BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Nelson Mandela: Fighter for Racial and Social Equity Reported by Michelle Desarbo & Liza Young To think that this Nobel Laureate (Peace Prize 1993) who was incarcerated for 27 years and was now traveling, had consented to appear in Education Update was a tribute to the African-Americans in this nation who have fought for peace and recognition through poetry, law, politics, dance and the written word. READ MORE

An Interview with Poet Maya Angelou
By Joan Baum, Ph.D.
Yes, this is the woman whose epigrams for Hallmark cards can take important ideas and press them into concise and telling lines, such as, If you must look back do so “forgivingly”; if you will look forward, do so “prayerfully”; but the wisest course would be “to be present in the present gratefully.” READ MORE

Lorna Dove, M.D., Healer Columbia U. College of Physicians & Surgeons
By Liza Young
Dr. Lorna Dove, is a Clinical Hepatologist at the Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation (CLDT) at Columbia University Medical Center as well as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. READ MORE

Dr. Walter Massey:President, Morehouse College
By Gillian Granoff
Diversity begins at home, according to Dr. Walter Massey, the President of Morehouse College, an all-male, historically black college, with prestigious graduates such as Martin Luther King. READ MORE

New York’s Manumission (Free the Slaves!) Society & Its African Free School 1785-1849
By Dorothy Davis
People who say that the Declaration of Independence’s “all men are created equal” should have applied to more than property-owning white men might be surprised to know that at the time Alexander Hamilton and many other New York leaders felt that slaves should be given their freedom and the right to vote. READ MORE

Giants’ Tiki Barber Supports Arts Education
By Nazneen Malik
Recently, the Museum of Modern Art, in conjunction with JPMorgan Chase and football running back Tiki Barber of the New York Giants, launched a new program, Exploring the Modern, aimed at incorporating the Arts into New York City elementary and middle school education.
READ MORE

The Jazz of Wess Anderson
By Joan Baum, Ph.D
Nicknames are telling. In the case of the well known saxophonist Wess[el] Anderson, “Warmdaddy” was bestowed after a drummer in the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra commented on Wess’s willingness to extend his hand to give autographs, especially to young people.
READ MORE

In Motion: The African-American Migration
Experience at the Schomburg Center
By Dorothy Davis
A glittering array of celebrities appeared at the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, in Harlem, to celebrate the brilliant new online resource. READ MORE

GUEST EDITORIAL

Africa Revisited: A Teacher’s Journey
By Phyllis C. Murray
“History is not everything” John Henrik Clarke once wrote, “but it is the starting point. History is a clock that people use to tell their time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what they must be.” READ MORE

SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS

Awards Ceremony Honors Outstanding Civil Servants and Their Children
Education Update Gives Scholarship
By Michelle DeSarbo
The One Hundred Year Association of New York recently honored New York City civil service employees and their children for their accomplishments in both their careers and academics with the Isaac Liberman Public Service and E. Virgil Conway College Scholar Awards.
READ MORE

Profiles in Education: An Interview with Ramon Cortines: (Part II)
By Pola Rosen, Ed.D.
I was delighted to meet Ray at his home in Pasadena, CA recently. Against the background of classical music and a book-lined library,
we discussed various issues and trends in education over the years.
READ MORE

Caroline Kennedy Speaks at Mentoring
Program at Loews
By Sarah Ann Mockbee
In celebration of National Mentoring Month, the New York City Department of Education’s (DOE’s) Mentoring Program hosted over 600 mentors and mentees at the Loews Cineplex for an evening of awards, entertainment and networking. READ MORE

New For Teachers! Fun Ways to Teach Math
By Alfred S. Posamentier, Ph.D.
Where in the World Are You?
This is a popular riddle that has some very interesting extensions, yet seldom considered. It requires some “out of the box” thinking that can have some favorable lasting effects on students. Let’s consider the question:
Where on earth can you be so that you can walk one mile south, then one mile east, and then one mile north and end up at the starting point? READ MORE

OUTSTANDING TEACHERS OF THE MONTH

February 2005
In 2003, Education Update began the tradition of honoring teachers each month for their outstanding work on the “frontiers” of education.We are now continuing the tradition which will culminate in a ceremony in June 2005 with Chancellor Joel Klein in attendance.
READ THIS MONTH'S HONOREES

COLLEGE & GRADUATE SCHOOLS

Chancellor Matthew Goldstein Brings Change to CUNY
By Sybil Maimin
The City University of New York (CUNY) is on a roll! With its largest enrollment since 1975 and a revitalized reputation,
its 20 colleges and professional schools continue to attract some of the brightest New Yorkers, particularly immigrants, first generation Americans, and the less affluent. READ MORE

Talking with Nina Jaffe
at Bank Street College of Education
By Kristen Z. Stavisky
I recently sat down with Graduate School faculty member Nina Jaffe to talk about her latest project, a collaboration with HarperCollins Festival Readers and DC Comics on a series of books, including four readers for ages four through seven, and two chapter books for ages ten and up.
READ MORE

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Libraries for the Blind Launch Digital
Audio Book Service
State libraries for the blind in Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, New Hampshire, and Oregon, along with the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), part of the Library of Congress, have partnered to launch an innovative digital audiobook service for visually impaired users. READ MORE

Craig Forth: The Center of Education
By M.C. Cohen
With Syracuse leading Notre Dame 66-61 late in a Big East game, Craig Forth, Syracuse’s 7–foot senior center went to the foul line. Suddenly, the focus of the commentators on ESPN’s nationally televised game shifted from basketball: “Craig Forth has 145 credits, he can get every major in the school,” said one of the announcers jokingly. He may not have all the majors, but he is a double major in Inclusive Education and Geography. READ MORE

BOOKS

Find Your Voice: A Methodology for Enhancing Literacy Through Re-Writing and Re-Acting
By Gail Noppe-Brandon
Reviewed By Joan Baum, PH.D.
Though the title sounds academic, Noppe-Brandon’s own voice is conversational. In a field where jargon and bloat often mask even good advice, Noppe-Brandon shows no fat. READ MORE

CAMPS

Stop Dreaming & Start Doing!
California Extreme Sports Camp is all about big fun. From dawn till dusk, the beautiful summer days are packed with action, adventure, and lots of new friends. But the activities are what really set this camp apart. READ MORE