who's that girl?

today, samantha visited the birthing center for her 20 week ultrasound. she is officially halfway! at 20 weeks, the doctor is able to check to make sure the baby is healthy. it's difficult for us to see, but she can check the development of the baby's organs. b"h, the baby is healthy. (if you click the title above, you can hear her heartbeat.)

the doctor is also able to check for the baby's sex. it's a girl! it's so crazy to see the baby on screen. she has full legs and arms and little bitty toes and fingers.

many parents wait to find out if the baby is a boy or a girl until birth. but, samantha and i were excited to find out. (the nurse explained that about 65% of parents do want to know . . .) so many people have asked us: what do you really want? do you really wish for a boy? do you really wish for a girl?

truly, truly, we only only hope for her to be healthy. the whole process is so humbling. there can be so many challenges and worries. today, we are only blessed.




samantha says:
yay, yay, yay, yay, yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
: )

first comes love. . .

andrew and samantha sittin' in a tree. . .

k-i-ss-i-n-g. . .

first comes love. . .

then comes marriage. . .

then comes a baby in the baby carriage!
(b'ezrat hashem)


samantha is pregnant. . .
due date: may 20, 2006

king love quotes

We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobile rather than by the quality of our service and relationship to mankind.


Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illumines it

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.

Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.


Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don't have to have college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.

If man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live.

Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me. But it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important.

We have flown the air like birds and swum the sea like fishes, but have yet to learn the simple act of walking the earth like brothers.

We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.

The quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important.

We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.

Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.

He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction....The chain reaction of evil -- hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars -- must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.

the rev. dr. martin luther king

dr. martin luther king, jr. is a modern american hero. he is credited as the spirit and soul of the civil rights movement. dr. king organized large nonviolent resistance for equality, justice, and peace. he is especially noted for his beautiful language – his speeches and writings are direct, honest, hopeful, and sincere.

however, we often remember only his hope. we likely forget his anger, his force, and his honesty. we must remember his beauty. . . yet, today, we cannot forget that he was a stubborn activist against inequality, poverty, and war.

dr. king was trying to wreck! its just his hammers and his bombs were love and peace.



"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."


"The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be."


"The sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality."


"Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress."


"Without justice, there can be no peace. He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it."


"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

union labor

Why are labor unions important?

Strong unions are essential for our continued democracy. In fact, the Steelworkers Union notes that the United States Constitution was ratified in the "gathering hall of the Phildaelphia Guild of Carpenters".

However, labor unions can overbargain. For example, a series of airlines recently declared bankruptcy, including Delta, Northwest, United, and US Airways. Rising fuel costs, increased deregulation, burdensome federal taxes, poor strategic planning, and mismanagement all plagued major American carriers. However, bloated union contracts also prevented airlines from shifting and reorganizing without federal bankruptcy protection.

The real disaster for labor unions is that federal bankruptcy robs skilled and line workers from collective bargaining protections. Strong unions have fought hard to earn important benefits and leading salaries; however, overbargaining harms the long term success or viability of companies. In fact, bankruptcy reorganization plans often strip workers of fair compensation and benefits.

Labor unions are designed to protect work, workers, and workplaces. Effective labor unions are essential to our basic economy, and labor agreements should recognize that effective partnerships benefit both individuals and organizations.

What are you talking about?

There are two major categories of labor unions: craft unions and industrial unions.

Craft unions organize skilled workers, including carpenters, blacksmiths, or painters. Craft guilds organized the first local unions in the late 18th century. Oganized craft unions promotes skilled craftsman and certified craft standards to prevent unskilled craft and unfair wages.

Industrial unions represent workers across individual industries, including steelworkers, shipbuilders, or mineworkers.
Industry unions are vertical: they promote united organization for collective bargaining. A strong union advocates for improved working conditions and worker compensation, including salary and benefits.

Early industrial labor unions were largely unsuccessful. For example, the Pullman Palace Car Company unilaterally reduced wages for line workers in 1894. The American Railway Union (ARU) rejected the forced paycuts and led a dramatic employee strike across 27 states. Eugene Debs, President of ARU, was imprisoned for violation of the Sherman Anti-trust Act. However, the US Supreme Court rejected labor appeals and upheld the policy of the Pullman Car Company.

However, business exaggerated pressure on labor through the early 20th century and radicalized labor unions gained increasing grassroots support. Increased membership led to increased political influence. In 1932, labor unions helped organize important support for the election of Franklin Roosevelt. The Great Depression increased popular commitment and participation in industrial labor unions. This broad support led to dramatic reforms in the supervision and regulation of corporations.

For example, strong labor unions helped promote legislation including the National Labor Relations Act (1935) and the Fair Labor Standards Act (1938). Protective legislation stablished minimum standards for workers' protection, including health and safety of workplace. For example, the NLRA established maximum workweek hours, minimum wage standards, and prohibited child labor.

However, the American labor movement has suffered a significant decline. 1/3 of American workers were enrolled in certified unions in 1960. Yet, recent surveys estimate that labor participation decreased to 13% in 2003.

Who cares?

The Union of Federated Teachers recently completed a contract agreement with the New York City Board of Education. NYC public schoolteachers were working under an expired 2002 contract. The expired contract preserved basic agreeements; however, inflation was rapidly decreasing salary wages.

