Schedule Change; More time for Essay 2

We decided in class last night to change the due date on Essay 2 to Wednesday, March 2. 
I hope everyone made it home safe and is able to avoid snowy roads today.  It's VERY snowy on Vashon with more coming down right now.

Extra Credit Opportunity: Barbara Love, March 2

Attend this event; write up what you learned and how it relates to our class, about two pages, for Extra Credit.  Due By March 19.

 

Bending the Arc of the Universe:

Understanding and Eliminating the Oppression of Young People

 Date: Wednesday, March 2, 12:30-2:00p

Location: Baxter Event’s Center

 

Society’s suspicious attitudes toward youth perpetuate our treatment of youth as criminals or potential criminals and undesirables whose behavior must be watched, controlled and regulated – particularly among youth of color.   Chronological age is a physical reality and the behaviors that are deemed appropriate for young people is societally determined. The roles, behaviors, and expectations of young people varies across societies and within societies across time.  What contemporary society determines to be appropriate for young people corresponds directly with current economic and technological developments.

“Youth” is a socially constructed identity, and serves as the basis for the organization of the oppression of young people. 

This discussion will examine the ways our society oppresses young people, how schools play a role in maintaining that oppression and how the oppression of young people ultimately maintains the manifestations of all forms of oppression.  Together we will imagine an alternate viewpoint of empowered youth and how that might change our society.

Monday's (2/21) Posting regarding the Power of Collective Wisdom text

Hi everyone,
As we continue on our shared journey of investigating complexity, living systems, and our role as adaptive leaders , we also must journey into a new realm of understanding what we share together -- our connection to a collective wisdom that is available to each of us as we participate in our "swamp" groups.  Each "swamp" group is a collective experience; each "swamp" group provides you with the opportunity to work collectively and learn what it means to harness new thought and creative solutions.

For Monday (2/21), I invite you to read chapters 7 & 8 in the Power of Collective Wisdom text. Select one passage per chapter to write out.  Here are the specific directions:
1. Select one passage or key sentences per chapter.
2. Copy it exactly into the blog making sure to cite the page.
3. Write about what you believe the author is saying in the passage (what does the author mean?).
4. Next, write about why this particular passage is important to you as you begin to work collectively as a "swamp" group. 
5. Finally, I invite you to not post and run, but to come back to visit the "shared journey" site -- read your peers' comments and reflections and comment, if you wish, on what is unfolding.

We've got a world to change together -- by learning to work collectively we have greater abilities and tools  needed for this good work.

I look forward to reading your posts!
Jane

I Am - Documentary

I thought this might interest some of you...

I Am - Movie Website

From the Sustainable Seattle Blog:

Special Appearance at the Varsity Theatre (Seattle, WA):
Director Tom Shadyac will appear In Person Friday, February 25 for a Q&A after the 7:10pm show and to introduce the 9:30pm show.

Agent/Target

I interviewed my sister Zoe who is a Target in the Rank Machine she is 11 years old and way to smart for her own good, below is a link to a short of our hour long conversation I conducted at my parents house this past week. (It's only 11 mins)

-Special Thanks to Zoe for doing this while she was sick :(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTzVwBju8BY

swamp issues (class white board)

Hey everyone, here's the picture of the board that i took.

Here are all the swamp issues we went over in class.

The picture is high resolution, so if you can't see it clearly try zooming in and you should have no problems.

"Swamp" Issue Suggestions

Hi everyone,
Here's the list of "swamp" issues that were generated in Wednesday's class -- some really great "swampy" ideas!

1. Community College Completion -- why do so many students drop before completing? (Jane)
2. Communicating with students about sustainability projects as well as engaging them in the community? (Irene from our class and Christian Rugsby, Sustainability Coordinator)
3. Spay & Neutering Pets among low-income people
4. Barnes & Noble's bookstore on our campus
5. Sustainability - composting & recycling
6. Homeless youth in the U district
7. Sustainability of social security
8. Stigma of mental illness
9. Budget cuts facing colleges
10. Parking lot (mandated by Metro, not NSCC, so this may not be changeable- but who knows!)
11. Class schedule not friendly to working students
12. School nutrition

Please come on Monday with a sense of a "swamp" issue you'd like to work on.  This choice will determine the initial group formation.

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions: jreis@sccd.ctc.edu
Jane