The world is just a bunch of bubbles

Statistics are a funny thing. We look on wikipedia or read articles that cite numbers and percentages that represent an entire group or region. Sometimes the numbers are shocking and draw drastic conclusions but when looked at in a more defined context they take on a completely different meaning. Tools, such as excel, help researchers recognize patterns in the data set over a longer period of time and they tend to be much more positive.

My favorite example is (duh!) development. It always gets such a bad rap. So many programs fail and these countries seem like black holes for money. I think we forget though that growth takes time. The redwoods didn't grow over night. Hans Rosling, a Swedish professor of public health, created one of the coolest programs for statistics. Watch his TED talk yourself because his energy is contagious. Besides the awesome animation and data presentation the coolest part about his talkis that change has been happening and it looks positive! Watching the progressive move of countries over the decades across a trajectory previously or simultaneously traversed by other countries considered more developed is epic. It reveals that really are changing and getting better. Although the change may not be as quick as we hope it is in fact moving. A super nifty feature of this program is that that stats can be broken down from region to country to cities or even smaller demographics. Since data varies from context to context this allows for evaluation of disparities within each sector as well as identifying where the problem might actually be.

From an educator's standpoint: I think this is a really neat tool because it really visualizes everything. Instead of having to imagine the patterns and the movement when looking at an excel spreadsheet you can really see it happening. This helps students really understand that stats should not always be taken as face value because they are not a true representation. It is also a generative learning tool it that it encourages students to continue asking questions regarding changes in stats.

Anyway here is a link to one of his Rosling's talks. There are a few so if you are as intrigued as I am I encourage you to keep watching. Also go play around with the website yourself. gapminder.com

Hans Rosling's GapMinder <<<< Watch here!

Hole in the Wall Development

 Development is a unique discipline in that it does not have a right answer. It is solely based in theory and evaluations of other people’s attempts at making a difference. As a student it can be frustrating because I find myself settling to a certain perspective, belief or ideas for development only to read about a different theory that seems better. After reading so many evaluations of “failed” programs and criticisms of theories I find myself feeling quite dejected. Can development really happen anymore? I spend a lot of time thinking about the appropriate and least aggressive way of introducing technology into education to aid development of a schooling system. I have started to truly believe that it is impossible or pompous of me to think that I can drop technology into a “less developed” community school where resources are limited and electricity is scarce and expect it to stick. Then I discovered this TED talk. Sugata Mitra’s study has been very eye opening and renewed my faith in technology. One thing I have learned during the past few months is that there needs to be an end to “we” and “them” thinking. “We” are not saviors or deliverers of knowledge. “They” have knowledge that has helped them survive their context for hundreds of years. Anyone who is an educator or parent or has spent a significant amount of time with children know that they surprise us everyday. They are more capable and more intelligent than many of us give them credit for. Mitra’s study reminds us to shake our preconceptions about ability. This has renewed my faith in educational technology as a tool for development in rural communities. Watch it and let me know what you think!

Sugata Mitra's TED Talk <<< CLICK HERE!!

One foot in front of the other.

Four flights of stairs have been climbed several times daily.
Classes have been attended.
Tours have been taken.
Bars have been hopped.
Brooklyn pizza has been eaten.
Subways have been ridden.
Rats have been spotted.
One month has passed since I moved to New York.
And almost one year has passed since I last blogged. I know there are some people out there who are curious about what I have been up to. So in an attempt to avoid telling the same story 500 times I will revive this little peep hole into my "la vida loca".

Luckily the move turned out to be an easy transition. My room is small but large by New York apartment standards. My barrio is packed with bodegas and restaurants and cafes. Guys set up tables along the sidewalk selling books or inviting passersby to play a game of chess (which many surprisingly do). My school is only a 15 minute walk away which is very convenient especially when winter time comes. The professors in my program (and I assume all other programs as well) are well pedigreed and totally impressive! The same can be said about the majority of my classmates. I really question sometimes how the hell I got here! However, the opportunities are incredible and just seeing some of the job openings that recruit Columbia grads makes me anxious to graduate.

Now don't think that homesickness hasn't reared its ugly. I have had my moments of feeling lonely and wishing I were with the people I love. But I know this is where I belong because I haven't felt this alive since Guatemala. My head has been cracked so wide open sometimes I think my brain is going to pour out. It feels so good to fall asleep after a day of mental exertion.

Anyway, I could probably go on and on about the things I have done in the past month which would end up being a novel of an entry. SO starting now I will record some of the cooler things. I will leave with one story!

Times Square & view from our room

Downtown NYC from Top of the Rock

Top of the Rock with Central Park behind me

Last weekend I had the pleasure of entertaining a visitor from AZ (my first since I have been here!). We stayed in Times Square which gave us an opportunity to really explore downtown New York. I found it funny because locals never go to this part of the city and now I know why! Although the area is really only a few blocks it is CRAMMED. There are so many tourists it is unbearable. Worse than Disneyland. They are all being drawn, like moths to a flame, to all the bright lights and tall buildings. Interesting factoid: all of the buildings facing in toward Times Square are required to be 80% bright lights and signage. So we did the tourist thing and spent three lovely hours on a tour bus seeing parts of the city I didn't even know existed. It was a great way to get acquainted with the city but it left me incredibly overwhelmed. How am I going to see all of this before I leave New York?! Its going to take years!! We spent another day walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and enjoying some very tasty ice cream in the Brooklyn Bridge Park, which was packed with couples and families with the same idea. We went to the top of the Rockefeller Center (86th floor) and spent some time trying to take in the city. It's like looking at the Grand Canyon. It is so vast that your eyes can't quite take it all in. One of my favorite things that we did was taking the Staten Island Ferry across to (duh!) Staten Island. It goes right past the Statue of Liberty which was perfectly highlighted by the setting sun right behind her. On our way back to Manhattan we got a perfect view of all the downtown lights. It was breathtaking.... and FREE!!! That word doesn't exist in NYC vernacular. We rounded out the evening with a visit to the top of the Empire State Building and a delicious candle lit dinner at one of the hundreds of restaurants in Hell's Kitchen. I'm quickly learning why this city is so addicting.

city skyline from Staten Island Ferry

Brooklyn Bridge

Us with Manhattan behind us

Lady Liberty

Well expect many more updates and rants about my ideologies as I figure out where I'm headed on this crazy road of mine!