Grandma’s Stories Learn with Grandma

Women’s Institute Icon 2008

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda – Happy New Year from Wales from Valerie.

With family; village; Grandma’s Stories and Learn with Grandma 2008 was a busy year!

The fun started on 25 January – St Dwynwen (The Welsh saint for lovers) Llandovery Male Voice Choir, and others, came to Myddfai Village Hall to entertain us with songs, poems and drama. A great night! Our night of Love will be on Sat 24 you would be very welcome to join us!

In March I received an International Award for Innovation in Education and that led to my being invited to speak at two international conferences. In October I was honoured to be the only speaker from Western Europe at a conference for English teachers in Ukraine. Chatting with students in universities in Kyiv and Chernihiv was impressive. Their English was so good and I learned about Ukraine. I learned about the dreadful enforced starvation in 1932/33 in a country overflowing with grain. I learned that those students, who cannot remember a time when Ukraine was not independent, have put that time where it belongs – into history. Of course we must know our history; it is what makes us who we are – learn, remember and keep all that is good of the rich history, culture and languages of Europe. A totally unexpected result of this visit is that students in Kyiv, Chernihiv and in Belarus are now translating “The Ice Journey” into Ukrainian, Russian, and Byelorussian. I am trying to find ways to publish my books in those languages. So exciting!

The other conference, in December, was in Berlin. Learn with Grandma (our not for profit educational company) has already received European funding. Hungarian speakers in Austria & France invited us to join a project for adult minority language learners. Carroll went to Vienna. This month they will visit us here in rural Wales. As well as speaking at the conference in Berlin I looked for partners for a new Grundtvig project, which we hope will also receive European funding. Learn with Grandma wants to help bridge the technology comprehension gap between the generations. Everyone over the age of 30 is playing catch up with the young who are growing up with computers as the norm. First of all we must find out how other countries in Europe see this intergenerational problem and then, in 2010 we will make a second funding application to find ways of using the new technologies to help older people pass on their skills and knowledge in formats that young people prefer to receive. We older people are a great source of information and fun!

The year was not all work! I had a holiday in Switzerland and Austria with Jean, who lives in Myddfai. I went to USA for my Birthday, 4 July. My son Nicky and grandchildren Kristian and Lula live there. My Danish granddaughter Maria came over from Copenhagen with husband Kim and little Magnus. I was also thrilled that I was able to see my daughter Alison and grandson Oscar confirmed the same weekend when I was invited to a commemoration of The Holodomor in London. My son Neil’s 50th Birthday was also great fun. I have a son, a handsome son, who is 50!!

I don’t spend all my time gallivanting! I am in Myddfai most of the time, fully involved with village life. Just before I left for USA The Duchess of Cornwall came to meet the ladies of the village. HRH The Prince of Wales now has a property in Wales. We do not expect to see a great deal of them but fully understand why they wanted a home in our lovely village. I got back from USA in time for our village Lamb Roast, another great party. I love living here. As I work I look out over my neighbour’s field to the hills beyond. Paradise!

It did take longer than hoped but book two ‘Beck an Ice Age Hunter’ is done and nearly dusted. It will be published soon. Let me know if you want a copy. Smithsonian Institute asked us to also make a start on a series for younger children. We just have to finance it! Speaking of money – I won £10,000 for Learn with Grandma!! See the winners. Thank you again if you voted for me. The money will be such a help (We would welcome more if you would like to send a donation, or make a loan!).

The website is going have a make-over. It will be really exciting, and we are compiling Grandma’s Guide to Great Days Out. I plan to get something on line by Easter. We will publish when the list of Free & Good Value for money places to take children is as comprehensive as we can make it. Please tell me about your favourite places – nowhere costing more than £25.00 for a family ticket. The guide will help the whole family have fun, learn things too, and not spend a fortune. We will also run a Grandparents Day at Denman WI College on 20 February. If you want more information about anything don’t hesitate to write to me. Looks as if 2009 is going to be just as busy! I hope you have a great year in 2009.

God Bless, Valerie

Mrs Valerie Wood-Gaiger MBE

Grandma’s Stories

We are seeking co-publisher partners for dual language editions of our series of 14 books, with audio CD, for children and adults learning a second language. This series is based on pan European prehistory and will show that, before modern political boundaries, that most of European culture is based on our shared history. The series starts with The Ice Journey based on Smithsonian Institute research which suggests that the first Native Americans arrived from Europe as the last Great Ice Age was drawing to a close. The series will end with The Welsh Empress of Rome based on Princess Elen, wife of Magnus Maximum who was murdered in 388ad.

