BELONGING: SCOTTISH, WELSH, FRENCH, CHEROKEE

“One day . . . or day one.” – Anonymous                                                            May: Cherokee Month of the Planting Moon

SEL:  #3 Social-Awareness     Digital Learner:  #2Global Collaborator

A kind word to one in trouble is often like a switch in a railroad track. . .an inch between wreck and smooth sailing.    – Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887)

When I was nine years old, my best friend taught me to ride horses. She was Swedish, knew her grandfather was Swedish, and she had cousins in Sweden. After college, she began learning the language and took her daughter to meet the Scandinavian cousins. They made round-ribbon wreaths for their hair with long ribbon-streamers down the back.

I wanted to belong to a culture. (I was very angry as a child that I was not Native American. I thought my parents had gipped me.) I wanted to eat special food and hear stories of a country different from Denver, Colorado USA. At age 40, I was at my grandmother’s funeral and discovered she was French-Cherokee. They hid those records in the 1920’s so, who knew?

Later, I discovered my maternal grandmother was a Davidson from Davidson County, Tennessee (Nashville). Davidson is an old Highlander clan from Scotland. I found their blue-green tartan when I visited Calgary. Davidson College is renown. My maternal grandfather was Welsh. The flower of Wales is the yellow daffodil and I have a paperweight of tiny, blue forget-me-nots. Native American nations have names for the full moons each month. I’ve started listing them on this Blog to honor my Cherokee heritage. I cannot imagine why my parents weren’t raised with any of their own ethnic awareness. As a child, I longed to belong to something more than myself.

We did go out to dinner once a month and the rule was to try a restaurant with food from a foreign country. We sat on the floor in front of a Japanese hibachi and learned to eat with chopsticks; enjoyed spicy food from east India; and loved Italian bread and sauces. The smorgasbord was a Swedish meal served with an ice-cream ball and a flaming sugar cube on top for dessert. As an adult, I appreciate how we travelled the world with food, it just wasn’t meeting my immature expectation to be like everyone else. Later in life, I did not delve deeply into my backgrounds because I was busy. Maybe in my elder years I will do so. Or not. There’s no pressure now, only a choice. Finally, this French, Cherokee, Scottish-Highlander, Welsh woman belongs to the wide world of children’s literature.

Aloha love, Carla

I am committed to being an effective member of the global digital community. Montana Cat Tales for Life-Long Learners publishes children’s picture books, for ages 4-8, on earth science, feelings and emotions, and social-emotional learning (SEL). These books work to help children understand themselves and their place in the world through animal characters and diverse human companions. They provide Learning-to-Learn Skills for Early Readers, sight-words, and phonics to enrich academic development.

Commitments of a Digital Citizen (2022): I am inclusive. I engage with others online with respect and empathy. I am informed. I evaluate the accuracy, perspective, and validity of online information. I am engaged. I use technology for civic engagement and to be a force for good. I am balanced. I prioritize my time and activities online and offline. I am alert. I know how to be safe online and create safe spaces for others.  digcitcommit.org  ISTE.org   

The 5 SEL Competencies:  Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, Self-Management, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making. CASEL.org

The 7 Competencies for Technology in Education: Empowered Learner: I use technology to set goals, work toward achieving them, and demonstrating my learning. Global Collaborator: I strive to broaden my perspective, understand others, and work effectively in teams using digital tools. Digital Citizen: I understand the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning, and working in an interconnected digital world. Creative Communicator: I communicate effectively and express myself creatively using different tools, styles, formats, and digital media. Knowledge Constructor: I critically select, evaluate, and synthesize digital resources into a collection that reflects my learning and builds my knowledge. Computational Thinker: I identify authentic problems, work with data, and use a step-by-step process to automate solutions. Innovative Designer: I solve problems by creating new and imaginative solutions using a variety of digital tools. ISTE.org  

Disclaimer for Blog This site cannot and does not contain social-emotional learning (SEL) or technology in education advice. These materials are provided for general informational and educational purposes and are not a substitute for professional advice on any particular concerns or circumstances involved. This Blog: Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) For Everyone! aims to share ideas and best practices, in good faith, only. Any information sent to Carla Chapin, or to Montana Cat Tales for Life-Long Learners, LLC, through the website, Internet, or email is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis. The original content of the websites Carla Chapin, Montana Cat Tales for Life-Long Learners, LLC and the Blogs: Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) For Everyone!  and Montana Cat Tales for Life-Long Learners, are copyrighted materials and are subject to the restrictions and protections set forth in the Copyright Act.