Transformations Journal- call for papers-deadline 8/31/09

transformations
The Journal of Inclusive Scholarship and Pedagogy

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR A SPECIAL ISSUE
TEACHING NATION
Guest Editor: Edward Ramsamy

The editors of Transformations seek articles (5,000 – 10,000 words), media reviews (books, film, video, performance, art, music, etc. – 3,000 to 5,000 words), and photo-essays that explore nation in a variety of pedagogical contexts and from all disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives.
Topics might include:
• Defining, defending, crossing national borders;
• Conceptualizing and contesting ideas of nation in the classroom;
• Courses on Im/migration and/or emigration;
• Pedagogical approaches to nation, identity, citizenship, and language;
• Globalization, economics and labor;
• Diaspora, transnationalism, exile;
• Nations, states, nation-states;
• Colonialism, post-colonialism and nation;
• Nation and communities;
• Nation, race-ethnicity, religion, class, gender, and sexuality;
• National conflict and cooperation;
• Nationalism, patriotism, xenophobia in the classroom;
• Articulating and representing cultural identities;
• Teaching indigeneity and sovereignty.

Deadline: August 30th, 2009

Transformations: The Journal of Inclusive Scholarship and Pedagogy is a peer-reviewed interdisciplinary forum for pedagogical scholarship exploring intersections of identities, power, and social justice. The journal features a range of approaches — from theoretical articles to creative and experimental accounts of pedagogical innovations from teachers and scholars from all areas of education.
Send submissions or inquiries in MLA format (6th ed.) as attachments in MS Word or Rich Text format to: Jacqueline Ellis and Edvige Giunta, Editors, transformations@njcu.edu. OR send a hard copy to Transformations, New Jersey City University, Hepburn Hall Room 309, 2039 Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07305. Author(s) name and contact information should be included on a SEPARATE page. For submission guidelines go to: www.njcu.edu/assoc/transformations.

Published semi-annually by New Jersey City University

Getting Ready for September?- A Helpful Website

The Teacher Created Materials Website has an interesting collection of :

• Free activities http://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/free

and a searchable

• Free Activities archive of materials , lesson plans and activities http://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/free/#archive

There are also Webinars http://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/webinars/

and podcasts http://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/podcasts/

A fun site to browse through!

NJ Graphic Novel Fans Alert!

COME ROCK OUT AT THE SOUTH ORANGE PUBLIC LIBRARY
So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother), a graphic novel for teens written and illustrated by brother/sister team Micol and David Ostow, will be presented at the South Orange Public Library on Thursday evening, Aug. 6th, at 7 p.m. by the authors, who are South Orange natives.

Micol and David will show the MTV-style book trailer for So Punk Rock, and read a short selection of the book. Teens will have a chance to look at the hilarious illustrations designed by Dave, ask questions, learn a little bit about the writing and publishing process, and maybe even win a copy of the book.

All are welcome and refreshments will be served. For further information please contact Phyllis Kalb at the South Orange Public Library at (973) 762-0230 or pkalb@sopl.org. For a description of the book, see the author website at http://www.micolostow.com/, and http://www.micolostow.com/sopunkrock/

See a Book- Read a Movie

Summer is here, time to experience movies and literature together
Try these titles

COMING SOON TO THE SCREEN

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood prince
Juv.R883he
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417741/

Skellig
Juv.A452s
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382301/

Available on DVD

Coraline
Juv.G141C
Juv.R966c (graphic novel)

Tale of Desperaux
Juv.D545TA

Inkheart
Juv.F982i

Spiderwick Chronicles
Juv.D863

Happy Summer Reading and Viewing!

Laugh globally at the ADFF in June

LAUGH OUT LOUD COMEDY FILM SERIES

The African Diaspora Film Festival, The Office of the President, Diversity and Community Affairs and the Center for African Education at Teachers College, Columbia University invite you to ADFFs Laugh Out Loud Film Series Program featuring films from Senegal, Mozambique, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad & Tobago, France and the US.

Friday, June 26 through Sunday, June 28, 2009 at Teachers College, Columbia University. All films are in English or with English subtitles.

FREE Friday screenings and discussions on films from Africa and the African Diaspora. Refreshments will be served. All other screenings: $9 General Admission, $7 students & seniors.Sat, June 27 - 172 Macy Hall

TC African Diaspora Cine Club
Teachers College, Columbia University
525 West 120th Street - Room 172 Macy Hall
Train 1 to 116th Street - Walk up four blocks or
Bus M4, M60 or M104 to 120th Street


Friday, June 26 at 6:00PM
Special Event Screening: Discussion & Cocktails
100% Arabica
by Mahmoud Zemmouri, 85min, 1997, France, comedy in French with English subtitles.

