The Completion of our service learning project

 This video has been surfacing around you tube and Facebook, Its an unbelievable and emotional video that if nothing else please take the time to watch.

The completion of our service learning project!!!

Our service learning project was on Bullying. For our groups service learning project we decided to visit the students in the students teaching seminars for graduate and undergraduate level. We went to the class rooms and  presenting the students with information on the laws that affect them as teacher in regards to learning and dealing with bullying. The reason that our group decided on this service learning project was because we felt that it was very important that the students that are becoming teachers are educated and trained on how to deal with bullying in schools. We also felt that it was important that they knew all the laws that have recently been passed to prevent bullying because if they do not follow any of the laws passed on bullying it can end their teaching carer. Since one of the laws passed to prevent bullying in the schools says that teachers are required by law to report any bullying cases to their principle or who ever in their school is assigned to handle bullying situations and if the do not they can be prosecuted and held responsible. Some of the websites that we found that are related to this topic and project are the following:
http://www.bullypolice.org/ma_law.html
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/qf/bully.htm
http://www.lawlib.state.ma.us/subject/about/bullying.html#laws
http://cga.ct.gov/2011/BA/2011SB-01138-R01-BA.htm


Erin's reflection of service learning project

I really enjoyed doing this service project of going into the students teaching seminar class and educating the soon to be teachers on the laws of Bullying and how to deal with bullying in the school. I also feel that by us going into the classroom and teaching them about bullying will have made an impact on the greater good. The reason that I felt our service learning project has made an impact on the greater good is that with our project of presenting  future students on how to deal with bullying in the schools and bullying laws we helped stop bullying in the schools and even stop bullying in general. I would also have to say that I would do something again like this service learning project because I really do feel that our presentation on prevention of bullying and the laws passed on bullying made an impact on the future teachers we presented it to. I also would have to say that when I am a teacher I will too teach and have students create their own service learning projects. The reason that I would teach and have students do their own service learning projects is that i feel that its very important for us as citizen to get actively involved in their community and I also feel that its a great project in general that really teaches students knowledge on all the different service projects they could get involved with by reading other students in their classroom blogs.

 Jen's Reflection 

I think that our service learning project made a great impact on the group of future teachers that we had gave our presentation too. Many of the students seemed surprised and even shocked at some of the statistics and the information that we gave about bullying in elementary grades. I though that the presentation tied in nicely because we were able to talk to people about how to prevent bullying. because we know that a large portion of bullying happen in school these future teachers are the ones who need to have the largest understanding about bullying and how to react when it happens. Generally, teachers know that they need to take some steps to preventing bullying but what man people don't understand is that with the creating of the Mass law 92 against bullying states that teachers can be held accountable for students actions and if bullying or issues in the classroom are not reported then then they can be held responsible for the out what was not reported.
I do think in the future having the students take part of a service learning project is something important. This project made me realize, that even something as easy as telling others what i know, makes a different in some way even if its small.  It also gives the students a chance to reflect on a issue that they feel is important

 

Erin's individual perspective

1. This month I had a lot connections happen that reminded me of my topic of bullying because this past month was anti bullying month. At the school that I am at they also had a anti bullying rally , which I felt was a excellent idea to do. I feel that having this anti bully rally really set the example that bullying will not and is not acceptable at all.

2. After having been teaching in the class room that i was assigned to i would have to say that i think its important to fit the topic of citizenship and getting involved in issues that the students are interested in. I also think that if there is no room in the curriculum that there need to be space made. As a teacher I would first ask the students what topics that they are interested in and then brake them up into groups where the students would come up with a project idea dealing the the topic that interested them.

3.  In  the third grade class that i am in at Connery, I do not feel that the school is following the NCSS definition of social studies. The class that I am in do not even have social studies every week. when it comes to my project of bullying I feel that it makes a great connection to the NCSS definition of social studies. In my project we as soon to be teachers are modeling the importance of anti- bullying laws that should be in effect in the classrooms.

