Dusk has fallen, and we’re at the foot of the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius on the Capitoline Hill. MB, G., and I are freezing in the damp Roman air, so we button up our jackets and prepare to head off to the celebratory street dancing and music promised for the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy.
Continue reading "Gov. Bill Richardson, New Mexico, and the 7th Hill of Rome" »
It rained a lot
the past few days.
What we see
on the surface
is only
a
percentage
of what
might be.
If you've been reading the news lately, you've probably seen the story of Kaavya Viswanathan, the Harvard sophomore who has admitted to plagiarizing portions of her book. Terry has a post on it, as does Snarkaholic. I've also read with great interest Steven Sleigh's post about the role of the "book packager" in the publishing industry.
An article published earlier this month sheds light on the life of this teen. In it, she is quoted as saying,
"I was surrounded by the stereotype of high- pressure Asian and Indian families trying to get their children into Ivy League schools."
It is difficult for educators to teach the importance of honesty and integrity when the academic culture supports success at any cost.
How can teachers make a difference, when the All Mighty Grade is more important than originality? Should a teacher encourage the gifted artist to go to art school when the father will accept nothing but an MBA from MIT?
How do we teach our children that being true to themselves is more important than grades and that integrity is so much more important than laurels gathered under false pretenses?
Photos by Zana and Avijit
Above my classroom whiteboard in colored letters, the quote “Be the change you wish to see in the world” by Gandhi spans the wall. The letters, cut out of construction paper, are six inches high, and laminated. Lately, though, I haven’t been thinking much about changing the world. I’ve been thinking about research papers, grading, my master's thesis, and the end-of-the-school-year wrap-up.
Not until last night, with the oppressive heat keeping so many of us in this country up until the wee hours of the night (and longing for the monsoon rains to begin), was I so deeply touched by a story that proved that living by this motto one can, indeed, make radical change possible. All it takes is a dream, a bit of integrity, compassion, and a deep love for all people. Photographer Zana Briski, director of Born into Brothels and founder of Kids with Cameras is my latest hero.
Continue reading "Be the change you wish to see in the world" »
On the picture are "women and crosses and coffins on a beach in Santa Monica", a few days ago. Do pay attention to the little figure on the bottom right side to have a better perspective of this performance. via new-art.blogspot, via moonriver
quarantine: from Merriam-Webster
a : a restraint upon the activities or communication of persons or the transport of goods designed to prevent the spread of disease or pests
b : a state of enforced isolation
Today, expat teachers at the international school where I work received contracts for the upcoming school year. We have six days to sign, indicating whether we will return for the next academic year. This time around, there’s a bit of a glitch, and it has to do with a word in our director’s cover letter: “quarantine.”
Continue reading "On Twin Towers, Bird Flu, and Quarantine" »
Thanks, Kevy, for passing this on to me. As he puts it,
"What did they use for bait?"
Update: Though I am still unable to find the name of the creator of this image, one of my students came across it while navigating through this site, which hosts a number of humorous bogus web sites. The page is entitled "The Presidents George Bush Visit to Mankato the Venice of the North." Check out the other bogus sites. They will make you chuckle. Promise.
A colleague of mine flew to New Orleans a few days before Hurricane Katrina hit. There as one of 200 consultants for the College Board (read SAT), his 
plans got thwarted when Katrina hit. The roof was blown off the ballroom, and there was no transportation out. He was stuck there for almost a week. Here’s one of the photos he took of the devastation.
He writes:
The members of the [Sheraton] hotel staff were very well prepared for this type of emergency and also were very supportive and professional. They were able to provide food and water to drink during the following days. We , however, did not have water to bath or electricity for several days,
… my room was on the 24 th floor, the lifts seem to require electricity to operate (odd); [so I] got some killer calf muscles now.
We’re glad to see him back. The photos he took are shocking. And, had he been listening to jazz but a block or two away, he might no longer be with us. Makes me think about fate (again!) and about other colleagues of mine who experienced traumatic times.