Ten days without internets!

Hi folks,

I am back from my trip and so glad to see that you were productive in your groups as you worked on your projects. I was without steady internet connection while I was away so I didn't get to post in the few minutes I was able to get online. But I am looking forward to reconnecting with you tomorrow and hearing about how your SL projects are going.

Hope you liked the Johnson reading for tomorrow... I think it is a good wrap up reading for us!

See you in class. Hope you had a good holiday!

LB :)

Happy Day Off

Hey FNED folks,

Hope you are enjoying your day of! I have been reading lots of your blogs and love hearing all you have to say. Comments to follow!

When we meet on Thursday, we have a lot to do together:

1) Don't forget to read and mark up your SL journals so you have a strong sense of which authors seem to resonate most with your experience.

2) Read the Lawrence piece carefully so we can have a rich discussion about Brown v. Board of Education. (In your midterm letters, someone suggested that perhaps you should print out your blog post and bring it in so you have notes in front of you for our discussion. Try that this week so we can hit the ground running!). And don't hesitate to insert links like I have here if it helps you make sense of the many confusing issues in the article!!

3) Don't forget your Career Commitment Essay for Thursday.

4) Your FSEHD applications are due soon and you will need two evaluation forms (one from me and one from your SL teacher) to turn in with it. Please bring in the blue evaluation form that I have to fill out for you so that i can turn them around for you this week.

See ya Thursday!!

LB :)

Don't forget your journals!!

Hi all,

Just a late night reminder not to forget your journals for class tomorrow. I have a feeling many of you will see this since there are lots of unposted blogs on Kahne and Westheimer out there in the FNED 346 Blogosphere!

And here is a little photo from my trip to Thailand last year. Kayla, your blog about your tattoo inspired me to post it. :)

Media Literacy and Digital Natives

Several of you have been discovering and posting random youtube videos related to our class discussions. Keep 'um coming!! Making connections to the real world is a great way to integrate your new knowledges.

Here is the video we watched today in class showcasing digital natives and the very different context in which we are all going to be teaching. Show your friends and family... what do they think??

Cool Info and a Possible Election Project Idea!

Hi all,

As you figure out what sort of presentation you are doing for your election projects, I wantt o share with you a cool, simple and very easy video idea that you might want to borrow. This youtube video explains the basic process of electing a president. You could easily make a video like this with very little skill and technological expertise! Think of it as a possible model or your group work...



LB :)

How was class yesterday?

So...??? How did it go on your own?




What did you think of the film? Anything surprise you? Anything make you laugh? Did it make you think about things you would or wouldn't do in your own classroom? I am so curious to know -- I am really sorry I had to miss that discussion!

Would love to hear some comments if you get a chance.

LB :)

Debate Tonight!!

Don't forget to watch the Obama-McCain debate tonight at 9:00pm. And check out the commentary afterwards to help you make sense of it all... and then, leave a commment.

What did you think???

Check these out!

Hi all,

I spent time this weekend commenting on all of your blogs. Nice to see some of you reading and leaving comments for one another, too! I just wanted to call your attention to a few things you have posted that you should check out:

• Alex posted a clear, strong reading of Goldberg's piece
• Yulisse has a great comment on my blog about her personal experiences in the South Bronx.
• Alyson put up some really interesting youtube videos about how IBM recruits for diverse employees.
• Cristy has a great post on McIntosh that gets directly to her major claims.
• Crystal has a great post on McIntosh/Muwakkil. (Also look at her comments under the Rodriguez post: some random stranger read her blog and posted a comment with a video!)
• Emily's and Kandace's blogs are so clean and well organized -- easy to read!
• Jackie posted a great piece on the mom of a transgender kid.
• Kandace has a great image of a Black Monopology game that goes perfectly with her post on McIntosh and Muwakkil.

See you in class on Tuesday!

LB :)

Carlson and GLBT Issues

As you read Carlson for this week, try to make some connections to the other texts we have read. Johnson reminded us that we have to just say the words in order to begin to address issues of privilege, power and difference. Delpit said that people with power are often least aware of how it impacts others. Kozol, Rodriguez, McIntosh... they all have ideas that relate to Carlson.

If you are seeking other resources to consider, check out these links.

GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Educators Network)
GLBT Symbols and their meanings
GSANetwork (Gay Straight Alliance)
It's Elementary
Just Call Me Kade
Equity Action (RI project on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity)
Harvey Milk School for GLBT Students in NYC
Gay Themed Children's Books
Gay Marriage... gay divorce?
Gay Student Killed for Valentine
RIC Rainbow Alliance (student group for GLBT and allies)
Safe Schools Resource Guide (Youth Pride RI)

How was class yesterday?

Hey there,

Just wondering how class went in my absence... Hope you welcomed out visitors, Dr. Cloud and Dr. Ramirez warmly and that you got a good overview about English Language learners in our schools. Any comments to share?

