Hello Friends,

You may recall that last month, the first anniversary issue, I shared Prairie Pedagogy, or glimpses into our "real world" as I made the annual trek from California to South Dakota. In addition, Dawn shared her emerging thoughts on Potter Pedagogy and To Lasso a Tornado. All previous WinkWorlds are archived at http://JoanWink.com/newsletter/archive.php.

Again this month, WinkWorld reflects my "real world." I have just returned from a marvelous teaching/learning experience with international educators in Mallorca, Spain. In addition, Dawn and I are in the copyedit and indexing process for Teaching Passionately: What's Love Got To Do With It?, which will be available from Allyn & Bacon this fall. This issue of WinkWorld will mirror some of these experiences. Also, I share valuable contributions from Brian Briggs on technology http://imet.csus.edu/imet4/bbriggs/iKnow%20Webquest/; Guadalupe Valdés on multilingualism http://www.lsadc.org/web2/multiling.htm; and Isaac Asimov's reflections on the importance of libraries, which Steve Krashen shared.

As I finished preparing this issue, it was apparent to me that I did not have anything for Prairie Pedagogy. I decided to just forget it this month. However, about 2 hours ago, the phone rang, and Wink ran from the house mentioning something about a buffalo having trouble delivering her baby. A cloud of dust followed him as he roared up the lane. Then, about an hour ago he returned with blood running down his shoulder and back. He ran down into the cellar and came out with a pulling cable. The cloud of dust followed up him the road again. I think I'll wait and see if there is a story here, before I send this issue.

I begin this month with Dawn's thoughts on Pokémon Pedagogy.

Mallorca by Joan

Teaching can be so humbling and so hopeful. Such was the case in Mallorca. The graduate students in class are teachers from all parts of the globe. This class embodied all that matters about learning, living, and loving. At the end of class, I gave each a blue ribbon on which I had written why they make a difference. I thanked them for their unique contribution. I had never been brave enough to do this with a class. Of course, it was emotional and worth every tear. I share this story with the hope that some of you will pass it on. In addition, I hope that I will be brave enough to do it again.

The students were a diverse group of highly experienced teachers, non-traditional students beginning on a second career, and young beginning teachers. It is safe to say that we had many different "levels" in class, but it did not matter, as each person had a unique gift to share. We were unified in our passion for learning.

Africa had such a presence in class this summer. Looking south on the Mediterranean, one could sense the enormity and the significance of Africa. Several students came from various African countries.

A Literacy Quilt: One student collected the various artifacts from class and put it all together in a large wall hanging. Each square of the quilt represents the unique contributions of each student and our mutual memories.

Slam Poetry: We all came to appreciate the tradition of slam poetry, which as I understand it, originates with the New York Puerto Rican communities. Two young women in class captured our experiences daily and hourly. They were able to listen to student presentations (or me as I taught), and within minutes they turned the experience into delightful jingles. Jennette and Jennifer, thank you, perhaps I can share some of these next month in WinkWorld.

Mallorca MA students, you asked for information on the Language Experience Approach and various ways of making books with students. Here are some examples: http://www.joanwink.com/pub/pub-p2l2.php

Mallorca MA students, you asked for information on the roles and responsibilities within cooperative learning groups. Here are two examples: the first is quite generic; the second comes directly from Educating Esmé by Esmé Raji Codell, a great book which we discussed. These examples will be included in Teaching passionately: What's love got to do with it?

For more on this graduate program, please go to http://www.tcnj.edu/~graduate/global/europe.html. I am quite confident that we will hear more from these students in future WinkWorlds. In addition, I predict that several of them will soon apply for doctoral programs in the United States.

Travel Guide: How to get from South Dakota to Mallorca, Spain The following story is a draft of what will also be in Teaching passionately: What's love got to do with it?. It is a true story of Dean coming to Mallorca to visit me a couple of years ago. Of course, it is really a story about bilingual education. Enjoy.

Guadalupe Valdés of Stanford University
What is multilingualism?
http://www.lsadc.org/web2/multiling.htm

Brian Briggs and his colleagues from CSU Sacramento share their work on WebQuests.
http://imet.csus.edu/imet4/bbriggs/iKnow%20Webquest/

Isaac Assimov and Public Libraries
Shared by Steve Krashen

"I received the fundamentals of my education in school, but that was not enough. My real education, the superstructure, the details, the true architecture, I got out of the public library. For an impoverished child whose family could not afford to buy books, the library was the open door to wonder and achievement, and I can never be sufficiently grateful that I had the will to charge through that door and make the most of it. Now, when I read constantly about the way in which library funds are being cut and cut, I can only think that the door is closing and that American society has found one more way to destroy itself."

Asimov, I. (2002). It's Been a Good Life. Edited by Janet Jeppson Asimov. New York: Prometheus Books, p. 31.

Prairie Pedagogy
The Birthing of a Baby Buffalo