In a housing project located on the outskirts of Paris renamed "100% Arabica" by its inhabitants, African immigrants live side by side. The residents are united by their struggle for recognition in a society where immigrants are often regarded as second-class citizens. In a world of exiles, poverty is the common denominator. Against this backdrop, director Zemmouri has brought together two of the biggest and most charismatic stars of the cross-cultural musical form known as Rai, Cheb Mami and Khaled, who play the leaders of a band called Rap Oriental. As the band of musicians starts to gain in popularity, the Imam of the local mosque (Mouss) tries to destroy them by stirring up racial and cultural tensions. However, no one can stop the infectious popularity of the songs in this story of music triumphing over bigotry and violence.

at Teachers College, Columbia University
525 West 120th Street
Fri, June 26-172 Macy Hall FREE (faculty and students) Screening (6:00PM)
Photo ID required to enter building


Friday, June 26
8:30PM
in Room 172 Macy Hall
VIEW TRAILER
SANKY PANKY
by Jose Enrique Pintor, 110 min, 2007, Dominican Republic, comedy in Spanish with English subtitles.

The Dominican Republic has beautiful beaches, beautiful people, and a little something called "Sanky Panky," which female tourists might want to stay away from. In this musical comedy starring the charismatic Fausto Mata, his attempts at getting foreign women to fall in love with him in order to procure a visa to the United States have hilarious results. A huge hit in both the Dominican Republic and the Dominican communities abroad, SANKY PANKY is a humorous look at the little-known phenomena of seducing travelers for personal gain. Popular Dominican music, such as Big Family and Aventura, accompany many of Mata's ridiculous exploits in his quest for a little "Sanky Panky."

Saturday, June 27
2:00PM
in Room 172 Macy Hall
PLAYING AWAY

by Horace Ove, 100mins, 1986, Trinidad&Tobago/UK, comedy in English. Official Selection, Lond and African Diaspora Film Festivals

To mark the conclusion of their "Third World Week" celebration, a cricket team in a small English village invites a West Indian cricket team from South London to a charity game. "Not surprisingly, there's wariness on both sides. But Willie Boy (Norman Beaton), the proud, wryly philosophical captain of the Conquistadors, is intent on accepting the invitation. Meanwhile, the captain of the Sneddington Cricket Club, the innocent but overwhelmingly self-satisfied Derek (Nicholas Farell), is confident of a handy Sunday afternoon victory. Obviously, the possibilities, both comic and serious, in this cultural exchange are endless, and the filmmakers seem not to have missed any of them. But, for all the film's abundant humor, Ove, said to be Britain's first black film maker, and the Oxford-educated Phillips, never let us forget that racial tensions lurk beneath the occasion's surge of good will. In the end, Playing Away's pleasures are subtle and genuine." ~Los Angeles Times

Saturday, June 27
4:00PM
in Room 172 Macy Hall
THE GREAT BAZAAR

by Lincinio Azevedo, 58 min, 2005, Mozambique, comedy in Portugese with English subtitles. Winner Best Short Film, Durban International Film Festival. Official Selection, African Diaspora Film Festival.

In the suburb of an African city, 12-years-old Paito sells fritters outside his house. One day, a band of young robbers takes his money. He decides he's not going to go home until he recovers what he lost. With this in mind, he heads out for the big city on the same train as the thieves. Looking for work, he begins to live in a market square that at night becomes a dormitory for homeless vendors. There he meets Xano, a boy his age, whose insolent behavior and fearlessness attract him. Unlike Paito, Xano despises work and he steals. Despite their differences, they become friends. Together, they reinvent the world.

Saturday, June 27
8:30pm
in Room 172 Macy Hall
NO TIME TO DIE
by King Ampaw, 95mins, 2006, Ghana, love and comedy in English. Official Selection, African Diaspora Film Festival.

Death and funeral traditions play a significant role in African culture. No Time to Die is director King Ampaw's contribution to passing the traidtion onto the next genderation. hearse driver, David Dunnoth meets and falls in love with a young, beautiful dancer who is plannine an elaborate homegoing celebration for her mother. This love and comedy feature lenght film follows David as he does everything to win her affection.

Saturday, June 27
6:00pm
in Room 172 Macy Hall
REUNION

by Sheila Marie Norman, 110mins, 2006, USA, comedy -drama in English . Recipient of numerous awards including Best Actress, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress. Official Selection, African Diaspora Film Festival.

