Category Archives: Uncategorized

What If Nature Could Remember or Dream?

Posted on September 14, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

After I posted Open Heart; Open Mind, I recalled a Wendell Berry poem entitled In a Country Once Forested. I wondered what if nature really could remember? What would that be like? What if nature were a dreamer of dreams? I think Wendell Berry says it beautifully and wisely in this poem.

The young woodland remembers

the old, a dreamer dreaming

of an old holy book,

an old set of instructions,

and the soil under the grass

is dreaming of a young forest,

and under the pavement the soil

is dreaming of grass.

I think nature is can recall and able to dream dreams. It might look like this.

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Posted in Nature in All Its Glory, Photography, Poetry, Uncategorized and tagged Mindful Practice, poetry, stewardship, transformative education, Wendell Berry. Bookmark the permalink.

September

Posted on September 10, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I walked the path along the North Saskatchewan River yesterday. The valley is changing as nature takes its course and readies us for autumn.

Leaves fall by the path.

New colours slowly emerge

Nature paints herself.

Summer slips away

Seamlessly meets the equinox

Harvest our bounty.

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Posted in Haiku, Nature in All Its Glory, Photography, Reflective Moments, Uncategorized and tagged creativity, haiku, nature, north saskatchewan river, photography, poetry, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

Happiness

Posted on September 8, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I think this one says it all. Cartoon characters have fewer worries than us humans, even Charlie Brown.

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Conversation Circles

Posted on September 7, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

In our classroom, we use a conversation circle. I use it as a time to clarify things from my perspective and allow students to speak about what they would like to do. At other times, we talk about upcoming events. Today in the conversation circle, each student introduced themselves to the group, which seems like a small thing, but sometimes goes unattended in classrooms. I also asked the students about what they want for complementary courses. This is an outgrowth of the conversation circles we held last year. Students want a voice in their learning.

We use a ‘talking stick.’ The person with the ‘talking stick’ is the speaker and others listen. In an era of digital technologies, the stick reinforces a protocol of face-to-face conversation which we increasingly need in our world. The ‘talking stick’ was a gift from a parent last year. She is a member of a First Nation so it has some traditional meaning attached to its design.

The wood is driftwood which came from a local lake and reflects nature’s contributions to the circle. Someone carved a bear head into the top of the stick. In some traditions, the bear symbolizes courage, freedom, and power. The feather is from a hawk. Hawks are visionary and guide the person. The coloured ribbons represent the four directions in the circle. The parent attached a medicine bag. The medicine bag heals, guides and protects, and has materials or objects of value to its carrier.

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Posted in Community, Education, Photography, Reflective Moments, Uncategorized and tagged community, conversation circle, conversational journey, education, learning, medicine bag, photography, school, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

The Booker Award

Posted on September 5, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I compare the world of blogging to living in a small community. We meet each and acknowledge each other. We get to know some people better than others, but recognize something unique in each other.

Mimi from Waiting for the Karma Truck recently honoured me with The Booker Award and I am grateful she recognized me.

I look forward to Mimi’s each day. She shares various gifts and lessons from life, work, and, family. She provides wisdom drawn from those sources through her blog, public presentations, and writing.

The fun and challenging aspect of this particular award is to list my five favorite books. Similar to Mimi I can’t do that, but I offer five books which I found compelling at some point. I enjoy reading and this list is sorely incomplete. I read very few fictional books, but that is a product of the doctoral journey I undertook.

The Alchemist – Paolo Coehlo (actually any book by this Brazilian author is a worthy read).

To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee (I cheated and left this on from Mimi’s list, but it was and remains an outstanding social justice reminder).

The Executioners – John D. MacDonald (I read almost anything by this author. This book became Cape Fear, but he is famous for a pulp fiction character Travis McGee).

The Courage to Teach – Parker J. Palmer (I first read Parker Palmer’s Let Your Life Speak before returning to university for my education degree and read this author extensively.

Why I Wake Early – Mary Oliver (I could have included a number of this poet’s books or books by Wendell Berry, Billy Collins, Robert Frost, etc. I love poetry).

