RBG Afrikan- Centered Cultural Development and Education
RBG Street Scholars Think Tank's Purpose: This Educational Program and Research Project is Dedicated to Further Building the Hip Hop--Black Liberation Movement Connection by Integrating Conscious Digital Edutainment with A Scholarly... [more]
RBG Street Scholars Think Tank's Purpose:
This Educational Program and Research Project is Dedicated to Further Building the Hip Hop--Black Liberation Movement Connection by Integrating Conscious Digital Edutainment with A Scholarly Self Directed Learning Environment.
Welcome to one of the baddest EduTainment Resources on the Web. A one-stop-shop for education,consciousness raising, entertainment and liberation. And the nicest thing about it is that you can become a contributor. Just start out by reading this overview and learning how things work. You can play a video right within this start page and even browse to it's music. Or turn on an audio playlist to facilitate your browsing. Tons of other options, too numerous to mention here are also right at you finger tips. Ride it however you like, it's all good. Once you get going, check out a Multi-Media Article that interests you and make a comment. I, RBG Street Scholar-Your Zine author, editor and guru will respond. The aforementioned approach is a kol gateway to doing bigger and better things in and with the Communiversity.
WHAT IS RBG STREET SCHOLARS THINK TANK AT ZIMBIO ALL ABOUT?
It's about creating and maintaining the best "Afri-Conscious Cyber EduTainment Portal / Communiversity on the Web".
It's about saving time doing study, learning / teaching together and having madd fun doing it.
The merticulously researched choice of links can be thought of as our votes in the popularity contest that is the "Best of the Best in Black Internet" . The intention is to provide a diverse and concise starting point for you to begin your quest for whatever information you are looking for from a progressive/radical/revolutionary Black perspective . As most of these sites have vast links sections of their own, so do the sites they link to, and so on, and so forth—starting from these links, you can delve further into whatever area interests you.
You got a myspace, youtube, odeo, website etc.
Add your Stuff Folx--and let's learn from each other, build together and teach the world
Our Zines are intended to help us develop and maintain a resource for scholarly research, build together and learn about any subject / topic related to what we're already about: Namely, the "Africentric Idea of Education" let's take the learner from G.E.D. to Ph.D in the contemporary liberal arts and sciences;
Including:
> computers & information technology,
> history and cultural development,
> religion and spirituality,
> sociology,
> political science,
> creative productions/ entertainment,
> education,
> health promotion and disease prevention
> economics and
> psychology
A one stop shop using all forms of media to interactively showcase our ideas of relavent education, unification, collectivity and self definition.
They say " Black Folx Can't Unite, I say they're a lie" Let's show the world our truth and culture; all under the umbrella of Black Nationalism> PanAfrikanism> Scientific Socialism> Revolutionary Change>Afrikan Internationalism.
Browse existing content in any of our four Zines and you will discover that they are all concentricly integrated, thus providing you with a most rich and wholesome interactive learning experience.
Help RBG Street Scholar, your Resident Guru, build our school with your good works.
Rate each others work as to keep us on point.
I'VE STARTED US OUT WITH SOME SOLID CONTENT. NOW WE MUST CONTINUE BY BUILDING TOGETHER. A GOOD WAY TO START IS BY FIRST SIGNING UP AND THEN BROWSING EACH FIELD IN THE TABLE OF CONTENTS PANE TO THE LEFT AS TO GET QUICKLY ORIENTED. A LINK BELOW TO "RBG STREET SCHOLARS THINK TANK RULES OF ENGAGEMENT" WILL TAKE YOU DEEPER STILL.
THE FOLLOWING IS A GUIDING SYNOSIS TAKEN FROM THE COMMUNIVERSITY PROPER:
With strick attention to developing our student’s basic education skills in the context of the highest standards of academic excellence, suitable for one to confidently sit for high stake exams(ie. SAT/ACT and MCATs, LSATs), we simutaneously advance the psycho-emotional healing and spiritual upliftment of our people by providing KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM AND OVERSTANDING of the historo-cultural, socio-political and psycho-educational experiences of Africans in America in away that RADICALLY REAPPRAISES EDUCATION from the pained and angry perspective of the oppressed black community.
