I have always known when a program or place resonates with me. It is how I found my way to Bank Street College, to Reggio Emilia and now, to SEED. I know now that the strength of all of these is the attention to process and the value of scholarship. 1987, 2003, 2011, markers in my personal timeline.
It helped that SEED was held on a remote campus nestled in the mountains of Marin County, near San Anselmo. The air was clear, the days were warm and the evenings cool and the night sky was filled with stars. The San Domenico School is a preschool to 8th grade and a boarding high school, 9-12th grades.
It turned out that it was the 25th anniversary of the National SEED, Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity, Project. At the end of the week we learned that they had received funding for two training sessions next summer, doubling the number of participants who will be able to attend. Also, funding to support attendance by public school teachers whose schools cannot pay the fee of $3,900. Peggy McIntosh, the founder, said that she felt it was time for SEED to take its place in the movement of modern American education. How special to be there this year as she steps aside as a co-director to do other work and begins to assess the impact of SEED on the teaching profession.
The idea behind SEED is to nurture teachers; to give them ownership of their own professional development. The central concept of the "scholarship of the shelves" and the "scholarship of the selves" brings content and experience together to further learning. This is accomplished by looking at what Peggy calls the two bookends of education: stories and systems. Stories from the learners' lives and the systems that become evident through the patterns that rise out of stories. Thinking systemically is the route to change.
The concept of mirrors and windows is also central to SEED. Other people's experiences as mirrors of one's own world and as windows into another world, different from our own. Both are vital to learning, to building community and to a deeper understanding of the world in which we live. One affirms and the other broadens our viewpoint.
Being at SEED brought me back to the study tour in Reggio Emilia. Both experiences were carefully planned and well-executed processes with clear intentions and purpose. Both groups of leaders had a strong shared mission and a conviction that their work can bring about better outcomes for education. Both experiences valued an attention to details and aesthetics, provided nourishing meals, and dedicated time for discussion and conversation. Even the building of relationships was similar. I recall someone asking for a mailing list of all participants on the study tour and the leaders said they believed it was the responsibility of the participants to meet and make contact with others to collect this information. SEED started not with a sharing of names, titles, schools or any other specific information, but with a sharing of childhood stories. The leaders said it was a different way to know someone.
Coming back from SEED has filled my head with words very much like the list that Amelia Gambetti read to us on the study tour to demonstrate the concepts that are embedded in the Reggio Emilia approach: transparent, process, relationships, visible, organization, listening. Here's the beginning of my SEED list of words and phrases: listen, respect, observe, appreciate, trust the process, mine experiences, democratic use of time, serial stories, mirrors and windows, systemic thinking. The one concept that is completely new to my growing list is DKDK, you don't know what you don't know. There is so much DKDK yet to discover.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
A renewed faith in government and New York State
Within 24 hours of the vote, it was still unclear whether the New York State Senate would consider the same-sex marriage bill during this session. Thankfully, it made it to the floor on Thursday and I watched the last hour of live stream. At 10:30pm they finally tallied the vote,33 in favor (the minimum needed to pass) to 29; two Republicans voted aye and one Democrat voted nay. Senators were given two minutes at the podium if they wanted to speak. Some comments ran over five minutes revealing the complexity of the issue and the sometimes very personal viewpoint of the senators. Make a note, the New York State Marriage Equality Act was passed and signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo on June 24, 2011. It is a date for history.
Senator Thomas Duane gave a passionate speech sharing many of the struggles of his own life as a gay Catholic. James Alesi of Rochester and Senator Mark Grisanti of Buffalo, both Republicans, voted against the pressure of their constituents and found a way to see the humanity in making marriage a civil right for all couples. Mark Grisanti spoke about his previous commitment to voting against the bill and how looking at the bill from a legal perspective helped him to see that he could not justify that vote. He apologized to any constituents he might offend by changing his vote.
Protection of religious institutions was the one significant difference between this bill and previous versions that have been rejected. Recognizing that the bill had to resolve the complex and sometimes conflicting way that individuals experience life, helped sway these game-changing votes. For them, the bill allowed both viewpoints to exist simultaneously. It opened the door for a broader definition of marriage and protected those institutions that oppose same-sex marriage.
