Interesting, that Einstein grew up around clock parts and railway renewal, in Bern. So he drew from his personal context, clocks and trains, to illustrate his theories. Almost a form of NVC, putting mathematical or scientific concepts into a form that your students can readily imagine in their own lifes, thus can use, from their own perspectives Cool!
Category: Coop
What does teaching math have to do with NVC?
Let’s start with how Not to teach non-violently:
“If you don’t learn math, you won’t get a job!” -This was my reply to a student in one of my high school classes in 2001 who asked “Why do we have to learn this stuff?” Predictably, my reply did not go over well. At the time (15 years ago, Really??) I (think) I felt fed up with the kids lack of motivation, and they felt it. They even told me so. Problem is, that turned into a vicious cycle of me against most of my kids, rather than us cooperating as a community of learners, as I had imagined.
If I had known that my (un-intentional) seeking of validation from my work of teaching, and that essentially blaming my students for their learning difficulties was the source of my difficulty in teaching them, I might have been able to help them more, using Non-Violent Communication techniques, and SuperNanny classroom management, which I didn’t learn about until some years later.
Hope this helps others,
Read, Write, Dream, Teach !
ShiraDest (http://beknown.com/ShiraDest )
15 March, 12016 HE
5 reasons to learn a language
1.) Sihirli Annem: my favorite family TV series -fights racism and class-based prejudice in Turkey, (as well as Yabanci Damat which promotes Greek-Turkish friendship…),
2.) Corazon Salvaje 1993 for Mexican Spanish, and
3.) El Ministerio del Tiempo for Castilian Spanish, as a formerly dominant world language, now building awareness of racism, and fighting hatred on both continents.
4.) Astérix for French, because it is the other dominant world language, and shows European ways of thinking (to some extent, from a Gaulois point of view…).
and 5.) The Bible, because Hebrew is quite simple, and even when we do not know the origin of many phrases we use every day, this book set the framework for the way modern Westerners think today, even if it was, ironically, based on Bablyonian sources to a large extent. (later addition: Here is a bit of help for Soprano leyners(chanters) .. Read, Write, Dream, Teach ! ShiraDest, 8 March, 12016 HE)
History and B5 and Chanting, Oh My!!!
I’ve finally done (sorry, I couldn’t figure out how to prevent my backposted entries from showing up in the Reader.) sorting through entries in my old LiveJournal. I hope that lessons I’ve tried to draw from previous ideas, plans and attempts at businesses, cooperatives and community organising can be of use to others. I’ve tried just a bit to group some entries together from conception to fruition (and often failure, or publication, as the case may have been…) so that a few of my ideas sort of flow-chart a little, or at least show the evolution of how I first day-dreamed, then planned, implemented, and generally failed, but usually wrote up the attempt so that hopefully someone else with a similar idea can learn from my mistakes and go a bit farther than I managed.
As with my DC Black-Jewish Walking Tours, I started by melding the two histories, which was way too big, and looked at how other groups give their walking tours to try to cut down my tours while keeping the essential, and then shared that information (yes, I was severerly criticised by one advisor for not keeping my sources secret, but that goes against my principles), hoping to attract allies and build a cooperative. That did not work as I’d hoped, but I have left the trail of bread-crumbs for others to build on.
2012-08-13 16:49:00
Loved giving 1st Underground Railroad of DC Tour!!
I loved giving the first tour of my Underground Railroad and Black History series Singing Community Cooperation tours here in DC.
2012-08-15 10:07:00
Interesting points in fascinating book on DC´s 1st race riot…
Moreley, in his new book, Snow-storm in August : Washington City, Francis Scott Key, and the forgotten race riot of 1835
not only puts together a sound context for the Snow Riots, but also draws together strands which began then, and still define, he claims, our politics today.
I found most striking his juxtaposing of property rights and individual vs. community as well as freedom of speech, and whether free speech is applied best for owners (elites) vs. the people (the 99%).
Excellent book.
http://www.worldcat.org/title/snow-storm-in-august-washington-city-francis-scott-key-and-the-forgotten-race-riot-of-1835/oclc/757466911
Am I the only leyner who has Negro spirituals running through my mind as I prepare my chanting!!?? Often times I feel like a schitzophrenic, trying to integrate the two major parts of my life, my childhood and ethnic background, recalling summers with Grandma at Mt. Zion UMC, juxtaposed against beautiful nigunim to which I felt little access, on the other side of the mechitza (divider between men and women) in Baltimore.
Peace,
“Wayfaring Stranger”
2012-12-02 11:15:00
Star Trek and B5 helped my Torah Chanting, come discuss more SF and ethical values, bring a TV! Yesterday’s portion had lots of names in it, which I found easier to learn, I argue, because of my experience with words and names in Klingon, and then in Narn and Minbari! Who says Science Fiction is not practical? 🙂
Kashering Party immediately upon move-in, kitchen will be kosher pareve-dairy (milchigs …) : I use soy milk.
First Babylon 5 party to be held on the first Sunday in January, provided a TV arrives before then!
Peace,
Read, Write, Dream, Teach !
Under Stress? Remember your Dreams!
