Arts & Culture – Barry Dequanne

Serendipitous Connections

We all experience those days when our schedules seem to demand more of our time than hours are available in the day. It is often these same days when we feel most focused, effective, and efficient, especially in terms of completing our “to do” lists. It is also common during these times to engage in seemingly countless brief conversations with friends, families, colleagues, and strangers. While these ephemeral conversations may be lost and forgotten in the shuffle of a frenetic day, it is these same conversations that may represent, for example, a critically important moment for an individual, the idea for a transformative project, or a fundamental change in personal circumstances. While it is easy to dismiss these brief conversations while in the process of fulfilling a busy agenda, these same conversations may result in being the most important outcome of our day.

In his book, Triumph of the City, Zappos’ CEO Tony Hsieh refers to the brief meetings with others that lead to significant outcomes as “serendipitous encounters.” Hsieh extends this idea with the statement:

“Research has shown that most innovation actually happens from something outside your industry being applied to your own. And those are the results of random conversations at …coffee shops or just when you have collisions with other people.”

Hsieh’s thoughts were not on my mind during a typical busy day when I was quickly introduced to the conductor of the National Theater Symphonic Orchestra. While this chance encounter lasted no more than forty-five seconds, it would lead to one of the most memorable evenings in our community’s recent history. Through the work of our leadership team, it was only a few weeks later when one of Brazil’s top orchestras spent a full day at our school educating and rehearsing with students. The evening performance took place in our auditorium in front of a capacity audience that was fully representative of our diverse community. The performance was moving and inspirational. Brazil’s Rede Globo network covered the performance and shared the following video clip during the station’s news broadcast.

On another occasion, a member of the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) briefly shared, in passing, the idea to host at our school a public display of one of Brasilia’s most famous artists. This brief encounter led to a very special community evening vernissage to celebrate the work of Athos Bulcão, which included several original works displayed at our school for several weeks (Link to Virtual GalleryLink to Virtual Gallery).

“Artista eu era. Pioneiro eu fiz-me. Devo a Brasília esse sofrido privilégio. Realmente um privilégio: ser pioneiro. Dureza que gera espírito. Um prêmio moral“.
~ Athos Bulcão

A third brief encounter led to the University of Brasilia’s Opera Studio presenting at our school an outstanding performance of Gaetano Donizetti ‘s opera Don Pasquale. Two EAB students were invited to perform with the orchestra, representing a special and unique experience for our student musicians.

These serendipitous encounters led to innovative enhancements associated with the appreciation of the arts and a better understanding of Brasilia’s cultural heritage. Reflecting on key events and the innovative changes implemented at our school in recent years, many of these outcomes can be traced back to a serendipitous encounter that could have easily been missed if those involved were not paying attention or took the time to genuinely listen to others.

As educators, we tend to fiercely protect our schools and domains as teachers and school leaders. However, we may be guilty, at times, of responding in a seemingly defensive manner to different ideas and perspectives offered by those not associated with education. There is much to learn from others, especially those who see schools through a different lens, and it is our responsibility to not only embrace and explore new ideas, but to model for our students the ideals related to the process of continuous growth and development.

Serendipitous encounters are not limited to institutional events but also include those daily encounters with friends, family, colleagues and students. While a thirty-second encounter with a student, for example, may seem to carry little weight from an adult’s perspective, to the student, the encounter may represent a significant moment that will be internalized for years to come.

Whether our brief meetings with others lead to the innovative institutional changes highlighted by Tony Hsieh or make a real difference in the life of a student, we have a responsibility to remind ourselves of the importance of our interactions with others and the possible far-reaching implications that may result from these brief encounters.

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Conexões Afortunadas

Todos nós passamos por dias em que nossas agendas parecem exigir mais do nosso tempo do que as horas disponíveis no dia. Geralmente, nesses mesmos dias, nos sentimos mais focados, eficazes e eficientes, especialmente quando falamos em completar nossas listas de “afazeres”. Também é comum nessas épocas, nos envolvermos em inúmeras, aparentemente rápidas, conversas com amigos, familiares, colegas e estranhos. Enquanto essas rápidas conversas podem se perder ou ser esquecidas no meio da confusão de um dia frenético, elas também podem representar, por exemplo, um momento extremamente importante para uma pessoa, ou uma idéia de um projeto transformador, ou uma mudança fundamental na circunstância em questão. Embora seja fácil ficar livre dessas breves conversas, já que estamos tentando nos ajustar a uma agenda cheia, essas mesmas conversas podem resultar no ponto mais importante do nosso dia.

Em seu livro, Triumph of the City, o diretor executivo da Zappos, Tony Hsieh, refere-se aos breves encontros que resultam em algo significativo como: “encontros afortunados”. Hsieh estende essa idéia com a seguinte declaração:

““Pesquisas mostraram que a maioria das novidades acontece fora da sua indústria e então são aplicadas dentro dela. E esses são os resultados das conversas aleatórias que acontecem em cafés, ou apenas por esbarrar com outras pessoas“.

Os pensamentos de Hsieh não estavam na minha mente no dia em que eu fui rapidamente apresentado ao maestro da Orquestra Sinfônica do Teatro Nacional. Apesar desse encontro casual não ter durado mais do que 45 segundos, ele levou a uma das noites mais memoráveis na história da nossa comunidade. Através do trabalho da nossa equipe de liderança, poucas semanas depois, uma das melhores orquestras do Brasil passou um dia inteiro na nossa escola, ensinando e ensaiando com os alunos. A apresentação naquela noite aconteceu no nosso auditório, em frente a uma platéia repleta da nossa comunidade tão diversificada. A apresentação foi comovente e inspiradora. A Rede Globo (uma emissora de TV brasileira) cobriu o evento e compartilhou as imagens na transmissão das notícias.

