Passing Notes

Notes from a Parent/Teacher to Parents and Teachers

Mar
13

By

The Underground Railroad: A simulation with students

Category: Tackling Tough Issues, Teacher's Toolbox Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment

Slavery.  Probably one of the most horrific things our world has lived. Tackling issues of racism and power is no easy task for any teacher.  It’s hard to make the lived experiences of slaves real but it’s our duty to do it and do it right.  This history can be taught in a sensitive and critical manner, especially when we concentrate on people who fought injustice, and those who sought freedom.

tubmandrivingtrain

I’d like to share with you a simulation that I involved my students in while studying Ontario’s early settlers, a little project I embarked upon first with a great teacher, Cynthia R. when we team-taught, a few years back.

Rather than allow my students to get a one-dimensional view of what early settler communities might have been like (as prescribed by the Grade 3 Ontario curriculum), I found multiple entry points to talk about communities that are usually under- or un-represented in resources about settlers (“pioneers”).  It’s beyond the scope of this post to discuss everything that I did to prepare my students for learning about freedom-seeking slaves, but you should know that I did a huge amount of work with them on both The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and also the various First Nations living in what we now know as Ontario, – (The Haudenasaunee and Anishnaabe Nations), – at the time of early settlements.  After MUCH work, many read alouds, discussions and above all, dramatizations of history, my students embarked upon a simulation of the Underground Railroad.  Here’s the letter I wrote to school staff to get them involved.  It should explain the gist of what I did:

Dear colleagues,

As some of you know, my grade 3′s are learning about early settler communities in Ontario.  One of the communities we’ll be learning about is early Black settlements.

 

We are exploring the Underground Railroad as a part of this and need your help. Here are the details:

 

My students have one life card that they must get to a conductor, but it must happen at 10 a.m. on any given day on the dot. I have given three teachers, the roles of “conductors”.  As such, everyone else can choose to be an abolitionist or a helping freed slave and help to get the students to freedom.  I have told students that some people in the school might pose a threat to any freedom-seekers because I want them to use their wit, not because there is a threat.   You can be an abolitionist and secretly offer to help to get their cards/lives to safety but it has to be at 10 a.m. otherwise the conductors have been instructed to keep the cards as “caught” (if they are even a few minutes late).  If you want to be an abolitionist and get the word out the the freedom-seekers, feel free to sing songs or make visible, symbols of freedom (quilts, lanterns, etc) at you convenience to guide them to safety posts or the safe houses of the conductors.  Any one, including other students can help as long as I don’t find out.

 

Next week, I’ll deconstruct the whole simulation with my students as I reveal who made it to freedom and discuss what could have happened to those whose cards were not saved.

Thanks for helping us to bring learning to life!

Quilts had symbols that represented various things to a fugitive slave. They acted as maps to guide them through a difficult journey.

What ensued that week was very interesting.  Students were hesitant to get their life cards to people.  They were trying hard to figure out if the symbols that were placed around the school meant safety.  We had read many books about former slaves finding freedom through wit, strength, courage and the help of others but they didn’t want to budge.  I secretly enlisted other students from a class to help (sometimes without much success) and our music teacher got heavily involved teaching the kids “spirituals” and songs that had clues to help get the kids to freedom.  Quilts were hung on doorways, there was talk in the playground and in the halls.

In the end, many of the kids used their savvy, their knowledge of clues and courage to get their freedom cards to others. A few went on instinct and all of them attempted to use the clues I read about in story after story.  Most relied on solidarity.

 

When we deconstructed the whole situation as a class and with the help of one of the “conductors”, it was emotionally-charged.  We talked about the weathered, torn life cards…what might that symbolize?  We talked about the limitations I imposed at 10 a.m. and what it meant in real terms about the limitations set upon real slaves trying to seek freedom:  working the fields all day and little time to plan and amass information/ resources; the possibility of getting caught and the consequences of that; weather changes that were unpredictable making it difficult to leave – prolonged rain was good because you were not expected to show up in the fields and a scent was difficult to track; lack of resources, emotional constraints such as fear; etc.)

