Cherry Blossom Festival Begins

Saturday was the opening day for the Cherry Blossom Festival in the District. Kari and I decided to seize the day and cycle into D.C. to watch the Kite Festival portion of the events. There was a mist/ slight drizzle the whole time, but many kites were still flown and the crowds were still great.
Watching the last few flying kites to stay in flight during the kite-flying-contest was pretty intense... "Red, White, and Blue" was the final winner though it had a tough match with "Mime" kite.

We went to the National Museum of American History afterward and saw an exhibit of Scurlock's photography and another long-term exhibit featuring America at War. Scurlock was a prominent Black photographer in the early 20th century who captured the on-goings of the African American population in the DC area at the time. He captured images of the joys of everyday life as well as monumental moments in history along with times of great turmoil, such as the D.C. riots that errupted with the assassination of MLK Jr. in 1968.

Spring is on its way! I love the blossums everywhere and the birds that are more frequently out along with the sun and warmer weather! I also love being able to run comfortably outside in just shorts and a t-shirt!

Kite-making update: coming soon... this weekend I nearly completed the creation of a tetrahedron kite (it's the triangular kite the I posted last week). I didn't rush to finish it when I saw that the rain (though light) was not letting up... it's more fragile than commercially made kites because of the paper materials that I am using. Stay tuned ;)

Thoughts on Education

I am really interested in what changes we will see in the next few years regarding public education. I like to be optimistic about where society is going with regards to views on the responsibilities of public schools to education children in more ways than academics. It's quite sad and harsh reality that most children who struggling in school have greater struggles when they return home. Needless to say, school has become a safe haven for students of all ages and not just a place of progressing intellectually in preparation for higher education and successful careers.

Obama shares a vision in his speech outlining 5 pillars that I support him in. While there are many other priorities on his agenda, it is my hope that we can be a part of these changes and improvements in the way that education is regarded in our society as a whole. Students, parents, and teachers have such a greater potential that we can reach.

I was recently conversing with an acquiantance and neighbor about the curriculum that is taught and standards for 7th grade students in the math. She was shocked when I told her that most in the local schools are learning pre-algebra concepts in the 7th grade and many would not advance to algebra in the 8th grade. While I have recognized a difference in standards from my experience in 7th and 8th grade, thinking that perhaps the district I grew up in had a differnet curriculum that the local standards, I did not think that it was so much of a greater difference from the standards of other nations! We are more than three grade-levels behind the math pacing in many other nations. Wow.

I cannot say that I have even a portion of the solution, but this motivates me to think more seriously about how I see my personal potential as well as that of my students. There's a lot of work to do!

(Here's a link to his agenda in relation to education- I could not get to the speech transcipt electronically) http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/education/

Just 26.2 Days Until 2009 Boston Marathon!

The fun has just begun... training has been going really well. I am very grateful to report that tender mercies are many, and I am more injury free in this round of training than ever before! Perhaps it is partially due to the terrain here compared to the hills that I loved to run (I think Connie and I were addicted to Quail Dr. hill) in Provo and Bellevue in years past? Regardless, I feel great and very fortunate! Also, I found a pool pretty close by that I've been able to go to a couple times to for change in cross-training. Still love cycling but I sure missed swimming- not any more!

Looking forward to an adventure with ma and pa Skeen, Connie (long-time friend and running bud), more Skeens to cheer on Stacey and friends from here in VA!

Bishop Forson School

One of my recent projects outside of work has been preparing for a teaching and teacher training experience in Ghana, Africa. A couple months ago, the math department at my middle school was asked to provide a member to correspond with a math teacher at the Bishop Forson School in Ghana. I happily accepted the invitation and have become increasingly involved not onlywith the math teacher but now with the school as a whole. The director of the program quickly asked if I would be willing to volunteer there for a month this summer as a teacher as well as to provide training for the on-site teachers. As I prepare to go there this summer, I am looking forward to it more and more.

