Free diversity videos and Web publications.

I recently had the opportunity to participate in the final professional development activity of Walking the Walk, an outreach project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. The project focuses on systems change in early intervention in North Carolina communities. This outreach project is directed by the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. At the final meeting, participants received a list of free videos and Web publications. Having viewed these materials, I believe they will be of interest to ACEI members. This following list was developed by Camille Catlett, investigator, FPG Child Development Institute.

Free Videos

The Green Kid. In March 2003, Candid Camera's host Peter Funt questioned 2nd-graders--using a hidden camera and microphone--about a new student who was to join their class: a boy with green skin. Since then, tapes of the segment have been provided at no charge to educators across the United States. The film invites exploration of issues concerning bias, prejudice, and many kinds of diversity. Introductions for teachers, elementary students, and upper grades are included, as well as examples of how the film is being used in college teaching. To order a free copy of the DVD, send a letter, on organizational letterhead, to Candid Camera, Box 827, Monterey CA 93942. Each request should specify the grade level(s) for which the material will be used. Read more about it at www.candidcamera.com/update/green_kid.html

Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks. Recommended for middle and upper grades, the kit includes a fast-paced, 40-minute documentary film and viewer's guide with classroom activities and historical documents, such as Montgomery's bus code and Rosa Park's police report, that bring the Montgomery Bus Boycott alive for today's students. Nominated for an Oscar and recipient of other prestigious film awards, the film presents the birth of the civil rights movement as more than a mere history lesson for the classroom. Young activists will see the movement as a model for making a positive change in their own communities. The wealth of images and interesting narrative will hold the attention of a variety of audiences. One copy of this kit is FREE to schools, university departments, and organizations. FAX a request on school letterhead to 334-956-8486. For additional information, go to www.tolerance.org/teach/expand/act/activity.jsp

Unintended Consequences: The Impact of Desegregation on Black Educators in North Carolina. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in Brown v. Board of Education, that segregated, so-called "separate but equal" public schools were unconstitutional. Many local school systems chose to implement the federal desegregation mandate by closing all-black schools and reassigning their students to predominantly white schools. Some black teachers and administrators were transferred to other schools, but most were dismissed. Through interviews with black teachers and administrators who worked in public schools in Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greenville, and Hickory during the desegregation era, this 49-minute video explores the effects that court-ordered desegregation had on North Carolina's black communities. Black educators discuss a wide range of experiences, including being the only black faculty member, having both black and white students in one class, and conducting parent-teacher conferences with white parents for the first time. They also describe the rich culture of all-black schools, and what was lost to the black community when these schools were closed as a result of desegregation policies. To obtain a free copy for educational use, write to Wildacres Leadership Initiative (711 Iredell Street, Suite A, Durham, NC 27705; 919-286-7295).

Free Web Publications

Becoming Culturally Responsive Educators: Rethinking Teacher Pedagogy. This brief has a twofold purpose: 1) to demonstrate the need for rethinking current approaches to teacher education pedagogy and 2) to provide guidelines for developing culturally responsive teacher education pedagogy. Download the document at www.nccrest.org/publications/display.asp?filename=Briefs/ Teacher_Ed_Brief.pdf&type=pdf

Health and Well-Being of Young Children of Immigrants. Children younger than 6 with at least one immigrant parent are the fastest growing sector of the child population in the United States. This new online publication by the Urban Institute provides current information and offers insights that can help early educators understand how to meet the needs of this diverse group of children and their families. Download the publication at http://rs6.net/n.jsp?t=vdrpg4aab.0. 5er7rabab.b9yowzaab.2334&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.urban.org%2FUploadedPDF%2 F311139_ChildrenImmigrants.pdf

School Readiness: Closing Racial and Ethnic Gaps. Racial and ethnic differences in school readiness are issues confronting educators across the country. Although these gaps in education achievement have narrowed over the past 30 years, test score disparities among U.S. students remain significant. Furthermore, these sizable gaps already exist by the time children enter kindergarten. Research suggests that what happens to children early in life has a profound impact on their later achievement. These issues are addressed in the above-named spring 2005 issue of The Future of Children, which includes eight articles written by leading authorities. The articles address the size of the gap, synthesize what is known about its causes, and identify some policy solutions and strategies. Download the two-page Executive Summary at www.futureofchildren.org/usr_docSchool_Readiness_Summary.pdf or the complete document at www.futureofchildren.org/pubsinfo2825/pubsinfo.htm?doc_id=255946.

Segregation Increasing. The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University has released a new study that finds more and more students across the nation are segregated by race, poverty, and educational opportunity. The study also finds that the high dropout problem is concentrated in heavily minority high schools in large cities. Major findings include that the most isolated groups in the United States are white students in poverty in the Midwest, black students in extreme poverty in the South, and Latino students in extreme poverty in the West. The study also explored the correlation of socioeconomics in segregation. Currently, only 1 percent of white students attend extreme poverty schools where 90-100 percent of students are poor, whereas 12 percent of black and Latino students attend these schools. Numerous studies have found that high poverty schools tend to have a less stable and less qualified teaching staff. To download the full report, go to www.civilrightsproject.harvard.edu/research/deseg/ Why_Segreg_Matters.pdf.

--Claudia Warren, Chair, Diversity Concerns Committee