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"Mission Statement (Part 9 - #AnnualReport)"
By Derrick Brown
6-21-2024
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Contents
[INTRO] DBKB8NC2021010 046. Mission Statement Episode 9 - #ReachThenTeach (2024 Annual Report) Shooting Script (6-4-2024).txt 4
[SHOW 0135. <SNIP> (DB Notes).jpg] 4
[SHOW 0140. 0142. DBKB8NC2016124 05. Fight The Good Fight.jpg] 6
[SHOW 0142. 0140. Reach - Then Teach Blog Stats.jpg] 7
[SHOW 0144. B@M-001.jpg] 8
[SHOW 0146. Derrick Brown's 2024 <SNIP> Department Chair Application (SIGNED) (5-13-2024).jpg] 9
[SHOW 0147. Co-Teaching Feedback #1 To <SNIP> (12-9-2023).jpg] 10
[SHOW 0149. Teacher Course Interest Form To <SNIP> (2-8-2024).jpg] 10
[SHOW 0154. How Schools Make Money (5-9-2024).jpg] 11
[SHOW 0154. <SNIP> FY 2024 Allotment Sheet.pdf] 13
[SHOW 0156. This Is Us (Our Department) (Word Wall, Wordle) (5-10-2024) (Take 3).png] 14
[END PART 1 … BEGIN PART 2] 15
[SHOW 0158. TBT The KnowledgeBase Summer Academy (with comments) (5-29-2024).jpg] 15
[SHOW 0158. Together - Over the Years.jpg] 17
[PLAY 0158. Together - Over the Years.mov] 18
[SHOW 0170. 320._Be_A_Better_Me_3189x2480.jpg] 18
[PLAY 0170. DBKB8NC2019004 125. LEarning (Better Me) (7-28-2023).mp4] 18
[SHOW 0175. TTM - Arithmetic -005.jpg] 22
[SHOW 0177. TPIMN (Summary) (Reach - Then Teach) (5-6-2024).jpg] 24
[SHOW 0180. 2024-02-08 12.48.26 TTM-A Qualifying Tournament 1st Round (2-8-2024).jpg] 25
[SHOW 0190. 2024-02-08 12.48.26 TTM-A Qualifying Tournament 2nd Round (2-8-2024).jpg] 26
[SHOW 0195. 2024-02-08 12.48.26 TTM-A Qualifying Tournament 3rd Round (2-8-2024).jpg] 26
[SHOW 0197. [EUM] alg 1ab Rule of 72 (3-7-2024)-001.jpg] 26
[SHOW 0200. 001. Rule of 72 Exploration (KM) 2024-02-27 13.03.24 .jpg] 28
[SHOW 0200. 002. Rule of 72 Exploration (KM) Desmos Calculator 2024-02-27_14-32-34.jpg] 29
[END PART 2 … BEGIN PART 3] 29
[SHOW 0210. 006. HAB11 Winners Photo 1 Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl (MCS Champs).jpg] 29
[SHOW 0220. 006. HAB11 Dunleith Photo 1 Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl (MCS Champs).jpg] 31
[SHOW 0220. 008. B@M140 (Reading Bowl Team).png] 32
[SHOW 0221. [KW] alg 1ab K<SNIP> W<SNIP> Scattergories Online S2024.0002 (3-8-2024)-001.jpg] 33
[SHOW 0222. [TG] alg 1 3ab TG (3-12-2024)-001.jpg] 34
[SHOW 0223. [KM] alg 3ab KM (3-11-2024)-001.jpg] 36
[SHOW 0224. [KM] alg 3ab KM (3-11-2024)-002.jpg] 37
[SHOW 0225. QU9MEOCR04220510 ROUND 9 1ab 3ab LEADERS (5-14-2024).jpg] 37
[SHOW 0227. [DB] alg 3ab Scattergories Online S2024.0002 5-16-2024-001.jpg] 39
[SHOW 0228. [MM] alg 3ab Scattergories Online S2024.0002 5-16-2024-001.jpg] 39
[END PART 3 … BEGIN PART 4] 40
[SHOW 0229.001 A<SNIP> R<SNIP> Z<SNIP> 2b (4-12-2024) HW U8L4 Conditional Probability.jpg] 40
[SHOW 0229.003 [ES] geom 2b E<SNIP> S<SNIP> 055. U8 Quiz Review (from MS) (2 Pages)-001.jpg] 41
[SHOW 0229.007 [FC] What Do You See Responses geom 2b 4-8-2024-001.jpg] 42
[SHOW 0230. IMG_9797.jpeg] 43
[SHOW 0230. jabroni (from Dictionary.com).jpg] 44
[SHOW 0235. 00. F<SNIP>, I<SNIP> CubeSat_Summary-002 CROP.jpg] 46
[SHOW 0235. 20240518125944_IMG_2418.JPG] 47
[SHOW 0240. #StandupStorytelling Tabula Rasa (4-26-2024)-001.jpg] 47
[SHOW 0245. Student Success Factors (Undated) Landscape (2040x2640).jpg] 49
[SHOW 0250. Commencement (Classroom Poster).jpg] 51
[SHOW 0258. DBKB8NC2019012 130. LEarning (Cast (Caste) (4-3-2024)] 52
[PLAY 0260. DBKB8NC2019012 130. LEarning (Cast (Caste) (4-3-2024).mp4] 52
Files 56
[INTRO] DBKB8NC2021010 046. Mission Statement Episode 9 - #ReachThenTeach (2024 Annual Report) Shooting Script (6-4-2024).txt
Good morning, good people.
My name is Derrick Brown.
I'm a #StandupStoryteller.
I'm the "Brother From Another Planet".
Strange people think I am strange.
I think that what I experience is strange.
And still I rise.
I just completed another school year.
I am trying to see where I have been ... and where I am going.
Let me show you something ...
[SHOW 0135. <SNIP> (DB Notes).jpg]
A friend analyzed our school environment many years ago.
They asked me to vet their data-driven findings ... for accountability.
I did.
I found that they told no lies.
They told a sobering, inconvenient truth.
I did ask them, though, to "show" this inconvenient truth more ... and to not "tell" it so much.
See, on this battleground ... anything you say (and how you say it) can and will be used against you.
Even a graceful, inconvenient truth can be smeared as a blasphemous lie ... because no one wants to hear it.
So speak in neutral tones whenever you can.
State your case, but let people draw their own conclusions.
I read this analysis for the first time in years this week.
It “hits different” now ... because I am "on the ground" ... and have seen what they saw for myself ... the updated, "post-pandemic" version.
I slept on what I read to digest it ... then woke up and wrote this distilled summary that I will share ...
Let's suppose that these summary statements are true ... what do we do with this?
1. Policy (Slavery, Segregation, Integration, IB) => "disparate outcomes" that exacerbate the "challenges of public education" (transfer students, second language learners, special education students, low achievers, and conduct problems). These challenges begat the need for "safe havens" to protect "some" students (and teachers).
2. Responsibility for facilitating the "challenges of public education" (transfer students, second language learners, special education students, low achievers, and conduct problems) is assigned disparately ... to protect those charged with facilitating the "safe haven".
3. Schools "profit" from the way they facilitate #1 and #2.
4. Our child is part of the "safe haven".
I have to wrestle with this inconvenient truth and keep my balance ... especially that last item.
I admit that my child benefits from an approach that may cause others harm.
This summary is why I helped my friend share this inconvenient truth.
This summary is also why I stopped helping my friend - and now share this inconvenient truth using *my* voice (and grace).
Remember in the movie "Sing 2" when Buster Moon and Ms. Crawley were trying to get Clay Calloway to emerge from seclusion to perform in their show ... and Ash said something like "never meet your heroes"?
There’s a little villain in every hero, and perhaps a little hero in every villain.
Don't put heroes on pedestals ... and in boxes.
Teach people how to treat you - especially the way they need to talk to you.
Two things are true ... they may not respond well to your "teaching" efforts, and you do not need to "teach" them twice.
You may have to leave them alone.
I digress.
On with the show.
[SHOW 0140. 0142. DBKB8NC2016124 05. Fight The Good Fight.jpg]
When my participation in my friend's project ended, I had to reflect on my "why" and my "what" ... and my "what now?".
I wrote and published an essay (that no one reads), then recorded a video podcast (that no one watches or listens to) about the sobering reality of "fighting the good fight" ... and what it taught me about "me".