WHY WE NEED TO DO THIS:
With the present day high rates of Black on Black homicide, suicide, and imprisonment and a rise in single-parent homes, rampant police brutality, unprecedented unemployment, and Blacks use of popular (ENEMY) culture (through music, video games and popular movies) to celebrate "anti-intellectualism, ignorance, irresponsible parenthood, drunkenness, dope dealing, weed smoking, cocaine, x-pills, loose sexual behavior and criminal lifestyles / thuggism"; we have chose to design a curriculum that, rather than getting caught up in the entertainment / BLACKPLOTATION aspects of hip hop/rap, will use hip hop/rap within a historo-cultural, socio-political and psycho-educational framework to address these various death walks forthrightly. Our new methodological style is intended to get our young people to begin to think critically about themselves, their world and their role as people of Afrikan descent.
WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE WANNA GO:
This work is a comprehensive (but only a core framework) sequenced survey of subjects and topics that have confronted Afrikans in America throughout our 246 years of chattel slavery, 100 years of aparthied and only “one generation of freedom” here in America. I like to describe the school as a “cultural development and leadership training communiversity”. From our research, we have determined that the idea of Sankofa, which means "We must go back and reclaim our past so we can move forward; so we understand why and how we came to be who we are today", really encompasses the whole Afrikan-centered ideal. Nonetheless, as this is a work in evolution and always under construction, we have chosen to focus our teaching/learning journey most directly on the past 45 years of our struggle for human and civil rights—
THE THEME “THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THINGS STAY THE SAME, WE NEED A REVOLUTION, THE SYSTEM AIN’T GONA CHANGE UNLESS WE MAKE IT CHANGE”.
The content and character of the curriculum is Afrikan-centered and the goal is academic excellence in persuit of black power. We tease out the social, political, economic and moral imparatives of black power in the 21st century by zooming in on two povital questions throughout our course of study:
“WHAT IS BLACK OPPRESSION IN AMERICA AND WHAT IS AFRIKAN LIBERATION.”
RBG FORMAL METHODS, FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS
The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher inspires.
WE GET HIP-HOP HEADZ TO BEGIN TO THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT THEMSELVES.
1) What do the lyrics of a particular song really mean?
2) Who controls hip hop in terms of how rap artists is selected; what rap music is produced; how and to whom it is marketed?
3) What is the role of commercial radio in making rap music hits and who benefits financially from our imagination, creativity and intellect?
4) What personal and community values, principles and ideals does a particular rap song promote?
5) How do we neutralize the exploitation of our creativity by corporate executives/rich white men who largely direct the course of mainstream rap / hip-hop culture?
6) Are too many of our youth using the messages and images of so called gangsta rap and rap music videos to develop both their personal and public identities?
How We Provoke Thought, Discussion & Learning:
Please keep in mind that RBG is a Think Tank. A center of higher learning organized for intensive study, research, critical thinking and problem solving; focused in the areas of the use of technology in Afrikan-centered cultural development and education for the purpose of individually and collectively learning the social, political , economic and moral strategies to secure Black Power in the 21st century.1) AT CORE RBG STREET SCHOLARS THINK TANK'S CORE CURRICULUM IS ABOUT WRITING, READING AND THINKING CRITICALLY. THUS ALL STUDENTS WILL WRITE A FEATURE BLOG AND / OR LEAD A DISCUSSION FORUM IN RBG WORLDWIDE SUITABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN OUR AWARD WINNING MULTIMEDIA E-ZINE AT BLOGGER AND/OR ONE OF RBGz 4 RBG WIKIZINES AT ZIMBIO CONCERNING THE STRUGGLES AFRICANS IN AMERICANS FACE TODAY AND IN TIMES PAST AS WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR COMPETE FOR FREEDOM, JUSTICE AND EQUALITY IN AMERICA.
