Dear WinkWorld Readers, as you know I usually write a blog post about whatever is on my mind, on my computer desktop, or on my desktop. I rarely write about some ranch-life-realities. However, today I decided to write about Blue Racer snakes, which sometimes come into our house.

A Blue Racer Snake Hanging from the Ceiling of Our New Bedroom

Our ranch was once my grandparents’ homestead, or Grandma Grace’s house. I used to think that it was a castle.  But, when we returned to live in her house, circa 1994, we did some measurements and found that the main floor had 900 square feet.  Not as large as I remembered. We believe that my grandparents must have moved from the sod hut to this house about the 1920’s.

This house also has half a basement: dirt floors, low ceiling, gorgeous old cedar beams, dangerous, hand-poured concrete steps, and our all-important water pump, with various more important water pipes going to and from the cistern.  OK, I will admit it: the basement is more like a cellar, and sometimes it feels like a dungeon. Very scary.

However, snakes (Blue Racers) think that it is a fine place to hibernate.  Often during the cold months, a ball of sleeping Blue Racers hang from that low ceiling.  When we are in the cellar, we watch carefully, so as not to bump that ball of snakes with our heads.  Sometimes one will wake during the winter, and slither up those dangerous steps and sneak into the kitchen to look around.  More than once, I have been reading at night at the north kitchen counter, when I noticed an annoying smell.  Blue Racers stink.  Then I simply “shoo” the snake back down those dangerous steps.

In 2006 we decided to build an addition–new living area and new bedroom for us.  This was the year that I was on chemo in CA, so I am only vaguely aware of all that took place during the building process.  In retrospect, the builders must have dug into another hibernation site, as the Blue Racers continued to sneak into our new bedroom.

Six years in a row–one snake in the new bedroom each year–always at night–always in the winter–always when I returned from a trip to a cold, dark ranch. Wink was not home for even one of these great snake events, as he was in Pierre for the Jan., Feb., March annual legislative sessions.

The first time this happened, I had just flown back from CA, driven from the Rapid City airport two more hours, and was thrilled to be home safely–even though alone.  I hauled my suitcase down the new stairs to our new, gorgeous bedroom, and there stretched out in all of his glory, was a huge snake on our brand-new carpet.

What to do?

Rule #1: Don’t look away – you must know where that snake is.  I stood and stared and thought and gathered my courage.  I slowly picked up a small wastepaper basket and a pretty, little decorative broom, which were in the bedroom.  With one whoosh, I swept the snake into the basket and ran as fast as a I could up the stairs and out into the darkness and tossed the snake out the door.  This is basically what I have done with each snake in the bedroom since that time, even though Wink did give me one of those snake catchers, which I have never tried.

My Unused Snake Catcher 

However, one time I had just returned from another teaching trip, and I found the snake in the photo, hanging from the ceiling of our new bedroom.  This time, a man who was working on the ranch was helping me carry the luggage down the steps.  We saw the hanging snake at the same time.

            “Oh, no, I don’t do snakes,” he told me seriously.

            “Buck up, Big Boy,” I replied, “tonight you do, do snakes.”

I kept my eyes on the snake and asked him to get me a wastepaper basket and the big broom, which he did.

            “Now, on the count of three, all you have to do is take the broom handle and pop up that ceiling tile.  I will catch the snake with the waste basket,” I told him.  And, this is exactly what we did, and then I again ran like crazy to toss the snake outside.

Each time I have had a snake in the house, I knew I could call one of several local ranchers for help, but I knew it would take time for anyone to arrive, and then they would tell stories about the experience.  Nope, this is my story.

Dear WinkWorld Readers.

Reading a story in your neighborhood school: Imagine how fun. How beneficial. How interesting.  Recently, I had this opportunity in our neighborhood school, Atall, which is 50 miles from our ranch. Atall is a small (okay, tiny) rural school on the South Dakota prairies.

The teacher, Missy Urbaniak, read the English version, and I read the  Spanish version of  “Imagine” and “Imagina” by Juan Felipe Herrera, illustrated by Lauren Castillo, translated by Georgina Lázaro, and published by Candlewick Press.  Herrera did not speak English when he entered school in the US.  He eventually became the Poet Laureate of the US.  This story captures parts of his childhood and a peak into a very special day at the Library of Congress. 

