Back from Bethel

What a quick trip. We left here Friday at 9:30 a.m., got into Anchorage, ran over to Alaska Airlines, ran to our gate, got on the flight, arrived into Bethel, went over to Killabuk School and the games started. I was sort of sad though becuase the wind was blowing so hard there, that the other schools didn't show up, only Napagiak. One of the reasons I like this trip so much as our students get a chance to compete with some of the best (LKSD athletes), however we still had fun. The students were so nice our kids just had a blast. All the kids coached each other and cheered each other on, regardless of team. The McGrath students did great, and I was proud of all of them.

It is so good for our students to stay at Killabuk, they loved hearing and seeing the Yup'ik language. We actually didn't have to wait until we got to Killabuk, we heard Yup'ik on the plane to Bethel and my kids loved it. They are always motivated to want to learn their own language as well as Yup'ik when we go on this trip. The classroom we stayed in was very decorated in all sorts of learning material, it looked like a great classroom, and 90% of it was in Yup'ik!

When we flew over the communities as we got closer to Bethel I was wondering, is that Magdelina down there or is that Kendra? I sure miss you all. I was also relieved to see the river (Kuskokwim). I am a nervous flier and it did not help that both flight were turbulant and I had prior warnings that they would be from the pilots LOL!

OH! It was 50 degrees there and NO SNOW!!! We walked around in mud. Isn't that crazy. You could see the tundra! I couldn't believe the weather for December!

You all take care. Miss you all!

Just Something I tried Getting ADN to Print

I thought this piece would be good to share, but I haven't heard back from ADN, so I'll just share it on my blogg :). Enjoy.

Communities Taking Action in Preserving
Alaska Native Cultures

What is your community doing to preserve the Alaska Native Culture? Studies have shown that students who know their cultural background have a better chance of benefiting in the Western educational system. As a country, we have known this since at least the Meriam Act. In Alaska we even have cultural standards in our State educational system, yet our actions are not backing up these facts.

Policy makers continue to say we can’t fund this or that because of funding which in part are do to decreasing numbers in rural Alaska schools. I have heard this countless times in our community, as well as through my studies as an Elementary Education major. We cannot depend on our districts to take charge of the situation; it is up to you and your fellow community members.

At our last Native Education Committee our high school students listed some of these cultural activities they wanted such as a survival class, they wanted to learn a type of Alaska Native Dancing, an Alaska Native language, and participate in the traditional Native games. Our students want to know about their community, their history. We must listen to our community needs and our youth, and just “do it”.

This is our just “do it” start.

This year we have one of our largest Junior Native Youth Olympic teams. We have 13 students that will be traveling to State as well as 2 senior Native Youth Olympic athletes, and 5 chaperones. Last year there were only 3 students traveling and no Bethel trip. We take our 5th through 8th graders to Bethel for a traditional Native games competition. Our budget is over $16,000 the district has given us $760.

Many of these cultural activities will be made possible by your time volunteering.

As a community we have seen how our children shine through the traditional games, Native and Non-Native children alike. Parents, community members and athletes have spent numerous hours of volunteering from putting on dinners, to shoveling snow, selling pies, to an antler drive, to raffles, to seeking corporate sponsors we received six; Crowley Marine, the McGrath Clinic, MTNT, MLP, AC McGrath Store and the Fraternal Order of the Alaska State Troopers. That still leaves a big chunk to be raised, but the people in our community have not given up on our youth and through every fundraiser we have had a success. What do the students in your community want? If your district is not providing those opportunities or you have heard the excuse they can’t, you can. Our community is doing it and so can yours.

McGrath’s latest population update is down to 321. There are currently 53 students enrolled in the school from grades K-12.

Junior Native Youth Olympics will be held January 11, 12, and 13th at Mirror Lake Middle School.

Noel Strick-I am a senior majoring in Elementary Education through Interior Aleutians Campus, University of Alaska Fairbanks. I am the Chair for our Native Education Committee. I am the volunteer JNYO coach as well as a mother of two. I work as a DJ in the morning for KSKO 870 am and a Facilitator for IAC-UAF in the afternoons. Contact information: fsnrg1@uaf.edu e-mail.

