Beauty of State Parks

Our dog, Astrid, was out of control with energy yesterday so I decided we were going for a long hike at a nearby state park. It was a beautiful day and this dog just needed a looooonnng walk, so that is what we did. Again, a beautiful day out as evident in these pictures I took.

A fantastic fall day. We did a two hour hike on various trails throughout the park. I was worn out, but I'm not sure the dog was. LOL!

After the hike, I stopped at a McDonald's for an Oreo McFlurry because I'm an adult and I can. LOL! It was a delicious McFlurry. :-)

Moral of this story? State parks are wonderful places and you should take advantage of them, particularly in the fall when the leaves are turning and the outside temperature is not as hot. You likely have a state park not too far from you and admittance is generally low cost. Where I live, the entrance fee is $7, but for $50 you can get an annual pass, which we did at the start of 2020. With COVID-19 preventing us from doing many other things we normally would have done, we've spent more time at state parks this year than in any year in the past. We definitely got our money's worth out of the annual pass.

Delayed Posting

Well, turns out it is hard to keep up with 5 posts a week given all that is going on in life. With a new job, kids involved in sports, and a new puppy, life is busy! I'm decided that I can't keep up with 5 posts per week, but do plan to post when I can, hopefully a couple of times per week.

Coming up soon, I will share some pictures of our shorter vacation to Clifty Falls State Park in southern Indiana. We took our dog with us and had fun hiking the park and checking out the shops in the historic downtown. Fun times. We also drove through the huge Jack O Lantern Spectacular in Louisville, KY. It was very cool!!! Thousands of carved and painted pumpkins setup in themed sections with appropriate music. Wow!

This Blog's History: Indiana Dunes State Park

 In case you missed it the first time, for This Friday in This Blog's History, I point you back to the post I wrote detailing our trip to the Indiana Dunes State Park. A great park with some very cool hiking trails across the dunes, and of course, the beach! If you want a challenge, take the Three Dunes Challenge! Great views!

Indiana Dunes State Park

Register to Vote

The 2020 general elections are quickly approaching and voter registration deadlines in many states are quickly approaching in the next week or so. I do not focus much on politics on this blog, but readers will know that I definitely lean toward one political party in the United States. I'm always going to support the party that shows the greatest support for developing policies that follow the science. 

If you haven't registered to vote, please do so and go out and vote! For more information on how to register to vote, here is a great resource:

How to Register to Vote

Make your voice known by voting! You have a chance to make a difference, and yes, ever single vote matters!

Annual Flu Shot Reminder

This is my annual reminder to all readers to go and get your flu shot. My family is headed out this weekend to get ours. The flu is deadly, with several tens of thousands of Americans dying each year due to flu complications. The flu vaccine is not perfect and some years provide better protection than others. An imperfect flu vaccine is not an excuse to not get vaccinated, however. Even in a year in which the vaccine is not as effective, it still provides more protection than not getting the shot.

Getting your flu vaccine in 2020 is even more important with the COVID-19 pandemic. As of today, there are still 40,000+ new cases of COVID-19 each day with 700-800 new deaths each day. The flu vaccine will not protect you from COVID-19, but it will help you from getting the flu. If you were to contract COVID-19, having the flu at the same time could be a recipe for several illness or death. 

Please, please, please, take the flu seriously and get your vaccine!!! You can get your vaccine at you doctor's office, or pretty much any place that has a pharmacy. Most grocery stores that have a pharmacy have flu vaccines available. Don't wait...now is the time to get your flu vaccine.

Knight Errant - A Star War Book Review

My latest book read was Knight Errant by John Miller Jackson. This is a Star Wars book in which a young Jedi is trapped in a system trying to free slaves and help the people from the evils of the Sith. Your basic Star Wars book and nothing special, but it was a nice escape from the real world. That's the joy I find in books. They are a nice, temporary escape from the troubles of the real world. And books are powerful. :-) With technology today, I am never without a book in my hand. It may not be a physical book, but with e-readers and my phone, no matter where I am, I have a book available. And that is awesome!