Struggling with vulnerability, Dominique (Carolyn Owens), a college professor, must do some soul searching to address personal shortcomings. Suffering from kidney failure, she attends a family reunion to approach her estranged sister, CeCe (Trisha Mann), for a transplant. However, unresolved conflicts from their catastrophic childhood remain. At great emotional expense, both sisters must confront the demons of their past to find forgiveness and healing. Wacky relatives attending the reunion add color and controversy to the affair. Mounting tensions erupt when Aunt Clara (Maxine Hayden), the family matriarch, reveals a shocking secret, shaking the family tree to its roots

Sunday, June 28
2:00pm
in Room 172 Macy Hall
ALMODOU

by Amadou Thior, 85mins, 2002, Senegal, comedy in Wolof/French with English subtitles. Official Selection, African Diaspora Film Festival.

Sometimes distasteful practices are most effectively criticized with a good sense of humor. Meet Modou, a young, courageous and determinde talibe - a pupil in a Koranic school-who manages to escape from his corrupt and abusice teacher to find a better life in contemporary Dakar, Senegal.

Sunday, June 28
4:00pm
in Room 172 Macy Hall
SPECIAL GUEST Q&A
w/Refreshments
MURDER MAGIC by Windell Williams, 100mins, 1993, USA, drama in English. Official Selection, African Diaspora Film Festival.

A comedy-drama by gifted New York based director Windell Williams, Murder Magic is about a treacherous family secret which causes a murderous conflict between two brothers, one clean-cut and ambitious, the other a womanizing ex-convict. Don't miss this deliciously original, filled with humor, and distinctively intelligent independent feature film and meet director Windell Williams. Q&A after the screening. Refreshments will be served. Sunday, June 28 at 4:00pm. Q&A with filmmaker, Windell Williams and refreshments will be served.

Sunday, June 28
6:30pm
in Room 172 Macy Hall
HOW TO CONQUER AMERICA IN ONE NIGHT
by Dany Laferriere , 96mins, 2004, Canada/Haiti, Romantic comedy in French with English subtitles . Recipient of Zenith Prize (Best First Fiction Feature), Montreal World Film Festival. Official Selection, African Diaspora Film Festival.

Newly arrived in Montréal, and determined to conquer North America by charming blond-haired women, Gégé, a Haitian in his thirties, lands up at Fanfan's - his nostalgic uncle who has given up poetry for a good old taxicab and dreams of returning to his homeland. Over the course of one night filled with humor and friendship -- highlighted by a party attended by twins Andrée and Denise, two Québécoises with contrasting charms -- the two fun-loving guys take stock of their lives, memories and fantasies. Meanwhile, on television, various celebrities draw up a comic portrait of North American society. "A shrewd, funny, humane and very well-written and acted comedy from Haitian-born Montreal writer Dany Laferriere (author of How To Make Love To a Negro Without Getting Tired and On the Verge of a Fever), who makes a lively directorial debut with this comic-dramatic tale." ~ Michael Wilmington - Chicago Tribune.

Screenings: $9 General Admission, $7 students & seniors.
Friday, June 26 8:30pm
Saturday, June 27
Sunday, June 28

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact OASID at oasid@tc.edu , (212) 678-3689, (212) 678-3853 TTY, (212) 678-3854 video phone, as early as possible to request reasonable accommodations, such as ASL interpreters, alternate format materials, and a campus map of accessible features.Info: (212) 864-1760

Calling Newark-Teen Girls -Apply NOW-June Deadline

From the Sadie Nash Leadership Project

Last Chance: Apply for Newark Summer Institute ONLINE Last Chance!

Apply Online: Apply now for Newark Summer Institute 2009

Please help spread the word to your youth contacts about this great opportunity. The application date has been extended to June!
www.sadienash.org or 718.422.8664

SADIE NASH LEADERSHIP PROJECT
Frequently Asked Question

What do we do? SNLP is a unique educational leadership program that is made up of young women ages 14-21 in New York City and Newark, NJ. We are currently recruiting for our Summer Leadership Institute for 2009. SNLP gives you a chance to meet amazing peers and accomplished leaders (like filmmakers, activists, scientists, artists, writers); to take fun exciting courses (about things like human rights, creative writing, medicine, sociology, the environment); and to develop your unique way of leading with your peers and with our support. SNLP is about you, run by you and for you, as a leader and as a young woman.

Why do we do it? The Sadie Nash Leadership Project is designed to guide you through a process in which you come to understand the importance of your life experiences, and how these experiences can be applied to taking action and making change. We believe you, as a young woman in high school, have the ability to change the world, now and in your future. The Sadie Nash Leadership Project is your opportunity to take some time and look at your own leadership, your potential leadership, and the leadership of the women around you.

