Quality Time
« Previous EntriesHelp your kids make the most of summer time
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Tuesday, July 14th, 2009
Help your teen salvage the summer and pick up useful skills - this is the headline for an article in the Oregon this morning. The information is directed at parents, and contains lots of good ideas about ways to that parents can help use the rest of the summer season constructively. Tips include how to get kids motivated, how to help them network, ideas for using their entrepreneurial talents, and of course, lots of ideas for ways that kids can volunteer their time.
Of course, these are also great ideas for how MENTORS can encourage their kids to get involved, learn something new and benefit themselves and the community.
How do you motivate YOUR kids to make the most of their summer time? Tell us.
Topics: Creating a Positive, Family Involvement, How to Help, Quality Time | 1 Comment »
Kids and Creativity Need Time to Grow
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
This is a story about two little girls, a piece of pink flowered cloth and the luxury of time during the long days of summer vacation. It is also a reminder that sometimes the best things we can do for kids is not too much …The story begins at a neighborhood garage sale, (be careful crossing the street) and involved the combining of allowance coins to pay they price of the cloth, and complex negotiations about shared ownership. (Where would the cloth be at night?)
The most difficult thing about the cloth however, was deciding what to do with it. The girls’ first idea, quickly discarded, was to turn it into doll clothes. These were not doll playing girls, and besides, sewing those tiny stitches was too hard when the sun was beating down. A trip indoors for a cooling drink resulted in the discovery of a fat pile of many colored yarns; some big-eyed needles, two pair of kid-sized scissors, and inspiration.
As the mother of one of the girls, I can attest that they were busy all day. As the light faded, a stack of neat, pink flowered, (almost squares) of carefully embroidered and edged cloths sat on the purple work table under the tree where they worked. That was just the beginning.
During the school year I often write about how teachers and parents and mentors can encourage relationships and learning, stimulate creativity and promote productivity in the classroom and programs for kids. I write from an awareness of the many challenges that kids, schools and families are facing in these difficult times, and most of all, I write in the hope that some of the ideas and information I share will help kids be engaged in their learning, connected to their school and community, and fully- involved in activities that they feel passionate about.
But now, with summer vacation just beginning, and many parents and organizations scrambling for ways (and dollars) to fill kids’ time, I want to change gears a little and offer this story about the girls and the cloth as a reminder that, especially in these times when so many kids lead highly scheduled, busy and complex lives, there is more than one way to fill a summer day, and as a reminder, that adults are not the only ones who can (or should) provide kids with fun, diversion and creative opportunities.
So back to the girls:
On the following morning, after careful consideration, the now embroidered pink squares were identified as placemats. And placemats this beautiful definitely belonged on a party table. This was the moment when the real work began and the idea for a grand party began to take shape.
By summer’s end, the girls and their younger siblings (who they coerced into all manner of participation) held a surprise party for their parents, all of whom just happened to be born in September. The party was the core of their summer activities. (And need I mention all the summer learning that came as a result?)
Working together, the girls planned a ‘great’ dinner, plotted ways to get the food and other things they needed for the meal (”without anybody knowing”), shopped with their own money (even collected cans to recycle to earn more), and requested “cooking lessons” so that the food got cooked, and the cake baked.
It didn’t end there. A play was written and performed (and later published! - but that’s still another story), and several poems transformed into lyrics for the songs that were offered as the evening’s musical-comedy entertainment. No one knows where the rehearsals took place, but the performance and costumes were memorable. As were the gifts, each personalized for the recipient and made by hand (more garage sale finds.) The candles on the (slightly lopsided) cake were dull compared with the light of pride, delight and imagination that lit the eyes of the party-givers.
It is truly hard to say who was richer for the experience, but it is safe to say that a good time was had by all. And to think it all began with a piece of second hand cloth, and the unstructured time of long summer days to see it blossom into whatever it could become.
So, what were the lessons that I learned that summer?
Give children time - free time - empty as a blank page to be colored by imagination and filled with the discoveries found in their own world - within and outside themselves.
