“Are you with me now” A J Ryder
I guess what sums up my time at the end of 2024 year is that I had longer times with fewer people. So once again in the vein of doing less with more, I’ll keep this Happy New Year TGIF short.
“I’m right behind you. Way behind you.”
This phrase can have lots of meanings but in this case, the people of Oaxaca running the Radish Contest are miles ahead of my Potato Head workshops. I knew I was onto something when I started doing Potato Head workshops two decades ago but this contest in Oaxaca took it to another level. I’m always playing with how to bring tacit understanding into the day to day of schools that is on a level playing field with any word or text-based measures. Until then we will not honor the diversity and equity of all. This work transcends words. It is the wordless power of storytelling that can stand alone or be accompanied by words but can rarely be replaced by them.
Marion Mullen’s show at the MOMA is the first by a developmentally disabled artist. As his sister states, “I think he feels understood through his painting, and that gives him a way to talk to the world.” Here is the honoring of new ways and measures. Marion does not talk. His wordless ways say it all. How do we begin this journey in our places of education? Thanks Frank!
Are our schools afraid?
“Mainstream was every day on repeat.” Big Picture Student
It was nice to wake up the other day and read this article on agency written by Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop. Their new book is about increasing student engagement by giving students in schools more agency. In the essay, they acknowledged the work of BPL in this arena and that was nice to see. It is a great starting point to a much more nuanced conversation about school transformation and what agency really is all about, perhaps done After Dark. We’re ready.
In the vein of less meetings and getting more done, I met with David Abel for hours about expanding our Harbor Freight Fellows work in Los Angeles. We dreamed up lots of ways to do this, one is having our Fellows at the VerdeXchange. David is the founder and organizer of this conference which is one of the largest blue/green conferences in the world and they all need skilled trades people. Also, Charlie and I met with Eric Dyer, a retired CA CTE teacher and winner of a Harbor Freight Teaching Award. Eric is working at UC Davis and is putting together a large NSF grant that will include Harbor Freight Fellows in California and Nevada. More to come.
Logic will take you from A to B
Imagination will take you everywhere – Einstein
When I was talking with my friend Ronnie Stewart this past week, he talked about playing jazz and that the best moments were when all the musicians were slightly off the beat but in the groove and being in community. For my way of thinking that is what I look forward to our BPL retreat in Montgomery next week. Getting together and sharing common experiences is one of the best ways to grow and strengthen our commUNITY.
Mm, mm, mm
Would you like to take a walk?
Do you think it's gonna rain?
Ain’t, you sick of television
I’d rather make a vision
Something good will come from there.
Ella and Louis edited by El - Be Well
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