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Tag Archives: Education
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Growing Up Green, Part 3 of 3: robo360
So as you may have already noticed, I am steadfast supporter of Dimitri Snowden, a great friend and mentor. Dimitri is an amazing entrepreneur, and a gem in the field of public education. He is a rare find indeed, with the ability to not only build a school from the ground up, but to service it technologically, build curricula and teach them to the students! One thing is for certain, he also has a thing or two to teach the adults about a well-rounded education! The next few posts that I create in the category of education will be dedicated to him, and all he has done for the Paramount School of Excellence. These entries will capture the true essence of Green and Sustainable education through photographs! Keep in mind when you are viewing the photos, that these are all ideas that he saw in his mind and was able to bring to life. The students of PSoE, who live in the inner-city of Indianapolis are able to experience, learn, and grow as responsible citizens, and are equipped to help sustain future communities and generations to come!
Growing Up Green, Part 2 of 3: tech360
So as you may have already noticed, I am steadfast supporter of Dimitri Snowden, a great friend and mentor. Dimitri is an amazing entrepreneur, and a gem in the field of public education. He is a rare find indeed, with the ability to not only build a school from the ground up, but to service it technologically, build curricula and teach them to the students! One thing is for certain, he also has a thing or two to teach the adults about a well-rounded education! The next few posts that I create in the category of education will be dedicated to him, and all he has done for the Paramount School of Excellence. These entries will capture the true essence of Green and Sustainable education through photographs! Keep in mind when you are viewing the photos, that these are all ideas that he saw in his mind and was able to bring to life. The students of PSoE, who live in the inner-city of Indianapolis are able to experience, learn, and grow as responsible citizens, and are equipped to help sustain future communities and generations to come!
Should we care 150 years later?
I can remember the first time I saw the movie Glory*. I was in a junior high school History class, and I was just as dismayed then to listen to the Civil War and Emancipation discourse as I am today…
It’s a bit unsettling at times, to have discussions about slavery with white people, partly because it’s an emotionally charged page in history, and also because it’s tempting to become defensive if the discussion turns into a blame game. The bottom line is that we all know slavery was/is wrong, and yet it’s difficult to move past, even today.
But probably what challenges me (to put it nicely) more than having a discussion about slavery with white people, is having a discussion about slavery with black people. Yes, I said it. But let me be specific. There is something about history in schools today that seems to turn most black kids off, and it’s completely understandable. The content is seemingly irrelevant, often taught in a manner that heroifies our forefathers, demonizes those who have in someway opposed our country, and makes so predictable the discussion of black and brown people in America. And what’s the consequence? Apathetic, ignorant, and mentally enslaved youth who have decided that they no longer care. Having once been that “turned-off” kid, and having taught a middle school Humanities and American History class, I quickly learned how to approach a classroom full of detached pre-teens. I had to remember my own sentiments, and the moment I learned to actually care about history in order to do any real teaching…
I’ll skip my identity story and get to the point. As we commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, and we think about all those soldiers in both the Union armies and volunteer companies, as well as Confederates who sacrificed themselves for their beliefs and for the future of the country, it’s extremely crucial to also evaluate the true history and purpose of the war, and if we’ve really moved passed it. It’s also important to consider why people may seemingly not care before assumptions are made and boxes are drawn for groups of people.
I read an article on the NPR today, and it’s title (The Root: Blacks Should Care About the Civil War) really got me thinking. We should care, and I can guarantee you, we do care. Even if some of us have not yet realized. Our youth today have not yet had to face any political or socially defining moment or had to fight for their freedoms in the way that our ancestors or forefathers had to. Many of them, regardless of race or ethnicity, have not been tested in that way. We also need to remember, the history books, classes, and teachers who lead them don’t always give the full story, told from multiple perspectives and in a way that maintains the dignity of all engaged in the conversation. We can’t make anyone care, but if we present the facts, share the conflicts and controversies, and allow people to work through their confusions, disagreements, or pain, the indifference will fade…
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*Glory tells the story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the first Northern black volunteer regiment of the Civil War. For more information, click here.