Give children time - to dream, experiment, discover creatures in the clouds and ants in the grass. Give them unstructured time to play, and just be.
Give children time so that their creativity can flourish, friendships can grow and their ideas can come to full growth.
And, as long as you are still reading, one more tip … give children books - or better still, let them choose their own at the library. It may not constitute their idea of free time, but it can’t hurt. After all, they might find patterns for placemats, recipes for cakes, ideas for gifts, or simply the gift of something wonderful to read.
Happy Summer.
Topics: Creativity, Quality Time | No Comments »
Lend a Hand: 2009 Comcast/Hands On Greater Portland Cares Day
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
Volunteering, especially participating in volunteer projects with kids is a perfect opportunity for teachers and mentors and parents to involve kids in community service. It’s a way to spend time with kids, provide opportunities for you and the kids you work with to learn about your community and at the same time, help to meet some of the critical needs within our city.
So, get ready for April 25th - “one of the biggest days of service in the Pacific Northwest” when Hands On Greater Portland teams up with Comcast to connect more than 1,600 volunteers to critical community needs. There is still time to sign up to volunteer your time and energy.
According to the Hands On Greater Portland website, more than 1,600 people across Portland are expected to volunteer with nonprofit agencies in their communities. They will “participate in projects that include beautifying schools, revitalizing natural areas, and supporting programs for low-income and homeless families.”
To find out how you can take part in this project, and to register, visit the website
Click here to see a list of project planned for this day.
As I always like to say, when we work together, everybody benefits. Tell us how. Please, share your experience: If you take part in this event, please tell us about your day, on this blog.
Topics: Community Service, How to Help, Quality Time, Things to do | No Comments »
Gone Fishing: Ideas for Something to Do Outdoors
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Thursday, March 26th, 2009
Last week’s post about outdoor resources for kids made it clear (as a healthy stream) that mentors and others who work with kids are often looking for active ideas for things to do, especially things to do outdoors. So (and keeping in mind the thought that not every kid has the chance to enjoy the outdoors), I’ve been angling for some good ideas to share. Then, my husband, who is itching to get out on the river, informs me that the spring salmon fishing season has started in Oregon.
It was this fact that made me notice an email about a new resource designed to introduce kids to the pleasures of fishing, and the importance of protecting our environment.
Trout Unlimited, whose mission is “Conserving, protecting and restoring North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds,” has just launched a new website … “just for kids.” Stream Explorers is a nice site, friendly and accessible, filled with lots of information and activities that adults and kids can enjoy together, It can also inspire you, and the kids you work with, to go outdoors, go fishing, or simply explore our rivers and streams … together.
The site includes sections such as”Go Fishing,” “Fish Facts” or “Get Active.” It also includes a contest, lots on information on everything from fishing gear to tying flies, as well as ideas for exploring riparian areas, and “Things to Do with Your Class or Troop.”
It is designed as a companion to a new quarterly magazine for kids, Stream Explorers, but the website on its own is a great way to introduce kids “to the world of clean water and wild fish, as well as the joy of fly fishing.” Enjoy … and if you catch anything, send us a picture.
P.S. I once caugt a fish … THIS BIG.
Topics: Outdoor Education, Quality Time, RESOURCES | No Comments »
On the White House Agenda: Service Learning
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Thursday, January 29th, 2009
It seems like everybody is talking about the White House website lately. In fact, it was mentioned in three different meetings I attended yesterday. So, I decided to check it out for myself – with an eye to finding information relevant to Making Connections.
Not surprisingly, I clicked on the Education tab on the Agenda first. This was the first thing I read:
Address the Dropout Crisis:
Obama and Biden will address the dropout crisis by passing legislation to provide funding to school districts to invest in intervention strategies in middle school — strategies such as personal academic plans, teaching teams, parent involvement, mentoring, intensive reading and math instruction, and extended learning time.