As it often does, this opportunity to reflect enhanced my perspective.
My "why" is my life's work - to catalyze hope, healing, and change through #StandupStorytelling.
My "what" and my "what now" is to care for my family ... and to lead my people (mi gente).
My name ("Derrick") means "leader of his people".
This helped me decide to join the fight "on the ground" ... with a different set of weapons.
I fight by using the only skills I have (reading, writing, counting, leading, creating, thinking, and communicating) to create and share compelling content.
I fight by spittin bars and verses now.
I fight by creating LEarning games and hosting gameshows.
I call my version of the fight the #SeeSayShow.
The #SeeSayShow is why I have stayed in the fight ... even though my friend's inconvenient truth has been confirmed many times.
Confirmation of the truth is only the beginning of the journey to healing and reclamation ... and this journey is a long wrestling match.
Watch me wrestle, now.
I am now a victim, enabler, and benefactor of a status quo filled with elements that I love and despise.
I am tipping on a "Tightrope".
I am "Undercover Brother".
I am lost in "This Masquerade".
Y'all pray for me.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0142. 0140. Reach - Then Teach Blog Stats.jpg]
A former (and current) co-worker reached out a while back (on 4/8) to share that they were having trouble with their boss ... and that they needed my help in navigating that trouble.
I asked them why they approached me.
In their own way, they said that they knew that I knew how to fight.
I was honored and flattered, but also alarmed ... "how did they know?"
That assertion suggested that my obscure essay & podcast were being engaged now (which is confirmed by the graph you see).
The graph also shows a lot more views during the month of May.
All of those views could have come from my co-worker.
They could have also come from someone else who might suddenly be fascinated by what I was doing 7 years ago.
This is the nature of my fight ... my "tightrope".
I will not have the luxury of fighting "behind the scenes" and "in the shadows" forever.
I may one day be labeled (and smeared) as "The Notorious D.S.B."
I cannot make this stuff up.
I will stand firm on my feet on judgement day, though.
I said what I said ... think what I think ... did what I did. ... and will do what I gotta do.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0144. B@M-001.jpg]
Our recent pandemic gave us this art.
It is art that visualizes (and hides) data culled from hundreds of anecdotal experiences shared online (as part of a viral campaign).
It is art that presents a visual history of the impact of an inconvenient truth.
I am careful about who sees this.
It is not for a casual audience.
I first showed it to our leader during a Black History Month interview.
After a few minutes of loud silence, they offered that viewing this is like "death by a thousand cuts".
Then I said "OK - what do I do with this?"
They asked that I share it with 2 of their subordinate leaders.
I did share it with one of the leaders.
Our first talk became our last talk.
I will spare you the details.
Now I knew better than to share it with the other leader.
That cat's name is "all up in" in this picture ... but it looks like I must have protected their identity well, huh?
Their boss did not see it.
FWIW, both of these leaders I was directed to "disappeared" the next school year.
FWIW, all four of the subordinate leaders our leader has directed me to have disappeared soon after.
The experience of sharing this art a little confirmed that I should not share it a lot.
'Cause folk ain't ready.
Folk ain't even ready to get ready.
I stay ready ... so I won't have to get ready.
(Thanks, Suga Free)
What am I ready to do?
I am ready to pursue and facilitate healing ... which requires a lot of "feeling" ... that may not feel good ... but begets a greater good.
Feel me?
Let's move on to review my concrete "healing" moves ... per my various roles in "This Masquerade" for the last year ...
[SHOW 0146. Derrick Brown's 2024 <SNIP> Department Chair Application (SIGNED) (5-13-2024).jpg]
"This Masquerade" does not provide many forums to comment on the status quo.
Power concedes nothing without a demand ... so at some point ... the status quo has to be articulated and challenged ... if it is to be addressed.
Wise men conceal knowledge ... but fools spill all the tea.
Wise men hide insults (are circumspect when handling disrespect) ... but fools hollar "ouch".
Sometimes you "let it go" ... sometimes you "let 'em know (that you know)".
With this wisdom (and keeping my "Tightrope" balance) in mind, this year I engaged a few opportunities to "speak my piece" ... as I "spoke my peace".
This is an excerpt from my application to be our next department chair.
I described our MO ... our existing culture and climate ... and named the systemic structures that maintain our status quo ... the hidden hand that throws the rocks.
It does not matter if my audience heard me (it is likely that they did not).
It matters most that *I* heard me see (visualize), say (communicate), and show (demonstrate) my understanding of a subtle, complex scenario.
The #SeeSayShow is a valuable skill indeed.
I am a living testimony of its power.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0147. Co-Teaching Feedback #1 To <SNIP> (12-9-2023).jpg]
Here's another audience that I engaged who requested feedback about my considerable co-teaching experience gained while addressing the "challenges of public education".
I presented the same talking points here that I shared in my department chair application.
Again, it does not matter if the audience heard me. It is likely that they did not.
I know that the #SeeSayShow approach strengthens my eyes, voice, and resolve for a future time.
These are "pushups" that build "muscle for the hustle".
Hit me one more time, and then let's visit a different patch of weeds.
[SHOW 0149. Teacher Course Interest Form To <SNIP> (2-8-2024).jpg]
I engaged this audience when requesting the courses that I will teach next year.
I teach *students*, not *subjects* ... and my assigned role is to address the aforementioned "challenges of public education" (transfer students, second language learners, special education students, low achievers, and conduct problems) so that others do not have to ...
The subjects I teach matter little.
But you still make your requests known.
I am not being dealt a fair hand, but I play it towards my strengths (as much as I can) to produce sincere, meaningful outcomes ... while also prioritizing my personal safety.
What matters most in my world is the conversation and journey I get to take with the students.
For most of my students, our conversation and journey may have little to do with math ... but is a longer and richer journey if it does.
That ain't good or bad ... it just "is".
This is my strategy to maximize the moment ... establish common ground ... and neutralize the weapons of mass distraction encountered while resolving the "challenges of public education".
Here's one (of many) weapons ... our students believe that they are our "customers" ... some of whom demand satisfaction even when they do not pay their bills.
'Cause the customer is always right - right?
So I choose customers carefully ... this is how I prioritize my personal safety.
All money ain't good money.
Sometimes less is more.
Feel me?
Hit me.
[SHOW 0154. How Schools Make Money (5-9-2024).jpg]
Speaking of "all money ain't good money"...
I have known for several years that school finance facilitates most of the inconvenient truth I am learning and sharing.
This year I finally had the time and bandwidth to analyze and synthesize the connection.
Let me tell you a quick story ... then show a picture that confirms the words.
This joint is called "How Schools Make Money".
School is a revenue-generating "education manufacturer".
Schools make money by educating students in subjects.
A high school is paid 2.5 times more to educate a "Category 1" special education student (than for educating a "regular" high school student).
A high school is paid 3.5 times more to educate a "Category 3" special education student (than for educating a "regular" high school student).
High schools have more "Category 3" students (than any of the other four special education categories).
High schools make 3 times as much to educate "Category 3" special education students than "Category 1" special education students.
High schools make 85% as much from educating "Category 3" special education students as they do from educating regular high school students ... even though there are 5 times more regular high school students than "Category 3" special education students.
A high school is paid more (per-student) to educate special education students ... so they can devote extra resources to those students ... resources like co-teachers.
Once there are two teachers assigned to a classroom, schools can recoup their additional salary expenses for co-teachers (their "losses") by assigning other "special" students (504s and BMFs) to these co-taught classes.
Schools also improve their "safe school" image and teacher retention rate by (quietly) assigning both special education students and "special" students (504s, BMFs) to these co-taught classes.
In the "real" world, this is a technique called "double-dipping" ... getting paid twice to do something once.
This is why co-teachers are more important than we even think they are.
Co-teachers help schools subtly, strategically, and "efficiently" address the "challenges of public education".
They help to segregate and "mask" the challenges ... in a way that is also "profitable".
That's how "This Masquerade" is produced.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0154. <SNIP> FY 2024 Allotment Sheet.pdf]
Number-driven narratives can confuse, so here's a "number picture" ... that I hope is helpful.
This is from our most recent allotment sheet ... which our state provides to "show us our money".
Look at the two highlighted lines and digest this "data dog".
Schools earn about as much money for educating "Category 3" students with disabilities as they do for educating "general" high school students ... even though there are 5 times as many "general" high school students (as "Category 3" special education students).
