Originally Posted in Common Threads Blog,
Centre Daily Times, May 23, 2007
Another school year is coming to an end. Kids are counting down to summer vacation.
Parents and teachers are probably thinking ahead to the summer too, while they evaluate the year that went by. Figuring out what worked, what to change, and what to do better next year.
Our kids grow both academically and socially at school. Since they spend a large fraction of their waking hours at school, it is a great place to teach them tolerance for people that are different from them in some way - to teach them empathy, and to fight hate.
A tool to help teachers and parents in this goal is the website, www.tolerance.org - the online tool of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The site offers ideas to teachers to make their classrooms better, to parents to engage in discussions with and partner with their kids, and to kids to empower themselves and change the world.
Park Forest Middle School implemented an idea from this website last year – they participated in the National Mix-it-Up Day program on November 17. According to the school website, the day was observed “to break down cliques and social barriers. In national surveys, 70% of students named the cafeteria as the school setting where social boundaries are most clearly drawn, so all of the students sat (on that day) at tables corresponding to numbers placed on their hands instead of their usual lunch spots.”
What a wonderful idea – I wonder what the students learnt, and also if they reverted back to their old spots the next day? Many of us adults could benefit from some “Mix–it–up” sessions ourselves – we are too often found only in our comfort zones. And stepping outside of them, and getting to know some new “others,” may reveal a few connecting common points.
The website is worth visiting as we plan for the summer and the next school year - it is a source of information and ideas. Teachers can also get grants for implementing ideas to promote tolerance for all. And of course, the more of us that are empowered
Showing posts with label SCASD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SCASD. Show all posts
Monday, May 11, 2009
Heritage Day 2007
Originally Posted in the Common Threads Blog,
Centre Daily Times, May 18, 2009
Yesterday, I was busy with “Heritage Day” at my daughter’s elementary school.
Parents came in and shared music, books, dresses, toys, instruments and ways of living from around the world. I remember tables devoted to Switzerland, Italy, Israel, Ecuador, Serbia, Australia, Korea, Scotland and India; and to the heritage of dairy farming in Pennsylvania, and to world heritage through stamps.
The table that I had set up with another parent, focused on the cultural heritage of India.
We vary what we do each year – this year, we had a display of dolls representing the many dances of India, and another display devoted to the numerous languages of India.
Most people speak several of the 18 official languages with distinct scripts - Hindi and English serve as common languages. We gave out bookmarks, with the children’s names written in an Indian language. The bookmarks also had an Indian motif, made with blocks used for printing textiles.
At our table, we also had homemade crispy noodles called “sev” that the other parent had made, and a fennel candy. Kids who were familiar with the food from a previous year, headed straight for it. “I have had these before - could we have a refill – can we take two – oh, I love these - ” were exclamations we heard often, and which made all the work worth it.
As the kids walked away to other adventures – to trying the Swiss candy or the Korean drum - I reflected on the power of the memories we were engaged in creating - the possibility of interacting across cultures in a respectful manner, the power of enjoying the beauty in all our lives. And so I am thankful for all the parents and teachers who ignored their “to-do” lists that morning to create this beautiful world at Corl Street.
As a parent, I participate in creating this learning experience for the kids, but end up learning more – from a shared story or moment, with a child, teacher or another parent.
And every year, I get more than I give - old memories are recalled, new ones created, and I end up transformed by the power of creating and sharing these beautiful memories.
Centre Daily Times, May 18, 2009
Yesterday, I was busy with “Heritage Day” at my daughter’s elementary school.
Parents came in and shared music, books, dresses, toys, instruments and ways of living from around the world. I remember tables devoted to Switzerland, Italy, Israel, Ecuador, Serbia, Australia, Korea, Scotland and India; and to the heritage of dairy farming in Pennsylvania, and to world heritage through stamps.
The table that I had set up with another parent, focused on the cultural heritage of India.
We vary what we do each year – this year, we had a display of dolls representing the many dances of India, and another display devoted to the numerous languages of India.
