Teachers Teaching Teahers #230 - What does passionate inquiry look like at a second-chance school in Canarsie, Brooklyn? 1.5.11

Post-Show description: 

Last year, shortly after participating in a 3-week Summer Advanced Institute at the New York City Writing Project, our guest on this podcast, Charlie Freij helped found the East Brooklyn Community High School, Canarsie, NYC, USA.

His students have been using Youth Voices more and more. If you are interested to have your students on Youth Voices — or curious — you should enjoy this podcast.

Check out Charlie’s students’ work here. We’ll also got an update on his school’s program to include online classes.


Click Read more to see a copy of the chat that was happening during the webcast.


20:48:56 Paul Allison: http://paulallison.tumblr.com/post/2615957186/charlie-freij-will-be-join...
21:01:30 charlie: Hi
21:01:36 SusanEttenheim: hi :)
21:07:32 Paul Allison: http://paulallison.tumblr.com/post/2615957186/charlie-freij-will-be-join...
21:08:05 carolteach4: Hi, Susan and Paul - It's been a long time since I've had a chance to tune in. I've missed your shows - don't know where the time goes. Was at Treat's in Wiscasset this past week, Susan, and was thinking of you and Sara and your project.
21:09:28 carolteach4: The arts curriculum is such a great motivator.
21:11:29 carolteach4: That's a shame. It doesn't say much for the company.
21:12:58 carolteach4: More student choice needs to be incorporated into all learning environments.
21:17:20 SusanEttenheim: hi carol!
21:17:29 SusanEttenheim: wow good to see you here!
21:17:36 SusanEttenheim: can you join us on skype?
21:17:43 carolteach4: It's been a long time!
21:18:07 SusanEttenheim: hi! have never been to that place in wiscasset!
21:18:15 SusanEttenheim: can you join us on skype?
21:18:45 carolteach4: No, I know that. But that is where I met Eden - she was working there. She was Sara's student who'd participated in Youth Voices.
21:19:03 SusanEttenheim: ohhh right!
21:19:06 carolteach4: I'm not sure I'm up for Skype tonight. I'm just kind of listening.
21:19:22 SusanEttenheim: ok well, please ask questions and make comments!
21:19:58 carolteach4: I love what he has to say about giving students choice in their writing. See my previous comments.
21:21:04 SusanEttenheim: yes
21:25:14 SusanEttenheim: how is life there? what were you doing in maine?
21:27:01 carolteach4: My husband lost his mom (91) last April, but we really wanted to spend Christmas with his aunt who had taken care of his mom for all those years.
21:27:34 carolteach4: It was a long trip for a couple of days, but we're glad we made the trip.
21:28:15 carolteach4: Response is so important. Bob Sprankle recently wrote a blog post on Tech&Learning speaking about that issue.
21:29:11 carolteach4: I write a blog - http://evolvingclassroombethany.blogspot.com - and it is always thrilling for me when someone actually leaves a comment.
21:29:22 SusanEttenheim: that was a nice trip to make though...
21:29:29 carolteach4: http://evolvingclassroom.blogspot.com
21:29:38 carolteach4: Gee, it won't take my URL.
21:29:50 SusanEttenheim: drag it in...
21:29:56 SusanEttenheim: what was it about?
21:29:58 SusanEttenheim: missed it
21:30:04 carolteach4: I don't know how to do hat.
21:30:09 carolteach4: that
21:30:42 SusanEttenheim: umm just highlight it and drag it in to the text box
21:30:46 carolteach4: I had a student in one of my GED courses years ago who wrote a very persuasive essay supporting tatoos.
21:30:50 SusanEttenheim: you can't copy and paste here..
21:33:46 carolteach4: That's a very interesting concept
21:34:15 carolteach4: reminds me of Carol Dweck's intelligence theories - the more fixed, the more fear and less growth
21:35:23 carolteach4: You know what - I'm really upset about the fact that NO recycling is going on at our school - I could really write about that!
21:36:31 carolteach4: I know we have to have grading - but it is a real inhibitor
21:37:48 SusanEttenheim: that's sad - no recycling :(
21:38:08 Paul Allison: http://youthvoices.net/node/47500
21:41:02 carolteach4: That's really cool
21:42:40 carolteach4: I was away for a few minutes putting comments into a student essay - on topic of what should we do if an extra hour was added to school day - kids typed essays in Word in the lab - many didn't finish - so uploaded them to Google Docs and shared it with me and the
21:42:47 carolteach4: English teacher
21:43:17 carolteach4: It's really a wonderful way to connect - still very time consuming with over 100 students- as Paul knows well
21:44:13 carolteach4: I really think I prefer correcting and commenting electronically rather than writing on a paper copy. I also think it makes the student more accountable.
21:44:44 carolteach4: I wonder, Paul, if the test makers know the "correct" answer!
21:47:14 carolteach4: I find the webinars offered by Classroom 2.0 are so involving and engaging - with  the ability to participate in the chat - just like TTT - I wish there were more opportunities for kids to do this.
21:48:34 carolteach4: I have been able to grab a few kids and involve them in an online webinar. They were not logged in on individual computers, but they gave me questions to put in the chat, and they were so excited when their questions were acknowledged.
21:50:36 carolteach4: There are so many free opportunities for PD, but I have a hard time convincing my colleagues to join the sessions.
21:52:00 carolteach4: In an online course everyone has a change to put in their voice. They don't have to sit with a raised hand and never get called upon.
21:53:04 carolteach4: I'm listening, Paul
21:53:09 carolteach4: !!!!
21:56:05 SusanEttenheim: carol!
21:56:12 carolteach4: Have you ever looked at Art Snacks?
21:56:26 SusanEttenheim: umm sounds interesting.. what is it? sounds familiar
21:58:10 carolteach4: It is a wonderful site where folks share photos, drawings, etc. You have to belong. It is still a Ning, I believe. Too bad Ning charging knocked so many educators out of the wonderful collaboration platform.
21:58:42 carolteach4: Kevin Hunnicut manages Art Snacks. He has an amazing story of how he got it started. Check it out.
21:59:40 carolteach4: A recording booth woud be so cool to have in a school.
22:00:00 SusanEttenheim: I will!
22:00:29 carolteach4: What is that program that PBS did where people stepped into a booth in city settings and recorded a life event?
22:00:42 carolteach4: Where is Charlie?
22:01:01 CharlieTeach: I'm in east brooklyn, ny
22:01:02 SusanEttenheim: nyc
22:01:07 SusanEttenheim: :)
22:01:29 CharlieTeach: The pbs program is called storycore
22:01:39 carolteach4: My niece lives in Brooklyn. She graduated from Pratt and works for a non-profit. Solar One.
22:01:51 SusanEttenheim: night carolteach4! great to see you!
22:01:53 CharlieTeach: they set up a booth in port authority
22:01:59 Paul Allison: Thanks for being our ears Carol
22:02:04 carolteach4: Yes - Storycore -
22:02:14 carolteach4: Thanks - great show missed you all
22:02:18 CharlieTeach: I love that shou
22:02:25 CharlieTeach:  thanks for listing
22:02:47 carolteach4: Nice to have met you, Charlie. You are very articulate and passionate.
22:03:09 CharlieTeach: Thanks you sorry i couldn't chat and talk at once.
22:03:46 carolteach4: That is perfectly understandable.