March 20, 2012
More Building!!
As always this group never ceases to amaze me. Today I decided to try something different, I tried not speaking at the beginning of class. I turns out that I am becoming unnecessary in Tiny Town. The class got right to task this morning. There were a few homesteaders who gathered their things and sat quietly awaiting announcements and instructions so I told them they could go ahead and get started. Otherwise things went progressed without a hitch.
We continue to understand the importance of the cardboard models and right angles as we move on to actual house building. I think there will be a lot of peeps who are not well protected from the elements when we move outside. This, however, is yet another learning opportunity. If these kids participate in another Village, they might take a little bit more time and consideration designing their houses.
Another Tiny Times was published today, I forgot to bring a copy home... so nothing for the blog until next week. The paper included a coupon for the trading post. I overheard the newspaper editor and the trading post manager hashing out the details of the discount. The trading post manager did not want to run a coupon because he felt that the trading post was already losing money by having such low prices. In the end they worked it out. If you spend 10 meeps at the trading post you get 1 meep off.
Regardless of the weather, I am planning to bring the class outside the week after next. We have several houses that are completed and ready to be put on the land. It will be interesting to see if everybody remembers which land was whose and to see how our fences fared over the winter. Additionally, it is simply too loud to continue with the hammering indoors. Best case scenario we only have ten weeks left for Village, probably more like eight. Now is the time to decide if we will be able to have a mini fair.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Week 25, Marlborough School
Building, lumber orders, newspapers
This week again was similar to the past several. Hammers were banging and the class was a hive of activity. We were joined this morning by my husband, Tim. He worked with a group of homesteaders to accurately draw out their lumber orders. More and more houses are coming together with "actual" right angles!
The editor of the Tiny Times has finished his house, so we should be seeing more and fuller newspapers in the coming weeks. Volume 2 was published today:
Our Marlborough town meeting is tonight, a group of homesteaders plans to attend the meeting. My hope is that this will be an experience for them to draw from for our future Tiny Town meetings. While there doesn't need to be a "right" way of conducting town meeting, there is something to be said for not reinventing the wheel. I think several things will happen. Homesteaders will see the respect that a moderator commands, and how that comes about. Homesteaders might be so bored by actual town meeting that they will have no trouble with Tiny Town meeting. Homesteaders will observe that a few individuals tend to ask all of the questions and complain an awful lot. They will also see that real town meeting is mostly about taxes and not so much about policy, what they do with this information I have no idea.
A huge THANK YOU to Carlisle Wide Plank Floors for a large donation of wood to build our homes!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Week 24- Marlborough School
March 6, 2012
Building
Have I ever mentioned that we are incredibly busy? This morning's class was visited by Jesslyn, who played Village with us last year at Marlborough School and over the summer in Nelson. It was great to have some extra help on hand, because we were SO busy! The very exciting news from this morning is that the first house seems to have been completed! Okay, mostly completed. A peep would not be comfortable living there yet as there is no furniture... but the walls are up, the ceiling is on, it looks like it is going to make a very nice home for one lucky peep. The other good news is that this home belongs to the editor of the newspaper, hopefully now that his house is finished we'll start seeing more news published.
The rest of the class continued working on the steps necessary to complete a house. Most homesteaders are at the point of drawing out their lumber orders on the wood. So many, in fact, that we ran out of wood this morning! This lack of wood provided some homesteaders with an opportunity to do something different. One homesteader who is apparently bankrupt (from purchasing everyone else's cardboard models and taping them all together) had some time to work out his finances and to think about how he can solve his current plight. I don't think he came up with a solution that he was willing to do, however, his situation is dawning on him. This has the potential to go two ways as I see it. 1: Possibly some impressive changes in this homesteader's sense of community. In his time of need will he look for/find a job? Will he talk about his financial woes with his fellow homesteaders? Will he ask them for help? 2: He shuts down and refuses to participate. I am hoping for number 1!
