Week of February 3, Bullying

Hi everyone,

This week we are going to think about bullying and why it's a human rights violation.

To begin, please visit these websites:

1. The Bully Project - watch trailer by clicking on link, then clicking button that says "watch trailer"


2. NY Times interview - watch what the film maker says.


3. CNN clip on film - watch


4. Go to Do Something and do something. Scroll to the bottom of the page. Where it asks you what cause, select violence and bullying. Then fill out the rest of the form and do what it asks you to do! Also, give them your email address to get emails about helping others.
   


5. In google docs, write a response to the questions below:

• a. What does bullying mean to you?


• b. Have you ever been a victim of bullying? How did it make you feel?


• c. How is bullying a human rights issue?
  


• d. What steps can you personally take to help those who are bullied

When you finish, please post your response as a comment on our blog. After you post your response, read 3 other students' responses and write a response to them.

Week of January 20, Final Grades

Hi everyone,

This week we will do our grade evaluations.

First, Check this new video out about the Alabama immigration law:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Scott Douglas
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

Please answer the questions below in Google Docs:

1. How do you feel about the work Scott Douglas is doing?
2. He says that if one person is in trouble, all people are in trouble. Do you agree? Why?
3. He says this law diminishes the humanity of Hispanics in Alabama. Do you agree?
4. How is this issue connected to our class and our school?
5. Questions/comments?

Please post your answers to our blog.

Now, please answer the questions below in Google Docs:

Please give me feedback (comments/suggestions) about your experience in the class. Please be specific and honest as this will help make the class better for you and everyone else in the coming semester.

1. What did you enjoy about class this marking period? Why? Please refer to specific activities, projects, workshops, etc.
2. What didn't you enjoy and why? Please be specific.
3. Do you feel you have changed in any way as a result of your participation in this class? If yes, how?
4. Were there any activities/projects/topics that I didn't cover that you want us to cover? Which ones?
5. What can I do to make the class better for you (aside from no homework J )? Please be specific.
6. What advice can you give to your classmates to make their experience in this class more meaningful?
7. Fill in the blanks..."From this class, one thing I will take is _______________ and one thing I will give is ________________."

When you finish, please post your answers to our class blog. Then read 3-4 other students posts and write reactions to what they wrote.

Week of January 13, Reacting to Class Actions

Hi everyone,

This week we are going to react to the film "Class Actions" which we saw in class.

Please answer the following questions in Google Docs (again we will post your answers on our blog and the NIOT/NIOS blogs).

1. How did the film make you feel and why?
2. What risks do people in this film take by acting?
3. Why is it worth it for them to take those risks?
4. What are you inspired to do now and why?
5. What can we do to create a safer school?
6. What questions do you have?

Now post your answers to our blog.

Then read 3-4 other students's posts (from another school), and write to them, answering:

1. What did you learn from this post?
2. What can you work on together?

Week of January 6, Preparing to see Class Action

Hi everyone,

This week we are going to prepare to watch a film called "Class Action" by Not in our Town.

Please answer the questions below in google docs! This is important because we will be posting your answers to the Not in our Town, Not in our School blogs as well as our own blog.

1. Your friend is in an empty hallway (no teachers) being verbally attacked by some older, tougher students because of his different style of dress. What would you do? How would you feel? Why?
2. Describe a time when you witnessed harassment, bullying or any other injustice and did or did not act? What risks were involved?
3. What does the word discrimination mean to you? Describe 3 examples of it.
4. Have you ever been bullied? If yes, describe how it feels.
5. How can you, as a student, help those who are struggling with bullying and discrimination?
6. Do you have someone you can talk to when you have a problem? Describe this person and how he/she helps you.
7. Read the quotes below and write a reaction to each one (make a text to text, text to self or text to world connection with each one):

• We have had never done anything where we were standing up to something to that magnitude.
• I probably would have waited for people to have a better chance to get to know me, for me to not have my fist major public events to be ones that were associated with controversy. But, our elected student leadership had said, “It’s time now to make this change. It’s time for this to stop.”
• We were trying to bring encouragement to each other that the pain that was coming into our lives personally, would be of benefit to the University
• This is a happier and healthier place because of our students who provided great leadership.
• A place so connected with such a history cannot only reconcile with it but change for the better.
• Somebody comes in the dark of night and breaks out your window, you don’t know what they’re capable of doing. You don’t know what their next step is going to be.
• An attack on one is an attack on all and it can become trite, though, if you don’t back that up with action.
• You can’t work with children on a day to day basis like this and see their fear and not be compelled to do something about it.
• We emphasize the impact of peer power versus peer pressure. You have a power and an impact over other students but if you use it positively you can have a tremendous impact on the community.
• Allow your mind to be changed and forever understand your power and the impact you have on the lives around you.

When you finish, post your answers to our class blog.

Then, please read 3-4 other students' responses and tell them the following:

1. What did you learn from their post?
2. What do you have in common with them, if anything?
3. What questions do you have?