26 AwardWinnerROBERT LEE COLVIN MOVES TOHECHINGER INSTITUTE ATTEACHERS COLLEGERobert Lee Colvin an award-winning educationwriter of the Los Angeles Times willbecome the new deputy director of theHechinger Institute on <strong>Education</strong> and theMedia at Teachers College, ColumbiaUniversity this summer. The Institute organizesand sponsors seminars for journalists, top policymakers and researchers on timely issues ineducation. The seminars are tailored to theinterests of different groups of journalists,including editorial writers who cover education,education editors, reporters who specializein higher education issues and reportersnew to the beat.Colvin, 48, said the new position provideshim with a unique opportunity to representDiscover why the National Commission onTeaching and America’s Future calledBank Street’s graduate programs ineducation “extraordinary.”At Bank Street you will find small classes,supportive advisement, and a progressiveapproach to teaching, leading, and learning.studyabroad.comEDUCATION UPDATE ■ FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS & STUDENTS ■ JULY <strong>2002</strong>Studyabroad.comis the #1 online resourcefor study abroad information.journalism as well as education. “I want toleverage what I’ve learned in my many yearson the beat to benefit other reporters in theircoverage of education,” Colvin said. “At thesame time, I’ll continue to be a working journalist.”Colvin said in addition to his work withthe institute, he intends to remain active as awriter on education topics.The Hechinger Institute is named in memoryof Fred M. Hechinger, who was a reporter andeditor at The New York Times, specializing inthe coverage of education. It is supported bygrants from many foundations including theCarnegie Corporation, the John S. and James L.Knight Foundation, the Broad Foundation andthe New York Times Company Foundation.#For information ongraduate programscall:212-875-4698e-mail:GradCourses@bankstreet.eduvisit our Web site:www.bankstreet.eduOffice of AdmissionsBank Street CollegeGraduate Schoolof <strong>Education</strong>610 West 112th StreetNew York, NY 10025http://www.studyabroad.comA service of <strong>Education</strong>al Directories Unlimited, Inc.TEACHING • LEADING • LEARNINGSPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLSBank Street Conference at Museum of Natural HistoryBY DEBORAH YOUNG<strong>Education</strong>’s place and potential in a democracyis an assumption that needs frequent revisiting,agreed speakers Deborah Meier, Dr. CarlGlickman and conference moderator RichardRothstein, during an exchange of ideas at arecent Bank Street College conference held atthe American Museum of Natural History.Public education still has a long way to dissolveentrenched inequity, said Meier, a learningtheorist and founder/principal of CentralPark East Secondary School whose booksinclude The Power of their Ideas and WillStandards Save Public <strong>Education</strong>?“The concept of elitism cannot be democratized,”she said. “The culture of the ruling classis a closed system, complete with its own language,and other mechanisms to keep othersfrom joining.” School should be where studentsget the tools to question the system they live in,she added.“What kind of power and education do I needso I can get my education without thinking thatthey rule me?” she urged educators in the audienceto help their young charges consider.“Empowering students to think this way startsby honoring their different backgrounds andexperience in the context of the classroom,”Meier stated. But conference moderator andNew York Times educational columnist RichardRothstein wondered if the pedagogy of empowermentmakes for a stronger democracy than ateaching approach which might “for example,force students to memorize the FederalistPapers.”“We preach to the choir so we don’t feel as ifOpen HousesThursday, September Thursday, September Tuesday, September Wednesday, October Sunday, October Tuesday, May :-: PM:-: AM:-: AM:-: AM:-: PM:-:AMPlease RSVP by callingthe school at --A School for Boys and GirlsWHAT EDUCATION CAN THERE BE WITHOUTFREEDOM OR WITHOUT TRUTH?“TRUTH IS EVERYTHING”ABRAHAM LINCOLNwe need any evidence to prove us right orwrong,” he said, urging for more long termstudies of different educational methodology.Progressive educators labor under the defaultassumption that if you give students an educationwhich encourages their input, they willautomatically agree it’s the best way to learn,said Dr. Carl Glickman, the Endowed Chair inSchool Improvement at Southwest Texas StateUniversity, who has authored a dozen books onsuch topics as school leadership and the moralimperative of education.