professional wordpress themes

My name is Pedro [check out this inspirational, education-related film in a city near you]

On 09/18/2020, in education, education reform, hearts -- matters of the heart, K-12 related, relationships, society, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, by Daniel Christian

First time director, Lillian LaSalle’s award-winning, powerful documentary, MY NAME IS PEDRO, explores what public education meant to South Bronx Latino maverick educator, Pedro Santana, and what he, in turn, meant to public education. The film is also especially timely in this moment of national reckoning since the murder of George Floyd, subsequent protests and high attention being paid to public school parity.

Infectious in his optimism, Santana becomes one of the most influential public-school teachers and then administrators in the New York public school system after turning his troubled Bronx middle school, MS 391, around. He is unapologetic in his commitment to create change for kids, no matter the odds. When a glowing front-page New York Times article catapults him into the spotlight, he is recruited and then accepts a promotion to use his famed ‘out of the box’ and transformative practices to save a corrupt and divided suburban school district. But the political challenges there may simply be too great, even for the infallible Santana.

In order to continue his life’s mission that ‘every kid can learn’, (he himself was labeled ‘special ed’ as a child), he realizes that he must venture beyond not only the restrictive ‘four walls’ of the public education system, but also his own neighborhood, city and even his own country. 

MY NAME IS PEDRO is a profound story of how one person actualizes learning and positive change in children, adults, environments and communities through an ‘impact’ ripple effect strategy that he has effortlessly perfected. The film is also an essential and timely reminder of the importance of great educators that exist within the infrastructure of our country’s public education system. 

OFFICIAL SELECTION AND AWARDS:

Winner: Best Documentary, Golden Door International Film Festival
Winner: Spotlight on Documentary Award, St. Louis International Film Festival
Winner: Audience Award, Chicago Latino International Film Festival
Winner: Audience Award, Brooklyn Film Festival
Winner: Award of Merit, Impact Docs
Winner: Honorable Mention, Woodstock Film Festival
Official Selection: Women’s Filmmaker Showcase, BAFF
Official Selection: San Diego Latino International Film Festival

MY NAME IS PEDRO- Connect on Social Media:

Award-winning documentary MY NAME IS PEDRO opened [yesterday] in virtual theaters in NYC on September 17 (Maysles Cinema) and will open in the following cities soon: LOS ANGELES on October 2 (Laemmle) with major cities to follow (on October 9) including: Philadelphia (Film Society), Minneapolis (Parkway Theater), Buffalo (North Park), Baltimore (Senator, The Charles), Vancouver (Kiggins Theater), Tucson (Loft), Cleveland (Cleveland Cinemas), Phoenix (Film Bar), Bellingham (Pickford Center). Winston Salem (Aperture Cinema), Tampa (Tampa Theater) and more.

 

Per Emma Griffiths (EG-PR), if you go to the link below, you can watch this film virtually and buy a ticket by clicking on the Tickets button next to Maysles Cinema — New York, NY:

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

Philippians 4:8 — “…if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

On 09/16/2020, in culture, faith, global / globalization, health, hearts -- matters of the heart, memory, relationships, society, by Daniel Christian
Philippians 4:8 New International Version (NIV)

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

Isaiah 46:4

On 09/11/2020, in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society, by Daniel Christian
Isaiah 46:4 New International Version (NIV) — from biblegateway.com

4 Even to your old age and gray hairs
    I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
    I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

Two verses from Psalm 119 and one from Isaiah

On 09/03/2020, in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion, by Daniel Christian

Psalm 119:64 (NIV)

64 The earth is filled with your love, Lord;
teach me your decrees.

Psalm 119:68 (NIV)

68 You are good, and what you do is good;
    teach me your decrees.

Isaiah 48:17 (NIV)

17 This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
    who teaches you what is best for you,
    who directs you in the way you should go.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

Teaching isn’t the same thing as learning: How Judaism reflects fundamental principles of learning [Horn]

On 09/01/2020, in colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, faith, hearts -- matters of the heart, instructional design, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, relationships, religion, society, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teaching & learning, training / L&D, by Daniel Christian

Teaching isn’t the same thing as learning: How Judaism reflects fundamental principles of learning — from michaelbhorn.com by Michael Horn

Excerpts:

As I reflected, it occurred to me that what the Torah is doing is what, in education, we might call spiraling. Spiraling is the notion that a student learns more about a topic each time she revisits it and thus expands her knowledge or improves her skill level. When you spiral, you intentionally spread the learning out over time, rather than only concentrate it in certain periods.

Broadly speaking, what Judaism recognizes is a fundamental truth—that teaching is not the same thing as learning. We don’t learn when someone is ready to teach it to us, but when we as individuals are ready to learn. You can’t make someone learn who isn’t ready for it.

Michael Horn   

 

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

DC: Love this slide on empathy! Especially the last bullet point here!

