Category: Featured Stories

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Voices We Love: Cynthia Sylva Parker

Early this month, Cynthia Sylva Parker gave a Tedx Talk titled Racism–What Will It Take To End It? It is an extraordinary twelve minutes looking at racism objectively and giving every person ideas to how they can work on themselves and their own pre-wired brains.

Cynthia Sylva Parker is a Senior Associate at the Interaction Institute for Social Change. The institute is also an organization we love, but that is another time. This post is all about Cynthia and her voice (Click here for the post on IISC). We love you and please keep spreading the word.  Project Kinect is here to help!

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Voices We Love: Teachers

Earlier this week, NPR released a fantastic story on NPRed. The story is called, Five Great Teachers On What Makes A Great Teacher.  This article is just a great read for entertainment but also, it will bring “uh-huh” moments and makes us think about our education, teachers we have met along the way, and that teachers all have different approaches. Here is a slice of the article. Check out the entire thing on NPR.

What kind of training and experience makes a great teacher?

Bain: I know I’m going to get pushback on this, but I think one of the major problems we face in cultivating great teachers is that we don’t pay enough attention, especially in K-12, to the learning of the teacher. We should help them develop the dynamic powers of their minds and should continue to do so throughout their lives.

Second, we should help them develop an understanding of some of the major ideas coming out of the research and theoretical literature on what it means to learn, how the human mind works, and all of the personal and social forces that can influence learning. This is a dynamic field with lots of important research and ideas emerging almost constantly, and the training and experience of a great teacher has to include the opportunity to explore, understand, and apply the ideas and information that is emerging.

Finally, great teaching includes the ability to give good feedback and to make assessments.

Jose Vilson: It really depends on the environment around the teacher … with more experienced staff, it’s important to get beyond the humdrum PDs [professional development opportunities] and get into something truly transformative, which is hard to find. That’s why so many of us have to seek out PD opportunities both on and offline on our own time, past the meetings and opportunities provided by our school.

Moore: There is so much in teaching that would be best learned through apprenticeship, rather than the current system of leaving most new teachers to trial-and-error their way through. The teachers who become great or master teachers seek out the help and PD they need as Jose mentions, but I agree with the work of Deborah Ball and others that we know enough about teaching that we can, and should, be much more systematic in sharing that collective wisdom with our newest members.

Also, Ken is correct about the importance of being able to assess student learning and give timely, appropriate feedback. The current overemphasis on test preparation and other misuses of standardized testing have taken much of this critical professional skill out of the classroom and away from teachers.

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Organizations We Love: Team Rubicon

“Support our troops” is used so often.  Unfortunately, often as propaganda; propaganda for our government to make decisions to intervene.  Supporting our troops is to support those individuals with brave and unconditional passion, who go into any circumstance focused on protecting us and others who are harmed while hoping to make situations better.   Supporting them goes much further. Supporting our troops is not only while they are on active duty. Supporting them includes when they return to our country and need real assistance to live their daily lives.  As a country, we are not succeeding in supporting our troops when they come home to us.

Fortunately some organizations are setting strong examples of how to use the skills of veterans for amazing purpose.  Team Rubicon is a leader in this.  Team Rubicon is not only setting precedent for a great way of how to put veterans to work, but also what proper disaster relief looks like. Team Rubicon began after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti with six veterans.  Today is has expanded greater than most would have expected.  Click here for the full history.

This Veterans Day, Team Rubicon has set a goal to get 500 new monthly donors.  The History Channel will match the donations so anything you give will double.  This is an amazing campaign.  They are calling it ELEVEN11.

Please donate and support our veterans.

On this Veterans Day, honor them and support them.  Find out how you can directly assist and thank the veteran community.  It is a day about them, not  about feeding into corporate greed taking advantage of a day when people can shop, not about the government guilting us, and not a day about confusing supporting our troops and veterans with the decisions they had no role in making.

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Tools We Love: Voting

The midterm elections are finished. Republicans are in control of the senate and the house, many governor races went in the favor of republicans and certain counties in Arkansas still do not sell alcohol. We all have different opinions on what this means and where it leaves the state of the union. To bridges the differences, let’s establish some facts.

