How do YOU imagine yourself rolling out any of the above into your teaching assignment in the next school year? No need to limit yourself to one idea.Think about how you might cross boundaries...geographic, generational, socio-economic, cross-curricular...
Please click on the comment link and join this shared conversation.
As soon as I heard the story of the Daruma Dolls I knew I would use them in my AVID classes next year. I already do a large lesson on short term, long term, personal and educational goals. Creating a Daruma doll will be the culminating activity in the goal setting lesson. I usually do this lesson at the start of the second semester but with the upperclassmen I plan on doing it in the first two weeks of the fall.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of resiliency is especially powerful for AVID students AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. Students have support from teachers, admin, family, etc. but it is their own Individual Determination that will ultimately lead them to their goals.
On a side note, I posted the picture of my Durama doll on Facebook last night and got bombarded with questions about what it was. Tons of good conversations and friends interested in making them with their children and students.
Here's my Durama Doll :D
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2002813183451&set=a.1948287180335.2111011.1037232840&type=1&theater
AT this time I am not really sure how I will cross boundaries as I have not had time to absorb it. I do know that I am highly inspired to begin so. I have shared with so many people over the last two days what I have learned about the four roles of people during the Holocaust and it has made me really think about how to cross that over to my classroom and connecting to real life. I teach 6th graders so I have to be very careful in how the information is presented and how to help them process through it. They definately have very limited conceptual understanding and their response many times is fear that it will happen to them. I am very excited to continue exploring how to cross boundaries with other educators as I know that will help my students immensely in gaining a higher understanding as well as absorbing the information long term. This has awakened a whole new world for me in how to connect professionally and extend that on to my students.
ReplyDeleteKarin
For my AP World History students/classes for 10th graders I would like them to answer the following questions in this method:
ReplyDeletea) How can a country change a society?
b) What were the push-pull factors or the positive and negative factors for the Holocaust?
P = Political (Who has power)
E = Economic (Who makes or how money is used)
R = Religious (Believers and non-believers)
S = Social (People and groups)
I = Intelectual (Science, inventions, weapons)
A = Artistic (Paintings, writings, etc.)
N = Near (Location/geography)
So, like Michelle, I also am completely jazzed about the Wall of Heroes. We have a very central bulletin board at our school that we have used as a Wall of Kindness around Martin Luther King's birthday, with students giving each other acknowledgments. A Wall of Heroes is the perfect next step. I am one of the Advisors for our Student Council and I am thinking about how to get our Student Council leaders to step up and lead this. I love to develop leadership in students by sharing ideas with them, like planting a seed, and then having them take on what it would look like at our school.
ReplyDeleteOur school is also taking on a bully prevention program next year and we will be focusing on the school climate and community in this curriculum. I have already talked to some of my 5th graders the last few weeks of school, as they will be the 'top dog' 6th graders this next year, in order to have some of them be part of a school leadership team that looks at how the Bully Prevention program will be implemented at our school.
The positive days:
ReplyDeleteDanish Rescue is a good example of a POSITIVE DAY!!!!!
a) CBS Thy Brother’s Keeper – archive video Rescue in October (Danish)
JFR.org – Jewish Foundation Resource??? { Great for student projects!!!!!!!!}
STAND – Website about genocide events
a) student-run projects
Wall of Heroes – Sam Edelman
Examples of actions people took which were the right things to do. These heroes will be positive models how students should be.
I am feeling overwhelmed and inspired so I will focus on the inspiration of this fantasic course of awakening. Teaching 8th grade English enables me to up my hope for my students to begin to understand the past. Because of my passion of "being kind" to others, sometime I find myself talking louder instead of finding a strand that my students can connect to; I would like to start a blog to bridge this gap. I am a technology chicken but the benefits to reaching out to enlighten the future generation is bigger than my fear. With the help of Lori and Beth, and my own trial and errors, I have a huge desire to provide my students with a source that they are so apt in moving in to research and connect with the past so it is not forgotten.
ReplyDeleteOne of our presenters mentioned that just because one lives in a democracy one isn't automatically "safe" from social injustice.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many examples of social injustice in our curriculum that I think that the way the Edleman's explained the roles played in the Holocaust could be applied to many readings and situations. For example, perpetrators: when reading about the civil rights movement who were the leaders of the perpetrators? Who were the front-liners? Who were the bystanders?
Continuously referring to a framework for understanding social injustice will help students recognize patterns.
I’ve been considering creating a blog (for a year or two) where students can share ideas about whatever topic it is we’re discussing in class. I’ve participated in this sort of learning environment as a college student and found it highly effective. The concept that is newly developing in my mind is based on the notion of extending our conversations from the classroom to a wider participating group, as we viewed in Pam’s video account of Marsh Jr. High students and Elk Grove 4th graders. Of course, the "new" resources (including the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and on-line interviews) will only deepen our discussions and understandings.