The discussions about fairness and injustice became very real to them.  My students had had a hard time understanding how people could be put through such cruelty when we talked about the slave trade.  Many were frightened.  But when we explored the possibility of escaping slavery, most of them actually attempted this simulation.  They were inspired by the stories of hope, determination and strength of character and felt bound to “do right” by the people who had lived this.

Though, this was a an unconventional way to bring about learning, I saw huge growth in their ability to criticially analyze the past and come to terms with the genocide that impacted 21 million people, 7 million of which never even survived the journey across the Atlantic.  Doing this simulation didn’t make it easier my the kids to digest the history I was throwing at them, and quite frankly, I’m relieved to know that they are horrified and cannot fathom this part of history.  What was positive about it was helping them to see beyond themselves, to step into another’s shoes, to empathize and take action, and yes, to break rules when they are unjust.

 

Daniela

 

Dec
30

By

The Arts in Education: How much does it really matter?

Category: Tackling Tough Issues, Teacher's Toolbox Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment

paint Brush_and_watercolours

 

As an educator, I have been challenged to “prove” the importance of The Arts in our educational system. To add insult to injury, the sentiment that The Arts (Visual, Dramatic, Musical), are irrelevant in this day and age, often comes off stronger during economic downturns, when some want to “get back to basics” (whatever that means).

As if The Arts for arts sake don’t matter!  Arts shouldn’t have to be justified as an aside to anything else.

When it comes to education and The Arts, parents and educators need to support the notion that Arts education matters, not only in relation to other subject areas, but because it is the foundation for expression and creativity, ingenuity and innovation, flexible and divergent thought.  We must create opportunities for all children to be engaged in fully and regularly in The Arts.

The Arts are also our strongest tool in education for change.

I hope you’ll permit me to borrow from a book titled, Releasing the Imagination by Maxine Greene.  It is her belief that “holistic experiences in the arts release the imagination and nurture the whole self”.  I strongly feel that when children are given experiences in the Arts they are able to create, nurture, and develop artistic gifts, which help to nurture the whole self. A well-rounded education in The Arts encourages children to play, move, question, laugh, share, explore and learn. Experiences in The Arts allow children to honour and respect individuals and to show empathy for others. Through a variety of experiences in the arts, children develop the ability to get into the minds of others, and truly see things from another person’s point of view.  Though we can do this in all disciplines, it is most easily accessible in the Arts.

 drama masks

“We must make the arts central in school curricula because encounters with the arts have a unique power  to release the imagination. Stories, poems, dance performances, concerts, paintings, films, plays – all  have the potential to provide remarkable pleasure for those willing to move out toward them and engage  with them.”

 

If we value divergent thinking which I presume YOU do, then it follows that releasing the imagination is central to that, no? Given that most educators recognize the importance of multiple intelligences and believe that individuals think in different ways and use different strengths, then it follows that we should have just as strong a focus on the Arts (at a minimum), as we do other subject areas.  If we want for students to be able to create their identities, then “waking up what inside of themselves” becomes very accessible when we rely on the  Arts, – (and here I have to say especially Dramatic Arts, because of the learning and changes that can come out of stepping into other shoes, becoming someone else, going back to yourself and redefining who you are and what you think as a result of the dramatic process.)

 

“One of the reasons I have come to concentrate on imagination as a means through which we can  assemble a coherent world is that imagination is what, above all, makes empathy possible.”

 

When children are given the opportunity to explore how people are treated differently due to class, race, or culture through experiences in The Arts, they begin to understand the importance of democracy. The Arts bring colour, joy, compassion, and understanding, helping children to reach out to one another, and honour individuals, as well as the collective whole. When children are continually exposed to The Arts, they learn to work with one another, and develop a genuine understanding and respect of differences. This understanding enables them to work towards social change. Experiences in The Arts allow children to recognize that others may not be as fortunate as they are, for example, and provides children with the tools for social change. So essentially, The Arts are a means to promote a democratic society and exist as a vehicle for social change.

