The Virtues and Vices of Open Court

[Peter Farruggio <pfarr@cal.berkeley.edu>]

> Teachers 4 Social Justice presents  Public Education 411:
>
> The Virtues and Vices of Open Court
> Thursday, March 13th, 5:30-7:30pm
>
> MetWest, Huerta Hall, Harper Building - 314 E. 10th Street, Oakland.
> BART accessible! Lake Merrit BART Station is located at 800 Madison Street
> between 8th and 9th Streets, a five- to ten-minute walk from MetWest. Walk
> up Madison to 10th Street and turn right. Walk down E. 10th Street, past the
> Oakland Museum, Laney College, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.
> Our building will be on the left hand side of the street.
>
> With Open Court as the mandated curriculum for literacy instruction in
> Oakland Unified, teachers do not have significant instructional autonomy.
>  We do, however, have the power to reflect critically on the aspects of Open
> Court that may help or hinder the development of our students in order to
> better meet their needs.  This 411 offers an opportunity for teachers to
> listen to and engage in dialogue regarding how we can thoughtfully and
> critically approach a mandated curriculum.
>
> Some questions we will consider:
> ? What is the historical or political connection between Open Court and
> NCLB?
> ? What are the disadvantages of Open Court and what are the implications for
> students' literacy development?
> ? What are some of the advantages of Open Court?
> ? How can Open Court be used to meet students' needs, if at all?
>
> 2. "THE STRUGGLE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE IN EDUCATION"
> 2nd Annual Assoc. of Raza Educators Conference
>
> Saturday, April 12, 2008
> Lincoln High School, San Diego, CA
>
> Confirmed Speakers: Dr. Antonia Darder (Univ. Illinois, Urbana-Chamapain),
> Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade (SFSU), Chente Jimenez (Somos Raza)
>
> SPEAKERS o WORKSHOPS o DIALOGUE o CULTURA
>
> Registration: http://www.sdareconference2008.eventbrite.com
>
> For more information:
> http://www.associationofrazaeducators.org
>
> 3. The New York Collective of Radical Educators (NYCoRE) is proud to
> announce the release of:
>
> Camouflaged: Investigating how the U.S. Military Affects You and Your
> Community
> *Foreword by Bill Bigelow
> *Edited by Edwin Mayorga, Bree Picower, & Seth Rader
>
> It is available for purchase at http://www.nycore.org
>
> Camouflaged provides tools for educators to help middle and high school-aged
> students explore the role of the United States military in their lives and
> in their communities. It provides a critical lens with which to examine the
> military from a historical and contemporary perspective. The book is an
> excellent tool for integrating current events and social justice teaching in
> any classroom.
>
> Camouflaged is available for purchase at http://www.nycore.org.
>
> Visit us on the web: http://www.t4sj.org and check our Upcoming Events
> calendar to keep in touch!