¡Corran la voz!: “Exacerbated Inequalities” Webinar | Cloaking Inequity #MASBAwebinar

¡Corran la voz!: “Exacerbated Inequalities” Webinar | Cloaking Inequity

¡CORRAN LA VOZ!: “EXACERBATED INEQUALITIES” WEBINAR

¡Corran la voz! Check out #MASBAwebinar entitled “Exacerbated Inequalities” featuring Host @ProfessorJVH and a panel w/ @CarolBurris of @Network4PubEd, #GeorginaPerez of @TXSBOE, @DrDoraESauceda of @BrownsvilleISD & @AnneSung of @HoustonISD

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¡Corran la voz!: “Exacerbated Inequalities” Webinar | Cloaking Inequity

Teacher Tom: Ideas for What to Say Instead of "Be Careful"

Teacher Tom: Ideas for What to Say Instead of "Be Careful"

Ideas for What to Say Instead of "Be Careful"

The Technology of Speaking With Children So They Can Think, 

To learn more and to register, click right here.

Awhile back, I riffed on what is popularly called "risky play," what author and consultant Arthur Battram argues we should call "challenging play," what I want to re-label "safety play," and what one reader pointed out used to just be called "play."

Whatever we call it, most people who read here agree that we need to give children more space to engage in their self-selected pursuits, even if they sometimes make us adults nervous. At the same time, it can be difficult it is to break the habit of constantly cautioning children with "Be careful!"

Adult warning to "be careful" are redundant at best and, at worst, become focal points for rebellion (which, in turn, can lead to truly hazardous behavior) or a sense that the world is full of unperceived dangers that only the all-knowing adult can see (which, in turn, can lead to the sort of unspecified anxiety we see so much of these days). Every time we say "be careful" we express, quite clearly, our lack of faith in our children's judgement, which too often becomes the foundation for self-doubt.

Sometimes people ask me about alternatives, such as saying, "Pay attention to your body." For me, "pay attention" has the same flaws as "be careful." They are both commands that give children only two choices -- obey or disobey. On top of that, they are both quite vague. Better, I think, are simple statements of fact that allow children to think for themselves; specific information that supports them in performing their own risk assessment. This reminds me of the "good job" or "well done" habit many of us adults have acquired, in that we know we ought not do it, but can't help ourselves. So, in the spirit in which I offered suggestions for things we can say instead of "good job",  here are some ideas for things to say instead of "be careful."

"That's a skinny branch. If it breaks you'll fall on the concrete."

"I'm going to move away from you guys. I don't want to get poked in the eye."

"That would be a long way to fall."

"When people are swinging high, they can't stop themselves and might hit you."

"That looks like it might fall down."

"Tools are very powerful. They can hurt people."

"I always check to make sure things are stable before I walk on them."

"Sometimes ladders tip over."

"You're all crowded together up there. It would be a long way to fall if someone got pushed."

"When you jump on people, it might hurt them."

"You are testing those planks before you walk on them."

"That's a steep hill. I wonder how you're going to steer that thing."

When we turn our commands into informational statements, we leave a space in which children can think for themselves, rather than simply react, and that, ultimately, is what will help children keep themselves safe throughout their lives.

******

"Be careful" is just one of the ways that well-intended adults, through the words we habitually choose, create a reality for young children in which they are discouraged from, and sometimes even "punished" for, thinking for themselves. In so many ways, both overt and subtle, adults unwittingly tend to shut down critical thinking, replacing it with a reality in which mere reaction and obedience is rewarded. 

If you are keen to dig deeper into this phenomenon and to learn how you as an educator or parent can transform your language in ways that empower real learning, then my new six-part e-course, The Technology of Speaking With Children So They Can Think, might be a great way to start your New Year. This is the culmination of more than 20 years of research and practice. I've been speaking on this topic around the world for the past decade and know that it can be transformative both for adults and children. Special pricing ends soon. To learn more and to register, click right here. We need more critical thinkers in the world! Thank you.

