Sunday, 24th September:

Sundays are usually my day for my art attempts, however as I'm just starting this Blog and finished with a touch of whimsy, I would like to continue in that vein for a moment. The courses I write for my various classes all have the whimsical element. Astrology is a good start for young women and the art attached to the Four Elements, their star sign and their stars for today, the year and starting on the history provide written material as exercises.

Today, I decided to dedicate a page in my Bullet Point Journal to Astrology (from now on referred to simply as my journal). While tracking down the source of one image I found this quite gorgeous art work for the Four Elements from walldevil.com:

1. Humanised Four Elements Wallpaper -707929/

now, I've learnt another trick. 

For a lot of my students, I will teach them from material that is relevant to them, I use spelling rules, grammar, Latin, Greek and Anglo-Saxon roots, prefixes and suffixes, and still start with the 26 letters of the alphabet. Here is one of the twists I put in - I begin with

                                we have 26 letters,

                                but make 47 sounds when we speak

                                you know every single sound ...you use them every time you speak.

                                The question is which is larger letters or sounds?

                                The sounds.

        That means some letters must make more than 1 sound and some must have more than 1 job.

Most of my course material, like "The Story" is in my head.

I use a black board constantly, writing relevant elements on the board, this simple method helps develop the ability to alter a students focal length. A necessary ability for reading signs when driving, taking notes, using instruction manuals at the same time as performing an action, writing while listening to the boss, or in training courses and presentations. I'm sure you will be able to think of other applications.

I do use that as an exercise too. I find, that if there is a reason Why, it makes an enormous difference to a student's confidence, and it certainly makes remembering easier, as there is a purpose for doing so. Even little ones like to know Why, after all it is their favourite word.  

I am currently writing "The Story" down but I do get distracted. In a classroom I can use copyright material where I cant here. I draw a time line of words, books, printing, language and dictionaries on the board for every lesson  and now I have to actually make one.

How did I get into this mess? Because people, who should know better harp so! & Because I am still getting Questions from previous students and their kids children! 

Putting that aside for the moment, I must get back to work. I have just had a blinding vision of how to draw my time-line. Still waiting for a flash of Light , even a glimmer would help with "The Story".

See you all on Monday, Jackie.

 

 

  

  

Good Morning,

It's Spring Equinox today.

  This morning, as I looked at the news, and pinned or posted to various sites, I remembered that I now have a blog. A blog where I can talk about my rather off-centre and often irreverent view of "Life, the Universe and Everything" an apposite quote from "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (Douglas Adams). By off-centre I do not mean rude or crude, however I have an unrestrained habit of putting various ideas and facts in a different order of prescience, based on my quirky sense of the ridiculous.

I am not interested in voicing my political, religious, or often contentious beliefs on anyone, but I am passionate about literacy and numeracy, even then, I'm not out to preach, condemn or blame or inflame anyone. I do have very strong views about cruelty and domestic abuse, discrimination, social justice and injustice and here, these issues will be excluded. I want my blog to be positive rather than negative in my own whimsical style.

I have read science fiction stories all my life and have watched so many of the ideas, concepts and precepts become fact in our everyday life. on Google+ , pinterest and Twitter I have a category SciFi to SciFact I would like to share with you all. the criteria for this has changed to include events or eventualities that may exceed my estimated longevity. so much has happened in my lifetime it will make a book of its own. I am writing my autobiography as it is quite bizarre, as childhoods go though, unfortunately, not an uncommon occurrence.  How do they phrase it  "7.5 billion people in April 2017 and 7.5 billion unique stories" to be told.

 As an aside, have you looked at the Woldometer for our population numbers, it's really amazing knowing every tick is a for a new baby born somewhere, I understand the world situation but that discussion is for a different forum.

Some of the other categories I will use are:  About Words, About Books, Going Green, and Our Biography my way of categorising our history from 'whoa to go'.

I'd like to tell you about the books I'm writing, actually the first one is more like a magazine as the subject it self is very large. As I've mentioned Literacy is a passion of mine, I don't have academic qualifications but fell in the deep end of "English". My son, Patrick was not succeeding at school, at the end of grade1, I was told he was 'ineducatable'. I wasn't amused nor could I believe the explanations. The school year ended and I had 6 weeks of summer, I'm a very good researcher and I looked at the curriculum and the methodology used in the classroom, arranged to take Patrick to an Occupational Therapist, for evaluation. There were a few areas of concern although he was exceptionally bright for his age.