Fact one: No matter how it turned out, the change this country needs to happen would not have happened. Fact two: In two years, we will have an opportunity to repeat this sorry dance. It will be a presidential election year, the amount of money donated to candidates will surpass what was done now, and we will still be baffled by it. Fact three: The amazing turnout in many polls throughout the country. This was a midterm election and many areas saw a turn out equivalent to presidential elections. People are voting.

In order for real changes to happen in this country, the people must be active. Our voices and our votes must be in unison. Our politicians and their funders need to experience fear. This fear isn’t “sitting through a scary movie” fear. It needs to be “I don’t know how I’m going to feed my family” fear. That fear comes from losing and not having backers or a constituency. Everyone must vote and educate themselves on candidates and issues. Unfortunately there is an absence of a major mobilizer for people to take action.

What catalyst must there be for our country’s citizens to take charge? This catalyst must cross party lines and appeal to everyone on the same level. Most importantly, a sense of loss has to be created to mobilize millions to speak up. A hunch is that if our freedom has been taken away; that might do it. The last year has defined topics that could never be that catalyst. Sadly, these include raising the minimum wage, health care to everyone, racial and wealth inequalities, and a general apathetic blanket that has been draped over the entire country.

The first step though is exercising our vote. Vote in every election. Bring everyone you know to vote. Bring voting into casual conversation. Make voting the center of our culture. Challenge the candidates you are or aren’t voting for. The brilliance of the universe is that the next year, the next day, the next minute, we can change the future. Absolutely nothing is set forever.

Or maybe, it is as simple as this clip from HBO’s Newsroom. “It’s not the greatest country in the world.”

Newsweek "We are not the greatest country in the world."

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Project Update: Norm:al Africa

Project Kinect launched the United States Norm:al Africa t-shirt campaign in mid-October. We have begun to create some traction and are excited as the next month will be fantastic.  If you want to learn more or donate, here is the Go Fund Me page.   Additionally, here is the website and Facebook Page.

Here is a video about the creator of the t-shirt campaign and why she wanted to start it.

Thank you to everyone who has endorsed us.

If you want to help or partner with the campaign in any way besides donating, please email info@projectkinect.com.

 

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Letters From A Change Agent: #Empathy

Many studies would have us believe that empathy needs to be taught. I believe the contrary. I feel we are given the power of empathy in early development. It is in our DNA to care and feel what other people are feeling. Empathy often empowers us to react for the good. I see it in my nephew all of the time. When another kid doesn’t have a toy or someone else to play with, he takes responsibility for making that child feel better with a toy or his companionship. He is four. He doesn’t know the word empathy but he feels it.

As we mature and society beats us up, we lose track of that feeling.   We aren’t aware of when our empathy is telling us to take action. Therefore, we have to learn how to access it. Because it is so hard for our post modern, technology filled society to genuinely reveal our empathy, organizations and campaigns must be extra witty and cunning to use our empathy to take action. Too many resources are spent doing this. We shouldn’t have to be tricked into acting and doing good because we feel someone else’s pain; that action should come naturally.

To thicken the wall between our actions and ability to naturally access our empathy, corporations advertise products to be intermingled with our emotions. That is f***ed up! When did heightened emotional stimulation become the new version of the bandwagon technique? My favorite current example is an American Eagle Outfitters commercial. We are told to cherish our imperfections. Be proud of our imperfection but also buy these clothes. I get it, there are imperfections in the clothes but that does not bring me security.

All the corporations do it. From Coke to Verizon, our positive emotions are being triggered and paired with certain products. Advertisers are so good at it that often, we don’t’ recognize it’s happening. We must be able to consciously say, “that is not really how I will feel with this product” along with, “this is causing me to be less empathetic.” I included a commercial I saw last summer in South Africa. It displays my point perfectly; a corporation that has nothing to do with the inspiration it’s igniting in the commercial.

