On Today’s Show:
A powerful text set focusing on acts of kindness and social action by Andrea Ross of Just One More Book
Thanks To:
Charles Cadenhead, Anna Sumida, Jim Clohessy, Yvonne Siu Runyan. Special thanks to Andrea Ross for providing audio for this week’s show.
Podcasts/ Podcasters Mentioned:
Just One More Book Just One More Book
Charles Cadenhead of Mostly News
Books Mentioned:
Beatrice’s Goat, written by Page McBrier and Illustrated by Lori Lohstoeter
“The Goat Lady“, by Jane Bregoli
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Produced by:
Andy Bilodeau
Transcript for Acts Of Kindness And Social Action_CLIP 23
Intro
Hello Everyone. You are listening to show 23 of the CLIP podcast which I would like to dedicate to my friends and colleagues in Hawaii especially those who are connected with Kamehameha Schools. Congratulations again on a favorable court decision regarding the John Doe lawsuit.
Tonight’s show focuses on a powerful text set on acts of kindness and social action submitted by Andrea Ross of Just One More Book, a wonderful podcast and resource on children’s books. The idea for the show resulted from a comment by Andrea on a previous clip episode after which time I encouraged her to send me audio expanding on her thoughts. I’m so pleased she agreed to do the show and I know you will truly enjoy what she has to say as much as I have. I thought it was especially appropriate as we enter the holiday season.
Jim Clohessy station ID
Midtro
Audio from Andrea Ross
This is Andrea Ross, devoted CLIP listener and one of the children’s book fanatics behind the Just One More Book!! Podcast.
More often than not, Vivian’s CLIP episodes leave me buzzing with ideas, inspiration and feeling a bit like I’ve fallen out in the middle of a lively, engaging conversation. And… more often than not… the result is a long and rambling email to Vivian from me, filling her in on all the thoughts and ideas her show has brought up for me.
A few weeks ago, Vivian decided to cure me of this post-CLIP rambling email habit by suggesting that I put some of those thoughts into a segment for her show. This is my attempt to do that. I think I’m cured.
In CLIP Episode 16, entitled “Acts of Courage and Acts of Kindness”, Vivian presented A multi-media text set of children’s books and audio exploring the idea that children can make improvements in the world.
This inspiring show brought to mind two fabulous books and two organizations that can help children see the power and possibility of relatively small, tangible gestures.
Beatrice’s Goat, written by Page McBrier and Illustrated by Lori Lohstoeter, tells the true story of a 9 year old Ugandan girl whose life is changed for the better by the gift of a goat. This gorgeous book, with its warm, earthy illustrations and simple narration effectively illustrates how the education, income and nourishment provided by the goat slowly and steadily improves the health and wellbeing of the entire family — and eventually ripples outward to neighbouring families. The story is accompanied by a description of the Heifer Organization:
Instead of providing hungry families with a temporary source of food, Heifer International provides a “living loan” of an animal and training in animal care. Each family in turn passes these gifts to another family in need, creating a chain of hope that lifts entire communities.
The second book on this goat-giving theme is “The Goat Lady“, by Jane Bregoli. What an amazing book. What an amazing story. Filled with gorgeous grey/blue paintings and a striking example of the power of understanding, this book is too great a masterpiece to do justice here. The relevant point is that the main character of this true story is an elderly Quebecois widow in Massachusetts who raises goats which she eventually gives to the Heifer organization. (As a complete aside: the real Beatrice, who is now 20 years old, eventually became a student in northern Massachusetts. )
To make this whole life enhancing animal gift giving idea even more accessible, a charitable organization called Project Tembo (Tanzania Education and Micro-Business Opportunity) sells donation greeting cards at one of our local independent book stores. Not long after first reading these two books, our girls were each able to buy a chicken for a Tanzanian family! Talk about mixed media!
Showing both sides of the goat-giving story, and in this order, and exploring the Heifer and Project Tembo websites, I believe, really brings the whole gift giving idea to life.