 

There’s a popular video of a lecture by Ken Robinson that states that “creativity is as important as literacy”.  Given the requirements that 21st century learners need to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, I couldn’t agree more.  Students need to have huge amounts of opportunities to flex their minds and grow their imaginations to be able to adapt to a variety of contexts.  In light of the global cross-cultural context which each day becomes more and more intertwined, we cannot teach with disregard to economic and political spheres.  The Arts most definitely allows for us to do this and seek alternative viewpoints.  Greene states:

 “Envisaging what might be, educators cannot but work for a certain mastery of skills and involvement with a range of literacies for young people who will grow up to participate in a democratic community” 

But there is a divide:  We have an evolving curriculum, one too heavy in content (quantitatively), but which is definitely being revised to reflect the needs of the 21st learner.  Policy is starting to reflect this too (finally the pendulum has swung!).  The problem?  Many teachers still buy into old notions of education and antiquated methodologies.  Even newer grads  do…it’s firmly entrenched in our “culture of education”.  How can teachers do better?  Well, we are very much a product of our own education.  How do we get beyond this as a profession?  Surely it will take time, certainly generations, but how do we get the ball rolling? It is through questioning our own professional lives and seeing alternative viewpoints that we form a more informed, enriched view of our professional practice.  Higher-level and critical thinking must win over rote nonsense and non-innovative instruction.

The Arts matter.  Period. The Arts matter very much, I would argue, given the state of our world, more than any other subject area.  Care to differ?

 

Peace,

Daniela

I will leave you with some final thoughts borrowed from Greene here:

 

“We who are teachers would have to accommodate ourselves to lives as clerks or functionaries if we did not have in mind a quest for a better state of things for those we teach and for the world we share.”

 

“In my view, the classroom situation most provocative of thoughtfulness and critical consciousness  is the one in which teachers and learners find themselves conducting a kind of collaborative search,  each from her or his lived situation” 

Nov
26

By

“Writing” in schools: it AIN’T what it used to be

Category: Question Parents Ask Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment

writing

If your child is in elementary school you’ve hopefully noticed that the way that writing is taught differs vastly from when you were a kid. Not that I want to age you, – (or myself for that matter), – but I’ll bet that you had either worksheets or a workbook, or maybe both. If so, then it’s highly unlikely that you had many chances to express yourself through writing and develop ideas or a “voice” to accompany those ideas. It is my hope, that the one-size-fits all approach is a thing of the past for your children.

Why you ask? Let me provide you with the following analogy: when we admire a work of visual art, we are more apt to comment on its aesthetics, the message, its meaning and so forth. Yes, the medium and the techniques that were used, help to convey that message, but it’s not the techniques in and of themselves that determine its aesthetic value. Now try to transfer that over to writing. As writers, what’s important for children is for them to get an idea or message out.

Word work and conventions

Of course, in order to do that they also need to pick the right form to do it in and to have the skill necessary to carry forward that idea. So where do conventions come in? You know, the dreaded, – (by some), – spelling, grammar and punctuation “rules”? Well, your child is likely engaged in word work in class, which means exactly what it’s called, working with words in various ways at school. Children have to manipulate words and sentences, and expand vocabulary in activities that honour their abilities. There’s no need for a spelling test because researchers have long known that rote memorization doesn’t usually transfer over to our writing.

 

Your child’s conference with their teacher:  Feedback at its finest

Most importantly, it should be the case that your child’s teacher is spending oodles of one-on-one or small group time in teacher-student conferences – little meetings where the teacher helps to guide the young writer and help them develop their craft. This is often based on written works that students have chosen to write about in accordance with their interests. Each child’s conference is unlike another’s and deals with distinct writing needs because each child develops writing abilities differently from the next one.

