Agent of Change

Pushcart educator named CNN Hero of the Year

(CNN) — Efren Peñaflorida, who started a “pushcart classroom” in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership, has been named the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper revealed Peñaflorida’s selection at the conclusion of the third-annual “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute” at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Saturday night.

The gala event, taped before an audience of 3,000 at the Kodak Theatre, premieres on Thanksgiving, November 26, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the global networks of CNN.

The broadcast, which honors the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009, features performances by Grammy Award-winning artist Carrie Underwood, R&B crooner Maxwell and British pop sensation Leona Lewis.

Peñaflorida, who will receive $100,000 to continue his work with the Dynamic Teen Company, was selected after seven weeks of online voting at CNN.com. More than 2.75 million votes were cast.

“So to each and every person inside in this theater and for those who are watching at home, the hero in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell to my co-volunteers … you are the change that you dream as I am the change that I dream and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be.”

“Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry,” Peñaflorida said upon accepting the honor. “Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need. Read more

 

The coach knows

Its Manny Day today. And behind the champ is his equally famous and tough coach, Freddie Roach.

Source

From The New York Times, In Punishing Fashion, Pacquiao Makes History

Roach, who counts Pacquiao as the 24th world champion he has trained, sure thought so. When Roach prepares Pacquiao to fight, he looks for the habits of opponents, not their weaknesses. Weaknesses can be fixed, Roach reasoned, but habits remain.

He knew Pacquiao would be giving away at least 10 pounds by fight time, giving away an inch and a half in height and two inches in length. But when Roach watched Cotto, who had the inexperienced trainer Joe Santiago in his corner, he saw bad habits, and he devised a plan for Pacquiao to pound Cotto’s body.

 

Cloud Chasing

Jed and I went cloud chasing yesterday. The sky was simply perfect and the clouds looked like a wild icing on a giant cake.

Kiss Me Tenderly

Hole In The Wall

Sail With Me

Scattered Just Like My Brain

While I snapped and snapped, Jed did his usual spectacular run in-front of our house. He stopped only when I asked to catch his breath and pose for me.

Peace Mommy

 

One Sister have I in our house

One Sister have I in our house,
And one, a hedge away.
There’s only one recorded,
But both belong to me.

One came the road I came —
And wore my last years gown –
The other, as a bird her nest,
Builded our hearts among.

She did not sing as we did –
It was a different tune –
Herself to her a music
As Bumble bee of June.

Today is far from childhood –
But up and down the hills
I held her hand the tighter –
Which shortened all the miles –

And still her hum
The years among,
Deceives the Butterfly;
Still in her eye
The violets lie
Mouldered this many May.

-Emily Dickinson-

 

Uno is Cuatro!

 

It’s Jed’s special day

Happy 3rd Birthday

JODRIAN ALEXANDER

 

Technology Plans

From Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching by M.D. Roblyer

The Need for Two Levels of Planning:
What the School and District Can Do Versus What Teachers Can Do

The mere presence of technology is not an automatic guarantee for improved education.  Despite its potential power, educational technology has had some well-documented, high-profile failures (Ferrell, 1986; Morehouse, Hoaglund, & Schmidt, 1987; The revolution that fizzled, 1991), and the most recent research shows that how technology is integrated is more important than how much it is used (Archer, 1998).

Certain factors profoundly affect whether or not technology helps education take a leap forward of a pratfall. Planning is the key to addressing these concerns. Planning should be done both by school and district personnel and by teachers to increase the likelihood that technology will have the desired impact on teaching and learning.

For technology to work in classrooms, most teachers depend on their school and district to provide several kinds of support. Teachers do not have time for these tasks… The teacher’s primary responsibility is developing and implementing effective technology integration plans.

Technology Integration Planning Tasks at District and School Levels

Developing District and School Technology Plans

Most reports (Apple Computer Company, 1991; Brody, 1995; Bruder, 1993…) recommend assigning planning tasks to technology planning committee made up of both educators and technology experts as well as representatives from all groups in the school or district. Such committees are most effective when appointed by top-level administrators who give them authority to implement what they recommend. Kwajewski (1997) adds one more concern: Educational leaders must view technology as a “core value” if it is to work effectively in the school system.

Setting appropriate goals and developing sound plans for reaching them are such commonsense prerequisites for success in any endeavor that it could be assumed that any technology project would follow a well-conceived plan. Sadly, this is not always the case. Technology experts and technology oriented educators generally agree that developing  and maintaining a school-level or district-level plan increases significantly the likelihood of receiving the full benefits of technology’s potential for improving teaching , learning and productivity. A technology plan helps a school or district save money, achieve specific goals, and build a community support for the plans.

Several good sources document the steps that a planning committee should follow to develop a sound technology plan.