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