Another homesteader began brainstorming what this idea of having senators will mean in our community and how it might be applied. He was so enthusiastic about his plan that at the end of class when I asked him to put his paper away, he asked me if he could bring it home because he wanted to work on his ideas some more.
We spent a bit of time learning about the importance of right angles in home construction. We also learned a few tricks to make sure the walls and roofs we are drawing out are accurate (a wall that is eight feet high at one end of the room shouldn't be nine and a half at the other end).
Our trading post manager imported a house he built at a previous village. He had other homesteaders appraise it's value to determine his tariff. "I don't want to do it myself because it would be a conflict of interest." Once again fairness it very important in Village.
Things are really coming together!
Next week we will do more of the same. Tim and I have a TON of lumber orders to cut out between now and then.
Building
Have I ever mentioned that we are incredibly busy? This morning's class was visited by Jesslyn, who played Village with us last year at Marlborough School and over the summer in Nelson. It was great to have some extra help on hand, because we were SO busy! The very exciting news from this morning is that the first house seems to have been completed! Okay, mostly completed. A peep would not be comfortable living there yet as there is no furniture... but the walls are up, the ceiling is on, it looks like it is going to make a very nice home for one lucky peep. The other good news is that this home belongs to the editor of the newspaper, hopefully now that his house is finished we'll start seeing more news published.
The rest of the class continued working on the steps necessary to complete a house. Most homesteaders are at the point of drawing out their lumber orders on the wood. So many, in fact, that we ran out of wood this morning! This lack of wood provided some homesteaders with an opportunity to do something different. One homesteader who is apparently bankrupt (from purchasing everyone else's cardboard models and taping them all together) had some time to work out his finances and to think about how he can solve his current plight. I don't think he came up with a solution that he was willing to do, however, his situation is dawning on him. This has the potential to go two ways as I see it. 1: Possibly some impressive changes in this homesteader's sense of community. In his time of need will he look for/find a job? Will he talk about his financial woes with his fellow homesteaders? Will he ask them for help? 2: He shuts down and refuses to participate. I am hoping for number 1!
Another homesteader began brainstorming what this idea of having senators will mean in our community and how it might be applied. He was so enthusiastic about his plan that at the end of class when I asked him to put his paper away, he asked me if he could bring it home because he wanted to work on his ideas some more.
We spent a bit of time learning about the importance of right angles in home construction. We also learned a few tricks to make sure the walls and roofs we are drawing out are accurate (a wall that is eight feet high at one end of the room shouldn't be nine and a half at the other end).
Our trading post manager imported a house he built at a previous village. He had other homesteaders appraise it's value to determine his tariff. "I don't want to do it myself because it would be a conflict of interest." Once again fairness it very important in Village.
Things are really coming together!
Next week we will do more of the same. Tim and I have a TON of lumber orders to cut out between now and then.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Week 23, Marlborough School
February 28th, 2012
Town Meeting!
Where shall I begin? Once again I never cease to be amazed by this group of kids! Their capacity for civics is phenomenal. I have been meaning to have town meeting for many weeks, today I bit the bullet and did it, with out any warning to the homesteaders that it would be coming. We began class by establishing an agenda. This was quick. Three items were up for discussion: Meeting penalties, form of government, and jobs (creating a business). The first 15 to 20 minutes of class were spent on penalties. Ideas for behavior and discipline were offered:
Government was up next. Ideas were offered:
When called to a vote, a senate government won with nine votes. I am not really sure what this means. There was a bit of talk about Star Wars... so I guess "like that"? Tyranny and monarchy each received zero votes.
