Dear WinkWorld Readers,

Today I saw a blogpost from Russ Walsh in his blog, Russ on Reading, in which he celebrates the books of famed children’s author, Mem Fox.  Oh, how I love Mem’s books.

I hope you enjoy, too.  Click on Mem’s name below.

Russ on Reading: Mem Fox

Thanks, Russ, for permission to share, and thanks for all of your support of literacy. 

I am not with all of my Mem books to post pictures, but Russ has great pictures of Mem’s books.  So, I will post a group of little avid readers: Oh, how I love these kids.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

Sometimes I am asked how I write this blog, WinkWorld.  The truth is that it just sort of evolves from something which interests me. I like to think that my blogs might stir some thoughts for families and/or teachers who are interested in literacy.  For example, WinkWorld this time will focus on Mem Fox, a writer from Australia.  I love her stories for children and her books for teachers.  I was thinking about Mem, so I drove to Atall School (50 m. away) to share Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge with the kids. For those who are new to my blog, Atall is a one/two room school on the isolated prairies of South Dakota.  One teacher–11 kids–all grades K through 8. 

On YouTube I found a video of Mem reading Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge.  I hope you enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOgc7nLSreU

After reading Wilfrid, the kids wanted to hear Possum Magic.  In this book, the possum can magically make herself invisible, and when I last saw the Atall kids, they were drawing various “invisible” animals.

Here is one example of how the illustrator, Julie Vivas, drew the invisible possum.

Below here I am posting a photo of 4 of Mem’s books which we used that day in class.

This experience made me realize that I no longer had all of my Mem books–I am sure that I have passed them on during the years. 

I then flew to Tucson for the Tucson Festival of Books, and the first thing I did was go to my all-time fav used-book store, Bookman’s, which I see is now called Bookman’s Entertainment Exchange.  I asked an employee if he could help me find any Mem Fox books for kids. He crawled around while searching the lower shelf and found a treasure trove of Mem Fox books, which you can see below.

He even found a copy of my fav Mem book.

Thank you, Mosby!  You were terrific.  Without you, I never would have found all of those Mem Fox books to take home to read to the Atall kids.

This is not the first time that Booksman’s has helped me.

In the 1970s, when I started teaching middle school kids in Benson, AZ, a book I found (Hooked on Books by Fader & McNeil, 1966) on the floor of the gardening section of the original Bookman’s on Broadway, saved me.  Before Benson hired me, they asked me if I could teach language arts, and I said yes, since I had majored in Spanish and English lit.  Turns out that I knew nothing about language arts.   However, Hooked on Books and those Benson kids saved me from myself.

So, in answer to my original question: How do I put WinkWorld together?  You can see that I just live and write about it.  This particular issue of WinkWorld took several decades, but when I saw Mosby crawling around on the floor of Bookman’s, I immediately knew I had a story, which you can read below.

Critical Pedagogy 4th Ed – The Benson Kids

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

In the last WinkWorld, I wrote only about how my health improved in the last year.  In this post, I want to share some of the many activities I have enjoyed in January and February while in Tucson.  Wink and I keep reading about the importance of social interaction–particularly as we age.  I often notice that I have more human connections in Arizona in a week than I do in a month in South Dakota.

While in Tucson, we stay in our townhouse.  Our community is exceptional. None of us knew each other before we came here.  We all tend to watch over each other, support each other, and accept our many differences.   For example, here we are getting into the “birthday bus” to celebrate a neighbor’s birthday.

Christmas on the Desert

We had a good time together, in spite of the fact that 7 of the 10 of us had flu/food poisoning.

At the Desert Museum

Beauty and the Beast

I enjoyed the live performance by Art Express so much that I went twice! The soaring music and the home-grown desert thespians were pure magic. The photos below were taken at the two different performances.

The Music of ABBA

Not the original singers, but the music of ABBA never fails.  I spent most of the evening dancing and singing. Great fun! The woman on the left is our next-door neighbor and dear friend, Ro.  The woman on the right?  I have no idea who she is, but we had fun dancing together.

Birding at Sweetwater Wetlands Park

I didn’t even know about this treasure on the NW side of Tucson.  Brian Vanderberg and Sharon Biegen took me there. My favorite birds were a Vermilion Flycatcher and a Summer (red) Tanager.

The Art of Hank Willis Thomas

University of Arizona Museum of Art

Absolutely amazing! It was breathtaking and very sobering. I had never heard of him,  and now I will never forget him.