My personal dream has always been to save lives, and I hold on to my dream: to become a Volunteer Firefighter.
(My dream for the world is to see a Tiny House or at least a small well-insulated room with kitchenette and bathroom, with potable water, green vegetables, brown rice and dried beans and solar/windpower with backup pedal power for every man, woman and child over maybe, the age of 10, world wide, free for that person’s use from birth to his/her death with no charge, no questions, and no way to lose that right.)
Then I journal, walk, run or plan (esp. for my training for the fire-fighter’s test: 41MarathonVert2016 ) and work some more.
Peace,
ShiraDest
7 February, 12016 HE
updated with my Dream for the World:
Read, Write, Dream, Teach !
ShiraDest
22 February, 12016 HE
(update: after 3 weeks off for the start of an intensified job search, I am bumping down to a Half-Marathon…)
Read, Write, Dream, Teach !
Job-seekers collective, anyone?
Following the example of Feruze from Sihirli Annem: (1).
1.) Don’t Give UP!! (See (1.) below for my personal inspiration…)
2.) Ok, so for those of us hunting for a job, any job, and getting more and more tired and frustrated by the day, what to do?
Help each other: how? By looking over each other’s CVs (résumés), and Cover Letters, and if neccesary, sending them or posting them for those friends who are temporarily too tired to do so themselves. Yes, a bit invasive, but with the permission of the person, potentially life-saving.
What do you think, Dear Readers?
(1.): Put one foot in front of the other, even if you are doubled over in breathless tears, keep putting one foot in front of the other, and find a solution. Like Feruze Abla, from Sihirli Annem.
AND: Remember to reach out -either IRL or on-line. Get help!! Read, Write, Dream, Teach !
Groups to join as Coping and Family-building measure
Personally, I have a high need for connection with others. In order to avoid burning out my nearest and dearest, I’ve decided that finding groups that share my values may help diffuse some of that pressure on my supporters. So, I personally want to find:
- A progressive chavurah, shul, temple or synagogue to join, and a Women’s Mosque as well, if there are any lady Imam or leaders around (there was one in Ankara back in 2005…)
- A Quaker (Friends) Monthly Meeting to join and stand silent Peace Vigil with,
- Greek or Balkan or other international folk dance,
- a walk-run marathon group
- a public library-based book or reading club
- A public library based writer’s critique group
- an NVC and also maybe Literacy Volunteering group (and give blood).
Rain+Tendonitis = Nightmares??
The night before, I dreamt I was a consultant on a ship w/an insane captain somewhere in the North Atlantic, with giant waves that froze around us like a white out. I ordered and got a shovel, dying digging while the sailors around me gaped as if I were the crazy one. No, digging did not help, but at least I think I died on my feet.
Last night, it was me being attacked by a crocodile : not sure if it was Sacred or not, but at least I died warm!
Ok, I will admit that trippling the number of km Power Walked (Fr, but accessible) (in compensation for km not run, trying to reach 45km/week by mid-March (English, log in needed) ) may not have been the best idea I’ve had lately, but why the renewed ‘My Life is in Serious Danger’ dreams now that I’ve stopped running/walking for the last 4 days?
While I know that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) aka la Dépression Hivernal, is linked to light, but also to excercise levels (which is why I always take my walks and runs early in the morning), I wonder if the feeling of a cold or flu coming on, combined with having to rest the ankle tendon due to my own stupidity, makes me feel powerless? Obviously the answer is Yes! But it remains irritating, and a bit scary, to see how quickly those fears and despair of just a short while ago can come screaming back, threatening to overwhelm you, just after a few days of darker than usual weather (weekends I generally do not write, so do not sit with my SunLamp), and enforced ‘rest’ (which is making me more restless by the day, but with a tendon still aching for no apparent reason…).
So, dear friends, my reason for writing this post is as follows: if you feel down, do not give in to despair. Drink a spicy hot chocolate (soy milk and Fair Trade chocolate with cayenne if possible, but if you feel rotten, just a hot choc. may help), and then turn on the lights for a few minutes, and bask in them. Then, get out a pad of paper, and write. Preferably while you wriggle your toes and think of Frodo Baggins!
Then, plan to change your life. Taking risks is scary, but sometimes the only way to make life better, for you and for someone else. Don’t let those dreams that tell you your life is in danger go unheeded: especially if the one putting you life in danger might be You.
Human Love,
Writing about running breakthroughs?
Now that I am an older runner (ok, at 46, I don’t feel old, but apparently most runners do…), I am having to push through injuries that never bothered me when I was younger, so I am learning to celebrate pain-free long runs, rather than Personal Records as most other runners seem to do.
I am wondering how to work my running into my next novel.
Why, I wonder, do we not see more blog entries about having beaten a torn tendon, rather than a personal best? Is it me, getting older, or is our society rather competitive? How do we help ourselves become more cooperative?
ShiraDest
24 jan, 12016 èH
12016 HE
(updated with MyWriting tag and link to H and H…)Read, Write, Dream, Teach !
The Legacy of Hattie Finney Banks
Thanks to DancingPalmTrees, via project AbuelaVida…
