"Say 'again' to South Central (slight return)"
taken with:
CASIO EX-Z75
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
Friday, February 29, 2008
A random moment in time...(01.10/2008)
Crenshaw, South Central Los Angeles, Califas
"Say 'again' to South Central (slight return)"
taken with:
CASIO EX-Z75
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
"Say 'again' to South Central (slight return)"
taken with:
CASIO EX-Z75
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Forum-ation
So I had recently been "involved" with some forums...one is a forum that I browse more than anything else, while the other is something I have joined about 5 years ago and have not posted much since 2005! The first is quite funny...I had come across the San Diego Chargers' fan forums at the San Diego Union-Tribune forum website.
There are hardcore fans, and there are hardcore forum fanatics! The place is crazy and I don't think I'll be posting there any time soon...many have their own "inside" lingo, like "CHURCH M'FER" ...I don't know what that means! But anyways, the experience was entertaining. From an outsider's kind of view, I'm not sure if I'll be involved anytime soon in terms of posting...but nevertheless, GO CHARGERS! These people got the scoop on ANYTHING!
As for the second forum...I had always been interested in city development namely that of urban cores and downtown districts. Hence, in 2002, I had chanced upon a website for skyscraper and city development fanatics called SkyscraperPage.com. Aside from the SkyscraperPage Forum, the page itself features many facts about cities, the skyscrapers they have, heights, dates built, architecture information, and user-produced renderings and photos of buildings and skylines. Given my love of the development of the San Diego city skyline, I had been enticed in joining this forum community who were all, "in the know" about my city's burgeoning development. Nearly six years later, I have seen a massive transformation in my city's skyline, and have the SkyscraperPage forums to thank for giving me the inside info throughout. Though I have not posted there in nearly two years, I had begun to be involved again recently.
The Downtown San Diego skyline...as I saw it last January, 2008.
In sum, I feel that online communities can be outstanding resources, especially when these communities or forums are inhabited by those who are "in the know." The drawbacks to membership to these communities could include "newbie status" where your respect in the forum does not take shape until you post enough insight, but after awhile, you begin to find more and more information about what you might be looking for, if you try hard enough (or ask enough people) on these forums. If you have hobbies about anything and have questions or a desire to know future info, you can really depend on forumers who post regularly to give you the answers you need. Really.
PS - Did I mention that I am a hardcore Chargers fan AND a one-time prospective ARCHITECT? Now I only CHARGE up the classroom and architect my own sky-high structures of badass English curriculum...scaffolds and all!
There are hardcore fans, and there are hardcore forum fanatics! The place is crazy and I don't think I'll be posting there any time soon...many have their own "inside" lingo, like "CHURCH M'FER" ...I don't know what that means! But anyways, the experience was entertaining. From an outsider's kind of view, I'm not sure if I'll be involved anytime soon in terms of posting...but nevertheless, GO CHARGERS! These people got the scoop on ANYTHING!
As for the second forum...I had always been interested in city development namely that of urban cores and downtown districts. Hence, in 2002, I had chanced upon a website for skyscraper and city development fanatics called SkyscraperPage.com. Aside from the SkyscraperPage Forum, the page itself features many facts about cities, the skyscrapers they have, heights, dates built, architecture information, and user-produced renderings and photos of buildings and skylines. Given my love of the development of the San Diego city skyline, I had been enticed in joining this forum community who were all, "in the know" about my city's burgeoning development. Nearly six years later, I have seen a massive transformation in my city's skyline, and have the SkyscraperPage forums to thank for giving me the inside info throughout. Though I have not posted there in nearly two years, I had begun to be involved again recently.
The Downtown San Diego skyline...as I saw it last January, 2008.
In sum, I feel that online communities can be outstanding resources, especially when these communities or forums are inhabited by those who are "in the know." The drawbacks to membership to these communities could include "newbie status" where your respect in the forum does not take shape until you post enough insight, but after awhile, you begin to find more and more information about what you might be looking for, if you try hard enough (or ask enough people) on these forums. If you have hobbies about anything and have questions or a desire to know future info, you can really depend on forumers who post regularly to give you the answers you need. Really.
PS - Did I mention that I am a hardcore Chargers fan AND a one-time prospective ARCHITECT? Now I only CHARGE up the classroom and architect my own sky-high structures of badass English curriculum...scaffolds and all!
Friday, February 1, 2008
Suggestions for "A Better Tomorrow" and the (Inner-) City of San Diego (02.25/2007)
Suggestions for "A Better Tomorrow"
Bridging the Gap Between Disparity and Promise in
the City of San Diego
by el M. (02.25/2007)
In drafting out this piece, I decided to brief a short pictorial perspective as a foundation per addendum to my review on the inner-city high schools (and neighborhoods) of San Diego in an effort to better understand the similarities and differences of each school and their communities. As an alumni of Samuel F.B. Morse High School and resident of the predominantly working-class North Bay Terrace neighborhood in the urban Southeast San Diego area, it had always been a note of contention on where my education and those of my peers in neighboring high school institutions fell in relation to our counterparts in higher performing high schools in the suburban communities of San Diego, namely the high schools north of Interstate 8.
