Journalist – Historian – Speaker
Lately I’ve been having lots of conversations about norms, code-switching, professionalization, and what our job is as teachers to model and suggest. I’ve written on the blog about code-switching as a skill that my students generally lack and that I think is useful for them. Others have countered, though, saying we should focus on changing …
I’m off to a workshop today, but wanted to offer a few quick thoughts on a great series of videos. Scope, a British advocacy group, has made an outstanding series of videos that are fundamentally about inclusive society – how to you shake a hand that’s not there, how do you talk to people in …
Anne and Bobby, used by permission Anne Grunsted, who I know, has written a wonderful essay in Chicago Parent about about the “Selfless Mother Club.” As in – “Don’t look at my son with Down syndrome and put me in the selfless mother club, it demeans both him and me.” (paraphrasing). I love this phrase. I …
Today is World Down Syndrome Day, chosen because 3/21 reflects the three 21st chromosomes that mark the genetic condition Trisomy-21, also known as Down syndrome. It’s a day about awareness and you will, if you’re lucky, see lots and lots of cute pictures of kids and adults with Down syndrome. Here’s a cute picture of …
Looking back over the week’s writing to think about my round-up, I was immediately drawn to Wednesday’s post on offensive language. There are, I think, ideas here worth exploring. I started with the principle: You do not get to decide whether I should be offended by something you do or say; you only get to …
I have this theory that representation matters. I wrote about my ideas here back in November, and will have a piece about gender and language coming out next week. So I like what New York City is doing with these new “handicapped” symbols. It’s a small thing, but many small things add up.