“But this kind of education helps them makeup their own minds,” he said. “The DNA of ademocracy is where citizens use education tohelp each other.”All students must first feel respected beforelearning to make their own decisions and thenultimately taking the next step to help others,concurred conference participant Briana Nurse– a fourth-grade teacher at 15th Avenue Schoolin Newark.But foremost in her mind are the everyday,nitty gritty details of teaching in a school where100 percent of the students fall below the federalpoverty guidelines, she said, before headingto a workshop to develop strategies forteaching about the community – one of manyafternoon sessions offered around the theme“Social Studies: Where We Are in <strong>2002</strong>.”“My students are trying to make it throughthe present,” she said. “For the first time lastweek during a lesson about neighborhoods, oneof them broke down and cried to me because hewas scared just walking to school. Those arethe stories we hear.”#The Ark is dedicated todiscovering unlimitedpotential in each child.We encourage thechildren to use theirtalents for the benefit ofall.Abraham Lincoln Schooland the Ark Nurseryprovide for thespiritual, mental, andphysical development ofchildren fromNursery through grade 8.The Abraham Lincoln School& The Ark Nursery East th Street New York, () -www.abrahamlincolnschool.org
JULY <strong>2002</strong> ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ COLLEGES & GRADUATE SCHOOLS27College & University Directory1 2 3 4erspectiveson of Continuing <strong>Education</strong>Street Collegeest 112th Streetork, New York 1002556To receive our catalog or get informationabout upcoming courses and workshopscall 212 875-4649 or visitwww.bankstreet.eduNew Perspectives -Division of Continuing <strong>Education</strong>Bank Street College610 West 112th StreetNew York, NY 10025Master of <strong>Education</strong>• Brief residencies• Licensure options• Individualized study• NEASC accreditedVermont UniversityTHE UNION INSTITUTEMontpelier, Vermont 05602800/336-6794 vcadmis@tui.eduwww.tui.edu/vermontcollegeCertificate of AdvancedGraduate StudiesBrief residencies Licensure optionsStudies in School Psychology, Leadership,<strong>Education</strong>al Administration, Guidance,Community Psychology, Integrated StudiesVermont UniversityTHE UNION INSTITUTEMontpelier, Vermont 05602800/336-6794 vcadmis@tui.eduwww.tui.edu/vermontcollegeTouro CollegeAssociate & Bachelor Degrees• Business Management • Health Science• Human Services • <strong>Education</strong>• Computer Science • Liberal Arts & Sciences• ESL Classes• Day & Evening Classes •Transfer students welcome• Financial aid for qualified studentsManhattan: Midtown:212-463-0400 ext.500Uptown: 212 722-1575 ext. 101Brooklyn, Queens: 718 2-School ext 1003Mail or Fax this CouponGRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONDiscover the learner-centered,interactive approach to education.Call 212/875-4698for more informationGradCourses@bankstreet.eduwww.bankstreet.edu610 W. 112th St., NY, NY 10025Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________City: ________________________________________________________________________________________State:_____________________________Zip:________________________________________________________Phone (include area code): _____________________________________Fax:______________________________Please circle catalogs you wish to receive:I Am Interested In Applying As❑ Freshman❑ Day❑ Weekend❑ Transfer❑ Evening❑ Graduate Student✄Please mail to:College Directory-<strong>Education</strong> <strong>Update</strong>P.O. Box 20005New York, NY 100011 2 3 4 5 6❑ H.S. Student❑ Teacheror Fax to:College Directory<strong>Education</strong> <strong>Update</strong>(212) 481-3919My Status❑ College Student❑ Working AdultPLEASE INCLUDE YOUR PHONE NUMBER JULY <strong>2002</strong>MCC Awards College Scholarships(L-R) Janice Consu, Emil Isanov, Candace Arnold,Dina FormanThree students from Talent UnlimitedHigh School recently received collegescholarships from the Manhattan Chamberof Commerce, based on essays delineatingtheir plans for rebuilding the site of theWorld Trade Center. Winner of