The Red Suit and Pearls

I was at a local family restaurant off the beaten path in Maine this summer and the young waitress mentioned that it was her last night. Given that it was the end of the summer and a slow night, I asked about her plans for the fall. She said, “I am finishing up my last year at the University of Maine at Farmington. I’m going to be a teacher,” she said proudly. Of course, I jumped right in and told her that I was a history teacher in Massachusetts and that the profession needed people who were passionate about teaching kids. After she served dinner, I went on to inquire as to the level and content area she was planning to teach. She indicated that she wanted to be a junior high English teacher. I then asked her if she had seen the movie Freedom Writers. Instantly her eyes widened and she said with all the excitement of a lottery winner, “Yes, I went to see it with some of my friends this summer and I absolutely loved it!” She went on to say, “Often my friends will tell me that I am never going to make it in life as a teacher, that it’s a profession for losers, and I will never have any money.” She looked right at me and said with all the strength of a lioness, “That movie said it all for me. That young teacher showed such determination, in the face of such adversity, in order to make a difference in the lives of her students. She instantly became my hero. Because of this young woman's story, I now have the voice and the words to express why I want to be a teacher and the reasons it is really, really, really, important to be a good teacher.” She went on to say, “I want to make a difference in the lives of my students.” During coffee and dessert, we went on to discuss the film, its message, the actress and the importance of having strong women portrayed in films. It was yet another indication that this film has, as they say in the news business, “ legs”. At a time when the value of teachers is being questioned, and in some respects, when teachers themselves have become their own worst enemy, a film like this has the power to creep into the social conscious of society and become an agent for change. If you haven’t seen the movie, I urge you to rent it and share its message of strength and hope with your family and friends. No question, it’s the real deal and it cuts close to home. Freedom Writers is the true story of Erin Gruwell, her 150 students, and how they ended up changing themselves and the world around them. It is a story about a twenty-three year old woman who went into an inner city school to teach. She picked this particular school for its diversity and because she wanted to make a real difference in the lives of her students. Instead of finding educators that were willing to help her succeed, she encountered bigotry, sexism, and worst of all - indifference. What is so great about this inspirational movie is that this young woman didn't give in to the repeated attempts to stop her in her quest to do what was right. When you see what she had to put up with and the sacrifices she made in order to help her students, you will get up out of your chair and cheer for this young women. See the movie and we can talk about the "red suit" and the "pearls". Go here to learn more about this amazing woman and her students. http://www.freedomwritersfoundation.org

Big Brother in 2008?

In February of 2007, the worlds of advertising, politics, and something called "YouTube" all collided in a magical moment of creativity that was seismic in scope and breath. From the moment the "Big Brother" video appeared on YouTube it became clear that a new method of political campaigning had been discovered. There was no question that this new media's impact was going to be felt for years to come. Never before had a politician been able to reach and influence millions of potential voters without spending a dime for air time. Of course, I am referring to the "Big Brother/Hillary" video that appeared out of nowhere. Millions of people watching the video, created from the famous Apple advertisement of 1984, voting on it, and initially speculated about its author. When it first ran, no one took credit for the spot. It received even more attention when the author finally did come forward. The political world erupted with charges and counter-charges when it was revealed that the spot was connected to Barack Obama’s campaign. Watch the spot and tell me what you think of the video and discuss whether or not you think the spot is effective and why.

Discussion of Intellectual Honesty

The other day, a student asked me why an answer he gave for one of the questions on a quiz was wrong. I asked him, "Do you also want to know why the answers you got right - were right?" The student said to me, "No, I got those questions right. I only want to know why my answer was wrong." I then said to the student, after much discussion with the class, "Let me ask you this question; do you care more about the answer or more about the grade that you received?" Before the student could answer me, I asked the class to look up the meaning of "Intellectual Honesty." I put the following before the class for discussion. "What does Intellectual Honesty mean to you? "What do you think is the larger issue or point of the exercise?" For discussion purposes, you should also comment on at least one other student's post.