Short speech with pictures that is absolutely worth your time to get you thinking...Ted Talk
A radical and dated suggestion that has promise with revision:
Boggs "Education:The Great Obession"
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Favorite Quotes
"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." -Jackie Robinson
"You might be locked into a world not of your own making, but you still have a claim on how it is shaped. You still have responsibilities." -Barack Obama
"Now, instead of education for social criticism and independent thinking, it is education for socialization, social control, and creation of human capital." -Ronald W. Evans
"You might be locked into a world not of your own making, but you still have a claim on how it is shaped. You still have responsibilities." -Barack Obama
"Now, instead of education for social criticism and independent thinking, it is education for socialization, social control, and creation of human capital." -Ronald W. Evans
"But history is more than just an academic subject; it is the reference point-an aspect of identity-from which people derive a sense of themselves, their communities, and their place in the world." -Terrie Epstein
Student Success = 25% IQ + 25% Opportunity and Experience + 50% Self Esteem
"Education must keep broad ideals before it, and never forget that it is dealing with Souls and not with Dollars"
- W. E. B. Du Bois
"Our national safety lies in the general intelligence of our citizens."
- Boyd H. Bode
“Knowing and seeing what is happening in the world today, I don’t think that there is much of anything that one can do about it. But there is one little thing, it seems to me, that a man owes to himself. He can look bravely at this horrible totalitarian reptile and, while doing so, discipline his dread, his fear, and study it coolly, observe every slither and convolution of its sensuous movements and note down with calmness the pertinent facts. In the face of the totalitarian danger, these facts can help a man to save himself; and he may then be able to call the attention of others around him to the presence and meaning of this reptile and its multitudinous writhings.”
- Richard Wright, “The Outsider,” p. 367
"A human being, young or old, is not a warehouse of information or skills, and an education system which treats children like warehouses is not only depriving them of education but crippling their natural capacity to learn. Particularly in a world of rapidly changing information and skills, learning how to learn is more important than learning specific skills and facts."
- Grace Lee Boggs, "Education: The Great Obsession," p. 70 (1969)
"Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation for your country, and a finer world to live in."
- Martin Luther King Jr.
"They may torture my body, break my bones, even kill me. Then they will have my dead body, but not my obedience."
— Mahatma Gandhi
"When an individual is no longer a true participant, when he no longer feels a sense of responsibility to his society, the content of democracy is emptied. When the culture is degraded and vulgarity enthroned, when the social system does not build security but induces peril, inexorably the individual is impelled to pull away from a soulless society. This process produces alienation – perhaps the most pervasive and insidious development in contemporary society."
- King, 1986a, p. 644
"Creativity is the antidote for violence and destruction. Art is our most human expression, our voice to communicate our stories, to challenge injustice and the misrepresentations of mainstream media, to expose harsh realities and engender even more powerful hope, a force to bring diverse people together, a tool to rebuild our communities, and a weapon to win this struggle for universal liberation.
- Alixa and Naima of Climbing Poetree and former Blackout Arts Collective members
"A human being, young or old, is not a warehouse of information or skills, and an education system which treats children like warehouses is not only depriving them of education but crippling their natural capacity to learn. Particularly in a world of rapidly changing information and skills, learning how to learn is more important than learning specific skills and facts."
- Grace Lee Boggs, "Education: The Great Obsession," p. 70 (1969)
"Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation for your country, and a finer world to live in."
- Martin Luther King Jr.
"They may torture my body, break my bones, even kill me. Then they will have my dead body, but not my obedience."
— Mahatma Gandhi
"When an individual is no longer a true participant, when he no longer feels a sense of responsibility to his society, the content of democracy is emptied. When the culture is degraded and vulgarity enthroned, when the social system does not build security but induces peril, inexorably the individual is impelled to pull away from a soulless society. This process produces alienation – perhaps the most pervasive and insidious development in contemporary society."
- King, 1986a, p. 644
"Creativity is the antidote for violence and destruction. Art is our most human expression, our voice to communicate our stories, to challenge injustice and the misrepresentations of mainstream media, to expose harsh realities and engender even more powerful hope, a force to bring diverse people together, a tool to rebuild our communities, and a weapon to win this struggle for universal liberation.
- Alixa and Naima of Climbing Poetree and former Blackout Arts Collective members
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Special Events at Georgia State Worth Sharing
Today I attended the 28th MLK Convocation program at Georgia State University. The theme for this year's Convocation was "Carrying the Dream...A Call to Action." This is a significant message that asks us to extend service to others as King did for so many. The keynote speaker was Shirley Sherrod, and her message was inspirational. She noted that racism is still an issue today, but explained that we must move past it. It is up to us to get to know each other, to begin to trust each other, and to work together towards improving society. One of my favorite famous quotes from Dr. King also calls for action: "Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." So get out there and pay it forward. Work towards something that you find unjust. Start a dialogue with your neighbor and your community.