How does it work? The Sadie Nash Leadership Project requires an initial commitment of six weeks. The summer program lasts for six weeks from July 6th – August 14th, Monday through Friday from 10am until 4pm (on Fridays, we have special events and the hours are different). The summer program will be located in downtown Newark (we hope on the Rutgers Newark campus where it was located last year) which is accessible by bus and train. There will be required pre-session orientation meetings in early June to prepare you for the summer, and to provide an opportunity to meet the staff and to get to know each other. During the summer you and your peers will take classes, meet women involved in different forms of leadership, take workshops on issues that are important to you, and explore your own and others' leadership. The program is FREE, and in fact you will receive a weekly stipend to attend.

What is the stipend? To help you cover your expenses (food and transportation) during the summer you will receive a stipend during the program for everyday you attend. You only receive the stipend when you are at the program because it covers those two direct costs that come with attendance

June Celebrations- Juneteenth-June 19

What is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance
Source-http://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm

For more information see http://www.juneteenth.com/welcome.htm
For the location of celebrations near you see http://www.juneteenth.com/worldwide.htm

And check out these books from the library:
Juv. 323.263.B816j Juneteenth: Freedom day by Muriel Miller Branch

Juv. 973.7.C321u Underground Railroad for Kids: from slavery to freedom with 21 activities by Mary Kay Carson

Also see these sites for lesson plans:

Celebrate Juneteenth http://www.readwritethink.org/calendar/calendar_day.asp?id=547

Juneteenth Wordsearch http://www.teachervision.fen.com/black-history-month/printable/37370.html

Celebrating Juneteenth in Texas http://tides.sfasu.edu/Teachers/Tides/docs/LessonPlans/Elementary/socialPlans/WardenJuneteenth.html

Roads to Freedom http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/history/hs_lp_roadstofreedom.htm

Before, During, and After the Emancipation Proclamation Lesson Plan: A Slave's View
http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/history/hs_lp_rtf-emancipation.htm

See http://educationservicesnews.blogspot.com/2011/06/juneeteenth-in-new-jersey.html
 for 2011 New Jersey events

Support NJ Public Libraries-YOU DID IT!

New Jersey Public Libraries face drastic cuts, please read below

From the New Jersey Library Association:

1. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
As you know, Senator Brian Stack (D-Hudson and mayor Union City) has introduced
S. 2775 which would reduce the minimum funding for municipal libraries to 1/6 mil from 1/3 mil of the equalized valuation of the real property. This is very devastating legislation.

NJLA ( New Jersey Library Association, http://www.njla.org/) activated its legislative alert system through Capwiz ( a service which allows you to send a message directly to your state senator).

The alert is at:
http://capwiz.com/ala/nj/issues/alert/?alertid=13301621&PROCESS=Take+Action

So far approximately 1900 messages have been sent but we still need more. If you have not sent your message please do so today.

We urge you to also forward this message other library supporters.. Many of you have Facebook pages so please forward this to your contacts.

If you have had a response from your local Senator to your email, please let me know. For example, Senator Marcia Karrow has already said she would not support the bill. It is important that we know what the legislators are saying.

Senator Stack represents District 33. The two Assemblypersons in this District have now signed onto the A3753 ( the Assembly bill).They are Assemblyman Ruben Ramos and Assemblywoman Caridad Rodriguez. We don’t believe that the addition of these sponsors means that there is widespread support in the Assembly for this legislation.

The library community, however, must do everything it can to see that this bill does not more forward. Get involved. Attend the NJLA Public Policy Forum on June 5 ( see below).

Check out the njla.blog ( on the front of our website). On Friday, northjersey.com had an article entitled “Towns fill budget gaps with surplus library funds.” On Sunday, the Record also had an extremely supportive editorial against S2775.

2. STATE BUDGET
A message from the NJ State Librarian Norma Blake regarding the NJ State budget. “Last week the NJ State Library received from the Office of Management and Budget another directive to give suggestions as to where they can take an additional $1,606,000 from the library FY2010 budget, bringing our total projected cut to $3,564,000. The suggestions were very difficult to make. However, we have tried to spread the budget cuts across a number of areas of the library budget, including cuts to the State Library, to minimize the impact on any one program. There is no guarantee that the Office of Management and Budget who makes the cut will follow our suggestions or will allow us to make transfers among budget lines. I will write again as soon as OMB makes their final decision. We have every reason to believe, based on the revenue projects, that this may not be the last library budget cut FY2010. Sincerely, Norma E. Blake, State Librarian, New Jersey State Library.”

IMPORTANT LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM NJLA - YOU DID IT!