At this point the meeting began to deteriorate.... it was moved to end the meeting. This motion failed. Disciplinary actions were taken (by the moderator) against a handful of disruptive homesteaders. We began the discussion about jobs. "We need more!" "How are we supposed to make money?" One homesteaders suggested that you could be an architect or a builder, since some homesteaders are daunted by these tasks. Another suggested that we should have a police force. Another suggested that we have a jail. Rolph interrupted to remind everyone that Tiny Town does not have laws to enforce. "Well, we'll hire police and build a jail and then we'll make laws!" We got a bit off topic. "We should have fines and loss of trading post privileges, not a jail." It was moved to end the meeting again... once again the motion failed. One homesteader reached the third strike threshold. He then went beyond so we revisited this topic. What happens after three strikes? "A really BIG (though still undetermined) fine!"
Around this time the bell rang.
The greatest lesson I think that can be taken from today is the homesteaders need for respect. The first item they came up with for the agenda was to have consequences for poor behavior during town meeting. It is a high priority to these kids that they have a voice. Today's meeting was entirely homesteader driven. Rolph only spoke up twice, once about the lack of laws and once when a homesteaders began to rant and rave about select peeps and how they are not elected and they would change all of the time. I merely revealed what a select board actually is. To which the homesteader replied, "Oh, that's how it works around here.?", as though it is very different where he is from (this makes me smile!). These kids did a fabulous job.
Next week: back to building!
Town Meeting!
Where shall I begin? Once again I never cease to be amazed by this group of kids! Their capacity for civics is phenomenal. I have been meaning to have town meeting for many weeks, today I bit the bullet and did it, with out any warning to the homesteaders that it would be coming. We began class by establishing an agenda. This was quick. Three items were up for discussion: Meeting penalties, form of government, and jobs (creating a business). The first 15 to 20 minutes of class were spent on penalties. Ideas for behavior and discipline were offered:
- time out chair
- three strikes with fines, then go in the hall
- drown peep in the river
- burn offending peep
- 1st strike- warning
- 2nd strike- fine of an undetermined amount (homesteaders decided that this should be left to the moderator's discretion based on the severity of the offense [whisper, talking, interrupting])
- 3rd strike- homesteader is removed to the hallway, fined (an undetermined amount), and exiled from the next meeting.
Government was up next. Ideas were offered:
- not a free state- direct democracy
- wait until peeps are settled in town to choose government
- rule with tyranny- force, not choice; no vote; inconsistent government; taxes; anyone could take over; homesteaders might quit
- senate with impeachment (like star wars)
- democracy with a few leaders, oligarchy, board of selectmen
- monarchy
When called to a vote, a senate government won with nine votes. I am not really sure what this means. There was a bit of talk about Star Wars... so I guess "like that"? Tyranny and monarchy each received zero votes.
At this point the meeting began to deteriorate.... it was moved to end the meeting. This motion failed. Disciplinary actions were taken (by the moderator) against a handful of disruptive homesteaders. We began the discussion about jobs. "We need more!" "How are we supposed to make money?" One homesteaders suggested that you could be an architect or a builder, since some homesteaders are daunted by these tasks. Another suggested that we should have a police force. Another suggested that we have a jail. Rolph interrupted to remind everyone that Tiny Town does not have laws to enforce. "Well, we'll hire police and build a jail and then we'll make laws!" We got a bit off topic. "We should have fines and loss of trading post privileges, not a jail." It was moved to end the meeting again... once again the motion failed. One homesteader reached the third strike threshold. He then went beyond so we revisited this topic. What happens after three strikes? "A really BIG (though still undetermined) fine!"
Around this time the bell rang.
The greatest lesson I think that can be taken from today is the homesteaders need for respect. The first item they came up with for the agenda was to have consequences for poor behavior during town meeting. It is a high priority to these kids that they have a voice. Today's meeting was entirely homesteader driven. Rolph only spoke up twice, once about the lack of laws and once when a homesteaders began to rant and rave about select peeps and how they are not elected and they would change all of the time. I merely revealed what a select board actually is. To which the homesteader replied, "Oh, that's how it works around here.?", as though it is very different where he is from (this makes me smile!). These kids did a fabulous job.