On a side note, I picked up a copy of the Atlanta Now magazine that has a calendar of events around Atlanta for January and February. I would recommend this as a great source for keeping up with the happenings around town for the arts and museums especially.
Some of you may have already seen my post on Face Book about when Ela Gandhi came to speak at Georgia State this past October, but I thought I would also include it here for those who did not see it and may find it of interest. I thought it was appropriate since MLK was an admirer of Mahatma Gandhi.
I start with an embarrassing and perplexing confession. Mahatma Gandhi was in the seventh grade standards I was to teach, and I had never heard of him. I had received a Masters degree and was certified to teach secondary Social Studies and had never heard of this world-renowned peacemaker. After years of teaching about him, I quote him extensively and immensely admire him. Today I had the honor of hearing his granddaughter, Ela Gandhi speak. It was a humbling experience that greatly anguished the anxiety I felt earlier in the day over the street robbery of my iPhone. Here I would like to share some of the remarkable knowledge she shared with the audience at Georgia State University in no particular order or priority.
Speaking about growing up in the Phoenix camp: You should only take what you need. The minute you take more than that, you are depriving someone else.
Speaking about apartheid system in South Africa: It was a nasty environment. Black included everyone that was not white including the whites that opposed the system. However, this system provided us with the spirit needed for resistance. The system took away self-respect. We had to unite together and build our own self-respect.
Speaking of the meaning of non-violence: It has a broader meaning. It is a philosophy that can take an entire lifetime to truly understand. But the premise behind it that was later used by Dr. Martin Luther King was based on love. It is the practice of understanding and loving all people, even those that have wronged you. It should not be confused with passive resistance. There is nothing passive about it. It is very active.
Speaking about goals: Ask for only what is achievable. You need little victories to keep the spirit going.
Speaking about the relevance of Mahatma Gandhi today: Gandhi’s message is more important today than ever. The fact that people are trillionaires while others are dying because of a lack of clean drinking water is wrong.
Speaking of youth: Young people are the future of tomorrow. They must find constructive ways to deal with the scarcity of resources and energy investment. She spoke of young people who visited eighty-eight temples in Japan and acquired eleven million signatures. In total, they achieved twenty million signatures that they handed over to the secretary of the United Nations this past Monday. They asked that governments decrease defense spending by ten percent to give to helping those in need.
This is by no means a complete list. There are many other worthwhile points. But I think the overall point is clear.
So I guess the question that remains is…can you be the change you want to see in the world?
On a side note, I picked up a copy of the Atlanta Now magazine that has a calendar of events around Atlanta for January and February. I would recommend this as a great source for keeping up with the happenings around town for the arts and museums especially.
Some of you may have already seen my post on Face Book about when Ela Gandhi came to speak at Georgia State this past October, but I thought I would also include it here for those who did not see it and may find it of interest. I thought it was appropriate since MLK was an admirer of Mahatma Gandhi.
I start with an embarrassing and perplexing confession. Mahatma Gandhi was in the seventh grade standards I was to teach, and I had never heard of him. I had received a Masters degree and was certified to teach secondary Social Studies and had never heard of this world-renowned peacemaker. After years of teaching about him, I quote him extensively and immensely admire him. Today I had the honor of hearing his granddaughter, Ela Gandhi speak. It was a humbling experience that greatly anguished the anxiety I felt earlier in the day over the street robbery of my iPhone. Here I would like to share some of the remarkable knowledge she shared with the audience at Georgia State University in no particular order or priority.
Speaking about growing up in the Phoenix camp: You should only take what you need. The minute you take more than that, you are depriving someone else.
Speaking about apartheid system in South Africa: It was a nasty environment. Black included everyone that was not white including the whites that opposed the system. However, this system provided us with the spirit needed for resistance. The system took away self-respect. We had to unite together and build our own self-respect.
Speaking of the meaning of non-violence: It has a broader meaning. It is a philosophy that can take an entire lifetime to truly understand. But the premise behind it that was later used by Dr. Martin Luther King was based on love. It is the practice of understanding and loving all people, even those that have wronged you. It should not be confused with passive resistance. There is nothing passive about it. It is very active.
Speaking about goals: Ask for only what is achievable. You need little victories to keep the spirit going.
Speaking about the relevance of Mahatma Gandhi today: Gandhi’s message is more important today than ever. The fact that people are trillionaires while others are dying because of a lack of clean drinking water is wrong.
Speaking of youth: Young people are the future of tomorrow. They must find constructive ways to deal with the scarcity of resources and energy investment. She spoke of young people who visited eighty-eight temples in Japan and acquired eleven million signatures. In total, they achieved twenty million signatures that they handed over to the secretary of the United Nations this past Monday. They asked that governments decrease defense spending by ten percent to give to helping those in need.
