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Education
« Older Entries Newer Entries »ASCD…not “Waiting for Superman”
Tuesday, March 29th, 2011
My husband, Morgan, and I saw “Waiting for Superman” a few days before attending ASCD (Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, the annual conference of the world’s largest educational professional association). We were depressed. While the film is worth seeing, very well done, and inspiring in many ways—it also carries a tragic message: public schools can’t be saved. A poor child’s only choice is to enter the lottery to compete for the scare seats in a successful charter school.
Fortunately, the film, the governors of Wisconsin and New Jersey, and the general state of the union, have not depleted the profound optimism of the 8000 educators from 42 countries attending the conference.
Through themes like the whole child, self-directing and empowered students, brain-based learning, creativity, technology, engaging curriculum and fundamental school reform, evidence of success abounded. From Singapore to London, New Zealand to Barbados, Brazil to New Brunswick, and all 50 US states, educators have found ways to inspire and provoke student learning in amazing ways.
Morgan and I presented a session on “Choosing Transformation in your own Race to the Top,” arguing that all schools can be deeply and sustainably changed. Transformation for us means: redesigning the roles, relationships, structures,forms and time in order to create sustainable, high leadership capacity schools, districts and organizations. Quite a mouthful. Yet we have faith and optimism that schools are not only redeemable, but so is the sparkling humanity who occupy them.
Linda & Morgan
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A note to our coastal leadership group…
Sunday, March 20th, 2011
I have been researching the 13 Grandmothers, wise women from throughout the world and found this quote from Grandmother Mona Polacca, a Hopi-Tewa member:
“Leadership is the highest spiritual calling, and as leaders, the starting point begins with you – managing your whole self – by utilizing the spirit that lies within your identity and the strength of your culture.”
Whenever I am with you I feel the satisfaction that comes from yearning fulfilled among caring, honest, intelligent people. The exchange of knowledge and spirit seems to flow like water: a question here, a sharing of wisdom there, reflection among all of you. Mutual respect and mutual influence means that we are all evolving–together. We have emerged out of our separateness
into a self-organizing group of friends and colleagues.
Thank you for your friendship and mindfulness, Love, Linda
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Passion Leads to Commitment
Tuesday, March 15th, 2011
Beware the Ides of March. Women of passion are on the rise, joining in world-wide revolutions. Standing up for the right thing becomes self-evident when we know who we are. That is not to say that competing priorities of nearly equal merit do not create tensions. Yet we often surprise even ourselves when we are moved by passion to an action of unmistakable value.
Mary and I have been reading Birute Regine’s Iron Butterflies (2010) in which she also reminds us that “underlying the progress toward flexibility is a transformation of the meaning of commitment.” The outdated meaning defines commitment as a focused give-it-all rather than balance. Rather, it’s a “bungy cord” that stretches and bounces. This new frame for commitment allows women to stay committed to family and friends, while passionately involving themselves in other actions of value…politics, sports, health, social justice.
Women’s Ways of Leading and Iron Butterflies are companion books. We recommend both.
Celebrating your bounce! Linda and Mary
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A rainy afternoon…
Sunday, March 13th, 2011
Mary Gardner and I are sitting here in front on the fire on this rainy Sunday afternoon at The Sea Ranch. Morgan is in the big, comfy chair reading the New York Times. We each have a glass of wine and are dipping into a lemony hummus, with olives, of course. Mary and I are chatting about our terrific book, Women’s Ways of Leading. What we want is for more people to know it’s timely, terrific, compelling–in other words, it can change your life. We are gripped with modesty. Our question: how do we engage more women in this journey that has been so meaningful to us? We know it’s perfect for women’s studies program or a gift to a graduating granddaughter–for educational development program or book clubs–for management programs or a self-development guide. When we’ve given book talks, the attendees report feeling inspired and excited about the possibilities of growing more fully into their potential. How can we reach more women–and men–with our message?
