University of Mary Washington’s Play Lab opened on October 18th. Play Lab is a collaborative effort between UMW, Helping Hands Pediatric Occupational Therapy, and Exceptional Support Services of Fredericksburg. In the two weeks that UMW students have been working with children with developmental disabilities (such as intellectual disability and autism), progress has already been noted by UMW students. The ten UMW students have enjoyed the experience of using research-based interventions, receiving feedback on their work, and adjusting their teaching strategy based on the supportive feedback. Heather DeCou, owner of Exceptional Support Services, and one of the supervisors of Play Lab stated, “There are few opportunities like this for UMW students to gain experience, receive supervision, and make a difference in the community all in one course!” There are still slots available for the spring section of EDSE 547, the special topics course that trains students to work in Play Lab. Undergraduates and graduates may apply and there is no prerequisite needed. For more information contact: Nicole Myers, Ph.D, nmyers@umw.edu, or 540-286-8026.
Mukesh Srivastava
Mukesh Srivastava had his textbook “eLearning Via The Internet: An Empirical Study” published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Srivastava is an associate professor and director of the management information systems program in the College of Business. The book is intended for use by graduate and undergraduate students including UMW students working on research projects as part of their studies in business.
UMW Hosts Red Flag Campaign to Combat Dating Violence
A student club at the University of Mary Washington is leading an effort on the Fredericksburg campus to raise awareness of dating violence on college campuses.
Computer Science Professor Jennifer Polack-Wahl on iTunes
Professor Jennier A. Polack-Wahl and Jeff McElhannon published an education app, Ice Cream Addition, on iTunes. Please download it and play with it.
This game lets kids explore making different combinations that add up to one number using ice cream scoops.
Game Objective:The object of the game is to create four combinations that add up to the same number. The game focuses on creating combinations for the numbers 4 – 10. Numbers are randomly displayed each game iteration. The game is targeted for preschool – early first grade.
How to Play:
Listen and look for the number that the game is asking for you to create. Drag one of the four flavors of ice cream to the ice cream cone. Once you have the correct number of scoops on the ice cream cone you can hit the green icon to check your answer. The user can select the red icon at anytime to clear all scoops from the cone. When you have completed four correct combinations the next number will be displayed for addition combinations. The user can touch the home icon to go start back to the tutorial.
Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios
Did you know Gari Melchers Home and Studio is one of just 30 of America’s most significant artists’ spaces included in the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios consortium? These extraordinary sites are the intimate living and work spaces of painters, sculptors, ceramicists, photographers, and furniture designers. They include superb collections and intact studios, landscapes, and homes dating as far back as the 17th century.
Asian Cultural Celebration
Asia is the world’s largest continent, occupied by roughly four billion people dispersed among 47 different countries. Within each country is a wealth of diverse cultures, traditions, and lifestyles influenced by uniquely different people. Yet, despite the 17 million square miles encompassing the land mass, from the vast icy expanses of Siberian Russia to the dense tropics of Indonesia, from the far western reaches of the Middle East to the rich traditions of the Far East, the unique heart of Asia unifies the distinctive worlds into one reflection.
This is the reflection of Asia, a continent beaming with historical tradition. The voices of long forgotten emperors still resound inside the ruins of the great Chinese dynasties, their precedents and ideals have long since been adopted and evolved into the fabric of thriving nations such as Korea and Japan. The rice fields of Southeast Asia lend heavy influence to eclectic cuisines from Thailand to the Philippines, and the majestic palaces in India still stand strong amidst threats of colonization and division.
Through all the triumph and tribulation, the people of Asia hold on to the values of humanity. Family and love stand as the strongest of them all. Like a spectrum of light, which encompasses every single color but is visible only as a luminous white, so is this great continent, where every single culture shines in all its glory and reflects a single, beautiful Asia.
The James Farmer Multicultural Center and Asian Student Association strive to teach and encourage tolerance and acceptance. Through this celebration, we seek to educate the UMW and Fredericksburg-area communities on the richness and many facets of Asian heritage and culture.