The senate floor on Thursday night was a demonstration of bravery and courage, not just of the individuals who shared the depth of their decision, but also of a collective group that created a safe space in which this vote could take place. Whatever came together that made this the right time for the vote seemed nothing short of a miracle. Timing. It's so important and, thankfully for the supporters of this bill, the timing was perfect.
Senator Thomas Duane gave a passionate speech sharing many of the struggles of his own life as a gay Catholic. James Alesi of Rochester and Senator Mark Grisanti of Buffalo, both Republicans, voted against the pressure of their constituents and found a way to see the humanity in making marriage a civil right for all couples. Mark Grisanti spoke about his previous commitment to voting against the bill and how looking at the bill from a legal perspective helped him to see that he could not justify that vote. He apologized to any constituents he might offend by changing his vote.
Protection of religious institutions was the one significant difference between this bill and previous versions that have been rejected. Recognizing that the bill had to resolve the complex and sometimes conflicting way that individuals experience life, helped sway these game-changing votes. For them, the bill allowed both viewpoints to exist simultaneously. It opened the door for a broader definition of marriage and protected those institutions that oppose same-sex marriage.
The senate floor on Thursday night was a demonstration of bravery and courage, not just of the individuals who shared the depth of their decision, but also of a collective group that created a safe space in which this vote could take place. Whatever came together that made this the right time for the vote seemed nothing short of a miracle. Timing. It's so important and, thankfully for the supporters of this bill, the timing was perfect.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Connections
This week a group of students and faculty at school participated in a webcast from the Smithsonian to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1961 Freedom Rides. Four of six panelists were Freedom Riders who had journeyed on the buses that left from Washington, D.C. and headed into the Deep South to protest the Jim Crow laws that segregated Blacks and Whites on interstate travel. This nonviolent protest organized by CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) eventually had more than 400 participants who risked their lives to affect positive change.
In his introduction to the program, Brent Glass, president of the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., said, "They (CORE) were hoping this would start a national movement." The Freedom Riders talked about the power of the individual and the motivation to act. One person said, "Every time I obeyed a segregation sign I felt like I was agreeing." Another commented, "I got arrested and I felt free."
During the question and answer session a high school student asked whether the panelists thought that the uprising in Egypt was an evolution of the nonviolent activism of the Civil Rights Movement. Watching the coverage of the peaceful demonstration in Cairo, Egypt this past week, that has ended with the stepping down of President Hosni Mubarek after 30 years in power, can certainly give us hope that non-violent activism is alive and well and evolving. It is also an indication that the action of individuals can directly affect the behavior of the masses.
The organizing methods of the Civil Rights Movement have given way to the power of social networking through the internet. The speed of the internet has given "movement" new meaning. What has remained the same is that just as the actions of 13 Freedom Riders or the Greensboro Four or the Little Rock Nine could galvanize masses and help to build a movement, the few faces of the Egyptian revolution, Wael Ghonim, the Google employee who started the revolution with a text message, and Mohamed ElBaradei, the diplomat and scholar, set the tone for and fueled the power and determination of the mass of peaceful demonstrators.
In his introduction to the program, Brent Glass, president of the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., said, "They (CORE) were hoping this would start a national movement." The Freedom Riders talked about the power of the individual and the motivation to act. One person said, "Every time I obeyed a segregation sign I felt like I was agreeing." Another commented, "I got arrested and I felt free."
During the question and answer session a high school student asked whether the panelists thought that the uprising in Egypt was an evolution of the nonviolent activism of the Civil Rights Movement. Watching the coverage of the peaceful demonstration in Cairo, Egypt this past week, that has ended with the stepping down of President Hosni Mubarek after 30 years in power, can certainly give us hope that non-violent activism is alive and well and evolving. It is also an indication that the action of individuals can directly affect the behavior of the masses.
