Norah Colvin

Live Love Laugh Learn … Create the possibilities

Category: Celebrations

  • I’ve got the music in me – let me count the ways!

    I’ve got the music in me – let me count the ways!

    For any hearing person, music is integral to our lives.

    Every country has a national anthem which may be taught in schools and played or sung at many and varied ceremonies and occasions, inspiring unity and national pride. Many other organisations such as schools and colleges have their songs praising their strengths and fostering a sense of identity. Couples have their special or ‘theme’ songs.

    When we enter a store we are serenaded with music chosen to make us feel comfortable and entice us to stay longer and buy more.

    Joyful advertising jingles with their subliminal messages encourage us to memorize the product name and make it our next purchase. These jingles can stay in our heads for years, like this famous one about Louie the Fly:

    A few bars of a song can revive memories from long ago. I have written about this previously in a flash fiction piece, Vagaries of time.

    Music can call us to dance, to relax, to sing, to cry. It can be chosen to match our mood, or can help to create a mood or atmosphere. The soundtrack of a film or television show tells the audience what to expect and how to feel.

    Music is also an integral part of education and learning. Learning information in a song can help one remember. Many people like to have music playing when they are reading or studying. I did when studying towards my high school exams, but now I prefer quiet when I write. Programs such as Accelerated Learning recommend using Baroque music to help learners stay relaxed and focused, increasing retention.

    I have previously written about using songs in the classroom, such as I love the mountains which I learned from Bill Martin Jr. and affirmation songs such as those of Anne Infante here and here.  I have also composed class songs and chants such as Busy Bees chant, and used songs to support class work, for example The Ugly Bug Ball when learning about mini-beasts.

    I have used music to calm and settle after play breaks, and music for activity between seated activities. I used songs in the morning to signal to children that it was time to be ready for the day’s learning, including action songs or songs about our learning, for example a phonics song:

    Image courtesy of Anne
    Image courtesy of Anne

    But of course, once we were settled, every day started with an affirmation song, or two. It got everyone into a happy expectant mood. It’s hard to be sad when singing (unless it’s a sad song).

     

    image courtesy of www.openclipart.org
    image courtesy of http://www.openclipart.org

    . . . and  songs in the afternoons to send the children home happy and singing with joy.

    As a year level we would sing songs to settle the children when lining up to return to class after lunchtime play. The children hurried to join in and sang their way joyfully into class. This is quite different from when I was at school and we would line up in silence and then march into school in step, subdued and quietly obedient.

    I composed songs as a child but did not continue the practice as an adult, except for one: a lullaby that I sang to soothe my baby girl to sleep. A few years later I decided to learn to play the keyboard from a very talented musical friend who guided my writing of the accompanying music. This remains my one real musical accomplishment!

    For someone who does not consider herself at all musical I certainly enjoy, and promote the use of, music in many different ways.

    On that note, I leave you with my flash fiction response to the prompt set by Charli Mills of Carrot Ranch Communications: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story influenced by a musical score.

    Final act

    A collective gasp interrupted the music mid-beat.

    All eyes turned synchronously, as if worked by unseen strings, towards the French doors, burst open and revealing a silhouetted figure framed by billowing gossamer-like curtains.

    Out of the darkness the figure emerged: clothed in black with coat tails flapping, a top hat in one hand and a white-tipped cane held aloft in the other.

    The conductor revived the orchestra as the figure glided across the floor, seized the heroine decisively and whirled her around and around.

    The spell now broken, the cast joined in the dance to tumultuous applause.

    I hope you can imagine the score that would be written to accompany this piece and its change of moods.

    What score would you give it?

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts about any aspect of the article or my flash fiction piece.

  • The Very Inspiring Blogger Award – Acceptance

    The Very Inspiring Blogger Award – Acceptance

    birthday-cake-25388As a birthday gift to me (though he didn’t know it was my birthday) Geoff Le Pard, who blogs about the Universe and whatever occurs to him at TanGental, nominated me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award.

    Needless to say I was both surprised and delighted. I could say that I aspire to inspire, but I think even that would be a great exaggeration.

     

    In his post Geoff provides three reasons for selecting me:

    • I see life through a prism
    • I have a firmly fixed moral compass, and
    • He wishes I’d taught him at school!!!!!

    The first two I am not sure about, but I am definitely honoured by the third. Thank you Geoff. I will endeavour to attain this high bar you have set.