Em outra ocasião, um membro do PTO, compartilhou rapidamente comigo a idéia de fazermos na nossa escola uma exposição de um dos artistas plásticos mais famosos de Brasília. Esse rápido encontro levou a uma noite de vernissage para comemorarmos o trabalho de Athos Bulcão, que incluiu a mostra de vários painéis do artista na nossa escola por várias semanas. (Link to Virtual Gallery)

“Artista eu era. Pioneiro eu fiz-me. Devo a Brasília esse sofrido privilégio. Realmente um privilégio: ser pioneiro. Dureza que gera espírito. Um prêmio moral“.
~ Athos Bulcão

Um terceiro breve encontro levou a apresentação da Ópera Studio, da Universidade de Brasília, na nossa escola. Foi um excelente desempenho da ópera de Gaetano Donizzeti, a ópera Don Pasquale. Dois dos nossos alunos foram convidados para tocar junto com a orquestra, representando uma experiência única e especial para os nossos alunos músicos.

Esses encontros afortunados levaram a melhorias inovadoras associadas à apreciação das artes e a uma melhor compreensão da herança cultural de Brasília. Ao refletir sobre os principais eventos e sobre as mudanças inovadoras desenvolvidas na nossa escola nos últimos anos, muitos desses resultados podem ter sido causados por encontros afortunados que, poderiam ter sido perdidos caso os envolvidos não estivessem atentos ou com tempo para realmente ouvir outras pessoas.

Como educadores, temos a tendência de protegermos ferozmente as nossas escolas e domínios como professores e dirigentes escolares. No entanto, podemos ser culpados, às vezes, por reagirmos de uma forma, aparentemente, defensiva a diversas idéias e perspectivas oferecidas por pessoas que não estão ligadas a educação. Há muito que aprender com os outros, especialmente aqueles que vêem as escolas através de outra visão. É nossa responsabilidade, não só abraçar e explorar novas idéias, mas modelar nossos alunos aos ideais relacionados ao processo de crescimento e desenvolvimento contínuo.

Encontros afortunados não se limitam a eventos institucionais, mas também incluem os encontros diários com amigos, familiares, colegas e alunos. Enquanto um encontro de 30 segundos com um aluno, por exemplo, pode parecer ter pouco peso a partir da perspectiva de um adulto, para esse aluno, pode representar um momento significativo que será internalizado pelos próximos anos.

Se os nossos breves encontros com outras pessoas levarem às mudanças institucionais inovadoras destacadas por Tony Hsieh ou se fizerem uma diferença real na vida de um aluno, então temos a responsabilidade de nos lembrar da importância de nossas interações com as outras pessoas e com as possíveis implicações que esses rápidos encontros possam trazer.
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Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NA 2.0) flickr photo by Marcos Molina – Tocando el violín https://www.flickr.com/photos/larou/3462594915

Sebastião Salgado

Sebastião Salgado: Genesis Project

I was grateful for today’s opportunity to visit Sebastião Salgado’s Genesis exhibition at Centro Cultural Banco de Brasil (CCCB). The legendary Brazilian photographer worked on the Genesis project from 2004 to 2011, engaging with the most remote locations on Earth. He describes his project as “my love letter to the planet,” with the goal of raising awareness about the beauty and majesty of remote regions of the world and the communities who still live according to ancient traditions. The following is a sampling of Sebastião Salgado’s photo exhibition.

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Genesis Overview
From http://www.amazonasimages.com

Genesis is a long-term photographic project, in line with the main bodies of work carried out previously by Sebastião Salgado; for example, the series of reportages presented in Workers or the series on the theme of the population movements around the world, that appeared in Migrations. This new project is about our planet earth, nature and its beauty, and what remains of it today despite the manifold destruction caused by human activity. Genesis is an attempt to portray the beauty and the majesty of regions that are still in a pristine condition, areas where landscapes and wildlife are still unspoiled, places where human communities continue to live according to their ancient culture and traditions. Genesis is about seeing and marvelling, about understanding the necessity for the protection of all this; and finally it is about inspiring action for this preservation. The shooting of this series of photographic reportages began in 2004 and is due for completion in 2012.

Sebastião Salgado Biography
From http://www.amazonasimages.com

Sebastião Salgado was born on February 8th, 1944 in Aimorés, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. He lives in Paris. Having studied economics, Salgado began his career as a professional photographer in 1973 in Paris, working with the photo agencies Sygma, Gamma, and Magnum Photos until 1994, when he and Lélia Wanick Salgado formed Amazonas images, an agency created exclusively for his work. He has travelled in over 100 countries for his photographic projects. Most of these, besides appearing in numerous press publications, have also been presented in books such as Other Americas (1986), Sahel: l’homme en détresse (1986), Sahel: el fin del camino (1988), Workers (1993), Terra (1997), Migrations and Portraits (2000), and Africa (2007). Touring exhibitions of this work have been, and continue to be, presented throughout the world.

Sebastião Salgado has been awarded numerous major photographic prizes in recognition of his accomplishments. He is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and an honorary member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences in the United States. In 2004, Sebastião Salgado began a project named Genesis, aiming at the presentation of the unblemished faces of nature and humanity. It consists of a series of photographs of landscapes and wildlife, as well as of human communities that continue to live in accordance with their ancestral traditions and cultures. This body of work is conceived as a potential path to humanity’s rediscovery of itself in nature.

Together, Lélia and Sebastião have worked since the 1990’s on the restoration of a small part of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. In 1998 they succeeded in turning this land into a nature reserve and created the Instituto Terra. The Instituto is dedicated to a mission of reforestation, conservation and environmental education.

For more about Sebastião Salgado’s work, visit: Artsy.net

All photos by Sebastião Salgado.

The Promise of Life

To commemorate the September 7 Independence of Brazil, EAB held a celebratory assembly today with teachers, parents, and all of EAB’s students, ranging from 3 to 18 years of age. The auditorium was abuzz with anticipation and the attendees were not disappointed by the presentations, which were mostly led by students. It was an impressive display and homage to our host country, Brazil.

