Reap what you Sow

This month marks the 6 year anniversary of the greatest road trip of my life.  I left Denver in April of 2007 and travelled to Oakland with my girlfriend at the time, Shannon Cram.  We visited 8 national parks on our way to the place I now call home.  We arrived in Oakland the evening before my interview with Oakland Teaching Fellows and Shannon's mom grabbed Stand and Deliver from her VHS shelf.   

In my 5 years of teaching, Escalante's story inspired me to venture out of my comfort zone as a teacher, to build relationships with students and their families, and to spend more time planning my lessons.  

Now it is April of 2013, I'm taking the year away from teaching, Shannon is just a friend and it really is a small world we are living in.  Her new partner's father, Frank Romero, is the real life version of the man who was (mis)played by Andy Garcia in the classic movie about the trials, tribulations and triumphs of a group of young adults at Garfield High Schol back in the early 1980's.

Does Hollywood Hate Math?  Was Escalante really 'The Greatest Teacher in America'?

I want to take nothing away from Escalante.  He inspired hope in a group of young adults, to participate in a system that failed them on every adjacent side.  

I share this because, in 2013, it is time we start asking the tough questions.  

What does it take to score well on the AP Calculus Exam?

1.) Some (math) game

2.) Lots of self discipline

3.) A good teacher

4.) Enough faith that the 'system' is set up to support you that you are willing to spend your weekends studying double integrals

If you grew up in East LA, would you have number 4?

Have we created a system that measures buy-in, and not much else?

Returns on Investment

This is an example of the work we want to do Togha Tix.

What we can learn from Khan Academy:

1.) There is an amazing opportunity to teach the technical skills through online videos.

2.) There is something naturally engaging about a presentation with the subject removed.

3.) The 'pen effect' as I call it, is also naturally engaging.  If you have ever taught for more than 2 years, you have probably already learned about the art of simplicity.  Students watch the marker as long as you don't say the word first.  Guessing is fun!

4.) Someone fumbling with their words or veering in and out of ideas can be distracting.

Imagine the future of these videos with people who have been trained by an actual classroom to use distraction as a tool for engagement!

Profit, Planet, People

Thank you to Malaika Thorne for dedicating part of her Saturday AM to teaching me about the concept of the Triple Bottom Line.

Check out some of her work here.

Faith is an island in the setting sun, but proof is the bottom line for everyone - Paul Simon

  

Cash May Move Everything Around Me...

But it still won't get you rich!

I would like to say Thanks very much to Brando Rich at cashortrade.org for humoring me with this interview today.  I learned a lot, and I'm happy to share our conversation in case others might enjoy our discussion.

There is a lot of potential to teach economics here.  We are breaking down walls of information asymmetries.  If you want to be a part of it, join the movement! 

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What speaks louder than huh?

Swords, Germs and Steel

Free Your Metabolism

My new blog, is a video blog.