I believe in education. I believe that education lends itself to equality and that it can transcend obvious differences between people. I believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to be well educated and that if kids are the future then we, as society, have a responsibility to teach them how to live and learn with passion and gumption. Education needs passion so as to preserve learners from boredom and gumption so as to preserve them from giving up. I also believe that education is not, nor should it ever be, exclusively a childhood activity; rather the idea of education, of learning, should infiltrate our daily lives to keep our minds and perspectives fresh. To never stop learning is a beautiful thing; to always seek education in any matter is a brave thing because if it is done right it should challenge everything we think we know.
I mentioned that education makes people equal and that it has transcendent powers. In any class, but especially one with an application process at the college level, the students all come in willing and eager to learn what the instructor has to offer. While some students may have prior experience in the field of study and a more practiced idea of how to satisfy the instructor’s demands, each student is there to learn. It does not matter where they live, where they are from, or how they got to their current place in life. Every student is just that: a student. Once they walk into the classroom all other contexts fall away. In class I am not predominantly a barista, a Toyota owner, or an avid reader. I am a student along with my peers and we are there to learn together. Who we are as individuals, fortunately, does not go away once we step into the classroom but our educational experiences make us equals with those with whom we share the experience; it forces mutual respect. Education and its appropriate contexts have the power to overcome social or political barriers. It provides opportunity for those willing to take what education has to offer and, when administered well, can cultivate thoughtfulness, rationale, and purposeful articulation in children and adults alike. I believe in education because it stands for equality, opportunity, and building relationships between people.
“This I Believe” essays are an international project of people writing 350-500 word essays on the core values that guide their daily lives. Anyone can write one and the website even gives instructions on how to go about it (just in case you’re curious and/or interested):
“We invite you to contribute to this project by writing and submitting your own statement of personal belief. We understand how challenging this is—it requires such intimacy that no one else can do it for you. To guide you through this process, we offer these suggestions:
Tell a story: Be specific. Take your belief out of the ether and ground it in the events of your life. Consider moments when belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your own experience, work, and family, and tell of the things you know that no one else does. Your story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching—it can even be funny—but it should be real. Make sure your story ties to the essence of your daily life philosophy and the shaping of your beliefs.
Be brief: Your statement should be between 350 and 500 words. That’s about three minutes when read aloud at your natural pace.
Name your belief: If you can’t name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. Also, rather than writing a list, consider focusing on one core belief, because three minutes is a very short time.
Be positive: Please avoid preaching or editorializing. Tell us what you do believe, not what you don’t believe. Avoid speaking in the editorial “we.” Make your essay about you; speak in the first person.
Be personal: Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to speak. We recommend you read your essay aloud to yourself several times, and each time edit it and simplify it until you find the words, tone, and story that truly echo your belief and the way you speak.”
http://thisibelieve.org/guidelines
It has been wonderful to be educated with this class and I will carry this proof that education can transcend all else with me forever. Thank you.
Erin
This essay was written by my classmate Erin at the end of our Directors and Genres film class held at Oregon State Correctional Institution in the winter for our class anthology, the final project we did in which everyone was invited to submit a piece reflecting on the experience in whatever way was meaningful to them. See the This I Believe website for more information and to browse other This I Believe essays: http://thisibelieve.org
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Oregon Inside-Out in the news
As the final class project, students from Shaul Cohen's "Conflict Resolution in Northern Ireland" class wrote articles about the course and course content for a variety of newsletters and newspapers, including local Eugene news and organizations in Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland. We're really excited to post some of the articles here, and to share how this class and word about Inside-Out is spreading in the community here, and around to the other side of the world.
So here's a link to the first article published by one of our classmates. We all felt that it was a beautiful reflection of this course, and thank Ben for his dedication and for his writing. Check out the article here: The Register-Guard. And check back on the blog--I have a feeling Ben and others will be doing some writing in the coming weeks.
So here's a link to the first article published by one of our classmates. We all felt that it was a beautiful reflection of this course, and thank Ben for his dedication and for his writing. Check out the article here: The Register-Guard. And check back on the blog--I have a feeling Ben and others will be doing some writing in the coming weeks.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Ending the Culture of Street Crime and the Oregon Think Tank
The Oregon Think Tank, held at the Oregon State Penitentiary, is in its formative phase. We currently consist of fifteen inside students; five instructors from Oregon State University, Chemeketa Community College, and the University of Oregon; Melissa Crabbe (Assistant National Director) and two outside alumni from the University of Oregon. We are working through forming our unique identity here in the West, and are working through logistical limitations to build a more robust group of outside members.
Although we're still a new group, we've already developed a strong sense of group unity, and have discussed several new projects we'd like to undertake in the area of educational support for the prisons in Salem, Oregon.
Two meetings ago, we discussed the article "Ending the Culture of Street Crime," which was co-authored by the Lifers group at Graterford Prison. This is particularly meaningful as the authors are largely Inside-Out alumni in Pennsylvania, and we were able to interact as an alumni group in Oregon, discussing the perspectives of crime and justice in a formal, academic way. The article has a lot to say about the potential for mentoring and cultural transformation originating within prisons to affect change on the outside. Here in Oregon, we had a lot to say about this article: how recognizable some issues were, and how there are regional differences clear in patterns of crime and justice between East and West coasts.
