Iserotope Extras - Issue #28
Sorry for missing last week! Aren’t you happy that Iserotope Extras is back? This week, two articles explore the relationship between government and citizens — when those citizens happen to be African American and poor. Then there are two articles aimed at teachers and people who like teachers, including what to say when someone says that teaching is a “noble” profession. Finally, there’s a bonus article about Chris Jackson, someone you should know about if you don’t already. Thank you for reading Iserotope Extras!
What happened in Flint is a national disgrace — and sadly, utterly predictable. When poor people of color complained about what was happening with the orange water coming out of their faucets, they were told they were lying. This is unconscionable.
I’m a Teacher: Please Stop Praising Me
If you’re not a teacher, this is a great piece that will help you talk to your non-teacher friends. If you’re a teacher, I’m pretty sure this article will resonate with you.
Kindles are colorful. Here are 10 Paperwhites that went out to Oakland students last week. I’m looking for people who would like to donate monthly to let students build the KCP Library with even more books they love. More details: j.mp/kcpallowancehowto
How Chris Jackson Is Building a Black Literary Movement
Two of my favorite books last year — Just Mercy and Between the World and Me — were edited by the same person, Chris Jackson. It turns out that he is involved in an important, large movement of ideas.
Like most industries, crime prevention has gone all-in on data. With cute names like HunchLab, PredPol, and CompStat, companies that predict crime don’t sound menacing. Plus, many law enforcement leaders say that crime is down in places that use crime-predictive software. But what about building trust between citizens and police officers? Does looking at a computer screen build stronger relationships?
Should teachers assign whole-class novels that perhaps not all students will read, or should teachers offer choice to students about what they want to read? That’s a perennial question for English teachers. From the author: “Equity is not in the books we require students to read in English classes. Equity is in the skills and the fluency and the stamina students need to read those books if they choose to read them.”
Thank you very much for reading this edition of Iserotope Extras. If you have a favorite article this week, let me know! See you next week.