    The rules for accepting this award are:

    1. Thank and link to the amazing person(s) who nominated you.

    2. List the rules and display the award.
    3. Share seven facts about yourself.
    4. Nominate 15 other amazing blogs and comment on their posts to let them know they have been nominated.
    5. Optional: Proudly display the award logo on your blog and follow the blogger who nominated you.

     

    Thank you, Geoff. I am honoured.

    These are seven things about me:

    1. I am passionate about education and the power that education has for transforming lives. I believe that everyone has a right to an education. I have spent all of my adult life involved in education in some way; and most of my childhood was spent in school!

    2. I am the third of ten children. What that tells you about me I’m not sure, but I believe we are more than the product of our birth order and environment; that each of us has the power to make choices about how we want to live our lives. I’m not saying environment and genetics don’t play a large role in who we are, but I am saying they do not determine everything.

    3. I have two adult children of whom I am extremely proud and who I love very much. They are what is important in my life. They each have a wonderful partner who I also love, and my son has two beautiful children who I adore. My family gives me an enormous amount of pleasure. I am very fortunate to have all of them living close to me.

    4. I enjoy playing games, especially word games like Scrabble, Upwords and Balderdash. I especially enjoy playing them with my family. We often spent days playing games together when the children were growing, and had grown, up. We’re having a bit of a rest now that the grandchildren are small and doing the entertaining. I’m sure we’ll have three generations playing together again soon. We collaboratively do the ‘Big Quiz’ (40 trivia questions) in the local paper when we get together on Sundays, hoping that someone in the family may know the answer. None of us fair too well on the sporting questions!

    5. I have a silly sense of humour. I enjoy word plays and puns and alternate meanings for words and sayings. In my head I finish words and statements with ridiculous things before the person speaking has even time to finish them. I laugh uncontrollably at something I think is funny, like this silly senior’s password email that arrived in my inbox this week:

    windows

    6. I think life is short and should be fun. We don’t know how much time we have so we should enjoy what we’ve got. This doesn’t mean we have to be out partying and playing all the time. It means we need to focus on enjoying what we are doing in the present moment, no matter how unpleasant it may be. It also means making choices and accepting responsibility for the choices we make.

    7. I love learning. Learning gives so much joy. There is too much to learn in one life time, and it is scary now that the road ahead is considerably shorter than the one already travelled. I hope that in my days of teaching I have inspired in children a love of and joy in learning that they will carry with them throughout their life travels.

    Nominating 15 other amazing bloggers is the hard part. Not because there are not 15 amazing and inspiring bloggers, but because I have nominated many before for a Butterfly Award, a Versatile Blogger Award and a Liebster Award. Not only that Geoff has nominated many of these same bloggers for this award, and Charli Mills has nominated them also.

    We have a wonderful community of very supportive and encouraging bloggers. We each write our own blogs about our own interests, explaining our ideas and points of view. We read and comment on each other posts sharing points of convergence and divergence, and often adding further insights.

    Rather than re-nominate bloggers I have nominated before (and be assured that you are all very deserving of this award and if you wish to add the Inspiring Blogger’s badge to your blog I am happy for you to do so) – over the next few weeks I am going to do a little more exploring to seek out other inspiring bloggers to add to our growing community.

    A big thank you, to each and every one of you, for encouraging and supporting me on my blogging journey. Having your company is what makes it all worthwhile!

    I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts on any aspect of this article.

     

    Previous nominees:

    Liebster Award

    Belinda Pollard of Small Blue Dog Publishing (Australia)

    NANNY SHECANDO (Australia)

    Anne Goodwin (UK)

    Caroline Lodge (UK)

    PS Cottier (Australia)

    Teachling (Australia)

    Peter Worley’s philosophy foundation (UK)

    Michelle Sowey at The Philosophy Club(Australia).

    There’s No Food ( Australia)

    Obscure Pieces (Australia)

    Cultivating Questioners (USA)

    Nillu Nasser Stelter (UK)

    Charli Mills Carrot Ranch Communications (USA)

     

    Versatile Bloggers

    Ailish Sinclair

    Teagan Kearney

    Karen Wyld

    Vicki Addesso

    Susan Buchanan

    Paula Reed Nancarrow

    Lisa Reiter

    Lori Schafer

    Karen Oberlaender

    Diane Mott

    Greg Mischio

    Anne Goodwin

    Caroline Lodge

    Charli Mills

    NannySheCanDo

     

    Butterfly Award

    Ruth Mancini

    The Nerdy Book Club

    Two Writing Teachers

    Raising a literate human

     

  • Whose story is it anyway?

