It is without question that we need the internet for learning, work, and entertainment. COVID-19 has made this fact even more apparent as school and work went indoors for Shelter In Place. The internet connects us even when physical connection is no longer possible. As we connect more, we must remember to be safe and be vigilant online. As much as we would love for our children to roam free outside, chances are they’re going to be spending a bit more time on the internet than we may have hoped. So, how do we ensure our children’s safety online? About a year ago, my daughters searched for information on the web and consumed media that was false and slightly harmful. Rather than punish them, we talked about the importance of having a bit of healthy skepticism when reviewing content on the internet. In this episode of the podcast, we share my story of "Little Red Riding Hood" to explain internet safety and media literacy and hold a family discussion about browser cookies, ads, and so much more!
You can now find us on all of the major podcasting platforms! Stay up-to-date when new episodes launch. Subscribe and follow on your favorite app.
0 Comments
States are beginning to open up, what does that mean for public health and safety? What responsibility do we have to keep each other safe, even when we really want to get out and enjoy nature and all that it has to offer. In our home we talk about everything. Because going outside is seen as a privilege and a form of self care, we wanted to acknowledge that not all people enjoy that same privilege. In this episode, the kids and I briefly discuss Ahmaud Arbey who was slain while going on a run in February. You can now find us on all of the major podcasting platforms! Stay up-to-date when new episodes launch. Subscribe and follow on your favorite app. We want to make sure our content is accessible. We're making this episode available via the Otter.ai note-taking app soon! 
What is civic education? Why is it so important?
Civics, government, and even politics, are the tools that help us keep promises to each other to preserve and adhere to a certain way of life. And when that life experience is counterproductive, harmful, or disproportionately imbalanced, in our democratic republic, we have the privilege to work with each other to leverage our combined understanding of the rules to reinstitute agreements that benefit everyone involved. That teamwork, is civics. Unfortunately many students do not receive an adequate or relevant civic education. And moments like COVID-19, show us just how important it is for each of us to understand the role of government in solving the problems that plague our communities.
You can now find us on all of the major podcasting platforms! Stay up-to-date when new episodes launch. Subscribe and follow on your favorite app.
We want to make sure our content is accessible. This episode will be available via the Otter.ai note-taking app shortly! 
We’ve got math problems! In Episode two, we look into how much instructional classroom time we’ve missed since the start of COVID-19 and how feedback loops create our reality and expectations. Uncertainty creates anxiety and therefore forces us to find answers somewhere. Sometimes those answers are deep within us and other times those answers are contingent upon external forces out of our control.
Whether it’s a grade on a test, a media story, or a district meeting online, how do we set expectations for our performance in a moment of trauma? When we create feedback loops that capture the accuracy of what’s happening we can use that information to assess what we actually know and create viable solutions. We're learning as we go and we are still learning about sound levels, so we appreciate your patience with us during this family project. You can now find us on all of the major podcasting platforms! Stay up-to-date when new episodes launch. Subscribe and follow on your favorite app. We want to make sure our content is accessible. We've made this episode available via the Otter.ai note-taking app, here- 8100 Minutes Let us know if we need to be somewhere else!
Welcome to our new podcast. That’s right, we’re throwing our hat in the ring and sharing our opinions, insights, and epiphanies over the airwaves… The kids and I have been thinking about pursuing this idea for some time but have yet to really make the time to commit ourselves to its challenges. Now that COVID-19 has forced many families, including ours, to shelter in place, we’re using this time to:
Over the past couple weeks a veil lifted from my chest. With every conference cancellation, every cancelled practice or tournament, every closure, I watched myself and my children become lighter. Our eyes brightened; our moods lifted. This is not a coincidence.
 It was the moment that my sister and I were exchanging stories of insane schedules and extreme exhaustion that it occurred to me, most mom’s leadership styles function as middle management and it’s time for a shift toward executive leadership. I’m not talking about careers. I’m talking about the way we manage our homes, motivate our children, and engage with our partners. “I keep repeating myself.” “I’d rather just do it myself because my kids don’t do it correctly” ”I feel like I’m the only one that cares.” I’ve just resolved myself to being tired and drinking coffee to maintain”. In so few words, these are the common themes I hear in my conversations, read on blogs, and watch in shows with moms in them… but why?  Image found via Google Search I've been thinking a lot about equity in education and the ways we discuss empowerment. On one end, giving space for historically ignored groups (people of color, people with disabilities, gender non-conforming people, etc.) to speak to their experience, is important. Providing disenfranchised people with skills to empower themselves, is critical. Encouraging disenfranchised people to report on inequity, systematic disenfranchisement, microaggressions, or hate-crimes, holds everyone accountable. All of these work toward creating an equitable and just future, but it's not enough. It’s not enough to “give up space”, “provide skills” or “encourage feedback” because it implies there is an owner benevolently bestowing kindness to a less fortunate other. It implies that the hard work required, is placed on the disenfranchised person or group. It implies hierarchy. It strips others of their humanity. They deserve to take up space and do not require anyone's permission to exist.  For the last three months my middle schooler has come home with wild stories about individuals at her school, mostly boys- white and NBPOCs (non black people of color), wanting to touch her hair, touching her hair without permission, or calling her names. It’s been frustrating and out of respect for my child I had refrained from writing about it. But it had finally come to a frustrating pass when she felt that self advocacy was no longer successful that I intervened.
Raising a black girl to love herself is still hard work in this early part of the 21st century. Continued messages of you are beautiful and you deserve to exist “as is” and unaltered are messages on repeat in our home. I know for a fact that though I experienced my own teasing as a child, it was my rebellious nature, my own devil could care attitude, and the understanding of the power of my blackness from a very small age, that shielded me from self esteem issues. I would say that some of the same is true for my daughter. It’s so fitting that I’m writing this a day late for the Day of Kindness. Though I pride myself in celebrating and elevating this behavior every day possible, my timing is either laughable or maybe abstractly right on time...
My youngest and I were sitting on our sofa. She finished preparing for school and so as part of her morning routine, she was able to play Minecraft. As she waited for the game to load she turns to me and says, “Mom ‘be kind.’ Hmmm kiiind...” she let the word “kind” ruminate for a bit and then asked, “Mom shouldn’t ‘kind’ be pronounced with a short ‘i’, kind (ken-d)?”. I thought about it for a second. “Yes. But what is Das Kind?”. She is currently taking German on Duolingo and she responds excitedly, “The child!”. ”Exactly. Think about it. What is a child like?” She named a variety of adjectives none of which were completely profound and so I interjected... ”A child is new to this place, so they’re always exploring. They’re open to new ideas and new experiences, unlike adults who’ve learned the things they think they like and then routinely stick to them. Children are vulnerable and often emotionally transparent. They engage in innocence and adventure and boldness. When I think of ‘be kind’ I think of being child like, not child-ish, but living in a way that is vulnerable to the possibility of learning someone or something new”. She agreed with me. But said, “I thought kindness was being nice.” She isn’t wrong in her assumption... I think a lot of people believe this, that kindness is synonymous with niceness and pleasantries. But in my mind, kindness is actually vulnerability and empathy. It’s the ability, or the attempt, to connect with other living things and that feels nice. It feels nice when someone is kind to us and therefore we attach that feeling to the word kind. But kindness is an action. You must do something in order to be kind. I challenge people to be kind every day, not just on World Kindness Day. Embody the characteristics that make others around you feel nice. Do acts that make others feel nice. Say the words that make others feel nice. This means you’re going to need to be vulnerable and empathetic. You’re going to need to tap into the boldness of your inner child. |
|
|
Discover with us!
|
|
© 2013-18 Mom Of All Capes