More than Just Uncooked: Hair, Body, Spirit and the Raw Food Revolution
Over the past couple years, it seems as if I have been on a journey backwards; to the most basic and fundamental characteristics of being human. It started in 2009, when I finally decided that I was tired of being unhappy, unhealthy, and unmotivated. It’s like one day, I just snapped out of it! I can literally mark the exact moment when I decided that change was in order, so I had to cut the drama out of my life. And that’s just what I did!
I ran to the kitchen, grabbed the shears, and proceeded to chop away 23 years of confusion, superficiality, and matter than had previously defined my identity. My hair. Now you may be thinking, “Wow! Is this person serious?” But oh yes! I am ever so serious. For too many women (and men) of color, specifically black/African/American women and men, hair is what sets us apart, and often times, groups us together. With that said, anyone can be a prisoner of their hair. I, however, was tired, tired of being concerned with how others would view me if I had a bad hair day, had too much new growth (a.k.a needed a relaxer), or switched up my style unexpectedly. I was irritated with “rocking the wrap”, and my hair not growing past its predictable length. I was annoyed with “running from the rain”, and “avoiding the sweat” because water, moisture, or humidity was not my hair’s best friend. And boy was I fed up with spending all I had (time and money) on hair products or salon visits that did more damage to my hair, or keep me dependent than actually helping me. I was a captive of the strands on top of my head, and furthermore my confidence in myself was based on filamentous biomaterial and others’ perception of beauty. Now that’s ridiculous!
Cutting my hair was my way of ridding myself from two decades of social pressure and diminishing self-esteem. It wasn’t a way to prove myself to anyone other than myself. It was something I had to do to promote self-love. And it worked! Cutting the chemicals out of my hair opened the doors to something new, a new level of consciousness and respect for my whole body, and I have been moving in a seemingly retrogressive direction ever since. Or have I?
As the year(s) advanced, so did my understanding of the need to take care of my body, the environment, and the world around me. I soon became an avid label-reader, realizing that I can’t trust everything that’s put on the shelves for our consumption. Words like paraben, organic, bio-degradable, and speciesism entered my vocabulary. Soon my approach to life became holistic, and although I am not at a place where I feel like I’ve reached the apex of my consciousness, I do feel like I’ve grown so much and there is no turning back.
Marcus Patrick eats a raw food diet!
My latest revelation has to do with the raw food movement. I recently stumbled upon a website one day as I was researching an actor by the name of Marcus Patrick. I had been talking about him with someone I thought resembled him physically, and googled him to get a closer look. One of the first results to pop up in the search was a website called Raw Edge Radio, which had a feature podcast of the actor and his raw food diet. The feature discussed the myths associated with those who eat a vegan or raw diet. Now, I want to share with you that I am not vegetarian, vegan, or raw, but have chosen to abstain from beef and pork, and I try to eat healthy and balanced and exercise regularly. But what this website revealed to me is that I have even more research to do about the effects of what we put into our bodies.
I’m still not completely clear on what it means to be raw, but what I do know is that eating raw vegetables is most certainly a benefit. But I think most of us know this, and still don’t quite know how to incorporate raw veggies (fruit is probably easier) into our diets, and may even be intimidated by the prospect. There are numerous books and studies on the raw food diet, and I would definitely encourage everyone to, at the very least, become aware of the various lifestyle choices and choose a way of living that makes the most sense to the individual. By so doing, your physical, emotional, and spiritual health will begin to improve, and apparently the results will add on some years to your life! The following is an excerpt from Rawvolution.com, a raw food delivery service that sells prepared raw foods, so you don’t have to! The facts are simple, but give you an understanding of why raw foods are important:
Why Raw?
The top 3 things that are sapping your energy & compromising your health.
Dehydration
Your body is over seventy percent water, shouldn’t your food choices mirror this? A great way to get a head start on becoming hydrated is to consume food that has not had the natural water removed from it through cooking. Cooked food does nothing to provide your body with much-needed water and dehydrates you further in your bodies attempt to digest it. Everything you put in your stomach needs to be turned into liquid to be digested. How easily is your current diet liquefied?
