Vacation in Guatemala

I'm on vacation in Guatemala and have two extra travelers with me. To prepare for my trip, the After-School Academy and the Library/Bookstore began studying about Guatemala and then read Flat Stanley. If you have kids, are a teacher, or just like to read books for yourself, you've either read Flat Stanley or may want to to get your kids interested and connected with people all over the world.

For those of you who haven't and don't have a desire to (spoiler alert!!), Flat Stanley became flat because a bulletin board fell on him one night and completely flattened him. He and his parents found there were advantages to being flat...like being able to save money on a plane ticket because they could put him in an envelope and send him to his cousin's house instead.

So, we have done the same. We have created two flat people--Flat LaMarcus and Flat Tytiana, who are traveling with me this entire trip. It was fun to watch the excitement, laughter, and questions as the kids wanted to read more Flat Stanley and learn more about Guatemala. To keep the excitement going, I am blogging, video blogging, and taking pictures of things the kids have asked about, things I figure the kids might want/need to know about travel, and documenting the things LaMarcus and Tytiana see while here. Since I probably won't do much from my own blog, you can keep up with me through the ASA blog at: www.ourasafamily.blogspot.com.

I am here visiting a college friend so we were able to make it home early enough tonight to Skype with the kids in the After-School Academy. Though Skyping in itself was priceless, I was absolutely amazed at the way the ASA kids greeted Laura, Esteban, and Natalia (my friends' kids here in Guatemala)...and was even more impressed that they were really working hard on the Spanish they never knew before today. "Hola! Me amo es Trinity... Me amo is Kwane... Me amo is Niesha." After getting the tour of my friends house (you've really gotta love technology like Skype!!), Niesha took over and gave the tour of the ASA using as much Spanish as she could gather from Miss Tameshia. To Natalia's question, "What do you guys do?" Niesha answered, "Colore (color), tareja (homework), jugare (games), etc." I was so impressed!

I hope you'll keep up through the ASA blog, it's really cute seeing the videos the kids (and others) have helped me make...and it's fun watching the places LaMarcus and Tytiana are getting to experience. Through technology, we get to close the literal and figurative distance between the cultures. Thanks, technology!

The Traveling Journal

Our Education Department has what's called a Traveling Journal. Since our programs meet at different times and in different buildings, I think it's important for each of us to see what the other is doing on a particular day. Each staff member signs up for a day and is supposed to chronicle that day. They can write whatever they want. They can draw, attach items, etc. The journal creates a daily history for us.

I've meant to share some of those with you...and will try to do better...but Tameshia's struck me as one that is really representative of what a day in the life of the Education Department is like. I'll let her speak...

Today I feel like pulling my hair out. I'm so frustrated at the moment. I don't know what happened at school with the kids today but they all seem to be in a bad mood. Stinky attitudes all day today. Doesn't help that I have a headache either.

As I'm writing, I'm getting less frustrated. I just asked Iesha (Dr. Iesha) what she did at the doctor (physical therapy with Ms. Janet) and expected her to tell me not demonstrate it! I'm really impressed and delighted that she remembers. She just asked me to go to the internet (blog) so she can show me something. When the blog comes up...she asked me to make it big. Then she says to her classmates, "Look, I'm famous. I'm Dr. Iesha!" She then tells me, "You see this button (talking about the timer at the therapy place)...I pushed that first then...." (and so on and so on).

I can't be frustrated now.

My class has finally calmed down and now we're playing "roll-a-turkey" on the computer. They love it!! When you finish the game...you've drawn a turkey. Ladaysha has truly (slowly but surely) become a leader. When she finished her turkey, she started talking about what she's thankful for. Her classmates then followed. I like when they come up with their own ideas from a lesson I planned. It's refreshing.

So now it's 2 hours later...

I'm now in the Teen U lab with the Digital Connectors. I walked into the building at exactly 6:00 p.m. All of my students were together saying, "Ms. Tameshia! You're late!" Wow!!!!! These can't be the teenagers the media displays. They're ready and excited to learn.

They've bonded so well. They work together without me saying so and get mad if I put them with the same partner over again. It's all kind of surreal to me. What's wrong with them...I think to myself sometimes (haha). Tonight they learned the difference between the internet and the world wide web and my "flows/raps" about the differences. They took it serious and actually wrote really good flows. Dung thinks they could get a record deal. haha

So much for being frustrated!!

Tameshia Rudd-Ridge is our technology guru who teaches the 2nd-3rd graders in the After-School Academy and is the Coordinator of the Digital Connectors program for teenagers.

