Appreciating Rainbows

 Living in Hawai`i, there is natural beauty all around if we just look for it - the clear blue ocean, white sandy beaches, the stunning mountain ranges, colorful fauna, and gorgeous rainbows. I will admit that I took these things for granted. Many years ago, a friend mentioned that she had never seen a rainbow until she came to Hawai`i, and she would delightedly point it out whenever one appeared. It made me appreciate rainbows more.

After retiring four years ago, I am much more aware of why we live in a very special place. With my trusty iPhone, I take photos of vibrant sunrises, puffy white clouds in the bright blue sky, huge full moons, and rainbows. When COVID forced us to keep our distance from others, walking was a way to get exercise and to be outdoors. I found myself looking for and taking photos of rainbows. In January 2021, I wrote a blog post, “A Metaphor for Hope”. I shared a photo of a rainbow and shared that I was looking forward to better days ahead with the availability of a vaccine. It is clear today that life will never get back to how it was pre-COVID, but we are learning to adjust. We know that without the rain, there would be no rainbows. 

I subscribe to the Hawaii Bulletin a series of articles written by our friend, Ryan Kawailani Ozawa. He writes interesting and diverse articles about innovation and innovators in our state.  This morning’s article, delivered via email, was titled “Exploring Hawaii’s unmatched rainbow connection”. What a wealth of information! I learned so much, and honestly, I don’t quite grasp all of the science and the math, but here are a couple of interesting facts. Did you know that the Hawaiians had different names for different kinds of rainbows? Did you know that geometry plays a role in why Hawai`i has so many rainbows? Finally, sadly, climate change and global warming will have an impact on rainbows in the future.

Ryan shared that University of Hawaii Professor Steven Businger (Read his blog here) has created an app called Rainbow Chase, a free weather app. I downloaded and checked it out. There are amazing photos of rainbows as well as other information such as where the next rainbow might appear from where you are presently located. (Right now, the app is limited to the four main Hawaiian islands, the Western US, and Okinawa). If you love seeing photos of rainbows, check out the app. 

I decided to end this blog post with some of my favorite photos of rainbows.

I remember that I was walking our dog in the mid-afternoon when this beauty appeared! I’m glad I captured it in all its glory!

My photo doesn’t do this rainbow justice. It seemed to be touching the ground; it was gorgeous!

This was taken back in 2017. We had University of Hawai`i Rainbow Warriors football season tickets, and we were tailgating when this rainbow appeared. I told my husband to stand there so I could take this photo.

This might be my favorite of them all. Our grandsons were visiting and we were taking a walk prior to them going back home. We were in the right place at the right time. They don’t see many rainbows where they live.

And finally, to end on a hopeful note, here’s our favorite rainbow song. Enjoy1

Rainbow Connection

Progress?

Three years ago on June 24, 2019, Randy and I returned home from our Revolutionary/Civil War Tour with our son Justin and our grandsons. It was our intention to have the boys experience history and to learn about the sacrifices of those who came before us. 

When I was in school, I learned about our country’s history primarily by reading textbooks and memorizing dates, and I am embarrassed to admit that there is much that I have forgotten since then. I felt strongly that first-hand experiences to the birthplace of our country as well as our nation’s capital would hopefully lead to a  better understanding of our nation’s history and its struggles. This trip was not just for our grandsons; it was for us adults as well.

Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Gettysburg - we experienced so much history. Of course, there wasn’t enough time to see and learn everything, but I think we all have a better understanding of history, of how our country has changed, and of the processes in our nation's capitol that impact all of us in the United States.

Today, Facebook shared a memory from three years ago about that trip. Randy wrote the following in the comments section:

Walking the Freedom Trail learning the history of our Founding Fathers, standing in Independence Hall where they debated the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, experiencing the Civil War at Gettysburg which was the turning point of the War Between the States, touring the Capitol Building which should be a symbol of democracy in action - we felt pride at being a part of the United States of America. 

Yesterday, June 23, 2022, we celebrated the 50-year landmark of Title IX which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational program or activity that receives federal funds. This piece in the NY Times explains how Patsy T. Mink, our Representative to Congress from Hawai`i, led the fight to get Title IX passed in the Educational Amendments of 1972. Young girls today have unlimited opportunities to participate in sports, and many go on to receive athletic scholarships because of Title IX. Participating in athletics teaches valuable lessons such as teamwork, discipline, perseverance, fair play, and goal-setting. Today’s women have made strides in all areas, and they have options and opportunities that may not have been available to those of our generation. Title IX is not just about athletics. It’s about cultivating caring citizens and leaders. It’s about making sure that our young people have opportunities to thrive, to follow their dreams, to try new ideas, to become more than they ever thought possible. It’s about growing confident leaders who care about their world and who want to make it a better place. Title IX is about empowerment.