ReplyDeleteI am both exhilerated and intimidated by the expanding universe of resources and possiblities this seminar has opened up to me. Because of the 'home school' nature of my program, I have to think of lessons in terms of what I can package neatly to send home as well as what I can deliver to the students I meet with in regular classes on campus.
ReplyDeleteBlogging, of course, can work for both of these situations, giving all my students contact with each other. I would also like to open it up to the high school students on our independent study campus who are either reading "Night," or studying related units in American History (WWII) or World History.
Developing a web search, like a treasure hunt, might be one particular assignment in this unit ... Have students search for particular bits of information ... Give them links to you-tubes and videos that they choose from, watch and then do some interactive assignment with.
I loved so many ideas, but cannot use all of them in a one-month unit I do with Anne Frank. The identity box. The daruma doll. Writing "I Am From" poems and two-voice poems from different perspectives. Bringing in speakers live, such as Liz Igra, who make a direct, personal and very real impact. The movie "Paperclips" is also a worthwhile resource to help others understand the humanity that the number six million means.
Back to the blog, maybe this could facilitate cooperative activities among students who are unable to attend twice-a-week classes on campus and also provide that element of socialization they crave, but with academic structure. Maybe students could create layered, multi-voice poems or scripts -- What would a young Japanese-American and the Caucasian peer say in a conversation with a young European Jew and a young so-called Aryan peer for instance? And add to that the young African-American of those same eras. What music would play in the background as they are conversing? What have they heard their parents say? If you, the student, were in this situation, what would your part of the conversation be?
I'm rambling, but that's how my energy begins ...
Susan
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ReplyDeleteWow, where do I start? I feel like I am still processing everything I have learned and trying to figure out how I can bring this information to my students. The first step for me is to shift my approach with students; to no longer honor blind obedience, but to teach students to decide for themselves what the right thing is, to step back and allow them to rescue each other.
ReplyDeleteAs far as curriculum I am anxious to get my students started with blogging, particularly my 6-8th graders. I feel that this will not only increase student “buy-in”, but it will allow students who often have no outlet to have a voice. The students at my school have a very limited world view, and they are often unable to see outside of their own experiences. I would love for them to network with students in other districts, in other states, in other countries. My students have amazing stories, yet they don’t seem to realize the power of them.
Another important piece for me will be tying the themes of the holocaust to other events in history. My school has a large Native American population and I am particularly interested in tying the Native American experience into this theme. The connections are easily made, but it is a matter of finding the right curriculum pieces and weaving it together in a cohesive manner. My students are aware of the cultural aspects of Native America-baskets, dance, music, etc. However, they lack the knowledge of history and the values that go along with their culture. This piece is vital to who they are, and even in the little bits I’ve implemented it, it has been very powerful for my students.
Where to begin...
ReplyDelete1. This coming semester I am using Milgram's study on obedience in my writing class. I'm interested in reading and possibly including "Ordinary Men" in this unit. Korn's story "The Road of No Return" would work well here, too.
2. I'm very fortunate that my writing classes are in a computer lab for 2 hours each week. The possibilities are endless for using this time looking at all of the online recources. I'm especially interested in the internment pictures we were looking at yesterday.
3. My classes are skills-based and most of them are 2 or 3 levels below transfer level. I don't have to teach a particular content (or any content for that matter), so I can choose any materials and create a curiculum for students to practice their skills. This is exciting and overwhelming and the same time.
4. I'm looking for a new text for my transfer-level reading class. Right now we read "The Kite Runner." I'm looking for a new work of fiction that I can supplement with smaller non-fiction pieces, or the reverse, a full-length non-fiction piece that I can supplement with smaller fiction pieces. Any suggestions?
I teach two classes to preservice students that require lots of models for lesson and unit plans, effective academic language development, and incorporation of media as effective teaching examples. I'm planning to develop multiple lessons around both ELA and social science standards related to social justice issues with the Holocaust and internment as focal points for these classes that I can use at different points in the classes thoroughout the year. I can tell students that I've developed these models s starting points for their own work and models for whatever concept I'm trying to get across.
ReplyDeletePlanning is especially challenging for new teachers at the start of their preservice work - while lots of examples of plans exist on the Internet for them to access and use, understanding the components so that they can feel confident in identifying their own students' needs and working backwards from outcomes helps them take charge of their own curriculum and resist prepackaged delivery.
Ideas -
1. Unit overview for a specific piece of literature (something different than Anne Frank) - concept of prep, instruction, assessment cycle
2. From overview I provide, students gather related materials to provide background, firsthand accounts, media elements, possible project ideas, etc. - gathering resources and understanding breadth of possibilities for any unit - then identify academic language elements and strategies for developing * Need here is to connect with science and math standards for those students? More in-depth
3. use Daruma dolls as a goal- setting project for English group at start of fall qtr. - then return to it at end of qtr? Can I make all of these dolls myself??