This is why I love my job!

Preparing kids for the future

This is why our education department is doing everything we can to prepare our kids and teens to be knowledgeable in technology:



They don't deserve to be left behind.

Digital Connectors...the wave of the future

I keep telling people that every day I become more and more impressed with the 20-something age group. They are innovative critical thinkers who know and utilize technology and want to change the world. And so many of them are on the path to do just that!



Tameshia is an African American Studies AND Latin American Studies double major. She has taken some time off so she can save up to finish her last year at school. Though I am definitely encouraging her to go back, I'm extremely glad we have her and want to find ways to keep her!

When we interviewed Tameshia for the After-School Academy position, she was very open about her passion and desire to change the world. I could tell it came from the very depths of her and was in no way a passing phase. We want people like Tameshia on our team!

Tameshia started off as a part-time Americorps member working in our After-School Academy, but because of her amazing skill and love for technology, we quickly advocated for her to run our evening Digital Connector program for the teens.

You can see an example of her work by going to the After-School Academy blog and see how she's now added tabs and redesigned the background.

When I asked Tameshia if she would be interested in being the instructor for the Digital Connectors program, Tameshia said she would. Because she's a fairly quiet person, I had no idea how excited she was. After walking out of my office and getting partially out the door, she turned back around and came back to say, "I just need to give you a hug! I'm so excited!"

Before we even knew if we could officially hire her, I handed her the 2" binder of the currciulum (on a Wednesday or Thursday). She emailed me that Sunday saying she had read the entire curriculum and had a few questions.

Tameshia has taken it upon herself (again, before we even sure we could hire her) to attend the Friday night and Saturday meetings with the Teen University. None of that is in her job description. She assured me that whether or not she got the position, she would still be more than willing to help. Tameshia believes in building relationships and already has 6-8 teenagers interested in the program. As I type this, she is in a meeting at North Dallas High School presenting it to some of their students.

I can't wait to see the results of the Digital Connectors program. For the last three days, my home internet has been down. I kept thinking, "Soon, I'll be able to hire some of our teenagers from Roseland to fix this for me!!" I look forward to that moment and will gladly pay them to do so!

In the meantime, if you work for a company that focuses on technology, have some connections to help us get the high speed computers and software needed to start the program, or are part of the technology departments of one of the local colleges, let us know! The program starts soon and we'd love for you to be involved as we move forward!

Looking toward the future of our children

First of all...sorry for being absent! I went on vacation and didn't realize how little internet access I would have. That being said, I'm going to try to get back on the bandwagon again! :)

------------------------------------------------

I'm a big advocate of what technology can do for us and for our children, IF we work with it and utilize it. There's so much out there that I don't even know about. Recently, we were given a $5000 grant to use toward capital expenses. They have agreed that I could use it all toward technology. So, I have a challenge for you...

1) Watch the video below...



2) Think about...even research...software (computer "games" like the cancer game?), hardware (Nintendo DS? TAG reading system?), and/or other innovative ways we could use that money so that our kids in the ASA and summer program would be able grasp concepts and generate ideas in ways they may not have unlocked yet. (note: this summer our theme is environment and recycling, in case you come across anything like that)

3) Offer your time or help me find others who would be willing and able... Help guide kids who have primarily been exposed to Nick.com and standardized testing on the computer to this new world of technology.

Real simple...one afternoon a week. This would allow us to utilize the technology we already have (4 computers) and would help them become independent. Once they become knowledgeable and independent, they could do stuff on their own...or you can continue helping us get them to a new level so that they can be competitve in our world.

Sound exciting? It is!! Help us get there!

Where are we headed?

Technology is moving at light speed. We MUST provide ALL children with the opportunities to interact with current technology and give them the opportunity to explore new possibilities. Most of the public schools I know provide "technology" by "allowing" a child to practice their standardized test on the computer...or take an Accelerated Reader book test on a computer. If they are really stepping outside of the box, they may allow the children to play on the internet and go to advertised sites like Nickelodian.

We have got to do better than that. Technology offers endless possibilities to our children's future. If our children did nothing but focus on technology, I believe they would be better prepared to be successful. Our world is headed in that direction. Why deny poor children that opportunity?? ...or worse, why limit them by telling them the most technology offers is tests and pointless "games" on the computer.

Here is a video that shows where we are headed. The end of the video shows the guy who has created this new technology. He can't be more than 25 years old. We have got to do more to technologically equip our children and our communities.

Changing education for our future

I understand that basic skills--reading, writing, and math--are a necessity. But I also believe that our world is rapidly changing and we need to adjust our education system accordingly.