This is good news, but there is a lot more on the site, and the message is strong. Take the time to visit the site yourself, and focus on the topics that are meaningful to you. What grabs my attention, what I seem to hear the most talk about, and what has filled me with the most hope for this new time defined by this new administration, is the message of civic engagement, aka Service.
The website encourages us to:
Enable All Americans to Serve to Meet the Nation’s Challenges
Integrate Service into Learning
- Expand Service-Learning in Our Nation’s Schools: Set a goal that all middle and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year. Develop national guidelines for service learning and give schools better tools both to develop programs and to document student experience.
- Expand Youth Programs: Create an energy-focused youth jobs program to provide disadvantaged youth with service opportunities weatherizing buildings and getting practical experience in fast-growing career fields. Expand the YouthBuild program to give 50,000 disadvantaged young people the chance to complete their high school education, learn valuable skills and build affordable housing in their communities.
- Require 100 Hours of Service in College: Establish a new American Opportunity Tax Credit worth $4,000 a year in exchange for 100 hours of public service a year.
- Promote College Serve-Study: Ensure that at least 25 percent of College Work-Study funds are used to support public service opportunities instead of jobs in dining halls and libraries.
I have written often on this blog about the positive impact that happens when kids at risk have the chance to help others. President Obama’s call to service therefore, is an opportunity, not only to encourage more mentors and volunteers to work with kids, but a chance for mentoring pairs, after-schools programs, buddy programs, etc., to go out together and find ways to do something for someone else.
As we have seen over and over in the research in this course and in stories on this blog, volunteering and learning through service to others offers often unexpected benefits. These include (but are definitely not limited to) self-discovery, increased confidence, a sense of purpose, satisfaction, new perspectives, and many chances to see the world beyond our own neighborhoods (and our own place within it.) Service opens the door to new experiences, new friendships, and even, new careers. When people learn and serve together, they create new ways to connect to each other as well.
And, as I always like to say, when we work together to help others, everybody benefits.
Topics: Community Service, Quality Time | No Comments »
Oregon Campus Compact: Capture the Impact: Alternative Break and Service Day Photo/Video Contest!
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Wednesday, January 14th, 2009
I recently posted information about the upcoming Weekend of Service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. (Be the Change: Sign up to Volunteer Soon)
Now, Capture the Impact: Alternative Break and Service Day Photo/Video Contest! offers another way that teachers and mentors (anyone taking the Making Connections class) can make the most of the weekend. Oregon Campus Compact, “a statewide membership organization connecting community engaged colleges and universities with resources, convening the state for collaborative work and advocating for the civic mission of higher education,” is sponsoring a photo/video contest. The contest is a perfect opportunity to creatively answer the question: What does Community Service and Engagement look like?
By recording what they see and experience in their community, mentors and teachers can spend quality time with kids, get involved in and more familiar with their community, provide some service, encourage creative thinking, and share what they learn. What a great way to add even more to a day of service
For more information and a contest application, click here
To increase your chances of winning 
here are Ten Tips for Better Photographs (courtesy of John Waller and the Photo of the Year Contest)
1. Be in the right place at the right time. Get out there, look around, and take your camera. It’s tough to take great photographs if even one of those actions is missing.
2. Take lots of pictures. Digital photography has opened up a world of possibility to the amateur photographer because now you can instantly review your pictures. Adjust your settings, try different angles, or capture the action at different moments. The more photographs you take, the more likely you are to get a great shot. But remember what worked and what didn’t and apply this new understanding when you take the next picture.
3. Watch the sun. The best times to take pictures are usually early in the morning and early evening; the worst time is generally midday, when light it most harsh.
4. Flash away. Just because you are outdoors doesn’t mean you should put away your flash. Subjects in shadow can appear much too dark when compared to a bright sunny backdrop. When using your flash outdoors, the camera exposes the background first, and then adds in the flash to illuminate your subject.