Reconnection- Jen

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/03/gretchen-whitmer-michigan-senator-bullying-bill_n_1073928.html

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-11-02/entertainment/showbiz_lady-gaga-foundation_1_gaga-tweeted-lady-gaga-advisory-board?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ

http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2011/nov/03/ohios-tougher-bullying-laws-stuck-house-senate-ar-814568/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/03/the-jersey-shores-vinny-v_n_1074504.html

Over the past few weeks i have begun to see my topic come to life. In the news (above) there have been a number of laws and people fighting to make those laws better. But even within my classroom, i have begun to see the importance and need fro bullying laws and prevention.
    This past Wednesday two students got in to a physical fight a lunch. The shock of this fight sent one student into a panic attack. As he sat in his seat, i watched as he cried and and hyperventilated. I walked over and asked if everything was ok, i slowly began to realize things were much worse then i could imagine. As we sat out in the hallway he began to poor his heart out into me. He old me that he has "issues", and that he was "stupid" and a "loser".  When i asked him why he thought this he began to name various students from the class. I was absolutely shocked that here in front of me was a student struggling with bullying.

I have studied bullying and the affects of bullying for three years and it has become something that i am very passionate about. Even as a read the stories on line i struggle to hold back tears. But as i sat in that hallway holding back my own tears, i realized the extreme impact that bullying can have on a student scratch that on a child. We sat in that hallway for almost two hours, and i got to know this student inside and out. When he seemed like he felt better about everything, we returned back to class. I instantly went to speak to Mr. Allen the classroom teacher about what i had learned. I asked that he speak with brads parents and ask that we move his seat to get him away from his greatest bully. I left that day realizing that even with all the research i have done on bullying in the past, there is no real way to prepare for how to react when a student approaches you like that.


In regards to social studies, the fifth grade at Horace Mann was recently asked to cut down on the time spent on social studies. In the fifth grades students spend more time focusing on the history of America versus the social aspects of social studies. the students are rarely informed about the current world they live in.
I do like my project beacuse as a teacher i do think that it is important to model the anti bullying laws that should be in affect in the classroom.

Service Learning Project

For our groups service learning project we have decided to visit the students in the students teaching seminars for graduate and undergraduate level. We will be presenting the students with information on the laws that affect them as teacher in regards to learning and dealing with bullying. We got in contact with the two admins through Prof. Worcter.

Discussion questions

Happy Bullying Prevention Month!!!!!! 
http://www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm/ 

. Responding on classroom activities.

In the fifth grade class I am taking part in this semester, I have witnessed a number of bullying situations. To date the worst situation I have come across to place two weeks ago. One student turned to the boy sitting next to her and told him that looks like a burnt marshmallow. The young boy replied by calling the young girl a piece of while chocolate.




Question connection to the classroom activity.

As teachers we are faced with the decision on how to react to different situations. Thinking as a teacher, how would you have responded to the two children in the story above?


Some of the best practices to facilitate a discussion

1. Plan the discussion. What topics do you want to cover and what will you do if nobody says anything?
2. Instead of responding, ask another student what he or she thinks.
3. If a class discussion is not going well because there is a lack of energy or enthusiasm, stop and discuss the situation with the students.
4. create a set of guidelines or rules for the discussion that is going to be taken place.
5. To prepare the students for general discussions, at the beginning of the year to have students discuss the nature of a good discussion.
6. Because discussion must be based on substantial knowledge the teacher needs to consistently ask the students to to relate their comments to the content they read, viewed, or heard in lecture.

Questions and explaining how you would follow best practice

1.  What do you think is a suitable punishment for students who bully? The best practice to use for this type of question is the practice of because the discussion is based on substantial knowledge the teacher needs to consistently ask the students to to relate their comments to the content they read, viewed, or heard in lecture.
2. How do you think we can better prevent bullying? The best practice to use for this type of question would be the practice of deliberately slow the pace so that the students have time to reflect.
3. What do you believe is the most harmful form of bullying and why? The best practice to use for this type of question is the practice of deliberately slow the pace down so that the students have time to reflect.
4. Have you ever been bullied as a student? If so can you use that experience to better prevent bullying?  The best practice to use for this type of question is instead of  responding to the question ask another student what he or she thinks.

Service learning

We are currently working to find a place where we can educate new teachers about the laws that associate with bullying effect them.