When I was growing up, it was a big thing for everyone to have a set of encyclopedias. I loved going to my grandma's house and reading her Childcraft encyclopedias. I can remember my parents debating over whether they should get Worldbook or Britannica. I used to make fun of my brother because he would spend hours in the living room reading them. Twenty five years ago, encyclopedias were an important source of information. But information is accessed very differently these days.

Today I can't imagine having to travel to a library during open hours in order to pull books and write down information, hoping to get what I need so that I don't have to go back if my research takes a different direction.

No, instead, I sit at home on my couch--doesn't matter if it's 2:00 p.m. or 2:00 a.m.--and search for specific terms that immediately give me access to the information I need. Or...I "follow" different education tweets on Twitter that send texts to my phone so that I can access articles instantaneously and in real time.

Despite the wealth of information at our fingertips, our school systems are set up in ways that still expects kids to learn by sitting in a classroom, facing forward, and listening to a teacher using one, authoritative source--a textbook.

So, it's exciting for me to hear that there are now 10 states working with the Arizona-based Partnership for 21st Century Skills, or P21, to develop 21st century skills including critical and creative thinking, becoming technologically savvy, and working well with others.

E.D. Hirsch, a well-known writer about "cultural literacy" has written books about What Every American Needs to Know. In his opinion, kids need to learn his list of items before they learn P21 skills. I disagree. In his book, there are 63 pages of small print of "what literate Americans know"...many items of which I don't know. But what I do know is where and how to find information when I need it (a P21 skill).

Maybe we should learn from the UK, who has plans and proposals to overhaul the primary school curriculum.

Proposals would require:

• Children to leave primary school familiar with blogging, podcasts, Wikipedia and Twitter as sources of information and forms of communication. They must gain "fluency" in handwriting and keyboard skills, and learn how to use a
spellchecker alongside how to spell.

• Children to be able to place historical events within a chronology. "By the end of the primary phase, children should have gained an overview which enables them to place the periods, events and changes they have studied within a chronological framework, and to understand some of the links between them." Every child would learn two key periods of British history but it would be up to the school to decide which ones. Schools would still be able to opt to teach Victorian history or the second world war, but they would not be required to. The move is designed to prevent duplication with the secondary curriculum, which covers the second world war extensively.

• Less emphasis on the use of calculators than in the current curriculum.

• An understanding of physical development, health and wellbeing programme, which would address what Rose calls "deep societal concerns" about children's health, diet and physical activity, as well as their relationships with family and friends. They will be taught about peer pressure, how to deal with bullying and how to negotiate in their relationships.

The six core areas are: understanding English, communication and languages, mathematical understanding, scientific and technological understanding, human, social and environmental understanding, understanding physical health and wellbeing, and understanding arts and design.

I don't believe anyone is advocating for taking away basic skills. But I do believe we need a better understanding of what opportunities exist for providing kids with a multifaceted opportunity to gain information.

Maybe they won't access the information E.D. Hirsch or I think is important. They may discover something that we never thought to tell them.

Lowering the bar doesn't make our kids smarter

I didn't ever think about this, but since every state has their own standardized test (Texas has the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills--TAKS, Missouri has Missouri Assessment Program--MAP, etc.). So, although the states have "standardized" tests, it doesn't mean that we are accurately measuring students' skills equally. And, evidently, from what the Austin American Statesman says,

Research by the National Council on Education Statistics found that in 2003, Mississippi was the only state with an easier fourth-grade reading standard than Texas, assuming all states test the same skills.

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires states to set their own targets and interim goals and submit them to the Department of Education. So, in Texas, we set the bar low so that we can look like we have made major achievements by meeting the goal of all children passing TAKS by 2014.

NCLB also requires standardized testing to track the progress of racial, ethnic, linguistic and economic groups in order to ensure no group is being left behind. However, Texas has set a standard that the group has to number at least 50 and make up at least 10 percent of a campus's enrollment in order for that group to affect progress. In other words, if a school is 95% African-American, with less than 50 and less than 10% English as a Second Language speakers, , they don't have to be tracked. Or if a school only has a handful of Asian students, their academic failure doesn't count against the school.

I'm not a big fan of tracking. Every inner city school I've been in starts blaming groups of kids for their failure to achieve a "recognized" or "exemplary" standard from the state. At the 85% Hispanic, 15% African American school I was at, they constantly referred to the "one 5th grade African American male student" who had "messed up" their results. I find that pretty unfair to "blame" a kid for that, but that's what has resulted from NCLB.

