Inclusion.

Today is MLK day. This is a very fine day to kick off my blog.

In honor of Dr. King, I've entitled this post- Inclusion. I'm going to draw an "imaginative double bridge" connecting Dr. King to our group 2 wall photo (week 2, graphic design,) and then to the classroom environment, as an educator.

This sounds like quite a leap, but here goes...

Today we commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the greatest civil rights leaders of all time. He stood to change "American values to include a color blind society." He, like no other, invited us to end racial discrimination and racial segregation through non-violence. He did it all in his 39 years (younger than I am!)

Here are some analogical connections for my bridge.

Immediately when I viewed the "Think Red" poster, I went towards the one on the right. I liked how the text "wrapped" around the handlebars of the tricycle. The flow of the text "included" and "respected" the image. It doesn't "discriminate" because it did the same for the two logos- Ohio Trike and 50th.

The Trike invites you to the scene better than that of the left poster because it's handlebars bring the trike to one of the "Rule of Thirds" intersecting points for a bigger effect (Rowse, Darren). All the elements are in a big "group hug!"

So in our poster, we experience invitation, non-discrimination, inclusion and respect; Dr. King's sentiments.

Onto our classrooms...there is the inclusive classroom, one that supports all types of learners without discrimination. There is Dewey's inclusion which leads us to a democratic classroom. We seek student-led experiences. And we invite a shared authority in class, a high respect and recognition for each student.

Dr. King - "Think Red Trike" - Inclusion in our classrooms.