Both groups of students are educated in a manner that keeps them segregated from "safe haven" students ... in a well-orchestrated, well-disguised, appropriately staffed, "profitable" manner ... that probably satisfies *everybody* involved ... unless they understand all that I have shared thus far.
I understand it, but know that my child, too, benefits from that "safe haven" part.
I don't benefit from the "safe haven" (because it has been decided for me that my skills and experience are better suited to handling the "challenges of public education" (transfer students, second language learners, special education students, low achievers, and conduct problems)).
But my *child* benefits from the "safe haven".
This part of the conundrum is easy to decipher.
I'll endure my plight ... as long as my child is alright.
This is what makes this heinous, pernicious scheme so beautiful, folks.
"This Masquerade" it is not easy to see through ... or dismantle.
I was "today years old" when I put it all together.
That is why I keep learning.
And still I rise.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0156. This Is Us (Our Department) (Word Wall, Wordle) (5-10-2024) (Take 3).png]
Let me spit some truth serum.
"This Masquerade" may never be dismantled.
It may be too hard to see it ... to even begin to disrupt it.
Why is it so hard to see?
Well, *every* school stakeholder group (teachers, administrators, board members, students, parents, and community) has "blind spots" generated by strange, twisted combinations of self-interest, self-promotion, humility, ignorance, arrogance, ambition, hubris, delusion, dishonesty, omniscience, sarcasm, boondoggle, rigamarole, dogmatism, narcissism, classism, elitism, idealism, racism, ageism, chauvinism, feminism ... and several flavors of "buddy complexes" and "savior complexes".
Raise your hand if you can unravel that ball of confusion.
The best way to start the unraveling may be confronting the biggest challenge to growth and maturity ... conquering our own conceit and deceit.
That, my friend, is a road less travelled.
For good reason ... it's not easy to do.
I am older, bolder, and colder ... with a heavy burden to shoulder.
In my twilight, I have *had* to become transparent enough to confront a lot of my own conceit and deceit ... to start learning how to get out of my own way ... so that my goals and dreams stop making me such a "sucker" for schemes.
It took a lifetime to get "here", and will take another lifetime to get "there" ... feel me?
So I climb a step every day ... and hope that I meet like-minded people along the way.
#StandupStorytelling and the #SeeSayShow are the tools I use to help me discover "me" ... and those people ... and to help me identify and avoid the folk who just ain't ready to get ready ... without appearing to do so.
This picture is an example of both tools.
It is art that I use as an "unscientific" - but insightful - survey.
I would avoid sharing this with most of my "local" co-workers ... because it was built based on daily interactions with and observations of them.
I ask co-workers that I have shared it with to identify the "this is us" terms that resonate the most.
"This Masquerade" was the resounding winner ... which is why I am using it today.
If you are familiar with the song's lyrics ... you know that both Leon Russell and George Benson (who recorded my favorite version) said that there ain't no future in all this frontin' ... but that fake is the only real I know ... because I have been to paradise ... but I have never been to me.
Shout out to Randy Crawford and Charlene ... that lyric (from "I've Never Been To Me") was a masterpiece, too.
Selah.
Hit me.
[END PART 1 … BEGIN PART 2]
[SHOW 0158. TBT The KnowledgeBase Summer Academy (with comments) (5-29-2024).jpg]
Let's move away from analyzing the status quo.
Let's move toward discussing hope, healing, and substantive change.
Our world is deceitful and wicked ... but life is still for the living.
There are still purposeful pursuits that are worth our time and energy.
Purpose fuels my fire ... not sharing inconvenient truth.
Inconvenient truth does show how to navigate treacherous, choppy waters, though.
And still I rise.
I observed an important anniversary a couple of weeks ago.
It was the 10th anniversary of the 15th anniversary of a computer camp I created and ran at Georgia Tech when I was a graduate student.
Looking back, it was not a computer camp at all ... rather, it was a creative problem solving camp.
I taught kids how to build computers as a strategy to help them conquer their fear of this cold, intimidating machine ... and learn to use them as productive business *partners*.
I taught them how to *really* search the Internet by adding command "switches" to their keyword searches ... this was "poor man's coding" ... if you will.
I taught them how to make Web sites using HTML, and using management tools like FrontPage and DreamWeaver.
The camp was held in a "lab" environment (that I was so proud of) ... with lots of working equipment and parts salvaged from the surplus of one of America's premier research institutions that allowed tinkering and research by "regular folk".
We learned how to build computer networks, clone hard drives, convert old VHS tapes into digital video, edit digital video (using tools like Adobe Premiere), produce beats (using "Hammerhead Rhythm Station"), DJ (using "Winamp"), and throw computer karaoke parties (powered by VanBasco's Karaoke Player).
A lot of adults came to the camp to "volunteer" so that they could have access to the lab (and its grown-up toys).
Several of the volunteers then pursued and obtained computer certifications that allowed them to re-employ.
Several fledgling startup companies used our labs after-hours to develop their software projects.
It was the spirit of creativity and innovation in that space that drew people to it.
We generated a lot of positive media coverage ... that I leveraged into a lot of personal opportunities.
That quick "rise" likely led to our quicker "fall".
We were golden until we lost our sponsor, and our lab.
Long story.
And still I rise.
Students from the earliest camps are now adults with families and careers.
I heard from a couple of them who saw this memory in their Facebook timeline.
Their outreach came at a good time.
It reminded me that I am "me" ... and still the "leader of my people" ... and that my *real* home is wherever ideas, creativity and innovation can thrive.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0158. Together - Over the Years.jpg]
I am Keisha's husband.
I am Hannah's father.
They are "mi gente" (my people).
I am their provider, protector, friend, helper, and connector.
They are both powerful people.
Keisha is pursuing her Ph.D.
Hannah will minister to nations.
I play a part in facilitating their destinies.
My current job ... with all of its challenges ... is "family friendly" ... for the most part.
It is quite friendly to our schedules.
It is quite challenging to my peace of mind and personal safety.
[PLAY 0158. Together - Over the Years.mov]
When I look at these clips, though ... I laugh ... because some of them were taken on school days ... and some were taken on my days off.
They all let me see my joy, though ... and how that joy could never be quenched by a "job" ... no matter how challenging that job might be.
Selah.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0170. 320._Be_A_Better_Me_3189x2480.jpg]
I did not do a formal "annual report" last year.
This art was the takeaway, though, of my reflection time last Summer.
The common ground it establishes is that "all of us could stand to do a little better than we did last year".
How do we get there?
I answered that rhetorical question with some art ...
[PLAY 0170. DBKB8NC2019004 125. LEarning (Better Me) (7-28-2023).mp4]
"LEarning (Better Me)"
By Derrick Brown
7-27-2023
[Listen #12 (Mine Nachos (Atlanta) 90bpm) (Splice.com 6-3 to 6-17 Bedroom Soul, RnB Soul Vibes (7-4-2023)).MP3]
Mistakes are great teachers because they grab your undivided attention.
Trees are great teachers, too.
You see all their majesty and might ... and their mistakes.
You see that ... even in their might (right?) ... they can still fall ... timber(!).
[VERSE 1]
[1-8]
O.G. came thru
and said to me
sometimes_ya_shoot_ya_shot
and_then_ya_let_it_be ...
... sometimes you lose a leaf
a twig a branch or three ...
keep ya head up
cuz ur still a tree
count ya blessins
learn them lessons
stand strong
don't sway
no time
for messin'
forget
lament
and all that
stressin'
be 'bout
assessin'
and
addressin'
[9-12]
old cat
wit a l'il bit 'o youth to 'em
old cat
wit a l'il bit 'o sleuth to 'em
old cat
wit a l'il bit 'o truth to 'em
old cat
wit a l'il bit 'o couth to 'em
[13-16]
best lies
got a l'il bit a truth to 'em
gotta check myself
'fo I wreck myself
ain't 'bout being hot_
gotta chill when I'm not
ain't 'bout being cold
gotta keep self-control
[END VERSE 1]
[COMMENTARY 2]
peep this ... when I look thru a window, right?
in the daylight
I see what is outside
... look thru that same window at night
I see me ... and everything behind me
[VERSE 2]
[1-8]
check the rearview
for a clearview
of where I been
and where I'm headed to
sometimes a crooked path
might help me LEarn a few
sometimes a crooked path
might help me heal, too
sometimes a crooked path
might help me share, too
see my glory story
ain't in no category
but it might connect
ideas and intellect
with hearts that detect
and folk who self-select
[9-16]
a crowd that can protect
collect then project
a crowd that can respect
the road to self-correct
inspect whatchu expect
cause and the effect
never be perfect
practice may perfect
make a better me
roots u can't see
branch humility
and agility
trunk stability
and nobility
leaf utility
fruit fertility
[END VERSE 2]
[COMMENTARY 3]
I'm not what I was.