I spent some time with a 3rd grader yesterday and she informed me how she was so nervous about the TAKS test (3rd graders are no longer allowed to advance to the next grade unless they pass their reading TAKS test). She said she gets scared. She kept reassuring me (and herself) that it shouldn't be hard because, "I know my strategies." But then she would tell me about students in her class who made a 17% because they missed X number of problems and how they all had to be careful not to write in certain spots on the test because it would be thought that they filled in an extra "bubble," which would then count them wrong.

The fact that the standards are lower in Texas is extremely disappointing and concerns me for our children. What's worse is that our standards are lower yet so much anxiety is produced in the children as if they were taking the LSAT...and they don't even know that their lowered expectations are setting them up to be less prepared than the rest of the United States. What's even worse than that is our childrens' intellect is being determined by if they fill in a bubble correctly.

I think testing is good...IF it's there simply there as an assessment of how well WE, as teachers, have gotten the skills across. I'm not a fan of producing anxiety-ridden children. Besides that, our world is changing. We've got to change our educational system to match the pace of our ever-changing, highly technological world. It would be nice if the stimulus bill hadn't voted out school infrastructure. Sometimes we have to go beyond testing and figure out what's wrong with the system that's producing the under-prepared children.

The Wisdom of Melvin

Over the years I've had many inner city teenagers relay stories of teachers and administrators who discourage their dreams and encourage them to go to trade school because, "That's where you need to be."

I've always been frustrated by this. So, I try to take little opportunities to remind the kids that they have every capability they believe they have and should never let anyone tell them any different.

It was on one of these mini encouragement sessions that I began explaining to the kids that I am a college professor who teaches teachers. I stressed to them that the things they can do as a result of our technology class is more than most teachers. I went on to explain that because they were young and inquisitive they have endless potential in front of them and things we won't be able to teach them that they'll need to teach us.

I happened to mention that many of the teachers I teach resist technology. They refuse to even try. To which Melvin, so innocently replied with such wisdom that we should all heed:

"Miss Janet, if they don't want to learn then why do they want to be teachers?"

Texas superintendents advocate for changing the focus of public schools

I know I am very critical of the public school systems. I criticize them because I know what my small town school system was able to offer me. Some of the teachers in our high school drove 70 miles once or twice a week to attend classes at the university so they could further their own education and keep up with the current technology...and that was 18-22 years ago! I can only assume they obtained great resources for us through different grants and government programs for rural areas. As a result, in my small graduating class of 57 people, at least four of us have a doctorate degree.

The rural area I grew up in had/has a fairly high poverty rate. In the 2000 census, the median household income was $23,083. Yet, the community and the school system worked together to ensure the kids had access to a quality education and good experiences (many times free...paid for by the Lion's Club, local businesses, and other local organizations).

I know that providing poor kids with quality education is possible. I'm sure it's more challenging to control quality in a large system like Dallas, but it is possible...and the resources are available. So, yes, I'm critical...of teachers, administrators, and systems, in general...when I see kids with tremendous potential failing miserably.

So, when I came across a recently released document created by 35 superintendents in Texas over the last two years, I was extremely encouraged to know what was going on behind the scenes. As I looked through the list of superintendents, I was also very encouraged to see our very own Dallas Independent School District superintendent, Michael Hinojosa, on the list.

In an AP article, Keith Sockwell, chief executive officer of Cambridge Strategic Services, profoundly stated, "When we look at our public schools today, I'd say they're doing a dadgum good job of preparing our kids for the 20th and 19th Century. It's almost like we need to blow it up and start over."

These superintendents recognize the importance of technology. "We believe that the new digital environment will have more impact on the generation and transmission of knowledge than anything since the invention of the printing press," and understand that preventing kids from using technology in the classroom is not the solution. "...Students come to traditional school settings with a mastery of iPods, Wii game systems, cell phones and other devices that must be 'powered down' in class. The challenge is finding a way to use gaming techniques and other technology to enhance the curriculum and create a more relevant and engaging learning environment."

I am dumbfounded when I hear politicians talk about voting against the stimulus bill because it puts too many funds into public education. What are they thinking???!!!!

Too often, I find the desire to become more innovative is limited to children in higher-income districts. It excites me to hear that they are advocating for ALL children by changing the policy at the top.

"We're asking for comment," said Stephen Waddell, Birdville school district superintendent. "We want people to read [the document] and respond."

I would love to see this happen and would love to be involved; I'm sure many of you feel the same. Unfortunately, I can't find how. If anyone knows, please inform me/us!

Let's work with these superintendents to help equip our children to become the great innovators we know they can be!