Another Dog Picture :-)

Now that we have a dog, you can expect lots of dog pictures. Sorry. This dog is just too cute not to post pictures! :-) Today's picture is of her resting in my car while I'm waiting for my daughter to finish up softball practice. The way I see it, she's just recharging to be ready to terrorize the cat when we get home. :-) Don't sympathize too much with the cat, because he eggs on the dog and is 50% of the problem in their battles!

How can one not love this dog?!?!?! She's a puppy and her endless energy can be frustrating at times, but we love her!

This Blog's History: Indiana Dunes National Park

In case you missed it the first time, for This Friday in This Blog's History, I point you back to the post I wrote detailing our trip to the Indiana Dunes National Park. A great park with some very cool hiking trails across the dunes, and of course, the beach!

Indiana Dunes National Park

Indiana Dunes State Park

A few days ago I shared a few details and pictures from our trip to the Indiana Dunes National Park. The national park has a cool beach and some very cool hiking trails. If you have more than one day in the area, be sure to check out the Indiana Dunes State Park. It also has a cool beach and some great hiking trails. In fact, the beach at the state park was easier to find a spot to sit and socially distance given there is more sandy area between the cliffs and the water.

When it comes to hiking, there are several trails in the park, but if you want a challenge, do the Three Dune Challenge, which is a circularly loop that takes you up and down three large sandy dunes. You'll definitely get a workout and feel it in your calves when you are done.

Above is an example of one of the dunes, looking down. The elevation change isn't high, but the angle is steep, around 35 degrees for each of the dunes. That and a sandy ground that shifts when you step on it adds to the challenge making the climb. But the climb (all three) are well worth it when you get to the top and see views such as this one below.

My 10 year old daughter and I did the Three Dune Challenge while my wife and 13 year old daughter hung out on the beach. We joined them later. It was a fun hike although there were a ton of biting flies, which was kind of annoying. It kept us moving because whenever we stopped, the flies would start to bite. Not sure why there were so many biting flies. But despite the flies, it was a great hike and a lot of fun. 

To conclude, please don't assume a national park is better than a state park. That is certainly not true with the Indiana Dunes. Both are fantastic parks and you do not want to miss either!

Life on Venus

Yesterday, an article by CNN was published sharing the details of study of possible life on Venus. The title of the article at the time read:

"A gas found on Earth that signifies life has been detected in the clouds on Venus"

Wow...life on Venus, right? Not so fast. This is a very misleading headline as it clearly states that life has been detected, but that is NOT what the researchers in the study said. The article states that phosphine was detected in the atmosphere of Venus. Phosphine can occur when bacteria or when organic material breaks down. This is a pretty cool discovery, but it doesn't tell us for sure that life was detected. There's a quote in the article from a coauthor of the study stating that something unexpected has happened. But that's different than jumping to the conclusion that life was detected.

A gas found on Earth that signifies life has been detected in the clouds on Venus

This just goes to show you that you have to click on an article and read it to get the full story. In this case, if you didn't click on the article, you'd walk away thinking life was detected. Something cool is happening on Venus, but is it life? Possible, but nowhere close to definite. Remember, ask questions and think critically.

Astrid Says Hello

Just in case you didn't know, we love our poochie, Astrid, who joined our household on July 3, 2020. To start the week, here's a picture of her. 

This was an early morning pic and no, she doesn't care that I haven't had my morning coffee! It's been a fun-filled 2 month journey with her in our house. Some frustrations, yes, but also plenty of love. It's hard to stay mad at a dog when they love you unconditionally and are always happy to see you, even if you've only been gone for 5 minutes.

This Blog's History: Astrid and the Soccer Ball

In case you missed it, we got a dog and her name is Astrid. She's a Blue Heeler who is full of energy and loves to run and chase things. My kiddo left her soccer ball outside, despite our warnings not to. Astrid got a hold of it, and well, that was the end of that soccer ball. The link to the original post, with a picture, is below.

