ERESE Teachers Workshop 2004
Frequently Asked Questions

Housing and Travel

Do I need to make my own airline reservations ?

Yes. You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements. Please make plans to arrive in San Diego (airport code SAN) no later than Sunday evening, July 11, and depart on Saturday, July 24. We will reimburse your for up to $350 for airfare.

How do I get from the airport to Muir Apartments ?

A number of shuttle companies service the airport and surrounding area. Most do not require a reservation. Upon exiting the baggage claim, signs will direct you to shuttle services. Check the San Diego Airport's Website for a link to shuttle services and other information.

For further information on the Muir Apartments, please browse the UCSD Conference Website.
You can also download a Map of UCSD.

What time can I check into Muir ?

The front desk at Muir is open from 7:30 am until midnight daily.

Are there laundry facilities at Muir Apartments ?

Yes. There are coin-operated machines.

How do I get reimbursed for my travel ?

Please bring your airline receipt (a printout of an E-Ticket is acceptable) and save any transportation receipts (shuttle, taxi, rental car, etc.). We will reimburse up to $350 for all travel-related expenses.

Packing

What should I bring to the workshop ?

On Wednesday, July 14, we will spend the day on the seagoing research vessel R/V Sproul (see http://shipsked.ucsd.edu/ for ship scheduling information). The work on the ship will get muddy, and ships are inherently dirty, so we recommend you wear old clothes (shorts are acceptable). You must have close-toed shoes. Flip-flops or sandals are not allowed for safety reasons. Bring a pair of leather gloves to protect your from the cables and the "mud work" we will do on deck. Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. We will be less than one mile off the coast, however, if you have motion sickness tendencies you should bring some form of over-the-counter medication.

Dress throughout the workshop is casual. The weather in San Diego is variable in the summer, with cool mornings/evenings, but with warmer temperatures during the daytime. We may have a "marine layer" in the morning. Shorts are fine, however, occasionally a sweatshirt or long pants might be more comfortable.

If you can bring a copy of your Earth science textbooks that would be great. Also, if you have a reference for your state standards (online or hard copy) please bring it with you. Finally, bring your EarthRef.org user name and password that you received during the workshop registration in a confirmation email. If you have misplaced your user information, please use the Forgot Password tool to retrieve your user information again based on your email address.

Extra's might include a camera (digital, if you have one), bathing suit and whatever else might make your visit here relaxing and enjoyable.

Do I need to bring a laptop ? What kind ? What operating system ?

If you can bring a laptop (your own or a borrowed laptop) PLEASE do so. Make sure that you let us know if you cannot bring one. We will set up local accounts and wireless access for all participants. Most of the work we do will be computer intensive. Either Macintosh or PC will be fine.

All of the applications we use will work with both the Microsoft Windows XP and Macintosh OS X operating systems. Although we expect that these applications will work in older operating systems, we are not sure. If you had ever considered upgrading your system this would be a great time to do it! All computers should have have wireless capability.

Please make sure you have administrative privileges for your computer for the purpose of adding applications to your laptop.

The applications we will use throughout the workshop can be downloaded for free. We will make extensive use of the popular public-domain Mozilla tools for browsing and composing web pages. Please browse the Mozilla.org Website, and download the latest Mozilla Standard Release (Version 1.7). You will also need at least the Free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Bring full Acrobat if you have it, or download a 30-day trial version.

Workshop Overview

What is our schedule ?

Download a Word Document with the Complete Schedule.

On Sunday night we will have a casual gathering, sort of a "Meet and Greet", at 6pm at the Muir Apartments. In the courtyard of the apartments there is an area called "El Mercado". This will also be identified as "Muir Conference Desk". We will meet in the first-floor lounge adjacent to the conference check-in desk, across from the mini-store. Parking on weekends is FREE on UCSD's campus (NOT at Scripps!).
Weekdays we will meet from 9:00 am-4:30 pm, with some exceptions.
Wednesday July 14 we will leave campus at 7:00 am for the cruise onboard the Research Vessel Sproul. We will return to campus by 6:00 pm.
Saturday July 17 we will meet from 8:00 am-Noon, with an optional tour and visit to the Aquarium in the afternoon.
Tuesday July 20 and Thursday July 22 we may schedule informal sessions in the evening (6:30 pm) if necessary.
The workshop will be complete on Friday July 23 by 4:00 pm.

Where will the workshop be held ? How do I get there ?

Most workshop sessions will be held at Vaughan Hall, Room 100. Check out the Map of Scripps for exact location.

Teachers staying at Muir Apartments can catch the SIO Shuttle from "upper campus" (as UCSD's main campus is called) to Scripps. It runs from 7:15 am until 9 pm, weekdays only. You will want to board at Mandeville Auditorium and get off at the last Scripps stop, the Director's Office. Please go to the SIO Shuttle Website for more information and to download a map.

Those commuting to campus will want to park as close to Scripps as possible on one of the residential streets. Beware of "No Parking" and "Restricted Parking" signs. Both University and local police ticket frequently.

What about food ?

Participants residing at the Muir Apartments have already pre-paid for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Muir breakfasts and dinners will be served at Sierra Summit, adjacent to the apartments. Muir lunches will be delivered to Scripps daily at noon.

Participants NOT staying at Muir will be responsible for their own meals. There are many eating establishments within varying distances, some are a 15-minute walk along the beach, others a short car ride. Snackropolis is located right on the Scripps campus and sells breakfast and lunch. Check out Snackropolis!

Do I have any free time to explore San Diego ?

Every evening (except July 20 and 22), Saturday afternoon July 17, and all day Sunday July 18 are free.

Miscellaneous

How do I receive my fellowship stipend ?

Upon completion of the workshop a fellowship stipend of $300 will be awarded to all participants.