I'm not yet what I will be.
I will aim high ...
... dig deep ...
... move forward
... but never in a straight line
Selah.
grace and peace.
[END COMMENTARY 3]
[END SONG]
[SHOW 0175. TTM - Arithmetic -005.jpg]
"LEarning (Talk To Me (A Game That Teaches The Language of ANY Subject))"
By Derrick Brown
6-25-2017
Language and discourse are more important than vocabulary.
Vocabulary is knowledge of words.
If you say "Chuck D's stentorian cadence commands his audience's attention" - you probably have a large vocabulary.
Language is the means by which we use words, numbers and sounds to communicate.
If you instead say "Chuck D's loud, booming delivery commands his audience's attention" - you have impressive language skills.
Discourse is extended verbal expression in speech and writing.
If you instead say "Denzel's smooth delivery captivates his audience" - you, my friend, are skilled in discourse.
But I digress.
Similarly, numeracy (being able to communicate using numbers (and number sentences)) is more important than rote (repetitious) memorization of calculations and algorithms.
"Talk To Me" is a game show (in the tradition of Taboo and Pictionary) that helps teams of contestants to build language, discourse, and numeracy skills.
It does so by providing correct answers formed from number sentence clues presented by a single teammate.
For example, a clue giver who sees the number 120 – and the operator ‘+’ (addition) – on their card (or screen) can say (or write) “100 plus 20”.
If their teammates respond “120” – then their team scores a point!
If they do not respond "120" - then the LEarning starts.
A skillful clue giver might then try "110 plus 10" or "80 plus 40" as clues ... they might also gently challenge their teammates to check their calculations.
This is why the game is called "Talk To Me" - the clue giver has to effectively calculate AND communicate!
Teams take turns giving and guessing clues for 1-2 minutes per round.
The game host and commissioner decide the actual length of each round, as well as the number of rounds per game.
At the end of the game, the team that provides the most correct answers wins!
This approach generates a simple, portable game that can be quickly taught, set up, and played.
This makes it perfect for in-classroom use as a review, enrichment, or reward tool.
It can also produce a entertaining gameshow where students (and adults) compete for real prizes.
This ends my description of the "what" ... [END "EDITED" EXCERPT of "LEarning (Talk To Me (A Game That Teaches The Language of ANY Subject))"]
Now, the "why" behind this game is deep ... with several "rabbit trails" ... so it may be beyond the scope of today's episode ... and may not "fly the flag" of the current teaching "standards" that we have wrapped ourselves in.
For these and many other reasons, I stopped trying to "reach and teach" about the game's critical thinking virtues years ago.
I simply play it with students (who seem to enjoy its simple complexities), and learn something new every time.
Let me show you what I learned this year.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0177. TPIMN (Summary) (Reach - Then Teach) (5-6-2024).jpg]
useful rabbit trail ... let me show you something ... "by the numbers" ...
Over half (50%) the days of assigned in-school suspension were served by 9th-graders.
Of these 9th-graders ...
- Two-thirds (67%) of that half (%50) were male students.
- One of every six (16%) was "my" student.
- 6 of the "top 10" (60%) students who served the most ISS days were "my" students ... and another one is my neighbor.
What does this mean?
As one assigned to handle the "challenges of public education" so that others do not have to ... I have (at least) one class each year that contains an unusual number of behavior challenges.
This past year, it was my 3rd-block algebra class.
Half of the 20 students assigned to that class "no-showed" at the beginning of the year ... that's a telltale sign that the class was "loaded".
3 female "buddies" decided after the first week that I was not their kind of teacher ... and had their schedules changed (with some help from me).
We completed the Fall semester with 7 students ... and then our "underenrollment" was discovered.
For the Spring semester, I received 3 football players, 3 students transferred from an "honors" class (beyond the scope of this discussion), and one of my best geometry students ever ... who had to repeat one semester of algebra (long story).
This strange twist of events kinda worked out well.
It turned this group into one of the more fascinating classes I have ever taught ... especially for using games like "Talk To Me" to teach (and learn).
Hit me.
[SHOW 0180. 2024-02-08 12.48.26 TTM-A Qualifying Tournament 1st Round (2-8-2024).jpg]
In February (after I had dealt with my new class for a month or so), I decided to run an experimental "Talk To Me" one-day modified team tournament.
Students would participate in self-selected teams of two.
The tournament format would allow each team to have each teammate give one 60-second round of clues to the other teammate.
The highest team score would win the tournament.
This approach might allow many matches to be played in the same class period ... this is what we wanted to investigate.
Jordan and Jamier paired up.
Here's what you need to know about Jordan and Jamier.
They ranked #1 and #2 in our school's "Top 10" of days served in ISS.
(don't worry about which one was #1)
They are both distracted, confident, quick-witted, savvy competitors ... who are more skilled in "mental math" than you think they are.
They both liked me ... that is not strange in and of itself ... but they are students who do not like school ... who like me ... this is helpful in the classes I am assigned.
I have quite a few students who fit that bill ... and quite a few who cannot stand school nor me.
I digress.
Jordan and Jamier won the first round of the tournament.
They beat my "best student ever" (Ky'Mani) and his partner (Makaela) ... and one of the "honors" pairings (Caleb and Chris).
My class proclaimed this victory to be a "fluke" ... so we "ran it back" ... because we had time.
The experiment was working
Hit me.
[SHOW 0190. 2024-02-08 12.48.26 TTM-A Qualifying Tournament 2nd Round (2-8-2024).jpg]
These jokers messed around and won again ... by defeating the same team pairings.
Others complained again about a "fluke" ... but if it happens one time ... call it an accident ... two times might be a trend ...
Hate the game ... not the player.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0195. 2024-02-08 12.48.26 TTM-A Qualifying Tournament 3rd Round (2-8-2024).jpg]
In the third match, they won again.
If it happens one time ... call it an accident ... two times ... might be a trend ... three times might mean that these cats are a "problem".
I mean that in the best sense of my "young cat" vernacular.
So what does this mean ... that the two students who served more days of ISS than anyone else in our school ... showed "next-level aptitude" (if only for one class) that impressed me enough to talk about it in my annual review.
I will let that marinate ... I have been marinating on that one a lot.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0197. [EUM] alg 1ab Rule of 72 (3-7-2024)-001.jpg]
I accept that "mental math", critical thinking, and problem solving skills are in rapid decline in our society ... amongst young people and adults.
I focus a lot of my energy on countering that trend.
You don't have to like math, but ...
You must get your money right.
When we study exponential functions, it provides an opportunity to introduce one of my "mental money math" favorites ... "The Rule of 72".
The "Rule of 72" says that you can estimate the number of years it takes an investment's future value to "double" by dividing 72 by its interest rate (rate of return).
For example, $1000 invested at 18% interest becomes $2000 in about 4 years ... because 72/18 = 4.
The key word here is "estimate".
The "Rule of 72" only works well for smaller interest rates (between 6% - 10%).
So the answer I just provided has a significant error margin.
I can live with the "estimation error" ... because disciplined application of the rule can help students "see" the money grow.
More on that later ... for now, work with a brother.
Here's a "Rule of 72" version of a problem-solving exercise I publish called "On Deck".
I design "decks" of problems (like playing card decks) according to a common scenario ... using different numbers.
This helps me encourage and give feedback on individual work.
This "Rule of 72" version was a collaboration between me and our daughter Hannah.
Hannah is good at "mental math" ... but begins to struggle to "see" the numbers in her head when they get too many zeroes.
This table helped her (and other students) "see" the money grow.
I must again ask your forgiveness here.
Forgive me for using the "Rule of 72" to visualize the growth of money in a scenario where it provides a poor estimate ... then using the standard compound interest formula to get the exact answer ... without drowning students in the details of the estimation errors we have made.
It is easier to ask for your forgiveness ... than to ask for your permission.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0200. 001. Rule of 72 Exploration (KM) 2024-02-27 13.03.24 .jpg]
Would you look at that?
