Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

Responding In a Crisis, 3D Printed Books & Book Inscriptions

Today's blogs...

Blog City – Day 122

Prompt: Honestly, evaluate the way you respond to a crisis situation. Are you happy with the way you react?

I am thinking this would depend on the crisis and my role in it.

If I am the teacher in a class and a child is having a 'meltdown' I will remain calm and follow the predetermined plan we, as a class, will have devised and practiced for such situations. In these situations, I find I am very happy with my ability to take the challenge head on - as we are often prepared for possible problems and have already put possible scenarios in place.

Because of that kind of experience, I am thinking I do tend to remain calm and focused on what needs doing in most crisis situations. My mother has always said I react well and she can rely on me.

I am not sure how I would react with my husband in tow. I tend to defer to him and he is a manly man so I trust him in all things chaotic, but I still remain calm.

It reminds me of that poster of a duck that says be calm on the surface but underneath paddling like hell. That is my motto, I suppose.
Calm begets calm and helps to de - escalate the situation.

There is nothing worse than a hysterical person. Slap them and move on.

30 Day Blogging Challenge

Today is Opinion Thursday and we need your ideas or opinion about this 3d tech as a new way of reading.
Here's the prompt: July 3 - Imagining a New Way to Read, One 3D-Printed Book
Here's part:
Blind and visually impaired children will now be able to experience classic picture books like Goodnight Moon and Harold and the Purple Crayon with the help of 3D printing technology.
See complete link here: http://mashable.com/2014/07/03/3d-printed-book/

I find this an intriguing idea. Being a teacher who has spent a great deal of time working with children who have special needs, this is a worthy aspect. Children who are visually impaired or blind do not learn braille until the are 6 years old. They miss out on the enrichment of books before that age unless this kind of 3D picture prints are made available.

Yes, it is expensive, but I can see a parent or other person close to that child creating something of this nature if a child shows a special interest to a certain book. Using what you have and a little creative ingenuity you can create a book for the child - or even with the child, if they are old enough. Involving the senses into reading could be important for many children - think of the interesting things you could add in for smells, touch, hear and even taste; and sights for children without a vision impairment, but something else as their challenge. Albeit, many of the sensory aspects may not be a 'permanent' component of the story, particularly if you are using real fruit for a story that involves fruit.

I had a vision itinerant teacher come into one of my classes and bring a storybook that involved a dog. The book was in a bag that also included a selection of artifacts in the book. A fluffy dog with a button to make him bark, a dog biscuit. The book became an interactive delight. It was read one on one with an experience the child was more than happy to repeat.

I think this kind of thing is another layer to helping children access their world in any way that works to engage them.

Welcome To My Reality – Week Twenty Eight

3. Do you ever inscribe books when you gift them? Do you have books with inscriptions in? Do they make a gift more meaningful? Do they make a book more treasured? Or are they simply a form of graffiti, defacing the book and reducing the value?

This depends on the person and the reason behind the book. I do give a lot of books as gifts and most of them I do not inscribe. I think it has more to do with the fact that we are a disposable society. Many books we get we pass on to others or resell them at a used bookstore (I hope anyway) - the thought of someone throwing out a book galls me. My stepfather did it once and after I gave my opinion he never did it again (at least not that I know of).

Some books I have have been inscribed and to me these are treasures. One is a story I used teaching one of my special education classes. They enjoyed the activities and the story so much that when I left at the end of the year I got an autographed copy from my students and the teachers I had worked with - the autographs were of the students, not the author. I will treasure it always because of the positive experience that book engendered. The book is Jan Brett's The Mitten.

Another book I have that has an inscription is not even to me. The book is given to my grandfather from his mother Charlotte Anna Proud for Christmas 1962. It is written in his hand writing not hers. The 'inscription lists her name then in brackets [Deceased Monday July 22/63 - two minutes to 10pm]. Under that is says 'My Mother' and 'xmas 1962.' Odd I know, but the relationship is there. Apparently this woman loved to read and to write and though I never met her, my 'talents' have been traced to her, just like my teaching is traced to my grandmother's side of the family.

Below this inscription I have written my own original name complete with my middle name, then added 'His granddaughter' and 'Gramzie let me have this book 1978'. It is an ideals publication of Christmas Memory Lane in hard cover. They print these every year, but not in hard cover anymore and this one is special because of the family connections but also because of the stories within it.

I may have others, but these are extra special.