Hi Jenna!

Totally agree. Not sure how it would work exactly. I definitely think it could become just another thing students compete over quantity wise. We're so programmed to value quantity > quality in this country, it's fucked. Thank you, capitalism.

I do think maybe there could be a tiered system for the badges? 5 badges in one category indicates some kind of "mastery"? Then again, I don't really 1) like that word, nor 2) believe that any subject can ever fully be "mastered," and that's not what the point of learning should be about anyway.

Interesting stuff for sure.

I've been really on my pedagogy grind these days! I'm continuing my role with STEAM in the City where I serve as a Senior STEAM SEED, or Student Educational Experience Designer. We've been establishing an ongoing partnership with a network of Teacher Fellows from Harlem/Upper Manhattan public schools that participate in the program, which is entirely funded by Barnard (through a pretty massive $$ grant if you ask me). I co-led a presentation earlier this week in our SEED Training titled Debunking the DOE: The Largest Public School System in the World that was craaazzzyyyy stuff to explain/lead discussions on to a group of non-New Yorkers. I've also been selected to join Barnard's Center for Engaged Pedagogy's Student Advisory Committee, along with Barnard's Student Government Association's Academic Affairs Committee, where I'll have a chance to sit on Barnard's Committee on Instruction! I've also joined a new Barnard-founded Columbia journal titled JSTEP, short for the Columbia Journal of Science, Tech, Ethics, and Policy where I am serving as a Community Innovation and Learning co-lead! I'll be submitting the op-ed I wrote in Ed. Foundations on math education across the Atlantic for publication, which is super cool!

I'm also going abroad to Denmark this Spring to study education! I'll be taking a course called Child Development and Education in Scandinavia, along with a Danish Language course for students specifically enrolled in this program, and the Child Development and Education in Scandinavia Practicum where I'll be placed in a school for one day a week! It will be an incredible learning experience for me and I am extremely excited. (I'm also taking a Virtual Worlds and Social Media course, cuz we gotta get a little bit of the tech vibe in there somehow!)

I don't know if I ever mentioned this to you last year, but my petition to Barnard to study my independent major in Computing, Design, and Pedagogy got approved, with 0 edits from the fancy CPAS committee! After a 13-page proposal, I really am not sure what more they could've wanted of me, so thank goodness that worked out lol! My decision to create this major, and really all the education stuff I've been up to in the past year, would not have occurred if it wasn't for our Ed. Foundations course. It left such an enormous impact on me and I'm so grateful I've been able to continue taking education courses at Barnard! I'm in Gender, Sexuality, and School now, with the incredible Ileana Jiménez. For my final thesis project, I'll be designing my own Computer Science in the City course, with the guidance of both my CS advisor and Education advisor, then teaching it my senior year! I don't have all the details figured out yet, but would def love any of your advice/guidance :)

Anyways, sorry about this massive rant! Just lots of exciting new stuff in Izzy's life that feels of interest to you!

Please let me know what you're up to these days and if you're ever down to grab coffeee!!! How are the NYCoRE homies?? IMY!!!

Much love,

Izzy