On 08/21/2020, in Daniel S. Christian, education, education reform, higher education, K-12 related, law schools, online learning, relationships, society, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, by Daniel Christian

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

“May we never forget that behind every coronavirus statistic there is unquantifiable human suffering.” [Bill Plaschke]

On 08/19/2020, in Asia, Australia, biology, Canada, Daniel S. Christian, Europe, ideas, India, Michigan, parents/guardians, relationships, society, student-related, surviving, trends, UK, United States, youth, by Daniel Christian

The novel coronavirus is not a statistic. It’s not an agenda. It’s not a debate. COVID-19 is real enough to rise up and beat me senseless. We need to stop giving it license to do the same to others.

[Bill Plaschke]

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

Psalm 150

On 08/08/2020, in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion, society, by Daniel Christian

Psalm 150

1 Praise the Lord.[a]

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

“The Best of Rooms” & “The Road Not Taken” [Randall Thompson]

On 07/30/2020, in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, music, relationships, religion, society, by Daniel Christian

The Best of Rooms — by Randall Thompson

Christ, He requires still, wheresoe’er He comes,
To feed, or lodge, to have the best of rooms:
Give Him the choice; grant Him the nobler part,
Of all the house:, the best of all’s the heart.

This is a beautiful piece as well:

“The Road Not Taken”— by Randall Thompson

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
And that has made all the difference.

Addendum:
My oldest sister posted this beautiful recording today. Good timing sis.

LATIN TEXT:
Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.
Exsultemus, et in ipso jucundemur.
Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum.
Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
Where charity and love are, there God is.
The love of Christ has gathered us into one.
Let us exult, and in Him be joyful.
Let us fear and let us love the living God.
And from a sincere heart let us love each other (and Him).

https://www.facebook.com/JonathanRoumieOfficial/videos/phenomenal-rendition-of-ubi-caritas-latin-hymn/595033917802390/

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

Turns out you can build community in a Zoom classroom [Toor]

On 07/09/2020, in adjunct faculty, colleges, communications, community colleges, faculty, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, online learning, participation, pedagogy, productivity / tips and tricks, relationships, teaching & learning, teaching online, writing, by Daniel Christian

Turns out you can build community in a Zoom classroom — from chronicle.com by Rachel Toor
A professor finds that personal essays are surprisingly effective in building relationships in a synchronous virtual classroom

Excerpt:

Over the course of the quarter, they got to know one another by reading those sandbox essays. The writing became more vulnerable, more authentic, and, frankly, a whole lot better. That was a function of learning tools and tricks from published writing, but also of getting more comfortable using their own voices.

Next fall I will continue to use the sandbox. The spring semester taught me other lessons, too, about how to help students adjust to one another in a synchronous classroom, and to a professor they’ve never met in person. Here are some other things I want to remember to do when we are once again online.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

As the technologies get more powerful, so do the ramifications/consequences. [Christian]

On 06/09/2020, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Daniel S. Christian, ethics, faith, game-changing environment, hearts -- matters of the heart, morals/values, relationships, society, technology (general), the downsides of how people use tech, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
As the technologies get more powerful, so do the ramifications/consequences. And here’s the kicker. Just like we’re seeing with trying to deal with systemic racism in our country…like it or not, it all comes back to the state of the hearts and minds out there. I’m not trying to be preachy or to pretend that I’m better than anyone. I’m a sinner. I know that full well. And I view all of us as equals trying to survive and to make our way in this tough-to-live-in world. But the unfortunate truth is that technologies are tools, and how the tools are used depends upon one’s heart.

Proverbs 4:23 New International Version (NIV) — from biblegateway.com

23 Above all else, guard your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

Good cop/Bad cop [by Razel Jones, a former colleague]

On 06/07/2020, in Access to Justice (A2J), faith, hearts -- matters of the heart, legal reform, legislatures / government / legal, relationships, society, by Daniel Christian

Good cop/Bad cop — from LinkedIn.com by Razel Jones, a former colleague at Calvin College (now Calvin University). Razel was a great man and I’m very glad that I got the chance to work with him.

Excerpt:

I usually am very solution-focused and full of ideas for how we can try to make things better… but, these last few days, I’m empty. More than the last few days…I’m threatened. I’m hunted. I’m labeled. I’m vulnerable. I’m unsafe. I’m unprotected. I’m disrespected. I’m undervalued. I’m dehumanized. But, most of all… I’m tired.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

1 Chronicles 29:11 

On 06/04/2020, in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion, society, by Daniel Christian

1 Chronicles 29:11 New International Version (NIV)

11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
    you are exalted as head over all.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

Proverbs 4:23 

On 05/20/2020, in faith, hearts -- matters of the heart, parents/guardians, passions, reinvent, relationships, society, youth, by Daniel Christian

Proverbs 4:23 New International Version (NIV) — from biblegateway.com

23 Above all else, guard your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 

Romans 11:33-36

On 05/17/2020, in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion, society, by Daniel Christian

Romans 11:33-36 New International Version (NIV)

Doxology

33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
    How unsearchable his judgments,
    and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
    Or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Who has ever given to God,
    that God should repay them?”
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
    To him be the glory forever! Amen.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

 
Previous Entries Next Entries
© 2024 | Daniel Christian