"The hunger and thirst for knowledge, the keen delight in the chase, the good humored willingness to admit that the scent was false, the eager desire to get on with the work, the cheerful resolution to go back and begin again, the broad good sense, the unaffected modesty, the imperturbable temper, the gratitude for any little help that was given - all these will remain in my memory though I cannot paint them for others." Frederic William Maitland


Sunday, September 25, 2011

We Are All Ed: EdBirmingham.org

    Here's a movement that continues the work of Yes We Can! Birmingham by reporting the findings of community meetings across the city.  This website combines many efforts of stakeholders from all over Birmingham who are united by a desire to see our school system be successful.  Similar to Michelle Rhee's Student's First, EdBirmingham asks for input from parents, teachers, students, and community members on ways to increase achievement for the students.  By tackling issues of parent involvement, college and career focused schools, professional development for teachers, and pre-advanced placement initiatives, edbirmingham is a forum to get results through engaging everyone with a place that they can contribute for the good of all the community of Birmingham.  Calling for 3 simple things, money, time and heart, this could be the catalyst for what we so desperately need to give our students the schools and opportunities they deserve.  Be sure to view the notebook, a link at the top left of the homepage, http://edbirmingham.org/notebook.htm and sign up for the mailing list.

I am Ed Birmingham, and so are you.





Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Performance Assessment for EPR 688

Rationale for "30 Days of Slow Food and Poetry" on scribd.com, inspired by the $5 Slow Food Challenge!!!  Please feel free to use in your classroom.

http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/65669985?access_key=key-2nlzmft1vwpdk0azmm0y




Friday, September 9, 2011

"Empowering Teachers, Enriching Students."

Yesterday, I presented to the RMWP Leadership team a dream that many of my fellows and I discussed during our month as fellows in RMWP: 1-1 mentors for students in writing.  Being someone that benefitted both personally and professionally from RMWP, I was thrilled with the opportunity to dream.  What we came up with is a center at UAB for students from K-12 to come after school for tutoring, SAT/ACT prep, and enrichment which would be taught by fellows of the project.  Following models of Dave Eggers and Chip Brantley, we hope to bring to UAB a center for students and teachers to develop and share a love of writing.


     "Empowering teachers, enriching students."  This is the theme of a dream that RMWP’s leadership team discussed yesterday.  We will bring fellows and students to UAB's campus to apply RMWP concepts to a select group of K-12 students from all of metropolitan Birmingham.  Taught by fellows who are also teachers, students will get tutoring, writing support, and SAT/ACT prep in all content areas with writing as focus.  Simply put, teachers who teach writing must write themselves, and writing must be taught in all content areas.  It is a process and art which we want to include the youth on.  Please join us!  More info to come...


Thank you Dr. Perry, Bruce McComiskey and all the many dreamers involved in the project.