Today, there is serious disagreement within the Teachers' Union. The offered contract proposes 3% annual wage increases with immediate retroactive pay; however, it also extends the school day and adds additional responsibilities, including cafeteria or homeroom supervision. The UFT President argues that the union has fought for important core values against a stubborn administration. However, many rank and file teachers believe the proposed raise trails inflation and lowballs any increased requirements.

I believe that reforms or requirements that clearly support student learning make real sense. For example, remediation and small group tutoring for struggling students is important and effective. In fact, I currently lead volunteer after-school programs for students. Small group instruction is incredibly rewarding!

However, are we getting fair value?

inspire! (updates)

the usual suspects.
."kids"
dj spooky
hallmark.com
the chicago cubbies

erich gruen
ed bradley
george hincapie
naeem mohaimen


harry caray
chicagosports.com
dj shadow
apple computers
"the lemon", by mohammed mrabet

the street, by israel rabon
toni morrisson
sonia sanchez
new york city
adobe photoshop

miles davis
john coltrane
richard clarke
wangay dorji
tim russert
john stewart
826nyc



blogster
howard gardner
"the old man and the sea", by ernest hemmingway
john steinbeck
100% juice
abraham joshua heschel
graphic novels
batman
marjane satrapi
spike lee
owen wilson
charlie rose
mos def
talib kweli

feeling blue

i have been writing on serious topics recently, but i hope you don't feel like the cubbies aren't very serious. the cubbies are _very_ serious.
; )

this year has been especially sad for cubs fans. while i know there are really truly serious things happening, sometimes i like to just read about the cubbies. your diversion is supposed to be lots of fun, though. what happens when your hobby becomes sad?

what happened this year? many people think dusty baker is the most serious problem. i do think that dusty has made some strange choices, but i don't think he is the major reason the cubbies have struggled so much.


1) corey patterson
2) left field
3) softies
4) missing!
5) dustyball
6) backline relief pitching
7) don't be defensive!


1) corey patterson

some have started to say that losing sammy sosa and moises alou are the largest reasons why the 2005 cubs have performed so poorly. left field has certainly been disappointing, but center field has been the crazy blow. the composite stats for leadoff hitter and center field are last in the major leagues!

corey's performance has certainly been a much bigger drag on the cubs offense than missing sammy . . . in 2004, corey hit 266 with a .322 OBP. he had 24 HRs, 74 RBIs, and 32 SBs. in 2005, corey's has hit .222 with a .260 OBP! he has only 12 HRs, 28 RBIs, and 14 SBs. he also has only 19 BBs, vs 45 in 2004.


3) soft offensive numbers

the problem is not really batting average or power offensive statistics. the cubs team has a higher batting average this year (.274 v. .269), and is ranked 2nd in the national league in home runs (164). it's in the softer details. . . the cubs rank last (16th) in BBs, 9th in SBs, and 9th in OBP. moises alou and sammy sosa certainly did not increase SB's, and burnitz will match sosa in BB's.

our hitters have poor approaches. they swing too early in the count. first, opposing pitchers are able to work deeper into games. we know how important this is because our pitchers consistently have high pitch counts. when pitchers have high pitch counts, they are less effective. second, starting pitchers with high pitch counts are pulled for relief pitching. relief pitchers are dramatically less effective than starting pitchers. third, when hitters work good counts, they also receive better pitches to hit. better pitches obviously translate to more basehits, but better counts also enable hitters to hit for team goals like advancing baserunners. fourth, increased walks are increased baserunners which lead to increased runs scored.

4) missing consistent 5th starter

injuries to starters did not hurt us _that_ much more this year than last year. . . mark prior and kerry wood each had serious injuries last year that caused them to miss significant starts. while wood has started 12 less games this year, he only started 22 games last year. and, prior figures to have 5 more starts this year than last year at a lower ERA (3.72 v. 4.02).

i think the major missing piece was a consistent 5th starter. matt clement has 181 innings at 3.68 ERA (2nd on staff last year, would be 2nd on staff this year). then, the replacements for woody and prior last year were dramatically better. i really mean that glendon rusch was dramatically better.


5) dustyball


dusty has made some really poor choices this year. some of these choices make more sense short term (taxing starters without backline bullpen health), but some were bad (moving productive hitters lower in the lineup (michael barrett at 8? todd walker at 6?), some disappointing (avoiding young players, even in a consistent rotation), and some really horrible (corey and neifi in the 1 and 2 spot).

i like dusty, but he's definitely on the list. i heard one poster speak about bad years. sometimes, really good players have really bad years. i imagine that dusty will have a great 2006. he sounds motivated and already on point. but, what happened this year?


6) the backline bullpen

the major pieces of the bullpen haven't been that bad. . . will ohman has been great as a left handed specialist, michael wuertz did have a great first half (before being worn down), and roberto novoa has continued to improve. while latroy hawkins' numbers really were pretty good last year, there's no doubt that ryan dempster has been more effective as a closer.

i think the major difference is the backline relievers . . . remlinger went into a severe tailspin, and we were not able to find strong middle or secondary relievers. jon leicester and cliff bartosh flamed out early, scott williamson flamed out late, and joe borowski couldn't get it together on time. where were you, jermaine van buren? why did you destroy chad fox, dusty?


ahhhhh!

intelligent design

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deepak-chopra/intelligent-design-withou_b_6105.html


So, what's up with the new teachers' contract?