4. Great possibilities for building interdisciplinary units - can easily do this with other supervisors, possibly through tech class?
Pauline
5.
I first responded to the prompt, as assigned, but I really wanted to talk about something else. I’ve learned a lot over the past few days, especially as I listened to Sam and Carol and Pam Bodnar and her students talk about bystanders and later “upstanders.” Before this seminar I was guilty of not providing a holistic view of the Holocaust as I taught the book Night; I focused instead on the perpetrators and the victims. The piece that was missing, the piece that brings us together and can connect students to the past is the power of one person’s decision- and by extension one community’s and one nation’s actions…. Asking the question “What line will you not cross?” makes us all more responsible for our actions. I asked myself “When am I a bystander when I should be speaking out?” I wanted to be able to state that I always speak up and do the right thing, but I surprised myself. I’m certain that others could learn a lot about themselves (and maybe others) by asking the same question.
ReplyDeleteMelissa said...
ReplyDeleteMy background is English, but for the past few years I have been teaching 8th grade Core, which includes U.S. History. The standards and state test cover through the Civil War and Reconstruction, but I have always personally been interested in WWII and, specifically, the Holocaust. There have been a few classes when I have begun a discussion and the kids have really taken to it. I have felt I am doing a disservice by NOT teaching it, yet it hasn't "come up" in my curriculum. The most I did was teach the novel Night to a freshmen class several years ago.
I am absolutely on fire to begin a Holocaust unit in my class next year. I have some "downtime" after the STAR test and while my poetry project takes us to the end of the year in English, I have been searching for something interesting to do in history as well.
Now that I have been given some tools and resources, I feel confident to introduce a Holocaust unit next year. At my school, however, the parents can be a bit overbearing and I am slightly concerned about how this will go over. I plan to explain it thoroughly in my syllabus, on my web site, and at Back To School Night so everyone feels informed and not taken by surprise when their kids come home with questions; because, if I teach it right, they will.
In a way, I am crossing lines simply by going outside the box at my school site, but the kids have a right to be informed, and not have to wait until they are sophomores to grapple with some of these issues. I can easily incorporate this into anti-bullying curriculum which will (hopefully) appease my administrators, as well.
These are teenagers; their brains are just waiting for information! I can't wait to cross some lines. It is my Response-Ability.
I really resonated wtih what Ahansen said about not talking about the bystanders indepth. Our 8th grade class begins with "Flowers for Algernon" and "Call of the Wild" followed by "Anne Frank". During our reading of Call of the Wild, I am able to really begin talking about bystanders and compare them to the wolves in the outside circle. Since understanding the role of the silent bystanders during the Holocaust, I feel better prepared to challenge my students to question their ability to cross the line.
ReplyDeleteBeth
ReplyDeleteI love that you posted a picture of your daruma doll on Facebook. I have been looking for a way to communicate about what I'm doing this week in an intriguing way. Beth, I think you found it!
Phyllis
A really great resource, as an "into" for the Holocaust and other units related, is the PBS series "Race: The Power of an Illusion." Refutes all of the "scientific" and historic discussion/propaganda around the artificial construct of "race."
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I'm excited to develop some inductive lessons for use with the Holocaust unit. I'd like to make several data sets using texts from the "Echoes and Reflections" binder. Data sets are great for ELL and struggling learners (especially when used with images) and I think if I make a few this summer, I can interest other folks at my school site to consider this topic as one of our core units. Our ninth grade units are good and solid, but breathing some fresh air into the curriculum will be a good thing.
That is how I am going to focus my time today...putting together a mini literacy unit that could serve as a core for more development as time allows...
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteI really resonated with your comments about putting this into your curriculum. I also think the time after STAR testing is a fantastic time to hook the kids interest with an academic subJect outside designated curriculum. I especially liked your comment about how if you teach it right kids will have questions. I wish that parents would see that as a wonderful opportunity to help their child discover the bigger world around them and before them. I too am going to start integrating some of this in my 6th grade curriculum as it touches on it but does not expand. I hope my students have tons of questions and can make real world connections. As educators, we need to be bold and courageous to give them information that can be viewed as "outside the box" and help them to do something with it. I look forward to hearing how you and others will do this.
Karin
Every time I attend a conference with teachers who are inspired to teach about the Holocaust, I am left with a feeling of admiration. The desire to teach this history in a way that is respectful and reverent has come across from this group since Monday. I am inspired by your ideas and feel confident knowing that the 20+ teachers who have spent the week at this conference will go back to their classrooms in the fall and change the world.
ReplyDeletePersonally, my perspective has been changed. Since so much of my work focusses on the Holocaust, I often do not stop long enough to make the connections that have been addressed this week. I appreciate the dialogue and discussion around our personal history in the greater Sacramento area and hope to include those discussions in my classroom in the fall.
