Saturday, August 30, 2014

Paducah on National Geographic Traveler

While reading National Geographic Traveler online earlier today, I found an article that mentions Paducah, KY, for its National Quilt Museum and arts district.  (I'd like to add the architecture to the list.) It's interesting that Paducah is number five on the list of fifty. It took me a little while to figure a few things out, but eventually I did, so I'm posting the short piece here.  By all means, follow the links and read the entire article for kicks.  


The 2014 Traveler 50: World's Smartest Cities

Essential places, people, trends, and ideas that have turned the world’s most intelligent cities into travelers’ hottest tickets.




From the October 2014 issue of Traveler magazine
By George W. Stone

5 Common Threads

Paducah has us in stitches. This small Kentucky town was recently named a UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Art for its efforts to sew together world-class fiber arts assets (the National Quilt Museum is located here) and to attract creatives (potters, painters, jewelry makers) to its LowerTown Arts District.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Common Core Kicks Butt

My butt, that is. 

We're getting it.  Well, the kids are getting it.  I, however, am struggling with it.  

The time that Common Core (CC) takes from my life is beyond measure.  


I wake to CC, work on CC, teach CC, stay late for CC, come home to CC, and sleep to CC.  I do not exaggerate CC.  It's real.  It's hard.  It's time-consuming.  It's slow death.


Louisiana Dept. of Ed. has chosen to use Common Core and to "help" us the DOE put out a CC example.  Our parish chose to use the La. version of CC and we are not to deviate from that example. We do, however, have to write lesson plans, prepare those lessons, write tests, grade student work, and mentor others on how to use CC.  I am drowning. 


What does that mean for my life? 
Well, I haven't made one stitch since school started.  My remodeling has been abandoned (my poor husband has been left to his own designs).  I haven't cooked or done housework (but wouldn't couldn't anyway). I've not been in a vehicle for longer than 30 minutes unless someone else is driving so that I can work, read, annotate, plan, create tests, etc.  I've even worked on the computer while Richard drove to Rayne to visit the grands.


All images from Google Images
Yes, absolutely, Common Core is kicking my butt.  And I have 24+ years of teaching English (and a few other subjects) from eighth grade to college courses.  

All that means I can fly--by the seat of my pants, on wings and magic carpets, on stories and literary works I have never read, and with students who do not want to be in an English classroom.  That's just how I roll used to teach.  Now I just struggle.  Thank you, Common Core.
  

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Pin It Weekly #80

Covered Bridge, White Mountains, NH, 1858

From my board titled "covered, bridge"

Covered bridge

Pennsylvanian covered bridge


Bean Blossom Covered bridge

Haying in the past.

Humpback Covered Bridge | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Moore covered bridge - 3 miles east of Glenwood on Hwy 70 - Montgomery Co., AR

Covered bridge

Covered Bridge

Covered bridge

In honor of school just having started: photos of one-room school houses and the things kept in them.

hand-printed, sepia toned photograph. printed in a darkroom, using a 4x5 negative, made from the original image. This photo shows teacher with her students, in front of a rustic, one room schoolhouse in the U.P. of Michigan.

Mill Creek, West Virginia.. one room schoolhouse

One Room Schoolhouse  Pretty little red one room school house. Beautiful Photograph taken by Amy Marie. Copyright Amy Marie.

Lovely Old Child's School Desk


Wisconsin One Room Schoolhouse | lonely one room school house in Winter in rural Augusta Wisconsin ...

Very nice, calming school room

old school bell

Wisconsin One Room Schoolhouse | one room school house spotted this one room school house near the ...

OAK HORNBOOK...Hornbooks were most often made of oak, the letters were covered with transparent horn and the whole fastened down with brass strips and tacks. Sometimes leather was used to cover the wood or hold down the letters. Wealthy children had hornbooks made of ivory or silver. Schools used hornbooks made of brass or lead. The text consisted of the alphabet or the alphabet and numbers, or all of the above with the Lord's Prayer. Battledores were made of cardboard and later replaced horn...

One room schoolhouse - Google Search

1926 Sears and Roebuck catalog titled, School Furniture and Supplies

CA - one of few remaining one-room schoolhouses

One-room School House in Michigan--man I bet it was a lot of work to be the only teacher in the school!

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: B I R D S

I don't know about you, but I agree with whomever said birds are flowers with wings.  Here are a few of those colorful flowers.

Red-legged Honeycreeper, Costa Rica

.uploaded by pinner

Plush Pink Peacock

Blue-Throated Bee-Eater

Judy Coates Perez: A quilt of love and healing for Melly

Brown-headed Paradise Kingfisher, Tanysiptera danae: PNG

Male Golden Pheasant.

Eastern Bluebird

applique

.

I LOVE this artist!!!!!!


Yellow Finch!

Fresh Figs: patterns Winter Robin

Sweet and whimsical.

blue bird quilt

after the storm