Some New York City teachers are disappointed in the recent agreement. Disgruntled teachers maintain that "give-backs" far exceed salary raises.


http://www.library.pitt.edu/labor_legacy/chronology.html

miseducation

there is an increasing disparity between american communities by class, ethnicity, gender, and region. for example, research illustrates the broad impact of household wealth on child health, nutrition and academic achievement. but, gross inequality is especially evident in public education. in fact, education has the single greatest impact on employment and housing.

recent literature documents the increasing segregation of our public schools by race and class. segregation is especially harmful because it leads to substantial disparities in student achievement. in the shame of the nation, jonathan kozol (2005) maintains that rural, suburban, and urban disparities reproduce apartheid segregation. kozol explains that unequal education forcibly limits access and opportunities for students of color. now that's real. . .

research studies consistently report that students of color have increased rates of school absence, school truancy and school dropout compared to white peers. research also demonstrates that aggregate black and latino youths score dramatically below peers in standardized assessments of math, reading and science.

these disparities have significant consequences. for example, a broad gap in secondary academic achievement leads to even larger deficits in postsecondary enrollment. if high school graduates do not continue to associate or bachelor degree programs, they will earn roughly $30,000 less than college graduates. when we connect poor education to income, health care, and housing, we create and reproduce poverty and segregation.

there is a growing crisis in our schools. it is especially devastating because public education has consistently struggled to provide equal education for diverse students. newspaper headlines dating back to the late 19th century and through the entire 20th century document failing schools.

i'll report further on the history of education and current trends in education reform. what do you think about public education?

inequality

there has been considerable discussion of the afl-cio labor split. in short, the afl-cio was an umbrella agency for several major labor organizations. however, allied unions recently broke away from the afl-cio to reestablish independent unions. now, analysts are trying to figure the political winners and losers.

i am less interested in specific political capital. however, i am very interested in the declining public commitment to organized labor unions. and, i am especially concerned by the increasing inequality in american income and wealth. income and wealth disparity has increased severely since 1975.

inequality is traditionally mesaured by personal income and household wealth. wealth is the calculation of aggregate household assets, including real estate, securities, and savings minus personal debts. household wealth is an especially interesting measure of inequality and social justice because it is especially difficult for lower middle class and lower class families to establish and accumulate wealth.

for example, the top 5% of american households controls more than 60% of total wealth. . . and the top 1% of american households controls more than 40% of total wealth. in fact, the median wealth of the top 1% of american households is $12.5 million. in contrast, the median wealth of the remaining 95% of households is $62,000. this means that the top 5% of american households have more collective wealth than the remaining 95% of households.

this is incredibly severe. however, gross inequality is only one major part of a major problem. concentrated inequality is my second major concern. concentrated inequality means that poverty is disproportionately concentrated in specific communities or groups. for example, blacks have only 18% of the wealth of the average white family. in fact, 45% of black households earn less than $10,000 in personal income! and further, the median household wealth for latino families is $11,450 and $15,000 for black families. (cfa, 2002). this is more than $70,000 below the wealth of the median american household! (cfa, 2003)

there are many reasons why the income and wealth gap continues to increase. in fact, the wealth gap increased 21% between 1998 and 2001. first, our tax system is increasingly regressive. in 1980, the federal government assessed taxes at 70% of personal income. however, today, the top tax bracket pays only 37%. congressional reports demonstrate that the middle class and lower class pays an increased share of federal tax receipts. does that make any sense?

further, corporations increasingly receive tax benefits and tax relief that protect inflated profits. for example, tax reforms allow american corporations to effectively pay $11 billion less annually than required by specific state and federal tax law. major multinational corporations have also fostered an increasing disparity between executive salaries and line wages. in fact, the income gap has nearly doubled since 1978. . . and the increasing disparity is traced by a declining commitment to organized union labor.

inherited wealth and inherited poverty remain the greatest single determinant for social mobility. fifteen years ago, william julius wilson identified "the truly disadvantaged", a permanent underclass in urban american communities. he determined that contemporary economic policies and unregulated market forces created a sustained cycle of intense poverty.

unbelievably, it's getting worse. gross inequality continues to threaten our economic stability and a sustainable american democracy. capitalism encourages innovation. it encourages individuals and corporations to create, develop, and produce effective products and services that a consumer public demands. however, unregulated capitalism does not work. it exaggerates household wealth and poverty, and it severely limits opportunity and social mobility. it's not only unfair . . . it's poor economic policy.

liberals!

when did it become crazy to be liberal?

liberal policies are the foundation of contemporary democracy. the civil rights movement exposed racism, gross inequality, and legal discrimination. feminism helped women to integrate the public and private workforce. the labor movement protected children and stabilized family.

liberal women founded american social work. the american revolution was liberal, dammit! we need activism.

when republicans get things right, it's because they've co-opted good liberal policy. when democrats get things wrong, it's because they forget good liberal policy.

the true shame is that there is still real inequality, racism, and segregation.

now that's crazy!