Co-publishing is a fair system for both parties. Grandma’s Stories is a new publishing house, only proven in Wales, but we can bring a great deal to the table. Our contribution is worth far more than the co-publisher would be asked to contribute. It is worth mentioning that Welsh Books Council, our only sales outlet, advised us to publish 500 books. To reduce printing costs to a competitive level we printed 1,000. In 9 months, we have sold over 600, in Wales, a very tiny county.

We would provide the publishing disk, printer ready except for the insertion of any other European Language. A co publisher partner would provide translation into their language; the cost of printing their section only of a combined print run and distribution. Our books include a dual language audio CD, so that people can hear correct pronunciation. We would provide the recording in first language English. The Co-publisher would pay to record the audio CD in their language. Our partner would have worldwide distribution for single and dual language versions of this series in their language.

We carry the cost of everything else. All research; Text of the stories; Our books include our unique Learn with Grandma educational section; illustrations; cartoons and all technical preparation for printing. We would also work with partners to help promote the books.

Our next print run will be in 4 languages; English with Welsh; Latvian; Russian & Ukrainian. Or more! Our printing disks are designed for dual language printing. Using the same illustrations throughout, we can pause the print run, change language disks and then continue the same print run. This will dramatically reduce printing costs and risk to our co-publishers. They will specify the number of books they are confident they can market.

As co-publishers we would expect no royalties; No rights costs. We would work as partners receiving 50% of net profits; profit after all expenses incurred by both partners in the publication in their language. This arrangement reduces the risk to the co-publisher to their share of the publication costs, over which they have full control.

Intergenerational & e-learning.

Hello. I can tell you loads about intergenerational learning. I have been doing it all my life. I was very ill when I was little and only went to school for 5 years. I owe my love of learning to my grandmother who made me, a dyslexic, want to read. Dyslexia had not been invented then! My gran and I had such fun. Sometimes my bed was a pirate ship; we sailed the world. I learnt about geography & how people lived in other countries. Sometimes my bed was a princess’s throne. I learnt about history & how people lived in ‘the olden days’.

Grandparents are a source of information & fun. They have been teaching & telling stories to their grandchildren since time began. Many of them need & want to learn more about the new technologies that our children and grandchildren take for granted. It is both a source of great pride & shame that Oscar, my 10 year old grandson, can create a power-point presentation – after telling me that power-point is So last year grandma. I don’t know how to create a power-point presentation.

It is time I learnt or perhaps better that I learn what is So this year! I am your target market. I am a 67 year old great granny. I have 7 grandchildren & a little great grandson. When I said ‘I was not sure I was ready to be a great granny!’ Oscar piped up – you always have been.

My way of helping children learn is, as my grandmother’s was, to make learning fun.
To quote Mary Poppins ‘In every job that must be done there is an element of fun, so find the fun & then the job is done’. I, like countless generations before me, read stories to my children and grandchildren. I would then bring the stories to life, as my grandmother had with me, by creating games & activities associated with the story. Confusus said what I read – I forget. What I see – I remember. What I do I understand.

One day (I did not realise it at the time) I was given a wonderful opportunity. I was made redundant. I had loved my work with disabled people creating work opportunities, seeking ways to integrate them fully into society; focusing on ability not disability. The funding ran out & my job came to an end. I admit that I wasted a couple of years by being very angry & crying. Then one morning I woke up and realised that – I was not redundant. A chapter of my life had ended. It was time to move on & do what I loved doing, writing stories for children.

Now I write fun educational books. At the back of my books there is our unique Learn with Grandma holistic educational programme; partly based on the way my grandma taught me. The objective is to make learning fun and memorable. Another quote, this time from the Bible, Psalm 78 ‘Explain mysteries from the past, things we have heard and known. Things that our fathers told us’.