EAB’s mission and motto highlight the importance of a culturally diverse school that cultivates citizenship and celebrates diversity. Of paramount importance are the inclusion, study, and celebration of Brazil’s culture as a key element of Brazil’s educational program. In fact, for the countries we have the privilege to call “home,” it is our responsibility to learn as much as we can about the local languages and customs of our hosts. EAB’s mission underscores how our school takes this responsibility very seriously.

In the spirit of celebrating September 7, the following is a brief personal narrative about my own relationship with Brazil. I have had the honor of living in Brazil since the year 2000 and am deeply grateful for the opportunity to both learn from Brazilians and experience the richness and diversity associated with Brazilian culture. Shortly after arriving in Brazil, I committed to learning more about Brazilian culture, in addition to overcoming a personal inhibition, through a decision to take ballroom dance lessons with Espaço de Dança Andrei Udiloff. The process of learning to dance Samba de Gafieira, which I can assure you was not an easy assignment for my instructor, was both profound and rewarding. The classes opened a unique window into Brazilian culture, language, history, art, and music.

Among the rich array of traditional Brazilian music, I was struck by Tom Jobim’s Águas de Março, which has continued to be my favorite Brazilian song to this day. If you are not familiar with the song, the following is a captivating rendition by Elis Regina.

In addition to a stirring musical production, Águas de Março’s lyrics also resonate with the challenges of our daily lives. Based on my very amateur interpretation, the metaphor of Águas de Março represents a seemingly endless march forward, requiring us to overcome both the minor and significant challenges associated with daily lives. This metaphor seems apropos when applied to the onward progression of the student learning process and educational program development at EAB, in addition to the macro challenge of overall school improvement and the imperative to continue advancing education for all in Brazil and around the world.

Águas de Março also reflects the eternal optimism often found in Brazilian culture through the repeated reference to the “promise of life.” As educators and parents, it is this “promise of life” that motivates and inspires us to be the very best parents and educators we can be for our children and students. It is also one of the many reasons why I am so appreciative and grateful for the opportunity to live in Brasilia and to call Brazil my home.

Wishing everyone a very special September 7 Independence of Brazil weekend.

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A Promessa de Vida

Para comemorarmos a Independência do Brasil no dia 7 de Setembro, a EAB fez uma Assembléia de comemoração, hoje, com os professores, pais e todos os alunos da EAB entre 3 e 18 anos de idade. O auditório estava em alvoroço e os presentes não se decepcionaram com as apresentações, que foram em sua maioria, lideradas pelos alunos. Foi uma apresentação impressionante e uma homenagem ao nosso país anfitrião, o Brasil.

A Missão e o Lema da EAB são destacar a importância de uma escola com uma diversidade cultural tão grande, onde esta cultiva a cidadania e celebra a diversidade. A inclusão, o estudo e a celebração da cultura do Brasil é algo de suma importância, além de ser um elemento-chave no programa educacional. Na verdade, nos países onde temos o privilégio de chamar de casa, faz com que tenhamos a responsabilidade de aprendermos o máximo que pudermos sobre o local, as línguas e os costumes dos nossos anfitriões. A Missão da EAB enfatiza que a escola deve levar essa responsabilidade muito a sério.

No espírito das comemorações do 7 de Setembro, o que escrevo a seguir é uma narrativa sobre a minha experiência com o Brasil. Eu tenho tido a honra de morar no Brasil desde o ano 2000 e sou profundamente agradecido pela oportunidade de aprender com os brasileiros e experimentar a riqueza e a diversidade associadas a cultura daqui, além disso, sou grato por ter superado a minha timidez e ter resolvido ter aulas de dança de salão com Espaço de Dança Andrei Udiloff. O processo de aprender a dançar samba de gafieira, que eu posso assegurá-los que não foi uma tarefa fácil para o meu professor, foi profundo e gratificante. As aulas abriram uma janela única para a cultura, a língua, a história, a arte e a música brasileira.

No meio da rica variedade da tradicional música brasileira, eu fiquei impressionado com a música Águas de Março, do Tom Jobim que, continua a ser a minha música preferida no Brasil até hoje. Caso você não conheça a música, essa é uma versão maravilhosa interpretada pela cantora Elis Regina.

Além da produção emocionante, a letra da música se identifica com os nossos desafios diários. Com base na minha interpretação, muito amadora, a metáfora de “Águas de Março” representa uma caminhada, aparentemente interminável, que nos obriga a superar, não só os menores desafios, mas os mais significativos associados à vida diária. Essa metáfora também parece se aplicar ao progresso da EAB e ao processo de aprendizagem dos alunos, além dos grandes desafios no desenvolvimento da escola e da necessidade imperativa de continuar a melhorar a educação para todos no Brasil e no mundo.

Águas de Março também reflete o eterno otimismo, muitas vezes encontrado na cultura brasileira, através da repetida referência à “promessa de vida”. Como educadores e como pais, é essa “promessa de vida” que motiva e inspira muitos de nós para sermos os melhores pais e educadores que podemos ser para os nossos filhos e alunos. Também é uma das muitas razões pelas quais eu sou muito grato pela oportunidade de viver em Brasília e poder chamar o Brasil de casa.

Desejo a todos um final de semana e um 7 de Setembro muito especial.
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Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-ND 2.0) flickr photo by Antonio Thomas: https://www.flickr.com/photos/antoniothomas/4676898983

Trapeze Bars

The end of each school year is marked by a series of celebrations designed to highlight and appreciate individual and collective achievements while also honoring the unique nature of our communities. The end-of-year celebrations also represent a period of key student celebrations and transitions, such as kindergarten to Lower School, Grade 5 students to Middle School, and Grade 8 students to High School. The end of May will also be highlighted by the graduation of our senior class, which represents a culminating experience for EAB students as they prepare to move beyond high school to seek new challenges and growth opportunities. While we are still a few weeks away from these important events in our lives, it is also important to prepare for these periods of transition.