Most people speak several of the 18 official languages with distinct scripts - Hindi and English serve as common languages. We gave out bookmarks, with the children’s names written in an Indian language. The bookmarks also had an Indian motif, made with blocks used for printing textiles.
At our table, we also had homemade crispy noodles called “sev” that the other parent had made, and a fennel candy. Kids who were familiar with the food from a previous year, headed straight for it. “I have had these before - could we have a refill – can we take two – oh, I love these - ” were exclamations we heard often, and which made all the work worth it.
As the kids walked away to other adventures – to trying the Swiss candy or the Korean drum - I reflected on the power of the memories we were engaged in creating - the possibility of interacting across cultures in a respectful manner, the power of enjoying the beauty in all our lives. And so I am thankful for all the parents and teachers who ignored their “to-do” lists that morning to create this beautiful world at Corl Street.
As a parent, I participate in creating this learning experience for the kids, but end up learning more – from a shared story or moment, with a child, teacher or another parent.
And every year, I get more than I give - old memories are recalled, new ones created, and I end up transformed by the power of creating and sharing these beautiful memories.
Figuring out the individuals in the SCASD School Board Primaries
Originally Posted on the Common Threads Blog,
Centre Daily Times, May 1, 2009
Several days ago, one of the candidates running for the SCASD school board knocked at my door. He introduced himself, and asked me if I had already made up my mind. Since I had a lot of questions and it was a cold night, my husband and I asked him to come in.
He was gracious enough to spend a lot of time talking with us. We got some idea of why he was running, his general philosophy of education and what he favored instead of the current high school construction plan. He favored two schools, had an idea of where the second school could be located, but said he would be responsive to community input on all options. He also said he would use technology to offset the costs of building a second school.
One example he gave us - for advanced courses with smaller enrollments and “motivated” students, teachers could physically teach a course at one school, which would be telecast to the second school. However, he did not elaborate on how we would choose which school would have the teachers, and which the technology – or how this option would impact the learning of these “motivated” students.
When he mentioned that taxes would be going up 9 percent if the current board continued, I told him that I had understood it differently. That 9 percent was only the figure for the maximum amount that taxes could be raised to – not the amount that taxes were definitely going to be raised to. His clarification that this was indeed true, gave me confidence in my assessment of the situation.
As we said good night, we appreciated the face time with him, giving us a better idea of him as a potential school board member – and a better basis on how to vote. To some extent, the recent coverage about the Centre County League of Women Voters Candidates Night held on April 25, 2007, in the CDT, provided us this face time with other candidates too. I was happy to see that the candidates’ positions on issues other than the High School renovation were reported on. About 60 people attended the event, and many more saw it on TV.
For those of us who missed it, the event will be telecast again on Channel 7 (CGTV) on May 2 at 10 am, May 3 at 9 pm, May 5 at 1 pm, May 8 at 12 am and May 10 at 2 pm. Further, candidate interviews can be viewed on Channel 98 (CETV) on May 2 at 6 pm, May 3 at 6 pm and May 6 at 8 pm, May 10 at 4 pm and May 12 at 5:30 pm. For more information on these events in the following weeks, you could go to http://centreconnect.org/index.html, and check the weekly schedule of CETV (Channel 98) and CGTV (Channel 7) or call 238-5031, if you wanted a copy of the programs.
We each need to use these opportunities to tune in to the individual candidates and go beyond the simplistic reduction of “Go” versus “Stop/Change,” which does not tell us the diversity of thought, experience and philosophical stances of the individual candidates, in the broader arena of our children’s education, funded by our tax dollars.
Understanding these philosophies is crucial since the board, once elected, may not be able to get our opinions on each and every issue they act on, on each and every program they consider adding or removing. Evaluating the individuals, rather than the groups, and figuring out who fits our individual philosophies may also help heal our divisions.
Centre Daily Times, May 1, 2009
Several days ago, one of the candidates running for the SCASD school board knocked at my door. He introduced himself, and asked me if I had already made up my mind. Since I had a lot of questions and it was a cold night, my husband and I asked him to come in.
