Technology is an integral part of today’s 21st century learner. My department, Virtual Learning, is part of the Educational Technology Group at Chicago Public Schools. The Educational Technology Group focuses on student well being by providing schools with tools that can create a successful environment for all. Below are two events which help promote 21st Century learning.

TechTalk 2012

On Friday, January 27th, 2012, the Educational Technology group put on their annual TechTalk conference. The conference featured 80+ sessions and 1000 participants. The focus was to showcase innovative technology, connect participants with vendors, and introduce new resources for schools.

Session topics varied widely from social media to iPads in schools to city of Chicago initiatives to web 2.0 materials. My supervisor and I also co-presented on Online Courses. You can view the conversation from the conference on Twitter by searching #cpstt. Also, here are two videos from the TechTalk Conference:

Alan November at CPS TechTalk ’12 from CPS Educational Technology Director John Connolly on Vimeo.

TechTalk Lunch Keynote – Jennie Magiera from CPS Educational Technology Director John Connolly on Vimeo.

Digital Learning Day/Month

February 1st, 2012 was the first ever National Digital Learning Day. Over 33 states, 1 million students, and 18,000 teachers participated in the celebration. The day had three main themes: showcase success, start a conversation, and try one new thing. The CPS Ed Tech Group decided to have February be Digital Learning Month. So far, three big events have occurred. First, many within CPS have submitted videos of their “What technology means to me”"Your 3 Words”. Catch my supervisor and I 2:46 seconds in.

CPS Digital Learning Day – Your 3 Words from CPS Tech on Vimeo.

Second, CEO Jean Claude Brizard celebrated Digital Learning Day by teaching 400 students about astronomy using an iPad app. Finally, CJ Watson of the Chicago Bulls recorded a video about online safety for CPS students. Here is that video:

CJ Watson Message to CPS Students from CPS Educational Technology Director John Connolly on Vimeo.

For Public Allies in Pittsburgh, mid year is fullllllll of everything stated above.  Reflection of what we accomplished… what we need to improve… our struggles and our successes. Reflections on diversity. Reflections on each other, our teams and whats to come.

To be honest, the whole process can be… well… uncomfortable. Not the negative sort of uncomfortable. Rather an intensive learning, “get out of your comfort zone to experience something new” kind of uncomfortable. The kind of uncomfortable you thank yourself for going through, sort of uncomfortable…

A perfect mid year retreat example: Comfort Zone Activity.
Before mid year retreat, Pittsburgh Allies were ask to step into a place where they felt they did “not belong” and have a conversation with someone/people in that setting.

Program Managers asked us to first write on a piece of paper what our comfort zone is. Then we were asked to write down our experience from the comfort zone activity.

Where did Allies go? Bars, Places of Worship, Homeless/Recovery shelters, Protests, Streets of neighborhoods in which they were not comfortable in for various reasons…

Overall it was a powerful exercise. It was interesting to see that some Allies’ comfort zone made other Allies uncomfortable, and vice versa. It made you think of what you may be able to learn from each others past experiences. Most importantly, as we described our experiences, we became aware of the assumptions we may have of this zone… allowing us to break down the barriers and learn what is holding us back from experiencing these places as well as the people in them.

Sadly I do not have any pictures of retreat… I left my camera at home… wahhh wahhh!

BUT I do have pictures of a mid year service day!!! Pittsburgh Public Allies beautified downtown Pittsburgh by picking up trash with Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.

The focus of our fellows day away was to work on goals for this trimester and to work on our Team Service Project (TSP). The  highlight of the day was practicing our karate moves.  Each fellow was given a piece of wood, and on one side we wrote our goals, and on the other side we wrote what would keep up from reaching our goals. Some of my goals included:better organization, patience, and using new teaching strategies. My obstacles included: fear, frustration, and fatigue. Once we had written our goals, Mark taught us the correct body position and technique to smash the boards. Needless to say, it was pretty awesome.

Public Allies Fellows at Eagle Rock school after breaking their boards

For most of the fellows, the process was therapeutic. It felt good to put all our frustration and fears into breaking the board. And when I get stuck, I try to remember that feeling of when finally (after many attempts) broke through my obstacles.

Watch us smash some boards in the hilarious video below of our fellows day away, created by Public Allies Director at Eagle Rock Mark Palmer.

* Eagle Rock School operates on a thirteen week trimester. Upon the end of the trimester students and staff take a three-four week break.

Two things that stay consistent: my companion during the day (my trusty laptop) and an abundance of tea. Today I’m at one of my favorite haunts, Spyhouse.  I’m drinking one of my favorite teas in the world, Evening in Missoula, which is also locally grown!  (For all you Minneapolitans, you can get it at The Wedge Co-op!)

It’s the little things that get me excited about my day!  What do you do to get you through it?

This year for Martin Luther King, Jr Day, Public Allies Chicago had five separate events. Four of the events served as a kick-off for the different Team Service Projects that PAChicago has.