2) PRODUCE A TV AND/OR RADIO SHOW ON ONE OR MORE OF RBGz ONLINE TV/RADIO CHANNELS. THAT MEANS LEARNING ALL THE COMPUTER TECH SKILLS AND PREPARATION REQUIREMENTS NECESSARY TO MERIT BEING RATED AS A GOOD TO EXCELLENT SHOW.
CONSIDERATIONS MIGHT INCLUDE:
WHEN WERE WE FIRST DEEMED LEGALLY FREE?
AND ARE WE IN FACT FREE?
WHAT IS FREEDOM ANYWAY?
WAS THIS WELCOME BY WHITES AND WHY?
WAS THIS WELCOME BY BLACKS AND WHY?
WHAT WERE POST - EMANCIPATION CONDITIONS LIKE IN COMPARISON TO WHEN WE WERE CHATTEL ?
WHAT DIFFICULTIES DID WE FACE BEFORE AND AFTER SLAVERY? PROVIDE A THOUGHTFUL EXAMINATION OF OUR CURRENT SITUATION IN COMPARISON.
WHY ARE THE MASS OF BLACKS STILL LIVING IN POVERTY AND IGNORANCE AND SUFFERING FROM DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNTS OF DEATH AND DISEASE?
DO MORE AFRICAN AMERICANS PLAY BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL AND SING AND DANCE , GET INTO ACTING AND BECOME MODERN DAY AMOS AND ANDYS’ FOR INDIVIDUAL GAIN (AS THE WHITE MAN HAS HISTORICALLY USE US THIS WAY) OR ARE THEY DOING IT BECAUSE THESE ARE GOD GIVEN SKILLS AND THE ONLY WAY THEY SEE TO DULL THE IMPACT OF AMERICAN OPPRESSION ? OR MIGHT THERE BE OTHER REASONS?
WHY ARE THERE SO FEW BLACK OWNERS OR MANAGERS OF PROFESSIONAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE COMMITTED TO THE SOCIAL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND/OR EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT OF THE MASSES BLACK FOLK? GIVE YOUR OWN OPINION AS WELL AS DOCUMENTED FACTS.
BASED ON THE HISTORY, CAN WE BE ASSIMILATIONIST AND ACHIEVE BLACK POWER/WEALTH EQUITY IN AMERICA?
OBJECTIVES:
STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO STATE THEIR CONCERNS AND OPINIONS ABOUT BOTH THE PAST AND PRESENT STATE OF AFRICANS IN AMERICA BY WRITING CRITICALLY IN VARIOUS DOMAINS OF THE COMMUNIVERSITY. USING THEIR RESEARCH FINDINGS BASED ON STUDYING OUT OF THE CURRICULUM'S ASSETS, AS WELL AS PERSONAL RESEARCH AND OPINIONS, STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO WRITE A FEATURE ARTICLE FOR OUR COLLEGE THAT EXAMINES THE STATUS OF OUR PLIGHT AND STRUGGLES FROM BOTH PROBLEM AND SOLUTION ORIENTED PERSPECTIVE.
ONLINE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT:
TYPICALLY WE POST A CLASS ASSIGNMENT IN THE FORM OF A BLOG, DISCUSSION, VIDEO, IMAGES, TEXT AND OR AUDIO ON A SUNDAY EVENING, ALONG WITH READING FROM THE CURRICULUM AND A “LECTURE” FOR STUDENTS TO RESPOND TO. AS THE WEEK PROGRESSES, VARIOUS STUDENTS LOG ON TO THE NETWORK, READ/ STUDY THE FORUM/ BLOG AND DOWNLOAD ATTACHMENT MATERIALS FOR READING. THEN THE STUDENT SHOULD ADD RESPONSES TO THE FACILITATOR'S QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS AND CONVERSE WITH OTHER STUDENTS ON THE TOPIC.