– James Farmer Multicultural Center and the Asian Student Association
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Nov. 1
Asian Anonymous
7 p.m., Lee Hall, Room 411
Join UMW campus and community members as they discuss and explore the many triumphs and tribulations associated with being Asian on the campus of a predominantly white institution. Learn more about the various experiences our students, faculty, and staff face at UMW as well as within the greater community and how those experiences have influenced their views about acceptance and pride.
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Nov. 3
Asian Cultural Week Keynote Performance
Boba Stories
7 p.m., Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center
Hereandnow theatre company is proud to bring home Boba Stories, a collaborative work featuring refreshing personal tales with lots of Asian flavor. Originally conceived in 2001, Boba Stories is a collection of vignettes incorporating storytelling, poetry, dance, video, and music. It has been touring universities and festival venues throughout the United States since its inception.
Boba is a popular Asian drink made of tapioca balls mixed with anything iced, from coffee to tea to fruit juices. But beyond being a drink with a funky texture and a fun sound, it represents a special meaning to the creative team of hereandnow. “Boba actually takes a long time to make and each piece is unique,” says Artistic Director John Miyasaki, “and to have a boba drink that tastes good, you need to pay attention to it the entire time it’s being made.” The same goes for this show – each piece and person is unique and shaped by the paths of life. Please join us as we celebrate the uniqueness and life of Asian culture.
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Nov. 5
Taste of Asia
7 p.m., Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center
Cost: $3 general admission, $1 UMW student admission or one canned good item for donation
A celebration of Asian culture, Taste of Asia is one of the more well-known events at the University of Mary Washington. Taste of Asia educates the community about the different aspects of Asian societies and the different cultures and lifestyles that they embody. Complete with a fashion show, dance performances, and a variety of ethnic foods, the event provides an inviting and festive atmosphere. The Asian Student Association works closely with other student organizations and local businesses to plan the much anticipated program. For advance ticket information, contact
dkim@mail.umw.edu
President’s Day Art Workshop at Gari Melchers Home and Studio
Expressing Light
Monday, February 21, 2011, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Ages 9th grade through adult
Rachel Sawan White, Art and Design Faculty, Orchard House School
This workshop is an exploration of light and its effects on a piece of artwork. Looking at Impressionist and Post-Impressionist work we spend the day seeing color afresh and creating art in which light is a major factor. Participants create two still life paintings, one with the objects as they appear naturally and one with the same objects completely white. Different lighting is explored and discussed.
This program has been organized by the VMFA Office of Statewide Partnerships and is supported by the Paul Mellon Endowment.
Workshop Cost: $20 members/UMW staff; $25 non-members. To register, please contact Education Coordinator Michelle Crow-Dolby at 540/654-1851.
MLK Day Art Workshop at Gari Melchers Home and Studio
Drawing for the Rest of Us: An Introduction to Drawing
January 17, 2011, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Ages 6th grade through adult
Anh Do, Faculty member, Virginia State University
If you can write, you can draw! Drawing is just another form of visual communication that is a skill which can be developed by anyone—even you! This workshop is an introduction to basic drawing tools, drawing warm-up exercises, and techniques that can be used to help you build a foundation that will help you experience the joy of drawing.
This program has been organized by the VMFA Office of Statewide Partnerships and is funded, in part, by the Jean Stafford Camp Memorial Fund.
Workshop Cost: $20 members/UMW employees; $25 non-members. To register, please contact Education Coordinator Michelle Crow-Dolby at 540/654-1851.
UMW to Show Film, Discussion for Sexual Assault Awareness
The University of Mary Washington will hold a screening of âThe Girl with the Dragon Tattooâ and a panel discussion on Wednesday, October 27 at 5:30 p.m. in George Washington Hall, Dodd Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
Civil Rights Activist Roger Wilkins to Present James Farmer Lecture at UMW
Civil rights activist and award-winning journalist Roger Wilkins will give a public lecture at the University of Mary Washington on Thursday, Nov. 18, as a James Farmer visiting lecturer. The talk will be held in George Washington Hall, Dodd Auditorium, at 7 p.m., and will be followed by a question and answer session as well as a reception.