It is often easy to overlook the transition phases of our lives and, in our future-orientated approaches, focus only on the next stages. However, what if it is during these periods of transition that we are presented with the most profound and enlightening experiences associated with who we are and what we value? In our rush to move through transitions as quickly as possible, we may be missing the most important experiences of our lives. Author Danaan Parry has articulated these thoughts through the use of a trapeze bar metaphor:

Sometimes I feel that my life is a series of trapeze swings. I’m either hanging on to a trapeze bar swinging along or, for a few moments in my life, I’m hurtling across space between trapeze bars.

Most of the time, I spend my life hanging on for dear life to my trapeze-bar-of-the-moment. It carries me along a certain steady rate of swing and I have the feeling that I’m in control of my life. I know most of the right questions and even some of the right answers. But once in a while, as I’m merrily (or not so merrily), swinging along, I look ahead of me, and what do I see? I see another bar swinging towards me. It’s empty and I know, in that place in me that knows, that this new trapeze bar has my name on it. It is my next step, my growth, my aliveness coming to get me. In my heart of hearts I know that for me to grow, I must totally release my grip on the present, well-known bar and move to a new one.

Each time it happens to me, I hope (no, I pray) that I won’t have to grab a new one. But in my knowing place I know that I must totally release my grasp on my old bar, and for some moment in time I must hurtle across space before I grab onto the new bar. Each time I am filled with terror. It doesn’t matter that in all my previous hurtles across the void of knowing I have always made it. Each time I am afraid I will miss, that I will be crushed on unseen rocks in the bottomless chasm between the bars. But I do it anyway. Perhaps this is the essence of what the mystics call the faith experience. No guarantees, no net, no insurance policy, but you do it anyway because somehow, to keep hanging onto the old bar is no longer on the list of alternatives. And so for an eternity that can last a microsecond or a thousand lifetimes, I soar across the dark void of the “the past is gone, the future is not yet here.” It’s called transition. I have come to believe that it is the only place where real change occurs. I mean real change, not the pseudo-change that only lasts until the next time old my buttons get punched.

I have noticed that, in our culture, this transition zone is looked upon as a “nothing”, “a no-place” between places. Sure the old trapeze-bar was real, and the new one coming towards me, I hope that’s real to. But the void in-between? That’s just a scary, confusing, disorientating “nowhere” that must be gotten through as fast as possible. What a waste! I have a sneaking suspicion that the transition zone is the only real thing, and the bars are illusions we dream up to avoid the void, where real change and real growth occurs for us. Whether or not my hunch is true, it remains that the transition zones in our lives are incredibly rich places. They should be honored, even savored. Yes, with all the pain and fear and feelings of being out of control that can (but not necessarily) accompany transitions, they are still the most alive, most growth filled, passionate, expansive moments in our lives.

And so, transformation of fear may have nothing to do with making fear go away, but rather with giving ourselves permission to “hang out” in the transition between trapeze bars. Transforming our need to grab that new bar, any bar, is allowing ourselves to dwell on the only place where change really happens. It can be terrifying. It can also be enlightening, in the true sense of the word. Hurtling through the void, we may just learn to fly.

As we collectively plan for the end of the school year and prepare for each of our personal transitions, it is hoped that we will have the opportunity to savor the transition itself. If we follow Danaan’s advice about the importance of embracing transitions, then we may just experience, “the most alive, most growth filled, passionate, expansive moments in our lives.”

Barra de Trapézio

O final de cada ano letivo é marcado por uma série de celebrações projetadas para destacar e valorizar as realizações individuais e coletivas, e ao mesmo tempo, honrar a natureza singular das nossas comunidades. As comemorações de fim de ano também representam um período chave de celebrações estudantis e transições, como a do jardim de infância para o Lower School, os alunos da 5ª série para o Middle school, e os alunos da 8 ª série para o High School. O final de Maio, também se destaca pela formatura dos Seniores, o que representa uma experiência culminante para os alunos da EAB, enquanto se preparam para ir além do High School e buscar novos desafios e oportunidades de crescimento. Enquanto ainda temos algumas semanas ate esses eventos, importante em nossas vidas, também é importante nos prepararmos para estes períodos de transição.
Muitas vezes é fácil ignorar as fases de transição das nossas vidas e, em uma abordagem futura e orientada, concentre-se apenas na próxima etapa da sua vida. Mas e se for durante esses períodos de transição que, se apresentam as experiências mais profundas e esclarecedoras associadas com o que somos e o que valorizamos? Com a nossa pressa em passarmos por essas transições o mais rápido possível, corremos o risco de perder as experiências mais importantes das nossas vidas. O autor Danaan Parry articulou esses pensamentos através do uso de uma metáfora com uma barra de trapézio:

Às vezes eu me sinto como se a minha vida fosse uma sequência de balanços em um trapézio. Ou eu estou pendurado em uma barra de trapézio ou eu estou me jogando entre elas.

A maioria das vezes, eu passo a minha vida me pendurando no trapézio da vez. Eu tenho a sensação de que estou me balançando da forma cadenciada e com isso eu acho que estou no controle da minha vida. Eu sei a maioria das perguntas certas e muitas vezes algumas das respostas certas também. Mas de vez em quando, enquanto eu estou alegremente (ou nem tanto assim) me balançando no trapézio, eu olho adiante e, o que eu vejo? Eu vejo outra barra se balançando na minha direção. Está vazia e, eu sei, bem lá no fundo, que essa nova barra tem o meu nome nela. É o meu próximo passo, meu crescimento, minha vitalidade aparecendo pra mim. No fundo do meu coração, eu seu que para crescer, eu preciso liberar totalmente o meu domínio sobre o presente, a barra que já conheço e, me mudar para uma nova barra.

