Ole Miss in Birmingham, AL

16th St. Baptist Church under the watchful eye of Martin Luther King Jr.

The senior teacher candidates from the University of Mississippi School of Education went on a field trip to Birmingham, AL (#OleMissFieldTrip). Our first stop was a visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (@BCRI), Kelly Ingram Park (aka West Park), and the 16th Street Baptist Church.  What was cool about this combination of locations is that you learned about what happened during the Civil Rights movement in the institute and then you walk outside and you are where it happened.  It was a moving experience.  Something I found fascinating was how civil rights activists used the power of their dollars, through “selective buying”, to enact change and influence local businesses.

The next stop was the McWane Science Center (@Mcwane) where we had an afternoon and evening of activities. We were shown a movie in their IMAX dome, experienced a lightning demonstration, learned about scientific inquiry and engineering education, touched sharks and stingrays, and had time to interact with all of the exhibits at the museum.  Our day ended with a everyone finding a spot on the second floor and camping out for the night.  Yes, a night in the museum. ( I slept under an aquatic dinosaur.)