5. Get close up. Investigate the world around you in finer detail and you will discover a wealth of photo opportunities right at your feet. Most cameras have a macro mode that make getting those close up shots of insects and flowers a snap. Or when you are shooting action, zoom in so we can see the beads of sweat on an athlete’s or worker’s forehead.
6. Anticipate what is going to happen. To take a great outdoor action shot, you need to prepare for it in advance. What might happen, what would be the best angle, and are your settings appropriate? Then when your buddy cuts a sweet turn on their skies down the mountain, or a laughing kid comes zooming by on a swing, you’ll be there to take the picture.
7. Use a tripod for low light. Those sweet sunsets, or moonrises, or starry night shots can be really sweet pictures if they are sharp and crisp. But a tripod is necessary because even the slightest shiver or tremble from a hand-held camera can cause the scene to blur.
8. The rule of thirds. This time tested rule tells us that we should not put the horizon line in the middle of the shot, but rather drop it to the bottom third or the top third depending on what meaning you want to convey. A low horizon conveys a sense of open, vast airiness, and a high horizon instills a sense that the land is the dominant force. The same is true for framing people.
9. Get a sense of perspective. Sometimes having a person in your scenic and street pictures really impresses how big those trucks or buildings, mountains, cliff, waterfall, or landscape really is.
10. Get creative. There are a lot of predictable photographs out there. The unconventional photographs really grab people’s attention.
Play around with angles and settings and HAVE FUN!
Topics: Community Service, How To's, Quality Time | No Comments »
Be the Change: Sign Up to Volunteer Soon
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Tuesday, December 30th, 2008
Hands On Greater Portland and United Way of the Columbia-Willamette are organizing a Weekend of Service January 17 – 19 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
There will 33 ways to volunteer over the course of three days. Thirty three service projects to better our community. (And, if you believe as I do, that encouraging kids at risk to do something for someone else, 33 ways to spend time doing something meaningful with and for the kids you care about.)
Projects that you can participate in include being a Big Brother or Big Sister for a day, building new bicycles from donated parts, sprucing up the children’s section of the Hillsboro Public Library, and creating greeting cards for sick children, stock the pantry at the Oregon Food Bank, and much more
For more information, to see the list of projects, and to sign up, visit the website
Topics: Quality Time, Things to do, Upcoming Events | 1 Comment »
Talking to Kids: How to Create Shared Meaning about Education
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Friday, December 5th, 2008
One thing for sure, it takes a lot of caring and energy to build strong relationships with kids. One of the key elements is simply talking to them. Make the most of the conversations you have by talking about education - but talk to kids in a way that is meaningful to them, and connects to their world view. Try some of these tips:
- Encourage kids to talk about their experiences, what they value, and what motivates them.
- Teachers: give students assignments that provide opportunities for them to talk or write about their values and what motivates them.
- Mentors: help students connect their classroom assignments to what is happening in their lives.
- Once you know what a kid values and is motivated by, talk about how education can help him or her to reach that goal. Provide real life examples.
- Tell kids what education meant to you and your family when you were growing up; ask what it means to them and their families.
- Reflect on the concepts you use with in the classroom and in conversations. Take the time to define terms in multiple ways with an emphasis on creating explanations that motivate kids and reflect their worldview.
- Ask kids what a word or concept mean to them, how they would use them, and how they would help a family member understand the word or concept.
- Establish a climate where young people feel comfortable asking questions for clarification.
- Teachers: an effective way to do this is to ask students to submit questions anonymously. Then take the time to answer each question.
- Mentors: talk to students about the struggles you had learning something and share how asking questions helped you to learn concepts and advance your education.
- Teachers and mentors: ask kids to paraphrase what was said to see if there is shared meaning.
- Regard students’ ways of speaking and thinking as resources, not problems. Involve kids in the construction of their own knowledge—help them discover their learning style and needs, provide ways to help them take responsibility for learning experiences, and plan together to set and meet educational goals.
- Create opportunities for kids to discuss their goals and aspirations, share what they want to learn about, and find ways the school can help them.