Next week: back to building!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Week 22, Marlborough School
February 14, 2012
lumber orders, banking, cardboard models, house painting
Today Village looked much like the past several weeks. The main difference I have noticed is that as a group, we have finally established ourselves. I think I wrote last week about loosing some students to Drama club; this was unfortunate but I seem to be seeing the same faces every week now and it is nice that we have settled into our group. I began the morning moving all of our materials from the supply closet and on down the hall into the art room. My own children have been great helpers with this, they come to school early with me and hold doors open, unload the lumber orders from the car, wash the art tables, and move all of materials.
All of the homesteaders were very busy today making BIG progress. These kids are really getting it. I didn't feel pulled in twenty directions (this is a big deal). Three issues arose today: 1. Peeps are overdrawing their accounts. 2. Peeps are counterfeiting checks. 3. Is it a conflict of interest for the trading post manager to assess his own tariffs? FINALLY! Problems! I think we might just be ready to work on our community!
We have next week off from school, so no Village. I think it really must be time for town meeting. I do declare, it will happen on February 28th!
note to self: remember to bring in hammers!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Week 21
February 7, 2012
lumber orders, cardboard models, house painting!
Things are progressing nicely in Village. At this point the majority of homesteaders have drawn out their house pieces on wood. Three students painted their house pieces today. There is still a group of five or six that tends to be behind, although they are making progress. We have lost several homesteaders to drama club. I will have a firm number next week and will be able to weed out some of the extra materials. As homesteaders achieve their goals they have time to think about the bigger picture and where they might fit in the community. One homesteader today said that he doesn't want to paint his house or spend much money on it because he is planning on building a Colosseum. This announcement led me to ask a few questions about the building's use. He does intend for this to be open to the public.... and so our first public works project is born! Said homesteader is now working on a proposal to have the Colosseum publicly funded.
The plan for next week will be very similar to the plans of the last several. Some homesteaders are ready to actually assemble their homes. I will need to remember to bring in some hammers next week. The next step after building will be furnishings. My plan is still to move outside as soon as possible. As the homesteaders are moving along at such a varied pace it would be beneficial to be outdoors because we could have one group of students working on their land and another group working on their houses.
We are finally coming to the point of needing a town meeting and having the focus to get it done. I am really hoping it will happen prior to February vacation.
lumber orders, cardboard models, house painting!
Things are progressing nicely in Village. At this point the majority of homesteaders have drawn out their house pieces on wood. Three students painted their house pieces today. There is still a group of five or six that tends to be behind, although they are making progress. We have lost several homesteaders to drama club. I will have a firm number next week and will be able to weed out some of the extra materials. As homesteaders achieve their goals they have time to think about the bigger picture and where they might fit in the community. One homesteader today said that he doesn't want to paint his house or spend much money on it because he is planning on building a Colosseum. This announcement led me to ask a few questions about the building's use. He does intend for this to be open to the public.... and so our first public works project is born! Said homesteader is now working on a proposal to have the Colosseum publicly funded.
The plan for next week will be very similar to the plans of the last several. Some homesteaders are ready to actually assemble their homes. I will need to remember to bring in some hammers next week. The next step after building will be furnishings. My plan is still to move outside as soon as possible. As the homesteaders are moving along at such a varied pace it would be beneficial to be outdoors because we could have one group of students working on their land and another group working on their houses.
We are finally coming to the point of needing a town meeting and having the focus to get it done. I am really hoping it will happen prior to February vacation.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Week 20!
January 31st, 2012
Lumber orders, reorganizing the bank and trading post
How is it possible for this program to feel more fulfilling every week? Today was AMAZING! The homesteaders are really stepping up to the plate regarding ownership. By ownership I am referring to behavior as well as privilege. While we are now using the art room for our space we are not allowed to leave any traces that we have been there (for now). I explained this at the beginning of class and the homesteaders were perfect! I am so proud of their behavior. The amount of shanannagans is greatly reduced from where we were in September. Two boys were rough housing today and I said, "Let's not act like we're in first grade." To which they replied, "We are in first grade!" I let them know that first graders are not actually allowed to participate in Village at Marlborough School, and that they would need to leave. Those boys were perfectly on task for the rest of the hour. It seems like a very small victory when I bother to write about it, but it is huge because this is evidence that these kids really value what they are participating in. We didn't get to this point last year, trouble makers felt no investment or ownership in the program.