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Egypt is not Libya…
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011
Egypt is not Libya, nor Yemen. Egypt is a cosmopolitan, open society. Young people are educated and women are more free than in most Arab countries. While many are poor, Egyptians have a strong sense of community and experience of turning to one another. So we cannot expect the same results in Libya that took place in Egypt or Tunisia, where the militarys would not fire on their own people.
Yet, we still wait to hear the democratic outcomes in any of these countries, including Egypt.
Linda
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Education and Revolution
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
The philosophy of the classroom today will be the philosophy of government tomorrow.
-Abraham Lincoln
During the 90’s, the work of the National Curriculum Center in Egypt reframed the meaning of curriculum, instruction, textbooks, and professional development. When this work began under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Education, the direction of Dr. Kawsar Kouchok and the assistance of a few Americans, textbooks were written as free-standing, non-articulated entities, which lacked activities for students to perform, and were based on the notion that memorization constituted thinking and learning.
This failing formula was reversed with the founding of the Center. Curriculum and instruction sought to open rather than close minds. The curriculum designed problems to solve, puzzling issues to discuss, contrasts to enable choices—and most of all, empowerment through self-directed learning. The Center created new textbooks and trained teachers and supervisors from all over the country. It worked with UNICEF to establish community schools for girls. Several of these conversations are recounted in my novel, Cairo Diary: an Egyptian fable.
On January 25, this generation of young people used modern social networks and their own sense of agency to occupy Tahrir Square and bring down the government. It was peaceful and organized; leadership and the tasks of self-governance were shared.
I had the honor to work with talented young Egyptian scholars from 1989 into this century. To understand the contributions of these changes in education to the revolution is difficult to surmise, since so many crucial factors converged: 30 years (actually, 7000 years) of autocratic rule; satellite television and social media; President Obama’s speech in 2009; the continual education and liberation of women (for more than a decade, the majority of students at Cairo University have been women); the location of Cairo and Alexandria as cosmopolitan Meccas….
Yet I would suggest that the generation of young people who took Tahrir Square found within themselves the power of self-direction and empowerment—a thrilling outcome provoked by the efforts of many.
Linda
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What is different about our notion of leadership? by Mary e Gardner
Thursday, February 17th, 2011
Linda Lambert and I advance a perspective on leadership that separates the broader notion from the individual and invokes a richer set of skills and dispositions. When leadership is viewed as the capacity to engage in reciprocal, purposeful learning in community. The notion of leadership is moved into the network of learning relationships in an organization. This notion of leadership relies on equitable relationships, the exercise of collaboration, moral purpose and engaged learning communities. We believe women have a natural inclination for this way of being in the world.
In our study of local, national and international women leaders we found patterns of leadership which embrace a “new century” perspective. Leading is a form of mutual, purposeful learning. This purpose is more that survival-driven purpose; it is morally engaged purpose and informs moment-to-moment actions, how others are treated, visions for a better works, equity, democracy, human rights caring, and social justice. Relationships in pursuit of leading and learning are reciprocal. I am responsible for your learning and you are responsible for mine.
Mary and Linda
(From our book WOMEN’S WAYS OF LEADING. http://www.womenswaysofleading.com. )
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Women to Watch!
Monday, February 14th, 2011
Three young women friends, daughters of my colleagues in Cairo spent the entire period of the Egyptian revolution in Tahrir–Liberation–Square. These are young women to watch!
In Chapter 8 of WOMEN’S WAYS OF LEADING (http://www.womenswaysofleading.com) : “ On Becoming Transforming Women Leaders: Fulfilling the Promise,” Linda and I name women to watch. because they already are or are emerging as transforming women leaders. ( or we could say have the potential to be transforming women leaders.) They demonstrate strength in two or more of the descriptors (perspectives or criteria) we offer in the book. These women live and lead from universal values, passionately and courageously pursued. They are aware that they are continuously evolving, invoking imagination in the search for compassion and creative action. They participate in community to learn and lead for the betterment of the world. And finally, they mentor the next generation of women leaders.
