The Flow

I n s t i t u t o J u s t i c e a n d L e a d e r s h i p A c a d e m y

Volume 2, Issue 1

January 2015

The Praxis Cycle 1

Praxis in Action 2 -6

IJLA Culture 7 -8

IJLA’s Competencies 9

Editors & Contributors 10

Inside T he Flow:

What’s New? If you are familiar with the IJLA Newsletter, feel free to skip around to the new stuff.

Praxis has always been something that people who are passionate about social justice work or influenced by Paulo Freire try to understand and implement. Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy (IJLA) is a school that is dedicated to the model of Education for Liberation.

At IJLA, it is not just the staff that have embarked on this journey, but also their students. Students describe it as “Praxis is what you know (Unpacking), to what you learn (Refine Ubicacio n), to doing something with what you know and learn (Applying a Refined Reality), to finally re-flecting about what you just did (Driving Hope and Reflection).” In all as-pects, IJLA is in praxis in the classroom, in the culture, in the lesson plans, and in the way we interact with each other on a daily basis.

The Praxis Cycle

Passions to PATHWAYS! We all have interests. For some it’s a sport; for others, it’s yoga or theatre. Some have an eclectic array of interests. Through these passions, we founded our Familias. Students were able to choose their familias based on what they liked. For example, Jonah and Adilene’s Familias are participating in learning new dance routines to de-stress. Liz’s Familia is working on video productions. These students will earn Pathways credit for studying their passions.

PRAXIS IN ACTION Page 2

POETRY CORNER

By: Tiffany Talley, IJLA student

“My City” Why is my city full of hate? Chi-town shows no pity and that’s a freak-ing shame. Whether you're in Pilsen, Little Village, Back of the Yards, McKinley park or Englewood, it’s all the same. Someone is dying eve-ryday on my block and you’re block but we act like it’s not true. We close our eyes to the madness and say “naw, it doesn’t affect me.” Until it’s your boy that took five to the chest and now he can’t take another breath. It's a war zone out here. And nobody knows why. It’s crazy how a 15 year old can get shot in the chest and lose his life over a pelle. Protecting his brother on 63rd and state four days before his birthday. The one day his mom couldn’t pick them up. I wonder if she thinks it’s her fault. His twin brother he lost his other half, might as well have lost his right hand. Twins share a bond that no one would ever understand. I can't even imagine I just close my eyes and pray for his family. This is what my city has become, we went from chi-town to chi-raq and now there’s no going back. All the voices we lost to the wrong path I wish we can get them back, but that’s just my fantasy not reality. So as I walk down my block I always watch my back. I don’t ever want to lack because once you do there is no going back. I want my city to be great and I plan to make that change. But sometimes I just want to give up, pack up my stuff and never look back, but I can’t. I’m just waiting for the day that my people see this is not what we're meant to be.

Students Attend a Career Fair!

Eric Chamorro meeting with Marine

veterans for his Pathways project Students at the Malcolm X Career Fair

Students attending an overnight

college tour with Escalera where they

visited 3 universities.

One Instituto!

Working on Pathways

It’s a big world out there. Our experiences define us. We find out who we are when we face new experiences. My experiences, in particular within natural eco-systems, have transformed who I am on a fundamental level. This is why I am passionate about being able to provide these kinds of experiences to our students

On November 19, 2014 our school went to Irons Oaks in Olympia Fields, a place that specializes in providing adventure education in the form of outdoor teambuilding activities. It felt really good to be out there that day. I felt a lot of positive energy from our students. Overall, the students had a really great time, many expressing the desire to continue the day’s activities and not to leave, not yet! The woods were pretty awesome. Nature makes us feel free. One student wrote me a thank you and gave me a big hug. It was really cold and on the way home one of the buses broke down on the side of the expressway! BUT- I think the harsh conditions were a good challenge for us. It is important to sometimes push ourselves, to feel successful, to feel a part of something greater than your-self. It brings us closer together, even if for a short time. It is my hope that our experience can help us build a positive community at our school.

