Educational Reform: Where to Begin?

Curriculum Left Behind

Your Ideal School: Conceptualize It!

Arts and the Core Curriculum

I have been puzzling over the question of Educational Reform and Arts-in-Education (AIE) since I got my teaching certification in 2005. Yes, not a long time, but once I was in the system it has become a major concern of mine. In the links  above, I’ve stated some of my opinions, provided links for further information,  and asked questions of the readers of this blog. If you haven’t had a chance, please add to the discussions on those pages. The more we bring to light what concerns us in regards to education, the better the chance to start making things happen.

During an online conversation with Dr. Molly Faulkner, professor at Palomar College in California, we were brainstorming a questionnaire that I am formulating.  Ms. Faulkner said, once we boiled down the ideas to the Big Topic:

“Educational reform has to start at home. Once we realize the importance of education then we are willing to fund it.  There needs to be a massive ad campaign about parents/guardians being part of the solution.”

I had brought up, in the initial notes I presented to her, and in a previous blog, that holding parents  accountable in all areas in their child’s schooling is one important step. Not just a voice to add at PTA meetings, but involved in the day to day process with their child, supporting challenges along the way at home and in school.

Taking this one step further, I’d like to ask your views on the following questions:

1. Where will educational reform happen?
2. What is the role of parents in educational reform?
3. What is the role of the school (principal; teachers)
4. What is the state goverments role?
5. What is the national government?

Here are some sites on Educational Reform to read:

The Center for Education Reform

The Progress of Education Reform

Technology and Education Reform

The Debate Over Education Reform and Funding

Please join in. I am looking forward to reading your responses.

Japanese Storytelling

I had the pleasure being in the audience at the Rye Free Reading Room Public Library on Tuesday, May 3rd, for an early evening performance of Japanese Pop-Up and Movable Books & Kamishibai Visual Storytelling. The children’s room storytelling area was filled with an all ages crowd, from toddlers who were entranced to parents and grandparents who also were totally engaged.

Three tellers presented for the event, celebrating Children’s Day and Japanese Storytelling: Neva Winter, Gail Pullman, and Taeko Theresa Okamoto. (Neva is in the top photo, Gail the second).

Ms. Winter and Ms. Pullman both used Japanese Pop-Up and Movable books to great effect. The surprise of the movements created a lot of oohs, ahhhs and laughter, as the Japanese folk lore unfolded before them. Each book has exact text, as in an American picture book, but there is the chance for broader investment in audience reactions and interpretation in the presentations.

Ms Okamoto was the final storyteller, and used the Kamishibai Theater to present her tale. A master of the art, she captured the attention of everyone in the room with her vocal and physical characterizations, historical context, and the wonderful visuals of the story.

The Kmaishibai storytellers used to travel by bike, with the theater closed into a traveling case.  Once they arrived to tell, they would unfold the box, creating a theater like presentation. Once everyone was gathered, by the clacking of the blocks, the storyteller would raise the curtain in the box, and tell the story picture by picture.

This was a fun event. I wish I could have taken photos of some of the children. The wonder that was displayed across their faces proved the power of storytelling, and how involved they can be. If you have the chance to see Japanese Storytelling, or any Storytelling event, please don’t hesitate to go. It’s not just for the children.

If you wish to contact the storytellers, please click on their names above for their email addresses.

Communications on a Global Scale: UBC: 30 Plus 1 (Thanks to…)

A world community can exist only with world communication, which means something more than extensive short-wave facilities scattered about the globe. It means common understanding, a common tradition, common ideas, and common ideals.
Robert M. Hutchins (American Educator)

He died in 1977, before communications exploded with the internet moving into desktop computers, then portable lap tops, then into further mobility with phones, pads..and all else. Have we reached a world community yet?

Not really, not by a long shot. While these devices and the ultimate device of the web, we could be on our way, but we still have many more boundaries to break before we can get to the common goals expressed above.