Celebrating Diversity in Evanston 

Second year Allies assisted Y.O.U. Evanston with their “Diverse Evanston Walks United” (DEWU) event at the Music Institute of Chicago. The portion DEWU the second years helped with featured guest speakers, youth performers, and a live portait artist. The second years primarily assisted with set-up, break down, and running of the event. Here are a couple photos from their event:

Safe Sex Packet Distribution

The A-Team and their partner organization Illinois Caucus of Adolescent Health (ICAH) put together 700 packets of safe sex information and distributed them to some of Chicago’s highest STI rate areas. The A-Team will be building a teen sexual health curriculum with ICAH. Here are Team A members Aisha and Ruben tell you about their MLK Day endeavors:

Celebrating Peace by Creating Ideal Communities

Team New Edition kicks off their team service project with the Peace School by working with a small group of Chicago Public School students. Their day featured Meditation and group activities.

The purpose: help to promote the group’s focus on building ideal and peaceful communities within Chicago in two Community Colleges of Chicago. Here is a photo of Team New Edition and their participants:

Bringing Justice the Food Way

Team New Adults on the Block and their partner organization Empowerment through Education and Exposure (EEE) provided meals for 60 women who are currently homeless at Breakthrough Urban Ministries. They spent the morning preparing the meals, helped with serving, and then conversed with some of the women there. Here are some photos from their day:

Save the Best for Last, Eyes on Youth Homelessness

My TSP, Group Z, and our partner organization Alternatives, Inc. kicked off their storytelling and youth homelessness project with a clothing drive, art activities, and a round table discussion about youth homelessness. Here are a few photos from our service day:

To see the rest of the photos from the MLK Day events, please visit the Public Allies Chicago Facebook page.

L to R: 2nd years Harley Jones, me, and Juliann DiNicola, 1st years Chui-Hung Wong and Kate Shaffer at Camp Greenkill. Photo Credit: 2nd year Ally Cea Weaver.

A chance to escape the bustle of New York City is always welcome and that’s exactly what we got to do when 54 Allies journeyed up to Lake Hugenot, New York for our Mid Year retreat this past weekend. Connecting with nature is always my favorite part of these trips since this was my third (yes third!) retreat with PANY. As a second year I thought it might be repetitive, but getting to walk around the frozen lake on a partner walk with everyone in that photo was actually a great time to relax and enjoy the company of fellow Allies.

The trip was also a big reminder that I’m a second year Ally and the experience is completely different. The second years were able to facilitate an Ally-Led Station – workshops where we get to share our interests – examples being Salsa classes, portrait photography tips (which I helped Kate above in blue to do), art making, and yoga.

Teaching photography tricks with Kate. Photo Credit: Max Chang, PANY Program Manager.

We as 2nd years decided to create a workshop in self care and de-stressing, which turned into a big sister session for the first year Allies in answering their questions on how we were able to juggle our work at Partner Organizations, our work with Public Allies including trainings and Team Service Projects, and oh yes let’s not forget our personal lives.The main thread that I took away from that session was that if you want something to change at work, or if you are overwhelmed, be proactive about it! Yes your Program Managers are there to aide you on your journey but you have to help them help you in your anxieties and try and help find solutions. It makes sense but we forget this sometimes. And if all else fails, just host an awesome spelling bee like all of us in Cabin #4 did (below)!

Photo Credit: Janine Mascari, Public Allies 2011-2012.

I would love to know for anybody juggling many things at once: How do you manage to de-stress and take care of yourself?

1)      When it comes to any sort of activity associated with a level of creativity (such as preparing a Presentation of Learning), I’ve noticed that the Public Allies Connecticut staff has masterminded a managerial method made for motivating and maximizing meaningful manifestations of minions’ (us Allies’) i-magination. I think they call it MMMMMMMMiM or 8MiM for short. As an example, on the second day of retreat way back in September, we were given a large sheet of poster paper and some markers, and asked to, “make a map of our life.” When I asked for more details I was given a well-meaning smirk and shrug. Now, as someone with a highly procedural and detail-oriented mind (see ISTJ profile), I initially found this level of vagueness a bit annoying. However, I’ve come to realize its positive impact on my personal growth and the creative process. I have since forgiven the Public Allies Connecticut staff. The guidelines for our Presentations of Learning were similarly vague, although a few potential topic questions were supplied.

2)      The structured lack of structure described above also relies on our individual commitment to a level of effort that produces quality work; which I think we all showed last Friday.

Allies were encouraged to focus on what we’ve learned so far (i.e. not just a month-by-month recap of what we’ve done). Personal and professional growth was highlighted and we still got to see some of the awesome work our 2012 class has already accomplished!

For your viewing pleasure, I present Derek Santiago’s Mid-Year Presentation of Learning (by the way, “PACT” is how we refer to Public Allies Connecticut):

Fun times were had by all.