president bush has bungled the war in iraq. we know he misread or hyped intelligence. we know he appointed

identity: variables

locus of control
self efficacy
self esteem
self concept
self knowledge
(self reflection and insight)

identity status (exploration and achievement)

five cuts

top 5 television shows

top 5 reruns

top 5 documentaries

woodstock, dir. michael wasleigh
hoop dreams, dir. peter gilbert and steve james
buena vista social club, dir. wim wenders
roger and me, dir. michael moore
baseball, dir. ken burns



really close. . .
everybody's gotta learn sometimes, beck
you're gonna need someone on your side, morrissey
discipline, guru
november twnty six nineteen hundred sixty three, wendell berry and ben shahn
the wild party, by joseph moncure march
300, by frank miller
sin city: a dame to kill for, by frank miller
black is the color of my true love's hair, verve remixed
8 minutes til sunrise, common
root down, beastie boys
this is just to say, william carlos williams
memento, dir. christopher nolan
say anything, dir. cameron crowe
dog day afternoon, dir. sidney lumet
taxi driver, dir. martin scorsese
blowup, dir. michaelangelo antonioni
shawshank redemption, dir. frank darabont
in time of daffodils, e.e. cummings
city of god, directed by fernando meirelles
the pearl, by john steinbeck
the graduate, dir. mike nichols
the healing, by gayl jones
the blue bedspread, by raj kamal jha
pictures of you, the cure
when doves cry, prince
fire and rain, james taylor
emotional, carl thomas
le 5 saison, mc solaar
y tu que has hecho, buena vista social club
rafiki, zap mama
water, by pablo neruda
jesus doesn't want me for a sunbeam, nirvana
goodnight, moon, by margaret wise brown
the deadman collection, by neil adams
boys don't cry, dir. kimberly peirce
ring of fire
when we were kings
startup.com
dogtown and z boys
koyanisqaatsi, godfrey reggio
promises, dir. carlos bolado

top 5's

we are visiting my family in chicago until the 18th. thanks for
visiting. we'll be back soon!


by andrew


top 5 movies
the usual suspects, dir. bryan singer
leaving las vegas, dir. mike figgis
the indian runner, dir. sean penn
kids, dir. larry clark
do the right thing, dir. spike lee


top 5 foreign films
la femme nikita, dir. luc besson
il postino, dir. michael radford
to live, dir. zhang yimou
city of lost children, dir. jean-pierre jeunet and marc caro
la haine, dir. matthieu kassovitz


top 5 novels
the old man and the sea, by ernest hemmingway
the street, by israel rabon
siddhartha, by hermann hesse
beloved, by toni morrison
the alchemist, by paulo coelho


top 5 poems
we real cool, by gwendolyn brooks
island mary, by lucille clifton
cotton song, by jean toomer
gravy, by raymond carver
howl, by allen ginsburg


top 5 children's books
the day i swapped my dad for two goldfish, by neil gaiman
yo! yes?, by chris raschka
the snowy day, by ezra jack keats
is that you winter?, by stephen gammell
i'm not bobby, by jules feiffer


top 5 songs with guitars
the scientist, coldplay
blackbird, the beatles
under the bridge, red hot chili peppers
been caught stealing, jane's addiction
when she believes, ben harper
my happiness, elvis


top 5 old skool
big ol' butt, ll cool j
criminal minded, bdp
light as a rock, mc lyte
just a friend, biz markie
microphone fiend, erik b. and rakim


top 5 new skool
step into a world, krs-one
music, erick sermon
ebonics, big l
what's that?, mos def f. tony touch
four women, talib kweli


top 5 r+b
doo wop (that thing), lauryn hill
head nod (remix), jill scott f. mos def
sweet baby, macy gray
crazy, seal
butterfly, michael jackson


top 5 trip hop
glory box, portishead
organ donor, dj shadow
feel good inc, the gorrilaz
mast qalandar, massive attack
extreme ways, moby


top 5 oldies
boogie woogie bugle boy, the andrews sisters
then he kissed me, the crystals
la la means i love you, the delfonics
earth angel, the penguins
stand by me, ben e. king


top 5 dusties
what's goin on, marvin gaye
lean on me, bill withers
ain't no sunshine, otis redding
abc/123, the jackson 5
i'm so tired of being alone, al green


top 5 batman graphic novels
batman: year one, by frank miller
batman: the killing joke, by alan moore
the long halloween, by jeph loeb
batman: black and white, various artists
batman: the last arkham, by alan grant


top 5 graphic novels
astro city, by kurt busiek
persepolis, by marjane satrapi
mr. punch, by neil gaiman
v for vendetta, by alan moore
martha washington goes to war, by frank miller

smokey

smokey was my family dog. last night, we had to put her to sleep. it was very sad and i miss her a lot.
samantha

i'm home!

i'm back.

shanghai was great but it is nice to be home.

i missed my husband lots and lots and i now i get to see him everyday again, yeah!!!

connections

connections between islam and judaism

sharia and halakha
fatwa and takana/teshuvot
muhammad/moses
mecca/jerusalem
halal/kashrut
scripture and supplements

teachers college

i recently completed my program in english education. this fall, i will begin teaching 6th grade english at ms 51, william alexander jhs. below, i list the major ideas, methods, and theories that i studied in my education program. i believe that i learned so much in school; however, i also know that i have so much more to learn.


the reading and writing workshop
The workshop method promotes student learning through balanced literacy, or parallel reading and writing instruction. Traditional instruction is wholly directed by teacher lectures and teacher assessment. In contrast, workshop teachers construct a learning workshop for students to acquire, develop, and extend reading and writing skills and strategies. Best practice includes cooperative learning, learning conferences, mini/lesson instruction, strategic reading, and the writing process.


multiple intelligences
Traditional research narrowly defines intelligence as cognitive ability, including logic or reason. However, recent scholarship constructs a more complex definition of intelligence. For example, Howard Gardner contends that individuals have multiple intelligences, including Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Logical, Musical, Verbal, Visual, Naturalist, Existential, and Kinesthetic or spatial intelligence. Multiple intelligences theory has significant implications for education. For example, research confirms that students acquire and process information in very different ways. Teachers, then, can structure lessons and units to meet the interests and needs of diverse students.


