Partly as a result of the recent Supreme Court decision, the Republican legislature in Wisconsin has cut Milwaukee's longstanding "220" program that funds MPS children of color to attend suburban schools. At the same time, they are planning to expand the choice program from the city of Milwaukee where it is currently limited to the county of Milwaukee (a much larger area) and later to another county.
What is fascinating about this is that it fits perfectly within a right-wing agenda around schools. Eliminate the "choice" of poor kids of color to attend established integrated schools with better funding and usually stronger educational programs. And then allow them to "choose" badly funded "choice" schools can spring up and disappear like mushrooms without any significant oversight. E.g.: You can have "choice" as long as you don't "choose" to come into "my" schools. (Milwaukee's suburbs are the most segregated in the entire nation).
This is a perfect example of how particular populations are being increasingly interned in America in ways that prevent their "escape" from what have become much like prisons without walls.
The legislature's budget has to be brought into agreement with the one passed by the Democratic state senate, so we'll see what will happen.
See this recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinal Article.
I am not really up on all the "ins and outs" about 220. Here's a blog post I found on the recent decision and 220 that sounds reasonable, making an argument about possibly changing the requirements to ones based on income (see Jim's earlier post on this blog) but no guarantees on its accuracy. See also this Wisconsin State Journal article. And an older article from the Public Policy Forum. And a 1998 Rethinking Schools article on bussing in Milwaukee.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Blogging and Citizenship Conference
July 10, 2007
Scholars discuss how blogs, MySpace affect citizenship
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Blogs, MySpace.com, online role playing games and identify theft are just a few of the topics that will be discussed this month at the second James F. Ackerman Colloquium on Technology and Citizenship Education.
Two dozen scholars will attend the conference, Education for Citizenship in Digital and Synthetic Worlds: Privacy, Protection and Participation, on July 23-26. They will present research on how technology, especially the Internet, has changed the way citizens interact with each other and their government and the future of education. Space is limited for the general public, but anyone interested in attending sessions should contact Kathy Reppert at (765) 494-4755, kreppert@purdue.edu.
"Young people consume large amounts of information through various media outlets and simultaneously create and distribute their own messages via information and communication technologies," said Phillip VanFossen, the Ackerman Professor of Social Studies Education and director of the Ackerman Center. "In doing so, these digital natives are often exposed to violent, racist or other negative messages. Additionally, these digital citizens must navigate issues of information security, privacy and identity theft. Because efforts to control access to information and exposure to these risks are fraught with difficulties, the most effective way to safeguard students and young citizens is through education."
The conference's four themes are:
* The role of technology in the development of citizens' knowledge and skills in an increasingly digital and global world.
* The tension between the constitutional right to freedom of speech and the protection of young people online.
* Defining privacy in a digital age.
* The potential of social networking and massive multiplayer online role-playing games, also known as MMORPGs, for citizenship education.
David McDivitt, a teacher from Converse, Ind., will talk about how he uses a World War II online role-playing game in his high school history classes.
University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Kurt Squire, whose research focuses on the effect of digital gaming on education, will deliver the keynote speech. Squire has served as a research fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-director of the Education Arcade, a research and service project investigating the educational potential of digital gaming.
Edward Castronova, associate professor of telecommunications at Indiana University and author of "Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games," will discuss the growing interest in role-playing games, including a new game, "Arden," based on William Shakespeare.
Scott Ksander, executive director of information technology networks and security for Information Technology at Purdue, will speak on the importance of educating citizens about issues of privacy and information security.
"Education for such cybercitizenship is a natural extension of the citizenship education role the social studies have always played in school curricula," VanFossen said. "Lessons in cybercitizenship, for example, might address the problematic aspects of the Internet and enhance critical skills for managing these challenges. These lessons might also mean, however, extending the same sorts of skills needed by effective citizens to utilize the Internet."
The Ackerman Center was established through a gift in 1993 from James F. Ackerman, a Purdue alumnus, and his wife, Lois. The center also sponsors the Ackerman Center Summer Institute and co-sponsors, with the Krannert School of Management, the Purdue Series on Corporate Citizenship and Ethics. It also organizes a student program for the annual Greater Lafayette Holocaust Remembrance Conference and coordinates "We The People ... The Citizen and the Constitution" and Purdue's celebration of Constitution and Citizenship Day.
