Tag: cooperation

Intelligent female characters becoming strong Leaders

I’m still emotionally buzzing from the end of episode 21 of El Ministerio del Tiempo and Amelia’s incredible courage, and character arc !!

More than just one protagonist, though, she stands in a line of female main characters (not always lead or protag, actually) who start off as just intelligent, and develop into both intelligent and strong female characters, a bit like Hermione Granger from the HP series:  these ladies began with some kind of growing to do, and did that growing through painful events, but grew, emotionally and personally (courage, committment, etc) to become much stronger than they started off the books or series, like:

Susan Ivanova from Babylon 5, or  Eda from Sihirli Annem,  or Nazli from Yabanci Damat all began as less than fully confident, but all very promising, intelligent, and self-directed young ladies, who had to learn to be more assertive, culminating in either marrying the person whom they chose (rather than their families chose), or by snatching victory from the jaws of death, or in the case of Amelia, deliberately walking into the possibility of the worst death known (an Auto-da-Fe) in history, for the purpose of making her point.  (ok, yes, you could argue that Delenn does this in B5’s Circle of Fire, but watch the Ministerio del Tiempo episode, and you will see that it is rather different, and also Delenn arrived on B5 as a mature leader, where Amelia began as a novice leader).

These are the examples of critical thinking, emotional growth, and self-confidence that young girls need to see as early and as often as possible to grow into leaders able and willing to stand alongside men and make this world a more just and humane place for all.

 

Read, Write, Dream, Teach !

ShiraDest
3rd of June, 2016

(9th of June edit: these ladies all learned to use cooperation with their allies, and even understanding and forms of NonViolent Communication with their enemies, to accomplish seemingly impossible goals: worth learning in various languages to share with others as I aspire to  become an excellent teacher, like all of these role models!) -Shira, 9 June, 2016

Review (English) of: L’espace est une question de temps ; Einstein et la relativité

L'espace est une question de temps ; Einstein et la relativitéL’espace est une question de temps ; Einstein et la relativité by David Blanco Laserna

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was revealing not so much for his personal life, but for the ways in which Einstein represented people like my high school students back in 2001, or my Community College students in 2012, all of whom needed to understand the mysteries behind the mathematics, rather than just memorizing the rules.
My students needed, like this genius, perhaps a bit less authoritarian rule-following, and a bit more flexibility in my own ways of communicating with even those I saw as less hard-working. From their points of view, the situation was surely different, and as I learn that time and space is relative, I understand that so is thinking and teaching.
Well worth reading,

Read, Write, Dream, Teach !

ShiraDest
2nd of April, 2016

View all my reviews

Usefulness of a Year Zero

The Holocene Calendar, a calendar beginning at about the start of visible effects of human activity on the earth (around 12,000 years ago), is easier to use, understand and teach because it has a year Zero.

Unlike most calendars, which begin their counts at some point in the history of one particular group, the Holocene Calendar is meant to include all of humanity.  It’s also alot easier to teach kids history.  More importantly, having an inclusive calendar means we all learn to think of ourselves as human beings, all living in the Holocene or Human Era.

Read, Write, Dream, Teach !

ShiraDest
30 March, 12016 HE

(later edit: an inclusive Calendar is a good start, imho, for re-framing the way we think and communicate, which works with NonViolent Communication to change our culture and thus our world…) -9th of June,  2016

Putting the maths into the learner’s context

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!

Read, Write, Dream, Teach !

ShiraDest
26 March, 12016 HE

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)

 

Read, Write, Dream, Teach !

ShiraDest
27 February, 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 !

ShiraDest
24 February, 12016 HE

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?

Read, Write, Run, Teach !

ShiraDest
6 February,12016 HE

(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 !

ShiraDest
23 March, 12016 HE

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:

  1. 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…)
  2.  A Quaker (Friends) Monthly Meeting to join and stand silent Peace Vigil with,
  3.   Greek or Balkan or other international folk dance,
  4.  a walk-run marathon group
  5.  a public library-based book or reading club
  6. A public library based writer’s critique group
  7. an NVC and also maybe Literacy Volunteering group (and give blood).

 Read, Write, Dream, Teach !

ShiraDest
24 March, 12016 HE