Blog
The Value of Street Art Part II
A few months ago, I wrote a piece that discussed the importance of recognizing street art as a valid form of creativity. I delved into how the art studied in school typically focuses on Western European art forms, and how this can erroneously be seen as a superior,...
When We See Them
This year, at the KIPP School Summit 2019, I had the pleasure to host the “Circle Songs for Social Justice” workshop as well as meet many other like-minded educators and listen to inspirational keynote speakers. One of those keynote speakers was the director of the...
The Value of Street Art Part 1
In our culture, street art is underappreciated and undervalued. Academic art can be looked upon like a status symbol for people who have the resources to study and learn it.
We Need Less Empathy in Education
There is a buzzword in education and especially design-thinking centered education that is defining the way that teachers interact with their students. That word is empathy. As teachers, we are called to empathize with our students because when we do, we feel as...
What Has My MFA Prepared Me For? Everything.
If I had ascribed to the manifesto that an MFA in Creative Writing was not useful unless I was planning on writing poetry professionally, I would have missed out on a plethora of skills that have enhanced my career thus far.
Teaching the Art of Improvisation: Part 2
And while they need and have the ability to improvise, it is essential that teachers pass down the art to their students. Providing students with the opportunity to learn the art of improvisation, how to learn, and how to respect it will equip that student to approach the world differently.
Teaching the Art of Improvisation: Part 1
Teachers are all great improvisers, but they might not realize it if they haven’t been awarded the opportunity to study improvisation. While improvisation can be applied to every walk of life, it is especially important in education.
Innovation Isn’t New
It seems that recently the push in education is for innovation. This push probably comes from the “success of innovative companies” such as Google, Tesla, Amazon and Apple. Young people looking for jobs want to be part of an innovative culture where the leadership...