CLICK HERE

if you want to hear Dawn and I read this story aloud.

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone who reads this will also go to their local school and offer to read to kids?

Atall Emeritus

Some of  the former students of Atall School returned in December for the school program.  It was wonderful to see all of the students enjoying each other again.  Love these kids so much!

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

As many of you know, in the past year I have spotlighted several graduates who caught my attention.  Some of  these students graduated from undergrad programs (Nadifa, Lizzie, and Wynn), one master’s graduate (Katie), and two others completed their doctoral degrees (Ana and Jade).  I was honored to serve on the doctoral committees for Ana York from Grand Canyon University and Jade Herman from Creighton University. To read about any of these graduates, just click on the archive at WinkWorld News

With this issue of WinkWorld, we will bring to a close (at least for 2021), this blog series celebrating a few graduates.

Congratulations, Dr. Dawn Wink!

How lucky am I? Those of you who know our daughter, Dawn, know that she just successfully defended her dissertation. Actually, she nailed it. And, I was able to spend a spectacular week celebrating with her. A few pix follow.

First is a screen shot, which a ZOOM student took and sent to us.  I had just walked into the room right after her Chair congratulated her.

Next, are the flowers she received from her Chair.

And, these are the flowers which Dawn had delivered to me for my defense (Yes, a tiny bit late–30 years.) How cool is that?!

And, if you look very carefully at the following pix of the two of us, you will see that she is wearing the earrings, which I gave her for her Ph.D., and, yes, she surprised me with a similar pair to celebrate mine. Told you I am lucky!

When I finished in 1991, I remember walking out into the long hallway of Harrington at TX A&M, and 🎼 ‘Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch’ was rocking in celebration. Thank you, Aggies.

Dawn’s blog, Dewdrops. October 21, 2021

Stories at the Intersection of Language and Landscape Through Wildness, Beauty, and Imagination: A Scholarly Personal Narrative — Dissertation Defense (Video)

After Dawn’s defense, we walked down to the campus of the University of Arizona to celebrate.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

As you know, I have been highlighting recent graduates–one more left to come this season, and I hope to get it out to you before Christmas.  For now, I want to share some of the books I have been reading.

As some of you know, when I was on chemo I spent a lot of time reading about elephants, but I have not read another elephant book until recently. Alexandra Fuller’s book of growing up in the wilds of Africa pulled me back.  The following is a previous WinkWorld, in which I write about her books. From running free as a child in Africa, she now lives in a yurt in Wyoming.

Books Which I Am Reading Now

Lawrence Anthony

If you are not really a reader, it is only that you have not yet bumped into the right book.  This could just be the book which captures you.

Francoise Malby-Anthony

Ranchers often have baby calves in their kitchen in the cold spring storms, but I have never had an elephant in my kitchen.

Thula Thula

If you want to watch more about these two authors, just Google  Thula Thula, their home in Africa.   Start with thulathula.com, but you will find many links on the web.

Cindy Moss

This book captues the research of Cindy Moss.  Each chapter begins with a compelling story, which is then followed by the theory behind the story.

Camino de Santiago

From the elephant books, I dove right into books about The Camino de Santiago. I remember hearing of this in 1961 from my first Spanish teacher, Mrs. Johnson at Mobridge High School.  Today, I am not sure if I really want to walk 500 miles. One of my favorite books on this topic is posted below.

Historical Novels about Libraries

From Camino I went into historical novels which are grounded in a true story of one person (or a group) and one library. Oh, how I love this New York City Public Library; I have been lucky enough to visit it twice.

In this page-turning novel of two women (one 1913 and the other 1993), we learn some of the secrets of this famed NYC library, as we see the power of love of literature and of family.  The link below is a previous WinkWorld, in which I wrote about the NYC Public Library.

The Power of Story Chapter Seven

Next, I found myself reading histories of the Spanish Civil War, WW1, and WW2.  In these historical novels, I met people (and often one solitary woman) fighting to save books. 

