http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbTFkPxwhTM&NR=1

one scientist's film of mt. etna erupting!!!

Inquiry Continued

the blogosphere is inspiring and exciting and extremely huge and overwhelmingly inundating...

how do i find out if there are any vulcanologist geology bloggers out there who want to talk to my second graders about volcanoes, or families preparing for a volcanic eruption? Those seem to be our common interests, and I want to explore blogging as a way to engage kids' questions, curiosities & dawning interests. I want them to communicate with experts. And who are the experts about getting away from volcanoes? i certainly don't want to search news archives for volcano coverage do i?

to help me support them in reading and writing the world, yea i said it.

any ideas out there bloggy?

What happened to the Breakdancers on the Subway?

As much as I'd like to claim that I knew already, it wasn't until I started reading up on this inquiry question that 'breakdancers' is a media term imposed on this classy artform/ culture from the outside world, (much like animae getting called 'japanimation'). The correct term for the dancers I love so much is bboys and bgirls. It is a culture that originated in New York City and has gained popularity worldwide, transcending societal divisions among economic strata, class, and race.

When I first moved to New York, I used to see the Bboy/girls on the subway often, and now I don't anymore, so I started wondering where they'd all gone? I have noticed also that there are alot more NYPD on the subway then when I first moved here (2004), so I thought they probably didn't put up with the train dancing.My first theory on where the dancers might have gone was that they were in the mysterious place that Guiliani took all of the street vendors to....but that didn't give me a place to look, because I don't know where they went either, and the subway is already underground.

So, I started asking around and reading online. My blogreading and website surfing educated me about bboy/girl culture and history, and no one else seemed to think the fab dancers had disappeared, which led me to think perhaps it was that I am not in the right place at the right time anymore... or that the other bboy followers knew where the police weren't stopping the action... so after educating myself on bboy culture, and watching many amazing & inspiring videos of bboy moves (I didn't see any girl dancers on the videos), I started to ask around.

I interviewed a close friend who used to be a bgirl, and she said that I should try looking in Union Square, and around 42nd street, because that's where her crew used to perform, although she warned me that that was a long time ago. Lisa Simon allowed me to interview her briefly in class last week, and told me that she sees the bboys dancing on the 2 train, downtown, late at night. I wonder if this includes weekends? Late night weeknights riding the downtown 2 doesn't seem realistic for me... so we'll see what the afternoon 2 train has in store for me, as that is my next research stop. I plan to read the subway (A & 2 lines) this afternoon and write down what I notice in my Inquiry Notebook. More to follow.

Delicious.com

See 'notes' on bboy blogs for assignment rationales**

Blogs along topics of inquiry and interest. Will anyone else out there be thinking about these questions and looking for my having asked them? i hope so, but even if i'm gathering resources only for myself, delicious is a great tool to collect blog spots for questions and explorations.

when it rains it's difficult to see clearly after a minute.

Josh Blue - Defying a Deficit Framework

Check out "Josh Blue's Right Arm" for some funny commentary on living with cerebral palsy. What do people think about his comments on ASL and Mexicans?

m. Carey -

she's a fantastic vocalist! stick to what you're good at, i want more mariah carey VOCALS. I'm happy she got out from under Tommy

M. Carey - Obsessed

What the hek is wrong with Mariah Carey? Is that video a mid-life crisis or what? How much loot is her saavy publicist making off of her making a fool of herself? Did Eminem go easy on her? Why does a talented singer need computerized vocals, a lame arrangement, and a video with a stupid storyline? Classless.

What is Hip-Hop?

Hip Hop vs. Gangsta Rap. When did Public Enemy become Niggaz wit attitude? And who benefits financially? there are real m.c.s out there with serious social commentary

Bilingual Education, yes or no?

Should our kids have the option of Bilingual classes? What IS bilingual education? I have seen it done many ways and agree with it's stated aims, yet not sure it is possible to implement properly... thoughts?

Current Media Climate

Where do you get your news? How do you make sure your news is accurate? Do you feel informed? What is the role of sources like Democracy Now!, Free Speech Radio News, Al jazira... who else? Where do our students get their news? Who cares?

Food & Justice

Can you afford to eat out and eat vegan? Can any of us? Can our students? I know I can't... unless you know something I don't...

Food and Justice

Do you have enough access to fresh fruits and vegetables? Are they pesticide-ridden or wholesome and nutricious? What about your meat, eggs & milk? Are they riddled with nasty hormones or are they actually good for you and yours? What about your students? What type of food is available in their communities?

Rihanna & Chris Brown

This doesn't have anything to do with Bboys, but what is your take on last year's Rihanna / Chris Brown debacle? What do your students think? Some of mine pointed to the double standard in their culture that it is not ok for a boy to hit a girl but it seems ok for a girl to hit a boy. What else?

/Users/admin/Desktop/VanGogh2.jpg

What is the Morning?

Breathing and Breathing out

Good Morning

What is My Purpose?

Rise. Like a wakin giant stretching and yawn and

Rise! Like an infant being held in the light

like smoke from an insence when it's ingnighted

Rise!

If you're sleepin wont you open your eyes again?

See the high is natural high within

no need to force in the progression 

just ride the wind

you'll find the answer to the where and the why and the when

if you keep searchin for your self you will find the end

but at the end you find you're only remembering

see everything you learn you're only rememberin

because your

first in flight

~Blackalicious "First in Flight"