http://www.atriskstoriesofhope.com Michigans 2007 Hispanic Artist of The Year Tue, 18 Nov 2008 04:04:37 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I created this blog for anyone interested in reducing the drop out rate in America. There are many factors that cause a sense of hopelessness. I passed through it myself, so I became a middle school art teacher in Detroit at Earhart Middle School. Intervention came in ... http://www.atriskstoriesofhope.com/welcome/ I have a friend who is a fantastic portrait artist formerly of Detroit, but now living in the South.  He read about the Lindsey couple who has lost their children to a drunk driver and adopted new children.  Rob Maniscalco appeared on the TODAY Show and p http://www.atriskstoriesofhope.com/art-heals-and-here-is-a-little-proof/ I am writing this after seeing the world markets taking a nose dive.  Maybe we need to rethink what is really important, the fact that we are still alive.  I would imagine that students are wondering if it is worth it to even carry on and continue their education. We are ... http://www.atriskstoriesofhope.com/what-is-your-dream-for-reform/ My son, Andres, just gave me a slice of some star fruit.  I noticed its shape, and I can give you an answer. There are probably some students in a teacher education program wondering where they might want to exercise their right as an American to serve and improve our country ... http://www.atriskstoriesofhope.com/why-should-we-encourage-students-to-teach-in-poor-areas/ I have relocated to Hawaii since my RA arthritis was getting much worse in Detroit.  Now that I am here, I realize that I lived next to what appeared like Oz to me when I was a little boy.  I grew up in a poor barrio called Sunnyside.  Now that ... http://www.atriskstoriesofhope.com/thank-siena-heights-in-adrian-mi-for-these-educators/ stories of hope podcast http://www.atriskstoriesofhope.com/podcast-2/ I recently saw an HBO rerun of children who have Tourette's Syndrome.  They shared their stories that made me cry and smile during different times of the program. I cried at the way some children couldn't understand the nature of Tourette's, and I was in artistic ecstasy when I heard the ... http://www.atriskstoriesofhope.com/extraordinary-students/ Gas is still at $4.00 in Kauai.  It has gone down on the mainland.  I ride the bus because I teach on the east side of the island; I live on the south side. We are on break this week, so  I wanted to see the waves in Kapa'a yesterday.  I ... http://www.atriskstoriesofhope.com/i-ride-the-bus-to-go-green-my-magical-mystery-tour/ I saw Sir Ken Robinson's video on how American education kills creativity, and I happen to agree even though it hurts to think we use education to produce worker bees rather than creative thinkers which evolve into engineers, designers, and inventors. Michigan is a perfect state to view when we look ... http://www.atriskstoriesofhope.com/if-sir-ken-robinson-is-right-how-do-we-produce-creative-thinkers/ "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution." -- Albert Einstein Art is so special because it reveals the extraordinary vision that young humans have.  It teaches the stale adult mind that new possibilities are infinite ... http://www.atriskstoriesofhope.com/what-is-so-special-about-art-anyway/