As a Visiting Teacher for the San Diego Unified School District, I have taught in over 20 different elementary, middle, and high schools, from all corners of our expansive District, and have spent the bulk of my teaching in our inner-city. Of the seven inner-city high schools of San Diego, I have taught at five of them (the exceptions being Lincoln High which is currently closed for construction, and Gompers High, which I have not had an opportunity to teach yet). It seems that much of the same challenges encountered in the inner-city schools appear to be symptomatic with each other, and that teaching in the suburban schools really shows a disparity of classroom conduct and motivation that is woefully broken across all boundaries of neighborhood, community, socio-economic, and ethnically diverse differences and persuasion.
The case in point may lie in the environment for which our students learn.
Though San Diego still maintains six operational inner-city high schools, it is important to note, however, that many students from San Diego's inner-city neighborhoods, namely those from the Lincoln High School boundary cluster in the Lincoln Park, Emerald Hills and Mountain View communities, have been for the last few years since Lincoln's closure in 2002, spread out all over the District, with most finding their academic homes in high-performing high schools in more privileged and safer communities like Scripps Ranch and Mira Mesa. Many seem to have been more successful in these schools, but others are still struggling with issues that may not affect most of their peers who may live close to their respective suburban high schools. Issues such as long cross-city commutes, a higher-standard of learning and high academic competition (as opposed to their respective inner-city elementary and middle schools), as well as their disadvantaged home environments all play a role in the difficulties many of these students are having.
I believe motivation for all our inner-city students regardless of what high school they attend, must be paid more mind and attention when it comes to raising achievement with these students. As teachers, we are held accountable towards all our students who are our future's Promise. For our most disadvantaged students, who are inclusive in their membership of The Promise, we must find more creative ways in planning out their success, ahead of their inadequate past learning, out-of-school burdens, and a readjustment to their discipline. We should also step back a bit from our sometimes aggressive approach to their motivation and discipline and offer both our help and respect through a milder tune of intervention, since many of these students had probably gone too tired of the aggressive kicks they had been getting for so long. It is through the implementation of these suggestions that I think we might move one step closer towards bridging the gap between our most disadvantaged students, both in their disadvantaged community high schools, as well as those in their more privileged adopted high schools.
With Respect and Commitment,
~el M.
(02.25/2007)
Mr. Nepomuceno
English Teacher
San Diego High School
School of Business
Bridging the Gap Between Disparity and Promise in
the City of San Diego
by el M. (02.25/2007)
In drafting out this piece, I decided to brief a short pictorial perspective as a foundation per addendum to my review on the inner-city high schools (and neighborhoods) of San Diego in an effort to better understand the similarities and differences of each school and their communities. As an alumni of Samuel F.B. Morse High School and resident of the predominantly working-class North Bay Terrace neighborhood in the urban Southeast San Diego area, it had always been a note of contention on where my education and those of my peers in neighboring high school institutions fell in relation to our counterparts in higher performing high schools in the suburban communities of San Diego, namely the high schools north of Interstate 8.
As a Visiting Teacher for the San Diego Unified School District, I have taught in over 20 different elementary, middle, and high schools, from all corners of our expansive District, and have spent the bulk of my teaching in our inner-city. Of the seven inner-city high schools of San Diego, I have taught at five of them (the exceptions being Lincoln High which is currently closed for construction, and Gompers High, which I have not had an opportunity to teach yet). It seems that much of the same challenges encountered in the inner-city schools appear to be symptomatic with each other, and that teaching in the suburban schools really shows a disparity of classroom conduct and motivation that is woefully broken across all boundaries of neighborhood, community, socio-economic, and ethnically diverse differences and persuasion.
The case in point may lie in the environment for which our students learn.
Though San Diego still maintains six operational inner-city high schools, it is important to note, however, that many students from San Diego's inner-city neighborhoods, namely those from the Lincoln High School boundary cluster in the Lincoln Park, Emerald Hills and Mountain View communities, have been for the last few years since Lincoln's closure in 2002, spread out all over the District, with most finding their academic homes in high-performing high schools in more privileged and safer communities like Scripps Ranch and Mira Mesa. Many seem to have been more successful in these schools, but others are still struggling with issues that may not affect most of their peers who may live close to their respective suburban high schools. Issues such as long cross-city commutes, a higher-standard of learning and high academic competition (as opposed to their respective inner-city elementary and middle schools), as well as their disadvantaged home environments all play a role in the difficulties many of these students are having.
I believe motivation for all our inner-city students regardless of what high school they attend, must be paid more mind and attention when it comes to raising achievement with these students. As teachers, we are held accountable towards all our students who are our future's Promise. For our most disadvantaged students, who are inclusive in their membership of The Promise, we must find more creative ways in planning out their success, ahead of their inadequate past learning, out-of-school burdens, and a readjustment to their discipline. We should also step back a bit from our sometimes aggressive approach to their motivation and discipline and offer both our help and respect through a milder tune of intervention, since many of these students had probably gone too tired of the aggressive kicks they had been getting for so long. It is through the implementation of these suggestions that I think we might move one step closer towards bridging the gap between our most disadvantaged students, both in their disadvantaged community high schools, as well as those in their more privileged adopted high schools.
With Respect and Commitment,
~el M.
(02.25/2007)
Mr. Nepomuceno
English Teacher
San Diego High School
School of Business
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