On Movements, Education & Poetry

The Presidential Inauguration let millions meet Amanda Gorman, the Young Poet Laureate. Vatican News posted a brief interview. Ms. Gorman’s poem may be found here.

Amanda Gorman, who captivated the US with her poem recited at President Biden's inauguration ceremony, shares her thoughts on the importance of education, the power of poetry, and the movements launched by the dedication of young women. @AGisotti https://t.co/PpRHRtz07d

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) February 13, 2021

Bouncing Between Zoom Classes

Youngsters have shorter attention spans. That makes learning challenging, and remote learning more challenging. Nat Geo posted that the “right ‘sensory diet’ might help kids focus at home.” 

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Wiki-image Yellow Column by “Arntor | CC BY-SA 4.0"

Travel Stories

On returning home vacationers abide in their travel lands through stories—ones they share with one another; ones they share with others. Traveling is not possible at present, but telling stories is. The Guardian has been making that possible with their Readers’ Travel Tips.

Travel serendipity: tell us about a chance encounter that made your trip https://t.co/1we7JCr3WZ

— The Guardian (@guardian) May 13, 2020

Virtual Events Around the World—at Home

Reuters posted a calendar of livestream events around the world. At the site one can add events to electronic calendars. Events from theatre, arts, talks, music, and events for kids: more than distraction such events can nourish imaginations and spirits.

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Wiki-image Melb symphony orchestra.jpg by “fir0002 | CC BY-NC 3.0"

Serving Shields

A teacher at Cleveland, Ohio, St. Ignatius High School has put to good use the school’s 3-D printer.

St. Ignatius teacher using 3D printer to help make medical supplies out of his home in North Olmstedhttps://t.co/jufxI2QGvV

— Cleveland 19 News (@cleveland19news) April 14, 2020

A 15-Minute Week

Catholic Charities and Entergy offered Capitol Hill legislators, staffers and interns an opportunity to “understand the day-to-day life of low-income families.” The active simulation sought to increase empathy among members of Congress in the 50th year since the War on Poverty began. Robert Samuels wrote about the simulation for the Washington Post.

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Wiki-mage President Johnson’s poverty tour in 1964 PD-US

Startling Stats

Jesuit Fr. Peter Hosking recently saw the documentary “Girl Rising.” He reported some statistics it offered.

33 million: the number of “fewer girls than boys in primary school”; 

66 million: the number of “girls out of school globally”; 

$5.5 billion: how much India’s GDP would rise if it enrolled “1% more girls in secondary school.”

They begin his reflection on using education well: “Our achievements are not so much about personal success but how we contribute to the community.”

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Wiki-image of Binghamton U. lecture hall public domain.

eTextbooks

Textbooks are heavy, expensive and revised often. Tablets and e-readers make eTextbooks possible. Mashable.com released an infographic, which aids in understanding this young and growing phenomenon.  

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Wiki-image by Asahiko of Japanese textbooks is used according to CC BY-SA 3.0.

Fun for the Eyes--and Brain

Interactive art is engaging, even on film. ENESS is one creator of it. ENESS describes itself on its About Page: "Established in 1997, ENESS is an award winning art & design practice, based in Melbourne Australia. We transform ordinary physical environments into magical, interactive experiences."

Jason Marshall retweeted this recent, ENESS project of a "stopcycle" sculputre. It is reminiscent of the famous Möbius strip.

MÖBIUS from ENESS on Vimeo.

Enjoying the video may lead to seeing how it was made.

Summer Grows as School Season

More districts in Michigan, anyway, are helping students continue to learn and improve their skills for the coming academic years.

Detroit Public Schools begins its six-week Summer School Academy on June 21. In Troy, summer school opens June 23 for high school students and June 27 for those in elementary and middle school. In Warren, the district is offering two three-week sessions for middle and high school students, starting June 27 and July 18.

While studying instead of sunning may sound dreary, summer school is becoming more the norm around Metro Detroit. Students are heading back to the classroom to avoid losing academic ground and get a leg up on their peers in the fall.

This Detroit News post leads with the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy and photo-features students and teacher, Jeffrey Bowling.