What I do I understand. Now at the beginning of the 21centary, for this first time in all those many generation since the book of Psalms was written, the young are not saying you don’t understand me. They are saying you don’t understand. There is a new comprehension gap between the young and the old. The comprehension gap of those who are growing up with the new technologies & cannot understand why what, to them are accepted facts, are a source of wonder to people of my generation.
Neither can they understand why, what to them is so simple, the older generation struggle to learn & to catch up. Don’t get me wrong. A lot of older people are learning the new technologies. I know of a lady of 88 who sends email. Older people spend more time surfing the net than younger people. Travel companies realise this & gear some of their advertising to this lucrative market. But I still find it amazing that I can access all the knowledge in the world. That whatever I want to learn in available at home in my little cottage in a tiny village in the Welsh hills.

I can research my books; correspond with people all over the world at the click of my mouse. It has all happened so fast. It staggers me. The young don’t find it amazing. It is normal. For them this is the way it has always been. How are we to encourage the older generation, like me, who want to be part of this world of information but struggle to understand? In every generation there are Luddites who resist change. Currently there are people in their 40’s who don’t want to know. They see no need to tap into the wonderful resource that modern technology offers. We don’t have to force them. They will either see the light or live in happy ignorance until this generation has past away.

Educationalists are beginning to realise that people of my age are a resource. In the UK over 60% of grandparents care for their grandchildren on a regular basis, because of our Learn with Grandma Programme, I am becoming an ‘expert’ on Intergenerational Learning & asked to speak at conferences like this. Intergenerational Learning is a buzz in education – as is e-learning. I have come to Berlin as much to learn as to show you opportunities & to find international partners for a Grundvig application based on Intergenerational & e-learning.

It was not until I started writing what I would say today that I realised that I am an e-learner. I use the internet all the time for research. The series that I am currently working on is a pan European history that progresses from The Ice Age to The
Roman Empire. The series will end with The Welsh Empress of Rome. Yes there was a Welsh Empress of Rome – Princess Elen, wife of Magnus Maximus. I found out about her on the internet! I found virtually all the facts in my books via the internet & I found the experts who could verify those facts for me – via the internet.

It is not necessary that I learn how a computer works. I drive but don’t understand an internal combustion engine. What older people need is to understand the capabilities of the new technologies, so that we can pass knowledge on to the older generation in a format that simple & easy enough for them to understand.

As the young embrace modern technology, we are in danger of losing ancient skills. I want the young to see older people as a source of information & fun. The time is right. We are partners in a successful Gundvig application for EU funding. The funders know us & have approved our intergenerational concept in principal. We are now seeking more partners for a new bid to create new course disks that will help the older generation understand the capabilities of the new technology. To enable them to fulfil the instructions in Psalm 78 – to pass on the wisdom of our ancestors – in a format that is acceptable & comprehensible to younger generations. If you are interested in joining a partnership application, see me after class!

Mrs Valerie Wood-Gaiger MBE at the Global Women Inventors and Innovators Network gala evening in Cardiff City Hall with her ‘Special Recognition Award’ for Innovation in Education.

Dr Sheila Ochugboju (Operational Director Science & Innovation GWIIN) said ‘This entry really struck a cord with me. Just like many other working women, I could not do my work without support from my mother who cares for my children when I am away. Valerie’s books, with their unique Learn with Grandma educational pages which are designed to bring the story to life, suggesting all sorts of fun activities that people like my mum can do with their grandchildren. As a scientist I was amused and impressed to see that Valerie had even added making a DNA model out of sweets. That is true innovation!”

Valerie explained that the innovative educational concept in her books was not the only innovation. “We have devised a new printing method that will dramatically reduce printing costs for minority languages. The Ice Journey is the first in a planned series of factional books that progress from The Ice Age to The Roman Empire. Before modern political boundaries, before people wrote their stories down, there was a shared European history. The European community is now vast with over 640 recognised languages. Living in a Welsh speaking village really brought it home that throughout Europe people are proud of their heritage; their own county, culture and languages. I wanted to show that a great deal of European history and culture is based on what we share, not on the modern political boundaries that divide us BUT the short print runs necessary in minority languages, like Welsh, is expensive. Our new printing system will enable minority languages to be printed together, at only a tiny fraction more, than the printing costs the major languages enjoy”.

Mrs Valerie Wood-Gaiger MBE
Director Grandma’s Stories Ltd
Co-founder Learn with Grandma (A not for profit company reg. no. 05913133)
Brynamlwg
Myddfai
Llandovery
Carmarthenshire SA20 0NZ
Wales U.K.
0044 (0) 1550 720 994
www.4learningenglish.com