We were moved the NY Times articles and the issues they raise. Many of us teach students similar to Dasani, and this Times series gives us a great opportunity to talk about the issues that students like her present in our classrooms.
This is our third conversation about Dasani and students who face similar challenges, and what it's like to be teachers in schools with students facing the challenges of poverty. Also see:
We'd love to know what your perspectives are on the issues raised in the Times series.
20:51Peggy George: Hi everyone! Looking forward to continuing this conversation!
20:52Maribeth Whitehouse: Paul?
20:52Peggy George: are you going to be in the hangout Maribeth?
20:52Maribeth Whitehouse: Yes
20:53Maribeth Whitehouse: Nice to "see" you, Peggy
20:53Peggy George: Do you have the link? Paul usually posts it on the TitanPad.
20:53Peggy George: Great to see you too!
20:53Maribeth Whitehouse: I don't and thank you. I need it
20:54Maribeth Whitehouse: can you give me the link?
20:54Maribeth Whitehouse: HI Peggy and Maribeth!
20:55Peggy George: Great! I was looking for it :-)
20:55Peggy George: I'll just be viewing the HO from here. :-)
20:59Peggy George: Seeing and hearing everyone great :-)
21:01Maribeth Whitehouse: I can't hear or see
21:01Peggy George: Paul is that the same hangout link every week? Maybe it could be added to the calendar posting on EdTechTalk if it is :-)
21:01Maribeth Whitehouse: What is your gmail account that you are using?
21:01Peggy George: try refreshing your page if you're trying to view it on this page.
21:02Peggy George: oh the Hangout
21:02Maribeth Whitehouse: ok I can hear you
21:02Peggy George: great :-) that's progress :-)
21:03Peggy George: are there two people logged in as Maribeth (yellow and green)?
21:03Peggy George: HOORAY for the Lower Thirds!! Such a huge help!
21:03Maribeth Whitehouse: I'm the greenish
21:03Maribeth Whitehouse: Who's the orange?
21:04Peggy George: that's what I'm trying to figure out :-)
21:05Peggy George: great to see everyone! :-)
21:08Maribeth Whitehouse: I like the framing of equity vs. accountability
21:11Gail Desler: this amazing article was a reminder that so often, we don't really know who is sitting in front of us in our classrooms - or next to us in a faculty room
21:13Peggy George: that has to be so frustrating for you Maribeth!
21:13Maribeth Whitehouse: It hurts my soul, Peggy
21:14Peggy George: my soul hurts for you too! and all of the teachers who find themselves in this situation! it's just wrong!
21:14Maribeth Whitehouse: "Dasani's" should be our mission not our obstacles
21:15Peggy George: I agree!
21:15Gail Desler: Somehow I don't think homeless students have truly been considered in test score formulas or expectations
21:16Maribeth Whitehouse: I agree Gail
21:16Maribeth Whitehouse: how would they put that in an algorithm
21:16Gail Desler: Poverty is a huge challenge - and it needs to be recognized. period
21:16Maribeth Whitehouse: how does poverty effect a student?
21:17Maribeth Whitehouse: hunger is obvious
21:17Maribeth Whitehouse: what else?
21:17Peggy George: I love that Diane Ravitch continually focuses on the poverty issue in her blog posts!
21:17Maribeth Whitehouse: me too!
21:18Maribeth Whitehouse: I love what Al is talking about?
21:18Maribeth Whitehouse: What is the teacher's role in advocating for public policy which eradicates poverty?
21:19Maribeth Whitehouse: What did you think of Dasani being invited to the mayor's inauguration?
21:20Gail Desler: Foster child situations are = in painfulness to homeless situations.
21:20Peggy George: good question Maribeth. Was it controversial?
21:21Maribeth Whitehouse: yes bec. she seems to have been used by the new Public Advocate
21:21Gail Desler: the article is also a reminder of the impact of a caring teacher - who believes his/her students can succeed
21:22Peggy George: absolutely Gail!! a caring teacher is so powerful!
21:26Maribeth Whitehouse: Al brings up a good point. so much of teacher wisdom is anecdotal,
21:27Gail Desler: "zip code is not destiny" - wish that were true
21:28Maribeth Whitehouse: You are right Gail. Think about all the zip code dictates.
21:28Maribeth Whitehouse: Crime rates, access to healthy food, environment
21:29Peggy George: that would be a great link to add to the TitanPad!
21:29Maribeth Whitehouse: police interactions, library hours
21:29Maribeth Whitehouse: park access
21:31Peggy George: can someone in the hangout ask her to share those links?
21:35Gail Desler: I'm pretty sure you are making a difference in your students' lives, Maribeth
21:35Maribeth Whitehouse: A caring teacher is powerful BUT I don't make the only difference
21:37Gail Desler: Thanks, Stephanie
21:39Maribeth Whitehouse: My greatest challenge: to think I make to difference vs. thinking I make all the difference
21:39Gail Desler: Hope to see a move towards portfolio assessment
21:39Maribeth Whitehouse: no difference vs. all the difference
21:41Maribeth Whitehouse: Remember when Congress had hearings on birth control and all the speakers were men?
21:41Chris Sloan: @Maribeth what are some ways to get more people helping you make the difference?
21:41Maribeth Whitehouse: That is what is like in education
21:41Maribeth Whitehouse: We have hearings on education and all of the speakers are non-educators
21:42Maribeth Whitehouse: Dansani-like issues need to be addressed at several levels
21:42Maribeth Whitehouse: school is not just the teacher
21:42Maribeth Whitehouse: school is social workers, nurses, community connections
21:45Peggy George: and custodians & cafeteria workers and bus drivers--all have important roles
21:45Maribeth Whitehouse: exactly
21:45Maribeth Whitehouse: and then move outside our school buildings
21:46Peggy George: bus drivers and crossing guards can impact the entire day of students because they are often the first people they come in contact with at the start of the day
21:46Gail Desler: Dasani's story is also a suburban poor story
21:50Maribeth Whitehouse: many people have problem with name
21:50Maribeth Whitehouse: but Mark Naison of Fordham who was one of the founders believes we need to be angrier
21:51Gail Desler: Will be proud to call myself a "bad ass teacher"
21:51Maribeth Whitehouse: they sell t-shirts "BAT"
21:51Peggy George: thanks Chris!
21:52Peggy George: Thanks Maribeth for adding those links to the Titanpad!
21:52Chris Sloan: @Peggy, as a photographer, I thought you'd enjoy the Lens blog story
21:54Peggy George: absolutely!!!
21:56Gail Desler: "long form journalism"?
21:56Maribeth Whitehouse: "We can't read that much" - websites are now listing the estimated amount of time they believe it will take to read
21:56Maribeth Whitehouse: so that potential readers can decide if they want to spend their time on the piece
21:57Maribeth Whitehouse: The idea of longer thoughtful articles flies in the face of the reading and writing students are encouraged to do in school
21:57Peggy George: Marina is the star!! love it!
22:04Chris Sloan: Bravo Maribeth!
22:04Marina: that was beautifully said!
22:05Maribeth Whitehouse: I'm such a baby. I can't talk about my students or our challenges without getting teary.
22:06Maribeth Whitehouse: Thank you all!
22:06Chris Sloan: Inspirational Maribeth!
22:06Peggy George: that's what were talkin' about--teachers who care!!! Thanks Maribeth!
22:07Peggy George: yes!!! keep Maribeth talking!!
22:10Peggy George: thanks everyone for another great, thought-provoking conversation!
22:10Peggy George: good night all!