Many Inside-Out classes use this article to jump-start discussions of crime and justice, but for some of us this was a first read. I was truly inspired by the model for high-quality research and writing, as well as the commitment this indicated to scholarship and justice work for the Graterford group.
I encourage everyone to read the article, published by The Prison Journal, and found here: "Ending the Culture of Street Crime."
Have other alumni read this article in their classes? I would be very interested in other opinions of this article, whether based on regional differences or other perspectives in criminal justice reform.
And, above all, I am anxious to hear more about what this means about bridges between the inside and outside: whether that be in scholarship, mentorship, discussion, publishing, or efforts at social change.
Although we're still a new group, we've already developed a strong sense of group unity, and have discussed several new projects we'd like to undertake in the area of educational support for the prisons in Salem, Oregon.
Two meetings ago, we discussed the article "Ending the Culture of Street Crime," which was co-authored by the Lifers group at Graterford Prison. This is particularly meaningful as the authors are largely Inside-Out alumni in Pennsylvania, and we were able to interact as an alumni group in Oregon, discussing the perspectives of crime and justice in a formal, academic way. The article has a lot to say about the potential for mentoring and cultural transformation originating within prisons to affect change on the outside. Here in Oregon, we had a lot to say about this article: how recognizable some issues were, and how there are regional differences clear in patterns of crime and justice between East and West coasts.
Many Inside-Out classes use this article to jump-start discussions of crime and justice, but for some of us this was a first read. I was truly inspired by the model for high-quality research and writing, as well as the commitment this indicated to scholarship and justice work for the Graterford group.
I encourage everyone to read the article, published by The Prison Journal, and found here: "Ending the Culture of Street Crime."
Have other alumni read this article in their classes? I would be very interested in other opinions of this article, whether based on regional differences or other perspectives in criminal justice reform.
And, above all, I am anxious to hear more about what this means about bridges between the inside and outside: whether that be in scholarship, mentorship, discussion, publishing, or efforts at social change.
Michigan hosts National Inside-Out Instructor Training
The Theory Group at Ryan Correctional Facility hosted the first National Instructor Training to take place outside of Pennsylvania the week of May 9th. They trained instructors from the Midwest, walking the group through the process of teaching an Inside-Out class.
The curriculum for instructor training was developed by the Think Tank in Graterford Prison outside of Philadelphia. The training involves a week of intensive conversations and exercises, including four days on the outside, and three days spent in the prison, working with a group of inside and outside alumni. They create course curriculum, and test out exercises with the inside group. They read and discuss some of the foundational texts of transformative teaching methods, particularly focusing on Paulo Freire and bell hooks, which leads to the format of openness and mutual learning that is so key to the Inside-Out experience.
Reports back from the Michigan training indicate that the Theory Group (the group of inside and outside participants who meet on an ongoing basis) are an incredibly tight-knit community, who are committed to Inside-Out and to supporting one another as they become regional and national leaders in prison education.
What they've accomplished in forming their community and in hosting this training, is an inspiration to all of us who do this work. Thank you for your commitment and your vision. Hopefully these stories from Michigan will keep coming in!
The curriculum for instructor training was developed by the Think Tank in Graterford Prison outside of Philadelphia. The training involves a week of intensive conversations and exercises, including four days on the outside, and three days spent in the prison, working with a group of inside and outside alumni. They create course curriculum, and test out exercises with the inside group. They read and discuss some of the foundational texts of transformative teaching methods, particularly focusing on Paulo Freire and bell hooks, which leads to the format of openness and mutual learning that is so key to the Inside-Out experience.
Reports back from the Michigan training indicate that the Theory Group (the group of inside and outside participants who meet on an ongoing basis) are an incredibly tight-knit community, who are committed to Inside-Out and to supporting one another as they become regional and national leaders in prison education.
What they've accomplished in forming their community and in hosting this training, is an inspiration to all of us who do this work. Thank you for your commitment and your vision. Hopefully these stories from Michigan will keep coming in!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Final Class Project: Bucknell University and PA State Correctional Institution
The class "Women and the Penal System" class of Spring 2011 completed a powerful set of testimony as their final class project. They solicited reflections on their classroom experiences from former and current inside and outside students. They were not permitted to audio- or video-record the inside students, so they developed a way to represent the inside students' views by having the outside students audio record the inside students' words.
The students performed a simple and moving three-part video, using silhouettes and voices from the inside and the outside. Their videos can be found here at Inside Out Voices on Youtube.
The three videos address the differing expectations and reactions to their Inside-Out classes: one anticipating the class, one during the class, and one reflecting back on their semester together.
I think these stories are incredibly powerful, and that these short videos show great artistry and power. I hope to hear more about this project soon!
The students performed a simple and moving three-part video, using silhouettes and voices from the inside and the outside. Their videos can be found here at Inside Out Voices on Youtube.
The three videos address the differing expectations and reactions to their Inside-Out classes: one anticipating the class, one during the class, and one reflecting back on their semester together.
I think these stories are incredibly powerful, and that these short videos show great artistry and power. I hope to hear more about this project soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)