    Nor and Bec reading

    Children love stories.

    They love being read stories and beg for them to be read, over and over again.

    Equally as much, if not more, they love being told stories, especially stories of their own lives. They beg for them to be told over and over, listening attentively and with wonder as their own stories (her story and his story) are being revealed. They commit these tales to memory so that eventually it is difficult to distinguish the genuine experiential memory from the telling. Even as adults they seem to not tire of hearing tales of the cute things they did when they were little, or of shared experiences.

    They also love being told stories of their parents’ lives. These are the stories that help define them and their existence: how they came to be. The stories tell of times gone by, and of how things used to be. They marvel that their parents were once children and try to imagine how that might have been.

    My daughter would often ask for stories about herself, her brother, myself or other family members. One day when she was about six, she asked again, ‘Tell me a story about when you were a little girl.’ Before I could respond she jumped in with, ‘What were the dinosaurs like?’ She was teasing, of course, and her comedic timing was perfect. A story was created, one that has been shared many times.

    History is a story, though at school I never saw it as such. Had it been a story of lives, as its name implies, I may have been interested. But history at school was a list of wars and dates, and kings and queens to be memorised and regurgitated for a test at the end of the term. There was no story, no human emotion, no semblance to any narrative that may have lured me in.

    I hope that today’s students of history are not required to commit sterile lists of facts to memory without the stories that would give them meaning and significance, some human element to help the information stick.

    History, as a subject, had always been relegated to high school. It was not a discrete part of the primary school curriculum, though aspects were explored in other subject areas such as ‘Social Studies’ when I was at school, or more recently ‘Studies of Society and Environment’. With the introduction of the new Australian Curriculum, History is now a stand-alone subject.

    As an early childhood teacher I was a bit terrified that young children would be required to memorise lists of seemingly random facts and dates. I’m pleased to say that, for the early years anyway, this is not so. Children in the early years start by exploring their own history and the history of their family, considering similarities and differences between their lives, the lives of their parents, and of their friends.

    I applaud this as an excellent starting point. I believe, when working with children, connections must always be made with their lives and what they know. What better starting point than investigating the traditions of their own family and culture.

    In Australia, as I am sure it is in many other places, a great diversity of cultures is represented in each classroom. Encouraging children to share similarities and differences of traditions with their classmates helps to develop understanding of each other’s traditions and beliefs, which in turn fosters respect and empathy. For this purpose, I developed some materials to make it easy for children to share their traditions. These are available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

    Whoever you areMem Fox has written a beautiful picture book Whoever you are that I love to share with children when discussing their cultures and traditions. It explains in a simple and beautiful way that although children around the world may live in different houses, wear different clothes, eat different foods, for example ‘inside, their hearts are just like yours.’ Mem Fox explains the story on her website.

    I also like to sing I am Freedom’s Child by Bill Martin Jr.; and in Australia we have a great song that tells about our different beginnings, I am, you are, we are Australian by Bruce Woodley.

    Heal the World by Michael Jackson is another great one for appreciating diversity and fostering inclusivity.

    What got me thinking about history in particular for this post is the flash fiction prompt posted by Charli Mills at Carrot Ranch Communications. Charli’s challenge is to In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that considers history, near or far.

     

    This is my contribution:

    washing 1949

    Washing day

    Her freckled, calloused hands were red and chaffed as they gripped the wooden stick and stirred Monday’s sheets in the large copper pot heating over burning blocks of wood.

    The children played in the dirt nearby, scratching like chickens, hopeful of an interesting find.

    The dirt embedded under her torn and splitting fingernails began to ease away in the warm sudsy water as she heaved the sodden sheets and plopped them onto the wooden mangles.

    The children fought to turn the handle, smearing dirty handprints on the sheets.

    She sighed, and hung them over the line. One chore done.

     

    I welcome your feedback. Please share your thoughts about any aspect of the article or my flash fiction piece.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Versatile Blogger Award!

    the-versatile-blogger-award 

    About a month ago I was honoured to receive a nomination for the Versatile Bloggers Award from Bodicia who blogs at A Woman’s Wisdom, “A place to discover fabulous storytellers plus book reviews, life and humour.” Her blog definitely lives up to its description and is worth a visit. I am very appreciative of receiving this award from someone with such experience and versatility.

    Bodicia was nominated by Michelle James at Book Chat, also worth a visit, as are Bodicia’s other nominations which you can find listed on her post.