This is by no means a complete list. There are many other worthwhile points. But I think the overall point is clear.
So I guess the question that remains is…can you be the change you want to see in the world?
Saturday, January 8, 2011
A few recommendations
One individual interviewed in Vicki Abeles’s documentary, “Race to Nowhere: The Dark Side of America’s Achievement Culture,” said we need to think about how we can create happy, successful, and creative people. Davis Guggenheim’s “Waiting for Superman” documentary as well as other current literature and media have invited people from all ranks of society, even celebrities as popular as Oprah, to ask similar questions about children in today’s American educational system.
More now than ever, the nation is gravely concerned about the American educational system within an increasingly globalized economy. International comparisons are used as scare tactics and many Americans are seeking reform. This past semester, I took a course titled Sociology of Education in which I explored a variety of literature and media in education. I wish that everyone interested in education could take such a course to explore relevant materials and hold discussions that would improve education. However, I realize that many people do not have time to devote to such study. In this brief, I intend to highlight the most important works from this course and give a short explanation of the benefits they provide. I recommend the following:
Books
1. Kathleen Benett deMarrias and Margaret D. LeCompte’s The Way Schools Work: A Sociological Analysis of Education (1999)
2. Terrie Epstein’s Interpreting National History: Race, Identity, and Pedagogy in Classrooms and Communities (2009)
The Way Schools Work is a great introductory piece for anyone unfamiliar with social educational issues, but is also a very insightful piece for experienced educators. It can be used as a textbook to any social foundations course. It explores theories behind education that are critical for people to understand. This book marvelously illustrates all the forces that are at work when it comes to schooling. I would recommend beginning with this book as it reveals all the vertebras that make up the spine of education.
Interpreting National History advocates teaching United States History from a social justice perspective. This book discusses the empirical research study that Terrie Epstein conducted in the 1990s of 5th, 8th, and 11th grade students, their teachers, their parents, and a working class community in Michigan. Epstein sought to discover how these participants interpreted national history and how that affected their racial identities. Whites interpreted the nation as progressively inclusive of racial diversity and rights while blacks interpreted the nation as perennially exclusive by maintaining white privilege and violence. It is important to reveal how history education can impact identity construction.
Articles
1. James D. Anderson’s “The Historical Context for Understanding the Test Score Gap” (2009)
2. “Race and Our Biocentric Belief System: An Interview with Sylvia Wynter” Appendix B-2 of Black Education: A Transformative Research and Action Agenda for the New Century edited by Joyce E. King (2005)
3. Jessica Gordon Nembarhd’s “On the Road to Democratic Participation: Educating African American Youth in the Post-Industrial Global Economy” also found in Black Education: A Transformative Research and Action Agenda for the New Century edited by Joyce E. King (2005)
Anderson’s article is an inspiring piece that helps us truly understand alarming statistics often published in the news. It is inspirational in the fact that the author reveals the remarkable record of the history of African American education in which they have overcome one achievement gap over the next. This piece is important as it illustrates positive trends rather than only portraying the negative.
The article interviewing Sylvia Wynter is an integral one that we kept referring back to throughout our course of study. She explains that we need to “come into full conscious of the fact that it is we who are the agents and authors of ourselves and that we do it according to rules” (2005, p. 365). These rules she refers to are how we make ourselves human through words, meanings, and institutions. This can be a complicated read, yet a very powerful one.
Gordon Nembhard strongly recommends, “We must consider that one of the things we should be educating our youth for is to transform the economic system - humanize and democratize it – so that is serves everyone well” (2005, p. 239). The teaching approaches advocated would encourage democratic and economic participation. The author believes to inspire students towards attaining academic achievement in school and beyond we need to focus on problem solving skills, flexibility, and collaboration to compete in a global economy. We need to promote critical thinking skills and focus on teaching students the ability to learn.
Videos
1. The Lemon Grove Incident
2. Culture and Language Academy of Success, Los Angeles
“The Lemon Grove Incident” is a film that is critical to watch because it demonstrates the effectiveness of agency. The viewer learns the importance of community organizing and how to stand together against injustice as they watch a Mexican community oppose segregation of schools in their community. Sadly, I think communities are largely lacking agency today.
The short video highlighting the work of the Culture and Language Academy of Success in Los Angeles is an uplifting piece. This is a good antidote to current films such as “2 Million Minutes” and “Waiting for Superman” that portray American education negatively. The school in this film was designed to be culturally responsive to students whose needs were not being met in the traditional setting. They focus on students’ culture throughout learning and teach them there are many different languages that are appropriate in different settings. This would be an exemplar school for many to emulate.
I hope you review the selected pieces and they inspire you as they have me to improve education in the United States. I believe it is critical for Americans to have a greater understanding of education based on scholarly work and research before they start comparing apples to oranges in international comparisons or suggesting that bad teachers and unions are the major problem in schooling.
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