Astrid vs. The Soccer Ball

Indiana Dunes National Park

In August we took a weekend mini-vacation to the Indiana Dunes. We had never been there before and we were looking for an opportunity to visit a beach, do some hiking, but also relax outdoors where it is easier to socially distance. The Indiana Dunes were the perfect place. As I already stated, it was a mini, two-night vacation with one day spent at the national park and the other day spent at the state park. This post details our trip to the national park on our first full day there.

The Indiana Dunes National Park is split into multiple parts with several different beaches. A few of the beaches are closed and others are very tight for parking. The park website suggests visiting West Beach given it has large parking lots. So we went to West Beach. There was plenty of parking, even on a weekend. The water level of Lake Michigan was high, so the beach is narrow, meaning that to socially distance be prepared to walk along the shore for several minutes before finding a large enough place to sit down and be distanced from others. As long as you are willing to walk, you will find a place to sit on the beach and be safe from COVID-19. On the day we went, the water was very choppy and swimming was closed.

 

 

Yep, very choppy, but our kids had fun at the shore line and we enjoyed relaxing on the beach. We even had a visitor join us!

 

We also took a hike, before spending time on the beach, around the dunes. There's a very nice trail, the Dune Succession trail, that takes you up one of the dunes and back down to the beach. You get some great views such as this:

Beautiful! So if you need some time outside during COVID-19, the Indiana Dunes National Park is a great place to go! There will be a lot of people, but it is still easy to socially distance. Do not confuse the national park with the state park. I actually enjoyed the state park more than the national park, but more on that in an upcoming post.

Be sure to stop at the national park visitor's center and get your national park book stamped. Don't have a book? You're in luck, they sell them for about $10 in the visitor's center.

The Broken Kingdoms - A Book Review

My latest book read was The Broken Kingdoms. This is the second book in the Inheritance trilogy by N.K. Jemisin. If you haven't heard of N.K. Jemisin, you are missing out and you definitely need to check out the books she has authored.

N.K. Jemisin Books

The Broken Kingdoms is a bit different than the first book in the series, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. The major characters in the first book do make appearances in the second book, but the focus is on a new character, Oree. This is a book of gods, godlings, mortals, and demons. Oree discovers who she is and finds herself in the middle of a battle between demons, godlings, mortals, and the three gods. 

It's a very exciting book and one that is much different than your typical fantasy novel. N.K. Jemisin does a great job creating a unique fantasy world that is unlike any other I've read! Who will survive and who will die? You'll have to read it to find out.

Black Lives in Astronomy - Resource Guide

Yes, it is true that I no longer teach in the classroom now that I am a full-time administrator at my school. I have fully embraced the dark side. LOL! But I still love finding resources to help in the classroom and over the summer I came across a resource guide to Black Lives in Astronomy, by astronomer Andrew Fraknoi.

Black Lives in Astronomy - Resource Guide

This is a great pdf that links to many sources on black astronomers. I spent time the last few years highlighting non-white astronomers and astronauts. I wish had had this resource guide then! Astronomy is a field that is very, very white and has a huge diversity problem. Yes, an astronomy class should focus on stars, planets, galaxies, etc., but it is also important to take time talking about diversity, or lack thereof, in an astronomy classroom. This resource guide is a great source for any teacher looking for teaching ideas on diversity to implement in their classroom. 

Astronomy is not just about the content, but about the people adding new information to the field everyday.

What Happened?

What happened to this blog? Well, things got busy and I haven't posted since August 14th. I hope to change that starting today by getting back on track with daily posts during the week. In the last month I've read a few good books and we took a family trip to the Indiana Dunes National Park and the Indiana Dunes State Park. Thus I have some cool things to post about!

Over the summer I took a new position at the school I work and things have been incredibly busy and working at school during COVID-19 takes an already busy start to the year and makes it even busier! I've been so busy, I didn't even realize over 3 weeks have passed since I last posted to this blog. Yikes!!! Time to change that! :-)

This Blog's History: What is Plutonium?