Now, we will deal with the "Rule of 72"'s estimation error.
My "best student ever" Ky'Mani.
Had a rough freshman year (this was our "online / covid" year).
I found this out after the fact ... and it still does not change my respect or praise.
It just explains how he ended up in my class.
On the transcript, this student is part of the "challenges of public education".
In the real world, Ky'Mani's a "curious, lateral, logical and critical thinker".
This is the type of student we all want ... until we get one.
See, it is likely that Ky'Mani thinks about things more (and differently) than teachers do.
Ky'Mani is not a conventional thinker ... so that thinking is bound to clash with the rules and structure provided by the status quo ... unless those in control of the status quo can "go with the flow".
So Ky'Mani approaches me during class, and hands me the calculator pictured.
Ky'Mani asks why the "Rule of 72" estimation and the standard compound interest formula give different investment totals.
I smile, and ask if I can explain it tomorrow.
Ky'Mani grants me this brief recess.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0200. 002. Rule of 72 Exploration (KM) Desmos Calculator 2024-02-27_14-32-34.jpg]
I have never been happier to be challenged by a student in my life.
I built this Desmos calculator for the class, and named it after Ky'Mani's investigation.
By default, it presents the "real" answer (using the standard compound interest formula) ... and a better approximation than the "Rule of 72" based on the interest rate (rate of return) of 18% ... we use the "Rule of 76" for this estimate.
If you are tracking this story's wonderful rabbit trails ...
1. I infused some practical "mental math" into one of our required units ...
2. Created a customized set of problems to drive home the "Rule of 72" ...
3. Resolved a student's curiosity and frustration regarding "estimation error" using the Desmos graphing calculator (an underutilized weapon in our war against the rapid decline of "mental math", critical thinking, and problem solving skills)
I'll have some more of that, please.
Hit me.
[END PART 2 … BEGIN PART 3]
[SHOW 0210. 006. HAB11 Winners Photo 1 Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl (MCS Champs).jpg]
As you might infer from the picture there ... my daughter's school did a thing.
In January 2024, they won their district level reading bowl ... a reading bowl named for Helen Ruffin ... a Black librarian from the Dekalb County school system ... who envisioned this event as a test or a measure of reading comprehension ... based on all the books that were nominated for this Georgia book award, whose name escapes me ... but I understand the premise of the contest ... and I like contests like this (for the most part).
I watched Hannah prepare for this for quite some time ... and it paid off.
I spent a lot of time digesting this good news ... that's been a long time coming.
But the time is now.
I was overwhelmed - not just from my joy of seeing our baby girl do well and help her teammates do well.
I was overjoyed and overwhelmed by the amount of attention their victory received. We're talking about congratulations from our superintendent ... from the principals of all the elementary schools in our district ...
... don't get me wrong.
Our school community has a deep story ... and I know a lot of it ... and I don't know even more of it.
But the congratulations alone were quite telling ... and beyond the scope of what I'm trying to do here.
Suffice it to say, everybody "saw" this.
I sat Hannah down and tried to tell her that at least *some* of the reason why is ... that maybe her school's not supposed to do this kind of thing.
They defeated our district's magnet school to win the competition.
Now the story of that school is beyond the scope of what I'm trying to accomplish here today, but you get it ... if the school that's seldom won and is not supposed to win defeated the magnet school ... people see that ... there are people that love that ... and probably a lot of people who are not crazy about that.
For the record ... we're not here for the haters nor the congratulators.
Let me show you another picture I've got queued up here.
[SHOW 0220. 006. HAB11 Dunleith Photo 1 Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl (MCS Champs).jpg]
Yeah, now ... that's my jam right there.
That's Black Girl Magic People.
That's our winning team.
There's a story behind each of these young ladies.
Let me share a few.
This is Hannah.
I'm Hannah's father.
One of my neighbors is in this photo.
I won't identify her - but she's in there!
One of my daughter's classmates in the dual-language immersion program (is in the photo).
That program has a lot to do with the excellence that you see coming out of my daughter's school.
Imagine learning your core academic subjects in another language ... and doing that every day for multiple school years ... that's going to build powerful language skills ... (then) those language skills build analysis skills ... self-expression skills ... numeracy skills ... and in multiple languages ... that's gonna make a group of young ladies powerful in a reading bowl situation ... most definitely ... most definitely.
That picture is iconic - but is the predictable result of hard work, a commitment to excellence, and a school with resourceful teachers *and* resources.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0220. 008. B@M140 (Reading Bowl Team).png]
Earlier in this piece, I shared some art that visualizes (and hides) data culled from hundreds of anecdotal experiences shared online (as part of a viral campaign).
This picture describes one of the experiences that mentioned the Reading Bowl.
When I first read this (during the Pandemic), I had no idea what the Reading Bowl was.
Now that I know and have experienced the Reading Bowl, this shared account “hits different”.
The "questioning of answers" the author mentioned was a prevalent subtext at the Reading Bowl regional finals that we attended after winning the district competition.
We will get to that in a second ... first, a recap of the matches.
Hannah's Dunleith Dolphins team faced elementary school teams from Cobb (Kemp & Mountain View) and Muscogee (Georgetown and Britt David Magnet) Counties.
Dunleith narrowly defeated Mountain View and Britt David Magnet ... and suffered narrow losses to Kemp and Georgetown Elementary.
Kemp Elementary won the overall competition ... I think Britt David Magnet was second, and Georgetown was third.
Dunleith's victory against Britt David Magnet was a meaningful takeaway ... because they again defeated a magnet school.
The "game within the game" in that match was even more compelling.
Britt David Magnet trailed for almost the entire match ... and resorted to challenging several of Dunleith's answers ... sometimes in ways that were desperate and borderline "petty" ... to try to catch up.
They did not prevail, so we won't sweat the technique ... but we saw it.
The match against Georgetown had better (but bittersweet) vibes, because Georgetown, too, had an all-Black team ... they even had 3 boys on their team.
Dunleith actually lost a big lead in that match when one student from Georgetown caught fire ... and answered the last 9 questions in a row.
I shook his parents' hands.
That was an impressive response to pressure ... from a young cat.
The moment that impressed me most, though, was watching Hannah's grace under fire when one of her answers was deemed incorrect.
The question went something like "In the book 'The List of Unspeakable Fears', who did Ellie's mom marry?".
Hannah answered "Dr. Schwarzenbach".
The judge deemed that answer incorrect.
Georgetown answered "Dr. Blackcreek" – and was awarded the point.
Hannah explained to her coaches that "Dr. Schwarzenbach" was the doctor's real name ... and that "Dr. Blackcreek" was the alias.
She then explained that to both teams and the adult studio audience with calm, poise, clarity, elocution, and grace.
That was a master class ... in being circumspect with disrespect.
The judge is reading answers from a list ... they probably do not read the books.
Hannah corrected their error without defending or offending.
That made Daddy smile and nod ... and take notes.
Selah.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0221. [KW] alg 1ab <SNIP> Scattergories Online S2024.0002 (3-8-2024)-001.jpg]
This year, I added "Connections" and another game I call "Category Challenge" to my critical thinking arsenal ... and was able to test it a lot with several classes.
Each of these games either list or group items that fit specific categories (a collection of items with common attributes).
Each may owe some royalties to the old-school game "Scattergories" that I played in college and grad school.
"Scattergories" was a party favorite, but I learned to choose my “studio audience” carefully.
I am skilled with words and creative self-expression, so there are some matches where it is better for me to observe ... or to serve as an "exhibition" player.
I assume this "exhibition" role when we play as a class.
I add value by participating, but better maintain the fellowship and vibe when my responses provide comic relief ... and deep insights to how the game is played.
This photo is of a gamecard from a match that took place during my scheduled absence.
Kandice won the match.
This is what Kandice does.
Consistent, solid work ethic ... that always showed up on "gameday".
I had left this as an assignment for my first block class ... designated a student (Redd) to take my role as host ... and left them to it.
And the show went on without me.
That was a good thing.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0222. [TG] alg 1 3ab TG (3-12-2024)-001.jpg]
We teamed to play the popular online version of "Connections" a lot during my 3rd-block class.
The idea behind playing together was to build an "espirit de corps".
The opposite happened.
We started to experience "schadenfreude" (delight in another person's misfortune).