Want a volunteer project?

Every once in a while we get a large group wanting a one-time volunteer project. I don't often advocate for one-time efforts. But here is a situation where I think a group could really come alongside in a way that would benefit people long-term.

Help purchase and install television converter boxes for seniors.

For those of you who don't need the converter box coupons, collect them anyway. Encourage your church groups to collect them. The government is providing $40 coupons. I've seen some computer stores with $40 converter boxes. So, at no cost to you, you can purchase a converter box and help a senior, who may or may not have the technology experience to know or understand the upcoming change.

The House just approved a bill that extends the February 17 deadline to June 12. So, there is now time to collect contact different senior housing and retirement homes, collect converter coupons, purchase converter boxes, and plan a day to install them. The management at Roseland TownHomes, where I work, has requested this kind of help for the senior high rise in Roseland.

It doesn't matter where you are in the United States, the change takes place for everyone. And I'm sure there are seniors across the country who aren't sure how to handle the change, but need their TV for information purposes.

Technology causes decline in critical thinking???

Is Technology Producing A Decline In Critical Thinking And Analysis?

Here's my question: Is it technology that is producing a decline in critical thinking or is it the way that educators are utilizing technology that is producing the decline in critical thinking??

In our After-School Academy, I teach a technology class. Last semester the kids were tasked with creating/designing the pages for the cookbook utilizing Microsoft Publisher. I challenged them to think about the different categories of food and find clip art and internet pictures that would fit in those categories. They were insistent about creating their own recipes to include. They figured out how to make colored text boxes, make their words into WordArt, and download pictures from the internet, and then taught each other their new skills (in fact, there were several times where I had to ask them to show me what they were doing and how they did it). The kids have also blogged and created their own photoshows.

The problem isn't the kids. The problem isn't the technology. The problem is those of us who are older, didn't grow up with technology, and don't know (or care) how to utilize it. We are the ones who are putting our kids at a disadvantage.

I know some amazing educators who are writing grants and implenting innovative uses of Google Earth, Google Maps, blogging, etc. into their classrooms. But I also know educators who refuse to try anything new and school districts who block every website possible, fearing the unknown. For some kids, the only technology they receive is practicing taking standardized tests on the computer. That has become the schools' way of tapping into the kids' interest in technology.

The graduate students (future teachers) and professors' I encounter who resist and refuse technology amaze (and frustrate) me. Their resistance and refusal to utilize it puts the children in their classrooms and our future at risk.

Technology (and much of it is free, once you have access to the internet) has opened doors of communication and innovation. We can email, text, IM, Twitter, and blog. We can utilize social networking sites, play games with someone from the other side of the world, create videos, adjust photos, and create our own website. Within seconds, we can view countries we can't afford to visit and have access to any kind of information for any question we might have. It even allows us to communicate with the parents of our school children through email or text messages--a direct line of communication that wasn't available 10 years ago.

Technology is not going away. We can dig our heels in, resist it, and find every way to tell the world that technology is damaging our children's minds. OR We can dive in, incorporate it into our everyday lives, and help ourselves and our children move into the future.

What are some innovative ways you use technology? What are some free sites (or reasonably priced software) you would recommend and how do you utilize them? I would love to know what's out there so I can utilize it and pass the info on to other parents, kids, and teachers.

Classrooms we can learn from

I love to learn!

I want other people to love to learn as well.

Yet, we set up our classrooms in a way that faces all kids in one direction and tell them to listen to and learn from one person... and, more often than not, that one person is someone who is much older than them and does not have a grasp of the new technologies out there.

What are we doing?!?!

We are teaching yesterday's news...and aren't even doing "that" well!

We can't keep teaching like we did 10 or 20 years ago. We have got to be creative in our approach of facilitating our students' learning. Otherwise, in another 10 or 20 years, our students and our society will be worse off than it is now.

We have got to teach children to interact and learn in this rapidly changing world. There is only one concept they really need to learn throughout their entire high school career:

Learn how to learn.

Once we've equipped our children with that skill, the sky (and beyond) is their limit. Check out this video. This is what I'd like to see going on in our After-School Academy as well as in our schools:

Christmas presents you can feel good about!

Want something fun to give this Christmas?

Christmas is a time of giving to more than just those around you; Christmas is about helping others. However, this Christmas looks to be a little more challenging than most we've experienced. With limited funds, it will be difficult to provide gifts for family and friends, while also donating to your favorite non-profit organization.

But we have a solution!!