For This Friday in This Blog's History, I point you back to a post I wrote on the cool sounding element, plutonium. Yes, maybe the best name of all the elements! But what is plutonium? To learn more, here's the link to the original post for a few weeks ago.

What is Plutonium?

The Number One Post: The Egg Drop Experiment

I've writing this blog for 8+ years now and some posts are more popular than others. The most viewed post? That belongs to a post I wrote in the very first year of this blog detailing the egg drop experiment I had my physics students do in class.

The Egg Drop Experiment

This post, which admittedly has some very cool pictures of egg drop ships, has been viewed 27,500 times since October 2012. Wow!

LIL BUB on Twitter

I follow quite a few scientists and science communicators on Twitter. And I also follow a few cats. Yes, a few cats. One of those is LIL BUB (@IAMLILBUB), an internet cat sensation who died at the end of 2019. I think one of the reasons 2020 is such a sucky year is LIL BUB is no longer here. If you don't know LIL BUB, you can learn more here:

LIL BUB Website

Remember, it is okay to follow cats on Twitter. In fact, I think it makes you a better person. :-)

Astrid vs. The Soccer Ball

We welcomed a dog into our lives, Astrid, a Blue Heeler, on July 3, 2020. It has been a month filled with tons of fun and excitement from her. Very early on we told our kids that they need to make sure anything you don't want the dog to eat isn't left lying on the ground or floor. My oldest daughter did not listen to this and within a few days, Astrid found that my kiddo's soccer ball was a fun toy.

It did not take long for Astrid to shred this soccer ball and my daughter learned a valuable lesson. I'd like to think the lesson was don't leave important stuff out for the dog to chew, but I think it ended up being that she can buy a new soccer ball be "forgetting" to put the old one away. Hmmm. :-)

Flowers for Algernon - Book Review

My latest book read was the short science fiction story titled Flowers for Algernon, written by Daniel Keyes. This is a story about a man with a low IQ who is given an experimental surgery that quickly raises his IQ to super genius level. As the man's IQ rises, he finds himself more and more disconnected with the people in his life. The rise in IQ is temporary and than starts to decrease, bringing the man back in touch with those around him. The story is also about how those around him view him as his IQ changes. A beautifully written and wondering science fiction short story that I highly recommend!

This Blog's History: Possibly Getting a Dog

For This Friday in This Blog's History I point you back to the post I wrote on us possibly getting a dog to add to the family. It's no longer a possibility. It's a reality. We now have a puppy, a blue heeler we named Astrid. Full of energy and so much fun!!!

Possibly Getting a Dog

Get Your Flu Shot - Annual Reminder

I usually wait until later in the fall to put out my annual flu vaccine reminder, but this is a much different season with COVID-19 still raging throughout the United States. Please, please, please, get your flu vaccine as soon as they are available this year. Although the flu vaccine will not help you with COVID-19, it will protect you from the seasonal flu, reducing your odds you will need to seek medical attention for the flu.

And when that COVID-19 vaccine comes out (fingers crossed), please do not delay and get this vaccine! Protect yourself and protect others through herd immunity. For more on the flu vaccine, here's my post from last year. I could share links to posts from all of the previous years too, but the information doesn't change. Even in a bad season when the flu vaccine is not as effective, it still provides some protection and can minimize how sick you get if you do catch it. The flu is no joking matter. Get that vaccine!!!

Get Your Flu Shot - 2019 Version

Eruption: Supervolcano #1 Book Review

I've previously read the World War historical fiction series by Harry Turtledove and recently picked up the Supervolcano trilogy. Finally had a chance to read the first book and thought it was a decent read. The supervolcano in question is the Yellowstone supervolcano that has gone off in the past (last eruption was several hundred thousand years ago) and has a chance of going off again sometime in the future. What does sometime in the future mean? Could be next year, could be a 1000 years, could be 100,000 years. We don't know. But when it goes off, it will cause mass damage across the United States

Eruption follows the story of a divorced family with adult children living across the country. Each of their lives is affected differently based on where they were when the volcano went off. It's not the greatest book in the world and does get a bit dry at times, but I found myself remaining engaged and didn't tire from reading it. Will I read the last two books in the series? Yep. When I start a series, I finish a series. It takes a very, very, very, bad book series for me to stop reading part way through. :-)

More Astrid Pictures

We've had a ton of fun with our new puppy, Astrid. She loves her belly rubbed and loves to run around the yard and play fetch! Here are a few more pictures of her.