Cada vez que isso acontece comigo, eu espero (não, eu rezo) pra que eu não precise agarrar uma nova barra. Mas lá no fundo, eu sei que eu tenho que liberar totalmente a minha compreensão sobre a barra antiga e me jogar no espaço entre as barras até agarrar uma barra nova. Cada vez que isso acontece, eu fico aterrorizado. Não importa o fato de que todas as outras vezes que eu me joguei para uma nova barra, tenha dado certo. Todas às vezes eu tenho medo de não conseguir, de bater nas pedras que não podem ser vistas no fundo do poço. Mas eu vou de qualquer jeito. Talvez seja essa a essência daquilo que os místicos chamam de experiência de fé. Sem garantia, sem rede, sem uma apólice de seguro, mas você faz isso de qualquer jeito, porque de alguma forma, se manter segurando na barra antiga não é mais uma opção. E então para uma eternidade que pode durar um milésimo de segundo ou milhares de vidas, eu vago pelo vazio da escuridão do “o passado já se foi, o futuro ainda não está aqui.” É chamada transição. Eu cheguei à conclusão que é o único lugar onde mudança verdadeira ocorre. Eu quero dizer mudança de verdade, não a pseudo-mudança que só dura até a próxima vez que meus antigos botões forem apertados.

Eu percebi que, na nossa cultura, essa zona de transição é vista como “nada”, um “não-lugar” entre lugares. É claro que a antiga barra era real, e a próxima que está vindo em minha direção, eu espero que seja real também. Mas e o vazio no meio? É só o assustador, confuso, desorientador “lugar nenhum” que deve ser atravessado o mais rápido o possível. Que desperdício! Eu tenho a suspeita que a zona de transição é a única coisa real, e as barras são ilusões que nós sonhamos para evitar o vazio, onde a mudança e o crescimento de verdade acontecem. Se a minha suspeita é ou não verdadeira, acontece que a zona de transição nas nossas vidas são lugares incrivelmente ricos. Eles deveriam ser honrados e até mesmo saboreados. Sim, com toda dor e medo e sensação de estar fora de controle que, podem (mas não necessariamente) acompanhar as transições, eles ainda são os momentos mais vivos, desenvolvidos, apaixonantes, expansivos das nossas vidas.

E então, a transformação do medo pode não ter nada a ver com a partida dele, mas com a permissão que damos a nós mesmos para “ficar” na transição entre as barras. Transformar a nossa necessidade de agarrar aquela nova barra, ou qualquer barra, é nos permitir habitar no único lugar onde a mudança realmente ocorre. Pode ser aterrorizante. E também pode ser esclarecedor, ao sentido verdadeiro da palavra. Se debatendo no vazio, pode ser que a gente aprenda a voar.

Ao nos planejarmos, coletivamente, para o final do ano letivo e, ao nos prepararmos para cada uma das nossas transições pessoais, espera-se que tenhamos um momento para saborear a nossa própria transição. Se seguirmos o conselho de Danaan sobre a importância de abraçar as transições, então poderemos apenas experimentar os momentos expansivos em nossas vidas, mais vivos, apaixonados e mais evoluidos.

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY 2.0) flickr photo Boston Public Library: https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/6554394361/in/photostream/

Our Cultural Mosaic

Brazil’s Carnival commemorations not only represent a time for celebration, rest, and travel, but also highlight an important feature of Brazil’s rich cultural heritage. It is this heritage, framed within the context of a greater global perspective, that reminds us of the importance of culture and its correspondingly distinct and seemingly immeasurable variations.

The privilege of living in an embassy-based city like Brasilia offers a rich opportunity to connect with both Brazilian culture and an impressive number of cultures from all corners of the world. To complement this cultural mosaic, members of the American School of Brasilia’s community work, study, play, and socialize with at least forty-five different nationalities at any given time. This is an ideal setting towards fulfilling the “culturally diverse atmosphere” emphasis of our school’s mission.

Some argue that the single best form of education is to travel and immerse oneself in other cultures. There is certainly some truth to this statement, particularly given the prospect to view the world through lenses different from our own, while learning more about ourselves in the process. Albert Einstein’s maxim of, “the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know,” resonates when considering how much there is to discover from other cultures.

To discover and understand a culture at a deeper level, it is necessary to first attain a level of fluency in the one or more languages associated with that culture. It would therefore be natural to feel somewhat daunted knowing there are nearly seven thousand different languages in use today. The following table lists the geographic distribution of all living languages, albeit through an oversimplified categorization of the world map into four regions.

Region	Number of Languages	Percent
Africa	2,110	30.5%
Americas	993	14.4%
Asia & Pacific	3,570	51.7%
Europe	234	3.5%

(Source: http://www.ethnologue.com/)

Since each language is associated with its own beliefs, history, art, music, philosophy, literature, and humor, it is, consequently, staggering to consider how much there is to learn from other cultures.

In his influential book, The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters to the Modern World, Wade Davis asks the question, “What does it mean to be human and alive?” In a response to his own question, Davis underscores how every culture is of critical importance:

“While the thousands of different cultures and languages on Earth have compellingly different answers to that question, the genius of culture is the ability to survive in impossible conditions. We cannot afford to lose any of that variety of skills, because we are not only impoverished without it, we are vulnerable without it.”

Returning to a more local and personal context, the process of stepping out of our comfort zones to learn from other cultures represents not only an opportunity but, arguably, an obligation. Perhaps Wade Davis best categorizes our obligation to ensure a “culturally diverse atmosphere” in our schools:

“The world can only appear monochromatic to those who persist in interpreting what they experience through the lens of a single cultural paradigm, their own. For those with the eyes to see and the heart to feel, it remains a rich and complex topography of the spirit.”

In the spirit of our “culturally diverse atmosphere” and this week’s Carnival celebrations, the opportunity to appreciate and value Brazil’s rich cultural heritage and to learn from a larger cultural mosaic will be a prominent feature of the days ahead.

