Articles of note

FAMU graduation rates tell complex story
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200812220200/NEWS01/812220321

Senior FAMU faculty member Walter Mercer says he has more work to do
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200812270200/BREAKINGNEWS/812270309

Is it not good to be alive!

I captured this photo earlier this year on the side of an eatery off Wahnish Way near the campus of Florida A&M University. It seems quite apropos now. I have published only one other post to this site regarding this year's historic election, and it called for supporters of all candidates to provide links to positive videos and messages of hope. I posted a link to the Will I Am song with Zoe Kravitz. My 2-year-old loved the beat, the energy and the spirit of the song. Who wouldn't?

However, on this auspicious occasion I am somewhat perplexed about the state of American Education. I think it criminal the seemingly calculated treatment of disadvantaged youth entering our crumbling school systems. How can a third grader need drop out prevention? I am so furious with our lackadaisical attitude toward the education of 'other folks' children that I could swear. Expletives, won't solve any problems, but sometimes it is more professional to swear than to cry.

Teaching at a Historically Black College/University makes my heart often more heavy. Students, and not the ubiquitous choir members who always receive sermons from on high, but those who lack compassion, character, intelligence and a sincere desire to read beyond course requirements, to investigate their own intuitions, and to inspire students to greatness. I am a firm believer that if I find a teacher unworthy of teaching my son, he or she should NOT be allowed to teach anybody's son or daughter. We have too much at stake to continue this road to the ultimate wasteland. I have unfortunately witnessed students put more money and effort into partying and attending homecoming activities than attending conferences at student rates that are almost always less than $50. I have witnessed students walk across the stage graduation after graduation and not have completed and or passed all their coursework, passed their required certification and general knowledge exams, or have a grade point average worthy of attending school for, on average, 6 years. And these students want to teach? Why?

How did they get so far without someone saying, this profession is at a most critical time in history and we can ill afford to have such low caliber students enter our most challenging, underfunded, overcrowded, most needy, majority-minority classrooms, even though we know this is where the vast number of minority beginning teachers become employed. We must say no!

It is also perplexing how many small-town USA voters found it okay to say aloud, I have no reason not to support Obama other than the fact that he's a N******. WHAT! How dare you! I have no qualms with those who tow the party line. That's your right as a US citizen. That's my right as a US citizen. But the blatant arrogance of fading dinosaurs who fail to realize that all species must either adapt or die, and their belief that "this land is their land" more than it is "my land" ticks me off. Last night was the culmination of many tears, prayers, boycotts, marches, watch night services, and other vigils of hope and constant steadfastness. It was also the day that, unbeknownst to him, my 2-year-old can say with conviction, even arrogance, that HE too, can become the President of the United States. However, paradoxical to that revelation, as his parents, we will certainly consider how the towns of perspective colleges and universities that he may contemplate voted in this election before packing him up and sending him off. He's too precious and precocious to leave to the "kindness of strangers" especially those who will forever see a N*****.

We can simply not rest on Obama's, excuse me, President-elect Obama's deeds, credentials and feats. We must assist. It was impressed upon me during the inauguration of FAMU's 10th president that we must vow to pledge our undying support to Ammons to ensure the university's success first, his, second.

I will be afforded the opportunity to travel once again to our nation's capital in April 2009 for the annual NCTE Day on The Hill as a newly appointed member of the National Council of Teachers of English SLATE Steering Committee. It was in April 2008 as the Florida Council's SLATE representative that I captured this photo of Obama's placard located outside of an office that was under renovation at the time. Clearly, this office will be occupied by someone else. However, the call to The Hill in April supersedes all waxing nostalgia. We are committed and we have a purpose. Those who journey there from the Sunshine State have a dual purpose this year. We are seeking support to begin a Florida Day on The Hill in Tallahassee for teachers, especially English teachers, to meet and discuss the impact and treatment of NCLB legislation at the state level and other pieces of legislation that impact English teachers, instructors, and professors, alike.

Our kids, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, Godchildren and young fictive kin are at risk of failing and forever falling. Your kids, these kids and my kid are simply too important for dropout rates to continue to soar while impeding their ability to rise, spread their wings and fly!

2008 FCTE PDI Orlando

What an institute! I hope you enjoyed the sessions, speakers, and camaraderie. If you have suggestions, ideas, comments, or concerns about this year's PDI or even PDI 2009, do not hesitate to contact any FCTE board member. You may visit/join FCTE-SLATE's Google Group or use the comment feature on FCTE's Blog to leave your message. There are other websites for teachers to preview as well as a spot for Florida English teachers' blogs and class websites.

In the column at the right under 'Favorite Websites' there are other sites that may be of interest to you. Here are the links to websites and documents discussed, demonstrated or alluded to during either of the sessions I participated (and even some I attended). You can find copies of PowerPoint presentations and other information regarding the conference on my Google Site .

Voki Allows you to create avatars

Schooltube Provides students and educators a safe media sharing website

Youtube Media sharing website (public)

Teachertube Provides students and educators a safe media sharing website

Playlist Social Music Site

Voicethreads A collaborative, multimedia slide show that allows people to leave comments

Moviemaker Found on all Windows operated systems. May need to use 'search' feature to locate.

