Sunday, February 28, 2016

That giant plant is actually Dr. Birdd

Dr. Donald Birdd has been entertaining students since 1981. He doesn't just teach science; he lives science. His students are so entertained that they don't even realize how much they are learning. Dr. Birdd becomes scientists from the past, such as Galileo, or he becomes something of scientific interest. On Friday, February 26th, Dr. Birdd became a plant during a visit to Huth Road Elementary School in Grand Island. He taught all of the fourth grade students during his all-day visit. I went to the school to take pictures for the PTA. During Dr. Birdd's lunch break, he very kindly agreed to be interviewed.

Dr. Birdd doesn't just tell the students and teachers about the parts of the plant. He gives each student a carnation, which they slowly take apart. He guides them through the process of taking apart the plant and has them find different parts of the plant. They are given a diagram, which shows where each part of the plant is found. After the carnations are thoroughly dissected, Dr. Birdd has the students take apart a bean, so the students can learn where new plants come from.

Dr. Birdd has been a science teacher since 1965, when he started his teaching career in a rural high school in Wisconsin, about 40 miles from the Wisconsin Dells. "I was the only science teacher in the school," Dr. Birdd said. He taught physics, chemistry, biology, and physical science. "It was a long day, and I lasted two years." He left that job in 1967. 

Dr. Birdd said that he returned to graduate school, but he was drafted into military service. He served in the Navy for four years. He never saw service in a ship or in Vietnam. He spent two years in Washington, D.C., and a year and a half in Tokyo. After leaving the Navy, he went back to school and earned two master's degrees: one in teaching biology and the other in professional development, earth science, and instructional technology.  His Ph.D. was in instructional methods in teaching science.

Dr. Birdd is the kind of teacher who is always trying to encourage the students to learn. "I was working with underachievers. I became a mentor to the kids. I had to hook their attention by doing something different. I wore a costume to class, and it made a difference." At Buffalo State College, Dr. Birdd taught science to nonscience majors. "The kids disliked science when they came to the class." Dr. Birdd, with his enthusiasm for all things science, which included teaching physics in costume, got these students to enjoy science. Most continued to have nonscience majors but, "One became a physics major and another became a chemistry major. I feel very good about that."

Dr. Birdd also taught three elementary science methods courses at Buffalo State College. "I had a real eager bunch to take this class. They were learning hands-on techniques." One teaching technique that Dr. Birdd told me about was to "teach around the wheel." "Everyone has a fair chance of learning the things that they need to learn."

"I used to do programs at the Buffalo Museum of Science. One of them was called 'Leonardo's inventions.'" (about Leonardo da Vinci).

He also presented programs during the New York Power Authority's Wildlife Festival.

Dr. Birdd said that his favorite part of his innovative style of teaching is "seeing the sparkle in someone's eyes when they actually get it. Eventually, everyone gets it at some level."

Dr. Birdd has done student programs and teacher in-services for more than 25 years. He takes his show on the road, traveling through the United States, Canada, and as far as American Samoa.

He does not object to being called goofy names, such as "weird."  "I resemble weird," Dr. Birdd said.

Saturday, February 27, 2016

The 366-day photography project: week 30

Note: On Saturday, February 20th, I was feeling much better. I felt almost recovered from the one-two punch of cold followed by flu shot failure. My friend Amy and I went to tap dance, where we started learning the steps for the dance that we will do at the June 4th recital. After coming home, I had tea with my mom.

I really like having tea in a lovely bone china teacup.

Bone china teacups have an interesting history. Josiah Spode (1733-1797) is credited for having invented bone china. It is a soft paste porcelain that has several necessary ingredients: bone ash, feldspathic material, and kaolin. Different manufacturers favor a variety of designs on the cup and saucer. Royal Albert prefers to use floral designs, especially roses. Their pottery was established in Longton, England, in 1896. Wedgwood, which produces a great variety of designs, was established in 1759 by a 29-year-old Josiah Wedgwood. He is still known as the father of English potters.

