Teachable Moments
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
It's a Wonderful World!
Recently, I spent five days in New York visiting my eldest son. He was born and raised in Southern California and now he lives and works in The Big Apple.
I was absolutely amazed at all the sights in New York including Central Park, Bryant Park, Times Square, Union Square, Brooklyn Museum, NY Museum of Art, Statue of Liberty, Rockerfeller Center, the Empire State Building, subways, taxies, brownstones, police on foot patrol, restaurants, people...more people...
I think it is great for all of us to visit other places away from our hometowns. It allows us to see how people live, laugh and grow in ways that may be different than ourselves.
I am saddened that many of the inner-city youth I work with everyday may never have these kinds of opportunities to see other parts of the world. Their existence includes the schools, churches, stores, restaurants and houses in their own neighborhoods. As we organize field trips for our middle school students, many of them have not been to a museum, a concert, a sporting event or seen a California sunset at the beach.
Take time in your own classroom to establish pen pals or internet pals with students from other states or countries in order to expand your students' understanding of the world. It will also give them a chance to have dialogue with other children.
Louis Armstrong exclaims in his own unique way..."What a wonderful world...Oh yeah!!!!!!!!!!"
I was absolutely amazed at all the sights in New York including Central Park, Bryant Park, Times Square, Union Square, Brooklyn Museum, NY Museum of Art, Statue of Liberty, Rockerfeller Center, the Empire State Building, subways, taxies, brownstones, police on foot patrol, restaurants, people...more people...
I think it is great for all of us to visit other places away from our hometowns. It allows us to see how people live, laugh and grow in ways that may be different than ourselves.
I am saddened that many of the inner-city youth I work with everyday may never have these kinds of opportunities to see other parts of the world. Their existence includes the schools, churches, stores, restaurants and houses in their own neighborhoods. As we organize field trips for our middle school students, many of them have not been to a museum, a concert, a sporting event or seen a California sunset at the beach.
Take time in your own classroom to establish pen pals or internet pals with students from other states or countries in order to expand your students' understanding of the world. It will also give them a chance to have dialogue with other children.
Louis Armstrong exclaims in his own unique way..."What a wonderful world...Oh yeah!!!!!!!!!!"