ALTHOUGH BEING AN ONLINE STUDENT REQUIRES MORE THAN AVERAGE STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY; YOU ALSO GET MORE ACCESS TO TEACHERS AND CLASSMATES THAN THE TRADITIONAL STUDENT BY HAVING ACCESS TO E - MAIL, MESSAGE BOARDS AND CYBER DISCUSSION FORUMS, AS WELL AS A MORE DEMOCRATIC / SELF-PACED “EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE.” STUDENTS CAN RESPOND TO QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS AS FULLY AS THEY WANT, NOT PRESSURED BY THE TIME CONSTRAINTS THEY’D FACE AT A TRADITIONAL COLLEGE. RBG STREET SCHOLARS THINK TANK TAKES PRIDE IN BLURRING THE LINE BETWEEN URBAN YOUTH IN THE COMMUNITY AND THOSE IN TRADITIONAL COLLEGES. WE TAKE PRIDE IN EDUCATING STUDENTS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS AND OUR ADVANTAGE OF MAINTAINING SMALLER CLASSES THAN CAMPUS-BASED SCHOOLS.
ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
AN APPROPRIATE FEATURE ARTICLE; WELL THOUGHT-OUT AND BASED ON THE CURRICULUM’S MUSIC, VIDEOS, PHOTO-STORIES, TEXT AND LINKS WILL:
INCLUDE A RELEVANT MIX OF WELL DOCUMENTED FACTS AND OPINIONS (INCLUDING THE STUDENT’S OWN) CONCERNING AFRICAN AMERICANS’ STRUGGLES TO COMPETE FOR FREEDOM, JUSTICE, EQUALITY, LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS IN PRESENT DAY AMERICA
FOLLOW THE FORMAT, DESIGN PRINCIPLES, AND STYLE OF FEATURE ARTICLES IN OUR VARIOUS CURRICULA.
WRITINGS SHOULD MEET THE CRITERIA FOR A WELL-WRITTEN, WELL RESEARCHED AND CAREFULLY EDITED FEATURE ARTICLE.
THE SUCCESSFUL STUDENT TEACHERS:
THERE ARE FOUR ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS TO BE A SUCCESSFUL STUDENT IN RBG STREET SCHOLARS THINK TANK CORE CURRICULUM.
FIRST, ALL STUDENTS SHOULD PARTICIPATE REGULARLY IN THE ONLINE DISCUSSION FORUM MEETINGS. ATTENDANCE WILL NOT BE TAKEN, BUT FAILURE TO ATTEND THE NETWORK REGULARLY MAY RESULT IN A LACK OF PREPARATION FOR THE FINAL EXAMINATION.
THE DISCUSSION FORUMS AND YOU BLOG POSTING/JOURNAL ARE AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE CORE CURRICULUM, BECAUSE STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY HERE TO SURE UP THEIR OVERSTANDING OF SELF DIRECTED LEARNING AND EXCHANGE PERSPECTIVES AND EXPLORE ISSUES WITH PEERS AND ELDERS IN GREATER DETAIL. YOUR ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION IN THE DISCUSSION FORUMS SECTION, YOUR ABILITY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS DISTRIBUTED AND TO INITIATE DIALOGUE BASED ON THE DISCUSSIONS AND REQUIRED READINGS WILL ENRICH YOU EDUCATION TREMENDOUSLY.