For example, The Librarian of Saint-Malo by Mario Escobar is a true story of a woman fighting the Nazis to save the library in this northern coastal town in France. I had no idea of this little town which is eventually overrun and burned.

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray is a true story of Bella da Costa Greene, who was born Belle Marion Greener, to a Black family in the late 1800’s.  In order to succeed, she lived her life as a White.  And, succeed, she did!  She became the personal librarian to JP Morgan, and created his treasury of early printing press (1500’s) books and works of art.  I had no idea about his private library, which she eventually succeeded in opening to the public.  In the late 1800’s, Blacks had hope in the promise of freedom and peace, but by the early 1900’s their hope began to fade.  A very compelling history.

Next, I was ready for a new genre, and I read The Christmas Pig, by JK Rowling. I have never been captured by fantasies, but I can pretend like I love these stories if I am reading to young people, but I usually do not get it.  However, this new JK Rowling is pure magic.  Even for me.  If you ever had a soft, cuddly stuffed animal or much-loved blankie, who completely understood you, this is the book for you.  I even shed a tear at the end.

From the fantasy of JK Rowling, I was ready for a good mystery novel.  I started this new novel last night, and I need to finish this WinkWorld now so I get back to this book, which totally grabbed me from the beginning.

Dear WinkWorld Readers.

As you may remember, I have highlighted some recent graduates, and I will repost them at the bottom of this WinkWorld. However for now, I am happy to introduce you to the new Dr. Jade Herman.  Jade received her doctoral degree from Creighton University, and I was honored to be on her committee.  One more doc celebration to go this fall…

Since finishing her degree, Dr. Herman has been named the Chief of Staff for the President of South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.  The focus of her study was on leadership within a specific program at MINES.

From Jade I learned the difference between a case study and an intrinsic case study.

A case study is research of a bounded system, for example a process, activity, individual(s), or an event.  Case study is often used to understand what is happening in the context of teaching/learning (pedagogy). Qualitative data are often collected over time from multiple sources.  My own understandings are heavily influenced by Creswell & Poth (2018) most recently.

An intrinsic case study is a qualitative research method where the case itself is the primary interest of the researcher (Jade). Stake (1995) posited intrinsic case studies are often appropriate when the aim is to evaluate a program, and there is a need to learn about that program as a specific case.  The emphasis is on what the participants experience, and not what the researcher thinks about those experiences..

I also learned the difference between phenomenology and transcendental phenomenology.

Phenomenology is a study of rooted in philosophy and psychology, and is also used in  education. This type of research inquires into the lived experiences of participants involved in a specific phenomenon.  Interviews of participants over time are common (Creswell, 2014).

Transcendental phenomenology is a research approach that focuses primarily on the experiences of the participants rather than the researcher’s interpretations (Creswell & Poth, 2018; Moustakas, 1994).

Dr. Herman’s Abstract

This qualitative, intrinsic case study analyzed the effectiveness of the Mines Advantage co-curricular leadership development program at South Dakota Mines by exploring ten undergraduate engineering students’ shared experiences in and perceptions of the program. While companies in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields seek to hire individuals with solid technical and leadership skills, engineering universities have historically been ineffective in providing quality opportunities for students to improve their leadership abilities. This study found students perceived Mines Advantage as an effective tool in aiding in their leadership development. Data collected in this study also highlighted a significant relationship between students’ participation in the program and graduation rates that doubled those of non-participants. With its current structure, Mines Advantage is already a valuable method for fostering student success. However, it is recommended the university address the primary challenges the program faces to better accomplish its intended outcomes.

            Keywords: Co-curricular leadership development; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); undergraduate students; curriculum development; leadership skills assessment; engineering leadership; student development

A Couple of Tiny Stories

I love playing in data and finding surprises.  Remember, this was a study of leadership–diversity, (multiculturalism, globalism, belonging, pluralism) was not the focus.  However, the data did reflect the students’ thoughts, and these two items sure caught my eye. 

First,  majority (mostly White  young men) students thought the professional development on diversity sponsored by the leadership program was good.  The ethnic minority students disagreed.  They thought that the diversity professional development should be improved.