Newton, our cat, is not the biggest fan. LOL!

We Got a Puppy!!!

We did it! We got a puppy! Her name is Astrid and she is a Blue Heeler. Tons of fun and full of excitement! I'll leave this post short today but look at this picture. So cute!

This Blog's History: What is Neptunium?

For This Friday in This Blog's History, I point you back to a post I wrote about neptunium. What is neptunium, other than a cool sounding rock band name? Well, for that you'll have to read the original post, linked below. :-)

What is Neptunium?

Emergency Skin - Book Review

The other night I started and finished Emergency Skin, a short story by N.K. Jemisin. The story is about 50 pages in length, so a quick read, but one filled with many thought-provoking ideas. Without giving the story away, let me attempt to provide a brief overview.

The story starts with a being going to Earth, called Tellus, to collect materials for the being's home planet. The being is guided by some type of artificial intelligence. When arriving on Tellus, the being discovers it is inhabited and later learns that it came from Earth at some point in the past.

What follows is a story of how we treat each other and the values we place on individuals in society. It's a story of the rich and pretentious versus those who care about individuality. An excellent short story I encourage you to add to your must-read list.

Emergency Skin is part of Forward, a collection of 6 short stories, but you can purchase Emergency Skin by itself and you don't need to read the other stories, although I plan to.

What is #46: Plutonium?

It's time for another element in this series, this time taking a look at plutonium. The last two elements discussed on this blog were uranium and neptunium, the two elements just before plutonium on the periodic table. Plutonium is the 94th element on the periodic table, meaning it has 94 protons. That's a lot of protons! Similar to neptunium, plutonium is not produced naturally in the Universe. It is produced in a lab on Earth, beginning in 1940.

What is plutonium used for? Well, it's not an element you just keep in your house, that's for sure. Plutonium is used in nuclear weapons (yikes!) as well as a fuel for many spacecraft that have been launched from Earth.

Since there are no more planets in the Solar System (Pluto isn't a planet either) the 95th element on the periodic table does not follow the naming trend of uranium (Uranus), neptunium (Neptune), and Pluto (plutonium). The 95th element is americium, named after the Americas. If dwarf planets were known at the time americium was named, it might have been called erocium (after Eros), or cerecium (after Ceres). Oh well.

Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2) - Book Review

My daughter and I are reading the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Sharon Messenger, although she just finished book #5 and I just finished Exile (Book #2). This is a pretty good young adult series that models the style of Harry Potter. The second book picked up where the first book left off and didn't miss a beat. Just as exciting and filled with different story lines that all tie together. The book doesn't end with a cliffhanger, but you know the story is not finished. Right now there are eight books published and a ninth book is set to be released in November 2021.

If you have upper elementary or middle school aged kids, this is a great series to read along with them, particularly if you enjoy the fantasy genre.

Possibly Getting a Dog

After holding off for many years, we are thinking about adding a member to the family. No, not another human. We already have two little humans (okay, not so little anymore) in the house. We are seriously considering adding a dog to our family. We already have a cat, so we are looking for a dog that is both friendly and energetic with kids, as well as a dog that gets along reasonably well with our cat, Newton.

We've been debating what to name our dog when we get it. Many years ago, before our kids were born, my wife promised me I could name our first dog Treebeard. LOL! I still remember that, but am having a hard time convincing our 10 year old that Treebeard is a good name. LOL! My second thought is naming the dog Isaac. Why Isaac? Because our cat's name is Newton. Then when we need to call the pets, we can yell out "Isaac, Newton, Isaac, Newton!" LOL!

