GREAT WEEKEND AND ALASKA NEWS
It has been another great weekend. This time our daughter-in-law was cooking for us and our son was working on a computer solution for Lou to print downstairs. After spending hours trying to get a wireless printer server working, Mark gave up on that and moved the printer downstairs physically and Lou can plug into it when she needs to print. We went to Abilene to buy the machine and Mary Kathryn visited the famous Vletas chocolate factory to buy pralines to take on their trip to Japan as gifts for her friends. Highest priced chocolates in the world, but good. Dotty enjoyed being out here but got tired of the stickers in our yard and this morning when the deer hunters were shooting all around she stayed real close to the house and would have prefered to be inside.
I just got the following email from Louann in Alaska to share with everyone. Kinda nostalgic reminding us of Ma's mathematical quilts. She had several of them.
Hello, Everybody,I know that it has been a while since I have last written. I'm still here! If I repeat anything that I have previously written, please forgive me. ( I couldn't find record of my last email to everybody.) Anyway......we have had our first snow. It snowed a couple of days a couple of weeks ago. The snow stayed on the ground for about a week. I enjoyed going walking and finding the different animal tracks in the snow. I know that I saw ptarmigan track, and I thought I saw caribou. But after talking to one of the elders, I don't think what I saw was big enough for a caribou. Regardless, my walking adventures are always fun, especially when I go to new places.
I went to Dillingham last weekend for a workshop on how to teach math using the Yupik culture. It was very interesting. The entire time I thought of my grandmother. For those of you who don't know, she was a math teacher and a quilter. The workshop was about how to teach patterning to the children through the patterns the natives use to make parkas (the parkas made from animal skin and fur). The natives not only use meaningful patterns on the parkas, but they also incorporate symbols that denote the different families...kind of like a family crest. One of the native ladies teaching the in-service, showed us how her mother would make straight lines and shapes having straight lines from food can labels that she would peel off and save. We made stars, squares, and all kinds of polygons without the use of rulers. I told one of the presenters about Ma, my grandmother, and how she made a quilt based on the Pythagorean Theorem. The presenter was very interested and said that one of the native ladies teaching the workshop had come up with the same pattern, but didn't realize that it had a name. I could just imagine my grandmother sitting there sharing her craft with these ladies as they shared theirs with her. I could see her hands working and hear her voice explaining. My only regret is that I wish I had paid more attention when I had her words to guide me in learning how to quilt. It seems like we don't truly appreciate the important things (the legacies) at the most important time of learning all about them. Anyway, the workshop was a sweet time for me just taking the time to remember Ma and the things that made her so special.
While in Dillingham, I bought a pumpkin. Several of my students had never carved a pumpkin. So we spent the next day making a Jack-o-Lantern and eating roasted pumpkin seeds. Then on Halloween we had a party in the gym for the whole community. It seems the adults enjoyed the fun as much as the children did. I would like to see the adults get together more often just to have fun. Jessica and Aggie, two of the ladies who work at the school, and I are talking about seeing if there is an interest in learning how to line dance or something. We have videos......we can all learn together. Anyway, we'll see.
I am seeing progress in the children's learning. My first graders are beginning to really pick up with their reading readiness.....actually several of them are reading. My kindergarten boys are staying right there with the first graders. I'm very proud of all of them. I have received some positive comments from a couple of the parents.....that's always encouraging. Aggie, one of the paras, told me that she could hear my Texas accent coming from my students as they read their sight words to her. Can you imagine that? (smile)
There is so much more to tell you. I promise to write more often so I don't leave anything out. I will sent pictures, but they will come in a separate email. They seem to transmit better that way. I know there are things that I am leaving out, but I will include them next time.
I miss you all very much! ....... just 49 sleeps before I fly home for the holidays. I can't wait! I love you all,
Louann
P.S. I don't have time to send pics before 8:00am, so they will be sent tonight......Yahoo is banned within the school's network from 8-4 each day.