Second, both groups of students asked for more professional development on diversity, as they need to understand others’ perspectives. Students know that this will help them achieve their goal: to be engineers in multinational, global companies.

Allies of The Other:  This One is For You

More and more the academic literature indicates that the word, diversity, is antiquated and limiting, as it refers most often to only ethnic minorities.  The new and yet emerging term is belong, as in: “We want all people to feel a sense of belonging.”

However, Jade  and I did not learn a better way of talking about hard sciences and “soft skills,” as in collaboration, understanding others’ perspectives, communicating in social settings, etc.  In the literature these skills are often referred to as “soft skills,” which we find to be pejorative.   Turns out that the student leaders in this study also want to also improve in this area.  So, what is  the emerging and more respectful term, which we can use?

When we know better, we do better.

Maya Angelou

Previously-posted WinkWorlds when we celebrated other graduates are posted below.  Thank you, Jade, Ana, Lizzie, and Katie for taking me along on your journey.  One more to go…..

Meet A Brand-new Doc: Dr. York

Graduates in Their Own Words

2 More Graduates in Their Own Words: Ana and Lizzie

Dear WinkWorld Readers.

In this blog post, I am posting two oral readings of one of my all-time favorite books, “If You’re Not From the Prairie, . …”  David Bouchard is the author, and he does the first reading.  The second reading was created by Dean Wink and me during a blizzard a year or two ago.  I am sharing these, as Dawn Wink and I have been talking about her “Meadowlark” book talk, which will take place tonight September 8, 6 p.m. at the Faith Library.  Everyone in the audience will be from the prairie, and many will know the context of her novel, “Meadowlark.”   Some will even have known and loved Grandma Grace, the heroine of the novel. I knew Grandma Grace well. 

First, David Bouchard reads his novel.

And, second, Dean and I read “If You’re Not from the Prairie,….

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

Here is a 5-minute video clip, as Dawn interviewed me about “The Power of Story.”   Hope you enjoy.

Joan

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

This issue of WinkWorld is directed specifically to a group of teachers in New Jersey.  When they initially received a federal grant five years ago to begin working on their  degree, I was there to wish them well, as they began their journey on their masters degrees.  The grant is ending now, and their masters degrees have been completed, and I am  invited to share with them again at the end of the program.  An honor, indeed.

TCNJ teachers, in this WinkWorld, I am enclosing today’s draft of our agenda, with lots of live links for you to have as resources.  In addition, I am enclosing several YouTube videos which I made with the support of CSU, Stanislaus and Black Hills State University.  During our time together, we will discuss if the ideas about language acquisition from the 1980’s have stood the test of time.

Help yourself, anyone, if this is something you can use.  I will be sending more resources soon.

The agenda, ‘Putting It All Together.’

putting-it-all-together Aug. 13

A few YouTube videos, which I created.

I will be posting more materials for you in the coming week.

See you soon.

Joan

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

Once upon a time in a faraway land, I was a professor who lived and breathed language acquisition for decades–first as a Spanish teacher and later as a professor in multilingual/multicultural teacher education.  Now, my world is primarily filled with kids, cows, and computers.  However, I try to keep up with my professional reading/thinking  as it relates to biliteracy, but I know that I am now more focused on literacy.  Yes, biliteracy and literacy are related, but that is a story for another time.

Storytelling and Storylistening

The world of storytelling and storylistening links my personal and my professional interests.  So much exciting research is taking place to enhance our understanding of storytelling and storylistening.  Many of you are aware of the long rich tradition of storytelling around the world.  Happily, it is enjoying a renewed emphasis in the last few decades as researchers learn more about the literacy and cognitive benefits. 

Teach me the facts, and I can memorize them and do well on a test–however, I will forget those facts sooner or later–but, if you can tell me a compelling story about those facts, I won’t forget it.

In addition to storytelling, storylistening is also developing rapidly–thanks to the research of Beniko Mason and Stephen Krashen.  In what follows, I am sharing some of their findings.  If you are interested, you will find videos of their work-in-action with a simple fast search on your web browser.  Thank you, Professors Mason and Krashen for sharing with us.