Yes, I'm having way too much fun with coming up with dog names. :-) I'll let you all know when we have the dog and have named it. Something tells me I'm not going to win on Treebeard. :-)

This Blog's History: Ouabache State Park

In case you missed it last time, For This Friday in This Blog's History, I point you to a post I wrote following our family visit to Ouabache State Park in northeast Indiana. We had a great time hiking and saw buffalo. Buffalo!

Ouabache State Park

Tree Frogs Visitors

This summer we've seen several tree frogs visiting and hanging out in our landscaping around the house.

Each time we go out we look for these tree frogs (at least I think they are tree frogs) to make sure we aren't stepping on them! It's been a bit of a game to see who can find them first!

Moral of this story? Take a close look around your house in the summer. You'd be surprised at the nature you might find right at your doorstep!

NPR's 1A Podcast

Need another podcast for your list or need something new to change things up? If you enjoy politics, current events, and issues in the country, I encourage you to give NPR's 1A podcast a try.

NPR's 1 A Podcast

This podcast is a mix of current events and political discussions that will keep you informed of what is going on in the U.S. Episodes are usually 30-40 minutes and produced daily on weekdays.

How to Be an Antiracist

This summer I picked up a handful of books by black authors to add to my summer reading list. One of these was How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. This is an absolute must-read by everyone! The book details the importance of being an antiracist vs. simply saying you are "not racist". To be an antiracist is to fight against racism in society instead of sitting by and letting it exist.

The author spends much time discussing his own racism in his life and his battle to be an antiracist. The author does not hold back on his own failings in life and that is an important point for all of us to carefully consider. We all hold racist ideas, whether we know it or not. We all need to carefully think about our choices and the policies we agree with. Are those policies racist? The author shares how important it is to constantly reflect on ourselves and identify our racism and do something about it.

This is not a book to be read once and tossed to the back of the book shelf. This is a book to be read, reflected upon, and then re-read a year later to analyze. How will I have change by the summer of 2021? Will I be closer to being an antiracist? Or will I still have tendencies of "not racist"?

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

On Father's Day, after a day filled with playing board games, reading, and going for a walk, we ended the evening as a family by watching The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind on Netflix. The movie is based on a true story and takes place in Malawi, Africa. The people living in smaller villages are struggling with crops as drought and flooding take place. When trees are sold for logging, additional flooding ruins crops before the dry season begins, causing vast hunger. To survive, crops must be planted during the dry season, but need water. One of the teenagers in the village builds a windmill to pump water from a well to water the crops.

Here in the U.S., particularly in the Midwest where we live, drinking water is not a problem. Yes, there are droughts, but for the most part, acquiring clean drinking water is never a problem. There are a few areas in the U.S. where acquiring clean drinking water is more of a problem, but the percentage of the U.S. population that never has to worry about clean water is very high. That is not true elsewhere in the world. This movie was a good look at the importance of water and many areas do not have easy access. Water for crops needed for food can be scarce. Drought can be more intense. And areas where drought is intense can have more intense flooding at different times of the year, complicating the growing of crops for food. Add in climate change, and you have a worsening situation across the world.

In the end, this is a feel good success story, but that is not the case everywhere.

This Blog's History: My At-Home Co-Worker

Because you can never get enough of my cat, for This Friday in This Blog's History, I point you back to a post I shared with a picture of him working at home with me. He was "working" hard. LOL!

My At-Home Co-Worker

Fort Harrison State Park

A couple of weeks ago, we made a family visit to Fort Harrison State Park near Indianapolis, IN. This is a state park very close to a heavily populated area, but one, that once you are inside, does not feel urban or suburban at all. This was our first visit to this park and I'm regretting not visiting sooner! Due to its proximity to a large population center, this park can be heavily populated. During busy times it can take a while to get into the park as there is a long line of cars going through the gatehouse checkpoint. But once inside, it is a large park with plenty of parking, and plenty of really cool hiking trails to separate yourself from the crowds.

The Duck Pond at Fort Harrison State Park. Duck-free when we visited.

