal proposal, strategic plan and annual report, will determine whether we continue for another five years.
And so important was it that preparations required more than fulltime for myself and many others over several weeks, what with elaborate agenda packets and other printed materials, posters, demo's, location logistics, seating arrangements, maps, sound systems, computer connections, catering, name tags, tent cards, etc.
Present for all of part of the time were nearly half of all our members representing most of the 16 universities that comprise our UC San Diego-based Science of Learning Center. We totaled 100, NSF totaled 16.
The good news: Raves for the food, the smoothly-run program and our people.
The bad news: Very tough questions that included the admonition to give them numbers, not just words!
Still, following my 14-hour day (partly trying to generate numbers), I decided to employ BELIEF. Yes, we will indeed be renewed -- after all, we have some 60 active collaborative research projects, many uncovering salient data and much targeted toward eventual classroom use. So I quick told my programmer to get next year's database up and running and I'm about to write science-based articles for our TDLC newsletter.
Yes, it's Positive Thinking!
Positively,
Carolan
Yes, for 3 days last week the National Science Foundation folks were in residence for a monumental Site Visit to the Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center. This singular event, along with our grant renewal proposal, strategic plan and annual report, will determine whether we continue for another five years.
And so important was it that preparations required more than fulltime for myself and many others over several weeks, what with elaborate agenda packets and other printed materials, posters, demo's, location logistics, seating arrangements, maps, sound systems, computer connections, catering, name tags, tent cards, etc.
Present for all of part of the time were nearly half of all our members representing most of the 16 universities that comprise our UC San Diego-based Science of Learning Center. We totaled 100, NSF totaled 16.
The good news: Raves for the food, the smoothly-run program and our people.
The bad news: Very tough questions that included the admonition to give them numbers, not just words!
Still, following my 14-hour day (partly trying to generate numbers), I decided to employ BELIEF. Yes, we will indeed be renewed -- after all, we have some 60 active collaborative research projects, many uncovering salient data and much targeted toward eventual classroom use. So I quick told my programmer to get next year's database up and running and I'm about to write science-based articles for our TDLC newsletter.
Yes, it's Positive Thinking!
Played: 4 | Download | Duration: 00:02:00
Positively,
Carolan
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