Tags for "Video"
Motions Against Mainstream American Education in Media?
One of the consistent parts of his program is that he will bring people on to interview. In a recent episode, he interviewed a man named Cevin Soling, who is a filmmaker and writer who recently wrote the book and directed a movie called ''The War on Kids.'' In these respective works, Cevin Soling denounces schools as being prison-like, claims that schools are... Don’t Call it a Comeback
If you've read my previous entries, I hope it was clear that I had a vision for my classroom and I was going to strive to make this vision a reality. The path had been set and the last time we communicated, I believed that I needed to condition my students to be unconditionable. I quoted Audre Lorde and questioned her belief that we could not use the master's tools to dismantle the master's home.
So several weeks later and after lots of reflecting, I'm totally retracting my statements. As adamant as I was that my students needed to be conditioned through the use of grades and external... Freire’s “True Word” Conclusion—Or Beginning…
This same day, a student handed me a card in which she wrote, "Thanks for giving me the freedom to speak my mind."
The next day, two students threw me a little farewell party to end the semester--two students who hated my class a month ago.
The last day of class, a student thanked God he never had to have me again. "Now I can FINALLY get an 'A'!"
A semester of mixed reviews.
As part of their final project, my students had to identify a community problem and design an intervention to combat said problem. A majority of the students rose to the occasion and shined... Obama Praises Democratic School
Since 1995 the Met schools have grown to be one of the most vibrant and powerful examples of democratic education and 21st century... Lights. Camera. Help. Film Festival
"Lights. Camera. Help. The Nonprofit Film Festival is the world's first film festival dedicated entirely to nonprofit and cause-driven films. This 3-day event gives films-for-a-cause the attention they deserve by putting them up on the big screen in a theater setting."
The festival... “Man, this class is pugnacious!”
Things quickly got heavy with my new eighth graders as soon as I passed out the class syllabus which contains the following paragraphs (selected because they caused the loudest sighs of exasperation and/or shouts of defiance from my students):
My generation will not need to be good test takers or be able to read 300 words a minute or be able to get stellar scores on the ACTs or SATs or LSATs. My generation will need to be innovators, thinkers, and above all: "Solutionaries." I recently saw a video from a TEDx talk that was uploaded onto youtube. The speaker's name was Zoe Weil, and she talked about...
Posted on Dec 03, 2009 - 03:13 AM by Kris Sage in Sage Wonderings
I recently watched the Colbert Report, a satirical program. It is styled as a talk show, with the host pretending to be a heavy handed, superstitious, elitist right wing republican in order to make fun of that demographic. He also opportunistically satirizes just about anyone else who makes illogical mistakes in the political world.One of the consistent parts of his program is that he will bring people on to interview. In a recent episode, he interviewed a man named Cevin Soling, who is a filmmaker and writer who recently wrote the book and directed a movie called ''The War on Kids.'' In these respective works, Cevin Soling denounces schools as being prison-like, claims that schools are... Don’t Call it a Comeback
Posted on Dec 21, 2009 - 10:47 PM by Ammerah Saidi in The Learning Curve
I've been gone a while--I know. But such is the nature of democratic education. Let me explain.If you've read my previous entries, I hope it was clear that I had a vision for my classroom and I was going to strive to make this vision a reality. The path had been set and the last time we communicated, I believed that I needed to condition my students to be unconditionable. I quoted Audre Lorde and questioned her belief that we could not use the master's tools to dismantle the master's home.
So several weeks later and after lots of reflecting, I'm totally retracting my statements. As adamant as I was that my students needed to be conditioned through the use of grades and external... Freire’s “True Word” Conclusion—Or Beginning…
Posted on Jan 31, 2010 - 08:46 PM by Ammerah Saidi in The Learning Curve
"You're the worst teacher ever!" The last words of a ninth grader I had kicked out during final presentations.This same day, a student handed me a card in which she wrote, "Thanks for giving me the freedom to speak my mind."
The next day, two students threw me a little farewell party to end the semester--two students who hated my class a month ago.
The last day of class, a student thanked God he never had to have me again. "Now I can FINALLY get an 'A'!"
A semester of mixed reviews.
As part of their final project, my students had to identify a community problem and design an intervention to combat said problem. A majority of the students rose to the occasion and shined... Obama Praises Democratic School
Posted on Mar 02, 2010 - 11:27 AM by Dana Bennis in The Landscape
In a speech yesterday at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, President Obama pointed to the Met Center schools as a powerful model for engaging young people and providing them with personalized support and hands on career experience. The Met schools and their parent organization, Big Picture Learning, network over 70 schools throughout the United States and around the world. The schools provide largely lower income youth and youth of color with the respect and opportunity to be meaningfully involved in their own learning and to pursue their interests and dreams.Since 1995 the Met schools have grown to be one of the most vibrant and powerful examples of democratic education and 21st century... Lights. Camera. Help. Film Festival
Posted on Aug 03, 2010 - 09:01 AM by Dana Bennis in The Landscape
Two weeks ago I received an exciting call from Juan Carlos Pineiro Escoriaza, a talented film-maker who directed, shot, and edited IDEA's launch-time video, "Make Your Voice Heard." He had just got word that our video was selected by the Lights. Camera. Help. Film Festival as one of 33 films to be shown during the festival out of 235 that were submitted! Here's a bit about the festival from their website:"Lights. Camera. Help. The Nonprofit Film Festival is the world's first film festival dedicated entirely to nonprofit and cause-driven films. This 3-day event gives films-for-a-cause the attention they deserve by putting them up on the big screen in a theater setting."
The festival... “Man, this class is pugnacious!”
Posted on Sep 11, 2010 - 04:33 PM by Ammerah Saidi in The Learning Curve
I saw my students for the first-time this past week. I've been preparing for their arrival, metaphysically, since man was first created; philosophically, since I was born; and officially since teacher training started on August 16th Things quickly got heavy with my new eighth graders as soon as I passed out the class syllabus which contains the following paragraphs (selected because they caused the loudest sighs of exasperation and/or shouts of defiance from my students):
*CRITICAL INFORMATION* “C” is the default grade for any assignment, NOT an “A” since an “A” means going over and beyond what is requested of the skill and requires further independent research from the student. See...Raising a Generation that Has a 4.0 in Problem Solving: An Inspiring Talk
Posted on Jan 21, 2011 - 01:32 PM by Claire Russell in Pulse
What are the issues we're all trying to solve right now? World hunger, wars against other nations, a failing economy, just to name a few. It can be so depressing and infuriating to be a kid of just almost sixteen and know that my generation has so many sorrows and woes to deal with that have been laid down by generations long gone.My generation will not need to be good test takers or be able to read 300 words a minute or be able to get stellar scores on the ACTs or SATs or LSATs. My generation will need to be innovators, thinkers, and above all: "Solutionaries." I recently saw a video from a TEDx talk that was uploaded onto youtube. The speaker's name was Zoe Weil, and she talked about...