My hope is that we can continue those discussions and look for opportunities to get together, share ideas and resources, and continue to do the work we are doing.
I love the idea someone (anonymous?) had about identifying the bystanders, perpetrators, victims and rescuers in other situations of social injustice. I agree that recognizing these patterns will be key in student’s understanding of historic (and current) events.
ReplyDeleteAs we teach this concept I think it is important for us not to demonize the perpetrators, not to put them in a box reserved for “bad people”. Rather, we should emphasize the complexity of human nature and the choice we all come to in choosing the right path.
One thing is true, I have heard and seen so much in just two days. I feel like one of Pam's students who said that after listening to the Holocaust survivor in Mendicino, that he needed time to process. That is exactly how I feel at this moment, I need time to process. However, I do know that I imagine myself continuing the journey of learning more. I want to continue to read materials, all kinds of materials, share with my students and colleagues, and figure out how to implement this very rich information into the curriculum. I am also very interested in learning more about networking with organizations and tapping in to grant monies for extended learning opportunities. I would love to take a group of students to the Holocaust Museum in Los Angeles, or even New York. I would like to incorporate more of the history of the Holocaust with the work my grade level team is already doing when we teach Anne Frank or Night.
ReplyDeleteI would also very much love to work with other educators via technology (video conferencing, voice threads, blog posts, etc) and plan a unit. This is a powerful way to learn with and from others.
Bridgette B
Most of my ideas that I am formulating for bringing what I have learned this week back into my classroom relates to my 8th grade curriculum (next year I will be teaching 7th grade, so I will also be brainstorming about how to incorporate the crossing lines program into 7th grade as well). One unit we study in 8th grade relates to "recurring themes" in literature, and this is where the students study literature relating to Anne Frank as well as Japanese internment (incarceration). In the past, the teachers at our school have skipped the piece on Anne Frank - I'm planning on changing that plan! I'm still a bit overwhelmed with how I'm going to put all this together - but I'm excited about taking the initiative to make some changes at my site. I'm also looking forward to working with my colleagues this week as we begin collaborating with one another in planning for our year. I work a lot with power points, so I know I will be creating some power points - and using what others have created - to present much of this material to my students.
ReplyDeleteBy doris
OK...so these are the topics that I will focus on for data set creation...children, resistance, and survivors. I like that other folks are talking about starting "positive"...I know what "saves" us in the human trafficking unit is that we remain focused on the work of modern-day abolitionists...offers us hope and inspires students.
ReplyDelete@ahanford and keri
ReplyDeleteI too am looking at blogging in a whole new way for my students. We have been having Facebook issues at school, with students as young as 4th or 5th grade networking with each other. I have been taking a 'Mother Bear' protective approach, which has me show up as anti-technology---a message I don't necessarily want to send. I am seeing that blogging would be modeling a positive way to communicate, as well as be a platform for discussion of ethics and etiquette in cyber communication.
Phyllis
@Beth - Like you, we also do quite a bit of goal setting, both short and long term. I can see where I can introduce the Daruma Doll at the beginning of the year, bring it back in during our Major Religions unit (6th grade standard) and then again in our Holocaust unit. Thinking about a way that I can have them displayed throughout the year.
ReplyDeleteLibby
Robert,
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in yout approach to your AP. I think providing some overview themes as guides through the study of such a broad scope of curriculum gives great focus. I wonder about your interest in talking to preservice students about your approach later next year is a possibility? I can talk to you about it later.
Pauline
From Michelle
ReplyDeleteI am looking for any and all ideas of how to get started on the idea of heroes, rescuers, and resistance. I am hoping to incorporate more art and, of course, writing with this.
Before I go into this in my classroom, I am planning on doing identity boxes and Where I'm From... poems. But I am open to any and all wonderful ideas from you all.
Wall of Heroes:
I'm trying to assemble names of heroes who go along with the stories in our HOLT series and current heroes as well.
If everyone helps me with names, I would be very happy to print out multiple pictures and summaries for all, laminate them and put them into packets to mail to you for the beginning of the school year. Here's what I have so far:
Flowers for Algernon: Dorothea Dix who crusaded for the better treatment of the mentally ill and the mentally challenged.
The Underground Railroad: Levi and Catherine Coffin--considered the "president of the underground railroad", Levi and his wife were Quakers who provided food, shelter and safe passage for over 2000 slaves.
The Circuit- Cesar Chavez who founded the National Farm Workers Union and fought for the rights of farm laborers.
Camp Harmony- (Japanese Internment) Bob Fletcher--saved the farms of three families during their internment
Too Soon A Woman- Girl who sacrifices her life for a strange family on the frontier--- Any ideas???
Would love more suggestions to add.