Young studygroup

 

So what’s left for you as a parent to encourage writing at home?

 

➢ Get you child hooked on writing. Relax, it’s easier than it sounds. Does your child like dinosaurs, skateboarding or the latest kid craze? Let them write about it…without restrictions, so they choose the genre or form and the purpose or reason for their writing. The kid who loves board games can make up board games and write the procedures for them, the little cook, can re-write or invent a recipe, the kid who misses her faraway cousin can write emails to them. The music lover can write rap lyrics. Children are ALWAYS motivated to write when they have choice in the topic. They HAVE to have a vested interest in the topic. When they see they have a purpose for writing, they just want to write.

cover-letter-writing

 Form + Purpose + Audience

➢ There are many ways to get out an idea, but some ways are better than others, and your kids might need some guidance. For example, for families planning a yard sale, the kids can write posts on Craigslist, make posters, signs, flyers or brochures. All of these forms have different features and though the idea of getting out a message is the same, the medium changes what goes into it. So a posting online will have more details than a sign to be hung on a lawn. But all require an understanding of writing as well as how media informs us. Kids will need your gentle guidance for writing.

Be the editor…and only pick one area of focus for them

➢ Which brings me to the next point: spelling, grammar and punctuation. After the message has been written, this is the best time to work on these, so as not to hamper the thought process as children brainstorm and write. Kids can pick one thing they find challenging enough to work on (e.g. the capitalization in a poster), while you, their editor walks them through the rest. It’s important for them to develop the skills about how language is structured so that they can convey their message well. No one wants to send out an important written message that is incorrect.

 


So, how do you see writing being taught in your child’s class? Which approaches do you prefer? How do you encourage writing to happen at home? Share your ideas with other parents below!

 

Daniela

Oct
27

By

What do you do when your child is bored at school?

Category: Tackling Tough Issues Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment

 

A friend approached me a few weeks ago with concerns about her child’s interest level at school – (or lack thereof).  She felt uncomfortable approaching the teacher and asked me what she could do at home to support her daughter.

She got me thinking that there are as many scenarios that could lead to a bored child, as there are children, but we can look at a few common ones and go from there.

 

Scenario 1:  Your child is bored because the teacher does not have a strong child-centred, student-driven program.  The learning in a few traditional classrooms tends to happen on paper (A.K.A worksheets) and students have little opportunities to delve into topics that they enjoy.

 

In child-centred classrooms, students may have choice of writing topic, and students may have choice of which activities to do throughout the day (stations, centres).   Most students really are motivated by what interests them and if there’s no room for them to be able to develop their interests in class (e.g., during Writing Workshop), then your child may be somewhat bored.

 

Scenario 2:  Your child is generally unmotivated and lacks curiosity and interest in MOST things, regardless of whether they are in school or not.  Maybe this is the kid who hasn’t found something that sparks their interest, or hasn’t defined something that they are good at.  Maybe there’s a self-esteem piece that needs a closer look.  Honestly, I worry about my unmotivated kids more than I do about my struggling ones.

 

Scenario 3:  Your child is not bored, but actually struggling.

Some kids feign boredom to disguise their perceived capacity to learn something.  Their “boredom” can be more about saving face than anything else.

 

Scenario 4:  Your child needs or prefers to learn with the use of manipulatives and hands-on resources.  And the teacher doesn’t.  Great teachers, – (and most of them ARE), – use hands-on approaches to teach concepts at all ages (yes, even in high-school).  This is closely-related to the next scenario, so read on.

 

Scenario 5:  Your child needs a more “differentiated” environment

Kids come in all varieties and they learn differently too.  Teachers are usually experts at knowing students’ strengths and learning styles and try to teach through those styles to reach specific learners.  It’s important that parents and children know their learning styles too so that they can advocate for themselves.