Scholars discuss how blogs, MySpace affect citizenship
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Blogs, MySpace.com, online role playing games and identify theft are just a few of the topics that will be discussed this month at the second James F. Ackerman Colloquium on Technology and Citizenship Education.
Two dozen scholars will attend the conference, Education for Citizenship in Digital and Synthetic Worlds: Privacy, Protection and Participation, on July 23-26. They will present research on how technology, especially the Internet, has changed the way citizens interact with each other and their government and the future of education. Space is limited for the general public, but anyone interested in attending sessions should contact Kathy Reppert at (765) 494-4755, kreppert@purdue.edu.
"Young people consume large amounts of information through various media outlets and simultaneously create and distribute their own messages via information and communication technologies," said Phillip VanFossen, the Ackerman Professor of Social Studies Education and director of the Ackerman Center. "In doing so, these digital natives are often exposed to violent, racist or other negative messages. Additionally, these digital citizens must navigate issues of information security, privacy and identity theft. Because efforts to control access to information and exposure to these risks are fraught with difficulties, the most effective way to safeguard students and young citizens is through education."
The conference's four themes are:
* The role of technology in the development of citizens' knowledge and skills in an increasingly digital and global world.
* The tension between the constitutional right to freedom of speech and the protection of young people online.
* Defining privacy in a digital age.
* The potential of social networking and massive multiplayer online role-playing games, also known as MMORPGs, for citizenship education.
David McDivitt, a teacher from Converse, Ind., will talk about how he uses a World War II online role-playing game in his high school history classes.
University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Kurt Squire, whose research focuses on the effect of digital gaming on education, will deliver the keynote speech. Squire has served as a research fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-director of the Education Arcade, a research and service project investigating the educational potential of digital gaming.
Edward Castronova, associate professor of telecommunications at Indiana University and author of "Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games," will discuss the growing interest in role-playing games, including a new game, "Arden," based on William Shakespeare.
Scott Ksander, executive director of information technology networks and security for Information Technology at Purdue, will speak on the importance of educating citizens about issues of privacy and information security.
"Education for such cybercitizenship is a natural extension of the citizenship education role the social studies have always played in school curricula," VanFossen said. "Lessons in cybercitizenship, for example, might address the problematic aspects of the Internet and enhance critical skills for managing these challenges. These lessons might also mean, however, extending the same sorts of skills needed by effective citizens to utilize the Internet."
The Ackerman Center was established through a gift in 1993 from James F. Ackerman, a Purdue alumnus, and his wife, Lois. The center also sponsors the Ackerman Center Summer Institute and co-sponsors, with the Krannert School of Management, the Purdue Series on Corporate Citizenship and Ethics. It also organizes a student program for the annual Greater Lafayette Holocaust Remembrance Conference and coordinates "We The People ... The Citizen and the Constitution" and Purdue's celebration of Constitution and Citizenship Day.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Bringing Traffic Home
When we started EPB last fall, we wanted to create a group (multi-) blog that would give voice to foundations of education scholars on issues of practical and political concerns, and we wanted to be heard, to be read. The following graph, generated just now by StatCounter.Com, shows that we're being read:
It might be interesting to compare the peaks on this chart with the events in our history, for example the announcement of our blog in particular publications, or listservs, or the date of certain posts. What is clear is that we have attained a critical mass of regular readership, but haven't yet found our way into the big leagues. I welcome our community of writers and readers to use the Comments section of this post to help us strategize how to take these numbers into the regular triple figures.
Cheers!
It might be interesting to compare the peaks on this chart with the events in our history, for example the announcement of our blog in particular publications, or listservs, or the date of certain posts. What is clear is that we have attained a critical mass of regular readership, but haven't yet found our way into the big leagues. I welcome our community of writers and readers to use the Comments section of this post to help us strategize how to take these numbers into the regular triple figures.
Cheers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
