Tuesday, November 30, 2010

5 Days Till Big Ideas Festival

ISKME was kind enough to give me a scholarship to attend the conference so I will do my best to contribute as a blogger.

I'm excited about the festival for a number of reasons.

1.The more open the better. We can rethink the whole idea of textbooks and get as many resources as we can online, free and shared across the world(see #2)

2. Social Justice requires sharing of resources.

3. We need some Big Ideas! In the area where I teach - the drop out rate is 50%. The kids are funny, talented, and full of surprises and we are failing them.

4. Generating big ideas is great but implementing them...hmm. I'm looking forward to learning what people have going on.

I teach Theatre and English in a brand new middle school South East Los Angeles. The school was designed by a few teachers who thought that the curriculum should be interdisciplinary and project-based and infused with visual art/music/theatre/dance/media and engage students. One of my goals is to return with ideas for professional development that can help us learn to work together and fulfill the vision of the school.