Teacher Tom: Ideas for What to Say Instead of "Be Careful"

SSPI Thurmond Convenes California School Leaders to Review Public Health Guidance for Safe Learning Webinar on Public Health Guidance - Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education)

Webinar on Public Health Guidance - Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education)

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Convenes California School Leaders to Review Public Health Guidance for Safe Learning

LivingWorks Virtual Youth Summit - Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education) - https://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr20/yr20rel74.asp

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond hosted a special webinar today for thousands of school leaders, parents, and educational partners to answer questions and assist schools in their understanding of state public health guidance as they continue to ensure the health and safety of students and staff during the pandemic.

The State Superintendent was joined by Ben Chida, Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary in the Governor’s Office, and Dr. Erica Pan, Acting State Health Officer at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

“I want to acknowledge how proud I am of California’s entire education community, and I just have to commend everyone for doing your part,” Thurmond said. “This is not easy, but I am inspired by our students, educators, administrators, families, and partners leaning in under unimaginable circumstances. Thank you to our partners in the Governor’s Office and CDPH for helping school leaders plan for the weeks and months ahead. We are grateful for all efforts to help schools navigate these complicated decisions in their communities.”

Today’s webinar was a wide-ranging deep dive into myriad issues on the minds of educational leaders, including how schools can plan for teaching, learning, and reopening under the new county monitoring system and how it relates to schools, the elementary waiver process for in-person learning, and a small cohort guidance document (PDF).

The small cohort guidance document outlines the parameters for schools to serve limited in-person groups that are targeted for specialized support and services. According to CDPH guidance, students with disabilities should be prioritized for cohorts, along with English learners, students not participating in distance learning, students at risk of abuse or neglect, and foster and homeless students.

Partner associations posed questions on behalf of educational stakeholders and their specific areas of concern, including personal protective equipment, testing, and more. Partners who participated in the Q&A session included the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association, the Association of California School Administrators, the California School Boards Association, the Small School Districts Association, the California School Business Officials Association, the California Teachers Association, the California School Employees Association, and the California Federation of Teachers.

A recording of the webinar can be found on the CDE Facebook page. Schools can learn more about the state’s COVID-19 monitoring system on the California for All Blueprint for a Safer Economy web page.

# # # #

Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Webinar on Public Health Guidance - Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education)

The Webinar You’ve Been Waiting For: Alison McDowell, Joseph Gonzalez, and Incite Seminars Present “Level-Up” – Wrench in the Gears

The Webinar You’ve Been Waiting For: Alison McDowell, Joseph Gonzalez, and Incite Seminars Present “Level-Up” – Wrench in the Gears

The Webinar You’ve Been Waiting For: Alison McDowell, Joseph Gonzalez, and Incite Seminars Present “Level-Up”

This past Saturday Joseph and I facilitated a 3.5 hour seminar about a possible future where the masses are forced to navigate a gamified militaristic panopticon as human capital impact commodities. This shift is being triggered by the mass immiseration resulting from the global response to Covid. We’re now living through Klaus Schwab and World Economic Forum’s “Great Reset.” The Davos billionaires want us to submit and become playable characters ruled by the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, tiny dots in a real time horror show they call the “Internet of Bodies.”

This was a paid seminar, sliding scale. Joseph and I donated our services. Evidently this was one of the highest- grossing seminars yet. It is extremely heartening to know that even in difficult times, the mutual aid model resonates. Proceeds were split between Incite Seminars and food growing efforts on Lakota land in South Dakota. I am pleased to say we’ve been able to direct $500 so far to Chas Jewett of Cheyenne River Reservation. If you CONTINUE READING: The Webinar You’ve Been Waiting For: Alison McDowell, Joseph Gonzalez, and Incite Seminars Present “Level-Up” – Wrench in the Gears

Upcoming: 2020 Summer Webinar Series – radical eyes for equity

Upcoming: 2020 Summer Webinar Series – radical eyes for equity

Upcoming: 2020 Summer Webinar Series

No Need to Catch Up: Teaching Without a Deficit Lens
with Paul Thomas
Thursday, June 25, 2020
4:00 p.m. EST

See Also

No Need to Catch Up: Teaching without a Deficit Lens

Upcoming: 2020 Summer Webinar Series – radical eyes for equity