I am saddened to hear the news that Jit Mongar, a refugee from Nepal, was shot and killed on Lake Ave over the weekend ( http://on.rocne.ws/1MFtOsz ). There has been increasing tension between the African American and Nepali communities in Rochester, and I fear this will further escalate the situation. I know many of my Nepali students say they are being preyed upon on Rochester's streets, and have developed a racial fear. It would be valuable to hear the situation from both sides... Does anyone have a recommendation of how to begin a dialogue within our schools and communities?

Check out this story (from last year but still relevant): http://on.rocne.ws/1poCZD2

Though about Portland, OR - this article is interesting and provides links to images from Bhutanese / Nepali refugee camps that our Rochester area students came from.

http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/articles/2014/6/19/bhutanese-refugeessuicide.html

Domestic violence is an epidemic, especially in the US.  Also, sex trafficking is a multi-million dollar industry.  On top of that, women still do not quite make as much as men across the board, however they are climbing fast.

Good to read a nice passage that speaks to these issues.

"What Would We Create?" by Patricia F. Carini

This reading is quite profound. It examines the infinite value of what it means to be human--a precious being and contributor to the spaces and places of life. It is very compelling to note that denial of the status of self is to separate the person from humanness. The author reminds us that it takes vigilance to keep alive the awareness of human complexity for if we turn away we deny the fullness of the person. "What isn't looked at ceases to be seen. What isn't seen is easily dismissed...What has no importance, what sinks from view, can be trampled and discarded." This has serious implications on our work with students and even colleagues. I think we must see one another, to recognize we each have a story and a perspective that is unique yet part of the collective experience of being human. The author goes on to describe how writing can be a medium of expression of the joy and pain of this life. It is so important to have an outlet for emotions and experiences, to validate and transform.

eLearning

Link to ELearning.

Nice article.  I love Adrienne Rich's book of poetry "Diving into the Wreck"; says a lot about subjectivity, identity, phenomenology, feminism and a certain universal sense of being the "other" in a predominantly patriarchal, materialist world.

The way we view ours students has a great impact on the efficacy of our teaching and on their overall success in school and life.  Social justice starts in the classroom.  Also, I like the idea of providing more arts education.  That would really help society.  It would be nice it is was free to the public, too.

https://www.facebook.com/djuebbing

Check out my poetry reading and my blog:

thewritinglifedju.wordpress.com

(was absent today due to personal illness)

As you all are aware, I've been spending these past two weeks writing a poetry module. One of the main poems of the unit is "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams. It is a poem that focused directly on the objective representation of objects. Williams said "no ideas but in things," meaning that with precise imagery and sharp, clear language, ideas are more firmly grounded and therefore more easily accessible. As you read the poem, notice the pattern (three words, one word), the lack of punctuation, the direct adjectives (red, white), and the focus on describing / representing a singular scene.

so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens

As part of my unit, I attempt to have students write a lot of poetry! In order to teach authentically, I've had to challenge myself with the same task. So I have tried to write my own version of "The Red Wheelbarrow," focusing on a singular scene and mimicking the pared down yet descriptive style of the original.

so much depends
upon
a gray tomb
stone
blanketed with snow
fall
beside the striped
flags

This exercise was much more difficult than I had anticipated and though the poem only contains sixteen words, took me nearly two hours to write! I would be curious to see what other fellows from the writing project could do, using "The Red Wheelbarrow" as a mentor poem piece.

Thanks!