I read all the old school textbooks I could get my hands on, and met Constance Thompson who used spelling and grammar rules from an earlier curriculum. Constance, had a waiting list of pupils to be tutored as her methods were successful. I must mention an aspect of my own primary school.

I didn't really attend the first 6 grades as we were always moving, sometimes in the middle of the night. There were correspondence lessons every now and then. My mother, Mary did her best, but had been raised in orphanages in the 1920s and '30s. Educating children was not the main focus of orphanages then. My Mother was an amazing woman read any book, magazine or newspaper she could to teach herself. I inherited my love books from her, as well as an insatiable curiosity. Having a child struggling in the school system motivated me to find out why and how to help him. I learnt so much from Constance, and 2 other tutors, Pamela & Sheila, also using the same approach. I was always good at making games and stories to teach him practical skills, and have added to my repertoire over the years.

Foremost, this is about Literacy and I wrote "The Story" about our language, how and why we speak, why we have different words for the same thing. In "The Story", there are various levels depending on the age of the students, as I fracture, simplify and twist history to suit my approach to reading, writing and speaking. I offer no apology as "The Story" is based on truth and I explain to older students that there is a wonderfully rich and amazing history behind my "Whimsical Fractured Fairytale".

I have been teaching and tutoring for 30 years and by the time people find me the student, unless they're in preschool, are struggling, most of my students are convinced there is something wrong with them, and they are closed off. I needed a way to break down the barrier and gain their attention before I can effectively teach them. This is where "Whimsical Fractured Fairytale" comes in handy as well as some of the resources I have collected over the years. I have a collection of magazines and books from 1880, peculiar bits and pieces like the longest word in the English language. as well as days dedicated to serious purposes, today is Rhino Day & Hobbit Day while others have a lighter theme like Make a Hat day on 15th September. in honour of Rhino Day

A wine vessel in the form of a bronze rhinoceros with silver inlay, from the Western Han (202 BC – 9 AD) period of China, sporting a saddle on its back   

  I'm a bit tired now and my hands shake so it's time to stop

     

Me and My Bullet Point Journal

    It is afternoon tea time and I'm running late. I get terribly anxious about being late and have a habit of being early, and not just by an odd hour or two, but by a week, sometimes more. I struggle with health issues sometimes, and that certainly adds to the problem as do these wonderful little white pills they give me. So, being an anxious biddy, I raced in to renew my driver's licence before it was due just in case ....  I was 3 years early. Time and I just have an unusual relationship.

    Back to business, I recently started A Bullet Point Journal, what a difference its made ... I wanted it too look pretty so doodled a bit. it wasn't too bad at all, so went further and looked at other people's endeavours and thought I can do that , and have created a couple of characters too.

    Meanwhile, I was looking for an image I remembered collecting, alas I had 2 of a set of 4.... while back tracking and getting frazzled when my eye caught  a delightful image

Love is the Poetry of the Senses @ https://bonjonour.wordpress.com/2016/08/16/love-7/comment-page-1/

My irritability changed as I thought about things. it's true, and far more important to focus on

              "accentuate the positive eliminate the negative"

(from Disney's Jungle Book).

     I've a great deal to be grateful for.  As mentioned, In the last 4 weeks I've started my Bullet Point Journal, doodled my way into making it look pretty, learnt to make my own stickers, can print on parchment, tho' the colours are not vibrant compared to the glorious colours available on my computer, doodled and made up some simple character's, started this blog, and am looking to start an art journal. Painting and drawing are on my post-retirement list. The journal allowed me to set everything out and I have a spot to collate ideas, and progress for the various 'books' I am writing .

that's where the amateur Author label originated and I am grateful for the opportunities I have.

     My journal is nothing fancy, I am using a logarithm exercise book, covered with gift wrapping paper, and a fine point felt pen, I did buy some new, multi-coloured biros and felt pens, watercolour pencils and soft pastel pencils. Alas, most don't work on the paper in my book. What I really liked about the journal is its usability, I could create my own format, move points forward, scribble away, make subject specific pages and keep my daily entries continuing on the other side. Everything is indexed and I could start at any time of the year, and at the beginning of the book. Tomorrow I will scan my prettiest page and upload said book.

