A First: Educational Rapper to Visit, Perform, Collaborate With Native American School

A First: Educational Rapper to Visit, Perform, Collaborate With Native American School

Kickapoo Nation School (KNS) in Kansas to Host Performance and Hip-Hop Curriculum Workshops by Emerging Educational Rapper and Innovative Education Experts from Michigan.

Date: Wednesday, April 30 and Thursday, May 1, 2008 Location: KNS, 400 1st Street, Powhattan, Kansas 66527

POWHATTAN, Kan., April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Perhaps a first in educational and Native American history, an educational rapper will perform to students at a Native American school and educational experts will share the benefits of and techniques for incorporating a hip-hop learning curriculum into the school's teaching approach.

The 125 students of the Kickapoo Nation School (KNS) K-12 school, located in Powhattan, Kansas, have been listening to the educational rap music of Mr. Duey, a Detroit-area sixth-grade teacher, since March and love it. (http://www.mrduey.com/)

Mr. Duey will perform five songs from his recently released "Class Dis-Missed" educational rap CD and give free copies to all students and teachers. Several hundred albums have been sold in Kansas since the album was released. Educators, students and parents from across the U.S. have purchased copies of "Class Dis-Missed" since it was released in March 2008.

The KNS serves Native American students from the five-county area of northeast Kansas. Several students are bussed from as far away as Topeka and Kansas City.

Mr. Duey will be joined by his producer, collaborator and record label owner, Andrew Yando, and educational experts Dr. Elizabeth Johnson and Kathy Walsh. All but Yando are Eastern Michigan University, department of teacher education alumni. Both Walsh and Johnson have worked with educators and teachers at several other reservation-based schools serving Native Americans. Johnson is an associate professor in the College of Education who had both Walsh and Duey as her students. Walsh is president-elect of the Michigan Association of Teacher Educators and co-founder of Extreme Teaching for Extreme Times (http://www.extreme-teaching.com/).

"To our knowledge, no other teacher has collaborated on a hip-hop learning curriculum with Native American students, parents and educators," explained Dr. Johnson.

"The first obstacle in teaching children is to reach them!" Dr. Johnson explains. "Hip-hop dominates youth culture, including Native American youths. During our visit to the KNS, we expect to provide unique tools that the school and parents can use to increase their students' performance and self esteem."

Duey and Yando will work with the middle- and high-school students to create beats and lyrics that align with their culture, and will develop CD covers that celebrate and embrace the culture. Yando will discuss how he became a producer, record company owner and young entrepreneur. He and Mr. Duey will also share advice with 20 high school students who are interested in starting a Native American record label.

"Because we embrace innovative and creative teaching strategies, we want our students to experience the dynamic intersection between rap and academics," explained Mary Livingston, KNS principal. "We also want our teachers and parents to have research-based strategies that will help them meet the challenges standardized testing poses."

On Wednesday evening, Johnson, Walsh, Yando and Duey will be dinner guests of the Tribal Counsel and School Board. The council will discuss its vision for the children and families on the reservation and how it envisions forming a partnership with this "education delegation."

Johnson and Walsh will conduct professional development workshops to instruct teachers and parents on how to use a "hip-hop and pop-culture curriculum" in the classroom as vibrant tools to "Reach 'em" so that teachers can then "Teach 'em." Walsh will model how to create lesson plans around "Class Dis-Missed" that are aligned to the Kansas state standards.

They will also model how to embrace and utilize the "Circle of Learning" philosophy within instruction. This builds and maintains a strong, personalized student-centered curriculum as opposed to the impersonal subject-centered curriculum. Johnson and Walsh will also talk about how poverty and educational challenges impact learning and achievement.

Few populations face as many economic, educational and health challenges as Native Americans. More than 50 percent of the school's students qualify as "special needs," while 90 percent of students are designated as "economically disadvantaged," receiving both free breakfast and lunch services.

"We come first, not as teachers, but as learners!" Dr. Johnson explained. "This is a culture rich with traditions and pride." Dr. Johnson is herself a Native American of Cherokee decent from the Red Clay Nation in Arkansas.

About the Kickapoo Nation School
Address: 400 1st Street, P.O. Box 106, Powhattan, Kansas 66527

The Kickapoo Nation School is the only tribal school in Kansas and is a hub for innovation and creativity in reaching its students. The Kickapoo Tribal Counsel is committed to excellence in education that emphasizes culturally competent instruction. Though a small school, it carefully works holistically with the students to improve their interest and attitudes toward school, and their ability to think critically and use knowledge to establish and maintain themselves in their native environment. The school thrives on involving family and other Native Americans in the community in the students' educational process.

AGENDA:
Wednesday, April 30th
9:15-11:45 "REACH 'em" to TEACH 'em" Workshop Part I; Mr. Duey
Live Performance
12:30-3:00 REPEAT - Mr. Duey and Yando; ("REACH 'em" Part 2)

Thursday, May 1st
9:15 - 11:45 "Embracing the Circle of Learning" Workshop; "Makin'
Beats" (Mr. Duey & Yando)
"The Record Business and Entrepreneurship"

(PERMISSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY: All students have signed release forms giving
permission for them to be videotaped and/or photographed.)

Media contacts:
Jason Sherman
SHERMAN communications & marketing, inc.
P: 708-445-8598, E: jason@shermancm.com, W: www.shermancm.com,

School contacts:
Mary Livingston, Principal. Don Barta, Superintendent.
P: 785-474-3364, W: http://www.kickapoonationschool.com/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Mr. Duey

CONTACT: Jason Sherman of SHERMAN communications & marketing, inc.,
+1-708-445-8598, jason@shermancm.com, for Mr. Duey; or School contacts, Mary
Livingston, Principal, or Don Barta, Superintendent, +1-785-474-3364

Web site:

http://www.mrduey.com/
http://www.kickapoonationschool.com/
http://www.extreme-teaching.com/

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