Reading, writing and results in Binghamton classrooms

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/education/2016/06/03/reading-writing-and-results/85222754

John R. Roby

Press & Sun-Bulletin

4 June 2016

Text / Over 3000 Words

Literacy rates can be a problem, especially in low-income school districts. Amid a years-in-the-making revision of literacy instruction, the Binghamton school district is seeing a payoff.

From Young Adult Book Fans to Wizards of Change

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/21/from-young-adult-book-fans-to-wizards-of-change

Courtney E. Martin

The New York Times

21 March 2012

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Global social and economic problems are difficult to change. However, fan-activism fuels the interests of fans of popular young adult fiction. Books such as Harry Potter and the Hunger Games have inspired activist groups that raise awareness of global hunger, reading, and relief supplies to impoverished nations, among others. Being a fan has served as a bridge to become politically active and solve the world’s problems.

Lessons from under the coconut tree

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/09/12/one-boston-teacher-quest-connect-with-his-students/1sUlrC3fmsQTdpkQHXkbgM/story.html

James Vaznis

The Boston Globe

12 September 2015

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Boston professors visit countries and homes of foreign students to better understand their culture and gain insights about how to better teach them. The goal is to reach across cultural divides to help a big part of the student population — emigres from faraway lands — that is plagued with low standardized test scores and high dropout rates. Accompanying photojournalism: http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/bigpicture/2015/09/12/seeking-cultural-connections/L3mIQAQM3v9YT9A2K4JliL/story.html

How Seattle Made Dark Alleys Safer—By Throwing Parties In Them

http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/how-seattle-made-dark-alleys-safer-by-throwing-parties-20150826

Araz Hachadourian

Yes! Magazine

26 August 2015

Text / 800-1500 Words

Alleys in Seattle were once places of illicit, illegal, and unsanitary activity. The International Sustainability Institute in Seattle began organizing music and art events to bring in people, which, in turn, cleaned-up the crime and garbage. As an urban development strategy, adjacent vacant storefronts re-opened for business and beautification could be seen in new gardens.

Summer Reading: How to Shake Up the Status Quo

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/10/summer-reading-how-to-shake-up-the-status-quo

David Bornstein

The New York Times

10 July 2013

Text / 800-1500 Words

Social innovation rarely comes from “eureka” moments; it’s much more deliberate - it’s something that can be studied and learned. A short summer reading list for anyone interested in shaking up the status quo.

MPS looks to Oakland model to work differently with African-American boys

http://www.minnpost.com/learning-curve/2014/05/mps-looks-oakland-model-work-differently-african-american-boys

Beth Hawkins

MinnPost

5 May 2014

Text / 800-1500 Words

African American boys were being treated less-than-equally by the Oakland Unified School District – a change of culture was implemented and the playing field leveled. Now, Minnesota is looking to adopt the same system that was started in Oakland by creating schools that are exclusively for African American males in hopes to help them reach higher standards of achievement.

As Detroit Flounders, Its Art Scene Flourishes

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/11/travel/as-detroit-flounders-its-art-scene-flourishes.html?_r=0

Courtney Balestier

The New York Times

6 August 2013

Text / 800-1500 Words

In 2013, Detroit filed for bankruptcy because of a poor economy. While the city’s industrial businesses have floundered, the art scene has thrived, bringing in new sources of income through art galleries and investments in contemporary art. This new art scene is one factor to measure Detroit’s recovery and prospects of growth for the future.

In Quick Response, Mali Thwarts an Ebola Outbreak

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/11/health/quick-response-and-old-fashioned-detective-work-thwart-ebola-in-mali.html?smid=tw-nytimes&_r=0

Donald G. McNeil Jr.

The New York Times

10 November 2014

Multi-Media / 800-1500 Words

When a case of the Ebola disease struck a little girl in Africa, health officials in Mali collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization to contain the illness and quarantine people. The episode also has changed social customs and expanded sanitation procedures so that more people are aware of how to keep themselves healthy.

It Takes a Library

http://ksfr.org/post/it-takes-library-solutions-journalism

Lucia Duncan

Santa Fe Public Radio (KSFR)

4 October 2016

Radio / 5-15 Minutes

In New Mexico, public libraries are funded by municipalities. That means, if you live in an unincorporated town, there’s no funding stream for a local public library. But, in northern New Mexico, residents in several towns have joined together to create independent libraries that have transformed their communities.

How Libraries are Boldly Innovating to Meet the Needs of Changing Communities

http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-libraries-are-boldly-innovating-to-meet-the-needs-of-changing-communities

Anna Pratt

Shareable

16 November 2016

Text / Over 3000 Words

Libraries in the United States have traditionally been centers to consume information, offering users books in quiet isolation. However, a new movement across the country is transforming libraries by providing internet access, creating spaces to study and learn, and meet with members of the community. There has even been the creation of pop-up happy hour libraries at bars, and bike book deliveries to distribute free books. These new libraries are re-inventing how communities learn and demonstrating that even the oldest institutions are elastic to communities' needs.