reader response
Historical or biographical criticism tries to determine the authentic intention or meaning of an author. Practical or new criticism develops formal, expert readings of an isolated work, or “the text itself.” In contrast to historical criticism and new criticism, reader response theory contends that texts and interpretations are dynamic. Reader response encourages students to uncover process readings, or the unique associations, ideas, and understandings that readers develop while reading. Reader response theory rejects authoritative or final readings of text. Rather, it contends that reading is a transaction between the culture, environment, and psychology of a reader and a text.


strategic reading
Research demonstrates that strong readers use supportive reading strategies to process and understand texts. Reading strategies are like carpenter tools: we use different reading tools for different reading work. For example, we apply reading strategies to our text in order to clarify content, connect understanding, and analyze or evaluate issues, problems, and meanings. Specific reading strategies include analyze, clarify, infer, evaluate, predict, question, and visualize.


scaffolding
Traditional assessment identifies activities and functions that students can learn or perform independently. However, Lev Vygotsky maintains that assessment should also include a zone of proximal development, or the activities and functions that students can learn with supportive assistance. Scaffolding is the specific assistance or instruction that helps students learn a target concept or skill. Teachers design strong scaffolding for beginning learners. However, scaffolding should slowly recede as students progressively apply skills or strategies without supportive assistance.


literature circles
Literature circles, or book clubs, are student centered groups that read and discuss literature. Circles promote active reading by encouraging students to select and discuss texts that they are genuinely interested in. Students can be accountable for reading through consistent small group discussions, prepared writing responses, and cumulative research project. Literature circles often define temporary task roles for students in group discussions. For example, a student might specifically focus on group questions, connections or images.


genre study
Genre study is the focused study of reading and writing categories, or types. For example, the class will read shared or model texts to help identify the features and purpose of specific genres. Genre study might be organized by culture, history, topic, or style. For example, a short fiction story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez might be classified as short fiction, Latin American fiction, contemporary fiction, or magical realism.


personal learning
Personal learning activities encourage students to connect academic, classroom learning to their personal ideas and experiences. Consistent personal learning activities promote meaningful reflection and foster an inclusive classroom community. Research also demonstrates that personal learning can increase student interest, participation, and achievement.


to be finished:
readers' theater
critical theory
authentic assessment
media literacy
backwards planning: understanding by design
grammar in context
differentiated instruction
constructivism
portfolio assessment
mini/lesson
rubric
the reading workshop
the writing workshop
gifted and talented education


suggested reading

in the middle, by nancie atwell
the literature workshop, by sheridan blau
literature as exploration, by louise rosenblatt
inside out, by dan kirby, dawn lattimer kirby and tom liner
the personal creed project, by john mcrae
teaching grammar in context, by constance weaver
strategic reading, by jeffrey wilhelm
mini-lessons for literature circles, by harvey daniels

msw portfolio: ethnic identity

in 1997, during the summer, i lived uptown in washington heights. i worked for fresh youth initiatives, or fyi, a progressive social service agency for community youths. that summer, i completed my first service with young people. together, we learned all about different kinds of art, and the youths drew and painted original artwork for a community calendar. near the end of the summer, we also designed and completed a large mural on the east wall of a major store at 171st and broadway. in the middle of the long wall, the youths painted: "who am i?" below, they drew neighborhood landmarks and highlighted scenes from their lives. they said: "i am washington heights." "i am somebody." "i am america."

i've been especially interested in identity since i was a young adult. i can remember wondering: "is this me?" "is this how i sound?" "is this what i'd say?" as an adult, i am still very invested in identity. i deeply believe that identity, identity achievement, and identity exploration, are essential for positive personal development. in fact, i focused my social work research and study on identity and youth development. my research is specifically interested in the relationship between ethnic identity and prosocial youth development. (warning: geeky stuff below)

identity theory and research is largely directed by the early research of erik erikson. erikson proposed that individuals confront specific psychological challenges at identified developmental stages. for example, major stages of development include the individual achievement of trust, autonomy, identity, and intimacy. however, the negative resolution of development stages includes mistrust, isolation, identity confusion, and despair.

erikson determined that the primary crisis in adolescent development is the exploration and achievement of a stable ego identity. erikson explained that identity is the synthesis of individual beliefs, behaviors, and experiences. in his continued research, erikson identified two primary dimensions of identity: personal identity and social identity. our personal identity constructs a private self, including our core attitudes, behaviors, and values. in contrast, the public self demonstrates our external orientation, including an active personality or social type in the context of other individuals or groups.

subsequent research demonstrates that identity exploration and identity achievement is especially important for individuals of racial or religious ethnicity. scholars followed the basic structure of psychosocial identity developed by erikson. however, they further detailed specific components of personal and social identity. for example, significant research explores ethnic identity. ethnic identity includes the individual affirmation of beliefs, behaviors, traditions, and values from a shared culture, race or religion.

in my research, i specifically review ethnic jewish identity. jewish identity has been extensively researched by community leaders, psychologists and social scientists. however, there is considerable disagreement on the specific variables used to measure jewish identity. i contend that jewish identity must be measured within the established research and theory on psychosocial identity, including ethnic identity.

in short, ethnic jewish identity does not privilege any specific belief, behavior, or tradition. in contrast, it measures the collective elements of jewish belief and behavior, including community, culture, and religion. this definition recognizes that individuals define and connect to judaism and jewish culture in very diverse ways. we can measure the relative strength and resiliency of individual ethnic jewish identity. however, we cannot marginalize specific belief or practice.