I use the word "schadenfreude" so that I don't call a child a "hater".
The nature of the game requires that you make mistakes ... learn from them ... then try again.
A "successful" game is one where you make no more than 3 "categorizing" mistakes.
That's a good thing.
I teach students - not subjects.
Students are people.
People are *real* people.
A few players would remain silent during games (so they would make no errors) ... but would then chastise students who made "errors of commission".
Necessity is the mother of invention.
Never let a good crisis go to waste.
Both of these maxims motivated me to publish an "On Deck" version of "Connections" ... with more "concrete", "straightforward" categories ... and subtle "connections" to larger, important ideas.
Here's one I liked a lot.
It is a "Triple Threat (Oronyms)" version ... one where each category has 3 items.
I gave this one the day before I would speak to Hannah's dual-language immersion class at Dunleith Elementary for Career Day.
More on that later.
Oronyms (phrases or sentences that sound the same) would be a big part of what I shared with Hannah's class.
So I used them to build this "special edition" of my "Connections" version.
At first inspection, I thought this version might have "missed the mark" with my 3rd-block class.
I thought that the oronyms might have been too tricky to decode.
Some students identified the right items for each category ... but did not see that they "hit different" when placed in a certain order.
Then I saw this submission ... from Titus.
It made me smile.
See, Titus is an MC.
Titus also suffers from several work-related allergies ... feel me?
But Titus saw that these oronyms created some nasty, filthy bars.
I won't be mad if I hear them in a song one day.
The idea is to reach - then teach ... right?
When the student is ready, the teacher will teach.
Selah.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0223. [KM] alg 3ab KM (3-11-2024)-001.jpg]
Here's the first of two earlier "Triple Threat" versions of "Connections".
This is Ky'Mani's submission.
When you have a student who thinks like this cat does ... it can test your confidence.
When I saw his description of the last category ... I said "maybe we should talk about this one".
So we did.
Ky'Mani said he was thinking "small, medium, large" ... but thought the "H" might have been a typo.
Ky'Mani LOLed when I said that SMH meant "shaking my head".
That moment was funny ... and poignant.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0224. [KM] alg 3ab KM (3-11-2024)-002.jpg]
Here's the second of two earlier "Triple Threat" versions of "Connections".
It's another Ky'Mani submission.
In this one, I wanted them to make the "connection" to a prescient OutKast song from 1994 ... one that introduced the world to Carlito Green (AKA "Cee-Lo").
I also wanted them to recognize the "once is an accident ... twice is a trend ... thrice is a problem" mantra that guides my approach to discipline (inside and outside my classroom).
Ky'Mani heard me twice the first time.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0225. QU9MEOCR04220510 ROUND 9 1ab 3ab LEADERS (5-14-2024).jpg]
Both of my Algebra classes had to take end-of-course standardized tests this year.
This is a scenario where being assigned to teach the "challenges of public education" can undermine you.
One school leadership group assigns you the "duty" of managing a "loaded deck" ... so that others will not have to.
Another school leadership group ... who may not know ... and may not care "how" or "who" you teach ... and who may not care how you got assigned your students ... may subscribe to principles of idealism and "imagine" that your student groups are the same as everyone else's ... that way, they never appear to be "judging", undermining, nor doubting students ("I believe that children are our future ...").
On the other hand, you are then held to dubious, nebulous, unspoken performance standards that you are not likely to meet.
If it is like *that*, y’all - then I am going down with the ship ... with "both hands on the steering wheel".
As we navigate these turbulent waters, we will follow the course that *I* set.
Capisce?
We were granted 3 weeks to prepare for the test.
For the second consecutive year, I conducted my review in a "quiz bowl" manner ... powered by online quiz host Quizizz.
What makes this approach work is not skillful management of Quizizz' design and interface (though this helps).
Nor is it the smooth elocution of the gameshow's host (though this, too, helps).
Rather, it is the ability to write, curate, vet and publish a large, self-grading, multiple-choice math problem set with appropriate, standards-based rigor and variety ... for our audience.
We could debate "appropriate rigor" ad nauseam ... I have “bigger fish to fry” ... so let me have that one for now ... assume that I know how to gauge "appropriate rigor" for my classes.
In authentic "gameshow" fashion, I provided contestants direct access to the tournament's entire 500+ problem set ... by assigning them as independent homework via Quizizz.
I then provided a one-week "preparation" window that allowed students to study as many problems as they desired to get ready for Round 1 of the tournament.
Did I think each student would attempt this homework in good faith ... after many have treated homework as "ancillary" and "optional" for years?
No ... but I "set the table", and "served the meal" anyway.
This way, if Kandice, Emily, Ky'Mani, Makaela, Carlos, Chris, Isabelle, Kenedi ... and whomever decided to diligently read, attempt, correct, and/or study ... at their own pace and preferred timing ... then they would shine during the gameshow.
I am not calling these names by accident ... look at the tournament leader board.
Everyone on that leader board got there by respecting the "process".
"Process", "access", "address", and "progress" pave the way for "success".
[SHOW 0227. [DB] alg 3ab Scattergories Online S2024.0002 5-16-2024-001.jpg]
To provide some balance and levity during our end-of-course test preparation, we relied on our "normed" collection of games.
By this point, we had played each of them enough to build familiarity ... which, of course, can breed contempt.
This was predictable, so here's how we managed it.
Remember that I often participate in classroom games as an "exhibition player" ... to provide comic relief and deeper insights to the game.
This picture is from a "Category Challenge" game where I encouraged the use of alliteration (using the same consonant to start the first syllable of several words in a line or verse) to improve scores.
"Two-Toned Toenail Polish" and "Ninety-Nine" are 2 of my best ... but this round brought more "schadenfreude" ... even for the "exhibition player".
My 3rd-block class then passed a rule that "alliterative plays" would be subject to the approval of a majority of players ... who could consult Google as an arbitrator.
That "legalism" sounded scary ... but worked out kinda well.
So we will enforce this "law" during future games.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0228. [MM] alg 3ab Scattergories Online S2024.0002 5-16-2024-001.jpg]
Makaela delivered some "zingers" in this same round.
I LOVED "Neither This Nor That" ... "Elegant Earrings" was good, too ... so were "Eagle Eye" and "The Time Machine" ... all of these are well-played.
"Eastland 1955 Edition" was brilliant ... I "got" it ... because I love Eastland shoes.
"Eva Emily Eve" might have been played before the "law" was passed ... or maybe all the other brilliant answers earned some benefit of the doubt, huh?
Hit me.
[END PART 3 … BEGIN PART 4]
[SHOW 0229.001 A<SNIP> R<SNIP> Z<SNIP> 2b (4-12-2024) HW U8L4 Conditional Probability.jpg]
Math standards changed again this year.
Math, though, has not changed.
Math is still as universal a language as music.
It is a language that is best communicated using words ... plain, simple words.
If you read math standards (the old ones or the new ones), the words might get in your way.
The math standards are perhaps written by math teachers ... who may not be as adept at "turning a phrase" ... as they are in mistaking rigamarole (unnecessary compilation) with rigor (appropriate level of difficulty).
It makes me question the wisdom of overhauling standards ... and producing a new version that is as poorly written as the old version.
The overhaul was probably not intent on addressing writing.
I digress.
Geometry's new standards included a conditional probability one focused on testing for disease and defect.
The words tried to get in the way ... but this gave us a #SeeSayShow opportunity ... to illuminate, communicate, and demonstrate using plain, simple words ... and plain, simple problems ... that are "rigorous" ... without "rigamarole".
Here we go ...
Disease produces a "negative" vibe in my spirit.
So when my brain learns about a "positive" test, it wants to rejoice.
However, in the context of disease testing ... a "positive" test is "bad" news.
It means that you have the disease.
A "negative" test is "good" news.
It means that you *don't* have the disease.
That means a "false negative" test tells you "there is no disease" ... but there really is disease.
That means a "false positive" test tells you "there is disease" ... but there really is no disease.
I can "see" and "say" the guidelines here ... but the "show" part is best facilitated with well-written, succinct problems.
I have one pictured here.
I found it in a LibreText statistics textbook, and embraced its simple elegance.
This is the problem I used to teach my class how to do these problems.
The solution to this problem was written by Alejandro ... the only senior I taught this year ... whose second language is English ... which means that "math words" can really get in the way.