Reading and Writing

While here in Tucson, I continue to love reading–historical fiction is my favorite, followed closely by any book about elephants.  I am also focused on banned books, as I prepare for the great Tucson Festival of Books.  My writing during the last couple of months includes an oral history project with the University of Arizona, and another one with California State University, Stanislaus.  I also continue to write weekly for my StoryWorth project. Dawn and I are working on a project about Dr. James Cummins. I am thankful for the internet, which allows me to continue to connect on ZOOM and learn with different groups of friends: one on literacy, one on mentoring, several on books, and, of course, my dear Rogue in Motion which makes sure that I continue to learn with my Parkinson’s friends.  The more I learn, the less afraid I am.

Best Super Bowl Photo

The Eagle above the Philadelphia Museum of Art (and Rocky’s famed steps).  Our granddaughter’s & her friend, Erin’s apartment window looks directly down on this magnificent view.

Betty Jay

Soon I will be home to help my dear  AngelMama celebrate her 99th birthday.

And, when I get back to the ranch, I  will be back to go read with my treasured country school kids.

Desmond Tutu, South African Anglican clergyman

If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.

If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.

(said before 1986)

https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780191843730.001.0001/q-oro-ed5-00016497

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

If you are a reader of WinkWorld, you know a majority of my work relates to languages and literacies with a heavy dose of Prairie Pedagogy in the last 10 to 15 years. But I always try to write about what interests me. Lately, I have been more interested in Slide and Glide or Loud and Proud. We made up those terms to describe the exercises which are very much the antithesis of what my body wants to do naturally.

As some of you know, I have a hereditary condition called Essential Tremors. I have known for years that I would get it. It does not change my life much. However, this winter I was also diagnosed with Parkinson’s. At that time, my movements had become very stiff, slow, and rigid. Then I learned about these very strange and even funky exercises which are designed primarily for Parkinson’s patients. I absolutely love doing them, and I am honestly somewhat of a convert.

I have two vices: reading and walking.

However this winter, I was not able to get out to walk. I felt like a caged lion. Now, I am up to 2 miles again. I find these exercises amazingly effective. If only one other person benefits from this post, it is worth it for me.

In this WinkWorld, I want to share some of what I have learned. I will primarily focus on the exercise websites that have been beneficial for me. So far, I have learned that I have much to learn about all of this. I know I am just at the beginning of my learning curve.

The reason I use the terms, Slide and Glide or Loud and Proud is because I do not want to infringe on any other websites’ trademark name. All of these exercises focus on large movements, not small; and fast movements, not slow; and smooth movements, not rigid; and loud voice exercises, not quiet; The exercises make my body do the opposite of what it wants to do.

Before you glance at these exercises, you might want to read this very short story from my last post on WinkWorld.

On to 100

Exercise Websites

Of course, the gold standard for all information about Parkinson’s is Michael J. Fox.

Another very good site which I use is….

Move and Shout: Power for Parkinson’s

A third site which I often use comes from Power for Parkinson’s. I find it very helpful.

Aerobic Exercises for Parkinson’s

A fourth site that I use is Aerobic Exercises for Parkinson’s.

Hand Exercises for Parkinson’s

A fifth site I use is specifically for hands, which become very rigid with Parkinson’s.

A final interesting concept I learned is the VILIM ball. It is an electronic ball that you hold in your hand to reduce the tremors.  I have two, and I love them.  I have also heard about vibrating wrist bracelets.

Dear WinkWorld Readers, I do not plan to write more about Parkinson’s. I will continue to write about what is lying around on my desk and on my computer desktop.

How do I do WinkWorld if I have Parkinson’s? Very slowly, and with the help of a dictation program and two friends: Susan Henley Spreitzer and Annie Hlavka. Thank you to both of them. How much longer can I publish WinkWorld? I don’t know.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

Readers of WinkWorld know that I have been writing about prairie pedagogy because it fascinates me to see the powerful teaching and learning (a.k.a., pedagogy) that is going on in these tiny, tiny schools on the prairies. In addition, I want to help maintain the history of these schools. Missy, the teacher, is my second cousin, and I find her exceptional as a teacher. She pays no attention to me when I’m in the classroom which I love.

I am crazy in love with the students of this school.

However, let me be honest: The reason I am particularly motivated to finish this document is because I feared that the enrollment (seven students) was just too small, and the district might have to close the school. However, at the beginning of January 2024 we had a population explosion with five new students being enrolled.

