January 28: VALLEY TRADING POST, Waterflow, NM


....Background reading about Valley Trading Post

....Background reading about Trading Posts (Colleen O’Neil, 2005)


 

....Trading Post Guide Book by Patrick Eddington (1997)

....Stella Tanner Oral History


 

....Photos on our blog of the Trading Post


 

....Check out my blog message to you abput the Trading Post visit 
II.
Following our visit there, we will head to SJC WEST Library to finish 
up our class.


 

Feb. 11 Farmington Indian Center

FIC has been conisidered part of the municipal government for the past four years and started as a rest stop in the early 70s because of discriminatory practices that Native Americans were not allowed to use public facilities. The FIC became a safe haven. Currently, FIC provides social services by referring patrons to other agencies in the city. FIC has a housing facility for the homeless. FIC proudly coordinates and sponsors several annual events:

  • Annual Indian Market & Festival (opportunity to but artwork directly from
     artists)

  • Ms. Indian Farmington (June 11, 2010)

  • Spring Mini Contest Pow-Wow (May 15, 2010)

  • American Indian Arts & Crafts Sale


 Feb. 25 TEACH THE CHILDREN

Business owner Charles Dobey shared some of his time with our UNM students. He provided some insight about becoming a teacher. He is a valuable resource for teachers. As Mr. Dobey outs it: "I grew up as a teacher's kid and a principal's kid and married a teacher." His wife has taught for 23 years and is a special education teacher. Mr. Dobey pointed out another family distinctive record: His mother is the only person who has been with the same school district for 54 years in this area.

He quoted that on an average nationwide from Florida to California, teachers purchase classroom materials and supplies "out of pocket" at $1,682. "I have the best customers in the whole wide world. I get to work with parents and teachers who are committed to their children's success because they love kids," he said.

Among the materials and classroom supplies, Charles Dobey provides services such as writing invoices
 and lamination at comparatively reduced prices. Thank you, Patricia, for arranging this visit to such a professional community resource. Teach the Children catalog is available online at http://www.teachthechildrencatalog.com

 

March 4 ENLACEat 1930 San Juan Boulevard in Farmington (325.1099) is a nationwide fully-funded program that is considered a SJC off campus site. Started as a grant program 10 years ago establishing a family room at McCormick Elementary School with a large representation of Native American and Spanish students the program assisted students and parents at the school. Carolyn Martinez worked with building the program and serving asthe family coordinator. When the grant expeired the community asked to continue the program. Carolyn worked for nine months without a salary. The Dollar General is a proud supporter of education and assisted the program during its lean years before its official name of ENLACE.

The philosophy of ENLACE is the understanding that they work from the bottom up. ENLACE's practices are shaped by this grassroots approach. Since money drives a lot of initiatives, ENLACE is politically involved with policies that affect the community and therefore maintain an important relationship with the legislature.

ENLACE advocatted for the Dream Act whereby high school graduates entering the country up to 15 years of age can establish a pathway to citizenship. Senate Bill 582 allows these students to go to college and receive financial aid and state funded assistance. This Bill passed due to the direct lobbying efforts of passing the Dream Act. The drop out rate is higher for minority group students. On March 21, Student Ambassadors from ENLACE will attend a March in Washington. ENLACE Ambassadors also work with other teens for action in the Mayors Youth/Teen Advisory Council (MYTAC) on issues related to youth in the community.

ENLACE Programs

  • English as a Second Language classes

  • GED in Spanish

  • Computer classes

  • Preparación Universitaria

  • Citizenship class

  • Spanish ESL

  • Folklorico Dancing

  • Mariachi Music

  • After school tutoring

  • Prime Time Family Literacy Program

  • Summer Kid's Workshop & Classes

  • Student Ambassadors Program

Mabel is a first generation family from Chihuahua, Mexico and is a product of Farmington High School. She has returned to work in her community. Mabel earned her master's degree from UNM and taught fifth grade in Central America in an immigrant community. She continues to advocate and serve her community.

March 11 Farmington Special Preschool (FSP)

serves preschool age children with all types of exceptionalities ranging from speech delays to autism.
Thank you Brittany & April for making arrangements and providing a comprehensive tour of the learning environment. Students have access to Navajo language, Spanish language, Physical Education, Speech, and Deaf Education classes. We met with Melissa Minnehan, Mrs. Marjie, Jody, the speech therapist and Kelly, the deaf education teacher. Country Club Elementary School and FSP are the only dead education programs in this area with actual classroom set up for hearing impaired children. This community field trip complemented the Special Education Chapter in our text which April & Brittany presented. See our photos.

I promised I would send Jody the following links:

San Juan Media Center in Blanding, UT &

Salina Bookshelf in Flagstaff, AZ


 

March 18 Farmington Museum

Education Coordinator Sarah Cooke gave us a generous deluxe tour of the museum.  Harris Richard took us back in time through the Trading Post exhibit and Debbie Doggett took us behind the scenes to where the museum inventory of artifacts are kept. We had the rare opportunity to browse the contents and handle antique clothes, objects and primary source documents with white gloves. The museum is digitizing some of its collection in partnership with UNM Libraries. Thank you, Rachel, for arranging such an interesting and hands on history field trip!


 

April 5 Farmington Public library

Courtney arranged for our class to meet at the library and surprised us with a tour by Adult Services Reference Librarian Dori. We conducted our session behind beautifully etched glass doors as Rachel and Patricia presented text Chapters Parts II & II and Chapter 12. We inventoried ourselves with a Multiple Intelligences (MI) Inventory under Rachel's guidance and talked about nuances of language via cartoon strips with Patricia.

Available online MI are below:

What's your Learning Style?

Overview
Inventory

MI Invenotry

Background Reading about MI:

Interview with Howard Gardner

Learning Styles

MI Resources


 

April 12 E3 MUSEUM

Cammie and Cherisa arranged for our visit to the E3 Museum, where Kelly Hile, Museum Education Coordinator, rovided an engaging time. We visited the teacher resource room, where boxes of hands-on-materials were available for us to borrow. Kelly led us in an art project, with connections to Escher, tanagrams and pointilism, whereby we used colored tape as a painting technique. We intereacted with the current exhibit on physics. I volunteered to help the museum with a database project listing their resource materials available for teachers to borrow. In a small way it is my contribution and my way of giving back for all they do for teachers in our community. See out photos in our photo Gallery