He was gracious enough to spend a lot of time talking with us. We got some idea of why he was running, his general philosophy of education and what he favored instead of the current high school construction plan. He favored two schools, had an idea of where the second school could be located, but said he would be responsive to community input on all options. He also said he would use technology to offset the costs of building a second school.
One example he gave us - for advanced courses with smaller enrollments and “motivated” students, teachers could physically teach a course at one school, which would be telecast to the second school. However, he did not elaborate on how we would choose which school would have the teachers, and which the technology – or how this option would impact the learning of these “motivated” students.
When he mentioned that taxes would be going up 9 percent if the current board continued, I told him that I had understood it differently. That 9 percent was only the figure for the maximum amount that taxes could be raised to – not the amount that taxes were definitely going to be raised to. His clarification that this was indeed true, gave me confidence in my assessment of the situation.
As we said good night, we appreciated the face time with him, giving us a better idea of him as a potential school board member – and a better basis on how to vote. To some extent, the recent coverage about the Centre County League of Women Voters Candidates Night held on April 25, 2007, in the CDT, provided us this face time with other candidates too. I was happy to see that the candidates’ positions on issues other than the High School renovation were reported on. About 60 people attended the event, and many more saw it on TV.
For those of us who missed it, the event will be telecast again on Channel 7 (CGTV) on May 2 at 10 am, May 3 at 9 pm, May 5 at 1 pm, May 8 at 12 am and May 10 at 2 pm. Further, candidate interviews can be viewed on Channel 98 (CETV) on May 2 at 6 pm, May 3 at 6 pm and May 6 at 8 pm, May 10 at 4 pm and May 12 at 5:30 pm. For more information on these events in the following weeks, you could go to http://centreconnect.org/index.html, and check the weekly schedule of CETV (Channel 98) and CGTV (Channel 7) or call 238-5031, if you wanted a copy of the programs.
We each need to use these opportunities to tune in to the individual candidates and go beyond the simplistic reduction of “Go” versus “Stop/Change,” which does not tell us the diversity of thought, experience and philosophical stances of the individual candidates, in the broader arena of our children’s education, funded by our tax dollars.
Understanding these philosophies is crucial since the board, once elected, may not be able to get our opinions on each and every issue they act on, on each and every program they consider adding or removing. Evaluating the individuals, rather than the groups, and figuring out who fits our individual philosophies may also help heal our divisions.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Teaching Foreign Languages and More...in School
Originally posted in Common Threads Blog,
Centre Daily Times, April 5, 2007
The State College School district is seeking our input on “opportunities and challenges in preparing students for their futures,” as part of their 2007–2013 strategic planning process. I gave my input by filling out their online survey “Strategic Response Survey Form,” at www.scasd.org.
As I did so, I kept in mind the National Governors Association meeting held in February, 2007, which called for “a national commitment to changing our education to meet the challenges of globalization and international competition.”They suggested that we change our current mindset, overhaul our education system nationally and focus on teaching math, science, technology, engineering and foreign language proficiency.
My recommendations - please start teaching a foreign language in elementary school, strengthen the math and science curriculum, foster global understanding, teach students to rebuild local communities – it would be a wasted opportunity if we do not attend to these.
Learning language as a child is relatively easy. I grew up in India, where children are routinely exposed to multiple languages as a matter of course, especially in bigger cities. In Mumbai (Bombay), I spoke Malayalam at home, since my parents came from the southern state of Kerala. My parents spoke Tamil or Malayalam with a few neighbors, and Hindi (the national language) or Marathi (the state language) with the other neighbors who also spoke Kannada, Konkani, or other languages, depending on the state they originally came from.
Growing up in this environment, I quickly learnt Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi from home and neighbors, and English at school starting at age 3. Kids who did not go to English Medium schools start learning English around age 7.
Schools in India also teach Hindi, the national language around age 8, and the regional language of the state (in my case Marathi) at age 9 or 10. Many people who grow up in Mumbai, end up speaking 4 to 5 different languages. Some of us were also lucky to learn other foreign languages like French or German in high school, if our schools offered that option.