To this day, bone china, for the most part, is manufactured in England.

I buy all of my bone china cups and saucers at garage sales and rummage sales so I have a delightfully eclectic mix of cups. The cups are great for tea and also to use as objects to use in still-life paintings.


On Sunday morning, I ate this gorgeous blood orange. I had more time than usual for taste treats on Sunday. Although I was feeling much better, I was not vocally ready for choir. I was able to sing but did not have the stamina necessary for choir practice. 

During my free time, I read this book, The Paris Architect, by Charles Belfoure. That was the book of the month for the library's book club. The main character is an architect, and the story is set in Paris during the German occupation in World War II. It is the author's first novel. His previous books had been nonfiction. An architect, the author's main interest is historic preservation.

Later in the afternoon, I went to Riverside-Salem Environmental Chapel for a presentation on the music of Bob Dylan.

It was interesting, although I have to say that Bob Dylan's singing was not really my cup of tea. To me, it sounded off key but, most likely, Bob Dylan was not actually that dramatically out of tune. I suspect that the recordings from the 1960s have degraded so much that all of the music (singing, guitar, and harmonica) sounds as if it is completely out of tune. I did enjoy the lyrics. Very innovative and Bob Dylan sang them in an expressive style. I think that I would have enjoyed it more, had the recording been in better condition.

This was the sunset over the Niagara River.

It looks like a painting, with these beautiful primary colors.

I love my citrus fruit. Monday morning's grapefruit. 


Mmm, a lovely clementine, still dressed in its peel.

Monday was the day that I chose to say good bye to the last gifts of Christmas... the special Christmas herbal tea. It was delicious. The tea was a beautiful shade of red. Honey and lemon brought out the flavor of the cranberries and pomegranate.


On Monday evening, I went to the book club meeting, where we had a spirited discussion about The Paris Architect. Our book for next month is a classic: East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. 

On Tuesday, I had some errands to run after Zumba. Once I was finished, I started walking home. Even though it was a cold day, people were working outside on a construction project. 

A car stopped, a window opened, and a friendly face popped out and offered me a ride home. It was my dear friend Carmen. When I got home, I saw that, despite the cold weather, these daffodils had started growing. That made me feel so happy and eager to start gardening again.



On Wednesday morning, I had fun painting these bottles. The small one is good for storing Q-tips and the larger ones make nice bud vases.

At lunchtime, I went to Trinity United Methodist Church for the second of a five-part Lenten luncheon series on the topic of fear. This is a link to the blog post that I wrote about Pastor Sung Ho Lee's presentation on overcoming fear of the future: God has a plan for you

This is the Rev. Sung Ho Lee, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church, with his wife Jung Lee.

It had rained copiously for several days. This is what the back yard looked like on Wednesday. In Grand Island, the vast majority of our soil is clay, and water absorbs slowly.


On Wednesday evening, I went with a group from Saint Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church and Saint Timothy Lutheran Church to visit the Islamic Society of the Niagara Frontier. We were welcomed and made to feel like members of the family. It was a wonderful experience.

The Imam stands on one of these steps when he leads prayers.

There are many circles with calligraphy throughout the mosque. Each word is a different trait of God. I wrote about the visit to the mosque in this blog. Here is a link: story about our visit to the Islamic Society of the Niagara Frontier
This is the first of four visits to different houses of worship.


On Thursday, I went out to take pictures of the wetlands, full of the melting snow.

Late winter...

This looks like a creek but it's not always this full. After a rainfall, it fills and becomes a creek. During drought, it is just dry land.



There is still a great deal of ice in the temporary creek. Winter is fighting the calendar now.

On Friday, I went to Huth Road Elementary School to take pictures for the PTA.

This is Dr. Birdd. He went to visit the fourth grade classes and taught them about plants. He brought the subject to life by dressing up as a human-sized plant.

During one of the presentations (Dr. Birdd did five in total), Hurley, the therapy dog, came to visit the class. He is a very calm dog, who is well-loved by students and staff alike.

