Hi Everyone!
This week I found myself thinking of things that I enjoy and would like to incorporate into my future classroom. Something that I have always enjoyed in life is
giving back to others, be that in my school, my community, or in some
international way. This is also a passion that I would really like to
instill in my future students through its incorporate in my
classroom. I want them to know that they can make a difference in
this world, be it large or small. That every seeming little action
they may do has the potential to make a better tomorrow, not only in
our school, but possibly in our community, or even the world.
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| Retrieved from Mrs. Wideen |
One idea that I admire is that of Mrs. Wideen and
her teaching partner, in which they wanted to teach their students
that they could make a difference in the world, be that big or small.
In doing so, they had the students identify a need or an issue in the
school, community, or world, create a plan to approach this issue,
and reflect on the outcome. The students became very engaged in the
project and brainstormed ideas as to what they could do to make a
difference, resulting in the idea of #kidscancreatechange. These
students want to show the world that children can make a difference
in this world, and encourage other children and classes to send in
their our stories about how they have made a difference in their own
schools, communities, or in the world, to be compiled into a book of
ways children across the world can and have created change. Overall,
not only showing students that both actions that are big and small
can make a difference, but also allows them to connect with other
children across the world, educating them on issues that they may not
realize other children face. This is something that I believe should be taught
to all students, and when this project is finished, and the book is
compiled, it is something that I would love to have in my classroom
to use as a teaching tool.
Something else that I believe to be important
when discussing giving back, creating change, or making a difference
with students is that, as previously stated, the size of the action
does not matter as long as it is positive. Making a difference does
not mean making a global difference, it could done on smaller scale
within one's own school or community, and still have a large impact
on the lives of others. Ms. Cassidy demonstrates this with her class
through their support of a young woman, Emily Barr, trying to improve
her business. Her students emailed other teachers in the school
asking them for support, planned and created posters to encourage
voting around the school, and even contacted radio and news stations
to enlist their support. These actions may not have an impact on the
world, but they will certainly have an impact on Emily Barr's life,
and hopefully her business as well.
Projects such as these require students to use a
number of 21st century skills and literacies, including
collaboration, teamwork, and creativity through brainstorming,
developing, and putting to action their ideas. While also
demonstrating technological literacy through their use of difference
aspects of technology such as the internet and email, to contact
others and gather information. Along with media literacy skills in
knowing and using effective advertising strategies to assist their
cause. Meanwhile, projects such as that of Mrs. Wideen's class can
incorporate global and multicultural literacy into their making, as
the students could potentially be learning the issues faced by
children from different parts of the world, from different cultural
backgrounds. While finally being linked to character education,
through allowing students to see the struggles that others face, and
teaching them ways that they can be positive members of society.
I believe in the saying "where there's a
will, there's a way", and think that change in this world can be
made possible by all members of society, no matter their age. This
can be seen through not only the examples I have outlined above, but
also through the actions of many other students, classes, and
organizations working with children today. Our children need to
believe that the differences they can make in society do not need to
be in the future, but can start right now, and that is something that
I hope my future students will take away from my classroom.