    It's time to move on to the next chore. thank you for visiting my place.

Hi Everyone, See you tomorrow.

                                                                                                                   20.09.2017

Introduction:

     My name is Jackie, and this is not the 'Tomorrow" previously mentioned. I underwent an emotional roller-coaster ride of stage-fright at the full stop after tomorrow, and the pressing of the “Publish” button. I note that the is action was not accompanied by the roar of the presses and the whirling past of newspapers as they were printed. 

Writer's Clock @ http://www.centraltexasauthors.com2015_04_01_archive.html 

 'A  Photoallallegory' by Sarolta Ban @ http://www.saroltaban.comgallerypage107

Basically, I did not know where to start my long dreamed about career as an “Author”, my lifetime of aspirations, my passionate belief in literacy and numeracy, my 30 years of creating ways to teach literacy and numeracy, and an OCD mind that keeps clicking every link I see has given me a starting point.

Author's Challenge from Michelle Eads @ http://.joyexpress.com.au 

In school, I was taught: the 3 dimensions are height, width & depth, the x, y and z axis and later in high school, time was added as the 4th dimension. further along the way: Time and Distance became the same as interchangeable factors in equations. Thus the 4th dimension must, and can only be that Safe Place I put important things, never to be seen again. I am convinced that and it feeds on lost keys, paperwork, buttons and socks and with my irreverent viewpoint of a sacred science my maths knowledge breaks down. Now there is talk of a fifth dimension ... along with black holes, what is on the other side of the universe and of black holes with a waterfall of planets, solar systems and universes forever falling into “?”. My quandary: I am unable to grasp "unreal numbers and calculus” are simply inconceivable to my poor brain.

The article in question that motivated my emergence from beneath the blankets of stupor:

 

20 Unexplained Phenomena (@ http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/techandscience/20-unexplained-phenomena/ss-AArQ9v3#image=20),

The fifth dimension

We know of the existence of four dimensions: length (x), height (y), depth (z), and time (t). But could others exist that our human senses are unable to perceive? Some physicists think so, and the possibility has inspired more than a few science fiction writers .This linked to  

              Five-dimensional black hole could ‘break’ general relativity  

     

  they also talked about: 

The mathematical genius of Jason Padgett @ http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/techandscience/20-unexplained-phenomena/ss-AArQ9v3#image=9

which lead my compulsively by uncontrollable urges to click to:

A Beautiful Mind: Brain Injury Turns Man Into Math Genius: By: Tanya Lewis, Staff Writer | May 5, 2014 (@  https://www.live science.com/45349-brain-injury-turns-man-into-math-genius.html

and that lead to this

Padgett's Amazing Mathematical Drawings @ https://www.livescience.com/45326-gallery-drawings-of-a-mathematical-genius.html By: Tanya Lewis, Staff Writer | May 5

A Wave Particle Duality

A Wave Particle Duality. Jason Padgett.com

 and An Inverted Pi Crunch

An Inverted Pi Crunch. Jason Padgett.com

            And that took me hours to try and start my Blog with a murmur of sophistication and a touch of humour.

In my real life:

I passionately believe that every man, woman and child should be able to read, write and have basic maths skills, regardless of where in the world they live. Over the last 30 years I have created and taught literacy, numeracy and life-skills programmes from preschool to adult, including programs for special-needs students of all ages and cultures. Now, I am retired and, for the first time ever, able to immerse myself in all the activities I have put on hold, mind you, it is a long list and full of things to learn [photography, history, painting] as well as, things I enjoy [reading, music, movies]. I am an almost, OCD reader whose books breed in quiet corners, bookcases are my idea of interior decoration. 

I am currently writing non-fiction books based on all the successful programmes I have created, which makes me an Amateur Author.

I would like to share with the community the scope of materials and information I have used to break down barriers and foster an interest in learning 'something' then, used that as a launch pad introducing reading, writing and arithmetic. 

and now that I have broken the ice and the curse of the blank page, I will retire to the lounge room with a cup of tea. 

A Different Perspective  @http:// tumblr_m5xy1iglYR1qfiuz5o1_500 

Hi Everyone, See you tomorrow.