If SCASD introduces a foreign language in elementary school, it would be joining a local charter school, Young Scholars of Central PA, and a host of other countries that do so already.
On March 12, 2007 the United Kingdom announced that all school children will start learning a modern foreign language at age 7, from 2010.
The March 29, 2007 edition of the Christian Science Monitor reports the ages when children in some parts of Europe start learning a second language: France: 5; Austria, Belgium, and Sweden: 6; Italy: between 6 and 7; Germany: 6 and 8; Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, and the Netherlands: 8; Denmark: 9; Finland: 10, while in the US, many kids start learning foreign languages at age 13.
Of course, learning a foreign language is only one step towards preparing students for the global economy, we also need to build empathy and understanding of other cultures.
Add to that a study of ethical behavior and respect towards our fellow human beings and the planet – both locally and globally - helping us perhaps figure out how to stay self sufficient locally in a global environment.
Add to this a strong focus on science and math, and a healthy respect for achievement in these areas.
From these, will come the answers to meeting the challenges of increasing energy demand, global warming, increased materialism and - may even help us find a way to end strife in the world.
For those who want to contribute your thoughts to SCASD, please go to “Strategic Response Survey Form,” at www.scasd.org.
Centre Daily Times, April 5, 2007
The State College School district is seeking our input on “opportunities and challenges in preparing students for their futures,” as part of their 2007–2013 strategic planning process. I gave my input by filling out their online survey “Strategic Response Survey Form,” at www.scasd.org.
As I did so, I kept in mind the National Governors Association meeting held in February, 2007, which called for “a national commitment to changing our education to meet the challenges of globalization and international competition.”They suggested that we change our current mindset, overhaul our education system nationally and focus on teaching math, science, technology, engineering and foreign language proficiency.
My recommendations - please start teaching a foreign language in elementary school, strengthen the math and science curriculum, foster global understanding, teach students to rebuild local communities – it would be a wasted opportunity if we do not attend to these.
Learning language as a child is relatively easy. I grew up in India, where children are routinely exposed to multiple languages as a matter of course, especially in bigger cities. In Mumbai (Bombay), I spoke Malayalam at home, since my parents came from the southern state of Kerala. My parents spoke Tamil or Malayalam with a few neighbors, and Hindi (the national language) or Marathi (the state language) with the other neighbors who also spoke Kannada, Konkani, or other languages, depending on the state they originally came from.
Growing up in this environment, I quickly learnt Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi from home and neighbors, and English at school starting at age 3. Kids who did not go to English Medium schools start learning English around age 7.
Schools in India also teach Hindi, the national language around age 8, and the regional language of the state (in my case Marathi) at age 9 or 10. Many people who grow up in Mumbai, end up speaking 4 to 5 different languages. Some of us were also lucky to learn other foreign languages like French or German in high school, if our schools offered that option.
If SCASD introduces a foreign language in elementary school, it would be joining a local charter school, Young Scholars of Central PA, and a host of other countries that do so already.
On March 12, 2007 the United Kingdom announced that all school children will start learning a modern foreign language at age 7, from 2010.
The March 29, 2007 edition of the Christian Science Monitor reports the ages when children in some parts of Europe start learning a second language: France: 5; Austria, Belgium, and Sweden: 6; Italy: between 6 and 7; Germany: 6 and 8; Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, and the Netherlands: 8; Denmark: 9; Finland: 10, while in the US, many kids start learning foreign languages at age 13.
Of course, learning a foreign language is only one step towards preparing students for the global economy, we also need to build empathy and understanding of other cultures.
Add to that a study of ethical behavior and respect towards our fellow human beings and the planet – both locally and globally - helping us perhaps figure out how to stay self sufficient locally in a global environment.
Add to this a strong focus on science and math, and a healthy respect for achievement in these areas.
From these, will come the answers to meeting the challenges of increasing energy demand, global warming, increased materialism and - may even help us find a way to end strife in the world.
For those who want to contribute your thoughts to SCASD, please go to “Strategic Response Survey Form,” at www.scasd.org.
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