KaDeWo - The Joy Advocate

I just finished reading CoRregidora by GayL JoNES and I feel inspired to listen to Sheryl Crows " We Do What We Can " as I write. An unexpected, but good read to conclude this wonderful year. The book is a quick read of less than 200 pages. It exposes the thoughts and silence a girl develops as her painful life experiences push her into young womanhood, and finally into becoming a wise woman. A relatable tale for many of us to cry about or perhaps a reflection that offers permission to share (verbally or in written form) your sorrow with others - free from judgment and full of empathy. I believe many men and women of color would benefit from hearing the historically tragic stories family members silently carry with them amongst generation to generation. Anywho (<---- one of my favorite fictional words), the novel certainly provoked the sorrow that wants to lie dormant within me, but actually exists on my surface. Therefore the song I am playing is fi...

Today's topic for current and future educators is...you guessed it (from the title) something DIGITAL!! The notion was recently posed to use cameras in the classroom for personal and academic learning. Personally, I think using a digital photography in the classroom is a great idea for many reasons. The images can serve multiple purposes. For instance: images can be used in the class newsletter for parents, projects, student of the week, and virtual field trips. One of my favorite assignments posted online is the self-esteem project . Summary of instructions : Each student will make a bookmark for one classmate. Students will use the camera to take pictures, in the classroom, of the student who will receive the bookmark. Teacher will assign every student a classmate to make a bookmark for. (This will work with an odd or even number of students. I do not plan on pairing the students. Example: Amber will make a bookmark for Katie, Katie will make a bookmark for Douglas, and ...

I ♥ e-learning! Check out this link http://www.e-learningforkids.org/  for numerous interactive lessons for various subjects: language arts, math, technology, life skills, health, environmental skills, science, and English language. The site has easy to maneuver and understand activities for ages 5 through 12. Here's a review on the Language Arts - Introduction Microsoft Word 2003 activity. This is a well organized presentation with written and audio instructions accompanied by highlighting and blinking symbols to guide all learners. The narrator provides clear step by step instructions on how to use the MS program.  Instructors can use this guide in and outside of class. The lesson includes many useful tools for students to learn independently. For instance, there is an instructional key that incorporates several command selections (ex. arrows point to the location of the ruler, scroll bar, and empty text ...

Today, I taught a lesson on Conflict Resolution to 24 Philadelphia high school students. It felt great being in front of (and walking around) the classroom. Of course I was nervous before stepping foot into the school, but I was well prepared and focused on the ultimate goal - which was to teach students how to handle on the job conflict constructively. The education course I am enrolled includes teaching a lesson to high school students, with a classmate (or coteacher). We had three major points we wanted to drive home: 1. Prevent conflict We briefly discussed how clear communication as well as considering cultural differences to prevent conflict. 2. Avoid conflict When a coworker is pressing an issue and appears to want to engage in a confrontation, try listening to their perspective and problem. Sometimes just listening can make a world of difference, for the person who is upset and the other parties involved. 3. Manage conflict In the midst of conflict, suggest taking a...

It's one of those days and I have just read something that sums up how I sometimes feel... Is it sad that I am glad not to be the only one that has ever felt this way??? Wish I could walk away from it all... Perhaps this is a poem I will share with my future students.  Black girls learn to love hard By Ras Baraka Black girls learn to love hard Concrete love An in spite of love Even though love An In between crying love They learn love hard. They rush to grade school dodging whistles And lewd stares from passing cars of men on their way to work They learn vulgarities as compliments They pretend to get used to being touched when they don’t want to be And get attention because they are pretty… Everyone wants to feel them Press up on them Rub against them Throw them down Cuss them Smack them Penetrate them Out of love A be strong love A hard love to swallow Young girls sit on stoops and porches In beauty parlor conversations Watching their older siste...

Hola! Today's topic for educators are WebQuests (WQs).  What are WQs, you say? Before today, I had never heard of WQs.   A WQ is an inquiry-oriented lesson format that incorporates all parts of Bloom's Taxonomy.  Much of or all gathered information that learners work with is from the Internet.  The model was introduced to the world by a professor at the San Diego State University, who was assisted by a member of the Educational Technology staff at the San Diego Unified School District, and members of the Teach the Teachers Consortium.  [The names of these individuals are purposely absent, because there may be a WQ created for you to find their names on your own dear reader.] The announcement was released in February of 1995.  Where have I been?! There are many benefits to using WQs.  Here's a list of supportive reasons: - to encourage high-level thinking (analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) from students - to motivate and engage learners ...

 Read with India.Arie's Good Mourning playing in the background...Love that song! (Just woke up with this on my mind) I recall where we were a year ago this day and my advice to others is... Refrain from engaging in things that will cloud your judgment and delay your progress with its tantalizing elements. Love possesses so much power that it seduces the innocent into believing that its purpose is to enhance the lover's life, when in fact it will temporarily do this and later cause insanity. A thoughtful human once summarized insanity as, committing the same act again and again, expecting a different outcome . Is this not what people gambling on love do? I CAN tell you exactly how many times I have entered into a fresh relationship with hope and desire. This seems absurd due to the fact that all beginnings must have their end. [...Mislead by society to believe that each relationship will lead to marriage.] How many times have you willingly decided to take a chance on mat...