Instant Messenger This is AOL's creation. However, every email provider has a version.

Flash Appointments 30-day free trial

Appointment schedulers This one is "free for small businesses." There's a small fee for most.

Wordle 'Toy' that generates word clouds

Google Lit Trips Uses Google Earth to plot the course of great literature

Online Meetings There are several. Most have a free trial period. Google: online meetings

Google docs Allows multiple people to share documents in 'real time'

Google calendar Calendars can be private or public and others can make changes or add events

Google Wiki/sites Allows for one or multiple users to access, create, edit, and post information

Google Reader Lets you subscribe to web sites so that new content comes to you when posted

Jing Always-ready program that instantly captures and shares images and video… anywhere

Presenters' emails/website:

Jeff Anderson jander231@earthlink.net http://www.writeguy.net/

Carol Jago jago@gseis.ucla.edu http://www.caroljago.com/

Michael Meyer michael.meyer@uconn.edu

Alan Sitomer AlanLawrenceSitomer@yahoo.com

Sharon Draper http://www.sharondraper.com/

Elizabeth Thomas upwordspoetry@earthlink.net http://www.upwordspoetry.com/

Tammy Hinson Thinson@flvs.net

Oya Mwanza Omwanza@flvs.net

Clarissa West-White clarissa.westwhite@famu.edu englishteacherswelcomed.blogspot.com

Janeen Larson jflarson@fsu.edu - Balloons, Pies and Other Vocabulary Matters

Kathy Froelich froelich@coe.fsu.edu Talking the Talk!

Enrique Puig epuig@mail.ucf.edu Talking the Talk!

Lucas Rodesiler fcte2008vt.pbwiki.com Symbolic Analysis: Literature, album art, and Voice Thread


Newsletters, books, documents, other information

NCTE's Inbox NCTE's newsletter - You can sign up to receive the newsletter at the site.

Writers on Wheels Emails may be sent to Kristin Pitts at writersonwheels@aol.com

The Early Catastrophe: The 30 Million Word Gap by Age 3 Referenced by J. Larson

Nickel and Dimed Book referenced by Sitomer

Maryanne Wolf's Proust and the Squid Book referenced by Anderson

Graham & Perin's Writing Next(2007) - PDF of the report - Referenced by Anderson

Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian Referenced by Anderson

Official Web page Sherman Alexie's Official Web page

The Silent Epidemic PDF of report http://www.silentepidemic.org/ Report's website-Sitomer

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Referenced by Sitomer

The Pew Center Referenced by Sitomer

Urban Institute Referenced by Sitomer

National Endowment for the Arts-Readers at Risk Report PDF of report-Referenced by Meyers

Commissions & Contact Information

If you would like to become involved with any of the following commissions, please contact the FCTE Liaison** or Commission Chair*:

Development of Diversity in Educational Leaders

**Susan Houser (susan_15ym@yahoo.com)

Intellectual Freedom

*ReLeah Lent (rlent@phonl.com)

Continuation of Professional Development

**Pamela Craig (pamelasue5@tampabay.rr.com)

Standards & State Requirements Affecting Classroom Instruction

**Tamara Doehring (tamaradoe@aol.com)

Community and Educational Partnerships

**Donna Garcia (dkgarcia@mail.ucf.edu)

Media and 21st Century Literacy

*Barbara Pace (bgpace@coe.ufl.edu)

NCTE Advocacy Day! April 23, 2009

The following video (made with movie maker) provides a glimpse into the annual event. Members of FCTE are in the planning stages of a Florida Advocacy Day! If interested, contact Susan Houser - susan_15ym@yahoo.com or Clarissa West-White - clarissa.westwhite@famu.edu.

October 2008 - Featured Site

This month's featured website is the creation of Taalam Acey who is "widely considered to be the central figure in this generation of Spoken Word Poetry." Although there are a few typos here and there, do not hold that against the talented poet. Explore his website and listen to sample works. Even if you decide this his creative taunts are not your "cup o' tea" research the work of other prominent artists that he showcases http://cdbaby.com/style/220. Whether this genre is new to you or you are an experienced member of its ever growing community, this site is a great place to start. It features, for example, the work of Alixa and Naima http://cdbaby.com/cd/alixanaima who were featured guests at Amiri Baraka's lecture at Florida State University a few years ago. As the saying goes, 'you ain't seen nothing yet' if you have not seen spoken poetry performed by raw, talented individuals with a message to speak or sermon to preach. Even in Tallahassee, there are frequent displays of spoken word events thanks in part to Black on Black Rhyme.

September 2008 - Site of the Month

VG: Voices from the Gaps Women Artists and Writers of Color, An International Website

VG/Voices from the Gaps is a web-based trans-national academic community including students, teachers, artists, and scholars. VG provides resources about artists and writers. VG forges a collective effort of scholars who digitally interract with each other. VG contains biographical and critical analysis, pedagogical information, and histories of translation. VG archives recorded sound, film, and image collections, interviews, and online conversations with web logs (blogs).