Dr. Birdd's enthusiasm for plants is contagious. The students actively participate in the hands-on activities that Dr. Birdd leads. Look for a post with Dr. Birdd's story on Monday!
Once again, it is Saturday, and this is what a cara cara orange looks like!

Next week: Father Earle King discusses fear of death at the third Lenten luncheon. We visit Temple Beth El in Niagara Falls on Wednesday evening. On Thursday, there will be a presentation on Amelia Earhart at the regular meeting of the Grand Island Historical Society. On Friday, the annual World Day of Prayer, with the service written by the women of Cuba, will be held at Island Presbyterian Church. For regular updates, please keep visiting this blog.

Friday, February 26, 2016

A visit to the Islamic Society of the Niagara Frontier

The Rev. Canon Earle King, pastor of Saint Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Grand Island, N.Y., put together a program for Lent. Anyone interested could visit four different houses of worship, representing four different faiths. He called the series, "Beyond Our Doors: Understanding Others' Religions and Cultures." The program started with a seed of an idea and it grew, and, in the process, the people of Saint Timothy Lutheran Church joined in the project.

On Wednesday, we visited the Islamic Society of the Niagara Frontier, located at 745 Heim Road, Getzville. The visit was wonderful. We were served a delicious meal, which included rice, pita bread, salad a vegetable dish, chicken sausage, a potato dish (it was wrapped in dough), and rice pudding. We were treated like kings and queens by our new friends, some of whom grew up here in western New York and others who came from various parts of the world, including Pakistan, India, Canada, Kuwait, Jordan, etc. 

After our meal, the Imam gave a presentation. An imam is a person who leads prayers in a mosque. Here are some of the things that I learned about Islam.
  • Islam is a monotheistic religion. Muslims worship the same God as Christians and Jews.
  • The definition of "Allah" is "the one who is to be worshiped."There are five pillars, which describe the main beliefs of Islam.  These pillars are:
  1. faith (iman): There is one God, Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet. In a mosque, there are designs written on the wall in calligraphy. In each of the designs is written a quality of God. The creator is everything. Nothing can exist without the creator. 
  2. prayer (salat): When people pray, the are placing God at the center of their lives. Muslims pray five times a day. They face Mecca when they pray. These prayers are compulsory for all Muslims. The times of the prayers are: a. before dawn (at about 6:15 in the winter and at about 5 a.m. in the summer), b. mid-day, c. when your shadow becomes your size, d. sunset, and e. nighttime. During the prayers, an excerpt of Quran is read. The Quran is the holy book of the Muslims. Even though translations are available, during prayer, the Quran is always read in Arabic. 
  3. Almsgiving/charity (zakat): Giving money to the poor is required and is not optional, the Imam explained. He said, "If you are well fed and your neighbor sleeps hungry, you are not a complete believer." In addition, hospitality and reaching out to people are important features of the Muslim faith. 
  4. Fasting (sawm): During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast during daylight hours. There are a few exceptions granted to pregnant women, elderly people, small children, and people who are in poor health. If you are healthy, you do not eat, drink, or have relations with your spouse during daylight hours. Fasting is a discipline and a way to learn fortitude and patience. It brings you closer to the creator.
  5. Pilgrimage (hajj): The pilgrimage for Muslims to travel to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. The reason for Mecca is that is where the Prophet Muhammad was born. People are encourage to travel to Mecca once in their lifetimes, if they can afford the trip and if they are healthy enough to walk long distances. There are no cars in Mecca. Some people, who have the money but not the health, will finance others to take a pilgrimage that, otherwise, they would not have been able to afford. The Imam said, "I had the privilege to go for the first time last year."

