Final Reflection
Translation of the Curriculum
Dr. Susan Edgerton

The book Translating the Curriculum, along with many others I have read at the Leadership Academy will have a lasting impact on my ability to bring about change in education. The structure of the class brought a sense of closure for me regarding the feeling I had that something is wrong with education. I moved back to NY 6 years ago, and my autobiographical narrative of teaching in NY is one of horror and disgust.
In this class, we learned about the translations of curriculum that are missing from a NCLB society. We will never see a translation of love because the standards movement is based on essentialism. We are teaching a flawed curriculum of the world we live in. The arts, music, and history are not valued in our current school setting. Environmental Science is taught through sterile lab settings instead of helping students connect to local and global environmental issues.
Another transformation of learning that I feel is an issue in education is the marginality of students through tracking. I teach in a full inclusion program. There are no resource rooms, and special education students of all disabilities are fully integrated in the classroom. The translation of love in this program cannot be found in the curriculum of NYS standards. Students respect people with disabilities and focus on abilities. Three classified Mentally Retarded students in our school play varsity sports. The word “retard” is not a part of the student culture. Dignity is not measure in standards. This is part of my proleptic eschatology.
What is in my future thanks to my experience at MCLA? Activism and promotion of the values that are not welcomed in the debate over ending NCLB. I will not allow fear to govern my thoughts. Together, we can reverse the last twenty years of failed education policy. Many thanks for the speakers and readings that help energize a discussion of education leadership.

RAGE
A REFLECTION PAPER ON THE HUANG YONG PING RETROSPECTIVE
Where has Jiang Taigong Gone?
LENNY GIARDINO

East meets West
Water –Life
A measurement
Past and Present Comes Together
When will our country care for its people?
Can we learn from our friends in the East?
How Rich, is too Rich
You cannot replenish the Oceans losses
You cannot replenish the Pacific Salmon
Who is the Western Jiang Taigong
Kerry – Bush
Republicrats
Lures for Leadership
Cannot solve the problem
We need a fish from the sea
Patience, ahhh yes patience
How much longer
How many more dried up fish
Patience is not a virtue of the West
Patience – WHAT FOR
THE TIME FOR JUSTICE IS NOW
I DON’T WANT ANYMORE DRIED UP FISH
PATIENCE
THE WORKS OF JESUS, MOHOMMED, AND SID HARTHA
PATIENCE
WHEN
WHERE
HOW
WHY
PATIENCE
IM ANGRY

Historical Notes of the Exhibit
Jianng Taigong – 80 year old male when he was first approached to overthrow a tyrannical leader of the Shang Dynasty. A country can only be as powerful as when its leader cares for its people. When this relationship occurs, both rich and poor prosper.

Huang Yong Pings reference to fishing is a metaphor for meditation and patience. Literal connection of both past and present concerns can be found in his work.

The dried up fish represent the creatures disappearing from the ocean. The artificial lures represent artificial creatures we try to replace disappearing species with. The colorful lures try to remind us that all that glitters is not gold.

Hamlet Reflection Paper
Lenny Giardino

To reflect, or not to reflect, that is the question. Hamlet can intimidate theatre goers because the interpretation changes with each viewing. For me, I saw Hamlet as a tragic character similar to Tommy Flowers. Both characters have a sort of “Rage against the Machine” mentality. Rage is timeless, and travels through different circles. For Tommy, his rage took place in the 1960’s and 70’s, while for Hamlet, his rage regarding power struggles is set in the early 1500’s.
The source of their rage is systemic. The question for Hamlet in my mind is nature v. nurture. Does Hamlet’s rage come from mental health issues or issues surrounding the relationships of power dynamics in his family, or maybe a combination of the two. The same can be said about Tommy Flowers. When you scratch the surface of this play, your first impression is that Tommy’s rage comes from rebellion over power and control by the political systemic systems of the time. However, familial events in the movie serve as a particular foreshadowing that family is also a part of Tommy’s rage.
Shakespeare’s tragic character shares another similarity with Tommy. Both try to right a wrong; however the moral path of righting the wrong takes them down a dark path. In the play Hamlet, the choice of revenge for his father’s death leads to tragedy. Similarly, Tommy’s rage kills an innocent policeman. Hamlet, however, struggles with his conscience over avenging his father’s death because his only evidence is in his dreams. This moral struggle is less apparent in the play about Tommy.
In educational leadership, we will face moral struggles that require difficult decisions. While, most of us won’t be avenging death, we will make life and death decisions regarding our student population that will require us to make sound equitable decisions on behalf of the student body. We have to remember that we have to reclaim love and avoid power related issues. In Translating the Curriculum the author asserts,” Love is dynamic and not asymmetrical.” Both plays show us how complicated this issues is as adults. Now it’s time to apply our learning through future leadership positions.

Reflection Poem for Norman Rockwell
By Lenny Giardino

Norman

Through the years, your covers for Post brought joy to newsstands all across America

Today, I saw a man who let subtlety tell a story of America in a time when “happy thoughts” were only allowed.

I dedicate this poetic thought pattern as a part of your gift you gave me today.


As the years progressed, you were allowed to expand your boundaries by the Post

For which those covers I admired the most

A Post Modern transition that took 50 years

Lost in translation was the struggle for rights

I saw it Norman, you wanted to fight.

In the early years, covers were stipulated

However I saw in detail how pictures were manipulated

People sometimes looked tired and oppression was there

You had to look into their eyes to see the despair

Whether it was World Wars or Economic Hardship

You could see how America was struggling with Conflict

Some will argue, your work was missing inclusion

Just like Rod Serling you created an alternative allusion

Stare at the pictures and see what you see

Not all of America was experiencing glee.

Sure Santa was cute, and many covers were Mayberry

But some covers ask us to examine what is hairy

Thank you Norman, again it meant a lot

Two Tradgedies of Tommy Flowers
A Reflection of Tommy Flowers
(Sing to youself to the title song)

Where has Tommy Flowers Gone

He fought a war he never won

Ooh Tommy, you should have played chess

Too understand why you were a mess

You hated the machine

School never engaged you much

They taught you facts

The environment was a crutch

You killed a man

With a bomb

A family left

With only their mom

Tommy, you never listened to Martin, Ghandi, or Ali

Rage is such a folly

Where has Tommy Flowers Gone

Where has Tommy Flowers Gone

Our society loss, and ignorance won

OOooh Where did Tommy Flowers Gone

Our Society loss, and Ignorance one……