The Value of Street Art Part II

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

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

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.  Academic art in the U.S. is often focused on art forms that originated in Europe, reflecting...
We Need Less Empathy in Education

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...
Innovation Isn’t New

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...