Things like the Ultimate Blog Challenge help to make that more of a possibility, in my opinion. I have communicated with people all across the US, Canada, Europe (quite a number from Great Britain) , Asia, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and a few more places.It astounds me that sometimes the only thing that hampers this ongoing communication are the time zone differences.

Taking this on for the month of April, I took this as a challenge to see if (1) I could do it (2) did I have enough content in me that people wanted to read (3) in doing it, would I enjoy it and (4) who else is out there, and what are they writing about and why.

To answer that:

1) Yes, I could and I did

2) Yes, I did first part; not sure about the second still

3) Oh Yes I DID!

4) A lot of amazing people; some truly great content

 

So, I would like to thank, in NO particular number, the people that I have a great respect for, and I hope they will keep writing so I can keep reading: Tori, Justice, Heather, Kimberly, Jessica, Gillian, Krissy, Tracey, Lynn, Lisa, Janine, Tom, Gabi, Lynn, Nancy, Paisley Moon, Ali, Meg, Diana, and of course, Michele and Michelle!

This was great fun. Does this restart in May? If so..this is post #1

Storytelling and Blogging (Ultimate Blog Challenge #30)

Back to where it all began on April 1st, 2011. Thirty blogs in thirty days. It feels really good, as, honestly, before this, I was a very intermittent writer OR reader of blogs. Thanks to Michele and Michelle, I’ve read some amazing work, been inspired by others, learned a whole lot of great tips and gotten advice on websites and blogging, but the most amazing thing of all was connecting with so many wonderful people.

That’s the heart of it: the people. There’s a lot of talk about branding and reaching out to clients and business talk, but at the core is their stories, and how you tell them, and what is lazy storytelling and what is catching you in the throat, heart, spirit or intellect-or all at the same time. Yes, I like long sentences James Joyce inspired me a long time ago.

Over the course of the thirty days I’ve talked about my interests, my passion for theater, storytelling, Arts-in-Education, social engagement, books that have inspired me in my life and other assorted diatribes and meanderings. I could list all the pages as a listing, and maybe that’s for tomorrow, while I decide what to do next: keep writing every day, start another challenge, or plan a schedule.

I WILL come back, later, as I have a full day conference to attend, and post links and thank those who’ve supported this and I’m blessed to have “met” here.

Thank you NOW in a general way, and later… a more personal one.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this ride. I know I have, and again..thank you Michele and Michelle!!! Links and more to come later today.

Digital Storytelling & Storytelling Roots (UBC #29)

Ultimate Blog Challenge

Tale Spinning: My Writing AtoZ Challenge

I was just asked to work with some High School students in their ongoing development into forming a literacy club. The City of White Plains Youth Bureau, which is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary, has the goal is to develop and embody the skills and tools to become good citizens and to foster positive leadership skills. The literacy club is, from my understanding, plans to work with High School students to approach general presentation skills and to unleash their own creative voices through different literacy mediums, one of which they are drawn to is Digital Storytelling.

Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling

Storytelling started with grunts, gestures and wall paintings in caves (as far as we know). Stories grew into music and dance (the Hula is still an example of that), and once languages began, you couldn’t stop stories from spreading. Sitting around the fire at night, what better way then to tell of the day’s hunt, the danger, the outcomes.

Digital Storytelling is the new buzz term for something that has been around for awhile now. We’ve had sequential storytelling in many forms: Comic Books, which started around the turn of the 20th century, is storytelling (and I’ll defend that with all I have. I know many naysayers on that topic);  Kamishabai, a traditional Japanese form, uses story cards, in sequence to tell and show the story; Storyboards for film and animation worked it’s way, in my opinion, into PowerPoint presentations; Documentaries uses storytelling through still photos, recordings of music or actual footage, and voice overs to lead the narrative along.

In today’s world of emails, IM’s and texting, a lot of the oral traditions get pushed aside. How many people do you know who would much rather text you then talk to you on the phone? My hope is that the students will gain more then an understanding of using another technology only as another distancing tool. Planning out any means of expressing their inner story IS very important, and the journey they take into social engagement. I’ll let you know how it goes.

When was the last time you told someone a story? How did you tell it?