Shift Happens - an interesting perspective

Are you a future president's favorite teacher?

Does your Schoolhouse ROCK?

It helped a previous generation is there any reason to doubt its effectiveness in helping a new generation?



If you think it might, follow the link or search Schoolhouse Rock and cue it up for your students.

However its viewed, Separate will always be inherently unequal

The recent Supreme Court ruling was a punch in the stomach, it took the wind out of me. After sometime to digest it, it still tastes bad. I don't trust the theory that students will receive budgeting inaccordance with their needs and that money is the solution to the problem. I agree that forced integration left much to be desired and that the seperation of the races has improved little since Brown. But Brown, was an ideal worthy of striving to accomplish, not to be viewed as Chief Justice Roberts has as "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race." (NY Times, 6/28/07); sounds a little bit like "Just say no".

Though there is some truth in his statement,but he and we must go further and END ALL DISCRIMINATION whether is based on CLASS, COUNTRY of ORIGIN, LANGUAGE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION or any other aspect of who we are, that we use to seperates ourselves from one another.

For a much more articulate interpretation and response please read:

Race(ing) Backwards With Boost From SCOTUS

Excerpts from John Taylor Gatto - The Seven Lesson Schoolteacher

The license I hold certifies that I am an instructor of English language and English literature, but that isn't what I do at all. I don't teach English, I teach school -- and I win awards doing it.
He was named New York City Teacher of the year in 1989, 1990, and 1991, and New York State Teacher of the Year in 1991
Teaching means different things in different places, but seven lessons are universally taught from Harlem to Hollywood Hills. They constitute a national curriculum you pay for in more ways than you can imagine, so you might as well know what it is. You are at liberty, of course, to regard these lessons any way you like, but believe me when I say I intend no irony in this presentation. These are the things I teach, these are the things you pay me to teach. Make of them what you will.

"Look...at the seven lessons of school teaching --
1. CONFUSION
2. CLASS POSITION
3. INDIFFERENCE
4. EMOTIONAL DEPENDENCY
5. INTELLECTUAL DEPENDENCY
6. PROVISIONAL SELF-ESTEEM
7. ONE CAN'T HIDE
all of these lessons are prime training for permanent underclasses, people deprived forever of finding the center of their own special genius. And over this time the training has shaken loose from its own original logic: to regulate the poor. For since the 1920s, the growth of the school bureaucracy and the less visible growth of a horde of industries that profit from schooling exactly as it is, have enlarged this institution's original grasp to the point that it now seizes the sons and daughters of the middle class as well. "

READ: THE SEVEN LESSON SCHOOLTEACHER

Is it Relevant? Are we Listening? Are we paying attention?

So, what's with "Snap Shots"?

The newest addition to my blog is a feature called "Snap Shots", it enables the visitor (you), to see a screen capture of a website ,without having to leave my blog. My theory in employing it is you may not remember the name or how I reference a site, so now you have a picture to jog your memory. I believe my links are the most important contribution I can make to your INTERNET experience and I think "Snap Shots" enhances your visit. Check back often as I am continually adding to the links, increasing the number of tools in our collective tool box.

Through the eyes of Kurt Vonnegut

Anybody know of a good rehab program?