Aspen Ideas Festival
As we participated during our first day at the dynamic experience called the Aspen Ideas Festival, it was difficult not to be reminded of both the beauty of nature and the potential of humankind. Framed by the breathtakingly beautiful mountains, lakes, streams and vistas of Aspen, Colorado, sits the site of the Aspen Institute. Walking to an Alan Greenspan plenary session, "Oil and Gas: The Next 50 Years," sponsored by Chevron, we passed the Hon. Sandra Day O'Connor speaking to students about her life. As fate would have it, I introduced myself to a 2006 Bezos Aspen student scholar to celebrate her recognition, and she just happened to be Margot Plumadore of Albany High School, Albany, New York. You can be certain I hugged and high-fived Margot and brought greetings from Dr. Eva Joseph, Superintendent of Albany!
During Chairman Greenspan's both entertaining and realistic assessment of the world's dwindling supply of fossil fuel, I could not stop thinking about the waste of the world's most important resource, that is, human capital, and the role that America has to play in changing both. In the program sponsored by Chevron, the bold announcement appears: "Americans spend over one million dollars on energy every minute," and the question is asked, "So who has the power to change that?" Certainly the question is rhetorical, because the answer is obvious and yet as we all know, complex. Sharon Lynn Kagan, of Columbia University, responding to a question "What Ideas Excite You?," clearly frames the answer: "The development of human capital domestically and internationally. Thinkers who transcend today's educational systems and are open to considering and creating alternative educational pathways for students, employees, and citizens." Howard Gardner responding to the same question, writes: "Those persons and ideas that cut across fault lines -- persons whose positions are not predictable and who think each problem out on its own merits."
Clearly Dr. Gardner recognizes the talent of those who are presenting and share in the Aspen Institute's "Ideas Festival." They range from Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer, to David Bloom, John Seely Brown, Norman Lear, Colin Powell, Karl Rove, Dean Ornish, Brian Greene, and E. O. Wilson, to name a few. The surprise guest will again be President Bill Clinton, who will follow the Casey Family Program sponsored "Family Economics: Work and Wealth in the New Economy strand that we will participate on Saturday, July 8. Marion Bolden of Newark Public Schools and a representative of the NUA are the plenary session of this strand: "Today's Schools: Changing Opportunity for Some to Opportunity for All." The write-up prepared by the Aspen Institute on this presentation is:
"Inadequacies and inequities in K-12 education are both a practical and moral challenge to America. In the face of wide economic gaps among demographic groups, how can school narrow or eliminate academic achievement gaps between those groups and help create a just and productive society? What can communities do as allies of schools in confronting challenges, including individual and institutional racism, inadequate educational resources, and ineffective instruction? Highlights of a promising new approach will be presented and discussed."
We are both honored and humbled to share in the discussions occurring this week in Aspen. I will work to keep you informed about some of the highlights as I attempt above.
During Chairman Greenspan's both entertaining and realistic assessment of the world's dwindling supply of fossil fuel, I could not stop thinking about the waste of the world's most important resource, that is, human capital, and the role that America has to play in changing both. In the program sponsored by Chevron, the bold announcement appears: "Americans spend over one million dollars on energy every minute," and the question is asked, "So who has the power to change that?" Certainly the question is rhetorical, because the answer is obvious and yet as we all know, complex. Sharon Lynn Kagan, of Columbia University, responding to a question "What Ideas Excite You?," clearly frames the answer: "The development of human capital domestically and internationally. Thinkers who transcend today's educational systems and are open to considering and creating alternative educational pathways for students, employees, and citizens." Howard Gardner responding to the same question, writes: "Those persons and ideas that cut across fault lines -- persons whose positions are not predictable and who think each problem out on its own merits."
Clearly Dr. Gardner recognizes the talent of those who are presenting and share in the Aspen Institute's "Ideas Festival." They range from Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer, to David Bloom, John Seely Brown, Norman Lear, Colin Powell, Karl Rove, Dean Ornish, Brian Greene, and E. O. Wilson, to name a few. The surprise guest will again be President Bill Clinton, who will follow the Casey Family Program sponsored "Family Economics: Work and Wealth in the New Economy strand that we will participate on Saturday, July 8. Marion Bolden of Newark Public Schools and a representative of the NUA are the plenary session of this strand: "Today's Schools: Changing Opportunity for Some to Opportunity for All." The write-up prepared by the Aspen Institute on this presentation is:
"Inadequacies and inequities in K-12 education are both a practical and moral challenge to America. In the face of wide economic gaps among demographic groups, how can school narrow or eliminate academic achievement gaps between those groups and help create a just and productive society? What can communities do as allies of schools in confronting challenges, including individual and institutional racism, inadequate educational resources, and ineffective instruction? Highlights of a promising new approach will be presented and discussed."
We are both honored and humbled to share in the discussions occurring this week in Aspen. I will work to keep you informed about some of the highlights as I attempt above.
posted by Eric J. Cooper at 6:31 AM
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