Modalities

Who’s Looking Out For The Children?

Photo by Allie on Unsplash   During this pandemic, K-12 students comprise one of the most vulnerable groups. Children are reliant on the decision-making skills and empathy of the adults in their orbit. During the spring semester, students generally focus on state-mandated tests, promotions to middle or high…

A Pandemic’s Silver Lining

  Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash   USS Titanic 15 April 1912 – 15 April 2020 History repeats itself, but do we learn from it? Wisdom gained from our experiences, but do we use it? Oh well, I guess history and wisdom are cheap. While watching YouTube…

P.J. Stewart: An Artist at Work

“Third Friday Open Studio is tonight 2-21-2020 at the Bridgeport Art Center. We are having a Residence Show in the 3rd Floor Gallery. I have several pieces on display. These pieces are on display inside my Studio 3140, Wet Paintbrush. When you come you’ll get to learn what…

New Directions: Art and the Family

Never considered myself an artist – still don’t in the traditional sense of the word. Although, as with most things in my life, in a non-traditional sense, I do practice a very complicated and deep art form, astrology. But that discussion is for another day. I did dip…

Primal Art

  Primal Art I have no words Don’t know how Chilled rain outside Dirty cave Lips quivering, Body trembling Dark knight Bright sunlight Dark knight Nothing to do Fire is out Burnt sticks Next to the fire I feel an urge What to do Grabbed burnt log Stain…

Keeping Up with Charlene Carter

Besides leading the C.O.R.E. Drummers, Charlene created masks for our story, Chinye.  Behold, The Antelope, The Lion, and The Hyena!                     https://www.facebook.com/shonna.beckwith/videos/2690115901002016/UzpfSTEwMDAwNzk5NTYzMjQ3MDoyNDM0MDQzMDkzNTM4ODU1/ Charlene leading the C.O.R.E. Drummers at Juneteenth event, Victorine, Dorothy Carter, Shonna Beckwith, Deborah Carter, Caroline Ricks,…

Considerate Education

The word “education” comes from the Latin, educare, meaning to lead out. To lead out of what and into what is the question that parents and cultures and civilizations have always had to consider. Each child that is born is in a sense a million years old because…

The Toolbox

During a spirited conversation with my wife last week, I argued that the educational system in America is outdated. It fails our kids because it sets them up for failure. The best teacher in the world can’t teach an elephant how to climb a tree or a fish…

Life-long Learning

  After working at a few professional jobs that were not leading me toward my dream of improving my community, I reassessed my formal educational studies, experiential learning, and forced myself to become a lifelong learner. My first employment opportunities were with State agencies providing counseling, educational, and…

True Wisdom IS Within You

  For eons, it has been said that true education means to “draw out” knowledge not put it in. One might ponder, then, why, the world over, education systems require paid teachers to formally dispense what they “know”. Presumably, teachers know by learning from others who have learned,…