Meet Stephen D. Krashen and Beniko Mason

What storylistening is:

It is often used to help students acquire an additional language–for example in a foreign language or a bilingual class.  I have no experience with it also being used in English-only classrooms with only English-dominant students, but I am wondering about this.  I look forward to hearing from any of you who has that type of experience.

Storylistening is told with a strategy called Comprehension-Aiding Supplementation, and the idea is that the teacher throws a wide net of language (mostly comprehensible input, plus a bit more) for subconscious language acquisition. The method requires neither output, nor homework.

What storylistening is not:

It is not a teacher simply reciting a memorized story.

The Optimal Input Hypothesis

I am posting two articles  by Krashen and Mason regarding The Promise of Optimal Input. For those of us in language acquisition, we now learn that Not All Comprehensible Input is of Equal Value.

Click HERE 

Click HERE.

Learn more about Beniko Mason  on her webpages. Both professors are very active and share wonderful resources on social media.

 

Stephen Krashen  on Twitter is always a great read.  Here is one, which I particularly liked, which speaks to the value of storytelling.

 

In addition, be sure to check-out Story-Listening and Guided Self-Selected Reading on FaceBook, which Beniko maintains.

 

I have noticed in my research of storylistening that it is sometimes spelled as one word, sometimes two words, and sometimes a hyphenated word.  I have no idea how it will eventually be spelled.  This is a natural process of how words emerge and come to be  spelled and understood.  It is sort of like little kids with their “inventive spelling,” which is another fascinating area to research.

 

Below is a photo of a treasured piece of art which a dear friend/colleague sent to me as a surprise gift. I see the storyteller and the story listeners. Thank you, Marje Kaiser!

 

 

 

The Adventures of Scruffy

For those of you following the adventures of Scruffy, our little reader, he finally arrived in New York City with his friend, Sacramento Susan.  Of course, his first stop was the famed lions out in front of the New York Public Library.

I just finished reading and loving “The Lions of Fifth Avenue” by Fiona Davis, so Scruffy and I took turns storytelling and storylistening.

 

Dear WinkWorld Readers.

In the previous two WinkWorlds, I introduced you to some recent graduates, and I will continue with that theme by highlighting two more,  Lizzie and Ana

On the left is Lizzie with her Grandma (one of my best Besties ever), and on the right is Ana, Mike (one of Ana’s best Besties ever) and me.

Lizzie and Ana have never met each other, but they have something in common: They each had their first child when they were 14 and 15-years-old.  I have known Lizzie since she was born, and I have known Ana since the early 90s when I was her professor in the bilingual credential program at CSU.

Liz graduated from high school a year early, got her SD teaching certificate, had two more children, and she will begin her teaching career in a month.

Here is Lizzie with her first baby.

Here is Ana with her first baby. 

From Migrant Fields to Doctoral Degree

Ana worked in the migrant fields on the West coast, went on to graduate from high school, successfully completed her undergraduate degree, got her CA teaching credential,  a Masters, has taught for 24 years (16 elementary, 8 high school, and 3 university level, part-time), had three more children, and successfully completed her Ph. D.  You can see why I am in awe of these two women.

Liz and family on the left.  Ana and family on the right.

Now here is Liz telling her story in her own words.

My name is Elizabeth (Lizzie) Fischer, I know Joan due to her being my grandmother’s best friend. I graduated from Black Hills State University in May with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. I have accepted an offer to teach in Mobridge, SD as a second-grade teacher. I could not be more eager to begin this next chapter in my life and start my career as a teacher, my lifelong passion! I was able to get into my classroom several days ago and let’s just say there is A LOT of work ahead of me to get the classroom ready for my students.

I am a mother of three truly amazing, beautiful, and intelligent children. My oldest (Carson) was born when I was a freshman in high school, which has inspired me to become the best mother I could possibly be. I was able to graduate high school a year early, so I could start college and be the mother I was striving to be. However, life happens, and my plans for continuing my education was put on halt for a few years. I went back to school in 2018 and ended up getting pregnant with my second child (Cora). I pushed through the semester, my classes, and I was in labor with her when I was in my last class of the semester and proceeded to take a final after class was over. After I completed my final, I  her later that day. I finished my methods block classes with a newborn and when she was about 9 months old, I found out I was pregnant with my third child (Conner). After I had him, I was very hesitant to go back to school due to having him at 34 weeks. He was in the NICU for 3 ½ weeks and when he came home, I decided I just needed to finish school or else I may never go back. All I had left was to student teach so I signed up to complete it in January.

