Category Archives: Education

Hats On To Me

I am so so pleased and proud of myself. Today I went to Commuknity to sit and knit awhile. I brought along a hat I started in November but set aside when I dropped a stitch and couldn’t figure out how to pick it up. Today was the day to fix that. So I knit and knit (with occasional help with directions from Nathania and another customer). Voila!

first hat

I’ve graduated from scarf school!

Yarn: Rowan Big Wool, 100% merino wool, 1 ball (87 yards), colorway 35 – gingersnap, with size 13 circular needles

Pattern: Rowan Bigger Picture: Featuring Big Wool & Biggy Print, Design #16 – Mini, pattern by Kim Hargreaves.

Makes Me Wish I Were a Kid or a Teacher

If you have a child in school or know of one, you will appreciate the fun of The Flat Stanley Project. It’s awesome. In the author’s words:

More than thirty years ago, I was saying goodnight to my now grown-up sons, J.C. and Tony (Flat Stanley is dedicated to them), and JC stalling for my chat time, asked me not to leave the bedroom. He was scared, he claimed, and when I asked him what he was afraid of he couldn’t think of anything. As I started out again, he had an inspiration. ‘I’m afraid my big bulletin board will fall on me,’ he said. I told him that that was ridiculous; the big board on the wall above his bed had been securely mounted by me, and even if it got loose it would do so so slowly that he wouldn’t even notice it, just go off to sleep, and by the time it rested fully upon him he’d be sound asleep and wouldn’t wake, so the board would just lie there all night. Then I thought of small joke and said: ‘Of course, when you wake up in the morning, you’ll probably be flat.’ Both boys thought that was a hoot and many evenings after that one, we’d make up stories about adventures you could have if you were flat. Best idea I ever had, and I didn’t even know I’d had it. Not for many months, until a friend in the kid-book business, who knew about the flat stories, suggested I make them into a book.

According to the project website, “The Flat Stanley Project is a group of teachers who want to provide students with another reason to write. Students’ written work goes to other places by conventional mail and e-mail. Students make paper Flat Stanleys and begin a journal with him for a few days. Then Flat Stanley and the journal are sent to another school where students there treat Flat Stanley as a guest and complete the journal. Flat Stanley and the journal are then returned to the original sender. Students can plot his travels on maps and share the contents of the journal. Often, a Flat Stanley returns with a pin or postcard from his visit. Some teachers prefer to use e-mail only, and this is noted in the List of Participants.”

My knitting and blogging acquaintance Lain needs people willing to host Flat Stanley for her son’s project. If you’re willing, contact her via email (which is listed on her blog).

Every Day

Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, everyday, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to continually be part of unanimity.

–Christopher Morley

My Solution

I have seven boys and three girls in my group. Six of the students are fifth graders, and four are in fourth grade. Some of the boys are a year or two older than their grade level and thus bigger than many of their peers. I wanted to speak to the group in a positive way.

When program started, I had all ten stand on one side of the room. I said, “Everyone who likes play and have fun, move to the other side of the room. If you don’t like to have fun, stay where you are.” Of course, all ten moved.

One child said, “This is a game!” I replied, “Yes, sort of.” Then I continued, “If you like to be scared, if you enjoy being frightened, move to the other side of the room.” Six boys moved, and one boy moved halfway across the room. The girls stayed put.

Then I asked the boys what they enjoyed that was scary. They said scary movies and stories were fun. I asked, “If someone much bigger than you were to come after you, and chase you, would you enjoy that?” A couple of boys said no, a couple said, with bravado, yes.

My last question was, “Do you like it when someone touches you when you don’t want to be touched? Do you like being poked, hit, prodded? If you don’t like this, move back to the other side of the room.” They all moved back. I continued, “So just to be sure, by standing there all of you are saying you wouldn’t like it if someone grabbed your butt, or touched personal parts of your body, or punched you, even if they are playing?” They nodded.