Despite a very busy day when we were there, the non-paved hiking trails felt like a non-busy day at a state park. So if you are trying to social distance, you can still do so at this park, despite what may look like a huge crowd!

The park offers several miles of wooded hiking trails and plenty of areas for a picnic, with several picnic stations setup along the river that runs through the park.

If you need to get out of the house and need to social distance, Fort Harrison state park is a good place for you!

Additional Antiracism Resources

The last several posts on this blog have shared antiracism educational materials, shared with me by a colleague. Here are a few more resources, shared by this same colleague. Please, check them out.

USC Libraries antiracist Pedagogy Guide, including the sections: Resources to use in the classroom, Methods and challenges, Pedagogy and whiteness, Antiracism and allyship in the academy, Further resources.  https://libguides.usc.edu/c.php?g=744325&p=5908931

 

The Google doc crowdsourced list of antiracist pedagogy resources below seeks not to duplicate works on the CTI or USC lists. List originally compiled by Corine Tachtiris (UMass Amherst). Doc is open for collaboration.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kbLH1jp2OjqBiBt4j7j50GNCDW0OfJhvkMlBgXjUlr4/edit

With an understanding of the theoretical contours of anti-racism and the inter-disciplinary nature of antiracism (antiracism as visual art, theater, poetry, and music), teachers will be guided as they launch their own investigation into and subsequent unit development about anti-racism. To connect our study of anti-racism to pedagogical contexts, there will be a menu of readings that teachers can self-select depending on their teaching contexts, grade levels and individual interests.   https://charlotteteachers.org/seminars/2020-seminars/anti-racism-and-pedagogy-what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-anti-racist-teacher/

 

University of Denver:

Inclusive teaching practices require us to engage the wealth of intersecting social identities and positionalities that faculty and students bring to the classroom. Whether face-to-face or online, inclusion must not be an afterthought. Rather, it should permeate every aspect of curriculum and course design, classroom management, and assessment of teaching and learning.

Through this site, we invite you to advance your praxis, create dynamic courses, remove barriers to learning, and dismantle oppressive practices by implementing inclusive pedagogies. Explore critical diversity considerations that shape higher education in real-time, read academic articles, visit suggested websites, and watch recommended TED talks and videos.

https://operations.du.edu/inclusive-teaching

75 Things White People can do for Racial Justice

Contains good links for learning more about racism and actions that individuals can take to call out racism when they see it or hear about it.

https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/what-white-people-can-do-for-racial-justice-f2d18b0e0234

 

Baldwin’s “A Talk to Teachers”  https://www.spps.org/cms/lib010/MN01910242/Centricity/Domain/125/baldwin_atalktoteachers_1_2.pdf

A useful speech to guide educators and how they teach during this time. I’ve also seen this New Yorker piece make the rounds: https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/james-baldwins-lesson-for-teachers-in-a-time-of-turmoil

Antiracism Videos

Yes, you guessed it. Today I have more antiracism educational materials to share, that were shared to me by a work colleague. Do not give me credit, give my colleague credit. Below is a list of videos on antiracism. Please, please, check out a few of these and educate yourself.

The Urgency of Intersectionality, Kimberle Crenshaw

Danger of Silence, Clint Smith III

Ibram X Kendi on the Solution for America’s “Metastatic” Racism, Ibram X. Kendi

Black Bruins, Sy Stokes

Should White People Rap the N-Word?, Ta-Nehisi Coates

Why White People Shouldn’t Say The N-Word Using An Analogy of Wounds, Summer Charles

How To Deconstruct Racism, One Headline At A Time, Baratunde Thurston

“Cuz He’s Black” Spoken Word, Javon Johnson

Three Myths About Racism, Candis Watts Smith

Let’s Get To The Root of Racial Injustice, Megan Ming Francis

What Beyonce Taught Me About Racism, Brittany Baron

“How the Hood Loves You Back” Steven Willis

Being Black by Jane Elliot

How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion, Peggy McIntosh

The Power of Privilege, Tiffany Jana