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Featured image: cc licensed ( CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ) flickr photo by Mansir Petrie: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mansir/457648138/in/photostream/

Importance of Play

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”

It is not clear if Plato was applying these words to education but they are, nevertheless, apropos to our contemporary work in schools. With the focus on grades, curriculum coverage, and standardized testing in schools, there is a concern that the value of play and the corresponding intrinsic benefits may be lost due to a focus on learning that is too narrow in scope. To be clear, I am not diminishing the importance of academic excellence, rigor, discipline, and high standards in any way, as they represent the cornerstones of any effective educational program. I am, however, highlighting the importance of providing students of all ages with the opportunity for play.

Recommended Blog Post – Play: Is it Becoming Extinct?

Recent EAB events highlighted and reminded me of the significance of learning from play. The first event occurred during a high school assembly when student leaders, with a focus on further building school spirit, were preparing the grade levels for a friendly competition. It was not the competition but rather the student learning that was prominent. Students were required to effectively collaborate, strategize, communicate, and strengthen relationships. The student organizers were impressive as they coordinated an entire high school, saw to all details, and comfortably led the process, further developing very important skill sets.

The Club EAB program highlighted another important aspect of play. As part of the afterschool offerings, high school students work with younger students in activities that include robotics, cooking, rugby, ballet, and band, to name a few. This week, I was observing the basketball activity and noted the serious focus of the students, the building of relationships, and the kind, supportive, and patient nature of the student leaders. To put it another way, a high level of emotional intelligence is developed and exhibited through the Club EAB program.

Factors associated with emotional intelligence are the keys to conflict resolution. During the course of a year, it is inevitable that there will be minor conflicts among students during recess and play, which is an element of our human nature. What is fundamental for students, however, is the ability to develop high levels of empathy, understanding, listening skills, self-advocacy, and conflict resolution skills. In a recent survey conducted in the United States, respondents were asked to name the most important long-term goals of K-12 education. By a large margin, respondents ranked building character above all other goals, including preparing students for the workforce.

Recommended Video – Emotional Intelligence

Finally, the last event influencing the motivation for this post was the faculty-student softball game. While the dominant student victory was a stark reminder that the faculty’s glory days in sport may be behind us (at least, I speak for myself), the game was also a reminder of the importance of teamwork, humility, grit, commitment, and preparedness. In addition, sport teaches us about the significance of goals that are beyond us and, in turn, how to win and lose with dignity and grace.

If EAB is to achieve its mission to “cultivate responsible and contributing citizens and leaders,” then the concept of learning from play must work in conjunction with our paramount focus on academic excellence.

Featured image: cc licensed ( CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ) flickr photo by Matthew Loberg: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mloberg/4139266516/

“Você pode descobrir mais sobre uma pessoa em uma hora de jogo do que em um ano de conversa.”

Não está claro se Platão estava aplicando estas palavras a educação, mas elas são, no entanto, o propósito do nosso trabalho contemporâneo nas escolas. Focando nas notas, currículo e testes padronizados, existe a preocupação de que o valor do jogo e os benefícios intrínsecos correspondentes possam ser perdidos devido ao foco na aprendizagem, que é muito estreito em seu escopo. Para ser claro, não estou diminuindo a importância da excelência acadêmica, do rigor, da disciplina e dos padrões elevados, uma vez que representam os pilares de um programa educacional eficaz. Estou, no entanto, destacando a importância de proporcionar aos alunos de todas as idades a oportunidade de jogar.

Leitura recomendada do blog – Play: Is it Becoming Extinct?

Os eventos recentes da EAB destacaram e me lembraram da importância do aprendizado do jogo. O primeiro evento ocorreu durante uma assembleia da escola, quando líderes estudantis, com foco na construção de um espírito escolar, estavam preparando as séries para uma competição amigável. Não era a concorrência, mas sim o aprendizado do aluno que era proeminente. Os alunos eram obrigados a colaborar de forma eficaz, com estratégias, boa comunicação ,além de fortalecer relacionamentos. Os alunos que estavam organizando impressionaram com a forma como coordenaram toda a escola, cuidando de todos os detalhes, e liderando o processo confortavelmente, além de desenvolver ainda mais habilidades muito importantes.

O programa Clube EAB destacou outro aspecto importante do jogo. Como parte das ofertas depois da escola, os alunos do ensino médio trabalham com os alunos mais jovens em atividades que incluem robótica, culinária, rugby, ballet e banda, entre outros. Esta semana, eu estava observando o basquete e percebi a concentração dos alunos, a construção de novas relações, além do apoio e da paciência da liderança estudantil. Dito de outra forma, um alto nível de inteligência emocional é desenvolvido e exibido através do programa Clube EAB.

Fatores associados à inteligência emocional são a chave para a resolução de conflitos. Durante o ano, é inevitável que haja pequenos conflitos entre os alunos durante o intervalo e os jogos, pois fazem parte da nossa natureza humana. O que é fundamental para os alunos, no entanto, é a capacidade de desenvolver altos níveis de empatia, compreensão, capacidade de escuta, de auto-defesa e habilidades para resolver conflitos. Em uma recente pesquisa (survey) realizada nos Estados Unidos, os entrevistados foram convidados a nomear os objetivos mais importantes a longo prazo na educação K-12. A maioria dos entrevistados classificaram a construção do caráter, acima de todos os outros objetivos, incluindo a preparação dos alunos para o mercado de trabalho.

Vídeo recomendado – Emotional Intelligence

Finalmente, o último evento que me motivou para escrever essa mensagem foi o jogo de softball entre os alunos e o corpo docente. Enquanto a vitória dos alunos foi um claro lembrete de que a glória do corpo docente nos esportes ficou pra trás (pelo menos pra mim), o jogo também mostrou a importancia do trabalho em equipe, da humildade, coragem, compromisso e preparação . Além disso, o esporte nos ensina sobre a importância das metas que estão além de nós e, por sua vez, como ganhar e perder com dignidade e graça.

Se EAB conseguir atingir a sua missão de “cultivar cidadãos e líderes responsáveis e contribuintes”, então o conceito de aprendizagem do jogo deve ser trabalhado em conjunto com o nosso foco primordial na excelência acadêmica.