I nominate others who I hope can add into our libraries and expand our literary worlds. I tried to expand and move beyond those who received earlier awards from me. I think their blogs are diverse and we will receive a range of new ideas for our ‘cosmic library.’

I tap into the libraries of:

Elizabeth’s Ramblings

Practical Practice Management

Sylver Blaque

Elke Teaches

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Posted in Awards, Blogging, Community, Reflective Moments, Uncategorized and tagged awards, blogging, conversational journey, creativity, literature, Mindful Practice, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

Posted on August 31, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

It has been awhile since I reblogged a post, but I could not resist this one. David poses a tongue-in-cheek view of an emerging digital world. What are the implications? What are the unique qualities of community in the virtual world and which qualities do they share with traditional communities? I am looking at this as a topic area for my dissertation so this is humourous and thought-provoking.

Live & Learn

This about nails it…

Source: Happy2bsad

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Athabasca Falls August 2012

Posted on August 30, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I posted before about Athabasca Falls, but Kathy and I were there this summer and I thought I would share new pictures.

This is a view looking up river. The river is fairly wide and narrows rapidly at the gorge.

This is a view of the falls plunging into the gorge. According to the signs, the falls create, and recreate their path through the gorge constantly.

Kathy took this from the foot bridge which spans the gorge. I walked across which is a first for me. There are hiking trails on that side of the river that work their way further up-stream.

Kathy took this picture from the bridge to show the rings the water grooved into the wall of the canyon. It is like an old washing machine down there.

We got much closer to the falls on this side of the bridge. I got a much stronger sense of the power of the falls through the sound and the way it shakes the ground on that side.

I walked down these steps which are an old channel for the river and the falls. The water carved a new path and abandoned this one.

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Posted in Nature in All Its Glory, Photography, Uncategorized and tagged athabasca falls, athabasca river, Jasper National Park, nature, photography, Rocky Mountains, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

Sunwapta Falls in Jasper

Posted on August 27, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I got closer to these waterfalls then I normally do and they are impressive. I had not visited Sunwapta Falls before, but they offer an incredible view, sound, and event.

This is a view at the top of the falls looking back upstream.

This is the first chute of water over the top of the falls as it shoots through the narrowing of the channel and over the lip of the valley.

A second view of the top of the falls with a tighter shot on the small cave across the gorge.

And then a last view of the river as it flows down the canyon, crashes into the end wall, takes a sharp left, and disappears from view.

Mount Kerkeslin stands guard over the Icefields Parkway between Sunwapta Falls and Athabasca Falls.

Have a great Monday August 27. 2012.

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Posted in Nature in All Its Glory, Photography, Uncategorized and tagged Jasper National Park, nature, photography, Rocky Mountains, Sunwapta Falls, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

On the Edge

Posted on August 25, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

Kathy and I are back on the road this morning. It will be Monday before I post again. I disconnect to reconnect. I feel on the edge at this time of the week and summer. I go back to work next Wednesday and, for the first time in my career, I am not looking forward to going back. I am on the edge and find faith in something other than me.

Each step

Brings me to the edge.

Uncertain balance

On the edge.

Instability dances with stability

Harsh with the gentle.

Quiet the self

Hear the soul’s gentle words.

A still space reveals wisdom

A spirit of Faith.

Look forward;

Look down.

Go forward

Accept hands proffered in similar Faith.

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Posted in Mindful Life, Nature in All Its Glory, Photography, Poetry, Reflective Moments, Sabbath, Uncategorized and tagged creativity, Mindful Practice, nature, poetry, Rocky Mountains, sabbath, spirituality, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

Stairway to Heaven (Sunwapta Falls in Jasper)

Posted on August 24, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I was sure I had visited Sunwapta Falls before, but, when we got there, it realized otherwise. Sunwapta River flows from Athabasca Glacier and the falls plunge over a hanging valley left by receding glaciers about 8000 years ago.

The path down to the overview above the falls is unique with the tree roots playing an integral role in the stairway. I got closer to the edge than I usually do. Initially, I was going to post a number of pictures, but changed my mind when I looked at this picture taken on my camera by Kathy.