Alejandro solved this problem before I did ... and was able to #SeeSayShow the solution ... in a way that taught his teacher well.
That's good stuff, y'all.
More of that, please.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0229.003 [ES] geom 2b E<SNIP> S<SNIP> 055. U8 Quiz Review (from MS) (2 Pages)-001.jpg]
Here's some "more of that".
This quiz review problem had an unintentional error in the last sentence.
Identifying the error would indicate an advanced level of comprehension.
Ein spotted the error ... and explained it to me.
If you look at the way Ein solved the problem (especially the descriptive table headings and cell annotations), it reflects a high level of reading comprehension, analysis, and synthesis.
I put this in my "scrapbook" to share with students when we tackle these problems next year.
I sent Ein's mother a copy.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0229.007 [FC] What Do You See Responses geom 2b 4-8-2024-001.jpg]
Here's one of this year's greater challenges.
One of my geometry classes engaged in some "shortcuts and shenanigans" ... perhaps aided by iPhones and students in other classes ... on what turned out to be the easiest test we took all year.
You would know the test was easy by engaging the work with fidelity.
The harsh reality is that several students have other students do most of their work.
Tests reveal this.
The "problem in question" was straightforward ... with a slight "twist" that deviated from the "plug and chug" script that placates students.
This "twist" probably made students panic.
I do not accuse students of cheating ... because they often cast the burden of proof upon you.
I never expect honesty to emerge from a pattern of dishonesty.
I also do not let these situations escape my classroom ... because the investigation and "cover-up" is often worse than the crime.
Most cheating cannot be proven with reasonable effort ... but reasonable effort can raise effective questions ... aided by my "eagle eyes" and publishing skill.
I could then raise "awareness" with a pointed "sermon" that would serve as a "warning shot" ... that I am not fooled easily ... and am seldom fooled twice ... and that you folks are doing more work ... trying to avoid work ... than you would do if you just did the work.
So I devised a two-part approach to address the matter.
For part 1, I distributed this self-published handout at the beginning of class, then asked everyone to take a few minutes to write and submit "what they see".
Here are a few punch lines from the submissions that were not funny ...
1. Not everyone in my class knew that these were solutions submitted by their classmates to a particular problem from our recent test.
2. Not everyone knew how to do the problem ... neither now nor then.
3. Not everyone "caught on" that I was "calling folks out" quietly.
I think Felix "caught on" to all of the above ... so Felix's submission became my "sanity check" ... Felix saw 7 different handwritten solutions ... to the same problem ... that each had the same (wrong) answer ... generated by the same mistake ... which followed the same (wrong) process.
For part 2, I shared the truth about my feelings on what I saw during part 1 ... and about what likely happened on test day ... and how it did not need to happen again.
My overarching message was neither of condemnation - nor commendation ... rather, it was a stern advisement that I can see through "smoke" and the "okey doke" ... and that I still loved my students, but despised what they attempted ... and cringed at their execution.
[SHOW 0230. IMG_9797.jpeg]
This is a gift from the same geometry class that engaged in some "shortcuts and shenanigans".
Two of them brought me this nice cake to apologize for their behavior during class.
I often chastised them for the way they maintained casual banter at all times ... especially during tests.
One of the "cake bearers" is a "shenanigans" suspect ... and the other is the likely mastermind.
People are more important than problems, though.
This cake may have been a "Trojan horse" that packaged their indistinguishable apology, guilty plea, and "plea bargain".
It was delicious, though, and thrilled my family.
Apology accepted.
This was more work ... than it would have taken to do the work.
In present-day high school classrooms, there are several dubious, school-sanctioned "grade-fixing" opportunities.
Most of these opportunities are disguised as work, though ... the absence of which created this opportunity.
This may be why students still choose shortcuts ... and "bribes".
I have designed several alternative assignments that can help to address any grade shortcomings.
All of them require work.
I will never design a work ethic substitute.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0230. jabroni (from Dictionary.com).jpg]
Sometimes you teach people how to treat you.
Sometimes they teach you how to treat them.
I have mentioned my 3rd-block class a lot here.
In the Spring, we built a certain comfort and familiarity ... which can often breed contempt.
Near the end of the school year, I casually referred to my 3rd-block class as "jabronis" while telling them what we would do on that day.
I was channeling Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson from his wrestling days.
What I did not know, though, was what "The Rock" was "cookin'" when he used the word.
Let's call that an "error of commission" (a verbal faux pas) ... caused by an "error of omission" (ignorance masked by arrogance).
Drew (a student) peacefully challenged my use of the word ... "why we gotta be 'jabronis'?".
I told him that I meant no harm ... then offered "The Rock's" connotation ... "jabronis" are the opponents assigned to matches to "lose" to the stars.
"Jabronis" are the Washington Generals to The Harlem Globetrotters.
I challenged Drew to look up the word, and told him that I would do the same.
I looked it up, and found what you see here.
Every connotation was derogatory ... so it was clear that we should use this word no more ... but will remember it forever (as one to grow from).
"Jabroni" is on par with the "N- word".
If anyone should know that ... I should know that.
I know now.
I apologized to the class the next day, and shared this visual explanation.
No one gets to call me anything except my name.
I appreciate and respect being addressed that way ... and expect to be addressed that way.
When it comes to others, I have to play it the same.
I have to say, though, that after Drew's challenge ... and my apology & explanation ... all I heard coming from the back of the room (where Drew sat) was the "N-word" ... being used as every part of speech ... by Drew and crew.
This makes Drew's activism look performative (and hypocritical).
This suggests that my contrition could have looked just as performative (and hypocritical).
This was a master class on valuing the "microphone" (your voice) and your audience.
Selah.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0235. 00. F<SNIP>, I<SNIP> CubeSat_Summary-002 CROP.jpg]
I made a key move this year.
I was able to create a STEM partnership with a young aerospace engineer from GTRI ... who was from Marietta ... and had graduated from Georgia Tech.
This partnership allowed me to host Saturday morning fellowships in my classroom.
Our agenda for our Spring fellowship included a project with a required homework assignment ...
1. We would build a model CubeSat from a “sponsored” assembly kit. CubeSats are small satellites (about the size of a cereal box) that are used primarily in low-earth orbits.
2. To attend the fellowship, students will complete the following homework assignment …
a. Read CubeSat 101 (https://bit.ly/cubesat518) , and write a 1-2-page summary of the guide.
b. Study this CubeSat Assembly guide (https://bit.ly/cubesat519), then sketch an “exploded view” of the CubeSat assembly. This Design Sketch Tutorial video (https://bit.ly/cubesat520) may help!
I mentioned earlier that students treat homework as "ancillary" and "optional".
I received one homework assignment ... from Isabelle.
Isabelle's design sketch is shown here.
I am thankful for that one submission.
It meant that at least one student would be well-versed and prepared for our project.
I would have to depend on them to help with the "heavy lifting" that others might not be prepared to do.
But I could at least depend on them.
I'll take that.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0235. 20240518125944_IMG_2418.JPG]
Many hands make light work.
This photo shows what we accomplished during our Spring fellowship.
I made this into a bulletin board poster to market next year's fellowship.
You see the hands of Isabelle, Ein (who we mentioned earlier), Zach, and our daughter Hannah.
That was a good day.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0240. #StandupStorytelling Tabula Rasa (4-26-2024)-001.jpg]
March 21 was a good day.
I took the day off to dream.
See, I have a dream.
One day, I will use #StandupStorytelling and #The SeeSayShow to provide in-school field trip experiences to students.
These experiences will be small-group fellowships delivered as concerts, gameshows, and tournaments.
I visited Hannah's school (Dunleith Elementary) to participate in Career Day.
I visited Hannah's 4th-grade dual-language immersion class first.
I spoke of dual-language immersion's virtues earlier (while discussing the Reading Bowl) ... but they are worth repeating.
Imagine learning your core academic subjects in another language ... and doing that every day for multiple school years ... that's going to build powerful language skills ... (then) those language skills build analysis skills ... self-expression skills ... numeracy skills ... and in multiple languages.
I also admitted earlier that dual-language immersion provides Hannah a "safe-haven" similar to those at our high school.
The high school's "safe havens" do not benefit me and my family ... but are likely to one day.
Dunleith's "safe havens" benefit us now ... in a major way.
This is quite a "tightrope" that I walk.
I digress.
My visit to Hannah's class was life-changing.
I had met most of her classmates through attendance at other school activities.
