Blogs of Interest

For those of you in Dr. Barbour's 6230 course, I just wanted you to know that I'll be joining you with your posts. My apologies that I'm a little late on this one, but here are 3 blogs that I wanted to share with you.

1. Tipline - Gates' Computer Tips:
Jim is my educational technology super hero! No joke! I've learned from Jim in face-to-face training sessions, daily emails, blog posts, and other forms of communication. Jim is dedicated to the educational technology field, and now that he's "fully" (yeah right) retired, he has so much more time to share things with the world. Jim tries to blog daily about a computer tip or two. It's usually a website, but sometimes it's a news item or an Excel tip, etc. You can also find the archive of his tips going back to May of 2005. Please leave him a comment to let him know you were there and what you thought of the tip.

2. Clif's Notes I've only been viewing this blog for about 2 weeks now, and just love it! Clif posts information about Teaching, Educational Technology, Instructional Design, Teacher Education, Professional Development, and Educational Research. They are short, quick and to the point. Definitely worth trying out for a month to see if you find it useful.

3. And yes...our President has a blog! Stay current and up-to-date with blog postings from the White House. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/ The White House Blog has been put in place with three main goals in mind: Communication, Transparency, and Participation.

Best Turkey EVER!

Today I made my very first Turkey. Cleaning it was super gross and I had thoughts that I would never make another turkey in my LIFE, but then I ate it! Absolutely amazing! It was really easy, and SO worth the wait. My friend Janelle suggested using a recipe that she saw on Oprah, so that's what I used. Here's what you need:

Marinade:
* 1 1/2 cups Dijon mustard
* 3/4 cup soy sauce
* 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (do not discard lemon rinds) - I juiced 4 Lemons
Turkey:
* 1 (15-pound) free-range turkey
* 2 bunches fresh poultry herbs
* 2 to 3 cups hot water

The link to the recipe is at the bottom of this post. One thing I did, that is not included in the recipe, is soak the turkey in salt water. My friend Jenny shared that with me. The marinade is super easy to make and I'm betting that it would be good with chicken as well. Try it out and let me know how yours turned out. I loved it so much, that I'm volunteering to make next years Thanksgiving dinner for the family. Scrumptious! Definitely one to make again!

http://www.oprah.com/recipe/food/recipespoultry/pkgcristina/20081118_tows_turkey

Thoughts Shared at Educational Forum

I attended an educational forum today at the Peace Center and Gallery on Adams Street in Detroit. The gallery is presenting the photographs taken by Frank Hammer and his daughter Melina. The exhibit includes photos from Cuba and the Detroit Public School Warehouse. The photos are gorgeous, yet disheartening at the same time. They portray images of wasted resources of school supplies that lay wasted in an abandon building. The session began with a video clip created by Oren Goldenberg, of poet Will Copeland. Freedom Schooling, Copeland's poem, focused on current trends in DPS, including:

Passive listening; mechanical tested; prison resemblance; complexity of communication

He stated that in order for change we need to get ALL stakeholders involved; Design curriculum around the needs of today; CHANGE CURRICULUM; wide populations of students attending DPS and need to address all of their needs; and create a curriculum developed by reality.

Sophia Holly-Ellis was the main speaker for the event. She is a retired DPS school teacher with 56 years of service to the city's children. Sophia told stories of how she use to beg for books, but with no success, she just started having the kids write their own. “You notice I keep saying WE…We built all of our own equipment. We built everything in the classroom, and this was in elementary," she stated. "I never had idiots in my classroom. I had kids full of curiosity." Sophia was very inspiring to listen to, and I could tell that she loved teaching and had a passion for life and the well being of others.

The discussion panel consisted of four educators: Malik Yakini, Julia Pointer, Nate Walker, and Lottie Spady.

Malik Yakini is the Director of the Nsoroma Institute Public Academy and activist for the Community Food Security Network in Detroit. Yakini stated, that we need to start teaching kids that "we are the creators of our own reality," and that we as educators need to start nurturing the children into becoming "entire" human beings. Nsoroma is a charter school, but he states that this type of nurturing needs to be taking place in after-school programs, churches, home schools, and public schools. (It was also pretty cool to see him, because I used a quote of his in one of my papers last week! Pretty neat!)

Julia Pointer is a teacher at University Prep. One of the most impactful statements of the discussion was made by Julia, "we have created a generation of consumers," and we need to "build schools around training creators." I really enjoyed her thoughts on how we as educators create a path and explain to children that this is the path to follow in order to be successful: K, elementary school, high school, college, job, car, family, and then house, and by following THAT path, you will be successful. I don't believe she was saying that that particular path can't lead to success, but it may not be the path for everyone. By teaching students to "create" their own path, and instilling in them that THEY must CREATE what they want to be provides them a tool to create their own life and not have to rely on someone doing it for them.

After 5yrs of teaching and being laid off, and teaching and being laid off, and teaching and being laid off by DPS, Nate Walker has landed a job as a teacher at University Prep. Nate suggests that there is this belief that by providing schools with equitable funding all problems will be solved and BAM...students in Detroit will be "learning." He believes that before there can be equitable education in the city we need to address 5 specific questions:

1. What is the goal of education?
2. What does it mean to improve the quality of life?
3. What role does education play in transforming a community? It's spaces? It's interaction?
4. How can education deepen humanity?
5. What is high quality integrated education?

Lottie Spady is an environmental educator for East Michigan Environmental Action Council.Lottie displayed a passion for her educational work and expressed that "we must tell our own stories, and not wait for 60 Minutes" to roll up and say "hey, you're doing great things, so we're going to record you." The technology, equipment, people, and tools are available to begin creating and sharing our own stories, so let's not wait for someone else to do it for us. She spoke of an after-school program where she allows the kids to create their own webpages. They can choose from any topic in which they have an interest in...BUT, for example, if they choose SNEAKERS (gosh, this takes me back to working with my middle-school kiddos) then they have to do research and include information about sweatshops, marketing, consumers, etc.