Dare I hope? Perhaps what I feared will not happen; perhaps, the end is just a new beginning?              

In this issue of WinkWorld, I will share several news items which interest me. First, I will share two short stories of the first week of school when five new students joined the previous seven students. Next, I will share about an international teacher literacy book club. In addition, I plan to update my photo on my web page. Finally, I will share a bit of health news.

Two Short Stories about the First Week of School in January 2024

It has been cold and frosty on the kids’  playground.

During the first week of class the reading lesson was on inferences. Suddenly, one of the new students had an a-ha moment. In their family’s chicken coop, he found some broken eggs, and he inferred that they had a skunk in the area.

Two of the new students and one of the previous students were studying the American Revolution by making invisible ink quotes like the spies used during the American Revolution.

The students and I each have an amaryllis plant. We share pictures every day or two as our flowers begin to open. Missy said that when the students entered the classroom on January 3rd after a long two eek break, there were audible gasps as they saw what the amaryllis had done in their absence.

A Story about an International Teacher Literacy Book Club in Montenegro

Out of the blue I received a message from Marina Avvakumova, one of my treasured Masters’ students from years ago in Mallorca, Spain. She had a very specific question: What should be the first book which they use in an international literacy teachers book club? I have considered this question in other occasions, and I knew immediately what my answer would be.

The Power of Reading

by Stephen Krashen

I believe it relates equally well to first language acquisition and also to second, third, etc. language acquisition. Experienced and novice teachers will find it meaningful and compelling. Teachers in this group represent the following countries: US, UK, Turkey, Russia, and South Africa.

Here are a few links about this Krashen book

Deb Harrison, a teacher in WY, wrote this article telling about her experience with The Power of Reading when she was a grad student in one of my classes.

The post below is a fun Powtoons created by Deb, also.

Marina now lives and teaches in Montenegro. Where in the world is Montenegro?

Meet dear Marina

Time Marches On: A New Photo

Turns out, I no longer look exactly the way I did about 10 years ago when that previous photo was taken.

A word about health

This is the first WinkWorld I have done totally on a dictation program. The reason for this is that I have been diagnosed with essential tremors in my hands. I always sort of knew I was going to get this as it is hereditary, and I have watched several in my family who had it. It has taken my script away from me and much of my ability on the computer keyboard. This is a real bummer, but the good news is that there are no negative cognitive consequences that come with essential tremors.

Thank you to Missy Urbaniak, Marina Avvakumova, Stephen Fleming, Deb Harrison, and Dawn Wink.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

If you read WinkWorld consistently, you are aware that I have been taking books and reading stories to students in a tiny little school on the prairies, Atall School. If you want to read any of those previous posts, just type in Atall or prairie pedagogy into the search bar over on the left of my main page, www.joanwink.com   On my computer, Chrome works well on the search bar–less so, Firefox and Safari. 

Missy Urbaniak, the teacher at Atall and my cousin, has been gracious and welcoming as I bopped in and out of the class for 10 + years. She is central to this project and is also my co-author.  In addition, I very much appreciate the support and kindness of the families and community, who has allowed me to share stories and photos of their children.  Families, if there is every any photo, which you do not want me to share, please just tell me.  I also wish to thank Wynn Wink who is providing tech support.

This year we hope to write a history of these years at Atall School. Our purpose is to save the stories and maintain the history of prairie pedagogy for the students, families, and community.  I will post selected drafts of these stories first on WinkWorld.

Each of the following years will be organized in this manner.

A Photo

A Story

A Story Book Used in Class

A Glimpse of the History

And, of course, the heart of the book, the students.

Posted below are the school photos from each year which will be highlighted in our history.

Atall School 2012-2013

Atall School 2013-2014

Atall School 2014-2015

Atall School 2015-2016

Atall School 2016-2017

Atall School 2017-2018

Atall School 2018-2019

Atall School 2019-2020

Atall School 2020-2021

Atall School 2021-2022

Atall School 2022-23

Atall School 2023-2024

Oh, how I love these kids!  Now, I also have the joy of following them through their high school years and beyond.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

I love to share my books with others, and recently a friend returned a pile of borrowed books to me.  It was like visiting with ol’ friends.  I stacked up the books in order of favorite to least favorite.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles was my most favorite book of  the last 6 months.  I had no idea that a quircky and courageous group of French and American readers tried to save the American Library in Paris during World War II.  Goodreads has a lot of good comments, but the link would not work on my blog–not sure why.  Here is a good link on Amazon.