Malnutrition
Recent data shows that nutritional deficiencies are most often caused by what we eat rather than by what we do not eat. Your current diet may be robbing you of precious vitamins and minerals. A well balanced diet of consciously prepared raw plant foods contains the full compliment of essential vitamins and minerals, while food prepared using conventional methods destroys over 80% of that foods nutrition. Can you afford 80% less nutrition than is naturally found in your food?
Lack Of Enzymes
Enzymes are responsible for every metabolic process that takes place in your body from digestion to healing. Most prepared food is served with up to 100% of the natural enzymes destroyed. One hundred percent! When the lipase and amylase enzymes are destroyed, the body cannot digest fats or carbohydrates and they are stored in the body, causing you to gain weight. When you consume living, enzyme rich food, it practically digests itself. This leaves you with a surplus of energy to play harder, work more efficiently and do more of what you love!
In a world where lifestyle trends wax and wane out of control, it’s extremely crucial for us to be aware of ourselves, if nothing more. Your body and your spirit knows itself, even if YOU don’t. Listen to them. If you are not feeling your optimal best, do something to change it. Pay attention to the signs: sickness, disease, constant unhappiness- all of which are alarms your body and your spirit emit to let you know attention and care is needed. This entry only touches the most basic level of awareness. There is a whole world out there many of us are blind to. Natural or holistic health is important, especially now since these are times of great uncertainty, your humanistic instincts, your most natural/basic understanding of the world around you may be your only hope for survival…
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A New School and the tech360 Movement
Dimitri Seneca Snowden is a pioneer in the field of technology and education. The dictionary defines a pioneer as “one who opens up new areas of thought, research, or development” (answers.com). With the creation of Paramount School of Excellence charter school, he has solidified his place in history. In today’s world and economy it is important that our children have the opportunity to research and develop new methods, practices, and skills that will allow them to compete on a global level. PSoE is on the cutting edge of the theory of “new” school education and will serve as a model for charter schools to come.
Dimitri Snowden with AWSM and second grade students
PSoE is equipped with interactive white boards, touch screen computers, and computerized student workstations. Mr. Snowden is the brain child behind tech360, a revolutionary service that ensures schools and its students get the best, the most reliable, and the most creative technological innovations available. Through tech360, he has built an Apple infrastructure and data plan, incorporated iPads and iTouch into daily instructional use, aligned the iPads and iTouch to meet state educational standards, and equipped classrooms with digital white boards, allowing teachers to engage students in fluid instruction. In addition, Mr. Snowden built an all wireless Meraki intranet that provides hi-speed access and browsing.
robo360 is another creation that prepares students in the classroom to be successful on a global level. Mr. Snowden is the mastermind behind a 900 pound robot named AWSM, which is designed to provide multi-media lessons in the areas of math, science, physics, and language arts. The robo360 curriculum aids teachers in instruction and student assessment. It challenges students to think outside of the box and tap into their creativity and imagination. Dimitri Seneca Snowden’s educational theory and inventions serve as a catalyst of change in the world of education and technology.
Furthermore, the constructional design of PSoE charter school will serve as a model for new schools. PSoE was designed to be environmentally safe for the community. It’s the first K-8 school in the nation to have a wind farm that has five 40-feet, 2500-watt wind turbines that push power back to the electric company in Indianapolis. In addition, the school houses a green room that has a floor made out of 4,000 pounds of recycled rubber from old tires.
Likewise, the school is also designed with Learning Windows. Learning Windows are a dynamic feature that allows students to see the constructional design of the water pipes, electrical wires, and other components of the building. Through Learning Windows, the building serves as a curricular source for instruction.
Meraki is a greek word that means “doing something with soul, creativity, or love. It’s when you put something of yourself into what you are doing” (www.meraki.com). Mr. Snowden has merged his passion for technology and equipping young children to become successful in an ever changing society. He stands as an innovator on the cusp of something extraordinary in the field of technology and education.
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