Featured image: cc licensed ( CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ) flickr photo by Matthew Loberg: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mloberg/4139266516/

Kindness (Revisited)

GENTILEZA GERA GENTILEZA

Last week’s ‘Kindness’ post generated a substantial number of responses, which has led to this follow up post focusing on two subjects: José Datrino and a colleague’s letter.

Part I: José Datrino

(Caveat: I am not an expert regarding José Datrino’s story and apologize in advance if there are any errors in this summary of his story.)

While very few people know the name José Datrino, most Brazilians are aware of his more prominent title, Profeta Gentileza, or Prophet of Kindness, made famous, in part, by the artist Marisa Monte. But, more about that in a moment.

In response to the “Kindness’ post, some friends reminded me of Profeta Gentileza’s story. José Datrino, born in the state of São Paulo, lived from 1917 to 1996. Profeta Gentileza, identified by his white robe and long beard, is best known for spending over twenty years walking the streets of Rio de Janeiro, preaching the words of love, kindness, and respect, while painting murals on the supporting walls of viaducts. Beginning in 1980, José Datrino painted 56 different yellow and green murals with statements critical of society juxtaposed with words associated with kindness, love, and peace. From this period emerged the now famous phrase in Brazil, “Gentileza gera Gentileza” (Kindness generates Kindness).

In 1997, as part of an effort to clear the city of graffiti, José Datrino’s paintings were covered over with grey paint and were nearly lost forever. Fortunately, through a community-wide action plan, the paintings were restored shortly afterwards and became a part of the city’s cultural heritage. Though the paintings fell into disrepair and were marked by graffiti during the ensuing decade, as seen by the 2009 photos below, the paintings were again restored in 2011.

2009:

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2011:

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All 56 of the paintings can be viewed by clicking on the numbers on the map found in the link: Map of Paintings. Please note that all of the photos used in this blog posting are from the same website Rio com Gentileza.

The story of the Profeta Gentileza was made particularly famous by the song Gentileza, written and performed by the brilliant Brazilian artist Marisa Monte (live version is included at the end of this post).

Part II: A Colleague’s Letter

To add to our reflections on ‘kindness’, the following is a letter a colleague sent to me after reading last week’s post. The author, who preferred to remain anonymous, presents several philosophical questions related to the concept of kindness and connects these questions to the basis of our existence. Whether we are contemplating José Datrino’s legacy or my colleague’s existential questions, there appears to be much to reflect on when considering the concept of ‘kindness’.

Colleague’s Letter:

I saw the article (and your blog) and read with interest. We spoke a few weeks ago about it. It is, isn’t it, the fundamental question about ethics: are human beings naturally “good” or naturally “bad”, so to speak. I use inverted commas because these are relative terms, fraught with difficulty and history, and come freighted with a whole host of cultural and personal values.

It´s the whole question of nature v. nurture – are we born a certain way or are we conditioned; or, to put it another way, to what extent does either factor create who we are. This debate is a central tenet of ethics in philosophy which, as you know, I enjoy reading: from Aristotle, through to Kant, to more recent questions of evolutionary biology, and Dawkins’ notion of the “selfish gene”, the relevance of the question remains as fundamental as ever.

Jean-Jaques Rousseau, along with certain eastern religions, such as Zen Buddhism, for example, and certain forms of existentialism would argue that human beings are born innocent (or at least free of a “fixed”, or predetermined, nature), a belief in the intrinsic perfectibility of humanity, and it is society that corrupts us; if this is so, then social laws and regulations act as unwanted restraints on our original condition of being, travestying our true nature; Hobbes, Machiavelli as well as the theological concept of original sin, on the other hand, would all suggest we are innately flawed, prone to wrong-doing, in which case the more laws, rules and regulations we have the better.

What I´m suggesting to you is that the answer to the question forms, and has formed, historically, the very basis of our social and political structures, the very way that human beings have organized themselves into communities. For example, in its more extreme forms, the political system of anarchy (meant in the utopian sense). would result from a belief that we are innately innocent or “good’ – the less rules the better in as far as rules thwart our nature; on the other hand, tyranny would be one possible result of the belief that we are innately flawed, such that the more rules and restraints on us the better.

I know this is bringing in ideas from sociology, political science and philosophy but the analogy with kindness still holds: is kindness fundamental to our being or is it something we can learn or, indeed, need to learn (because it doesn’t necessarily come “naturally”)? In this way, in the ethical context of this discussion, the question of humanity´s innate goodness (or not) is, for me, the question of questions and its answer concerns the very meaning of our lives.

Marisa Monte – Gentileza (live)

Photo Credits: http://www.riocomgentileza.com.br/index.html

The Importance of Arts Education

Anyone entering EAB’s auditorium on Friday morning was greeted by a resounding rush of energy and exhilaration, generated by students singing and dancing in their aisles to the music of a live New Orleans brass band. This was the scene last week when, through a series of serendipitous events, The Hot 8 Brass Band found its way to EAB to entertain our students and teachers with a memorable performance that spilled into the school’s hallway (photo credits: Valmir Gomes)

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The show put a fitting exclamation mark on a succession of outstanding arts events at EAB in recent weeks. From the upper school band performance, to last Saturday’s parent-student arts celebration, to visual arts displays, to theater productions, our community has had the opportunity to appreciate and delight in the impressive work and talents of our students. The arts related events of recent weeks have served to emphasize one of EAB’s five educational pillars and the importance of arts education.

Educational research is categorical in concluding that the inclusion of arts in educational programs is an essential factor associated with the learning process. The Washington Post recently published an article highlighting the Top 10 Skills Children Learn from the Arts: creativity, confidence, problem solving, perseverance, focus, non-verbal communication, receiving constructive feedback, collaboration, dedication, and accountability. Another article about the Important of Art in Child Development added motor skills, language development, decision-making, cultural awareness, and improved academic performance to the list of proficiencies. Harvard’s Project Zero Study emphasizes the importance of arts education, as does the Guggenheim Study, among many other studies. If there is any doubt about the importance of the arts, then read the student comments submitted to the New York Times in response to the question, “How Important is Arts Education.”