I am very happy to forward the message we received from JoAnne Serrano, president of the library board of Hoboken Library. JoAnne was contacted by Senator Stack’s office on Friday. They indicated he will “withdraw” S2775 as soon as possible.

This is absolutely wonderful news. We have removed the “capwiz” legislative alert from out website. Over 2200 messages were sent to legislators regarding S2775 through this site.

We also want to thank the NJ State Library which called public libraries to encourage them to contact their legislators regarding this bill.

This has been an outstanding advocacy effort by the entire library community. I particularly want to thank the library community of Hoboken who are represented by Senator Stack in District 33. The entire library board led by Board President Joanne Serrano, Library Director Lina Podles and the Friends of the Hoboken Library all contacted Senator Stack’s office and told them how detrimental this bill would be for the entire library community.

This demonstrates that local advocacy efforts coupled with electronic resources such as “capwiz” can make our library message known in Trenton.

We certainly hope this is the end of the efforts to reduce library funding to 1/6 mil. Assemblyman Prieto, sponsor of the bill (A3753) on the Assembly side, has told us he will not go forward with the legislation.

Ezra Jack Keats Snowy Day stamp in 2012?-How you can help

THE SNOWY DAY by Ezra Jack Keats 50th Anniversary in 2012

Help Create a U.S. Postage Stamp to Celebrate!

From the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation:

The U.S. Postage Stamp Citizen's Advisory Committee, the group that decides what subjects are chosen for our country's commemorative postage stamps, is considering
celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the publishing of THE SNOWY DAY by Ezra Jack Keats. This book is not just an American classic beloved by generations of children and parents around the world; it is also the book that broke the color barrier in mainstream American children's book publishing.


It takes three years for the subject of a postage stamp to be considered, accepted
and developed. The fiftieth anniversary of THE SNOWY DAY is in 2012. Help us gather
signatures to send to the Citizen's Advisory Committee to let them know how welcome
this stamp would be to families and educators across the country. Help us show the world that Ezra's character Peter, playing in the snow, a character they recognize and treasure, is as valued here as it is abroad.


To support the creation of THE SNOWY DAY 50th Anniversary Commemorative Stamp visit
the website of the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation(http://www.blogger.com/www.ezra-jack-keats.org)and add your name to the Support the Stamp list. Tell your friends, your students, your teachers and your parents to add their names to our petition. Names will not be used for any other reason than for THE SNOWY DAY Stamp Petition, nor will they be shared or sold to any other entity. Help make 2012 a celebration of American children in all their diversity!


The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation funds literacy and arts programming in public schools,
public libraries, parks, museums and universities across the country to enhance the joy of learning and teaching for all generations of learners.


Ezra Jack Keats Foundation
450 14th Street
Brooklyn, New York 11215
718-965-1266

Virtual manipulatives

Math Instructor's Alert!

Do you need manipulatives for mathematics instruction?

Here is a fun site for students:
National Library of Virtual manipulatives- Utah State University
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html

Griot & Oral tradition in Africa Film Series 5/29-5/31/09

TC African Diaspora Cine Club
Teachers College, Columbia University
525 West 120th Street - Room 273A Grace Dodge
Train 1 to 116th Street - Walk up four blocks or
Bus M4, M60 or M104 to 120th Street

Photo ID required to enter building

WHAT: FREE Friday screenings and discussions on films from Africa and the African Diaspora. Refreshments will be served.

UPCOMING SCREENING: Friday, May 29, 2009 at 6:00PM

The African continent is a reservoir of traditions, talent and creativity. Griots & Oral Tradition in Africa, one of the most important traditions in Africa: The art of story telling. Great Malian writer and ethnologist Amadou Hampate Ba said "in Africa, when an old man dies, is a library that burns ("En Afrique, quand un viellard meurt, c'est une bibliotehque qui brule"- Unesco 1960). The selection of films in this series is built around that African tradition.


SOTIGUI KOUYATE:
A MODERN GRIOT


by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, 58min, 1996, Chad/France, documentary, French with English subtitles.


Through testimonies by Peter Brook, Jean-Claude Carriere, Jean-Pierre Guigane, and Sotigui Kouyate himself, Sotigui Kouyate: A Modern Griot dresses the portrait of one of Africa's greatest actor now based in Paris. From Africa to Europe, the film unveils the multiple facets of Sotigui Kouyate, actor, musician and modern.