In other amazing news... We now have two marvelous young women from the Keene State program signed on to help us every week! Two more adults in the room definitely make a difference. I gave them a very brief intro to Village before the class began and showed them how to check lumber orders. This immensely freed up my brain to help homesteaders with other tasks. Next week they will try to be there a little earlier so I can give them materials for peeps.
More good news! The blurb that was sent out in the school newsletter requesting materials for Village was responded to! We have a received a donation including fabric, beads, flooring, tiles and probably a bit more! Also, a parent from a lower grade approached me this morning asking about the program and how she could contribute. The community is beginning to recognize us!
We reorganized the trading post a bit today with the hope of streamlining the lumber order process. I haven't had the opportunity to meet with the manager uninterrupted until now. He is working to find another employee so that he will have time to work on his own things without disrupting business. A bit of revamp also happened to the bank. I met with the banker, she conducted interviews and hired a replacement for her former assistant (banking is much harder than some applicants realize). We then discussed the next step for the bank: transferring funds from one account to another to reflect checks that are being written. This is going to be a lot of work, but I know she can handle it!
We did not bother talking about a meeting today. The homesteaders are so focused on house building they have little attention for anything else. Next week I plan to continue doing exactly what we are doing now. I have a large stack of lumber orders to cut. Homesteaders will begin painting their houses next week!
Lumber orders, reorganizing the bank and trading post
How is it possible for this program to feel more fulfilling every week? Today was AMAZING! The homesteaders are really stepping up to the plate regarding ownership. By ownership I am referring to behavior as well as privilege. While we are now using the art room for our space we are not allowed to leave any traces that we have been there (for now). I explained this at the beginning of class and the homesteaders were perfect! I am so proud of their behavior. The amount of shanannagans is greatly reduced from where we were in September. Two boys were rough housing today and I said, "Let's not act like we're in first grade." To which they replied, "We are in first grade!" I let them know that first graders are not actually allowed to participate in Village at Marlborough School, and that they would need to leave. Those boys were perfectly on task for the rest of the hour. It seems like a very small victory when I bother to write about it, but it is huge because this is evidence that these kids really value what they are participating in. We didn't get to this point last year, trouble makers felt no investment or ownership in the program.
In other amazing news... We now have two marvelous young women from the Keene State program signed on to help us every week! Two more adults in the room definitely make a difference. I gave them a very brief intro to Village before the class began and showed them how to check lumber orders. This immensely freed up my brain to help homesteaders with other tasks. Next week they will try to be there a little earlier so I can give them materials for peeps.
More good news! The blurb that was sent out in the school newsletter requesting materials for Village was responded to! We have a received a donation including fabric, beads, flooring, tiles and probably a bit more! Also, a parent from a lower grade approached me this morning asking about the program and how she could contribute. The community is beginning to recognize us!
We reorganized the trading post a bit today with the hope of streamlining the lumber order process. I haven't had the opportunity to meet with the manager uninterrupted until now. He is working to find another employee so that he will have time to work on his own things without disrupting business. A bit of revamp also happened to the bank. I met with the banker, she conducted interviews and hired a replacement for her former assistant (banking is much harder than some applicants realize). We then discussed the next step for the bank: transferring funds from one account to another to reflect checks that are being written. This is going to be a lot of work, but I know she can handle it!
We did not bother talking about a meeting today. The homesteaders are so focused on house building they have little attention for anything else. Next week I plan to continue doing exactly what we are doing now. I have a large stack of lumber orders to cut. Homesteaders will begin painting their houses next week!
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