    The rules of the Versatile Blogger Award are:

    • Thank the person who gave you this award. Thanks Bodicia!
    •  Include a link to their blog.
    •  Next, nominate 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award — you might include a link to this site.
    •  Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.

     

    My 15 nominees are:

    Ailish Sinclair

    Teagan Kearney

    Karen Wyld

    Vicki Addesso

    Susan Buchanan

    Paula Reed Nancarrow

    Lisa Reiter

    Lori Schafer

    Karen Oberlaender

    Diane Mottl

    Greg Mischio

    Anne Goodwin

    Caroline Lodge

    Charli Mills

    NannySheCanDo

    Apologies to those I have omitted, and to those I have nominated for a second award. I can offer neither excuse nor reason. So be it.

    This is the more difficult part – 7 things about myself. At least they don’t have to be interesting!

    Seven random things about myself!

    blue

    1. My favourite colour is blue, bright blue; blue like the clear June skies; blue like the calm waters on an early summer morning.
    ©Glenn Althor www.http://obscurepieces.com/ Used with permission.
    ©Glenn Althor www.http://obscurepieces.com/ Used with permission.

    2.   I love butterflies, birds and frogs: pictures, toys, stories, whatever. I used to think I’d like to be a bird with the freedom of flight, soaring above the world. The transformation from caterpillar to butterfly is amazing and inspiring but each stage has its own beauty and purpose; one could not be with the other. And frogs – well they’re just cute!

    www.openclipart.com
    www.openclipart.com

    3.   One of my favourite books is Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. I like to think I’m more like Jonathan than the other seagulls squabbling on the shore.

    www.openclipart.com
    www.openclipart.com

    4.   I love being a parent. Both my children are adults now and the joy at seeing them grown; happy, contributing, compassionate, productive; is immeasurable. To think that I had a little to do with the wonderful people they have become is rewarding, but to know that they are more than I could ever take credit for, is awesome.

    www.openclipart.com
    www.openclipart.com

    5.   I love learning and try to take an interest in most things, but am more interested in ideas than in facts. I’m not much use on a trivia team; unless it’s a nursery rhyme question – then I’m indispensable!

    www.openclipart.com
    www.openclipart.com

    6.   I enjoy puzzles and games, especially logic and thinking puzzles and word games. I love playing games with the family and sharing a laugh. I love computer games.

    Nor and Bec reading
    7.   I love helping children begin their journey into literacy through reading to them, playing with words and language, telling and writing stories together.  With my own children it was magic, with hundreds of other children it was awesome, and now with my grandchildren it is just amazing. It is a privilege to share in the process.

     

    Congratulations to all my nominees. Check out their blogs. You may find something there of interest to you!

  • Liebster Award acceptance responses

    liebster2

    Recently I nominated a number of bloggers for a Liebster Award. Out of the thirteen I nominated, six chose to share their thoughts by answering the questions I asked. Considering the percentage of responses that are often received to a survey, I think this is a great result.

    Below I have presented the questions that I asked and collated a summary of each response. If you wish to read each respondent’s answers in full, please visit their blogs. I’m sure you will find much more of interest.

    You may notice that not all respondents have answered every question, and that one respondent has chosen another question of her own. That’s okay. I gave them permission to do so!

    Remember, these were open-ended questions with no wrong answers and everyone did a marvelous job in answering them. I am very grateful to each for sharing the depth and openness of their thoughts. I think we have much to learn from them, and from each other. This is a list of respondents with links to their blogs.

    Anne Goodwin  annethology  annecdotal Anne Goodwin’s Writing Blog

    Nillu Nasser Stelter, Fiction and Freelance Writer

    Nicole Hewes Cultivating Questioners

    Charli Mills Carrot Ranch Communications Words for People!

    Caroline Lodge book word

    Nanny Shecando

     

    1. What do you value most in life?

    Anne Goodwin

    Authenticity; ambivalence; fairness; mutual respect.

    Nillu Nasser Stelter

    the ability to choose how I live my life. Freedom is everything.

    Nicole Hewes

    moments of possibility and opportunity, where the world seems open and the choices seem infinite

    Charli Mills

    living in such a way that I look for beauty all around me and find good even when life’s path gets rocky

    Caroline Lodge

    my daughter

    Nanny Shecando

    the chance I get everyday to make the most of it. That I can do whichever I chose to do.