The school opened in 2003 and is attended by about 250 children and youth of the rural Volta Region. The school was built to serve the orphaned children who were initially denied quality education, and the students are sponsored by volunteer families and individuals. More information regarding the school can be found here.

I will be taking a few projects for students to experiment with and learn from this summer. One of the projects is creating kites! In my recent research on kites, I have found some really neat designs. I am really looking forward to finding time to create some as I decide which designs are most appropriate to take with me! Here are some pictures of my findings...

Box Kite (thin wooden dowels or flat sticks, glue, wrapping paper, paint)

Bell Tetra Kite (same mater. plus vertex-fasteners... altern.- stiff straws with string through the center)
Hexagonal Box Kite (same idea as a reg. box kite, but it's supposed to spiral really well in flight)

One of the purposes of teaching students how to create kites is to encourage them to see the possibilities of art and math in correlation with one another. I am really looking forward to learning from the teachers there and sharing with them the power of hands-on exploration and learning.

Kite-making will be one project in addition to students experimenting with geometric solids as they create mobiles they can hand proudly in their school and homes. Painting, cutting, pasting, and forming of 3-dimensional figures has been proven to even get college students excited about math class!

These projects will take place during my second week on the school campus as part of a project called "Painting Possibilities." The third and fourth will will be mostly spent working on an extension project for student and teachers of Bishop Forson along with 3 other volunteer teachers. Students will learn together as they design and create a geodesic dome using materials found locally. In short, a geodesic dome is a half-sherical enclosure made of connecting triangles. This structure will be used for students leisure/recreation and a retreat from the hot sun.

Unlike the image below, the students will use weaving skills learning one of the classes during the previous week at "Painting Possibilities" to making coverings that will fit over the triangular openings in the skeleton. So, the blue liking you see will be woven material created by the students.

Geodesic Dome (Bamboo Frame)

In preparation for the execution of this project, I am fundraising. All donations will go into supplies and materials necessary for me to teach and train at this school. It's all volunteer work. I am looking of forward to sharing this experience with friends and family as it progresses, and I feel that it is a great opportunity to help a group of individuals who are less fortunate in many ways.

Here's how you can donate: A link has been set up for donations* to be contributed in my name.

• You can visit http://www.pagusafrica.org/donations/skeen.php and donate electronically.
  

Or

• Mail a check written to Pagus: Africa with "Jenni Skeen" in the Memo or attached note t0 619 West Washington Street, Norristown, PA 19401
  

*all donations are tax deductible

All contributions, no matter how small or large are very helpful and appreciated. Please don't feel an obligation to donate- regardless, I am looking forward to sharing what I learn along the way with you!

Distant Joy

Don't get me wrong, there is abundant joy in the present and local, however I love getting pictures of my nieces emailed to me. Here are some of the latest. These recent weeks have been crazy on many levels, but I appreciate what I am learning and have hope that I am progressing! Whew enJOY! :)

Madison...growing up to pigtails!Kaili has it all figured out... She sleeps like Abes
Sunshine Kaili
Water Babes- Maea and Madi
Madi :)

These pictures are a few of the distant joys (distant with regards to proximity as well as distant b/c there is time until I will get to see these two little joys in person).

Rewind: Presidents Day Pictures

For Mom: Here are some pictures taken at Mount Vernon on President's Day. It was quite cold that day, but it was a fun adventure... in Chacos! ;)

Spectator in Costume... now that's the way to really get in the spirit of Pres Day!

Tour guides in costume... they even had the accents!

George Washington "himself" introducing the band as they march away

Colonial marching band- Parade in front of the mansion
(her blog has a short video)
George and Martha Washington's Tomb-(the new site)

The Potomac and river house aside the farm (lower estate)
Tranquil Potomac on an overcast day
Mom chilin' on the back porch of the mansion...
mental imagine of George and Martha in the adjacent chairs :)
So there we were... Mount Vernon.