Be a Better Tech Parent

Be a Better Tech Parent

Posted using ShareThis

Decision Making Becomes the Newest Life Science | Edutopia

Decision Making Becomes the Newest Life Science | Edutopia

The Lost Generation?

The "Lost Generation" is Business Week is calling the younger Americans, shut out of economic opportunities. I think about how a cultural passport could provide access to job training as well as alternative economic opportunities. Kids still have to eat, have fun, and see new things, whether there's money or not.

Evolving perspectives on corrections and the youth (in)justice system

Most people admit that the youth criminal justice system is broken. However, there are few leaders willing to pay attention to this issue and a lack of willingness to design and implement new solutions to creating a way out for youth in prison.

I was excited to see this article published on The Root about how there is a growing bipartisan movement to end life sentencing for nonviolent youth offenders which is making its way to the US Supreme Court.

http://www.theroot.com/views/former-republican-senator-and-charles-roc-dutton-want-no-more-life-prison-teenagers

The passport project is relevant here as part of an alternative sentencing plan to youth offenders / ex-offenders. The youth would pass through a comprehensive "cultural boot camp" where they learn how to use the Passport and navigate the cultural network, from using Google Maps to locate destinations and plot bus schedules and maps, to documenting their visits with text, pictures and digital video. Then, they would be assigned a regimen of visits followed up by online learning activities, and would document their visits in the form of a product such as a web page, blog, song, article, photo essay, or video.

This use of the passport would create channels which currently don't exist for youth to visit and develop an understanding of the cultural sites and activities in the city. The passport would allow them the opportunities to expand their horizons and redraw their maps of the city to include more nourishing, socially positive destinations where they can interact with like-minded peers as well as educators and mentors.

Moving Forward

It's October 2009 and the project is moving forward. I wish I could say by leaps and bounds, but there are only so many hours in each day to dedicate to this when I have to pay the bills as a musician and grad student.

This past week was a shot in the arm to the project in many ways. I was invited to be a panelist a the Future of Music Coalition annual summit at Georgetown University. There, over the course of three days and several panels, the co-panelists, discussed, explained, and sometimes bickered over media issues, digital technology, livelihood for musicians, arts education, among many other themes.

I was asked to share this idea during the final session of the conference, and was pleasantly surprised to be approached from several people across disciplines from academic to arts management to youth hip-hop educators who wanted to plug-in in some way.

I am anxious to network and study other models and see what elements make them work, and how we might be able to incorporate their strategies into achieving our objectives: to repurpose and expand access to technology, mass transit, and the arts to benefit youth development and achievement.

Youth and good food: Successful models

Passport:ATX is designed to be a holistic program. In designing it we want to create avenues to nourish the mind, spirit, and body.

Here are three links to organizations/movements that are influencing the design and theory behind Passport:ATX as far as youth, food, and access to resources. We look forward to linking Austin's youth to their work:

1. Eco-soul chef Bryant Terry

Bryant Terry brings you the best familiar food, but prepared in a way that will truly nourish you in fresh, local, sustainable ways.

He is the author of two books, can be seen on TV, and on the radio. Follow this LINK to hear a recent interview with him on NPR talking about food issues and his upcoming book "Vegan Soul Kitchen."

2. Urban Roots: Congratulations on the harvest!
Austin's Urban Roots is an up-and-coming project teaching urban youth farming, marketing, and cooking skills. They had an amazing harvest this year and much to celebrate. Check this story in the Austin Chronicle 10/2/08.

3. Will Allen: Urban Farmer wins MacArthur Fellowship
Congratulations to Will Allen and Growing Power in Milwaukee Wisconsin for their success in creating a model for large-scale community-based urban organic food production. Mr. Allen stresses that tomorrow's solutions to food problems can and must come from our youth.

In Austin, Passport:ATX will connect youth to urban agriculture projects such as Urban Roots, Quilombo Gardens, Rhizome Collective, and others.

Presentation Video in the Works!

The new Passport:ATX presentation 1.0 is in the works. This presentation was jump-started by one of my first assignments in the Masters program in Educational Technology at UT-Brownsville. In the class, I am using Powerpoint and Keynote for Mac and getting to apply the skills that I already have in web design and photoshop to work on the Passport presentation.

This new presentation will help potential partners and participants to better visualize the scope and possibilities of this Passport:ATX and hopefully invite more support and collaboration.