- Listen to kids as they discuss ideas together.
- Promote candid discussion about topics relevant to kids’ lives, and challenge them to solve real-life problems—stretch students beyond the familiar.
- Develop a large “bag of tricks” to get to know your students and families well.
Topics: How to Help, Quality Time, Relationship Strategy | 1 Comment »
Listen and learn from each other
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Saturday, November 29th, 2008
In the Oregonian, and on the NPR website, I discovered that “a non- profit called StoryCorps http://www.storycorps.net/ is asking Americans to record conversations with people they care about – a sibling, a grandparent, a neighbor, even a stranger.” The idea is part of NPR’s National Day of Listening celebration, to offer a “more meaningful way to kick off the holiday season.”
For those of you who have not already discovered StoryCorps: (The Conversations of a Lifetime), the website is a treasure trove of conversations about our “experiences, our history, hopes, and humanity.” Since 2003, tens of thousands of everyday people have interviewed family and friends through StoryCorps, and their stories can be heard regularly on the radio, and on the website.
Since the goal of StoryCorps is to “Celebrate (and share) each other’s lives,” I recommend that you give yourself the gift of stories by taking the time to listen to some of the conversations. I promise you will go back again and again to hear more.
Then, plan a StoryCorps style project with your kids. What a better way to get to know them, their ideas and dreams and background, and, also, have them get to know you better, than by planning, conducting, recording and sharing an interview.
For more information on how to conduct and record interviews, go to www.nationaldayoflistening.org and download a do-it-yourself guide
The following tips to get you started are included in the Oregonian article
- Prepare five or 10 questions. (I have edited the questions to make them more suited to a kid audience, and to open up some conversational possibilities.) “What are some the most important lessons you have learned in life? Tell me about the best day of your life. What makes you happy? Who is the most important person in your life, and why? What would you like to be when you grow up, and how will you get there?”
- Find a tape recorder, video camera or computer and practice using it. Pick a quiet interview location.
- Start by introducing yourself and your interview subject.
- Listen carefully; ask follow-up questions.
- Distribute copies of the interview to family, friends, (share), and consider uploading it at www.nationaldayoflistening.org/#share and to OUR community blog.
It will be nice to hear from you.
Topics: How To's, Quality Time | 1 Comment »
Photo of the Year Contest: An Opportunity for YOUR Kids to Show Their World
By jqwaller | Friday, November 14th, 2008
The 7th Annual Photo of the Year amateur photography contest is underway. Photo of the Year is a benefit for the MESD Outdoor School Program, which has been providing natural science education to sixth grade students in Portland for the past 42 years. Visit our website for all details and to enter the contest.Participants in Photo of the Year are supporting photography, education, and an appreciation for the natural environment all at the same time. While the contest is open to all demographics around the world, we have made special effort to allow young photographers and classrooms of students to participate as well through our Youth Category.
Have a Photo Contest in Your Classroom or After School program.
Photographs can enhance your classroom in many ways. Photos expose places, faces and things that your students may never have seen or imagined. They can bring color and beauty into a grey day; they can help express and share ideas—especially for visual learners. They hold the past and capture the present. They are fun to take and fun to look at. And, when entered into the Photo of the Year contest, they are a way to support an Oregon school program.
Whether you choose to submit photos or not, a class photo contest is a great way to encourage students to think critically about photography. As both photographers and judges, students have a chance to learn about the elements of a photograph, and to establish their own criteria for what makes a “good” photo.
To start the contest, invite students to bring in photographs they have taken and display them around the room. Then, the group can collectively choose the five best photos and submit them in digital format to the Photo of the Year Contest along with the $15 donation fee.
In doing so, your class becomes eligible to win “Photo of the Year” and a $500 grand prize. And the entire time everyone involved is supporting the MESD Outdoor School Program.
For ideas and information about how to take great photos, check out this blog entry - Get to Know the World Through Someone Else’s Eyes
Topics: Inspiration, Quality Time, Things to do | No Comments »
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