Philip Drew – Hartford, CT

Students gave thanks for receiving their donated school supplies:

Stuff People Say About MLK Street Projects

For me the film was especially powerful because of the project’s direct engagement with youth.  I often forget how incredibly young Dr. King was — he was only 26 when he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott.  I think that even if the streets that bear his name do not reflect his incredibly legacy, the students who explored those streets and asked those difficult questions are an astounding example of his vision.  Having a day “on” instead of a day off in honor of Martin Luther King afforded me the opportunity to think more critically about that vision.  It is more than the “I Have a Dream Speech” and more than an end to oppressive Jim Crow laws.  For me, Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy is about striving towards a world that is better for all of the people in it and I wish that we could reflect on that and have conversations about that on more than one day each year.  One day just isn’t enough.

So I realized that I had been referencing some of the Public Allies Connecticut (PACT) Bridgeport Allies but hadn’t officially introduced you- how rude of me, I know!  Check out the pic below to see what we look like and then scroll down to learn more about us.

Bottom Row, left to right: Tinesha, Melissa, Akira, & Isabelle (me!) Middle Row: Program Manager RJ, Samantha, & Christine Top Row: Beatriz, Heaven- Lee, and & Ben

First Year Ally: Tinesha Sneed

Placement: Southwestern CT AHEC (Area Health Education Center); Bridgeport, CT

Goal for This Year: “To take on the experience with an opened mind and an opened heart.  To try my hardest to change MY world not the WHOLE world.”

First Year Ally: Melissa Gabso
Placement: CT NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association); Oxford, CT
Favorite PACT Experience So Far: “Going ice skating at the Bushnell Park [Hartford, CT] Ice Rink and learning firsthand how civic engagement can pay off in real tangible terms.”

First Year Ally: Akira Ford

Placement: Saint Luke’s Lifeworks; Stamford, CT

Favorite PACT experience so far: “When Heaven- Lee and I went kayaking during Core Retreat!”

First Year Ally: Isabelle M. Delgado

Placement: FSW, Inc. (formerly Family Services Woodfield); Bridgeport, CT

Most Interesting Thing I’ve Learned About Bridgeport: “Bridgeport has a large Portuguese and Brazilian population- and with them they bring several good restaurants!”

Bridgeport Site Program Manager: RJ Mercede

Favorite PACT Experience So Far:  “I have two favorite PACT experiences so far- team building exercises at Core Retreat (including the flawless execution of the “Double Piggy Back Ride”) and Bridgeport TSP’s first team breakfast together.”  (See below for the photo.  Shout out to Heaven- Lee, Beatriz, & Ben!)

First Year Ally: Samantha Santos

Placement: Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust; Bridgeport, CT

Most Interesting Thing I’ve Learned About Bridgeport: “Bridgeport has so much potential; it’s like an ‘unpolished jewel.’ “

First Year Ally: Christine Santos

Placement: Domus; Stamford, CT

Favorite PACT experience so far: “When we packed six people into a Trans Am to meet with [local community organizer] Angie Staltaro at Bridgeport City Hall!”

First Year Ally: Beatriz Santiago

Placement: Saint Vincent’s Dispensary of Hope; Bridgeport, CT

The most interesting thing I’ve learned about Bridgeport:  ”A lot of our land was polluted in the past, which makes it difficult [but not impossible!] to rebuild.”

First Year Ally: Heaven- Lee Giovinco

Placement: Saint Luke’s Lifeworks; Stamford, CT

Favorite PACT experience so far: “Pot luck brunch on full day TSP days.”  [Heaven Lee introduced us to the calorie laden but oh so delicious microwaveable-waffle-with-caramel-ice-cream-and-whipped-cream "breakfast" combo!]

First Year Ally: Ben Pharr

Placement: Operation Hope; Fairfield, CT

Favorite Quote: ” ‘Every sound you make in life echoes in eternity.’ -Unknown”

2.0 (Second Year) Ally: Sharaya Smith

Placement: Bridgeport Public Library, Volunteer Services Coordinator

Favorite PACT experience so far: ”For me, it would have to be Core Retreat from my first year.  It totally changed my life!”  Below, Sharaya poses as The Public Ally From the Future for our Newspaper Fashion Show during Core Retreat!

2.0 Ally: Shon McKenzie

Placement: Bridgeport Housing Authority; Bridgeport, CT

Goal for this year: “To graduate this Public Allies year with a great experience behind me.  I also plan to further my education by getting my Master’s in Psychology for a great career.”

Shon listens carefully during a CL Friday training.

2.0 Ally: Veronica Swain

Placement: GBAPP, Inc. (Greater Bridgeport Area Prevention Program); Bridgeport, CT

The Most Interesting Thing I’ve learned About Bridgeport:  “It has a thriving artist community.  I wasn’t aware of the richness and cohesiveness of the creative community until I moved here and began working in Bridgeport.”

Veronica showing off her illustration talent as she presents her galaxy- themed Life Map during Core Retreat.

Nice to meet you!