 
A few more observations and explanations from the Imam. 
A masjid is a Muslim place of worship, usually a specified building. Prayers, however, can be offered anywhere. In the masjid, there is carpeting and no statues. The Imam explained that mosques are modest structures and that the first mosques were made of clay and were covered with branches. Many mosques have domes and high minarets. The minarets conduct sound so that people can hear the call to prayer. The Islamic Society of the Niagara Frontier has a sound system, instead of a dome, for calling prayers.
During prayers, women and men are separate. "Women are separated from men to give privacy to women," the Imam explained.
There are many prophets in the Muslim faith, including Abraham, David, and Jesus. Muhammad was the last prophet, who was born in 570 and died in 632. The Prophet Muhammad was the founder of the Muslim faith.
Islam is not practiced only in the Middle East. In fact, the country that has the largest population of Muslims is Indonesia. That is because, with a population of almost 256 million people, Indonesia has the fourth biggest population in the world. The three countries with bigger populations are China, India, and the United States.
There are also many misconceptions concerning Islam and Muslims. The worst is that Muslims are violent people who believe that it is OK to kill civilians in a holy war. The Imam said that that killing people is not OK and that violent behavior does not represent Islam, just like people who bomb abortion clinics do not represent Christianity. 
We were told by Yasmin, "Most of us came here for a better life here and to express our Muslim identity. The biggest problem is that people don't know the facts (about the Muslim faith). People who hate Muslims don't know any Muslims. You can ask questions. The Imam is available. We have a board, also called a council of trustees. We have great relations with our neighbors.
"The mosque is always open for visits."
For more information, check out the mosque's website: Islamic Society of the Niagara Frontier website.

And, last but not least, thank you so much to the Imam and to the members of the Islamic Society of the Niagara Frontier. Your hospitality went well beyond anything we ever imagined. I am so grateful. We were offered food, friendship, and education. We were given pamphlets explaining the Muslim faith, as well as English-language translations of the Quran. I have already started reading and will probably have loads of questions! 
I am also grateful to Fahim Mojawalla, co-owner of the Island Ship Center with his wife Seema, and Father Earle King for making this visit possible.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Be Not Afraid, part two

Sung Ho Lee has been the pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church since July 2015. At the February 25th Lenten luncheon, he shared the story of how he came to become a United Methodist pastor, which is a second career for him. He also talked about overcoming fear of the future, and he used his personal story as an illustration of how a person can make big changes in his life and do so with confidence, knowing that God will always provide. 

He grew up in Seoul, South Korea. "I had a dream to be a scientist." His goal was to earn his master's degree and doctorate in the United States. He obtained a catalog from Harvard University.

"It was very intimidating," he said. He asked himself, "Can I do this?"

He wondered if he had the passion and the courage of make his boyhood dream come true. He was able to use the power of his passion to come to the United States to study chemical engineering, and he earned a PhD from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He worked in research in Korea for several years.

Pastor Lee was able to take a second leap of faith when he attended the Drew Theological Seminary, first to become an ordained minister and then to earn his doctorate in ministry. It was a leap of faith because he had gotten married to his wife, Jung Lee, and they were raising two children. Chemical engineers are generally well-paid, and going back to school meant a reduction in income.

But, when you receive a call from God to pursue the ministry, you are willing to accept a reduction in income. Pastor Lee said that he was able to "pursue another future" because he realized that it was "God's plan for him to be a pastor." He said that he was able to follow the power of passion and take risks, he was not afraid of the future.

Fear of the future. Pastor Lee managed to overcome that with faith, passion, and courage. But what about the rest of us? Pastor Lee explained that we don't know our future, but God knows, and God has plans for us. This is where the fear comes in. Trusting God with our future is necessary but difficult because, as humans, we want to have control over our lives. We fear that our future will be hopeless and terrible. I know this because this has been a difficult area for me. What kind of future waits for me? Will it be good or will it be terrible, full of loneliness and rejection?

Only God can see into our future. We don't have anything that can accurately show us a picture of our future. Pastor Lee quoted Jeremiah 29:11, which said, "For surely, I know the plans that I have for you, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope."

A future with hope. Where there is life, there is hope. Even if we cannot see what our future will be like and we have set no goals for ourselves, God still knows. God has plans for us. We just have to trust, something that is not easy, but also not impossible.