One of our interests is in building a longer list of women to watch. The women we chose are well known; however, we believe that the description above applies to the women in our daily lives as well—to our daughters, granddaughters, sister, cousin, friends, colleagues, mentors, teachers, mothers, and other women who contribute to their communities.
A few of the women we nominated are Christiana Amanpour, international correspondent and news program host; Katharine Jefferts Schori, the first women to serve as presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church; Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, first woman President of Liberia; and Michelle Obama, First Lady of the U.S.
Join us in adding more extraordinary women to our list!
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Unveiling the Mind in Egypt
Friday, February 4th, 2011
At the entrance to Cairo University is an immense sculpture entitled
“The Awakening of Egypt (by Mahmoud Mokhtar),” on which is portrayed a sphinx and a woman lifting her veil. A photo of this statue appears on the cover of Women’s Ways of Leading. And inside, Mary Gardner and I honor Nawal El Saadawi, Egyptian feminist and author, with her story and the following quote:
The education system should be founded on “unveiling the
mind.” Unveiling means to remove the mask of ignorance and
unquestioning compliance to reveal the inner power and
knowledge…Women throughout the world wisely awakening
to this call for unveiling find strength in their values and in
themselves.
Today Nicholas Kristoff told us in his column in the New York Times of his encounter yesterday in Tahrir Square with his hero, Dr. El Saadawi, the leading Arab feminist who for decades has fought female genital mutilation. He notes that she “turns 80 this year, is white-haired and frail, but full of fiery passion.”
“I feel I am born again,” she told him and assured Nick that she would sleep again with the protestors on Tahrir Square.
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Cairo burning…
Thursday, February 3rd, 2011
I’m not going to predict the outcome of this unfortunate turn of events in Egypt right now. But it does worry me that if Mubarak steps down now that V-P Sulieman may assume power. A mistake. He is not in favor of either democracy or human rights. He was our point man for “rendition.”
A small story. Suzanne Mubarak, daughter of a pediatrician and British nurse, has a masters degree in sociology. Her thesis was entitled: “Social Action Research in Urban Egypt: A Case of Primary School Upgrading in Boulak.” She was instrumental in the rebuilding of the glorious Alexandria Library. Suzanne was impressed by the work of the National Curriculum Center where I worked and suggested to her husband that he visit.
He did. Before his arrival, the roofs of all the buildings around the Center were cleaned and potted plants placed about. When it was pointed out that such measures had been taken for his arrival, he replied: Well, then, the more I visit around Egypt, the more improved it will be! Ah so. True.
Again, we encountered immaculate groomed streets as the smiling President drove through Alexandria with a waving Muammar al-Gaddafi of Libya. Afterward told his audiences that he and the leaders of the surrounding Arab countries “agreed 100%.” Always “100%.”
This is not a defense of President Mubarak, but he did live a life apart, protected from unpleasantries by a bubble that is often created to protect autocrats.
Tomorrow—Friday—will be key in this movement.
A Guest Entry from Morgan Lambert:
When I moved to Cairo with Linda during her educational consultant work, I quickly found several part-time jobs to keep me busy. One of those was as a journalist (reporter and page editor for the English language Middle East Times). That background has made me especially sensitive to the security and safety concerns of reporters on the streets of Cairo during this dangerous and violent period.
The government censorship during the 1989-91 period was nothing like what is being attempted now, but I did get a little taste of it. It was during the first Gulf War. The Middle East Times was edited and published in Athens, Greece, and the owners were the so-called “Moonies.” I expected some censorship from the Moonies but got none; but the Egyptian censors took some offense at an article I wrote that was a little critical of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. They didn’t shoot me or throw a Molotov cocktail at me…but I did have to substitute an article about a restaurant or something else a little less offensive.
During that first Gulf War, things remained generally peaceful and orderly in Cairo. The only time we felt we were in serious danger was when family members called and, reacting to the news headlines back home, asked us if we were still alive!? Yes, we were. I don’t think we could be as calm and confident in today’s circumstances. And tomorrow, Friday, the day of prayers for Muslims, when thousands turn out in Cairo’s mosques, will be a crucial turning point.
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