     

    2. What activities do you enjoy and why?

    Anne Goodwin

    Reading and writing; walking in the countryside; choral singing and growing (some of) my own food.

    Nillu Nasser Stelter

    lazy afternoons in the park with my family; sinking into a bubble bath with a good book; singing when nobody is listening and dancing when nobody is watching

    Nicole Hewes

    reading

    Charli Mills

    Activities that connect me to living in the moment: gardening, cooking and writing about the birds outside my window

    Caroline Lodge

    Reading and writing, and talking about both with other enthusiasts.

    Nanny Shecando

    any activity that allows me to be creative

     

    3.What is something you wish you had more time for?

    Anne Goodwin

    I don’t think we can do everything (that’s what fiction is for – the chance to live other lives) and I’m reasonably happy with how I portion out my time.

    Nillu Nasser Stelter

    reading and writing; other creative pursuits

    Nicole Hewes

    travel, try new recipes, read more books, and to spend with my friends and family

    Charli Mills

    I’ve found that by taking time to stare at a sunset or falling snowflakes, I have all the time in the world. It’s what I do with it that matters.

    Caroline Lodge

    it’s not so much time as ability to fit all the things I love in my life

    Nanny Shecando

    read more books

     

    4.What is one change you would like to make in the world?

    Anne Goodwin

    a shift in emphasis from a culture of greed to one of equality and compassion

    Nillu Nasser Stelter

    more understanding for each other, first within our own countries and then across country boundaries; clean water for all!

    Nicole Hewes

    change our society so that equal educational opportunity could actually exist, so that everyone could have access to basic resources, and so that money and special interests wouldn’t dictate the media

    Charli Mills

    contribute to world change through one beautiful book at a time; honor the hero’s journey within us all and to actualize everyday beauty

    Caroline Lodge

    World peace; access to books for everyone

    Nanny Shecando

    people holding themselves accountable for their actions

     

    5.What is something you would like to change about yourself?

    Anne Goodwin

    I’d like to be more laid-back; a published novelist

    Nillu Nasser Stelter

    I’d like to care less about what other people think about me.

    Nicole Hewes

    I would like to be a tad more outgoing and a little less independent

    Charli Mills

    To stop worrying whether or not people approve of what I do.

    Nanny Shecando

    to practice a, “you’re full of greatness so long as you tap into it and utilise it” mentality

     

    6.What surprises you most about your life – something good in your life that you hadn’t expected, dreamed of or thought possible?

    Anne Goodwin

    taking part in choral concerts of major classical works along with some pretty decent singers and a full orchestra. It’s a real emotional hit

    Nillu Nasser Stelter

    The ease of transition from single person to family life; how tiring and rewarding it would be.

    I have evolved from a child with a mass of insecurities to someone who is comfortable with herself.

    Nicole Hewes

    Being in a relationship with a partner with a worldview quite different from mine who challenges my views and assumptions and is incredibly kind, supportive, and loving.

    Charli Mills

    an upheaval in my life would open the door for me to step into that writer’s life. It isn’t easy, but it is what I’ve dreamed of doing and I’m doing it.

    Caroline Lodge

    That it goes on getting better, that I go on learning, that there are so many amazing people in the world and I know some of them.

    Nanny Shecando

    that I am able to be so happy, comfortable, confident and secure in leading the life that I do.

     

    7.What ‘big” question do you often ponder?

    Anne Goodwin

    The fact that our species has invested so much energy and creativity in the technology of warfare and so little in strategies for living in peace with our neighbours.

    Nicole Hewes

    Why our differences continue to lead to such polarization and why empathy can be so selective.

    Charli Mills

    How do I listen to God’s calling and live in the light?

    Caroline Lodge

    How can articulate and intelligent people inflict direct and indirect suffering upon others?

    Nanny Shecando

    life vs the state of dreaming. How can we really distinguish which is which? How do we know if what we perceive to be real is actually so?

    8.What sorts of things amuse you?

    Anne Goodwin

    my husband’s dreadful punning jokes. And I quite like dark humour exemplified by the ditty Always Look on the Bright Side of Life from The Life of Brian

    Nillu Nasser Stelter

    Slapstick comedy and Ally McBeal; innuendo; the children

    Nicole Hewes

    comments that my second graders make in our classroom; when the ridiculousness of an idea is exposed by positing the same thinking in another situation.

    Charli Mills

    Silly little things

    Caroline Lodge

    Unintentional meanings in things like the sign “uncontrolled pedestrian crossing” in London.

