Tuesday, January 17, 2012

MLK Day (belated)

MLK Day (belated)

How could I forget?

Perhaps it's because I'm out of the classroom.  Otherwise, I'd have had students dreaming and writing their  dreams for a better tomorrow and making their dream books out of cut-out card-backed photo-copied colouring sheets of Martin's head.

Instead, I forgot.  So, I went to YouTube this morning, downloaded the "I have a dream" speech and made everyone in the admin office listen to it with me.  When Dr. King began with, "I am happy to join with you today..." our business manager asked, "Is that Mitt Romney?"

In an effort to promote a greater understanding/appreciation of the ideals Dr. MLK promoted, I sent the following email to the teaching staff:


This week's PSHE theme is 'Accepting differences/Inclusion'.  I invite you to take a little time and watch the YouTube video below; it is of Martin Luther King, Jr's "I have a dream" speech.   


You may choose to have your students watch it (years 5 and 6) and discuss the ideas of integration and equality.  With younger children, the "I have a dream" statements (towards the end of the speech) can be a jumping off point where the children can talk about their dreams for a better--more inclusive--world.

I also came across my current favourite MLK quote:  ‎"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically... Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education." 

Training for the Paris Marathon is coming along wonderfully.  Yesterday I had my first enjoyable run!  At the end I wanted to keep on going.  Wisely, I didn't.  You know, too much of a good thing.  The biggest challenge I'm facing now in booking a flight.  I've literally got to finish the run then hop on a plane back to Uganda.  School starts back the following day (16th April).  The school has generously granted me that day off, but many of the airlines that go between Entebbe and Paris either do not fly back on the 15th or they leave too early for me to make the flight after the run.  And the ones that do... well, I'm trying to work out my best option.  This weekend it will be done.  Hopefully.

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