if you'd like to learn more about my specific research, follow the links below.

to view a summary of my research project, please read the "survey of ethnic jewish identity: the jewish academy of metropolitan detroit" (2004)

to learn more about the specific construct of ethnic jewish identity, please view the survey administered to students.
Part I: Student Demographics
Part II: Multigroup Ethnic Identity Survey
Part III: Ethnic Jewish Identity

i'm saying, though

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.
Albert Camus


Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead


The flower that blooms in adversity is the most beautiful flower of all.
Mulan


In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.
Eric Hoffer


Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for truth.
Benjamin Disraeli


The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.
Thich Nhat Hanh


The truth is never pure and rarely simple.
Oscar Wilde


Fact of the matter is, there is no hip world, there is no straight world. There's a world, you see, which has people in it who believe in a variety of different things.
Frank Zappa


He who rescues a single life it as though he has rescued the entire world.
The Talmud, Sanhedrin


The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all art and science.
Albert Einstein


On some positions, cowardice asks the question: ‘Is it safe?’ Expediency asks the question: ‘Is it politic?’ Vanity asks the question: ‘Is it popular?’ But conscience asks the question: ‘Is it right?’”
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr


I want to love my homeland and to love justice alike. I wish no greatness for my homeland if that greatness is made of blood and lies. I want to instill life in justice and through it instill life in my homeland.
Albert Camus


It is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of high maturity, to rise to the level of self-criticism . . . critical thinking about ourselves as a people and the course we have charted or failed to chart during this period.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.


Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.
Henry David Thoreau


What people say you cannot do, you try and find that you can.
Henry David Thoreau


Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral.
Paulo Freire


If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.
Henry David Thoreau


Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.
Howard Thurman


Intelligent discontent is the mainspring of civilization. Progress is born of agitation.
Eugene V. Debs


Be as beneficent as the sun or the sea, but if your rights as a rational being are trenched on, die on the first inch of your territory.
Ralph Waldo Emerson


As long as the world shall last there will be wrongs, and if no man objected and no man rebelled, those wrongs would last forever.
Clarence Darrow


Learning is always rebellion... Every bit of new truth discovered is revolutionary to what was believed before.
Margaret Lee Runbeck


[America is] a rebellious nation. Our whole history is treason; our blood was attained before we were born; our creeds were infidelity to the mother church; our constitution treason to our fatherland.
Theodore Parker

Perhaps it is a world that never was and never will be. But, it is a world worth working towards.
Sandra Day O'Connor

Our deepest fear Is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?" Who are you not to be? You are a child of the universe. Your playing small does not serve the world.
Marianne Williamson

naeem mohaiemen

i saw a very interesting interview with naeem mohaiemen on now, a pbs newsmagazine. naeem is the director of shobak.org, a human rights organization based in new york. i do not remember his quotes exactly. . . to this effect, he said, "there are human rights violations in guantanamo. yes, and there are human rights violations in bangladesh. we need to take care of all of them." he said, "i am not for islam before i am for america. i am not for america before i am for islam. i am for human rights."

you can view sections of his recent documentary, "muslims or heretics?"

the movie profiles an alternative muslim sect in south asia. it's incredibly interesting to learn more about diverse traditions and diverse voices in islam. reza aslan's recent book, "no god but god", also details the complex history of islam. he contends that today's violence and terrorism is the outgrowth of an internal islamic reformation. an increasingly radicalized fundamentalism is at war with . . . islam.

are there root connections to modern reformations of judaism and christianity? are there connections even to contemporary readings of judaism and christianity? to buddhism or hinduism?

in the film, an ahmadiya leader explains that hatred and violence is the consequence of "religion in politics." where politics has privilege, there are clear cultural connections between bengali, between ahmadiya, sunna and shi'a. when there are strong cultural connections, there are consistent protections for diverse voices. however, when religion has privilege above politics, there is violence. he says, "we cannot allow wahabism and talibanism to take root in bangladesh. that is my very humble request."

it's so interesting to learn from these voices.

the samantha report II

samantha says hi! i try to ask her a lot of questions about her trip. last night she said, "but, what's going on with you?" i said, "but, i want to be able to write all about your trip in our weblog!"
: )

on sunday, she returned from a weekend trip in hangzhou. she said that they had beautiful silks, there. she is looking forward to going to xuzhou this weekend. . . and she is also taking a tour of jewish shanghai on sunday. (shanghai was the one open port for jews escaping from europe during world war ii. "shanghai ghetto" is a very interesting film that documents jewish life in shanghai during this period.)


they will be in shanghai for one more week. she is super excited because she has bought 4 pairs of shoes! one night, she was shopping at the local grocery store and she ran into jie's old boyfriend. isn't that crazy?

i hope everybody's doing well!


shabbat shalom

2005

my favorite things, 2005
(and people, too)