the $1000award, Emil Isanov, stated that the originaltowers should be rebuilt because they are“symbols of the economic power of theUnited States, [they] were the pride of ourcountry, and the “rebuilding . . .will reinvigoratethe spirit of our great nation.”Candace Arnold, awarded $500 wroteabout building a memorial site that “needsto be honorable and memorable to all thevictims.” Her vision includes a wall of blackmarble where all victims names should beinscribed. “The inside . . should consist ofwaterfalls symbolizing the cycle of life. Thismeans that even though we lost a tremendousnumber of lives, their children will grow upand keep their dreams, hopes and aspirationsalive.”Janice Consu proposed a World Trade CenterMemorial Park which would be as tall as theEmpire State Building, surrounded by a grassfield with play areas for children. On the firstfloor, the names of those lost would beinscribed on tiles. The remainder of the buildingwould be leased to businesses to revitalizeour economy. ”It will help NY become the economicpowerhouse it once was while payinghomage to all victims and their families.”Principal Dina Forman gratefully acknowledgedthe work of the Manhattan Chamber ofCommerce, in trying to help students achievetheir educational goals. Chamber Board membersmaking the presentation at the school,located on East 68th Street, were Dr. PolaRosen, publisher of <strong>Education</strong> <strong>Update</strong>, LeslieYerman and Linda Lopez. Don Winter,President and Nancy Ploeger, ExecutiveDirector were unable to attend. #Dr. Ira BlackContinued from page 12of approved drug and surgical therapies.Dr. Black carefully separates what’s availablefrom what’s still in experiment. Most of what thelay public hears that sounds promising is in animal-basedtrials. Even where the literature showsthat there’s been a marked clinical impact treatingadvanced P.D. in humans, such cases are “rare.”L-dopa, the drug that created a “revolution in neurology”when decades ago it was found to replacemissing or deranged brain signals is still “themainstay of treatment today for Parkinson’s.”Whether taken alone or in combination with otherdrugs (perhaps the most effective course of treatment),it can provide on average from 5 to 7 yearsof good life. What about the media-ballyhooedsuccess of certain surgeries, such as “deep brainstimulation,” which was undertaken on Michael J.Fox? Dr. Black is supportive but cautious. Theprocedure, a pinpoint electrical stimulus of partsof the brain, is “a real step forward,” a “viablealternative” for those for whom other therapieshave not been particularly effective, but treatmentsshould be careful and measured.Some of the most exciting work going on is hisown, reported recently in The New York Times. Ithas to do with transforming stem cells in humanbone marrow into stem cells that can function inthe brain. He and his team have grown braincells from bone marrow, which means that cellsone thinks of in association with muscle, tendons,cartilage, can become nerve cells. For thelast ten years, the neurological offensive has alsoincluded gene therapy, which is related to celltherapy. A hormone called GDNF, “the full nameis one only a mother could love,” administeredby way of mechanical pump to damaged parts ofthe brain, has had striking effect in recoveringbrain functioning in animals. Of course, all drugshave a down side. It sounds almost trite, Dr.Black says, but the goal is to “maximize benefitsand minimize side effects,” and that is a “frightfullydifficult” job. Too much L-dopa, forinstance, can cause hyperkinesis.Overall, Dr. Black concludes, “we have ageneral map” of the area. As to the controversyin Congress over stem cell research, his ownresponse is looking forward to continue the battleagainst degenerative neurologic disease “onmultiple fronts” with respect for human dignityand the values of humanity. Impedimentswould be unfortunate. The beneficiaries of hiswork and of related investigations by others,when perfected for humans, will be not onlysufferers of P.D., but those with Alzheimer’s,cerebral palsy, stroke, Lou Gehrig’s disease,multiple sclerosis, mental retardation and more.Referring to his great mentor, Nobelist Dr.Julius Axelrod, Black cites his “boundlessenthusiasm and intuitive grasp of how natureworks, a free spirit” still at age 91. In Dr. IraBlack, Dr. Julie Axelrod’s boundless enthusiasmwould seem to have found a natural heir.#