Archive for April, 2010

Brainquake or Boobquake – Can we rid the ridiculous? (cross-posted at momsrising.org)

Sunday, April 25th, 2010

Women’s power has hit a new high – or a  new low, depending on your view of global politics.  Recently, a conservative Iranian cleric pronounced that women’s immodest clothing choices spur adultery and therefore increase the risk of devastating earthquakes.  I didn’t pay much attention to this ridiculous, fear-based statement, but I am fascinated by the action it’s sparked, by women from the east and the west.  Here’s a great summary of one prominent response.  Go #brainquake!

Iranian women want equality - who's quaking over this?Iranian women want equality – who’s quaking over this?

From Persian Letters-Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty:

<<A new campaign, titled “Brainquake,” has been launched on Facebook, calling on women to show off their résumés, CVs, honors, prizes, and accomplishments. The goal is to get conservative Iranian leaders quaking with fear at “women’s abilities to push for change and to thrive despite gender apartheid.”

The campaign is a reaction to “Boobquake,” an initiative by a U.S. student, Jen McCreight, calling on women to test the claim by Iranian cleric Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi that women who dress immodestly promote adultery and thus increase the risk of earthquakes.

The creators of “Brainquake” say on their Facebook page that they’re saddened that the creator of “Boobquake” and thousands of other women have responded to Sedighi’s claim by resolving to show some cleavage on April 26.

“Everyday women and young girls are forced to ’show off cleavage’ and more in order simply to be heard, to be seen, or to advance professionally. The web is already filled with images of naked women; the porn industry thrives online and many young girls are already vulnerable to predatory abuse. Violence against women and girls has a direct correlation to the sexualisation of women and girls. The extent of their sexualisation is evident in the hundreds of replies that pour into the ‘Boobquake’ Facebook page where women write, apologetically: ‘I don’t have boobs, not fair’ or ‘Hey, I only have a C cup…’ and ‘What about those of us who no longer have cleavage? They sag too low.’”

“Brainquake’s” creators say Sedighi’s comment was no news to Iranian women, nor was it funny. They note that for the past 30 years, the Islamic Republic has violated women’s rights with what they describe as repressive policies.

“Iranian women have fought back in various ways, one of which has been to dress ’subversively,’ but as is evident in the Green Movement, it is not their ‘beauty’ or bodies that they have utilized in fighting against a brutal theocracy but their brains, their creativity, art, writings, etc.”

Iranian women make up more than 60 percent of university entrants. Women were at the forefront of the protests against the disputed reelection of Iran’s President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. And a number of women’s rights activists were detained and sentenced to prison in the postelection crackdown, including Shiva Nazar Ahari and student leader Bahareh Hedayat, who both remain in jail.

Both “Boobquake” and “Brainquake” are taking place on Monday, April 26.

article by Golnaz Esfandiari>>

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Take Foreign Language Out of the Doghouse

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

Take Foreign Language Out of the Doghouse

“Thousands of public schools stopped teaching foreign languages in the last decade, according to a government-financed survey — dismal news for a nation that needs more linguists to conduct its global business and diplomacy.”  So starts a recent NY Times piece.  It goes on to say only Chinese instruction has grown among languages in US schools.  The first fact – schools are dropping foreign languages at a rapid clip – alarms me.  The second – more students are learning Chinese – is inevitable.  Given the sheer numbers of Chinese speakers on the planet, more Americans need to meet them where they’re at.