The 2nd-5th graders at the After-School Academy have been hard at work learning how to use Microsoft Publisher and creating pages for our First Annual CDM cookbook--Food for Thought! The 8 1/2" x 11" cookbook is full of recipes from our Central Dallas Ministries' staff, volunteers, friends, family, and our community.

As an added benefit, you will also get some of the kids' very own recipes! As I taught the technology class this semester, some of the kids insisted they wanted to type in the recipes. Week after week I tried to explain to them, "Just make the backgrounds! We will insert the recipes later!" Finally, Melvin, seeming somewhat frustrated, explained to me, "I already know the recipe!!" He went on to explain how you, "open the box, pour the cake mix in, add other ingredients, stir, etc." Probably just as frustrated as he was, I said, "Fine. Go ahead and write your recipe." (I should know by now that my ideas aren't always the best ones). As a result of Melvin's insistence, we now have cool recipes like:

"Brownies to Die For "

To make the brownies with nuts, first you will need Cake Mix, 2 eggs, water, and oil. Now when you got that lets cook. Pour the cake mix, put 2 eggs, and nuts. Pour 1/2 cup of water. Now pour 3/4 cup of oil. Stir real good. Now get a pan but spray it with butter. Now pour mix in the pan. Put in oven. Take it out. Put the nuts in the cake. Now put the chocolate icing on it.

But that's not all!! (isn't that what they always say in the info-mercials? :) )

The cookbook not only provides a variety of recipes, but shares the story of the CDM mission and the great programs that support our neighbors and friends in the community. The great thing for the kids who designed the cookbook is that...

All proceeds received from the sale of "Food For Thought" will go to support the After-School Academy in their efforts to provide technology classes, chess classes, art classes, interactive science, financial literacy, family game days, and so much more!!

Buy them for friends...family...co-workers. They are only $10 (please include an extra $2 if you would like them shipped to you). Hurry, though! Orders are due by THIS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12!!

To place a quick order:

1. Go to www.centraldallasministries.org/donate.
2. After filling out the first page, click "continue" to go to the second page.
3. You can either check one of the set amounts...or click on "Other" and tell what amount you are giving.
4. In the "designation" box, scroll down and choose, "Children's education and after-school programs,"
5. In the comments section make sure to type in COOKBOOK (otherwise, we will have no idea you want a cookbook!) and...
6. Make note of whether you will pick up the cookbook(s) or whether you wish to have them mailed to you. If you wish to have it mailed, please include the address in the memo box.

The cookbooks will be ready December 19th-December 24th (noon) at 409 N. Haskell, Dallas, TX 75246, if you would like to pick them up yourself.

THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE CHILDREN'S LEARNING EXPERIENCES!!

Feelings

As I pulled out the equipment for our technology class at the After-School Academy on Monday, seven eager young students (3rd-5th grade) quickly scrambled to get a seat and pull it up to the table. After setting their chairs up, one by one they moved around the table to greet me.

I was filling in for Wyshina and was simply following up on her curriculum. She had asked them, "What feelings do you have when you think of Turner Courts?" I reiterated the question to them and asked them to each give me their three words.

Dangerous.

Happy.

Sad.

Afraid.

Embarrassed.

Disappointed.

Powerful words...even more powerful to think about why they said them...and so quickly...without hesitation.

What would cause a child to feel "disappointed" or "embarrassed" to live somewhere? ...But at the same time feel "happy?" If I were the parent, how would I feel knowing that my child felt "afraid" or sad" to live where s/he does?

Below are a few of the pictures the kids took. Look really closely at the doors with signs. Behind the No Trespassing sign you can very faintly notice a baby's face behind the sign.

If I were to teach the class again, I would do it a little different. I would do more to explore their feelings and talk about *why* they have those feelings and what those feelings look like. I would show them some pictures other people have taken and asked them to tell me the feelings they associate with those pictures.

Don't be impressed

Last week, Beverly DeBase, a reporter with the Dallas Morning News, called to say she had stumbled upon our After-School Academy (ASA) blog (http://www.ourasafamily.blogspot.com/). She was impressed that our elementary-aged children were blogging and had some pretty interesting entries. She wanted to write a story about blogging and the up-and-coming potential that blogging creates in our children.

Beverly came to visit last Friday, which was a scheduled "Service Day" for the kids. As the kids walked around Turner Courts cleaning up, she walked alongside them and talked to those who had started blogging this summer.