(Also, children who are gifted but not deemed as such because they have not been tested for giftedness, are sometimes bored learners.  This is a whole other discussion, so please see your child’s teacher if you strongly feel that your child exhibits gifted quirkiness :) )

 

Scenario 5:  Your child feels that the curriculum doesn’t reflect who they are.

Teachers are usually bound by curricular standards/ expectations.  They don’t usually teach concepts that are outside of the prescribed curriculum.  Sometimes the topics are a bit dry, but great teachers know how to connect the learning to students lives and find entry points to their interests by making it more exciting for them.  The issue of “not being reflected in the curriculum”, (culturally, linguistically historically, …) is not uncommon.

 

I personally hated school during my mid-high school years because I felt completely disconnected to what was being taught.  But teachers have many ways of making the curriculum relevant to students’ lives, so even if curriculum is not perfect, and even if it’s biased, many teachers are wonderfully creative about working around this and infusing the curriculum through an equitable lens and making sure that all children are reflected in the curriculum.

 

Scenario X, Y, Z: …

 

 

Once you’ve determined the root cause you might start looking for solutions, right?  Well you’re going to hate my answer.

Communication is key.  I know this sounds very basic, but really that’s the best answer out there for all of these scenarios.  I’ve been there too.  And I made the mistake of not speaking up for my child.  And I DO regret it, because she wasted a lot of time doing things that had no meaning to her.  You might have to muster up the courage to speak up for your child and communicate that you are very appreciative of your teacher’s role and that you want to explore the disconnect between their great work and your child’s boredom

Knowing why your child feels bored is hugely important to that process.  If you know your child’s learning style, or better yet, if s/he is aware of their strengths or needs, then the above conversation is so much easier. (This  link has a brief explanation of learning styles but you’ll want to explore further here .)

Finally, compensating for the boredom at home can either be enriching or a negative experience. If you approach the situation with self-directed ways of learning such as an “I Wonder Book” (see my recent post on clubmom.ca), or if you engage your child in a conversation about what they’d like to learn and what you’ll do to facilitate the learning, that’s a great start. For many kids, it can turn into a negative situation if you print up mindless worksheets with no connection to what they want to learn and with no higher-level thinking skills.

 

I’m curious to know what you think…

Daniela

Aug
11

By

“Sex Education” in Ontario: a last-millennium approach

Category: Tackling Tough Issues Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

I’m not sure how many parents are familiar with the Ontario Curriculum, but I’d venture to say, not many, unless you’re an educator yourself.  There have been many revisions to the curriculum, in all instances for the better.  With one exception:  the curriculum related to Physical & Health Education, specifically Growth and Development (e.g., Sex Ed.).

 

You see, when the Health curriculum was revamped fairly recently, everything was revised but all except for the section on Growth and Development were actually published.  Teachers still have to teach the topic but they have to use the very vague and lacking content from 1998.  Yes.  1998.  OK the worst part is not how dated it is or how minimally it’s described.  The worst part is that it wasn’t revised because it was a contentious issue for some sectors in society.

This begs the question, “whose responsibility is it to teach this stuff to YOUR kids anyways?”.  I’m of the opinion that the responsibility lays on the shoulders of schools and parents (though some would differ with this, in either respect).  The breadth and scope of what children and adolescents need to know is huge, and goes way beyond the anatomical lesson or birth videos shown to us many years ago as students.  It goes way beyond just “sex”, hence the misnomer that is “Sex Education”.

 

 

Ophea, which spear heads many of the excellent curriculum and community initiatives, resources and support for Physical and Health Education in Ontario has this to say:

“learning to make reasoned decisions, take ownership of your own body and develop skills for healthy relationships is a component of healthy living that our students need to live safe and healthy lives…Learning about healthy development, including sexual development, requires an understanding of sexual health in its broadest context – sexual development, reproductive health, interpersonal relationships, affection, abstinence, choice and sexual readiness, protection, body image, and gender roles and expectations.”