"the usual suspects"
"kids"
"memento"
hallmark.com
the chicago cubbies

toni morrison
sonia sanchez
chicagosports.com
"the lemon", by mohammed mrabet
adobe photoshop

blogster
multiple intelligences
good, cool water
"the old man and the sea"
100% juice

nice people
john steinbeck
abraham joshua heschel
jeph loeb
batman

"persepolis", marjane satrapi
spike lee
owen wilson
charlie rose
mos def

talib kweli
the beatles
gabriele boccaccini
"the street", by israel rabon
"the blue bedspread", by raj kamal jha

pablo neruda
"the alchemist", by paolo coelho
"the four agreements", by
blanche boyd
tiger woods

bell hooks
savion glover
sean penn
the chicago skyline
"the healing", by gayl jones

batman
alan moore
joe sacco
ed young
chris raschka

philo
"stand by me"
"we real cool", by gwendolyn brooks
news.google.com
"spiritual judaism", by david ariel

raymond carver
william carlos williams
ee cummings
derrek lee
johar abu lasheen

mom and dad
paul giamatti
angels in america
chris duhon
billy beane

"when she believes", ben harper
the gorrillaz
greg maddux
edwidge danticat
tim costello

ian ruedderman
lance armstrong
bono
lucille clifton
alden brown

barack obama
john lennon
arne duncan
dave grohl
maimonides

"leaving las vegas"
morgan spurlock
moby
beck
john muir

chuck close
richard avedon
camille pissarro
amedeo modigliani
chaim soutine

farah

1996

i like to collect things, like from events and experiences. i keep lots of
things, like movie tickets and play bills and letters. i also like to collect
lists of things that i really really like.

i wrote the list below in january, 1996. i was a sophomore in college at
the time. i tried to include people and things that really influenced me.
i've included this list without edits.




jazz the memory of janah billie
holliday highland park movie the

ater anna deveare smith bob love
kids federico garcía lorca charlie rose


spike lee toni morrison elie wiesel ‘o’
easy rider gary oldman monet ray de c

arava raphael the world champion chicag
o bulls allen ginsburg, city lights, morris

sey th

e truth in silence marvin gaye mi
chealjackson r.e.m. ernesto cardenal

san francisco ‘e’ mikey
flaherty the wpa maya
angelou the grand canyon

for blanche boyd hale woodruff
lawrence arthur jones james
lesene wells

for jessica st
relec orion t

he hunter mc solaar for
farah palkhiwalla sand
ra quiles jean toomer

‘s’ for hope, i am here


the hubble telescope dwight gooden
john daly ‘5’ harry carson las

vegas my sadness

hitchhiking from maine dr. j magic
johnson pete rose michael jordan
the motion of water

the sun

job moses abraham adam

river phoenix rodney
fuller winnie the pooh

pablo neruda alan moore
todd mcfarlane ‘9’ alan

grant frank miller sandman
the usual suspects oliver sto

ne kevin spaceymor
gan freeman the res

ilience of minority
communities the big

ness of movies bell hoks
the books of the old tes

tament zora neale hurston
the brilliance of light leo

nardo davinci ‘b’ martin

luther the shine of art inside you jesse jackson
al gore william kuntsler abbie hoffman w.clement

stone sean penn blowout woody allen ‘a’ jeremy
guskin jason’s lyic the looseness of dreams

lucille clifton the silence of thought
a full moon a clear day soft clouds the biggness and b
oldness of film and to space to dream sweet dreams

bill moyers james dean elvis presley the swiftness
of trains

chicago blues nirvana
dave grohl

the distortions of lenses, the sound of one piano
playing, new orleans, mike figgis the strength of
wisdom and age leslie marmon silko sam shepard
hermann hesse ms. clements dean samson

shawon dunston the fab five

“true romance” the spirit of youth mr. hill
dr. elkun dr. herz the new york times magazine

wynton marsalis avant garde chinese art the
clarity of simple things raymond carver

robert altman the rats of nimh douglas coupland steven
jobs toy story the indian in the cupboard “the story of

light” mahmoud abdul rauf shawn kemp kevin garnett
wally kromylo dean brown jenny paz y mino

charles bukowski ned
welch uptown dizzy andrew wagner sixty minutes
20/20 public television les miserables

jack nicholson batman johnny de
pp tim burton robin williams

e. e. cummings william carlos williams langston hughes

buster douglas hoop dreams
william gates arthur agee bar

ry lopez the
power of spiritual things

photographs charlie rose quentin
tarantino ben stiller the state

lawrence joseph portishead g love
the strangeness of you
genunineness of tru friends.

ma thesis: jewish identity

jewish identity is a central topic in the professional jewish community, today. for example, research determines that connected jewish identity promotes sustainable affiliation, community participation, continuous jewish learning, and engaged jewish philanthropy.

however, identity was also extremely important during late antiquity. oppressed communities were denied full participation in imperial society. for example, subordinate groups were required to pay additional land, poll, or population taxes. in contrast, privileged communities were often exempt from special taxes and allowed the autonomy to administer local government.

this summer, i am working to complete my thesis in judaic studies: "what is jewish? jewish identity during the late second temple period". i will evaluate scholarship on judaism during late antiquity, and i will specifically focus on the development of guidelines and practice for conversion.

in the beginnings of jewishness (1999), shaye cohen evaluates the complex identity of jewish communities in late antiquity. he asks, "what is it that makes us us and them them?" in short, cohen concludes that "jewish identity in antiquity was elusive and uncertain."

