Dear WinkWorld Readers,

I am still lucky enough to work with a few doc students, and this post is specifically for them. 

To those doc students (you know who you are), this post does not relate to your individual dissertation plans, but it is always good to hear to what Judith is saying.

Thank you, Dr. Green for sharing with us.

Joan

ethnography as intercultural work and interdisciplinary logics-of-inquiry.

Dear WinkWorld Readers, 

The following story is about the Scientific Method and some of my pitiful house plants.  I realize that in some places in CA a blooming geranium is really not much more than an annoying weed, but not on the prairies.  For years, I have tried to get even one geranium in the house to bloom all winter.  No luck.  And, I apparently have also failed at getting my bromeliads to bloom. 

Suddenly, I had an idea:  Maybe if the Atall School kids had some of my plants this winter, they could get beautiful blooms.  So, off I went to this rural school–armed with the scientific method and some of my failing plants.

Below, you will find the Scientific Method, which students often use in school.  Next I am sharing a couple of photos of my plants, and finally I will make the connections between these seemingly two unrelated topics–the scientific method and my plants.   Learning is all about making connections.

Below here is a photo of my friend’s, Julie’s,  bromeliad plant, which blooms constantly.  You will see that one of the flowers is dead, and the other has just begun to bloom.  When the flower dies, Julie grabs the dead flower and throws it away, and then she cuts off the dying plant so that a new little “pup” can grow.  Each little “pup” grows very large and produces a gorgeous flower, which lasts months.

The photo below here are my plants which I took to Atall school kids.  Please note that my bromeliad has no blooms, and that the geranium looks rather puny.

My Scientific Method: Bromeliad and Geranium

I shared with the kids the following two processes:

First:

Ask a question: Why won’t my bromeliad bloom?

My background research: For 5 years I have asked friends and plant specialists and studied the bromeliads online.

Construct a hypothesis: I have a hunch, er… okay, I hypothesize that the kids can get my bromeliad to bloom.

Test my hypothesis by doing an experiment: I drove to Atall and left my bromeliad with the kids.

Analyze their data: In the spring, I will check back in with the kids and share the results.

Report the results: Stay tuned for a WinkWorld in the spring.

Second:

Ask a question: How do I get a geranium to bloom all winter?  

My background research: Grandma Dora used to put her geraniums in the public library front window in Moville, Iowa, and they would grow to the ceiling and bloom like crazy.  In the spring, people would come and cut a small section and go home and root the plants for their own yards. I have tried this for decades without luck.

Construct a hypothesis: I hypothesize  (a.k.a., I have a hunch) that if I take my geranium to Atall School, the kids can get it to bloom all winter.

Test my hypothesis: I took the geranium to the kids.

Analyze their data: I will share the data in the spring.

Report the results: Stay tuned for a WinkWorld in the spring.

Dear WinkWorld readers, soon I will be teaching/learning with a marvelous group of Project GLAD(R) teachers of Orange Country Office of Education, CA.

GLAD teachers, the images and words, which you generate with students are so amazing.  I hope you will share some of your projects with us.

Below, I am posting a handout and a powerpoint, which mostly resembles our planned time together.

The handout for GLAD teachers.

The power point which I plan to use.

Enjoy.

Dear WinkWorld Readers, if you follow this blog, you know that I love to visit Atall School, which is a rural school about 40 miles from our ranch. A few years ago, when I first started to visit, there was only one teacher, Missy Urbaniak, who was responsible for the content in all grades, K through 8.  Fortunately, the school now has two full-time teachers, as Luke Erfman came to teach the younger grades, and Missy now teaches 4-8.  Missy and Luke are a perfect fit with this school community.

Thank you to the teachers, paraprofessionals, and families who so generously share their children with me.  In addition, thank you to Lindsay Nelson Young, the photographer for sharing these photos with us. I think the pictures speak loudly of the joy of teaching and learning.  I hope you enjoy.

Annual FAll Photo

One of the mom’s of this school community has been in the United Kingdom for a horse and sheep event.  It was very exciting as she shared a lot of social media, and the students have been learning about the UK.  All of us were very happy for her and proud of her accomplishments.

One day last week, both classrooms learned something special about the UK. The K-3 students learned how to make scones. 

Here Luke is helping the students make their own scones.

Of course, the students had a proper British cup of tea with their scones.

During the tea party, Missy and the students of 4-8 learned how to play croquet, and the older kids taught the younger kids how to play.  And, we all know that a good way to learn something is to teach it.  I am sure that the United Kingdom is far more real now after this beautiful day of teaching and learning.

Thank you, Atall School Community!

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

Sometimes the roles of writer, rancher, and/or professor blur a bit–for example, today.

I got up early again today to take my walk and then begin working on my page proofs for the day, where some permission questions needed my focus.  What are page proofs? Page proofs are sort of like your last chance on a manuscript to find any previous errors and make any teeny-tiny changes.  They are like photos of the forthcoming book pages.  Very exciting and very scary for fear that you omit a thank  you to someone.  If I did, forgive me.

However, I was interrupted by a colleague who had just learned about epistemology, ontology, and axiology.  These philosophical words suddenly become significant in the beginning of doctoral programs. Epistemology relates to the nature of knowledge: What do we know and how do we know it?  Ontology relates to the nature of being; what actually exists? Axiology relates to the inherent value, as in ethics or morals.  These 3 words always lead to discussions of “the sages of the ages:” Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato.  And, if you just remember SPA, you will never forget who taught whom of those three thinkers.  And, my colleague’s discussions of “the sages of the ages” will soon lead to discussions of all of the “isms:” idealism, realism, humanism, essentialism, perennialism, progressivism, social reconstrutionism, and existentialism. 