I look forward to seeing what we can do next as a school. Improving our stu-dents’ lives is a radical idea, because our society isn’t really trying to improve our students’ lives. They have fallen through the cracks and society doesn’t care about it so much. BUT… our school cares. AND the students care. This is our strength. This is why we are radical. Our school wide fieldtrip showed us how awesome we can be together.

by Damaris Allen , Leveling Science Teacher

Changing Your Scenery

PRAXIS IN ACTION Page 3

Before climbing the pole, I felt very confident because while everybody liked to sit inside the house I've always been the outdoorsy kind in my family. I remember grow-

ing up as child in Mexico you would always find me up in a tree or jumping fences. When I was getting up there, I felt confident! I was like "yeah! I got thissss" that's mainly why I volunteered my partner and I to go first. When I reached half way and the metal steps were further apart I realized I wasn't a kid anymore! Lol I thought I was going to slip and die! I couldn't stretch my legs as much as I wanted because the boots that I wore that day were very slippery! Not to mention, since it was so cold my hands were beginning to cramp up and freeze! :( Going up half way I could not do it! I felt it in my poor hands. Since the metal steps were further apart and my boots were slippery I thought I was going to slip. I was yelling at Adi that I couldn't do it! And I hugged the pole and was planning on never letting it go. I genuinely, in the core of my being felt I couldn't take one more step up.

As I was screaming and cursing at Adi (I'm sorry Adi, I love you) "it's harder than it looks" and "I can't do this" "take me down" I heard all of my group cheering for me. They all said "you can do it" so I screamed back "NO I CAN'T, PUT ME DOWN" they kept cheering for me although I knew I couldn't do it, other people encouraged me to do it! After what felt like hours but was actually less than two minutes of hearing them chant, any sound coming from my peers was muted and my mind was racing with thoughts of doubt and low confidence my hands were beginning to slip from the pole and the last of the strength I had in my arms was begging to vanish. When I began to hear them chant again, I felt a rush of energy all through my body and all I kept saying was "I can do this, I can do this"!! And without even thinking about it I took the next step up. I thought to myself "that wasn't so bad, if I do it five more times I'll be at the top" so without even thinking about it I took another step up. Rube n who was already up there was calmly telling me "Don't give up, you're almost there" I took four more steps and I was already up there! I was so happy to finally be up there that I wasn't even thinking of the pain that I went through to get there. All of this taught me that I have no upper body strength and I should probably go to the gym more often. But that also goes to show that we can endure a lot more than we think we can. It all depends on who we surround ourselves with. I am very lucky to be a part of the Rudy Familia. I will forever remember that day. Also, rope climbing was on my bucket list and it's finally checked off! It's an experience that I will never forget!

- Andrea Anaya, IJLA Student

PRAXIS IN ACTION

The Struggle

Page 4

Andrea raising her fist to victory! She did it!

Memo Torres, Salvador Guzman and Adan Roa on the high ropes

Page 5

PRAXIS IN ACTION

“It felt both great and inspiring

to be part of the curriculum fair

because I was able to see how

others teach social justice. I

was also able to meet others

that where interested in what

my research on neurobiology

consisted of.”

-Salvador Guzman, IJLA

Student

Teachers for Social Justice Curriculum Fair

“I felt a little nervous about presenting at the

TSJ Curriculum Fair; however, it was very ex-

citing knowing that I would be teaching others

how things work in my IJLA Science Seminar

Class. “

-Liliana Ramirez, IJLA Student

Apprentice Pod created an informational packet about the structures we use at Rudy, such as the Praxis Model, Restorative Justice, Competencies (school wide, SSC, and by department), Essential Questions, Generative Themes. Each teacher of the Ap-prentice Pod also submitted some social justice curriculum that we have done this year or the unit competencies that drive the course. Students also presented on the community tours research project that they conducted to study the community around them.

Mastery students Liliana Orocio, Devon Mendez, Salvador Guzman and Liliana Ramirez of Science Seminar took the lead and presented their proposals as well as their current research on their individual research projects. They demonstrated the work that they’ve completed in science seminar and also got some parent and com-munity involvement in their projects.

In Rhetoric of Change, stu-dents are working on memo-rizing and reciting Shake-spearean sonnets. This is cer-tainly a challenge for many students, as it requires them to do two things that they are not used to doing everyday--speaking in front of a group of their peers and committing lines of poetry to memory. Memorizing lines of poetry has many benefits for the brain. It is much like weight lifting for the brain, making it stronger and better at the general task of remem-bering things. Memorization also helps us practice focus and enhances our mental ca-pacity for learning new con-cepts. Additionally, it is a way for students to learn about how they learn and remember things. These are skills that students can apply to many other areas of their lives, both in and out of school.

