I’m struck by the recent op-ed by rapper-poet-pop star K’naan in the NY Times, “Censoring Myself for Success,” found here. It made me sad – but wasn’t surprising – to read how music industry executives wanted him to water down his message and fascinating life story growing up in war-torn Mogadishu, Somalia, so that his…
Emily and Scott Norris are two of the most sincere, creative, thoughtful parents striving to raise global citizens that I have ever met. They have started a lovely new website and product line called Tender Sapling (www.tendersapling.com), with the tag line “have fun, grow noble.” Global citizenship is one of their core values, and they…
Driving this morning with my nine year-old, as we half-listened to the BBC news on the radio, yielded a nice teachable moment. They advertised their round-the-clock election coverage of the U.S. Presidential race. It sounded momentous and a little urgent. I took their tone for granted, but I’m glad my daughter, Sophia, didn’t. Here’s how…
I’ve been noticing a sharp decline in German language instruction and interest in schools around the U.S., starting with the school district in which my family and I live. Friday’s New York Times piece, “German in a Multicultural World” by Sam Dillon confirmed this observation. I notice that the kids who choose German overwhelmingly are…
On Friday I visited Philadelphia’s Independence Charter School, where the entire school day was dedicated to an inspiring Human Rights Day program for all the kids. I plan to write a full piece on that soon, but in the meantime wanted to share a few ideas on International Human Rights Day, which was this past…