    Nanny Shecando

    the daily conversations that I get to share with the kids.

     

    9.What do you like to collect?

    Anne Goodwin

    Slugs from the garden

    Nicole Hewes

    copies of student work that blows me away with its insight or hilarity (I have a “smile file” where I keep these items). I also like to collect quotes and articles and stories that suggest that gender roles are actually shifting and gender stereotyping is altering. And pasta recipes

    Charli Mills

    Stuff from the ground that’s old–rocks, fossils, arrowheads, purple glass.

    Nanny Shecando

    books and old sheet music

     

    10.If you could talk with anyone and ask them to explain their ideas and/or actions, who would it be, and why?

    Anne Goodwin

    I’d ask the women who doled out white feathers to men out of uniform in the First World War why they thought they had the right. If I couldn’t time travel, I’d ask our Prime Minister, David Cameron, why he isn’t ashamed that a rich country like ours has spawned so many food banks.

    Nillu Nasser Stelter

    both my grandfathers, who have both sadly died

    Charli Mills

    I’d love to talk to my 5th-great grandfather and ask him why he left North Carolina. He was a poet and wrote such sad verse about leaving those mountains as an old man.

     

    11.What is something you can’t do without?

    Anne Goodwin

    My glasses, voice-activated software

    Nillu Nasser Stelter

    feeling connected

    Nicole Hewes

    a good book on my person at all times

    Charli Mills

    Internet!

    Caroline Lodge

    my daughter

    Nanny Shecando

    a notebook and pen

     

    12.What is something important you learned about life, and how did you learn it?

    Anne Goodwin

    That, unlike a work of fiction, we can’t scrub out the bits that don’t work and start again.

    Charli Mills

    A life of truth is not an easy one.

    Nanny Shecando

    you don’t get anything unless you ask for it

     

    13.What is your earliest memory?

    Anne Goodwin

    I distinctly remember standing on the steps leading up to the front door of our house, replying “two in August” to a passerby who’d asked my age. However, this being one of the stories my mother liked to tell about me, and knowing what I do about the fallibility of autobiographical memories, especially those from early childhood, I doubt its authenticity, and regard it as my mother’s memory, not mine.

    Nillu Nasser Stelter

    Probably my gran singing ‘Nanu maru nak’ (my nose is small), a Gujarati nursery rhyme, to me, but I often question whether my memories are real or reconstructed, so I can’t be sure.

    Charli Mills

    One of my earliest memories is of a black cat that I coaxed into being a pet on a ranch where I lived the first seven years of my life. That cat made me feel safe

    Caroline Lodge

    Someone threatened to steal my little sister. It was an early experience of a quandary: if I went to get adult help she might get taken, but could I make sure she was safe on my own. I was scarcely 3 and she was newborn.

    14.What sorts of things irritate you? (Caroline Lodge)

    Caroline Lodge

    There are lots of things, and one of them is the pervasive idea of favourite books and writers in tweets and blogs. It’s such a simplistic, reductionist concept that I try to avoid it. I added this question, just so I could indulge in a favourite whinge.

     

    The responses reflect the richness of our humanity, both the commonality and its diversity. Which responses strike an accord with you? With which do you differ?

    Please share your thoughts and keep the conversation going.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Paying it forward – a Liebster Award!

    Paying it forward – a Liebster Award!

    Last week I was intrigued, surprised and delighted to find that I had been nominated for a Liebster Award.

    I was intrigued because I had never heard of a Liebster Award; had no idea of what it was for or why I should have been nominated for it;

    I was surprised because I’d had no inkling that such an honour was about to befall me;

    and I was delighted to receive the nomination from fellow blogger, Harriet the Bloom whose blog is “A place for educators to reflect, recharge, and revive.” Thank you, Harriet, I am indeed honoured.

    In reality, before feeling delighted and honoured, I felt a little confused. Confusion, if acted upon, leads to learning. So I headed over to Google and Harriet’s blog to see what I could find out.

    It appears that the purpose of the Liebster Award is to:

    • provide encouragement for new bloggers with a following of fewer than 200
    • promote communication between bloggers,
    • recommend blogs to others.

    Nominating others for the award is like paying a compliment forward.

    According to Harriet, the

    Liebster rules

    Answers to the 10 questions posed by Harriet:

    1. Congratulations! You just won the Liebster Award! What are you going to do next?

    The immediate answer is contained in this post. The longer term answer is: keep on blogging!