 

That is quite a bit of stuff to wrap our minds around.  It’s about developing healthy attitudes, relationships, exploring gender roles and so much more.  So educators are working with fairly antiquated curriculum in this respect, and one that is not inclusive of LBGTQ perspectives either.

Given the intensity of what kids are “offered” in the form of “Sex Ed.” through the media, it goes without saying that parental and school communities need to be on the ball with this one.  I for one cringe at the way “Zack and Cody” refer to girls as “hot”.  Don’t even get me started on other shows which showcase everything ranging from heterosexist content to the proliferation of gender stereotypes.  Just last week, I was chatting with some moms over the highly sexualized behaviour of really, really young kids in social situations last week, and the images of “rainbow parties” are making my head spin.

So what’s a parent to do?  What’s an educator to do?

I propose that the “Growth and Development” portion of the Health curriculum needs to be revised to include a more holistic approach asap!  So how do we get started on this?  It’s not a job for one, but for many.

Daniela

              ************************************

More information about Ophea’s work and their response to this curricular lag can be found here:

http://www.ophea.net/blog/facts-about-ontario-s-sex-ed-curriculum-why-ontario-s-students-need-quality-health-and-physical

 

Given the lack of inclusivity in the 1998 excerpt, there are some great resources for educators and parents put out by the TDSB, whose Equitable and Inclusive schools Department is cutting edge.

http://www.tdsb.on.ca/_site/viewitem.asp?siteid=15&menuid=5400&pageid=4716

 

 

 

 

 

May
29

By

Data Management: not just “graphing” anymore. Simple ideas for the wee ones.

Category: Curriculum Connections at Home Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment

I often hear parents comment on the “newer” math terminology that is used in school.  True.  In school, back in the day, we used to call it “graphing”, period.  But there’s so much more to “graphing” than graphing itself.   The language used in the Ontario Progress Report Card and by the Ontario Ministry of Education is Data Management which is much more accurate of what graphing really entails.  The last graph you saw required:

  • the need to get information (for advertising for example)
  • the collection of information (a survey perhaps?)
  • the display of that information in such a way that people would most easily be able to interpret it (tables, circle, plot, bar graphs)

So  in other words Data Management, is about how we organize information to make it easy to understand.

As our world becomes increasingly more visual, we need to develop the types of skills that allow us to interpret what we see and understand what it’s really trying to tell us, how to create  and organize information and how to find bias in that information.  A pre-curser to all of that is the ability to sort things.  Pretty simple huh?  It doesn’t require much, just what you have on hand.

Here are some ideas to try with the younger set (Kindergarten -gr.1) at home. (I’ll have some ideas for the older folks in a later post.)  In the early primary years, one of the many expectations laid out in the Ontario Curriculum states that children are to: demonstrate the ability to organize objects into categories and  that students should be able to sort and classify objects using one attribute (size, colour, shape).

Without further ado:

Have your child notice the categorization and organization of produce in the market…

Let your kids help you sort groceries either while shopping or at home.  It may sound messy but it’s very concrete for them.  They can sort cans into sizes and do the same for boxes for example.

Or they can sort by type of food.  You can extend the activity by having them re-sort in different ways.  In order for you to actually get something beyond math learning, have them sort first using something like colour or size, and then sort through “type” so that that can actually help you to house the food you bought.  Two in one, who can ask for more?

Children can sort jelly beans easily by colour, dry legumes/ beans by shape or colour…

Or help sort materials into recycling containers…

 

After laundry is done, they can sort their socks by colour, size, owner, patterns, (and help you match up the missing ones!)…

 

They can sort Lego pieces by colour and size, while cleaning up their playful mess…

Or sort cutlery (if they can be trusted…)

 

You get the idea…

Not so messy, a little bit of fun, and sorting practice to boot.  Math is everywhere!