Today, five  US Supreme Court justices overturned Roe v Wade, a landmark decision from nearly 50 years ago. Today, many women in our country, now and in the future, have lost a fundamental right to make decisions regarding their own bodies. Yesterday was a day to celebrate women and all they have accomplished since Title IX was passed fifty years ago. Today, I cannot help but wonder what other rights might be taken away in my lifetime. Today is a sad day for our country. 

In his Facebook comment, Randy shared, “Each generation is called upon to act. Hopefully, each generation can find inspiration to do right from those who came before them. At least that is the hope.” We must never give up hope that those in power will do right by the people they serve. Today, sadly, they didn’t. 

A New Generation of Learners

 We just returned from  a week-long trip to visit our son and grandsons in Las Vegas. They are growing up . . . much too quickly, I might add. The older grandson will be a sophomore in high school in the fall, and the younger one will be an eighth grader. They go to a charter school that focuses on science; I know they are getting a quality education, one that prides itself on providing a strong academic curriculum that prepares its students for college.

I have come to realize that despite being an educator for 45 years (now retired for four years) and continuing to keep abreast via articles and my professional learning network, I still have much to learn. As a school leader, I encouraged our teachers and students to use technology as a tool for exploring, discovering, creating, and sharing. I love that our grandsons are doing a lot of learning outside of school hours. We have honest discussions on current issues that matter to them, issues that will impact their world moving forward. They know how to research to find answers to their questions, and they are much more aware of issues such as school violence, racial discord, and other current events. Their viewpoints aren’t always aligned with ours, but their ideas will probably change over time due to experiences they will have.  I look back at my life when I was their age, and there is no comparison; they are much more aware of their world and the possibilities, It’s not just current events, however. They are members of virtual communities and communicate confidently and knowledgeably with adults about NFTs. They purchase baseball cards and sell or trade when the opportunity comes up, and they keep up-to-date about what’s hot and what’s not. They are patient and try to answer my numerous questions, but I am sure they wonder why their grandma doesn’t understand when it’s so clear to them. 

Earlier this summer, I read this op-ed Calculus isn’t the only option. Let’s broaden and update the current math curriculum and I thought of our grandsons. As the authors of this op-ed share in their final sentence: “In a world where we are regularly updating our software, our devices, and our lexicons, why wouldn’t we want the same for our children’s math education?” This recent trip has validated my beliefs that our young people do need more options. When I reflect on my journey as a student and then as a teacher who taught young students, I realize how we much more meaningful math can and should be if we focused on real-world application.

I grew up in a different world. Our parents lived through the Great Depression, and they were very careful with their hard-earned money. It was probably ingrained in them by their parents’ generation, many who were immigrants and scrimped and saved and worked several jobs so they could purchase a home or an automobile. My husband shares about how his grandfather purchased his brand-new DeSoto car with Roosevelt dimes he had saved from his business. I admit that I know very little about the stock market and other investments. Our “wealth” is in our home which my husband and I purchased shortly after we were married. We are fortunate that both of us retired after many years working for the State, so we can live comfortably on our fixed income. That may not be the case for our grandsons so realizing how to invest and save money is important for their future. They are fortunate to have a Dad who is knowledgeable and can guide his sons whether it’s buying baseball cards or NFTs or answering questions about the real estate market. Our son shared that he sees his sons carefully studying the charts and the crypto markets and asking questions,  and he believes that is the best real-life math experience they could have. They don’t always make the “right” decision, but that is all a part of the learning. I agree. 

I remember seeing this visual about math education a few years ago, and I think it’s a good time to share it again. Math shouldn’t be neat and tidy and predictable. Our students need to see math as something they need to grapple with and to make sense of because it is an essential part of this world. They need to persevere and discuss real problems with others to see different viewpoints; this needs to be an essential part of every classroom from preschool on. Students need to know that math is all around them and that there is no such thing as “I am not good at math.” There is so much potential for this generation of teachers and learners to change the perception that higher level math is the only option. Let’s make it happen!