I went on to speak to all of them, about how they are getting bigger and stronger. The fourth graders, next year, will be the big kids on campus! And the fifth graders are going to start middle school! I said people sometimes forget their strength when playing with others. Even if some of the boys like to rough-house, I cautioned that not all people enjoy playing that way. I reminded them that they are growing up, and that part of this is learning to behave with care and to consider other people. I said that their bodies belong to them and if they don’t want someone to touch them, they can assert this. And that they need to remember that other peoples’ bodies do not belong to them, and to respect this.

All the kids nodded that they understood, and I segued into the day’s program. And the two boys I specifically hoped would get the message? I glanced at them as I talked to the group (I looked at everyone), and I could see in their eyes they understood. That was sufficient. And they all went on to have an excellent day in program, which is amazing, considering there are only nine days left of school.

No Bull(ies)!!!

The issue of bullying is a serious one. I myself was prey to bullies in my elementary school years, and it made life terrifying for me. Those experiences undermined my sense of place and safety in the world, and they marred my self-confidence. I learned to inhibit my social tendencies so as not to be targeted, not that this was successful. It only made me more withdrawn, but didn’t help me escape bullies. The impact reverberated well into my adulthood. It’s probably why I also developed a “problem with authority,” in such cases when those in authority used their power wrongly (which is rather more often the case than one might think).

Today this issue was brought to light at my school, in my program. It regards two of my own students and their misbehavior toward another student. This evoked a strong response in me, and I’ve spent the evening researching the topic so I can talk to the class tomorrow. Below is the best compilation of myths and misperceptions about bullying that I found (without having to purchase a book). I’ve provided the myths and brief excerpts from the website, but I strongly recommend you go to that page to read the entire piece.
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Beyond A Mere Escape

It’s that the benefits of reading extend beyond a mere escape from oneself. They linger. Reading affords one a certain detachment from life. Reading allows me, at least, to approach the events of my own life with the same mild curiosity I have toward a good novel: it’s easier not to get so invested. One could argue that film and television must do the same, but in truth, there is something different between the mediums. Books – texts – are private, personal, unique. They’re fueled and informed by whatever you’ve already experienced. Movies are public. They give everything to you. Also, television and film are almost always (and necessarily) presented from a limited third-person point of view: the nature of the stated objectivity of the camera makes anything else difficult. Books can be written from the inside, or from all sides – you get a taste of what it’s like to experience the world through the eyes and skin and past of another.

–Siona, Nomen Est Numen

Educational Conundrum

One-third of the state’s public elementary school students — that’s more than 1.5 million children — are classified as English learners.

Currently, the schools face conflicting incentives over how to deal with these students.

On the one hand, NCLB [No Child Left Behind] requires California schools to increase the number of students they reclassify from English learner to English proficient. On the other hand, the act requires all groups — including English learners — to show improvement in academic achievement. By themselves both requirements are reasonable.

Schools should strive for improvement in English proficiency as well as academic achievement among their English learners. But if students haven’t reached a certain threshold of English proficiency, they simply cannot demonstrate their full academic ability on tests that are given in English.

Under the current law, increases in reclassification are likely to cause decreases in academic test scores for English learners because the most proficient — and consequently highest scoring — students are no longer part of that group. So, with improvement required in both areas … where does the incentive lie?

And then there’s the financial lure: Schools now receive additional funding from NCLB for each English learner student they have, but once they reclassify a student from English learner to English proficient, they lose that money. So again, where does the incentive lie?

–Christopher Jepsen, ‘No Child Left Behind’ leaving English-learners behind?

Read more in English Learners in California Schools, by Christopher Jepsen and Shelley de Alth.

Read To (Your) Children

When my students had to take the mid-term tests for my program, I promised them a reward if they all focused and finished within one week. They did, and I made good on my vow. I gave them each a copy of a classic children’s book.

Book ownership is a significant component of cultivating the habit of reading. Having one’s own books, to pick up anytime and delve into, creates a sense of investment. This can encourage the attitude of curiosity that prompts one to look between the covers. My students don’t own many books.

Another aspect of helping children love reading is to read to them. Again, this is something many children don’t experience. The book I gave them is The Phantom Tollbooth. They were somewhat in awe when I gave each a copy. A few days later, one student told me, “You know, I thought this book would be boring, but it isn’t!”