(McNeergney & McNergney, 2004, p. 146)

The problem with my colleague’s question this morning is that it led me to some treasured books, and then I was immediately distracted by the photos decorating these books.

I can almost guarantee that this colleague will soon ask me about a priori and a posteriori. 

However, by now, I had squandered away enough time being a professor and need to get back to being a writer, but Wink appeared and said, “Bad news.”  I held my breath: 4 of our horses had gotten into poison oats.  To heck with big words and permissions on page proofs, it was time to be a rancher, which took all of our energies until well into the afternoon.   Frankie (my horse) and the other horses seem to be stable now. We are optimistic.

Back to being a writer and those page proofs. There was a knock at the door, and a man came to fix the falling ceiling in the old (1920s) part of the house. “Chicken Little” was right.  Guess that makes me back to being a rancher or rancher’s wife now.  Ceiling patched.

Back to being a writer.

OOOps. Time for dinner. Rancher’s wife again.

If this WinkWorld feels a bit disjointed, it is because it is a good reflection of my day. The roles become blurred out here.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

As you know, WinkWorld tends to be whatever is lying around on my desk or my computer desktop.  Today I am sharing a bilingual bibliography, which I worked on for a specific project, which did not evolve, but the bibliography might be of use to some of you.  Hate to have it just languish in my computer.  If you care to suggest any other citations, which I should check out, please just mention them in the “Responses” section below.  

I have a couple of other little topic-specific bibs, which I will post soon.

The icon of the new book cover posted here has nothing to do with this bib…just a bit of shameless self-promotion.

Bilingual bibliography posted here for anyone who might be interested.

To download the bib, just click on the link below:

 bilingual bib for WinkWorld

The painting posted below was created by Adam Bunting and is also not connected to this bilingual bibliography.  I posted it here, as I love this painting.  Adam looked at some photos of my horse, Frankie, and then painted this gorgeous picture.  OK,  I am out the door to be with my friend, Frankie.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

As part of the South Dakota Board of Regents, I get to work with very good people on very challenging agenda items, as there will never be enough money to fund our dreams for the university system.  In addition, I get to know interesting places better.  For example, this weekend I am happy to attend the opening of  the Beacom Institute of Technology at Dakota State University (DSU) in Madison SD.  Click here for more information. 

DSU specializes all-things computers–technology, cyber security, and education.  They take a special pride in preparing  K-12 teachers to work with the tech-savy kids of today and tomorrow.  

Take a tour of the campus here.

Dear WinkWorld Readers, sing it, wherever you are.  

I would not have known about this song without the wisdom and generosity of  Patricia Polacco on Facebook.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

Sometimes this blog has tidbits which interest some of you.  Sometimes, not so much.  However, WinkWorld also serves as a library of ideas which interest me.  Once, I create a blog on a topic, it is easy for me (and for you) to access.   Just find the Search Button, bottom left of my first web page, and type in a word or phrase and see what happens.  

For years, I have heard the dominant voice warning us of a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) crisis, while simultaneously I have read researchers suggesting that this might not be true.  Heresy!  I know that the future will need skills for jobs, which we cannot even imagine.  Our grandkids are dutifully taking algebra, geometry, calculus, chemistry, and doing well. Our son is a plant scientist. Please, please, please do not tell any of them that I took no math in undergrad, and only a little science.  Yes, statistics classes during my doctoral studies were a challenge, but I got so I could “do” those problems without ever understanding what I was doing.  All I knew was that I got the correct answer, and the prof was pleased. However, in my career when it really mattered, I learned to read, analyze, and interpret the research, which still fascinates me. The truth is that in my entire life (and, it has been a very good one), I have had very little need for STEM. 

As I learned from Ken and Yetta Goodman of the University of Arizona, teaching and learning which matters is:

meaningful

purposeful

relevant

and, respectful.

And, I have learned from Stephen D. Krashen and life, the type of reading which matters is:

compelling

and, comprehensible. 

These 6 words (pedagogical principles) guide my teaching and learning.

So, back to STEM, as is my custom, I am connecting my pedagogical principles (what I believe to be true about teaching and learning) to what I am reading about STEM.  Trust me: This will not interest all of you.

http://issues.org/29-4/what-shortages-the-real-evidence-about-the-stem-workforce/

A simple search online will bring up many articles seeking to understand: Is there really a STEM crisis?

Along the same lines, as I love philosophy, and it bother me that many do not read these BIG IDEAS which guide humanity.  But, many would say that a philosophy will not lead to a good job.  

Click here is to see if that is true.

OK, enough for tonight.  Thanks for thinking with me.

Maybe next week, I’ll have pictures of prairie animals again.  Time to finish the 2nd edition of “Finnish Lessons 2.0: What Can the World Learn from Educational change in Finland” by Pasi Sahlberg.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

Just a little glimpse into one morning last week on the ranch. First, I did my 6 mile walk.

While I was walking, I saw a Golden Eagle, although my photo of it was not as good as the one I am posting here.

On my walk, I stopped to visit with Josie and Frankie.

I need to bring Frankie in and clean him.

I think Josie’s tear is because she misses Dawn.

Finally, Frankie ran away from me.

Maybe Frankie saw/smelled this skunk before I did.

I went home and almost stepped on a kitty, which I had never seen.

I went into the house and looked out the window to see that “Mommie Deer” had come to peak in the window.  She lives around the ranch headquarters, and I love seeing her.

After my morning walk, I had to drive to town, and I ran into even more animals.

I came home to two Bald Eagles sitting on a dead cottonwood tree by the corrals.  Dean took this photo.