    2. Describe yourself in three words.

    Happy. Thoughtful. Loyal.

    3. Describe your thoughts on your very first job.

    In my early teens I swept out a carpenter’s workshop on a Sunday morning. It was hard, dirty, tiring work. The head of the heavy wooden broom was about 60 cm long and difficult to manoeuvre. It would take about 2 hours to sweep up all the sawdust and I would go home and sleep for about the same length of time to recover. For hours I would be blowing black dust out of my nose, but the crisp $1 note I received in payment was sufficient encouragement for me to return and do it all again the following week.

    4.If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

    I would love to visit Monet’s garden. I would love to sit on a seat near the bridge overlooking the waterlilies and ponder the big questions of life. I would like to share my contemplations with the artist, his contemporaries and philosophers from all eras. I love the works of Impressionist painters, especially Monet’s Waterlilies and Van Gogh’s Starry Night. The mood evoked by these beautiful paintings is especially conducive to philosophical musings.

    5. I like food. What is your favorite recipe?

    Whenever we have a family get-together it is expected that I will make a pavlova. It is enjoyed by all generations, and although I make a double (using 8 egg yolks) there is rarely any left over.

    However, for birthdays and Christmas with my immediate family (husband and children) I usually make a strawberry torte. It is a special treat that I have been making on these occasions for almost 40 years. While the in-laws find it a little rich for their taste buds, the grandchildren are taking to it in true Colvin fashion.

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    strawberry torte

    6. Give a short summary of the book you are currently reading.

    As usual I have a few books “on the go” at the moment, but the one of which I have read most at this stage is “Why ‘a’ Students Work for ‘c’ Students and Why ‘b’ Students Work for the Government: Rich Dad’s Guide to Financial Education for Parents” by Robert Kiyosaki. Of course it appealed to me because of its relevance to education and because I had read others of his books years ago: “If You Want to be Rich & Happy: Don’t Go to School” and “Rich Dad Poor Dad”. In this book Kiyosaki contends that schools don’t educate students for financial success and urges parents to teach children about finances at home. He suggests that playing “Monopoly” is a great way to start. He is greatly concerned about the “entitlement mentality” which he considers to be so pervasive in our society. Some of his ideas are challenging and confronting; others make perfect sense. I recommend the book to anyone wanting to achieve financial independence. I would love the opportunity of discussing his ideas with others.

    7. What inspired you to start blogging?

    Blogging wasn’t a goal, or even an idea, initially. My intention is to create my own website to market teaching resources that I produce. I have a lot of learning to do before I am ready, and part of that learning involves attending seminars. Some of these seminars recommended having an online presence and building a “brand”. Blogging was suggested as one avenue for achieving this. I decided to give it a go, and have found it rewarding in itself – an unexpected pleasure, delightful detour and amazing adventure.

    8. How did you come up with the name for your blog?

    My blog is simply my name; that wasn’t difficult.

    9. What do you do when you experience writer’s block?

    Eat. Procrastinate. Go on with something else. Push through it. Write around it.

    10. Which post are you most proud of and why? Provide a link.

    This is tricky. I don’t think I’ve written it yet! However I very much enjoyed the comments and discussion that ensued from my series of posts about “The Examined Life” by Stephen Grosz.  The series includes:

    A book worth reading: Stephen Grosz “The Examined Life”

    Seeking praise – Stephen Grosz revisited

    and a guest post by Anne Goodwin in response:

    Examining praise: Stephen Grosz – the third instalment!

    The discussion stretched my thinking and learning and I am grateful to all participants in the conversation. Learning is what life is all about!

    Nominate 10 bloggers for the Award:

    As the rules appear to be blurred rather than definite e.g. Harriet’s rules differ slightly from those on Wording Well , which differ again from those on Sea Play Photography, I decided to nominate 13 bloggers.

    Belinda Pollard of Small Blue Dog Publishing (Australia)

    I’m starting with Belinda Pollard of Small Blue Dog Publishing because it was Belinda’s recommendation that prompted me to enter the world of blogging and tweeting. At a seminar hosted by Queensland Writers Centre last year Belinda urged all writers to have an online presence. She said that Twitter was like the water cooler for writers. I’m beginning to see that she was right. Belinda’s posts about all aspects of writing and self-publishing, including blogging, have been a great source of information for me and I appreciate what I have learned from her.

    Belinda, I know you have thousands of followers on Twitter but Word Press tells me that you have fewer than 200 followers on your blog so I hope you are happy to accept this award.