They know me as "Hannah's Dad".
Today, I reintroduced myself as a #StandupStoryteller ... and host of the #SeeSayShow.
I brought my best "bag of tricks" that I organized into this setlist.
I performed the songs "Move" and "Joy" from the setlist.
Afterwards, a student (Elia) asked me to show how them to make words rhyme.
I presented a mini-class in writing nasty, filthy bars ... powered by devices like homonyms (words that sound alike) and oronyms (phrases that sound alike) ... and RhymeZone (http://www.rhymezone.com).
I closed by spitting the oronym "real eyes ... realize ... real lies".
I was with "mi gente" ... my daughter and her classmates ... in their "safe haven".
*This* is what I am supposed to be doing every day.
I then left Hannah's "safe haven" and visited 3 "regular" classrooms filled with the "challenges of public education" ... and those assigned to teach them.
I walked into a near-fight in the second class.
One student started braiding another student's hair in the next class.
My last class had a new teacher ... and she seemed like she was "done" with her kids before lunch.
Even with those "real-life" distractions, though, the rest of the day was still poignant and powerful.
Not like Hannah's class ... but special in a different way.
I continued to perform "Move" ... continued to talk about writing nasty, filthy bars ... and began to engage students with an "old-school" counting game called "21".
In "21", two players take turns counting in an attempt be the first player to reach "21". One person goes first and says the number “one” or “one, two”. Then the other player says the next one or two consecutive numbers. The players continue counting in order until the winner reaches "21".
The rules of "21" are simple, which is engaging.
It is hard to win, which is challenging.
It is harder to master, which promotes critical thinking.
The most important element of the game, though, is that it makes a memorable, powerful connection with students.
At the 4th-grade Awards Day, a student from the class where the fight almost happened walked up and challenged me to a "21" match.
I cannot make this up.
I have seen the "promised land".
What I have to do now, though, is position myself to make my living through this type of giving.
Selah.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0245. Student Success Factors (Undated) Landscape (2040x2640).jpg]
My road ahead is paved with "potholes" and promise.
Both provide lots of opportunities to understand.
I understand where I want to be.
I understand where I am.
I understand how to bloom where I am planted.
I understand how to "move" (towards my promise while avoiding "potholes") and "use my voice" (say what needs to be said).
I understand the "need to heed" (my calling) ... the "need to feed" (my spirit) ... and the "need to weed" (my personal garden).
The last photo (my "setlist"), this one (my "MO"), and the next one ("Commencement") are known as my "trilogy".
Each defines a key part of my true identity, mission, and reality ... and the "wisdom earned through lessons learned" (WETLL) along the way.
Each will be visible in my classroom ... for as long as I am visible in my classroom.
However, they are visible only to the degree that they represent independent wisdom to my audience ... because wise men conceal knowledge (of their true identity).
This "trilogy" entry details (proceeding clockwise) ...
1. Student Success Factors (believe, read, pay attention, follow directions, follow through, carry yourself, 'check' yourself)
2. Four Agreements (watch words ... take nothing personally ... assume nothing ... do your best)
3. Daily Choices (AKA “Adult Success Factors) (activity ("doing something") vs. achievement ("getting something done")) ... (rigor ("challenging work") vs. rigamarole ("a complicated and confusing procedure"))
4. Buckets & Holes ("we" fill the BIG hole in our leaky buckets with fuel to meet student needs ... "they" spend their days plugging the holes in the bucket ... and poking lots of new ones ... without understanding and helping to fill the BIG hole)
5. Real eyes ... realize ... real lies
Bars.
Hit me.
[SHOW 0250. Commencement (Classroom Poster).jpg]
The final "trilogy" entry is a list of six-word "stories" that present the lessons I have learned well enough to share ...
1. Equality requires both opportunity and circumstance.
2. Education begins when you finish school.
3. Education requires learning, unlearning, and relearning.
4. You must protect time and family.
5. Faith protects your beliefs from doubt.
6. Purpose is more important than ambition.
7. Creativity is more important than knowledge.
8. Freedom of speech means come correct.
9. Value listening much more than speaking.
10. Learn to tell your own story.
11. Influence your circle, then expand it.
12. Sometimes "let go"; sometimes "let know".
13. Civil discourse between dissenters promotes growth.
14. Sometimes the cause masks the agenda.
15. Sometimes our causes mask our issues.
16. You must get your money right.
17. All money is not good money.
18. Truth tellers often encounter great resistance.
19. Real friends will hold you accountable.
20. Count all the costs of victory.
21. Winners first conquer conceit, then defeat.
22. Everything we measure does not count.
23. Everything that counts cannot be measured.
24. Angry roots produce many bitter fruits.
25. Healed roots produce much better fruits.
26. Do not mistake activity for achievement.
27. Simple approaches are easily replicated.
28. Real power is work done efficiently.
29. Success results when preparation meets opportunity.
30. Opportunities are often disguised as work.
31. Tradition begins and ends with change.
As I prepare to close this chapter of my story ... and continue to move and use my voice as my authentic self ... in an environment that does not see me as I see myself ... I will always walk on a "tightrope".
This is how I navigate that challenge ...
[SHOW 0258. DBKB8NC2019012 130. LEarning (Cast (Caste) (4-3-2024)]
[PLAY 0260. DBKB8NC2019012 130. LEarning (Cast (Caste) (4-3-2024).mp4]
"LEarning (Cast (Caste) (AKA The Show Must Go On))"
By Derrick Brown
4-3-2024
"Listen #11 (Ice Ice Bassy 90bpm) (Splice.com 6-3 to 6-17 Bedroom Soul, RnB Soul Vibes (7-4-2023)).MP3"
[COMMENTARY 1]
I was assigned a role in this life before I was born ...
... but was then cast (thrown forcefully) into a cast (the actors in a play) according to caste ("social status or position conferred by a system based on class"
) ...
... hear me now ...
... my "truth" is "living in a daily lie" ...
... but the show must go on ...
[VERSE 1 - Know your *real* role ... and "how you roll"]
[1-4]
mirror_mirror
tell_me_what_u_see_in_me
joy and pain
how_we_pay_for_bein_free
i_believe
i_ain't_always_gotta_know
i_achieve
even_when_I_do_it_slow
[5-8]
my_pace
go_when_I_gotta_go
my_face
tell_u_what_u_need_to_know
my_race
finish_what_I_started_tho
my_ace
soul_brother_"so_and_so"
[9-12]
my_mind
thoughts_of_a_diff'rent_kind
my_kind
those_of_a_diff’rent_mind
my_grind
nonstop_no_rewind
my_"sign"
blind_and_kinda_unrefined
[13-16]
define
what_I_do_wit_my_time
my_dime
stretch_em_til_I_know_that_i'm
aligned
power_and_a_sound_mind
headline
"spoke_his_truth_evry_time"
[COMMENTARY 2]
spend most of my day ...
... in this strange stage play ...
... with an all-star cast (caste) ...
... of actors who are "in charge" ...
... empowered by a cliche' script ...
... to stay busy "looking busy" ...
... but the show must go on ...
[VERSE 2 - Know your "place" (your environment and "assigned" role) ... and keep your "space" while on assignment]
[1-4]
almost_perfect
don't_know_that_they_don't_know
keep_my_distance
hope_it_don't_look_like_it_though
don't_dance
I_know_how_to_"do-si-do"
struggle's_real
stay_away_from_"toe-to-toe"
[5-8]
stop_sign
anger_is_an_"uh-oh-oh"
speak_my_piece
when_I_need_to_speak_it_bo
speak_my_peace
reconcile_and_war_no_mo
make_my_peace
aggravate_the_status_quo
[9-12]
what_now
leave_me_(a)lone_don't_say_no_mo
or_else
we_may_have_to_"go-go-go"
options
makin'_war's_a_"no-no-no"
choices
stay_away_from_"to-and-fro"
[13-16]
voices
stay_away_from_"touch-and-go"
sing_a_song
do_re_mi_so_la_ti_do (skip "fa")
so_we
keep_our_mind_on_"dough-dough-dough"
so_we
have_a_chance_to_"grow-grow-grow"
[CLOSING COMMENTARY]
this is a story ...
... of who I am ...
... what I experience ...
... how I move ...
... and the price I am willing to pay ...
... to use my voice ...
... 'cause the show must go on ...
... selah
Selah.
Grace and peace.
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