GRIOTS & ORAL TRADITION IN AFRICA
with Special Event Screening: Discussion & Cocktails
Saturday, May 29 - Sunday, May 31, 2009

at Teachers College, Columbia University 525 West 120th Street

Fri, May 29-273A Grace Dodge FREE Screening
Sat, May 30 273A Grace Dodge (6:00PM Special Event Screening $12 General Admission)
Sat, May 30 273A Grace Dodge
Sun, May 31- 273A Grace Dodge



Griot & Oral Tradition in Africa Film Series Program
is a selection of films that delves into the life and culture of the Griot a.k.a story teller. This films series feature Professor Oyeronke Oyewumi, an award-winning author of "The Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourses." Professor Oyewumi, born in Nigeria, has garnered a number of research fellowships including, Rockefeller Fellowships, a Presidential Fellowship, and a Ford Foundation grant.

The African Diaspora Film Festival, The Office of the President, Diversity and Community Affairs and the Center for African Education at Teachers College, Columbia University invite you to ADFFs Griot & Oral Tradition in Africa Film Series Program featuring films from Tanzania, Belgium, Chad and Senegal. Come discover the world of The Griot, Friday, May 29 through Sunday, May 31, 2009 at Teachers College, Columbia University. All films are in English or with English subtitles.

Saturday, May 30 2:00PM in Room 273A Grace Dodge


NAMES LIVE NOWHERE
by Dominique Loreau, 76 min, 1994, Belgium, docu-drama in French with English subtitles
Official Selection, African Diaspora Film Festival 1996.

In this film, whose title is a Senegalese proverb, a griot (storyteller) traveling from Dakar to Brussels weaves a tale about African expatriates and offers a candid look at the life of African immigrants in Belgium. With Sotigui-Kouyate - a real life griot - as the story teller.

Saturday, May 30 @ 4:00PM
Sunday, May 31 @ 4:00PM
in Room 273A Grace Dodge


AS OLD AS MY TONGUE
by Andy Jones, 90mins, 2006, Tanzania/UK, documentary in English and Swahili with English subtitles.

An intimate portrait of legendary singer Bi Kidude, probably the oldest singer on the world stage today. A strong woman with a defiant personality that challenges the perception one has about women's behavior in Muslim oriented societies.

Screenings on
Saturday, May 30 @ 4pm and
Sunday, May 31 @ 4pm.

Saturday, May 30@ 6:00PM Special Event $12 Gen Admission


YANDE CODOU, THE GRIOT OF SENGHOR
by Angele Diabang Brener, 52 min, 2008, Senegal

Yande Codou Sene (80 years old) is one of the last great singers of polyphonic Serere poetry. This film is an intimate look at a diva who has lived through the history of Senegal at the side of one his greatest near-mythical figures, President-poet Leopold Sedar Senghor. Saturday, May 30 @ 6pm and Sunday, May 31 @ 6pm. Saturday screening followed by discussion with Professor Oyeronke Oyewumi, author of award-winning book The Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourses and cocktail.
Sunday, May 31 2:00PM in Room 179 Grace Dodge


SIA, THE MYTH OF THE PYTHON
Special Prize of the Jury: FESPACO 2001, Official Selection Cannes 2001.
by Dani Kouyate, 96mins, 2001, Burkina Faso/France, Epic Drama, Bambara with English subtitles.

Kombi is a poverty-stricken city dominated by a tyrant king. In order to bring back prosperity, the king is advised by his priests to make the traditional human sacrifice of a young virgin to a mystical snake god. Sia, the most beautiful young woman of the village, has been designated. Lieutenant Mamadi, her fiancé, rebels against the decision to perform this ritual and the village becomes divided. Struggles and revelations follow as the characters confront issues of honor, corruption and power.

"A delightful, pointed fable of religious and political extremism that's extra-relevant at present" - Dennis Harvey-VARIETY
Sunday, May 31

AS OLD AS MY TONGUE
See Satruday May 30 @ 4PM screening
Tickets:
Teachers College Students, Faculty and Staff: Free with valid TC ID

Friday, May 29 -6pm FREE Screening

Saturday, May 30 6pm Special Event Screening $12 general admission,
$10 for students & seniors
All other screenings $9 general admission, $7 students & seniors.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact OASID at oasid@tc.edu , (212) 678-3689, (212) 678-3853 TTY, (212) 678-3854 video phone, as early as possible to request reasonable accommodations, such as ASL interpreters, alternate format materials, and a campus map of accessible features.