By: Liz Kindig , Mastery Eng-lish Teacher

On December 4th, students in both Mastery-level History Seminar courses attended a field trip to the Illinois Holo-caust Museum in Skokie, Illi-nois. The topic of this year’s History Seminar course is race, class and gender in U.S.

history and society. The course includes study of the ground breaking PBS video series enti-tled Race: The Power of an Illusion. An exhibit currently

being hosted by the Illinois Holo-caust Museum entitled RACE: Are We So Different? also draws on this video series. Students visited this exhibit as well as the Karkomi Per-manent Exhibition which provides a history of the Holocaust.

The students who attended the field trip developed a deeper un-derstanding of how race has been social constructed in U.S. histo-ry. They likewise learned about what steps we can take to decon-struct race and racism as we work to transform our world. The stu-dents visit to the Karkomi Perma-nent Exhibition allowed them to connect what they learned about race and racism in the U.S. to the experience of Europe in the 20th century, especially in regards to the Jewish people. Students also got to hear from Holocaust survivors A unique experience that students were excited to be a part of.

What’s happening in Rhetoric of Change?

PRAXIS IN ACTION

History Seminar Trip to

Holocaust Museum

“What I've analyzed so far

about Sonnet 1, is that

Shakespeare wants more

beautiful people in this

world and the girl he's

talking to only sees things

her way. She's her own

worst enemy.”

-Roxy Ramirez, IJLA Student

Page 6

By: Jerry Mead-Lucero, Mastery History Teacher

Sonnet 1

Recited by: Roxy Ramirez

From fairest creatures we desire increase,

That thereby beauty's rose might never die,

But as the riper should by time decease,

His tender heir might bear his memory:

But thou contracted to thine own bright eyes,

Feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel,

Making a famine where abundance lies,

Thy self thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel:

Thou that art now the world's fresh ornament,

And only herald to the gaudy spring,

Within thine own bud buriest thy content,

And, tender churl, mak'st waste in niggarding:

Pity the world, or else this glutton be,

To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee.

The Zev and Shifra Karkomi Permanent Exhibition

is a place where those familiar with the Holocaust

and those learning about it for the first time can

experience pre-war European life, ghettos and

concentration camps, liberation and resettlement

around the world through more than 500 artifacts,

documents, photographs, and a German rail car of

the type used in Nazi deportations.

Page 7

IJLA CULTURE

Restorative Justice Practices

On November 20, 2014, Thirteen (13) young men and women came together to be trained as Peer Circle Facilitators. Some have been students at IJLA for a year or more while others just started this year. They came to the training with one common goal; to make IJLA a better place for stu-dents and for the staff. Their background varied as much as their life experienc-es, but they were all com-mitted to helping other stu-dents find their ubicacio n through restorative justice practices. On this day, they remained after school when

their compan eros returned home. From 4 pm to 6 pm they engaged in activities and discussed what it meant to become a Peer Circle Facilita-tor. They reached out to one another with support and encouragement. By the end of the training, the thirteen (13) young men and women had a better under-standing of what was expected of them. It was no surprise that they all accepted the challenges of the new journey they were going to embark upon. On this evening, they single-handedly dispelled the myth

that young men and women are more concerned for themselves than for anyone else. Witnessing such com-mitment and greatness was truly an experience that I will never forget. I wait eagerly to see how they will assist others in their ubicacio n and transfor-mation. By: Roberto Lopez, Leveling Prevention & Intervention Counselor

Page 8

IJLA CULTURE

Our Restorative Justice PAC consists of a group of students working with doctoral can-didate, Lynn Liao, from DePaul to re-search our model of approaching dis-cipline. The students wrote a grant proposal and submitted it on 11/26/2014. To the right, you will find an excerpt from the submitted proposal. We’d like to wish our Amazing, hard working students luck in getting the grant.

Restorative Justice PAC

"We try to understand that students’ problems might stem from external factors that do not relate to school at all. At IJLA, we use dialogue to resolve conflict in order to restore relationships and the culture of respect in our space. Instead of focusing on the behavior or incident, we seek to address the root cause.

Over time, our practice of restorative justice has grown to create a more compassionate culture. However, it is time that we take a step back to reflect on how restorative justice has developed over the years at our school as well as how it has impacted both students and staff. Although many of us practice it daily and have seen changes, we have yet to document it. The purpose of this research is to capture our unique model of restorative justice. " -IJLA Students

We try to encourage everyone to be responsible and accountable for school safety by incorporating community input to make sure consequences are fair.

Page 9

Let’s Meet the Competencies!

What’s the difference between traditional grading and competency

based assessment?

“It is incumbent on educators

to ensure that grading and

assessment practices give

students chances to

succeed. Lethal grading

practices can harm students

and set them on a course of

failure.”