When they came back, Beverly sat down with me and asked, "So did they write those blog entries?!" She explained that the children she walked with didn't seem extremely focused and were very nonchalant as they talked to her about blogging. I confirmed that all of the entries were either typed or dicated by the students. Each child involved this summer and each child in our ASA's current technology class knows how to sign on to the blog. If they are too young to type or struggle with their spelling, we ask them if they would rather "dictate." Many of them say yes. Others want to do it on their own. (Look at the blog. You can tell the difference. :) ). If the child is dictating, we may ask questions to spur their memory, but every word typed is verbatim what the child said.

What Beverly seemed somewhat surprised about, and what I hadn't thought about before, is that, to them, talking about blogging is like talking about the football game they watched on TV. It's just another conversation. The kids really don't look at it as some skill that is unusual. It's perfectly normal to them.

I love that our kids are blogging...and taking pictures...and using digital voice recorders...and doing podcasting/audio blogging...and learning to document. I love all of that. But you shouldn't be impressed. Other kids in more resourced parts of our nation are accessing technology regularly in their homes and classrooms and, as a result, are doing amazing things at a young age. Our kids in Turner Courts are no different as far as talent goes. It's just that now they are getting to learn what's out there and actually use it. Where they are right now is not impressive. It is just normal for the world we currently live in. However, keep your eye on them. I have no doubts that what they are learning now is going to lead to great things on down the line!

See Beverly DeBase's article here:
For South Dallas school's children, blogging is elementary

Hanging in there

Today I am emotionally overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted (which, I have decided is much worse than physical exhaustion).

A 42-year old friend, a single mom, died of a stroke; she leaves behind two kids--21 and 15--and I'm not sure of their ability to take care of themselves independently. A junior in college text'd me to say she is dropping out. A new freshman in college is doing great but classes have already started and though she did a great job of coming up with the money for application fees and all, she doesn't have the money for books.

Yesterday, I sat in a Public Policy advisory committee meeting. One of the members explained that he had grown up in poverty and, unfortunately, was still hearing the same problems from his childhood. He challenged us to think of one thing, if we were able to approach President Bush with a funding request, that would "stop the bleeding."

As I listened to him talk, I realized I could answer his question the way he wanted it answered. One thing???? It's not possible. Here was my response:

Financial literacy--parents are taking out phones and paying bills in their 6-month old child's name to make things easier on them, which is preventing those children from having good credit and being able to move their way out of poverty once they become of age to make good decisions. College students don't comprehend the importance of the extra $20 spent on "extras" on their cell phone instead of working agressively to pay off student loans. We need to offer these programs while kids are young so they begin to understand the concepts. But it also has to do with...

Living wage--People have to know that when they work, they will actually be able to pay their bills and won't resort to finding ways (like buying things in their child's name) to get critical items...like phones, apartments, etc. But in order to make a living wage, these days you must have a...

Quality (Equitable) Education--Which is extremely challenging as long as the quality of education your child receives is dependent upon the tax base of your neighborhood, which is low because you have a limited education so you can't get a high-paying job to contribute to a higher tax base, which means that your child's classroom and resources look much different than a classroom in a much higher tax-based area where kids, at home and at school, are accessing....

Technology--a crucial part of our society today. However, when there is limited or no access, the kids I worked with this summer (kinder-5th) didn't understand that their blog url could be accessed by anyone in the world. They didn't have the experience with technology to see the nearly limitless possibilities of things they could access and create...and they don't have the technology at home to explore and practice, so their technology experiences are limited to what they get at the school (very, very miniscule) or what they get at our After-School Academy. Their understanding of technology is Cartoon Network and video games. Our world has grown so much bigger than that. And they don't even realize it's evolving beyond them! Which then limits their possibilities for....

Jobs--But you also need the "soft skills" like making eye contact and greeting people appropriately and so much more that isn't taught on the job, but is assumed people know and should work by. Of course, all of this is contingent on...

Health--making good choices about your own health, but figuring out how to do that when the grocery store is several miles away and you have no transportation...and it's difficult to carry a bunch of grocery bags on the bus...but even if you do, the healthiest food is a lot more expensive than the high carb, high sugar food that fills you up quicker...and who cares or even realizes that the mortality rate in the South Dallas neighborhoods is so much higher than other places. And then there's the issue of lack of health insurance...which has led to using an emergency room as a primary care physician. And then you can't forget the issue of....

Violence--which is also a major factor because when the influence drawing our kids is heavier on violence than education, of course the scale will continue to be tipped toward violence. Part of that is peer pressure that is too difficult to say no to as a young child, part of it is not trusting the police because of other incidents that have happened, and part of it is the media representation which leads people to believe about themselves and those around them that they are a violent people (thus creating a self-fulfilling prophesy).