Daniela

 

 

Picture credits:

http://s1.hubimg.com/u/5985616_f520.jpg

http://blog.nimdiet.com/

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2011/0920/espnhs_brain_power_jelly_beans_576x324.jpg

 

 

Mar
20

By

Why it matters that you can eat your science experiment.

Category: Curriculum Connections at Home Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments

Well, if you can’t eat it, then at least it should matter that you can play with it.  Science is meant to be a journey, an exploration.  It should be creative and interactive.  We need to “play” around with materials in order to hypothesize.  So while, I’m no “Bill Nye the Science Guy”, I do think that Science concepts can be greatly enhanced through other means, such as cooking in this case, or  say Dramatic Arts, visual representations, and so on.

Now this is what I call double duty:  Science and chocolaty goodness all rolled into one.  It happened that my brother hadn’t had a proper birthday celebration and because we’re nice that way we decided to bake him a cake.  Being a teacher,  ”just baking”, means that I’m always looking for connections to learning.  As we mixed, I was talking to my daughter about a cookie recipe that I did with my grade 5 class last year to investigate how chemical changes in matter are irreversible from the Ontario Science curriculum and well, the baking ended up as part lesson too – (don’t worry, it wasn’t boring!).  The Ontario Science strand for this area is called “Understanding Matter & Energy:  Properties and Changes in Matter”.  We also talked about  how matter that changes state is still the same matter.  I explained that even though the egg changed state from liquid to solid, matter, – (which is everywhere, except for energy), was still there.  I didn’t talk about matter ad nauseum, and I only elaborated enough to get her interested and asking more information, because otherwise that’s ruining the fun right?

Not surprisingly, my girl had two “aha!” moments that connected her previous understanding of fractions to new understandings which was good because struggling with fractions is no fun at all!

 

 

Here is the recipe.  I apologize as I’m always irritated when metric is not used because I feel that children need to get a sense of  proper measurement metric terminology such as millilitres and litres, which are underused in so many recipes that cater to Imperial measurement.  It’s only that this is what I’ve got time for at the moment.  And I have a sleeping baby in my arms.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour (I’ve used whole wheat and no one can tell the difference)

3 large ripe bananas, pureed or mashed

1 1/2 cups of sugar (I used a combination of Agave and Sucanat because that’s what I had on hand.  Use whatever sweetener you prefer except for stevia unless you can figure out the equivalent amount needed.)

1 cup of canola oil, Earth’s Best spread, or butter

2/3 cup baking cocoa

1 1/4 cups of water

1 1/4 tsp. of baking soda

1 tsp. of salt

1/4 tsp. baking powder

2 large eggs

What to do

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Celsius.
  2. Grease two round pans with coconut oil or oil, and lightly dust with flour.
  3. Beat all ingredients with electric mixer on low for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly.
  4. Beat on high for three minutes, scraping occasionally.
  5. Pour into pans, bake for 30-35 minutes (check by inserting a skewer or similar tool into center – if it comes out clean, it’s ready).
  6. Cool for ten minutes, remove from pans.
  7. Cool on baking rack completely.
For the icing, we were not very ahem, mathematical.  We threw together about 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 3 tbsp. of coconut oil in lieu of butter, 1 tsp. of vanilla, 2 or 3 tbsp. of baking cocoa and about 3-4 tbsp. of milk.
To make frosting:
  1. Mix sugar and coconut oil at low speed.
  2.  Stir in vanilla and cocoa.
  3. Gradually beat in just enough milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable.
  4. Add drops of milk if frosting is too thick; beat in sugar if it’s too thin.

 

 The finished product , – (cut into quarters, then twelfths!), has crushed walnuts, which you’ll avoid if you’re anaphylactic, right?

Thanks to an old friend Kathleen for the original recipe and apologies to her for changing it so much.  But it doesn’t matter, as long as the results melt in your mouth.  Mmmnnn, Science!

 

Daniela