The organizing methods of the Civil Rights Movement have given way to the power of social networking through the internet. The speed of the internet has given "movement" new meaning. What has remained the same is that just as the actions of 13 Freedom Riders or the Greensboro Four or the Little Rock Nine could galvanize masses and help to build a movement, the few faces of the Egyptian revolution, Wael Ghonim, the Google employee who started the revolution with a text message, and Mohamed ElBaradei, the diplomat and scholar, set the tone for and fueled the power and determination of the mass of peaceful demonstrators.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Snow Day
Today is our fourth snow day in 2011. That's one snow day per week in the new year. Today's snow fell sometime in the early morning hours and stopped by the time I had woken up at 5am. There's at least 12 inches on the ground on top of about 3 inches that fell yesterday morning between 9 and noon. It is large-flaked, heavy and quite beautiful. It's not bad shoveling snow unless you give in to the instinct to pile too much onto your shovel and then it's quite heavy. How can so many light flakes create such a heavy mass?
Now with four days' of experience, I'm beginning to want more ways to describe the day. For this, I've turned to the Eskimos. It turns out that they may not actually have more words than the rest of us to describe snow, but what they do have is a highly nuanced language for snow. Looking at a list of "lexemes" I am most drawn to nutaryuk, meaning "fresh snow," on this beautiful Snow Day #4.
Perhaps from the winter of 2011 will arise new holidays and today will be Nutaryuk Day, the day of fresh snow. Our first snow day would be Pirta Day, blizzard day and Day #2 would be Anui Day, snow on the ground day. Snow Day #3 would be hard to describe. That was the day the snow barely made it to the ground. Maybe it's a term like Snow in the Air Day. We called it a No Snow Snow Day.
I wonder what we'll call next week's snow day?
Note: At mid-day I shoveled our walk and decided this snow is Wedding Cake Snow, the kind you have to shovel by the slice because it's too heavy to lift in shovelfuls.
Now with four days' of experience, I'm beginning to want more ways to describe the day. For this, I've turned to the Eskimos. It turns out that they may not actually have more words than the rest of us to describe snow, but what they do have is a highly nuanced language for snow. Looking at a list of "lexemes" I am most drawn to nutaryuk, meaning "fresh snow," on this beautiful Snow Day #4.
Perhaps from the winter of 2011 will arise new holidays and today will be Nutaryuk Day, the day of fresh snow. Our first snow day would be Pirta Day, blizzard day and Day #2 would be Anui Day, snow on the ground day. Snow Day #3 would be hard to describe. That was the day the snow barely made it to the ground. Maybe it's a term like Snow in the Air Day. We called it a No Snow Snow Day.
I wonder what we'll call next week's snow day?
Note: At mid-day I shoveled our walk and decided this snow is Wedding Cake Snow, the kind you have to shovel by the slice because it's too heavy to lift in shovelfuls.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Those beautiful faces
It's a terrible tragedy with all the elements of homophobia, wreckless invasion of privacy, technological toys, and leftover high school prank. All Freshman, with their feet barely set down on the college campus, and now one is dead and two have been charged with a hate crime. Why is it that what caught my eye and haunts me are the three photos splashed across the front page?
They are the face of diversity. This could have been an example of successful efforts to have a diverse student body on campus. This could have been an article on the changing face of a generation. It could have been a hopeful moment. In my mind I can't help but think that I would not have reacted the same way to a tragedy like this involving young people, though still disturbing and regrettable, if it had been what we have become accustomed to: a white boy shooting at classmates in a high school cafeteria or white fraternity brothers rampaging through campus after a late-night party or white, blond, rich girls reporting date rape.
I recently listened to a presentation by Dr. Elizabeth Englander on bullying. She was speaking to law enforcement officers in Massachusetts where public schools are now required to have a curriculum on bullying. She said that the difference between bullying in person and cyberbullying is that 25% of cyberbullies are also victims. If placing a camera to capture a private act and sharing it over the internet is cyberbullying, then could it be that these two bullies have also been victims? It's not an excuse to release them from responsibility.
It is a compelling question in a world where the historic victim of racial microaggressions may now have a tool with which to retaliate. In our effort to protect the victim and stop the bully we may have overlooked the fact that with technology in hand and the invisibilty of cyber-acts we have now armed both the bully and the victim with a lethal weapon. Is this what we intended?
Finally, this happened at Rutgers, the college I watched because they rose to women's basketball fame under the guidance of an amazing coach. It's also the college where the basketball team stood up to racial slurs uttered one morning on a radio show. It's a reminder that embracing diversity may be beautiful, but it isn't easy.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Invisible Disabilities
Recently, someone talked to me about invisible disabilities. He shared a video made by a friend of his who has no sense of smell. It was fascinating to hear her and her friends talk about how they help her to know the smell of her shampoo and her soap. How she navigates the complicated world of socially accepted pleasant or desirable smells and unpleasant smells.