I wasn't surprised at the end of the forum to find out that all of these individuals are working together for the betterment of the Detroit children in which they serve. They all showed excellent examples and enthusiasm for making a difference in Detroit. A thought though that is still laying heavy on my mind is "why weren't any current DPS educators on the panel?" Not that this next statement takes anything away from the work of those listed above, but they are all from charter schools. What about the Detroit Public Schools? As I learned from watching Born Into Brothels, it's hard sometimes for children of poverty and with certain mental and physical problems to get accepted into a charter school. What does the future hold for Detroit PUBLIC School students? Are there panels and forums taking place like this for those students? I know Julia and Nate are working on creating a school, but I didn't catch the name of it, so if anyone reading this is familiar please let me know. (If I find out...I'll be sure to share.)

Watch: The Flat Classroom Debate Live

Tom Friedman, author of The World is Flat, will be speaking to the students in Qatar live the hour before this session and we will be streaming his talk as well.

Taken from:

http://www.futureofeducation.com/forum/topics/the-flat-classrooms-debate

Date: Saturday, January 24, 2009

Time:
6am Pacific / 9am Easter / 2pm GMT: Live stream of Tom Friedman addressing students (international times here)
7am Pacific / 10am Eastern / 3pm GMT: Flat Classroom Debates begin (international times here).

Location: In Elluminate. Log in at https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2008350&password=M.3969DF.... The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early.

To make sure that your computer is configured for Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support. Video, audio, and chat recordings will be posted here after the show.

Papa Warned Me

For years I've been using Papa Warned Me Hot Pepper Butter. I mostly use it for veggie dipping, but I've used it on meats and fish. Always use it on my steamed broccoli in place of butter. Anyway, another reason I like to use it is because of former co-educator, Judy Shires, and a friend of hers makes it! I came across their website today and thought I would share it. You can order it right online! Pretty impressive Judy! Judy is a HS English teacher and is always eager to use technology with her students. Check out the site an order your hot pepper butter today...I LOVE IT so much I get the 5qt. jug! SPICY!!!

Forum: Detroit's Education Crisis - THIS SATURDAY!

Forum: “Detroit’s Education Crisis” featuring
Ms. Sophia Holley-Ellis, retired veteran Detroit school teacher
2 p.m. Saturday, January 24th &
Photo Exhibit: Living with Scarcity/Visions of Hope
(doors open at 1 p.m.)

In the words of a recent Michigan Citizen editorial, the Detroit Public
Schools are turning into a “School to Prison Pipeline.” The
editorial concludes with a call for “a real, inclusive discussion on
the future of education.” In conjunction with the newly-opened photo
exhibit, “Living with Scarcity, Visions of Hope” educators, parents,
and young people will discuss what “learning” means as we involve
students and schools in rebuilding our communities, locally and
globally. The setting for the discussion will be the stunning
photographs of the Detroit Public School Warehouse (Ruins) by Frank
Hammer and his daughter Melina. Participants will include Poet Will
Copeland, Environmental Educator Diana Seales, Nate Walker and Julia
Pointer (Teachers, University Prep. Detroit Public Charter School),
Malik Yakini (Director of the Nsoroma Institute Public School Academy
Community Food Security Network), Kim Sherrobi Teacher, Barbara Jordan
Middle School), and others.

SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES GALLERY AND PEACE CENTER
33 E. Adams Detroit, MI 48226 313-963-7575
Light refreshments – free parking
Exhibition hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 11 AM- 4 PM

State of the Re: Union, Motor City Rebound

I just listened to Sate of the Re: Union, Motor City Rebound. It's a recording of a radio program hosted by Al Letson. Al is a playwright, performance poet, radio host, and actor. He's come to Detroit and has spoken with change activists in Detroit; people who see opportunity for change and are taking steps to change the city. The recording is 54 mins. in length and is worth every minute of your time, especially if you have any interest in urban revitalization. I actually find it beneficial for all who are interested in seeing a positive change in their current environment, whether it be within their neighborhood, family, or within. While listening, it reminded me of a quote that I've had hanging on every refrigerator, in every apartment, that I've been in for the past 5 years. The quote is by Paule Marshall, a writer and educator: "A person can run for years but sooner or later he has to take a stand in the place which, for better or worse, he calls home, and do what he can to change things there." The recording includes readings by residents of letters they have written to the city, as well as some reflections of small Detroit business owners. To me the most influential part of the show was the interview with Grace Lee Boggs . She is a 93 year old activist living in Detroit since 1953. About 10 years ago, she and her husband created the Detroit Summer Collective. Detroit Summer focuses on teaching youth about being creative and using that creativity through hip-hop, poetry, and other forms of participatory media to communicate on being self-sufficient and creating their own change for a more promising future, instead of relying on government and others to provide an opportunity. A segment includes interviews with Emily Lin and her partner of the Detroit Diamond Project. They collect glass from broken car windows and buildings throughout the city. Not only are they participating in helping clean up the streets, but they clean the class and turn it into art. Many of us are like Jackie Victor, founder and owner of Avalon International Breads in Detroit, see something wrong, but we don't know how, or are afraid to fix it. This program is packed with inspirational stories of people who see and DO change the environment in which they are living in...Detroit. One middle-school teacher has started at garden at the school where he teaches, and his students are growing food to provide the school with their own salad bar! Super Cool!!! I know the 54 mins may scare you from listening to it, but click the link below and listen while you are getting ready in the morning...Great for the entire family to listen to!

http://tinyurl.com/7z57fk