My 2nd favorite book of the last 6 months did not make this stack of books, as I had not read it yet.  A wonderful young 7th grade girl told me I must read her copy of Booked by Kwame Alexander–so, I did. I was hooked by the 4th page.  I absolutely loved it.  I suspect it is written for teenage boys, but it felt like it was written for me.  Here is the link on Nerdy BookClub. Thank you, dear Emma.

Booked is written in verse form–don’t let that scare you off.  The narrative is very compelling–a real page-turner.

When I returned Booked to Emma, she quickly gave me 4 more books to read.  Joan Bauer here I come. 

Meet Joan Bauer.

 Thank you  to Missy Urbaniak for drawing the image of a blank book at the top. Missy is the teacher at Atall School  (K-8) where Emma is a student.

Snow is gone.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

In the previous blog post, I shared a review of Harari’s 21 Lessons for the 21st Century and Zakaria’s 10 Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World.  Click here, if you want to glance at that short blog post.  After reading these two books, we predict five categories which reflect the needs of students and society in our post-COVID world. 

Since that time, we created two new images which demonstrate the five categories.

See larger versions of these images

I did this review with our 2nd grandson, Luke, who is an avid reader/writer/thinker.  Meet Luke.

Since that time, I have received suggestions of other related books, which also focus on the future and higher education.  Thank you.

My colleague sent these two titles which she had just ordered.  Hope we hear more about these books, Janice.

Academia Next: The Futures of Higher Education by Bryan Alexander

and

The Small College Imperative: Models for Sustainable Futures by Mary B. Marcy and Richard Ekman

Sharon, a long-time friend and colleague suggested that we check out The Social Dilemma on Netflicks.

6 Things to Know about the Documentary Before You Watch It

More on The Social Dilemma

Yikes, I knew nothing about this series, but I can see that it will be time to call in help from the millennials and/or Gen Zers:  Fortunately, our 5 grandkids fall into one of these two categories, and are more than willing to explain things to us. My reading tells me that the millennials and Gen Zers are very different from each other–something I sure have noticed.

Dear WinkWorld Readers, 

In what follows I will share a few resources, which you might want to use at home, while the schools are closed.  I will call your attention to stories, free e-books, free coloring books,  virtual field trips, and even a teacher, who you might find helpful.

Stories

If you simply type into Google, Storytime, you will find many, many locations for stories for all ages. Also, the website for your local library will certainly have stories and other resources for you.

School Library Journal (storytime pages) – just one of my favorites.

Donalyn Miller and Teri Lesesne often have many great resources on Facebook.

Many teachers are reading aloud for their individual classes now.  Patricia Polacco granted permission for teachers to read her stories (see her on Facebook).  I tend to search YouTube for an author reading her own story, as I did in the last WinkWorld with Mem Fox reading Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOgc7nLSreU

Here is Mem reading Good Night, Sleep Tight.

In the photo below, you can see that little Cora found her storytime without a computer.

The stories of Mem Fox often remind me of the stories of Alma Flor Ada (just Google her).  In this video below, Alma Flor talks about how she learned to read, when her grandmother wrote words in the dirt with a stick as they walk about their farm.   Hopefully, some of you, adults, will enjoy hearing Alma Flor’s  literacy story. 

Two more digital stories from Missy Urbaniak and me, which we created to share with the Atall students.

First, Missy and Crow Boy, a story which I just love. 

And, second, another story I love, If You Are Not From The Prairies.

Free e-Books

Your local library.

Scribid is free right now.

Redshelf has many free titles right now.

Free Coloring Books from Museums

Many museums have opened their collections and have created free coloring books which you can download.  More seem to becoming available daily.  This one below, I believe, is specific for Google docs.

Virtual Trips

Want to visit a farm?

Want to visit the San Diego Zoo and other amazing places?

A Teacher Offering His Services in Secondary Science and Math!

The last time I was with Darren Hayes, he was a teeny-bopper in one of my classes in Benson, AZ.  Since that time, he has gone on to have a wonderful career in TX as a secondary teacher. I noticed on Facebook that Darren offered to help families with secondary students working on science and math. Darren has had 22 years of teaching experience (Chemistry, Biology, Secondary Forensics, and Homebound Algebra 2 and Physics). Darren can be reached at: helpcovid20@gmail.com

Thank you, Darren!

“Homework”

Below you can see that Tinley, who lives on a neighboring ranch, is doing her “homework.”