Back from Boston

By Patty Wilber

My trip to the Boston area was a lot of fun!  Two of my esteemed colleagues and I went to the ASMCUE (Amercian Society for Microbiology Conference on Undergraduate Education.)  That’s a mouthful.

We went to a lot of talks on techniques, resources, and teaching theory as related to microbiology.

We are planning to create a revised, on line and free version of our Central New Mexico Community College microbiology lab manual that students can access in lab on Ipad minis that live in the lab.  The idea is that students can save their work and later access their notes electronically from home.  This prevents lab microbes from going home with the students on their lab work.

Step one: Learn how to use an Ipad mini.  I took notes on the it and I practiced taking selfies.

Ipad selfie of me, Heather and Karen on the plane. No idea why is it sideways.  The plane flew straight.  But I did get this on the blog by using the Ipad to log on to WordPlay and then uploading the formerly upright pic…

Step two:  Figure out in which program to write the lab manual  and how to make it so students can write on the mini with a stylus or their finger or…

Step three: Content.  I think that is the easy part!

There was even supposed to be a talk on this very Ipad topic.  Only the presenter was a no show!

Besides micro work (that is work on the topic of microbiology as opposed to a small amount of work), we also got to see some sights!

We walked the Freedom Trail in Boston.

The Freedom Trail

The trail is a either a brick line or a red line and with the help of the map we walked the whole thing and also reviewed some history.

I saw no living equine, but

Andrew Jackson was one of the Democratic Party founders and he was called a jackass, which he turned to a campaign advantage.  Thus the Donkey is the symbol of the Democratic party.

Democratic Donkey

Paul Revere also rode to warn the colonials that the British troops were coming.

Paul Revere rode a horse. He also got captured. I did not remember that. He was released the same night.

And that is it for equines in Boston.

My favorite sites:

• Bunker Hill where we got defeated by the Brits, but gained an emotional advantage by killing half their guys in really bloody and personal close contact fighting.  Muskets and bayonets.

• The USS Constitution.  Old Iron sides.

Cannon balls.

Of course the ropes are stowed beautifully, and every surface, wooden or brass or other, was polished to a glow.

The impeccable conditions inside the ship are maintained by  active duty Navy. Very impressive

We also ate! 

Lobster! (me)

Cannoli  (me and Heather)

Cannoli at Mike’s in Boston.

and Southwestern-ish food (all three of us) at a beer place (it was good;  different than NM).

Peripherally horse-related!

Despite all this, I was missing home. The dog faces, the Sandia’s rising to the west of the house, the horse’s and of course my peeps.

It is very good to be home!