Info: (212) 864-1760

Ten Most Challenged Books in 2008

The Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF) of the American Library Association has released:

The 10 most challenged books of 2008

And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell (Juv.R523a)
Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group

His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman(Juv. P982)
Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, violence

TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle (Juv.M9975)
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz (Juv.398.4 .S399S)
Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, violence

Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya (Juv.PS3551.N27 B6)
Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, violence

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky (Juv.C513p)
Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited to age group

Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar (Juv..V9489w)
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen (Juv.B8217u)
Reasons: homosexuality, unsuited to age group

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini (PS3608 .O832 K58 2005)
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper (Juv.H2934f)
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group


The most frequently challenged authors of 2008
Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson (Juv.R523)
Philip Pullman (Juv.P982)
Lauren Myracle (Juv.M9975)
Jim Pipe
Alvin Schwartz
Chris Crutcher (Juv.C957)
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Juv.N333)
Rudolfo Anaya (PS3551.N27, Juv.923.31 .C512A)
Stephen Chbosky (Juv.C513p)
Cecily Von Ziegesar (Juv.V9489w)

Check OSCAR, the Online catalog for works by these authors!

Transformations Journal is seeking submissions

The peer reviewed journal, Transformations:The Journal of Inclusive Scholarship and Pedagogy is seeking submissions.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR A SPECIAL ISSUE -TEACHING NATION
Guest Editor: Edward Ramsamy

The editors of Transformations seek articles (5,000 – 10,000 words), media reviews (books, film, video, performance, art, music, etc. – 3,000 to 5,000 words), and photo-essays that explore nation in a variety of pedagogical contexts and from all disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives.

Topics might include:
• Defining, defending, crossing national borders;
• Conceptualizing and contesting ideas of nation in the classroom;
• Courses on Im/migration and/or emigration;
• Pedagogical approaches to nation, identity, citizenship, and language;
• Globalization, economics and labor;
• Diaspora, transnationalism, exile;
• Nations, states, nation-states;
• Colonialism, post-colonialism and nation;
• Nation and communities;
• Nation, race-ethnicity, religion, class, gender, and sexuality;
• National conflict and cooperation;
• Nationalism, patriotism, xenophobia in the classroom;
• Articulating and representing cultural identities;
• Teaching indigeneity and sovereignty.

Deadline: June 30th, 2009

Transformations: The Journal of Inclusive Scholarship and Pedagogy is a peer-reviewed interdisciplinary forum for pedagogical scholarship exploring intersections of identities, power, and social justice.

The journal features a range of approaches — from theoretical articles to creative and experimental accounts of pedagogical innovations from teachers and scholars from all areas of education.

Send submissions or inquiries in MLA format (6th ed.) as attachments in MS Word or Rich Text format to: Jacqueline Ellis and Edvige Giunta, Editors, transformations@njcu.edu.

OR
send a hard copy to Transformations, New Jersey City University, Hepburn Hall Room 309, 2039 Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07305. Author(s) name and contact information should be included on a SEPARATE page. For submission guidelines go to: www.njcu.edu/assoc/transformations.

Published semi-annually by New Jersey City University

Teacher jobs and job sites

Job-seeker Links
From NJEA (New Jersey Education Association) links
http://www.njea.org/page.aspx?a=2054

From NJCU (New Jersey City University)
http://web.njcu.edu/sites/nptnj/Content/guide_for_job_searchjob_fair.asp

NJ.COM- Newspaper classified advertisements
http://www.nj.com/jobs/

School Spring
http://www.schoolspring.com/find/new_jersey_teaching_jobs_in_new_jersey.cfm

Chat with YA author Susan Beth Pfeffer tonight!

Join One Book New Jersey at 7:30 tonight for a discussion Life as We Knew It with award-winning author Susan Beth Pfeffer!

Life as We Knew It is the teen selection of OBNJ this year, as voted on by the public. It was also recently awarded as winner of the Garden State Teen Book Award (Grade 6-8 category), as voted on by teen readers across New Jersey.

Logging into the chat is free and easy and all are welcome. Go to www.bccls.org/OBNJ anytime between 7:30 and 8:30 tonight to join us!

For more information, go to www.onebooknewjersey.org/young-adult!


More info:
Life as We Knew It
by Susan Beth Pfeffer
ISBN: 9780152061548
Proceeds from orders through Amazon support NJLA.

When an asteroid hits the moon, it causes a change in the moon's orbit and unleashes a series of world-wide disasters, including tsunamis, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes. This story is told from the perspective of Miranda, a sixteen-year-old girl in living in a rural Northeastern Pennsylvania town. In one night everything changes; even though she is far enough away from the major destruction, her life will never be the same. Gone are the everyday routines of school, crushes, and friendships. Instead, Miranda needs to worry about food, sickness, and taking care of her family, while trying to deal with overwhelming fear. Through her journal, Miranda is free to express her worries, desires, and hope.