I thought about people I know who have told me they have learning disabilities, dyslexia, or color blindness. Their conversation reflects a sense of confidence that the disability is not a problem to them and it is apparent they are leading happy and fulfilled lives. What they don't often reveal is how different their world view is from mine, a person without that specific disability. People with invisible disabilities seem less likely to talk about the accommodations they need and adjustments they make to live in a world that assumes certain abilities.
Oliver Sacks has an article in the August 30th edition of The New Yorker about a condition called prosopagnosia or face blindness. He talks about the challenges of recognizing people when he cannot use facial qualities to help with recognition. A recent segment on NPR told of a man who was diagnosed with phonagnosia or voice blindness. He couldn't recognize people's voices and relates the challenges of answering the phone.
In all these instances the invisibility of the disability is a reminder that many people have learned to live in a world normed to people able to do things that they cannot do or can only experience with accommodation or help. Being and having allies is one of the tools we teach in diversity work to support and connect potentially marginalized groups and individuals to mainstream life. Having allies reduces vulnerability and ensures dignity. People with invisible disabilities depend on allies to experience aspects of the world they cannot discern, cues they cannot read.
Invisible disabilities. It gets you thinking. How would you describe the smell of rain or the smell of garbage to a person without a sense of smell? How would you help a person to recognize you without looking at your face? To recognize you without hearing your distinct voice?
I thought about people I know who have told me they have learning disabilities, dyslexia, or color blindness. Their conversation reflects a sense of confidence that the disability is not a problem to them and it is apparent they are leading happy and fulfilled lives. What they don't often reveal is how different their world view is from mine, a person without that specific disability. People with invisible disabilities seem less likely to talk about the accommodations they need and adjustments they make to live in a world that assumes certain abilities.
Oliver Sacks has an article in the August 30th edition of The New Yorker about a condition called prosopagnosia or face blindness. He talks about the challenges of recognizing people when he cannot use facial qualities to help with recognition. A recent segment on NPR told of a man who was diagnosed with phonagnosia or voice blindness. He couldn't recognize people's voices and relates the challenges of answering the phone.
In all these instances the invisibility of the disability is a reminder that many people have learned to live in a world normed to people able to do things that they cannot do or can only experience with accommodation or help. Being and having allies is one of the tools we teach in diversity work to support and connect potentially marginalized groups and individuals to mainstream life. Having allies reduces vulnerability and ensures dignity. People with invisible disabilities depend on allies to experience aspects of the world they cannot discern, cues they cannot read.
Invisible disabilities. It gets you thinking. How would you describe the smell of rain or the smell of garbage to a person without a sense of smell? How would you help a person to recognize you without looking at your face? To recognize you without hearing your distinct voice?
Saturday, August 28, 2010
The 47th anniversary
August 28, 2010, the 47th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and the day that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his remarkable, memorable and still relevant "I have a dream" speech. Bob Herbert, NY Times columnist, whose column, A Hero Named Bobby, appeared in last week's paper and contains the best example of a thoughtful and enduring response to a question that could have been about race, has this wonderful column, America is Better Than This, in today's paper.
On this anniversary, it is worth it to re-read the speech and think about the progress we've made in response to Dr. King's urgent call for action and unity. It is still urgent and the solutions continue to perplex and elude us as a country. On this anniversary, it is worth it to re-read the speech and be reassured that intelligence, thoughtfulness, sincerity and honest conviction can lead the way to effective solutions. The speech is still filled with hope, expectation and promise.
In education, this is the day for which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. should be celebrated and what better way to start a new school year?
On this anniversary, it is worth it to re-read the speech and think about the progress we've made in response to Dr. King's urgent call for action and unity. It is still urgent and the solutions continue to perplex and elude us as a country. On this anniversary, it is worth it to re-read the speech and be reassured that intelligence, thoughtfulness, sincerity and honest conviction can lead the way to effective solutions. The speech is still filled with hope, expectation and promise.
In education, this is the day for which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. should be celebrated and what better way to start a new school year?
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