All of these problems cannot be solved by only focusing on one. They cannot be solved by money alone (though money is definitely a major factor in each and every one). The community cannot be expected to do it by themselves. Nor can people outside the community swoop down, come in and do things *for* the community and expect their good deeds to fix it.

There is no one problem. The problems are all interwoven and they are systemic.

We must figure out ways to tackle them all at once and from every angle possible. I'm not sure how to do that other than having people like those sitting around the table yesterday who each focus on the issue that drives them. We must partner with, listen to, and take advice from, the people in the community, and challenge each other to step up and tackle the issues TOGETHER.
The people at the beginning of this post have experienced a combination of all of these issues. There is no one simple, "Just go back to school," or "She should've eaten right," or "She should have thought about the cost of books before entering college." There are so many factors. The battle against them is difficult. It takes education about choices, while all the time figuring out ways to work against the system.

My emotional exhaustion comes because the people involved are my friends and I don't have the answers to solve their problems. I do, however, have hope that each and every one of them are resilient. It's not about me solving their problems. It's about hanging in there, combining our resources, and working it out together. Right now I'm just hanging in.

Trip to Colorado

With the technology grant given to the After-School Academy, we have been able to do many new and neat things. One of the benefits was that we received three digital cameras and three digital voice recorders. On our trip to Colorado, we split the group into three groups of three and gave each group a camera, a voice recorder, and the task of creating their own video about their trip. One can be seen below and one can be seen to the right in the sidebar. I have yet to load the third one into youtube.

Take 5 minutes, sit back, relax, and enjoy the narration, the photos, and the peacefulness of Colorado in the video below...produced by the Dallas-Salida All-Stars (Vanessa, Rocio, and Gustavo) about their trip to Colorado:



The video in the sidebar to the right was produced by D.C.N.(Dezaree', Checo, and Nazareth).

Who said money can't solve problems???

Recently we were awarded a technology grant from the Communities Foundation. It has changed the entire way we conduct a program and quickly developed some skills in the kids that we've always tried to figure out ways to cultivate, but never had the resources or knowledge of how to.

With our new digital cameras, we choose one of the kids to be a Photographer who documents the program. With our voice recorders, we choose a daily Reporter who asks people questions throughout the program. The daily Historian writes about or illustrates what we do in his/her journal and we are able to scan it and post their drawings/writings on their blog (http://www.ourasafamily.blogspot.com/).

Because we now have working computers and a projector, I have been able to sit kids at computers while I demonstrate how to do things on the overhead projection. The kids (1st-5th graders) are becoming more and more independent in their own blogging capabilities. All of the kids can sign in to their blog independently. The posts you see on their site are all their own. Some of them have taken on the task of writing their own posts and calling in their own audio blogs; others dictate their thoughts to the adults. Everything posted comes straight from them.

The educational possibilities are limitless with technology!

By blogging, kids are reading their own writing and the writing of their friends. They are learning the importance of learning to type. By labeling their blog posts, they are picking out the main idea. As we ask the kids to develop questions for the audio posts and voice recorders, the kids are finally beginning to gain a curiosity for what's around them. While the questions started out as closed-ended questions like, "Do you read healthy books?" "Do you work out when I'm not home?" they have developed into open-ended questions like, "What is fiber?" "Why do people say carrots make you see better?" "How does eating fruit make your muscles bigger?" We have now started researching these questions on the internet. They are developing critical thinking skills!

True enough, technology didn't *create* the learners...but what it did do was provide us with the tools that allow us to be creative in our approach and has helped us connect with people and opportunities/resources we didn't know existed!

Money may not be everything...but being without it sure creates quite an information barrier bewteen people who have access and those who don't. What kid doesn't love technology and want to learn the cool things you can do with it?? It's not just the kids; the parents are involved in different ways as well. Keep checking their blog (www.ourasafamily.blogspot.com) to see and hear their thoughts, parents comments, their photography, and all kinds of other great stuff!

Explore the possibilities

Are we teaching our kids to learn how to learn or to learn what we know? If all I ever do is teach a child what I know, our future is going to be extremely limited. However, if I can teach a child to explore, dream, envision, take risks, and accept challenges, there is no telling what he/she will come up with.

Our After-School Academy mission has always been to provide a Christ-centered atmosphere in an educational setting that will equip kids to dream and envision who they can and will one day become.

I'm thinking I may need to adjust it so that it ends with "equip kids to dream and envision." If we can guide our kids to dream and envision, they will be the ones coming up with things like the computer in this video (depending on your connection speed, you may have to wait a while for it to load):