When I started student teaching all I could think was: Am I CRAZY, how am I going to raise 3 children (10, 1, and 3 months at the time)? I thought I would never be able to pass and complete the next 4 months of student teaching. With endless amounts of tears, late nights/early mornings of studying and so much hard work; it finally paid off!! Now look at me I am going to be a teacher in a little over a month!

I never in a million years thought that I would be able to achieve all that I have accomplished over the years. It took me 9 years to receive my bachelor’s degree, but I never gave up or lost sight of the finish line. If you can carry one thing away from reading about me it is that no matter what obstacles you are facing, you are so capable of achieving your dreams and DO NOT let anyone stop you, not even yourself. Take one day at a time and never stop believing in yourself! Thank you for taking time out of your day to read about my journey!

Congratulations Elizabeth Fischer!  We are honored to have you join the teaching profession.

And, now please meet Ana York in her own words.

Forever Grateful

In 1980 my father moved us from Puerto Rico to California in hope of a better life. I was a shy eight-year-old who did not speak English, so I fondly recall my ESL classes. Language instruction played a considerable role in my academic achievements. After elementary school, I attended junior high, and it was during that vulnerable phase, I began to have self-esteem issues. Therefore, I dated someone who was six years older. I married him when I was a freshman in high school and gave birth to my first child my sophomore year. It was difficult for me to attend regular high school, so I transitioned to alternative education, where I did independent studies.

After graduating, I went to a vocational program, where I was placed in an internship with the possibility of employment. Unfortunately, my placement closed down due to budget cuts. It was a devastating time for me. I was unemployed and pregnant with my second child. My mother encouraged me to use that setback to move forward by attending junior college. I met with a college counselor, and I shared I wanted to be a doctor. She looked at my transcripts and recommended vocational school (the irony). Two years later, I graduated and transferred to CSU Stanislaus, where I graduated with a bachelor’s and a teaching credential.

At CSU I participated in the Mini-Corp program, which taught me strategies and skills to support my future students. My professors in the credential program were compassionate and flexible (especially Dr. Wink). Through the recommendations of my professors and Mini-Corp, a district hired me for an internship. I taught a combination of kindergarten, first, and second grades during the day (8:00-3:00 PM) and went to school in the evening (4:30-10:00 PM). The sacrifice paid off. I was finally financially independent!

WinkWorld Readers, Joan here again.  It was during her internship and classes until 10 p.m. that I met Ana in one of my classes.  I never heard anything from her again for about 15 years, when she called out of the blue, and asked me to be on her doctoral committee.

Now back to Ana’s story.

Throughout my academic experiences, I have learned to appreciate my setbacks (the doctoral program was no exception). In every dark moment of my life, God has placed programs and people to light my path. My educational journey gave me more than just a degree! It gave me freedom from poverty and violence! It is why I am immensely grateful for the opportunities in this country.

WinkWorld Readers, this is Joan now, as I wanted to share this photo of a t-shirt I sent Ana, during one of those very challenging times while she was working on her dissertation.

Back to Ana’s story in her words:

I am grateful for programs like Adolescent Family Life for providing a public health nurse to do home visits and provide me with educational and parenting resources. Rochelle Olson was the nurse assigned to my case. She was instrumental in my life. I am grateful to programs like EOPS for helping me navigate the university system. I am so incredibly thankful to all taxpayers who contributed to the system so that I could break the cycle of poverty. I am so appreciative to my district for employing me for the past twenty-four years. I am also thankful to my parents for deciding to move to California and for helping me take care of my children. Finally, I am grateful to my children for their love and kindness and for continuously inspiring and strengthening me to succeed!

Ana, you inspire me. I will be cheering wildly for you on your graduation day.

The next WinkWorld will focus on storytelling and storylistening.