Day by Day, Activities for our students what it is like

Hey everyone, sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I am so worried about making it to JNYO in January. We have 7 weeks and $7,000 more to raise. We have asked for corporate sponsors to give $500 and in return we are putting their names on our t-shirts. We are also trying to raise enough money for our volleyball team to make it to Regionals in Golovin, but they only need $1,500 and we are doing an Asian dinner on Monday that should bring in $1,000, plus they have a small raffle going on. Back to JNYO we have been shoveling, cooking, raffles, etc.. Our community has really been active, but with our numbers getting smaller they can only do so much. So, I can't help but wonder why the District didn't try to find grants to help subsidize some of our programs the students love? My husband says don't do as much, because it does stress me out. My back is going out and I am breaking out like crazy, but if we don't do it who will? Everything I do he is tied into, but we need to for our children. Also, I found out I need 4 classes and the only way I can take them all is by being in Fairbanks. There is no way I could handle them via correspondence. I just don't know. When I wasn't here we had no Senior NYO team and our JNYO team had only 4 athletes compared to this years 14. I know I make a difference for our youth, but I need to take care of myself and kids so moving to Fairbanks is becoming more of a reality, yet I feel like I am betraying my community. This really just sucks. It was fun watching all the students! We even had some preschoolers and Kind students play. I was going to upload a video from our potluck last night, but the computer wouldn't let me. So, here is a picture of my son doing wrist carry.

:) PEACE & my thought today coming from a rural town with a district like ours, is do not allow money to make a choice for you and do not accept it as an excuse through the grace of others who do see the value in what you do for your youth goodness can happen!

I've taken on a new look....what do you think?

Well I have done it, a new make over, funny though not a person realized it, except the children that visited my house on Halloween. Sadly enough we made no child cry, but took a few bye, surprise. They wiggled and screamed, but their parents said, "go in their not mean". Haha they soon also sang a different tune when monsters jumped out at them as they waited, thinking they were there just to watch, we laughed so hard, perhaps that was the scotch (kidding of course). Today I thought the make over was too much. Down came my life size skeleton that loves to sing and move, down came my spiders and cob webs, the black roses and bones in the graveyard are gone too, only 2 pumpkins remain in the back of our truck, with any luck they will vanish as well. A new Holiday is near and today we are getting 5 inches of snow as if he is laughing near bye, "hohoho" with a belly full of jelly. I can't wait to see that old man. In two weeks we will prepare to greet him galore! My friends you have seen nothing like it before. The lights will hang, the candy canes will line the way, and I plan to get more, THANK YOU E-BAY!!! Hope you are all doing wonderful. I am still stressed, but plan on going on vacation in December, and I am going to get a massage! Lots of love and hugs coming your way from MCG!

Making a collage

I had a couple of friends ask me how I made the collages on my blog. The way I have done it is through Picasa. Download it first :). Then put the picture you want to use into the tray. You will see the tray on the left hand bottom portion of the screen. You then hit collage on the menu at the bottom. It will give you a preview of the collage. There are different way you can experiment with as far as making one. Once you are finished and have saved the collage one of the options below on the menu is to blog it or what I did was just save it and then bring it on to my blog by using the picture tool button when creating a post. It is the button next to the ABC Check mark. I absolutely love Picasa just a picture tool in general. Have fun with it!

I am doing okay. I have taken on a third job just for the week as a family that is like family to ours is having a family emergancy, as in extreme emergency. You know one thing about living in a rural community versus a urban is that we are attached. I have no choice but to help out my community because I am a part of it. I wish this philosophy extended into the school. But really when one family is hurting here everyone steps in to help them. In the city we were cut from that and I think that is such a huge part of me as a person, needing that family. I realize in urban Alaska people do work together, I just feel because I see all 300 + people of our town almost daily I know them "more" then I did in Fairbanks and Anchorage. In any case I hope all works out for my friends, and I hope you are all doing well. HEY I just a lightbulb switch on. Do you suppose because we come from Rural Alaska and we do better in our intensives together because we have that bond that we are so familiar with? I am not sure, but you are all dear to me and it is so nice when I do get to see you all!