Links to Beatrices Goat, The Goat Lady, Heifer International and Project Tembo can be found on VIvian’s show notes at www.clippodcast.com
For the CLIP podcast, I’m Andrea Ross — in a closet in Canada.
Thank You:
Before I go I want to say thank you to the following people for contributing to the show, participating in the show, commenting on the show, contacting me regarding the show, providing a station id, or pinning my frappr map; Charles Cadenhead, Anna Sumida, Jim Clohessy, Yvonne Siu Runyan. Special thanks once again to Andrea Ross for providing wonderful and thoughtful audio for this week’s show. . I think we’ll need to have her back on the show don’t you?
The next several weeks will be very busy for me as we prepare for the arrival of family and friends to celebrate the holidays so I’ll be taking a short break until January 8th 2007. Until then Happy Holidays and I’ll catch you in the new year.
Outro
Great show…Andrea\’s contribution was very well done and quite timely for this holiday season.
Enjoy your holiday break (heaven knows you need it) and I can\’t wait to see where CLIP goes in the new year.
Andy Bilodeau
http://www.andycast.net
Thank you Andy and thanks so much for all the awesome producing!
vivian
Wow, Andrea! What a great job!! Are you giving Vivian a run for her money?!?!! No more CLIP until January!!! The horror!!! Enjoy your break Vivian you have earned it.
Charles
I was right wasn’t I Charles…we need to have Andrea do another episode! How about you? You could do an episode on what critical literacy means to you as a father :-).
Yes - I plan on having a family oriented break!
See you in a a few weeks right?
Vivian
Vivian, Thank you for including me in your show!
Charles and Andy, thanks for the kind words. (I will be suffering from CLIP withdrawal over the break too, Charles)
Happy Holidays to all and to all a great 2007!
Andrea
Happy Holidays to you also…hopefully we can all enjoy the warmth of family and friends over the next few weeks!
Andy has a really fun show he’s putting out on Wed. so keep an eye and ear out for it!
hugs
vivian
Hi Vivian and Andrea,
I just ordered the books and I look forward to incorporating them into my 2nd grade classroom soon or after our winter break. The class is involved with their thoughts on if zoos are okay and if animals should be kept in cages and if so, what size cages. They are making ppaintings and writings of their thoughts and I think these two books could help them see some other examples. Thank you, Andrea, for offering these ideas. And Vivian, thank you as alwasy for bringing this to our attention.
Carol
PS Yes, sad that we will miss the podcast for a bit. I agree.
PPS Congratualtions to the Hawaiian schools that are feeling some progess in their favor. I will be sure to send what thoughts I can to them.
Thank you Andrea, Vivian and Andy for another great show! Heifer Project International is indeed a marvelous way children can change the world. This year, our third graders were determined to provide a milk menagerie (one heifer, two goats, and a water buffalo) to families in the Philippines. The concept of helping families towards the goal of self-reliance and sustainability is transformative—not only for the family but for the community and environment.
Thank you also for the support to Kamehameha Schools through your podcast. The 9th Circuit Court affirmed our admissions policy as a way to remedy the socioeconomic disadvantages suffered by the indigenous people of Hawai`i. Over time, the mission of the school is to ameliorate the negative statistics of Native Hawaiians and to increase social indicators in education, health, and well-being.
In this season of giving, I am grateful to your generous spirits working towards a just and equitable society. Mahalo nui loa!
Thank you for your comments Carol and Anna. Based on your comments, I’d love for you to send me audio regarding the work you mentioned or imagine in connection with this espisode. It would make a great follow up show for the new year.
Anna, your comment regarding the transformative nature of taking action to help others is right on!
Thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement. It means so much to me!
Hugs
vivian
I realize this show was posted just about a year ago, but i really enjoyed istening to it as i have now myself produced a literary text set of my own. It was also intersting to hear Andrea on this podcast as i have speant some time listening to some stuff on the JOMB site. I also liked Carol’s commnets on what she plans on doing in her classroom using these these books that have very important content for children. Some really great ideas for me as I work toward my own teaching degree and use information like this in my own class.