SECOND, AT EACH DISCUSSION FORUM, ONE OR MORE STUDENTS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR LEADING THE SECTION IN A GENERAL DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT WEEK'S READINGS. THEY WILL PRESENT THE KEY IDEAS WITHIN THE ASSIGNED READINGS, MAKING CONNECTIONS WITH INFORMATION FROM PREVIOUS READINGS AND CORE LEARNING OBJECTS. EACH STUDENT'S INITIAL PRESENTATION SHOULD BE ABOUT 10 MINUTES IN LENGTH, AND ACCOMPANIED BY A ONE OR TWO PAGE OUTLINE OR SHORT PAPER. IF MORE THAN ONE STUDENT IS ASSIGNED TO A PARTICULAR WEEK, THEY SHOULD MEET VIA E-MAIL AND OR INSTANT MESSENGER PRIOR FORUMS TO DETERMINE WHICH TOPICS OR READINGS EACH INDIVIDUAL WILL PRESENT.
THIRD, STUDENTS MUST SUBMIT A PAPER ON ISSUES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THE SUBJECTS/ TOPICS ADDRESSED IN THE CORE CURRICULUM. STUDENTS MAY CHOOSE TO UTILIZE INFORMATION CITED FROM REQUIRED TEXTS AND REFERENCE RESOURCES. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH FROM OTHER LIBRARY SOURCES, SUCH AS DATA FROM ACADEMIC JOURNALS, NEWSPAPERS, REFERENCE WORKS, AND OTHER SCHOLARLY INFORMATION IS ALSO ENCOURAGED. FOOTNOTES ARE SUGGESTED, BUT NOT REQUIRED. HOWEVER, ALL PAPERS MUST HAVE A BIBLIOGRAPHY INDICATING ALL SOURCES USED FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE PAPER
FOURTH, ALL STUDENTS MUST TAKE THE FINAL EXAMINATION FOR THE COURSE. THE FINAL EXAM WILL BE COMPREHENSIVE; COVERING THE TOTALITY OF INFORMATION PRESENTED FROM READINGS, CURRICULUM LEARNING OBJECTS DISCUSSIONS, ETC., AND WILL CONSIST OF SHORT ESSAYS.
TEACHING TIPS
LEAD A CLASS DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN POLITICS, EDUCATION, SOCIAL ACTIVISM, EDUCATION COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, BUSINESS ETC., BOTH PAST AND PRESENT.
CONSIDER WHEN COLOR BARRIERS WERE BROKEN IN DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF AMERICAN LIFE FOR BLACKS AND WHICH ONES STILL EXIST.
EVALUATE THE RECENT SUCCESSES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN NEWCOMERS TO THE MONEY SCENEAND HOW THEY ARE HANDELING IT
ASSIST STUDENTS IN CRITIQUING THE MUSIC, VIDEOS, PHOTO STORIES POWERPOINTSHOWS AND ARTICLES IN THE CURRICULUM, PAYING ATTENTION TO FORMAT, DESIGN, AND WRITING STYLE. DISCUSS HOW GETTING INVOLVED WITH THESE ISSUES AND FACTORS CAN MAKE THE CONDITION FOR BLACK INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES AND THE AFRIKAN AMERICAN NATION AND AFRIKAN RACE BETTER.
DISCUSS HOW SPECIAL LAYOUT FEATURES, SUCH AS SIDEBARS AND CHARTS AND GRAPHS FOR ORGANIZING MATERIAL, CAN HELP A WRITER ACHIEVE THE INTENDED PURPOSE OF THEIR FEATURE ARTICLE.
POINT OUT HOW GOOD ARTICLES MAKE CLEAR WHAT IS FACT AND WHAT IS THE WRITER’S OPINION AND PROVIDE OPPOSING ARGUMENTS AS WELL.
ALLOW CLASS TIME FOR SMALL GROUPS OF STUDENTS (2-3) TO ENGAGE IN PEER EVALUATION SESSIONS TO HELP EACH OTHER DISCUSS, REVISE, EDIT, AND PROOFREAD THEIR ARTICLES BEFORE FINAL DRAFTS ARE COMPOSED.
Please also see:
RBG Street Scholars Think Tank Rules of Engagement & Extensions to Our Computer Skills Basics
Interests: pit bull breeding, educational scholarship that is grassroots can le, educational scholarship that is accessible and us
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