It has been another great weekend. This time our daughter-in-law was cooking for us and our son was working on a computer solution for Lou to print downstairs. After spending hours trying to get a wireless printer server working, Mark gave up on that and moved the printer downstairs physically and Lou can plug into it when she needs to print. We went to Abilene to buy the machine and Mary Kathryn visited the famous Vletas chocolate factory to buy pralines to take on their trip to Japan as gifts for her friends. Highest priced chocolates in the world, but good. Dotty enjoyed being out here but got tired of the stickers in our yard and this morning when the deer hunters were shooting all around she stayed real close to the house and would have prefered to be inside.
I just got the following email from Louann in Alaska to share with everyone. Kinda nostalgic reminding us of Ma's mathematical quilts. She had several of them.
Hello, Everybody,I know that it has been a while since I have last written. I'm still here! If I repeat anything that I have previously written, please forgive me. ( I couldn't find record of my last email to everybody.) Anyway......we have had our first snow. It snowed a couple of days a couple of weeks ago. The snow stayed on the ground for about a week. I enjoyed going walking and finding the different animal tracks in the snow. I know that I saw ptarmigan track, and I thought I saw caribou. But after talking to one of the elders, I don't think what I saw was big enough for a caribou. Regardless, my walking adventures are always fun, especially when I go to new places.
I went to Dillingham last weekend for a workshop on how to teach math using the Yupik culture. It was very interesting. The entire time I thought of my grandmother. For those of you who don't know, she was a math teacher and a quilter. The workshop was about how to teach patterning to the children through the patterns the natives use to make parkas (the parkas made from animal skin and fur). The natives not only use meaningful patterns on the parkas, but they also incorporate symbols that denote the different families...kind of like a family crest. One of the native ladies teaching the in-service, showed us how her mother would make straight lines and shapes having straight lines from food can labels that she would peel off and save. We made stars, squares, and all kinds of polygons without the use of rulers. I told one of the presenters about Ma, my grandmother, and how she made a quilt based on the Pythagorean Theorem. The presenter was very interested and said that one of the native ladies teaching the workshop had come up with the same pattern, but didn't realize that it had a name. I could just imagine my grandmother sitting there sharing her craft with these ladies as they shared theirs with her. I could see her hands working and hear her voice explaining. My only regret is that I wish I had paid more attention when I had her words to guide me in learning how to quilt. It seems like we don't truly appreciate the important things (the legacies) at the most important time of learning all about them. Anyway, the workshop was a sweet time for me just taking the time to remember Ma and the things that made her so special.
While in Dillingham, I bought a pumpkin. Several of my students had never carved a pumpkin. So we spent the next day making a Jack-o-Lantern and eating roasted pumpkin seeds. Then on Halloween we had a party in the gym for the whole community. It seems the adults enjoyed the fun as much as the children did. I would like to see the adults get together more often just to have fun. Jessica and Aggie, two of the ladies who work at the school, and I are talking about seeing if there is an interest in learning how to line dance or something. We have videos......we can all learn together. Anyway, we'll see.
I am seeing progress in the children's learning. My first graders are beginning to really pick up with their reading readiness.....actually several of them are reading. My kindergarten boys are staying right there with the first graders. I'm very proud of all of them. I have received some positive comments from a couple of the parents.....that's always encouraging. Aggie, one of the paras, told me that she could hear my Texas accent coming from my students as they read their sight words to her. Can you imagine that? (smile)
There is so much more to tell you. I promise to write more often so I don't leave anything out. I will sent pictures, but they will come in a separate email. They seem to transmit better that way. I know there are things that I am leaving out, but I will include them next time.
I miss you all very much! ....... just 49 sleeps before I fly home for the holidays. I can't wait! I love you all,
Louann
P.S. I don't have time to send pics before 8:00am, so they will be sent tonight......Yahoo is banned within the school's network from 8-4 each day.
posted by Dr. Rodenberger at 4:34 PM
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