    NANNY SHECANDO (Australia)

    Next I’d like to introduce you to Hope who blogs at NANNY SHECANDO. Hope blogs about her experiences as a nanny, cooking and craft. She says, “We’re staying young, Peter Pan style, by embracing the creativity and sunshine in life.”

    Anne Goodwin (UK)

    Anne Goodwin’s website is rich with things to read: short stories, interviews with authors, book reviews, blog posts and more. Anne is one of the writers I met at ‘the water cooler’ and we have had many interesting and thought provoking conversations since then. I love the way Anne has called her website Annethology and her blog Annecdotal. She tweets @Annecdotist. Very clever!

    Caroline Lodge (UK)

    Caroline Lodge blogs at book word . . . about books, words and writing. She joined with Anne and me and we stood around the water cooler sharing ideas and exchanging thoughts. I’m certain you will find much of interest on her blog including suggestions for blogging, great books to read and writing tips.

    PS Cottier (Australia)

    For a little bit of poetry I recommend PS Cottier who posts a poem every Tuesday, and occasionally writes prose.

    Teachling (Australia)

    Teachling is a blog dedicated to improving education with ideas about teaching, learning and parenting. Teachling believes that “Improving a child’s life-chances is everyone’s responsibility” Along with me and millions of others, Teachling is a big fan of Ken Robinson.

    I have always enjoyed reading philosophy and engaging in philosophical discussions. I support the teaching of philosophy as an active thinking subject in schools and am excited about the benefits of a thinking population to the future of our world. I have two great blogs to recommend in this category:

    Peter Worley’s philosophy foundation (UK)

    Michelle Sowey at The Philosophy Club (Australia)

    Note: Last year I reblogged one of Michelle’s posts:

    Can you kill a goat by staring at it? A critical look at minimally invasive education

    There’s No Food ( Australia)

    A bit closer to home (actually much closer to home, it’s my daughter’s blog) I’d like to recommend There’s No Food. Bec blogs about “wholefoods, vegetarianism, slow living and their existential friends.” She has interesting thoughts about the impact of our food choices on the environment and practical suggestions for changes we can make to our everyday routines.

    Obscure Pieces (Australia)

    Glenn at Obscure Pieces expresses himself through black and white photography. His special interest is urban and landscape photography. He frequently offers support and comments on my posts and has generously allowed my use of some of his photographs. Thanks Glenn.

    Cultivating Questioners (USA)

    On her Cultivating Questioners blog, Nicole posts about her experiences as a teacher, especially encouraging her young students to use higher-order thinking skills . I love to see a young teacher so passionate about education.

    Nillu Nasser Stelter (UK)

    Nillu Nasser Stelter is a fiction and freelance writer and her blog features short stories, flash fiction and tips for writing. I love the ways she uses words effectively in her writing to create a picture or emotion.

    Carrot Ranch Communications (USA)

    Charli Mills at Carrot Ranch Communications also blogs about writing. As of Wednesday 5 March she launched a flash fiction challenge. Each week writers have the opportunity to accept the challenge to write a 99 word “story”. This is something I haven’t done before so I’m hoping to join in the fun. What about you? I’m sure it’s not as easy as it sounds!

    Now my nominees, it is your turn.

    These are the things I would like to know about you:

    Note: Although I have listed 13 questions, you need answer only 10. You may substitute one of your own if you wish.

    1. What do you value most in life?
    2. What activities do you enjoy and why?
    3. What is something you wish you had more time for?
    4. What is one change you would like to make in the world?
    5. What is something you would like to change about yourself?
    6. What surprises you most about your life – something good in your life that you hadn’t expected, dreamed of or thought possible?
    7. What ‘big” question do you often ponder?
    8. What sorts of things amuse you?
    9. What do you like to collect?
    10. If you could talk with anyone and ask them to explain their ideas and/or actions, who would it be, and why?
    11. What is something you can’t do without?
    12. What is something important you learned about life, and how did you learn it?
    13. What is your earliest memory?

    I look forward to reading your responses and continuing our discussions at my place or yours!

    Happy blogging!

    Footnote:
    How to find out the number of followers on a blog:
    For Word Press blogs:
    View the blogs in the Reader
    Click on the blog name at the top of the blog
    Lo and behold, you will be provided with the number of followers. Easy for Word Press.
    For other blogs
    I wasn’t sure how to find out for others not using Word Press so I sent them a message on Twitter asking their numbers. Simple.