As a reward for excellent behavior at the end of program yesterday, I offered to read aloud. I read the first chapter and, when done, asked if they’d liked being read to. They all nodded vigorously. One student said, “You read fast, Teacher.” I asked if that was bad, and he replied that it was good, that other teachers read too slow and in a boring voice. Another boy declared with enthusiasm, “Teacher, I didn’t like it. I LOVED IT!” So I promised to read them a chapter a day, 20 in all, as long as they also read it on their own. It’s such a fun story to read aloud! I wish I could read to children more often.

If you have children in your life — your own, nieces, nephews, cousins, your friends’ kids — consider buying them a book for their next birthday. Or just because; reading doesn’t have to be a special occasion. And read them a story, or a book about a subject they like, when you next have time for a shared activity. You’ll have their rapt attention, and you’ll probably enjoy yourself.

Knowledge Is Power

It is National Library Week. Pay a visit to your local library! They provide a vital service; they could also use your support.

Some links of interest:
American Library Association
The Library Network
Library of Congress
Internet Public Library
Library Support Staff.com
Library Support.net
Library Statistics Program

A Google search for “public library” and the name of your city or state will help you find your local library.

I’m Reading My Share But…

Sorry to start Tuesday on such a depressing note, but read this:

  • One-third of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives. Many do not even graduate from high school.
  • 58% of the US adult population never reads another book after high school.
  • 42% of college graduates never read another book.
  • 80% of US families did not buy or read a book last year.
  • 70% of US adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.
  • 57% of new books are not read to completion.

–Jerrold Jenkins, Jenkins Group — via Parapublishing

Wow. This is stunning.

The purpose of an education is: to educate! What a concept! An education is a background store of knowledge that can be applied across the educated person’s life, from work to relationships to hobbys and leisure activities. An education is a knowledge and understanding of the culture in which the educated person lives and operates, and an appreciation for the foreign and historical cultures that share this planet.

A good education certainly includes a basic understanding of history, math and even organic chemistry. But those can be acquired anytime, if the key goal of an education is met. And there is only one real key to a good education.

Reading.

—Dave Haxton

This is why I do the work I do.

Literacy Links

When did you discover your love of reading? I was “a natural” in that reading was a second reality — easy to slip into. I read a lot as a teenager, but my serious reading began in earnest around age 20. Serious as in quantity as well as attitude.

As an advocate of literacy, I try to provide resources to help people seeking information. In the extended entry are the links for the U.S. literacy sites.
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A New Resource for Teens

SchoolBlues.com was recently launched by founder Bill Keefe to provide mental health information tailored to high school students. This arose from the overwhelming success of CampusBlues.com, which provides mental/physical health education and outreach to college students at more than more than 300 colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada.

SchoolBlues is a free program. In November, students from registered high schools can go to the website, select their schools, and click on a link to find the name of a local counselor. They will be able to find community-based resources as well. The website currently offers articles on issues such as depression, gambling, stress, addiction, anxiety, anger, violence, eating disorders, acne, and listening skills. It also provides information and guidance for parents who want better understanding of and communication with their teenager.

Developing Personal Vision

Among all animals, human nature is expressed in its constant search for creating and manipulating the world. We seek meaning and purpose in our existence through religion, philosophy, science, and business. Institutions and organizations are created to carry out this creative drive in an orderly fashion, so that many may experience the benefit. It could be said that humans possess an intrinsic visionary drive; each of us is born with potential to fulfill. Through the fortune of life circumstances, a person fulfills that potential as fully as possible. Some people receive support for their endeavors and are mentored in their pursuit. For others, their potential is squashed by cultural and social rules, lack of education and opportunity, or impoverishment; some rise above the constraints. The concept of vision is most frequently applied within an organization; vision helps those leaders to determine the direction in which they wish to go and develop strategies to accomplish goals. Since organizations consist of humans, it would be laudable to apply the same template to an individual’s life. In this era of transient employment, where companies frequently “rightsize” and lay off workers, and where employees often change jobs or careers, it makes increasing sense to consider oneself an organization and to develop a vision for one’s life.
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