"who" can be so difficult for scholars because boundaries were so fluid. daniel boyarin (2004) explains that religious authorities constructed increasingly strict private boundaries to limit open, dynamic public boundaries. the historical practice of judaism holds important insights into "what" individual jewish communities considered jewish. for example, can non jewish individuals become jewish?

historical study can also have important implications for our practice. for example, we often assume that orthodox tradition is the direct descendent of historical religion. yet, tradition changes dramatically over time. this does not invalidate any specific observance. neither orthodox judaism or reform judaism are undermined by historical diversity. however, research demonstrates that contemporary cultures have enormous influence on the social development of religion. for example, modern society has profoundly changed the interpretation and practice of judaism. today, there are 3 major streams of judaism: reform, conservative, and orthodox. but, modern judaism can be divided more precisely into humanist, reconstructionist, reform, conservative, traditional, modern orthodox, and orthodox judaisms.

this is not only true in the modern world. internal and external developments also led to substantial diversity during the late second temple period. scholars have identified more than 30 independent jewish groups during late antiquity! gabriele boccaccini (1999) explains that historical judaism is not a singular or "particular ideological system." in contrast, study identifies "many judaisms. . . active and in competition."

our wedding day

samantha and i married this past october. it was very important to us that our wedding honored each tradition- we wanted to make sure that each culture was really present. to help our guests, we designed a wedding booklet that provides brief explanations for each custom. for example, we hosted an egalitarian jewish ceremony and a traditional chinese banquet. (i can't figure out yet, though, how to link to the file.)

i remember so many things from the day. i remember that samantha looked very beautiful. i remember that the day felt really fast and i remember wishing that we could celebrate our wedding for 2 weeks. i remember the dancers from the cultural school performing. . . . and the tea ceremony. i remember that my aunts and uncles were so respectful and so kind. i was really nervous during the tish and i remember that i completely forgot what i was planning to say. i would say a real brief sentence and then look over to the cantor and the rabbi, hoping that they would start singing again.
: )

i remember visiting the guests' tables. i remember visitng the table with my friends from college and laughing alot. i felt so badly that i wasn't able to spend so much time with everybody. i remember reading my speech from my computer. i remember having dinner with our families at the deli the night before. i remember seeing samantha in her hotel room in the morning before we left for the day. i remember standing underneath the chuppah. i remember samantha speaking hebrew and placing a ring on my finger.

i remember farah. tim and i had an argument the night before over who farah loved more. i remember talking with peter and monika by the window on the side. i remember saying really silly things to people, but everybody was so nice.

the samantha report

samantha says hi! she thinks it's very funny that we have a blog, now. shanghai is a lot like new york city, she said. it's very big and modern and it has huge buildings and lots of stores to shop in. she bought a pair of shoes for $4, today. (so that's a little bit different than nyc!)

they have been taking a lot of dance class, so far. there are five students in the younger class, from 8-12 years old. samantha said that her favorite classes are the handkerchief dance and the long-sleeve dance. the classes are being taught by friends of her teacher in nyc, bei bei. the teachers all went to the same dance school together when they were younger, the beijing dance academy. (or, if you can read chinese characters, this is their homepage. )

everybody is really nice and really cooperative, she said. she wants to say hi to everybody. . . she is having fun, but she also misses home.

i miss you, too! wah ai nee (i love you!)
: )

geeky stuff

i have been a student for a minute, now. i really enjoyed studying a lot, and i think that i became a real big nerd. i mean, i think it's more okay to be nerdy as you get older. but, it's crazy because i try to think back about when i officially became a nerd. was i always a big dork and i just didn't realize it? (be nice) i mean, i have a blog now and that's way past nerdy.
: )

i still care alot about creative writing. (my creative writing dream is to be on the charlie rose show. i'll say, "thank you, charlie, for having me." he'll say, "andrew, this is a really striking work. [pause] why did you write _this_ book? what did you _have_ to say?")

but, for now, i think my geeky dream is to write wikipedia entries. (wikipedia is an internet encyclopedia wholly written by the public.) sometimes, i use wikipedia to get a brief introduction for a topic. it helps me start to understand what's going on . . . i think it would be crazy to write one of my own. what would happen if i found one of my own posts?

since i returned to school, i studied a whole bunch of topics in three different subject areas. i found them really interesting, but they're all really different. over time, i think that i'll try to post some of my research, maybe. to start, i've listed some of the topics i studied in social work. so, if you want to hear silly geekspeak . . .
: )


social work:

psychosocial identity

• ethnic identity
• racial identity
• jewish identity

social justice

• privilege and oppression
• human rights theory
• feminism
• empowerment

community organization

• developmental assets
• community strengths
• gis community mapping
• organizational analysis

research studies

• qualitative research
• quantitative research
• survey development

development

• fundraising
• grantwriting
• marketing
• policy analysis

critical theory

• structuralism
• poststructuralism
• postmodernism

hi! : )

i've heard so much about blogs, but i have never thought about writing one before. today, i received an email from my friend adina saying that she had started a blog. it was cool to visit her site, so i thought that i might try to start one, too. : )

samantha is traveling now in china. she is teaching and taking dance class in shanghai through the new york chinese cultural center. nyccc hosts several programs, including the chinese folk dance company and a cultural school for young children. samantha is leading a group of families from the cultural school on a three week program through shanghai. (hi hun. . . i miss you!) : )

i recently finished a program in english education at teachers college, columbia university. in the fall, i will begin teaching 6th grade english at ms 51, william alexander jhs. i am excited to begin making money again!!! i'm just playin, but i am excited to start teaching. i feel like my program really helped me to learn new ideas, and i'm excited to share reading and writing with the students!

so, that's the first stuff! i am not sure who will be reading our weblog, yet, so i'm sorry if you already know things or if i sound funny. ; ) if you can, remember to post comments and i can learn more about you, too!