Greetings My Friends

Well, I thought I would make a collage for today's blog. The scary pictures are from outside my house. My mom asked me recently after I told her about my Halloween house, "Do you wonder why you like Halloween so much?" I just love to celebrate. My husband jokes about having to make another wood shed to store all my Christmas decorations, yes that is right, you haven't seen anything yet! I can't believe how fast our river seems to want to freeze up. Although the forecast is pretty warm this week so I doubt it will do much, the river.

My friends, my life is just crazy right now. I could use about 20 hugs, lol. I have started another job in the afternoons working at IAC. Tues and Thur I am doing my civic duty, and one of my life passions, coaching JNYO. We had 13 students our first practice and I hear more are showing up today! That is close to at least a 1/4 of our students! And guess what?! The SCHOOL has no budget for us. So, I have until now and Jan 11 to raise over $12,000.

Oh, our Native Education Committee start their meetings this week too!

Three of my four classes are going okay, but my correspondence HIST 115 is back logged. I need a big kick in the a$$ to get motivated with that one! My poor son has been acting up at school, but not terribly. You know we had this problem with him two years ago here at this same school! AND HE DID SO GOOD IN FAIRBANKS!!! So, I really think my children will stir us back to Fairbanks next year. And on top of that my daughter is going to have to play co-ed basketball because there are not enough boys for a boys team!!! And "village ball" was one of the major reasons we moved back here! I am so frustrated!

Okay, well I hope no negativety has streamed through the computer! You just smile and give me a hug through osmosis. Thank you I needed that! Miss you all and keep going, we have no choice, we must fight back the ethnic cleansing of the early 1900s! hehe

My Weekly Post

I don't have much to say in the area of technology. I am here in Fairbanks for a math 205 intensive and we are stacked with homework. I also have two other classes pouring on the work. Not much of a blogg, but just wanted to check in!

Technology Progression or Regression

I have blogged before about our little community message board in McGrath, but under different circumstances. I am so bummed right now and it is because of our message board. I often wonder if I should even read it. At times it is an outlet for angry people who are choosing to put messages on with anonymous names. Perhaps technology has helped us communicate more but at what costs. There is something to be said about direct communication. If you go to our message board today you will see a posting about a white van. People and companies sell things here all the time, and at times you do have to know where to look to see the advertisement, none the less they are advertised. Anyway if you want to see what can happen to a message board where anonymous messages can be left -Check This Out http://members2.boardhost.com/MCG-Community/index.html?1190756337.

UA Video scholarhip opportunity

Hey, check out this cool scholarship. I have been sharing my videos with my friends, and
my cousin who works for UAF sent this to me. I don't know if any of us are up to
it or not, but it might be fun to try to make a video for UAF. Just thought I would
pass this on.

http://www.uamyway.net/
This is a scholarship contest. Student can create a video/commercial for UA
and be entered to win a 1 year scholarship. Thought it was interesting.
Below is more information.
How to Enter
Submit a video that shows what all of the choices that the University of
Alaska has to offer means to you and you could win one of five 1-year
scholarships! To enter, record your video and submit it to www.uamyway.net
before December 15, 2007.

Video submission requirements:
1.       Videos entered in the contest should demonstrate what choices the
University of Alaska has to offer and how you are impacted by all the
choices.
2.       Video entries must be submitted in the following video file
formats: .MOV or .FLV or .WMV and must be no longer than three minutes in
duration.
3.       Video must be in English.
4.       Entry must be original, unpublished, the sole property of
submitter, and not previously submitted in any other contest.
5.       Entries must not include unsuitable, inappropriate or offensive
conduct or content.
6.       If you include music, you must use one of the choices of the music
provided here <http://www.uamyway.net/rules/> .
7.       To be eligible to win, all entrants must fill out and either mail
or fax two forms:
Liability
<http://www.uamyway.net/legalforms/liabilityrelease_uamyway_contest.pdf>
Release and the Talent
<http://www.uamyway.net/legalforms/talentrelease_uamyway_contest.pdf>
Release Form.