Susan Beth Pfeffer is an award-winning author who has received much acclaim, including for her work on a series for younger readers, Portraits of Little Women, and the recognition of A Year Without Michael as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. To date she has had 75 books published, her most recent work being the dead & the gone, the companion novel to Life as We Knew It. The author says she decided to be a writer when she was in first grade, and her first book, Just Morgan, was published in 1970. Ms. Pfeffer was born in New York City and today lives in Wallkill, NY.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY-May 2nd

Saturday, May 2nd is Free Comic Book Day!
Check for participating stores near you at the
Free Comic Bok Day website
http://www.freecomicbookday.com
Just enter your zip code to get a list of stores and check for signings by comic book artists!

Neil Gaiman, Shaun Tan and Mariken Jongman-NYC- 4/30/09

April 30, 2009
Leaps and Bounds, Fits and Starts: The Evolution of a Children’s Book Writer
Thursday, 6:30-8:00pm
With Neil Gaiman, Mariken Jongman, and Shaun Tan; moderated by Andrea Davis Pinkney.

Picture books! Novels! Graphic Novels! And more! Authors and their works develop in distinctive ways. Some ideas and books are nurtured for years while others have a eureka moment. Join children's book authors Neil Gaiman, Mariken Jongman, and Shaun Tan for a discussion about the ever-evolving landscape of children's and young adult literature with Scholastic Executive Editor Andrea Davis Pinkney.

Where:
Scholastic Auditorium
557 Broadway
New York, NY 10012
212.343.6100
R/W to Prince Street
B/D/F/V to Broadway-Lafayette

Free and open to the public
Presented by PEN's Children's Book Committee and Scholastic

http://www.pen.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/3213/prmID/1376

Earth Day Research Project

In honor of Earth Day, a quick but illuminating interdisciplinary research project for grades 9-12 reflecting

NJCCS (New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards)
STANDARD 5.10 (ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES) ALL STUDENTS WILL DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE ENVIRONMENT AS A SYSTEM OF INTERDEPENDENT COMPONENTS AFFECTED BY HUMAN ACTIVITY AND NATURAL PHENOMENA.

B. Human Interactions and Impact
Assess the impact of human activities on the cycling of matter and the flow of energy through ecosystems.
Use scientific, economic, and other data to assess environmental risks and benefits associated with societal activity.


Background

Research the industrial history of Jersey City in the following library books and websites:
F144 .J543 G33 2007 2007
Jersey City : a monumental history

F144 .J5 J47 1910a 1996
Jersey City of to-day, Hudson County, New Jersey, America : its history, people, trades, commerce, institutions & industries

F144 .J5 J47 1910a 1996
Jersey City of to-day, Hudson County, New Jersey, America : its history, people, trades, commerce, institutions & industries

Jersey city Online
http://www.jerseycityonline.com/history/jc_history.htm

Jersey City History-Past and Present
http://www.njcu.edu/programs/jchistory/

New Jersey Department of Environmental Chromium Map
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/chromium/map.htm

Jersey City Now
Students can view the following videos




Research
Note some of the main points of the videos
View the videos again and note some of the visuals that accompanied the main points
Note what emotions the visuals tried to elicit, if any.

Research the terms "chromium" and "Jersey City" in several periodical (newspaper)
databases such as Lexis Nexis or Academic Search premier.

Are your sources authoritative?
Does your research confirm the main points of the video

Discuss your findings with the class

What conclusions can you make, if any?

Follow Up
If you are concerned about industrial pollution, what actions can be taken?
Contact your representatives
Do more research
Contact environmental organizations

School Board Elections-April 21, 2009-VOTE!

Don't forget to vote in the School Board Elections held on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 in New Jersey!

Jersey City Residents can find information on candidates here:

The Powerhouse Arts District site
http://www.padnajc.org/
has questionnaire responses for the majority of candidates

School Board Panel Debate report
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wires/2009/04/10/school-board-candidates-i_ws_185608.html

Talking Politics- JC Board of Ed Candidates
Click on JC Board of Ed Candidates to watch video interviews with 4 of the 12 candidates
http://www.channel125.com/tp12.htm

Jersey City Independent
Interview with 3 of the 12 candidates
http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2009/04/10/meet-the-school-board-candidates-william-derosa-moshe-rozenblit-and-tom-wilen/

Coverage of panel
http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2009/04/10/school-board-candidates-introduce-themselves-at-community-forums/


Candidate websites:
Three of the candidates have a website with their biographies,mission and other information
http://www.jceen.org/

Interesting online Education Grant Database

While browsing for information, this site popped up. It is a compendium of grants for teachers, students and other educators, started by two individuals in 1996 with backgrounds in education and grantsmanship.

Take a look and see if it is helpful:
GrantsAlert.com http://www.grantsalert.com/resources.cfm

Please leave a comment if you find it useful, or if you have problems with it.