Like so many other folks work I've been reading have stated, I'm ready to say fare thee well to 2014 on many, many levels.
Throughout 2014 I found myself thinking about this clip from Alan Moore's great story, the Watchmen.
"What is, really, the 'American Dream' these days? A great and messy question for an inquiry based ed project I think.
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| Picture from José Vilson's post: The Race Discourse (So hopefully you won't have to go through that) |
The events in #ferguson and death of Eric Garner have hopefully started a much deeper look into #BlackLivesMatter and the horrible ripples of #WhitePrivilege and white perceptions that exist in this country.
The opportunity to Dig Deeper and More Thoughtfully into those discussions is hopefully at hand, especially with kids.
We have a very long, long way to go and much work to do.
Will it take another series of lost lives or tragedies of a larger scale to push us into changing practice?
History says, unfortunately, yes.
My fear is that we'll fall, once again, into...
"... evidence of decadence, escapism, and insulation from the realities of the world in which we live."
Edward R. Murrow
" Michigan state taxes earmarked for schools will be used to help fund a new $450 million arena for the Detroit Red Wings."
from the Hack Education Weekly News, by Audrey WattersBud Selig, the retiring baseball commissioner, will earn $6 million a year annually in retirement. I pondered that headline over breakfast one morning. Six million, annually...
My mind wandered a bit...
Could the nations wealthiest 1%, a few billion dollar sports franchises and leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS), the venture capitalists, or the wealthy movie and music industry help rebuild crumbling school facilities - and ask 'real' educators how to do so?
What if all the profits from the Lord of the Rings trilogy went into rebuilding decaying schools?
Budget: $285 million (all three movies combined)
Worldwide box office: $2.9 billion (all three movies combined)
Could gains be accomplished without trying to commercialize education toward more profits? Could authentic and meaningful learning be the goal? Or would it be more standardized curriculum and testing, or more the development of more 'for profit' schools?
An important question I keep thinking of... if educators were around the table instead of movie and music stars, tech moguls, and politicians... would we, the masses, be interested in listening?
Sarcastically... I came back to think of Murrow's speech again. Maybe Kim Kardashian should join the educational debate... in the nude. It'd likely draw a lot of attention and possibly much needed money in sponsorship for the event to help schools renovate decaying facilities and improve programs.
I keep thinking... what if we valued children as much as our entertainment?
It sure as hell doesn't look like increasing taxes will help rebuild crumbling schools.
Schools as community learning centers. It's still possible.
Of book and blog on education...
The best education book, and any book for that matter, I read in 2014 was from first time author José Luis Vilson called This is Not a Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and the Future of Education.
Pretty simple... if you're in education, and even if you're not, I'd recommend you give Vilson's book a read.
Many of my favorite blog posts about education in 2014, again, came from Audrey Watters on her blog Hack Education. Watters latest site refit - 'The Pigeon's of Ed Tech' motif is... perfectly sarcastic.
I keep thinking...
If I could, I'd love to commission Watters to investigate LMS work in k-12 education (most of her work focuses on post secondary). The LMS debate needs escalating in k-12 education. Work within and around the LMS in k-12 ed is something I've struggled with mightily over the years for a variety of reasons.
More grimacing about our marble...
Just a few of many that made me cringe in 2014.
Domestic violence came to the forefront again courtesy of NFL player Ray Rice and 'the elevator tape' where he attacked his wife. As if we should have needed an incident with an NFL player to bring this issue to the forefront. When will we see a push in our society for stiffer penalties for domestic violence? Child abuse? I think we're still waiting for someone to make it happen instead of making it happen.
Malaysia flight 370... vanished. It still seems unbelievable to me that a modern airliner can just... disappear.
Ebola...
Beheadings...
132 children and nine adults lost their lives in a school massacre in Peshawar...
Seeking comedic relief? All good things...
" Man goes to doctor. Says he’s depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. Doctor says, “Treatment is simple. Great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up.” Man bursts into tears. Says 'But Doctor… I am Pagliacci.' "
Billy Crystal might have summarized the death of Robin Williams best in a simple tweet that said "No words." Williams comedic rants, his ability to improv at hyper speed... I admired him greatly and I'll miss his wit, riffs, and character portrayals in movies. I'll think many times I'm sure about what could have been over the coming years. I'm certainly grateful for what I did see. So long Robin, we'll miss you here.
One of my favorite old school comedians, Bill Cosby, hit the news recently and grimly so. Accusations of sexual assault by many toward Cosby have spread. I don't know if these accusations are true. It'd be unfair for me to speculate. I haven't researched it in the least. I'd like to think, as many times I've laughed over Cosby's comedic routines especially in the skits called "Himself,' and '49,' that the accusations could turn out to be false. If the accusations are true... I wonder what will be done, what we'll do, what we'll learn from it all.
On a more positive note... but still sad in the fact that I'll miss the show...
On a more positive note... but still sad in the fact that I'll miss the show...
The trials of Burlington School District in Vermont, well documented in the Burlington Free Press, have been interesting to say the least. In a budget crisis there's an opportunity at hand so few schools take... to restructure - to tackle those things, those practices that simply don't make sense for kids or adults. It'll be an intense couple months ahead on this front.
The progress we've made with VITA-Learn, PD for Vermont educators, was well received by our audience. I'm thankful for the work of my peers and the energy to stir things differently. We've got some good ideas brewing.
As a product of less travel, I've finally started to write more again. I've signed on for 12 or more articles for Edutopia in the coming year, for a number of presentations and consulting work with schools looking to shift to more student and family centric practices, and I'm going to press forward on the book I'm writing.
I'm ready to recharge at #educon in Philly in late January with three folks I work with, and also to present there for the first time.
Personally...
We settled into a new house in September and, at long last, a year of heavy commuting to and from work was over.
My family stayed healthy, new house with new routines developing, and we're exploring the resources of this great community and area. Loving it so far.
... and, after nearly 10 years, I cut off two and a half feet of extra hair. Having short hair again has been both odd and refreshing.
And at last I've gotten this year end review of sorts off my chest. It's something I've felt the need to write for a few weeks now just to clear out my head from a weird year.
I'm lucky to have another full week of vacation to delve into some reading, take in a few good movies on my list, and to get some extra rest.
We'll say farewell to the trials of 2014 but there are many opportunities ahead in 2015.
Engage...