Subsistance

This year and last, when moose hunting season first began we had inservice. This works for the students that go hunting that week, but most of us will keep going until we get our moose. We just take our kids out, because this time is important than anything the school can offer. Beside this year our school implemented a new attendance policy, that myself and others literally faught for, and that is if the child is doing allright in school with a C or better they don't have to worry about being kicked out. Last year's policy gave students 15 days regardless if it was for a funeral, it was up to the discression of the SI I believe, but it was shady in any regards. The rest of the things like bird hunting, we do on the weekends or like last night, my son and I went out for spruce hens. We do trapping too in the evenings and set them on weekends. The major conflict does seem to be moose hunting.

Class Video Assignment

This is the second time I have had to edit this Blog. I am soooo sorry Skip for not mentioning you in my credits! The music cuts were provided by the CD you sent to us. Highway patrol and Skylar Blue, were the songs. Thank you for providing the music!

I had so much fun with this video too! I swear I may go into some sort of media productions! This was so much fun! Skip thank you so much for providing me the opportunity to learn all of this. I found a way to overlap the noise, as you can see. This really wasn't instructional but more motivational. I hope this all works, and for those of you checking this out, I hope you enjoy the movie! I had to come back for editting, I believe that picture of the Gibbens children might be their son Kody and not Kaden, I couldn't tell, and then I started evaluating it more and more and now I am not sure. They are my best friend's children and she knows I am using this photo. Anyhow, I just wanted to throw that side note out. I was all excited about being able to upload our videos onto the Blogger, I think I moved to fast. I need an editor. :)!

Flickrslidr Show :) McGrath

Hi everyone! Here is my slide show of McGrath. I am not sure how to insert words onto the photos for descriptions, other then what I did on Flickr. The blue buildings are actually a few offices in one. Our City is there, as well as the clinic, washateria, jail,and the State Trooper's office. The building with the flag is our post office. The blue house with the old truck is mine :). I have included two historical buildings and those would be our taverns. One is Joe's Bar and the other is McGuire's. They were both built in the 1940s. Eep Anderson is the owner of McGuire's and I was able to get him to pose for their picture. There is an old joke that we have here and that is for every bar we need one more church. Well, I have included 2 of the three churches we have here too! We have a cafe here that I have included it is the picture with the white door. We have three stores, and I have included two, you can probably guess which ones they are. We have two nice bed and breakfasts, which I have included only one of. One nice feature the Hotel B&B has is a Barista! I have included the School (the dark blue building) and a picture of the 8 Ball Teen Center. Two of the building that I spend a lot of time in are UAF Interior Aleutians Campus (the building with the huge oil tank next to it) and KSKO (where I work) the picture with the red car in front. Well, I hope you enjoy the slide show about McGrath!



Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Panraven - Edit Story

Panraven - Edit Story


Well, this is what I came up with for a story. I had 70 pictures to start off with. You can check some of them out at my panraven sight. There was so much to share, but I wanted to also make it a fun book for a young audience as well. Please let me know if you have an suggestions or feed back. Skip, how do I turn this in? Thanks.

Just in case your not sure, you just have to hit the blue title above to get to the story.

Panraven Story

Panraven - Edit Story


http://www.panraven.com/mylife/ViewStory.epage?sp=102648



Well, this is what I came up with for a story. I had 70 pictures to start off with. You can check some of them out at my panraven sight. There was so much to share, but I wanted to also make it a fun book for a young audience as well. Please let me know if you have an suggestions or feed back. Skip, how do I turn this in? Thanks.

I wasn't sure if the first link would work so I provided another. Let me know. Thanks again!

Confused

I went to the black board and I am starting on the book. I read Betty Swan's community profile (which was good by the way), and was wondering where that falls into the assignments. Is that part of the book or slide show? If someone could help me that would be great!

Skip I read your blog about our class and it was very thoughtful, thank you. Just being in that class was motivation for me, surrounded by such strength! I tried posting to you, but couldn't.

Anywho, I am getting a little stressed about assignments I don't want to not turn something in.