See you tomorrow in class with your first round of Election Project research in hand!!

LB :)

Thinking about Kozol and McIntosh

So it is after midnight on Monday night and at this point, 12 out of 25 of you have posted to your blogs. I know they are not due until 10am tomorrow, but just reminding you to get your Talking Points up so that others can read and leave comments (you should do the same!).

"People with power are often least aware of its existence; people without power are often most aware of its existence"

What does this quote from Delpit have to do with McIntosh or Kozol? Feel free to leave acomment if you have any thoughts, before or after class this week!

And what do you think of this?


LB :)

How's Delpit?

Looks like most of you have your blogs up... feel free to see me after class on Tuesday if you are having trouble!


Delpit is up on reserves... don't forget to bring the article to class on Tuesday! (NOTE: when you put in your RIC ID on the website, don't include the letters!) What do you think of the chapters? How does her argument relate to the SCWAAMP stuff we did, or to Johnson? Hard to read? Post a comment if you feel like it.

Welcome to the FNED Blogisphere!

Welcome to this FNED 346 blogging adventure! Sometime before Tuesday, September 23, you will set up your own blog to use this semester for all of your Talking Points assignments, and to keep track of your thoughts about any of the issues we cover.

A blog is your very own, personal online journal. It is public, in that I and your classmates can read it and comment on it, but it is your space and you can control most everything about it. (If you want to make it private so that *only* members of this class can read it, I can show you how to do so).

In the context of this course, your blog has two purposes:

1) Your blog will provide a space for you to keep all of your Talking Points assignments over the course of our semester together. You will not hand in written assignments to me each week; rather you will post them on your blog. In this sense, your blog is merely your assignment notebook that you will use as you read and prepare for class each week. You will also be posting any additional thoughts you have: responses to class discussion, after thoughts, things you forgot to say in class, relevant experiences you have, etc.

2) Creating your own blog will also introduce you to the blogisphere if you don't know this place already. I hope that you will discover creative educational uses for this online medium. You will see how easy it is to use blogger.com, and perhaps it will inspire you to bring blogs into your own classroom someday.

So here's how it works:

You are going to set up your own blog. If you don't think of yourself as very "tech-saavy," don't stress! The site below makes it very easy for you to get your own personal space up and running in no time at all.

Once you get your blogs up and running, I will provide links to each of them on the right of this page (where your names are already listed). You can come here to this page (my blog) if you want to to read what I write, or to link to one another's blogs as well. This site is new and improved so managing, editing, posting, designing and getting creative on your blog is now easier than ever!

To start your own blog, you will go to:

www.blogger.com

The big orange arrow at the bottom right of the page will direct you to creating your own blog on a site called blogspot.com. Follow the instructions to open up a free account. As you fill in the info, you will be asked to name your blog. This title will appear at the top of your blog.

Then, you need to choose an address:

http://_______.blogspot.com

This will be the web address associated with your site. you can call it anything you like. Be clever or simple (or both) -- it is up to you.

You will also need to choose a design template for your blog. Look through the options listed and see what appeals to you. Again, up to you. If you want something a little more catchy, go to PYZAM to find other templates to use. Once it is all set up, you can go in and change things, edit, create a more creative space, etc.

Once you have the account set up, you will need to start posting in order to get the blog up and running. (Nothing will show up until you post that first entry.) A “posting” is an entry on your blog. (For clarification, you have one blog, but many postings). Give the posting a title and then compose as you would any journal entry. When you are finished, hit the button at the bottom that says Publish Post. It will not appear on your blog until you publish it. You can always go back and edit old posts and create new ones.

Your First Post:
Your first post should be a short introduction to you: who are you, how your semester is going so far, what do you do when you are not in class, etc. (Just a short paragraph — no big deal). You will post the rest of the entries as they are due (see course syllabus for dates), or whenever you have something to say!

When you are done creating your site and posting your first entry, please come back to this blog and post a comment at the end of my first posting (scroll down) that includes your blog address so that I can post it in the link list to the right.

Some Tips and Helpful Hints:

• Once you are in your blog, look at the top right corner of the screen. If you click on the word CUSTOMIZE, you will be able to make design changes, create new posts, edit old posts, etc.
• If you want to make your blog a bit more interesting, poke around online and make a list of websites related to education, diversity, social justice or anything else relevant and post them on your blog as a Resource List. To do this, view your blog and click on the CUSTOMIZE link at the top right corner of your screen. Click on ADD A NEW ELEMENT, and then choose Link List. This will allow you to add as many links as you desire. They will show up in a box on your blog!
• Just do the best you can with this. If you get stuck, don't fret... I am happy to help you anytime as you work on getting this started. Send me an email, come see me in office hours, or grab me after class. And remember: you can't break it. It is just a blog. Everything can be changed if need be!

Good luck!!

LB :)