Archive for the ‘Speaking Engagements’ Category

On my packing list: Multiple ‘gowns’, a duffel bag full of books, and a permission slip from the hubby. Traveling to Dubai with a 9-year old – tonight!

Tuesday, May 14th, 2013

 

I’ve wrapped up a BIG project – the draft manuscript for The K-5 Global Education Toolkit (with my wonderful co-author, Becky Morales, www.kidworldcitizen.org).  Yippee. Yay. Sigh of relief. Trepidation…  Now I’m turning my attention to the big trip I’m taking tonight with “Tiny Dancer,” aka “the tiny one,” aka Soph Soph, aka the almost-10 y.o. 4th grader who was just a pre-schooler when I was writing Growing Up Global, Sophia.  I will be visiting two international schools while there (not disclosing their names yet, as I need to make sure they are ok with that!), speaking to an audience of parents, and last, but not least, attending a wedding extravaganza for my dear cousin’s daughter who is getting married on May 17, which also is the 50th wedding anniversary of my parents.  Yes, I am feeling a sensory overload!

So, the packing is a bit complicated.  The actual wedding calls for not one, but TWO “gowns” – a short one for the ceremony and a long one for the party which will probably go all night.  My understanding is that we will attend the ceremony then go back to our hotels for a nap and change of clothes, to return to the party a few hours later.  This is the sort of wedding party where dinner is served probably between 11 pm -12 midnight and children are most definitely welcome!  I’m also packing two more long dresses “just in case,” one for my sister who is meeting us from Berlin (can’t wait to see you!).  And the shoes and other accessories to go with each. Then there’s what to wear during the daytime, accounting for cultural sensitivity (but not too much, I am told, for Dubai); and what to wear in the evenings, which will mostly be comprised of dinners for the bride and groom, hosted by various family members.

I have a large duffel bag filled with copies of my book, to take to my talks. It was too complicated to try to order the books to arrive in Dubai on time, so I will be schlepping them across the planet — of course, isn’t that what every author would do?!?!?

Another important thing I am packing: a notarized letter from my dear husband, attesting that I am not kidnapping Sophia and he has our blessing to travel without him.  Parents: if one of you is taking the kids ANYWHERE on a plane, domestic or international, you need one of these.

All the packing of items for different categories of activity make this trip even more exciting to me. I am so grateful to be able to combine these elements — global education and family celebration — in one action-packed week!

Stay tuned for more updates (and follow my Twitter and Facebook for more frequent posts).

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Growing Up Global Workshop @ CA Association of Independent Schools 2013 Northern Regional Meeting

Wednesday, February 20th, 2013

I’ll be in the San Francisco Bay area March 7-12, with the visit revolving around the annual meeting and professional development day of the California Association of Independent Schools.  If you’re attending the Northern Regional Meeting, please consider joining my workshop!  Here’s the info:

March 11, 2013

Global Education “How-To’s” to Foster World-Class Learning
Workshop # 2-53,  11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Presenter: Homa Tavangar, Growing Up Global

In this highly interactive workshop based on nine years of research, writing, speaking and two decades working with diverse groups across the country, Homa Tavangar, author of the acclaimed Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be At Home in the World will share best practices around educating responsive, resilient, curious, creative, kind, compassionate global citizens – true “world-class learners”. Participants will leave the session with tangible ideas for globalizing their classrooms. She also will share new materials from her chapter, “Growing Up in a Global Classroom” in Heidi Hayes-Jacobs, ed. forthcoming book, and Homa’s new book, The K-5 Global Education Toolkit.

(The link to the entire program is found here.)

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World Brooklyn – Ideas for Raising Citizens of Tomorrow

Thursday, March 29th, 2012

I’m getting ready to go back to NYC, this time to serve as the speaker for World Brooklyn on March 31, at 1 pm., to take place at Brooklyn Friends School.  The day’s theme is: Ideas for Raising Citizens of Tomorrow, and the question organizers pose is: How do you bring the world to your child and bring your child to the world?

It’s a great question, and particularly for wonderful Brooklyn, where so many cultures come together in one packed community.  The world has already, famously, come to them.  So, some people in the area have justifiably asked: “Why do I need to go to this? We’re already global; that’s something for other communities.”

In response, one of the wise Brooklyn “global” educators responded:

I have the feeling that most of us believe that because we are exposing our children to a second or third language, we are raising our kids globally. This is not realistic, in my opinion! Being global transcends social boundaries and cultures. Through the addition of another language, we are expanding our children’s brain’s agility and being exposed to another culture, but we are certainly not raising global children.

So my queston is: what does it mean to be global in NYC? Can the same definition be applied to communities in France, England, South Africa, Beijing…

Even if you live in a highly diverse community, does that automatically make you a “friend to the whole human race?”  Is this diversity reflected among your friends and weekly interactions and experiences? Is there an authentic, natural relationship that you and your children build with the “world” that lives alongside you?  And how do you guard against acquiring an elitist attitude that might come from your multi-lingual, cosmopolitan life?  This is the opposite challenge for most of the rest of the United States, which is part of what makes Brooklyn so special; but like one who has a great talent, she needs to be aware that the gift doesn’t become a source of arrogance or a barrier to really growing and serving the world by using that natural gift to benefit a greater good.

These are big and mysterious questions – I look forward to kicking these around much more!

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TEDxNYED Talk │ Innovation in Education │Global Citizens

Monday, March 28th, 2011



TEDxNYED Homa Tavangar video link

Earlier in March I had the great honor of joining several hundred people committed to innovation in education in various forms, for the TEDxNYED conference.  The speaker roster, folks behind the scenes and participants I met (like Nathan Dudley of the NY Harbor School) truly inspired me, with their sincerity, diversity of initiatives, experience, passion, knowledge and commitment to what’s best for our children and our collective future on the planet.  I’ve been really grateful for the outpouring of support for my talk, which came more from the heart than my inner policy wonk.  There’s much more on the practical, education side I wish I’d said, but I realize that can come later.  In the meantime, I hoped to touch more hearts to gain a vision of and commitment to the possibilities of transformation when we see ourselves as citizens of the world.  Looking at the just posted video, it feels like a feeble attempt to convey something so grand, that needs much more probing and exploration.

Please take a look at the other talks from the day, too.  Though we each only got 15-minute slots, the talks can give a glimpse into lifetimes of dedication to education innovation, and give hope to where this most important work might be headed.  See (with links to each talk when you click their name): Alan November, Heidi Hayes Jacobs, Lucy Gray, Dennis Littky, Gary Stager, Will Richardson, Rinat Aruh, Steve Bergen,  Luyen Chou, Patrick Carman, Global Writes, Samona Tait, Brian Crosby, Stacey Murphy, and music by Morley – a new favorite artist, whose music comes from a deep place informed by her activism.  I also want to give a big THANK YOU to organizers, especially @basilkolani and @specialkrb who seamlessly cultivated the people and space where connections and ideas flourished.  I’m not exaggerating to say that after just one day together I feel a very special connection to most of them that will last a lot longer than the #2 pencil (watch the talks to find out what i mean by that!).

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Speaking at TEDx NYED on 03/05

Friday, March 4th, 2011

I will be sharing the growing up global perspective at TEDx NYED, Empowering Innovation in Education, on March 5.

You will be able to follow the event live on Twitter @TEDxNYED and typing in #TEDxNYED.

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