Given my own academic background in mathematics and technology, I particularly appreciate how John Maeda and Mae Jemison emphasize, through their Ted Talks, the importance of integrating the arts, mathematics, and sciences in a K-12 educational program. John Maeda, the President of the Rhode Island School of Design, shares how art, technology, and design inform creative leaders (John Maeda Ted Talk). Similarly, Mae Jemison, emphasizes the importance of integrating the arts and sciences and how these skills contributed to her success as an astronaut (Mae Jemison Ted Talk).

This article is not designed to diminish the importance of other academic fields but, rather, to highlight how arts education can complement and strengthen the study of other disciplines while also embodying a key field of study in itself. I often hear of educators referring to the “core subjects” which, more often than not, excludes the arts. Given what we know about the arts, this paradigm must shift to a more inclusive approach to arts education.

Perhaps the Kennedy Center’s National Standards for Arts Education states it best:

“. . . the arts have been an inseparable part of the human journey; indeed, we depend on the arts to carry us toward the fullness of our humanity. We value them for themselves, and because we do, we believe knowing and practicing them is fundamental to the healthy development of our children’s minds and spirits. That is why, in any civilization – ours included – the arts are inseparable from the very meaning of the term ‘education.’ We know from long experience that no one can claim to be truly educated who lacks basic knowledge and skills in the arts.”

Featured image: cc licensed ( BY NC SA 2.0 ) flickr photo by Nick Sherman: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicksherman/4946005960/

A Importância da Educação Artística

Qualquer um que tenha entrado no auditório da EAB na quarta-feira pela manhã, foi saudado por uma onda ressonante de energia e alegria, gerada por alunos cantando e dançando pelos corredores ao som da música ao vivo de uma banda de New Orleans.

Este foi o cenário, na semana passada, quando, através de uma série de eventos fortuitos, a banda The Hot 8 Brass Band chegou até a EAB para entreter os nossos alunos e professores com uma performance memorável que se espalhou pelos corredores da escola .

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O show colocou um ponto de exclamação em uma sucessão de acontecimentos marcantes do Departamento de Artes da EAB nas últimas semanas. Desde a apresentação da banda do Upper School até a celebração de artes de pais-alunos no sábado passado, as exposições de artes visuais e as produções de teatro, a nossa comunidade teve a oportunidade de apreciar e deliciar-se com os trabalhos e talentos dos nossos alunos. Os eventos de Artes das últimas semanas serviram para enfatizar um dos cinco pilares educacionais da EAB e a importância da educação artística.

A pesquisa educacional é categórica ao concluir que a inclusão de artes em programas de educação é um fator essencial associado ao processo de aprendizagem. O Washington Post publicou recentemente um artigo destacando a as 10 Habilidades Top Que As Crianças Aprendem com a Educação Artística : a criatividade, a confiança, a resolução de problemas, perseverança, foco, comunicação não-verbal, receber feedback construtivo, colaboração, dedicação e responsabilidade. Outro artigo sobre A Importância da ARte no Desenvolvimento da Criança acrescentou habilidades motoras, desenvolvimento da linguagem, tomada de decisão, consciência cultural e, um melhor desempenho acadêmico para a lista de proficiências.

O Project Zero Studyde Harvard destaca a importância da educação artística, assim como O Estudo Guggenheim, entre muitos outros estudos. Se houver qualquer dúvida sobre a importância da educação artística, leia os comentários dos alunos apresentados ao New York Times, em resposta à questão: “Quão Importante é a Educaçã o Artística“.

Dada a minha formação acadêmica em matemática e tecnologia, eu particularmente aprecio a forma como John Maeda e Mae Jemison enfatizam, por meio das Discussões do Ted, a importância da integração de artes, matemática e ciências em um programa de educação K-12. John Maeda, Presidente da Escola de Design Rhode Island, compartilha como a arte, a tecnologia e o design informam líderes criativos (. Da mesma forma, Mae Jemison, destaca a importância de integrar as artes e a ciência, e como essas habilidades contribuíram para o seu sucesso como astronauta (Mae Jemison Ted Talk).

Este artigo não se destina a diminuir a importância de outras áreas acadêmicas, mas sim para destacar como a educação artística pode complementar e reforçar o estudo de outras disciplinas ao mesmo tempo, incorporando um campo de estudo chave em si. Eu geralmente ouço de educadores que se referem aos “temas centrais” que, na maioria das vezes, excluem artes. Dado o que sabemos sobre artes, este paradigma deve mudar para uma abordagem mais inclusiva a educação artística.

Talvez o Padrão Nacional de Educação Artística do Centro Kennedy, descreva da melhor maneira: “… a arte tem sido uma parte inseparável da jornada humana, na verdade, nós dependemos da arte para nos levar para a plenitude da nossa humanidade. Nós a valorizamos por ela mesma, e por causa disso, nós acreditamos que compreendê-la e praticá-la é fundamental para a o desenvolvimento do espírito e da saúde mental nos nossos filhos. É por isso que, em qualquer civilização –inclusive na nossa – a arte não pode ser separada do termo “educação”. Nós sabemos, através da nossa longa experiência, que ninguém pode querer ser verdadeiramente educado, caso não tenha conhecimentos básicos e habilidades em artes.”

Featured image: cc licensed ( BY NC SA 2.0 ) flickr photo by Nick Sherman: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicksherman/4946005960/

Brasilia Night Tour

This week, the American School of Brasilia’s faculty and staff toured Brasilia’s Lago Paranoá. It was an important evening in terms of the newest members of the school community getting to know the veteran faculty and staff. In terms of school culture, it is important to not only structure time for community members to build relationships outside of the work environment but to also explore and learn more about Brasilia.

Featured image: by Barry Dequanne