On another note, teacher in-service next week, conveniently it is also the start of moose hunting. I have my fingers crossed that we get one! Unfortunately, I have to miss some of hunting, as I am taking our runners to Nikolai for a meet next weekend.

In closing someone set me straight on the assignments! PLEASE :)! Thank you!

Pan Raven Project

I thought I better start taking some pictures for this project, and it took a lot longer then I thought, as well as the more pictures I took the more ideas for the book I got. So, I thought..."Jeee I better let my classmates know that this project may take longer then expected....if they are anything like me (lol)". In any case I am still in taking photo stage of the whole project. I have about twenty pictures and 4 ideas for the book. I have a feeling the most difficult portion of this project will be weeding it down to what I need.

Okay, well I have to go running. I have been running with our x-country running team, which consists of my son, my daughter and a cousin. :) Our first meet is in Nikolai on the 8th of Sept then I believe we go to Nome on the 15th of Sept for regionals. So, if any of you will be there, I may be too as a chaperon. That word looks odd!

Take Care!

Community Message Board HOT HOT HOT

Hi everyone! I sure miss seeing you all, and the feeling of strength when we were all together. It is difficult being back home and facing some of the school politics alone. I do have some of a support group. I started a discussion on our message board www.mcgrathalaska.net you hit message board once you get there if your interested. In any case it initially started off with my posting the web site for the AYP report as it was released last week. The whole thing spiraled into people in our community and others venting their frustration with the IASD. I did contact the State yesterday to ask for advice as far as 8th graders and credit and what to do when your district won't listen. It seems local power is key. Find people to run for the board that will represent your parents and not back down to politics.

Anyways if you get a chance, check out the message board. Our community put it together to communicate and as you can see it has also been serving as a venting piece. LOL, f.y.i. shortly after my second posting responding to the messanger the Assistant District Super Intendant left a message on my phone saying next time I should contact their office first before going to the message board. It wasn't a nice message to say the least.

It just goes to say if your not doing anything no one will talk about you, the minute you try you get faced with opposition. But, look at all the people that responded to my thread on the message board. We can make a difference!

WEIO 2007

Pan Raven and the Trip in general

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.


I think I am like everyone in the class when I say how fun and exciting it was to learn about all these new tools for teaching and just using in general! It was a bit rough getting started on Pan Raven, but I am excited about going home and starting to take pictures. This is the motivation I need, as I have a children's story in my head I have been wanting to write. I think my first Pan Raven story will be about McGrath.

My biggest concern is loosing my notebook with all these @(#*$&(#*)&$ passwords.

It was a good week. It was nice meeting all of you and Skip thank you for doing such a great job teaching. You sincerity and enthusiasm was so evident and beneficial to us all.

I look forward to hearing from you all.

Power Point and Inspiration

(I took this picture moose hunting-I love crisp Fall days)
Good Day! Hello, it has been a really exciting last couple of days working on Power Point and Inspiration. Power Point I have used before, but I have always just stayed with the basics. It has been good for me to be forced to use tools I haven't before such as creating an arrow and giving it animation. I may use Power Point with my kids in the future for a presentation or just to teach them how to use it for their presentations, and I know for sure I will use it with my side work.

Inspiration has been new to me, with the exception of the module work I did to get here. I can see using it as a tool for students to create outlines for their writings or class presentations. I have seen 5th graders suffer trying to put their ideas in order and this is such a wonderful tool to help them brain storm, group their ideas, hit the outline tool, and TADAH!!! I would also use this to give presentations because the students could follow my pattern and I could use the link tool to show them example of whatever we are studying. You could use this software for any academic area. Even language. We could show a word, play the word, and bring up a source online.

Introduction

Hi, you have reached my blog, WELCOME! I intend to use this site for the purpose of my ED 429 class, but if you find anything useful here please use it! I am studying to get my bachelors in Elementary Education through the University of Alaska Fairbanks. I live in McGrath, but was raised in King Cove until I was 10 and then moved to Anchorage. I have had experience in both the rural and urban communities as a community member and educator. I am very active in the traditional games of the Native people of Alaska. It is exciting working with our youth because of the enthusiasm they bring with them, and from my own personal experience I know as educators we can make a difference.

CHENA