We are entering the season when our empathy is the main tool for driving sales. As change agents, we must be strong and ask if the empathy and action being produced is authentic? Or, is it being stimulated by some corporation that desires you to leave your family on Thanksgiving to beat the Black Friday traffic? Please be mindful of what is being asked of you this month. We have individual power to take action. This agency can be combined with other people’s free will and real action will happen. We are all positive change agents and no one controls us or our empathy.

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Voices We Love: Justin Simien

If you don’t know who Justin Simien is, then you may be familiar with his newest film, Dear White People. The movie is a satire about real issues of race that are very much present in our society.  The movie only grazes the issues, but presents it in a humorous and tasteful way.  Presenting these issues in such a way sets an atmosphere that will hopefully bring a more inclusive group to theater. Calandra Davis, an activist and soon-to-be contributor posted, “It felt good to a watch a movie that explored real issues and contained complex Black characters.”

Community mobilizing tool: Sometimes the issues need to be dealt with delicately in order to gain other important and invested allies.

Project Kinect loves this film for many reasons. First, it was crowd-funded. This genuine film was created by a community of supporters who wanted to see such a satire made. Second, and it is important to state this again; The film presents the issues in a way to bring more eyes to theaters. Most importantly, this film has been released at a time in our history when we must start having real, constructive conversations about racial tensions, modern racism, and white privilege.  If these conversations are not had, then we are doomed as a society and will not continue moving forward as a global leader. The possible actions and reactions if these issues are not discussed and worked on will be disastrous and we will look foolish to the rest of the world.  But for now, go see the film. 

**Photo credit goes to the Houston Chronicle.  Project Kinect loved the picture.  Click here to find the whole Houston Chronicle article.

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Voices We Love: Girls Preaching Feminism

FCKH8 just released a very affective video where little girls swear a lot and throw gender inequalities in our faces.  It is awesome!  Children are a great way to sell a product or a scary movie but in an advocacy campaign, it’s genius.  We have watched this video so many times at Project Kinect.  For every $15 t-shirts sold, FCKH8 will give $5 to other charities helping to fight gender inequalities.  The two shirts offered are “Girls just want to have FUNdamental rights.” and “This is what a feminist looks like.” You can also keep up with them on Facebook.

Potty-Mouthed Princesses Drop F-Bombs for Feminism by FCKH8.com from FCKH8.com on Vimeo.

 

We wanted to add the video on Domestic Violence…….

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Organizations We Love: People for Bikes

Daily bike use is on the rise.  Biking is no longer just a luxury and a sport, but a necessity in many urban cities.  People for Bikes is doing an excellent job of making biking more convenient for everyone.  Whether it is for recreation, or you want to create and enforce protected bike lanes in your city, People for Bikes contains resources that can help you.

Created in 1999 as Bikes Belong, People for Bikes has now become a center for the biking community.  Our favorite feature on the website is the “Get Local” section.  In this space you can look at individual states and find a comprehensive list of biking resources in the state.  Project Kinect LOVES this because it brings people together with technology.

We leave you with this fantastic video that advocates for protected bike lanes.  Enjoy!

 

The Rise of Protected Bike Lanes in the U.S. from The PeopleForBikes GLP on Vimeo.

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Sites We Love: Funny or Die

Comedy is SO IMPORTANT for Positive Social Change.  It brings everyone to a common level and makes difficult topics more easy to discuss.  Last night, Russell Brand was on The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell.  They were discussing Brand’s new book, Revolution. Brand is best known for his comedy and acting, but more and more he is being seen through an activist’s lens.  Revolution definitely places him in that category.

  • Tool: Find Comedy in your activism.

A major point last night though was that Comedy is necessary to get everyone to a level where we can come together to see real change.  It is how an actual, real working democracy will begin.  Project Kinect understands that we all must find common ground to produce the type of social change we need to thrive.  One of the best websites that uses comedy and satire is Funny or Die.

This last week, an Andy Bush directed sketch was uploaded to the website called Here’s How You’re Getting F***ed. It has Adam Shankman and Brandon T. Jackson in it and makes fun of how unjust to minorities our society is.  It is funny and makes room to have a better rounded conversation.

We listed that video below, as well as some other videos we feel really “Say Something”.  Happy Watching! #WAAI

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