There is much to say on school districts’ decisions to drop foreign languages – some say it’s due to budget shortages, and others claim it’s because of quality.  Here’s some coverage on it last week from my local paper, the Philadelphia Inquirer, which caused a bit of a stir.  Some school officials say we haven’t figured out how to effectively teach foreign languages to young learners, so rather than throw good money after bad, let’s eliminate the program.  Problem is, the problem won’t go away, and it certainly won’t be solved this way.   American students happen to fall toward the bottom of math rankings globally, too, but we’d never dream of eliminating math class because we teach it ineffectively, would we?  If we’re serious about competing in the global economy and if we want our children to be among those leaders, we need to figure out how to teach it effectively in American schools.  They’ll need to communicate with their fellow leaders, and only in English limits their options considerably.

doghouse

In the meantime, here’s a website that’s lots of fun for the youngest kids and older ones, too.  What does a dog say in French?  Or a cow in Russian?  How about an ambulance in German?  Or a pig in Japanese?   Not only does vocabulary vary across languages, but so do sounds like beep, bow-wow and oink!  Learning another language gives us a whole new viewpoint on the world.

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What Can Our Schools Learn from the Fins?

Monday, April 12th, 2010

This six-minute BBC clip (BBC Finland\’s Education Success) contains some serious gems gained from learning about what makes some country’s education systems outstanding and why America’s schools have been dropping in global rankings.  Finland’s children have consistently performed at the top of international rankings year after year.  I highlight this trend in Growing Up Global and organizations like the Asia Society have been studying what works and implementing learnings in their network of internationally-focused U.S. schools.

Some of the success factors are distilled in the video clip:  Freedom to explore (hence, walking to school, or excursions for p.e. class), a relaxed, trusting environment (e.g., taking off shoes, good camaraderie among the children and with teachers), not tracking students as above or below standard, close parental involvement as supporters of the process not bullies or strangers of it, early foreign language learning, and especially… well-trained, multi-lingual, trusted teachers that students have a close relationship with.  Finnish students demonstrate high standards in core subjects, consistency of lessons across the country, diversity of learners and learning styles side by side (again, not tracking the top students in one class and the lower ones in another), and employers are finding these qualities useful in building a skilled workforce.

Of course, we face complex and some different issues in our struggling U.S. schools, but certainly we can learn much from successful examples.  What do you think?  Can U.S. schools embrace some of these approaches to improve the quality of education we give to our young learners?  And as parents, what should our role be?

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When Holidays Converge – A Teachable Moment (cross-posted at www.momsrising.org)

Monday, April 5th, 2010

I breathe a sigh of relief today as my children return to school from Spring Break and our routines resume.  Before the hectic pace kicks in, though, it’s worth considering the confluence of events that just took place.  President Obama’s weekly address to the nation recognized this – “to call on people of all faiths and nonbelievers to remember our shared spirit of humanity. All people know the value of work, health, education, and community. This week is a time to be mindful of this common bond which is at the heart of all the world’s great religions.”

The Golden Rule expressed by the world's faithsThe Golden Rule expressed by the world’s faiths

available from interfaithresources.com

I’m struck that the President exhorted Americans this week “to be mindful.”  The big, tough, divisive issues aren’t going away anytime soon.  But as parents who want better for our children, one of the best things we can do is “to be mindful” and try to introduce as much peace in their turbulent lives as we can.  We can talk about the convergence of holidays over the past few days – whether we celebrated an Easter mass, hid plastic eggs, shared a Seder, rejoiced for the final day of eating Matzo, shared a picnic for the last day in the ancient Iranian rite of Spring, cheered at a regatta, survived an earthquake, or dusted off a bicycle.  This conversation recognizes differences.  It also gives a sense of belonging – to a human family.  Talking with our children around concepts that don’t fit so neatly in one little box, but begin to touch on issues like unity, diversity, respect, grace, devotion, and tradition help equip them more capably as actors in a vibrant democracy.  Likewise, exploring The Golden Rule as expressed in various faiths helps show that at the root, we share basic values.  These conversations can help them gain a better sense of their own identity; so questions like “who am I and why am I here?” can be explored by thinking about “who are they and why do they think they are here?”

The convergence of multiple holidays serves as a teachable moment, to launch an on-going exploration of what matters with our kids.  So, take a deep breath, be mindful, and talk about it – even as the busy-ness of life creeps in again.

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