-Jeffery A. Erickson

Adapted from O’Connor K (2002). How to Grade for Learning: Linking grades to Standards (2nd ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

IJLA’s COMPETENCIES

Traditional Grading System Competency-Based Grading System Competency Assessment at IJLA

1. Based on assessment methods (quizzes, tests, homework, projects, etc.). One grade/entry is given per assessment.

2. Assessments are based on a percentage system. Criteria for success may be un-clear.

3. Uses an uncertain mix of assessment, achievement, effort and behavior to de-termine the final grade. May use late penalties and extra credit.

4. Everything goes in the grade book re-gardless of purpose.

5. Includes every score, regardless of when it was collected. Assessments record the average—not the best—work.

1. Based on learning goals and perfor-mance standards. One status is given per learning goal.

2. Standards are criterion or proficiency- based. Criteria and targets are made available ahead of time.

3. Measures achievement only OR sepa-rates achievement from effort/behavior. No penalties or extra credit given.

4. Selected assessments (tests, quizzes, projects, etc.) are used for grading pur-poses.

5. Emphasizes the most recent evidence of learning when grading.

1. We distinguish between baseline, coaching, and benchmark statuses per competency.

2. Yes, our competency-based targets are available ahead of time.

3. Yes, achievement is not effort. 4. We use more performance based as-

sessments, and we assess based on evidence over total opportunities for learning. Opportunities build towards a comprehensive final product with real audiences.

5. Yes, it's all about students' current status.

Hi, I have the discipline of free-dom, not punishment. I reach for goals that achieve justice for all. I achieve those goals, which are aligned with my principles and values, by being disciplined in thought/cognition and planning and by aligning my action with those goals.

Hi, I am always reaching to be-come more fully human and not ruled by hegemony. I under-stand that my identity is com-plex. I embrace myself and oth-ers as critical scholars and agents of transformation. This value leads to empowerment.

Hi, I manifest a voice that does not intimidate, nor is intimidat-ed. I communicate effectively with the world. I simultaneously articulate my place and that of others in the path for justice in the world.

Hi, I deconstruct and reconstruct meaning through critical ques-tions. Critical questions give me resilience and power in the path towards transformation. I hold opposing ideas in cognition. I unlearn, ubicar, learn, and trans-form.

Hi, I use transformative decision making skills to create a positive impact in personal, family, school, and community contexts. Praxis produces action, while reaction produces destruction. I systematically engage in deep exercises of reflection without blame. I gather authentic evi-dence. I reflect, refine, act, and

I follow an ethic of care in which the strength of love rules over individualism. I work collabora-tively through acceptance, chal-lenge, and love to reach individ-ual and collective goals. by Jonah Bondurant, Apprentice English Teacher

Mission: Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy is dedicated to the principle that education is liberation. Our mission as a learning community is to engage our students in a rigor-ous and social justice inspired program driven by a student centered environment.

2570 S. Blue Island Chicago, Il 60608 Phone: 773-890-8060 Fax: 773-890-1537

RUDY LOZANO

CAMPUS

Editors:

Adilene Aguilera

a.aguilera@idpl.org

Kasia Sanchez

k.sanchez@idpl.org

Student Contributors:

Andrea Anaya

Salvador Guzman

Liliana Ramirez

Roxy Ramirez

Tiffany Talley

Staff Contributors:

Jonah Bondurant

j.bondurant@idpl.org

Damaris Allen

d.allen@idpl.org

Roberto Lopez

R.lopez@idpl.org

Jerry Mead– L;ucero

J.mead@idpl.org

Miguel Guevara

guevara@idpl.org

Cynthia Nambo

c.nambo@idpl.org

Pearl Martinez

p.martinez@idpl.org

Melanie Chwee

m.chwee@idpl.org

Elizabeth Kindig

e.kindig@idpl.org

NEWSLETTER

EDITORS &

LEAD

CONTRIBUTORS

The Flow is looking for

student contributions.

Contact the editor if you

are interested!

MASTERY

CAMPUS

2520 S. Western Ave Chicago, Il 60608 Phone: 773-890-8060 Fax: 773-890-1537

WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

FOR THE UPCOMING SEMESTER!

CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK!

HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/INSTITUTOJLA

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About Instituto:

Instituto Del Progreso Latino’s mission is to contribute to the fullest development of Latino immigrants and their families through education, training and employment that fosters full participation in the changing United States society while preserving cultural identity and dignity.

www.idpl.org

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