I saw a link to this blog entry the other day. I think the guy is on to something. Let me know what you think... (this is my first attempt to link to something, so let's hope it works...)
I've been reading a TON of my students' work lately. Grades are due in the next few days. By far the most interesting reading has been my students' freewriting on who they admire. We are currently working on the beginning of our research papers (I say we because I'm writing with them--I am becoming more and more convinced that this is something every teacher needs to do. It helps me know how effective or ineffective an assignment is, and it gives me a serious dose of sympathy for my writers. But anyway...back to the topic at hand...) The research assignment is to come up with someone they think should go on the "Ms. Taylor's Wall of Fame." They can choose anyone they want as long as they can find enough research on the person; I'm researching Frank McCourt . They are going to have to write a persuasive research paper explaining why that person is worthy of the wall (they also have to come up with a title--mine is "Best Teacher-Turned-Writ...
I have been thinking about hope lately. How hope is defined, how we find hope, and who can really offer us hope. I came into my local coffee house today to find they were selling "inauguration" cookies. The lovely cookies had one word written on them--hope. This has become a word strangely synonymous with our soon-to-be president, and I'm not totally sure how I feel about that. On one hand, I think it is good to hope--good to hope that things can and will get better. Good to hope that people really can make a difference. Good to hope that traditions, mindsets, obstacles can change. I find it a good thing to hope for all of these. But I also worry about hope. Worry that sometimes we put all of our hope in people, circumstances, words. I'm not sure that something as powerful and vital as hope can be managed by something as small as a person. Or even a group of people. Partly I think this because hopes are so easily dashed and regaining hope is so hard. So ...
I have been watching the Kony 2012 movement unfold over the last few days--in my school, on my Facebook page, and in newspaper articles. After reading articles on both sides, looking at the research they cite, and putting on my best debate judge hat, here's what I think: 1. My experience in Rwanda this summer--visiting the genocide memorial/museum, talking to victims of the genocide, and talking to those that have been using US funding to put things back together--tells me that this idea that Africans want whites to stay away and let them solve their own problems isn't always true. While I am sure there are tons of times that we have stepped in before we were wanted and there are plenty of organizations that have the best of intentions but aren't really helpful, the message I received at the museum is that the Rwandan people are still dismayed at the lack of international help they received in a time of crisis. It was clear that what was going on needed outside attention...
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