Bird Droppings August 13, 2011
Sharpen the machete or bring a shovel

“When solving problems, dig at the roots instead of just hacking at the leaves.” Anthony J. D’Angelo

Always in the movies with a jungle setting the leader has a machete and hacks away at the growth making the way clear for the group following. Anthony J. D’Angelo is an author of sorts, an author who as a senior at West Chester College in Pennsylvania wrote a paper “Wellness Works” which would became the basis for his ideas. While writing primarily about college life the paper offers bits and pieces of wit to help folks make it through the day. He is also author of “The College Blue Book” and “The Inspiration series”.

“We are creating a new kind of “school” for a new kind of world. After all, the world as we know it is less than 15 years old. For in 1989 the Berlin Wall came down and in 1995 the World Wide Web went up. It is a completely new world for us all. With this new world, come new challenges. With these new challenges, come new ways of educating people for the future and it is our every intention to be at the fore front of this educational revolution. The 20th Century was about Content, but the 21st Century is about Context.” Anthony J. D’Angelo

As I read through the website dealing with empowerment many good choice pieces of thought and understanding of human nature.

“Most College Students Get a Degree, But Not an Education.” Anthony J. D’Angelo

The basis and rationale of his thought centered on the fact nearly one third of college students drop out which is mentioned on his website is:

http://collegiate-empowerment.com/story.html

His writings and training (coaching) are meant to change that. Nearly 100 years ago another educational revolutionary had similar thoughts, John Dewey offered a very similar constraint to content versus context with his take on constructivism and experiential learning.

“Learners who can adapt quickly by learning in a complex world are more likely to adapt to changing conditions and survive as an individual.” Martin Dougiamas, A journey into Constructivism

I walked out this morning with a nearly full moon blaring down fully knowing it is simply a reflection of the sun’s rays yet transfixed on the fact the surroundings are brighter even through incoming clouds. I did however miss Mars which was to be larger than normal.
“Learning is a search for meaning. Therefore, learning must start with the issues around which students are actively trying to construct meaning.” On Purpose Associates

Looking at the bright surroundings earlier today as I took my friend Lil Girl out for her morning constitutional I saw light, my senses saw light. I can accept that or pursue why and how, perhaps the batteries are new. Beginning this semester I started a daily log writing down as events transpired within my class room, while focusing on education daily life is little different. Earlier as I read D’Angelo’s thoughts while focused on college students the application to a lesser degree very easily could be my own students who are high risk for graduation from high school. It is about pushing that envelope further with people who are at risk with life itself.

“The purpose of learning is for an individual to construct his or her own meaning, not just memorize the “right” answers and regurgitate someone else’s meaning. Since education is inherently interdisciplinary, the only valuable way to measure learning is to make the assessment part of the learning process, ensuring it provides students with information on the quality of their learning.” On Purpose Associates

As a teacher so often I find myself saying this is my class room and you will do as I say. I even have gone so far as to declare when I had a trailer as an independent kingdom and issued money, albeit Mr. Bird bucks. I still have the crown although it currently resides on a rather large stuffed antelope head (an eland) on my classroom wall. While I said my class room in effect the room has become the student’s room.

“I believe that all education proceeds by the participation of the individual in the social consciousness of the race. This process begins unconsciously almost at birth, and is continually shaping the individual’s powers, saturating his consciousness, forming his habits, training his ideas, and arousing his feelings and emotions. Through this unconscious education the individual gradually comes to share in the intellectual and moral resources which humanity has succeeded in getting together. He becomes an inheritor of the funded capital of civilization. The most formal and technical education in the world cannot safely depart from this general process. It can only organize it or differentiate it in some particular direction.” John Dewey

Do I simply want to except the light from the moon or pursue finding out more. I spent the better part of my planning period on the phone with a parent a few days ago. A particular student has been a problem for all of his teachers, numerous physiological reasons can quickly be brought to our attention and various assundery medications have been prescribed by his physicians. In high school with four different teachers and different outlooks of perception we have a student being daily assessed by four people and four world views. On a particular bad day I jotted down behaviors that were issues. Somehow medications came into the discussion and the student made a comment how he felt that was the issue not his behavior, “the medicine made him do it.” He often finds excuses for his behavior as we all do
Upon referring to the handy PDR eight of behavior issues were side effects of various medications he was currently on. Of the meds all were recommended for adults. All were indicated in bold lettering that they may cause drowsiness and not to operate equipment while taking them. Sadly these are what we give this student In School Suspension for sleeping and for making comments about how he can’t think straight.
All day long we hack at leaves with our machetes. I tell my friends in the north about kudzu which is hard to describe. It is a plant that hacking at the leaves only infuriates it and it seems to grow faster. About four hurricanes worth of water dumped on it help as well and it only grows faster. But whether it is education or family we need to look beyond traditional means, recalling the content versus context argument of Dewey, and borrowing from D’Angelo. I was speaking with my son about teenager issues as we rode home from Kroger many months ago. It is so easy to say one thing, hack off leaves and never really get to the roots. He asked me why our county has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates. It is a difficult question to answer so we hack at the leaves so to say.
So we walk out today looking for how come it is so bright outside we also need to look at context. We also need to review why we keep sharpening the machete and not look for a shovel. Another word for the day as I finish today is harm, it is an elusive word. A child raised in an environment where tomorrow is questionable is a form of harm. Students who say whatever and quit school is also harm. Young men and women fighting in various wars around the world is a significant case of harm. Refugees in Sudan, Congo, all through Africa and the Middle East, tying shelter together with sticks thread and leaves are a powerful form of harm. So today please keep all in harm’s way on your mind and in your hearts.
namaste
bird