Fighting for Literacy Across America
Teaching English at Oakland High in the late 1990s, Ernest Morrell faced the age-old problem of how to get modern students interested in a canon of long-dead writers and poets. He watched kids muddle through class, heads down, interest limited. Then one day, while teaching Beowulf, a student’s eyes lit up when he realized the story was similar to a popular rap song. That day, Professor Morrell saw a spark of joy, enthusiasm and engagement and wondered how he could give that spark to all his students.He started bringing in other contemporary tangents – pop culture references, movies, music – but without losing the basis in classic literature. His students were learning. They were engaged. And, most importantly, Professor Morrell says, they were learning to love school and love themselves.Since then, Professor Morrell has authored K-5 and 6-12 curricula which are being taught by schools in every state. He’s advocated for teaching that not only improves academic outcomes, but also personal and social ones. And he’s teaching Notre Dame undergraduates and ACE students to find that spark in their lives and the lives of those around them.Learn more: https://go.nd.edu/LiteracyAcrossAmericaWWYFF
More from What Would You Fight For?
- 2:01Fighting for the Ethical Use of TechnologyEnhanced soldiers. Autonomous weapons systems. Ever-present surveillance. Across the globe weapons technology advancements seem to be developed at an astonishing rate. While these technologies hold great potential, it is critical to pause and address the questions of when and how these new advancements should be used.Notre Dame alumnus, retired Air Force Major General, and former weapons developer Robert Latiff, Ph.D., is an adjunct professor teaching weapons ethics at the Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values. As a part of the center's Emerging Technologies of National Security and Intelligence initiative, General Latiff is one of a group of interdisciplinary scholars bringing the moral and ethical implications of weapons technology to Notre Dame students in the classroom, and to the forefront of our national dialogue. Participants include military, intelligence, and academic experts with many specializations including ethics, international law, national security studies, and peace studies.The Reilly Center, as a recognized leader in promoting and examining the advancement of science and technology in the pursuit of the common good, trains scholars and students to be a force for good in the world.File footage courtesy of Naval Postgraduate School and DVIDSThe University of Notre Dame asks you, "What would you fight for?" Learn more about this work at http://fightingfor.nd.edu.For more information on the Reilly Center for Science, Technology and Values, visit: http://reilly.nd.edu/ For more information on the center's Emerging Technologies of National Security and Intelligence initiative, visit: http://reilly.nd.edu/research/initiatives/etnsi/
- 2:01Fighting For Opportunityhttp://fightingfor.nd.edu/opportunity/ Where do we begin to build a better world? For Notre Dame students, it all starts with a design. A design informed by entrepreneurial spirit, an international outlook, and a commitment to social responsibility. Through the Notre Dame in Nepal program, students of Industrial Design Professor Ann-Marie Conrado are improving lives by sharing their expertise to help create jobs and successful businesses, and also be designing innovative prototypes for new products to make life easier and safer. Through collaboration with local artisans to develop fair trade products, they are lifting people out of poverty and contributing to a flourishing global market for handcrafted goods, all while creating opportunities for a brighter tomorrow in communities and villages in Nepal and around the world. What Would You Fight For?
- 2:01Fighting for Equal EducationIt's no secret that students in the United States lag behind their global peers in math. On the most recently published Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) exam, the United States ranked behind 30 other countries in this subject. A recent report estimates that our students' poor achievement in math could cost the country 75 trillion dollars over the next 80 years. Notre Dame psychology professor Nicole McNeil believes the problem starts with basic arithmetic, where students often develop a misunderstanding of the equal sign.In working with Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), Professor McNeil's innovative research, which involves a series of educational lessons and activities, changes the way children learn about the equal sign and the concept of mathematical equivalence. With support from the Institute of Educational Sciences, the National Science Foundation, and in partnership with ACE and its unique university-school partnership program, the Notre Dame ACE Academies, McNeil's techniques have been implemented in schools across the country, positively influencing hundreds of students.The University of Notre Dame asks you, "What would you fight for?" Learn more about this work at http://fightingfor.nd.edu.More information: Nicole McNeil: http://iei.nd.edu/people/iei-fellows/nicole-mcneil/ Alliance for Catholic Education: http://ace.nd.edu ACE Academies: http://ace.nd.edu/news/about-the-ndaa-schools-on-nbc
- 2:01Fighting Against the Odds"The fighting spirit, the mission of Notre Dame, is that we don't give up." Annie Sawicki, Irish Aquatics Coach The Adapttap assistance device was developed at Notre Dame to help visually impaired swimmers swim straighter and faster. For more information, please visit: http://www.irishmasters.org
- 1:31What Would You Fight For?: 10 Year AnniversaryFor ten years we've partnered with NBC to show you the people of Notre Dame who remind us what we stand for, what we strive for and what we fight for.Here's a look back at some of the causes we've fought for and people who have led the charge. See more at: http://ntrda.me/FightingForAnniversary
- 2:00Fighting to Beat Breast Cancerhttp://research.nd.edu - In the United States, one in every eight women will face breast cancer at some point in her life. Courtney Rauch, a Notre Dame junior, learned upon her diagnosis at age 19 that, ultimately, the decisions concerning her treatment options were hers to make — a hard fact to handle at any age. Steven Buechler, chair of Notre Dame's Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, is working to help women like Courtney improve the accuracy of the information they receive about their diagnosis, allowing them to receive individualized, targeted therapy to combat the disease. Dr. Buechler's research is transforming the way we look at breast cancer. Today, Courtney is an applied mathematics major, and works in Dr. Buechler's lab in an effort to help women facing the same disease.