Category Archives: my classroom

My students were so excited to be part of the Many Voices for Darfur project. They were writing and then blogging and then podcasting and then reading the blog posts of other students and we even attempted a Skype call with the students from The Blurb (didn’t quite work out but excitement generated was worth the attempt)

At last count, I saw more than 450 comments on the Many Voices for Darfur blog. Wow.

One of my students really wanted to make a slideshow about Darfur:

And here are the class podcasts (they are a bit long):

• Session One
• Session Two
• Session Three
• Session Four

The kids are now talking about ways to raise some money to help the Darfur relief agencies and we are bouncing around some ideas. I love that the writing and blogging is moving into social action.

Peace (in the world),
Kevin

The Many Voices for Darfur was the focus of a recent Teachers Teaching Teachers webcast in which students and teachers talk about the blogging social action project that launches today and tomorrow to gather many posts from young people around the world.

Listen to the TTT episode.

If you want to learn more, or if you want to get your students involved, you can head to the Many Voices for Darfur Project.

Peace (with students taking action),
Kevin

“Why are we doing this?

The question came from a student who was not trying to challenge me. He really wanted to know. What do kids in a small suburban town of Massachusetts, USA, have in common with the crisis in the Darfur region of the Sudan? Why should he care?

For the entire day, my students were fully engaged in learning about the situation in preparation for participation in the Many Voices for Darfur Project (see yesterday’s post of my lesson plans and thoughts going into the discussions). They were outraged by the information they gathered. But some, like this student, were wondering why this was part of writing class.

But I was ready.

In fact, I had hoped students would ask such a question and had mulled over what to say as a sort of pep talk.

My answer, not quite verbatim but close:

“Why? Because there is a crisis going on in this part of the world and there is suffering going on and if anyone, anywhere, has the power to confront evil — not the evil you see in the movies but the evil that takes place in reality — then they should have an obligation to do what they can to confront that evil. We have talked all year about how your writing has power and your language is more than just words on paper. Young people can make a difference and here is a project in which your writing, and the writing of other young people around the world, could influence those people in power to choose peace instead of war. We’re lucky to live in the United States, where this sort of thing does not happen. You should always count yourself lucky. But you still have an obligation to be informed and to get involved. If you can make a difference, you should make a difference.”

My student nodded in agreement and got back to work. A few minutes later, a group of girls came up to me and said they want to do some kind of fundraising activities to help the refugees in the camps in the Sudan.

“We want to get them tents and warm blankets and food,” one said to me. “We’re going to plan something.”

Now that is what I am talking about: social action through writing and through action.

Peace (shall rise),
Kevin

(found this map)

A few weeks ago, I began following the progress of a project to get young people to have a voice in the genocide taking place in Darfur. Called Many Voices for Darfur, it is spearheaded by by DC 8th grade teacher George Mayo and Tampa 3rd grade teacher Wendy Drexler, and their intent is to use a blog to connect as many young people as possible over a 48 hour period (next Thurs and Fri) to write about why the world should step in and stop the violence in that region of the Sudan.

This week, I took the plunge and decided that a unit on persuasive writing that I am doing with my students was just too good an opportunity to pass up and that the Darfur situation — while no doubt tricky to discuss with 11 year olds — will give them some insight into the world beyond their suburban homes. I am not sure how it will all go, to be honest. Tomorrow, I am going to use an online scavenger hunt that someone developed to gather some information about the situation and show part of an online video showcasing the history of the situation and what the world is doing, or not doing, as hundreds of thousands are dying.

Next week, we’ll begin writing our persuasive pieces, from a couple possible angles. I am running into the difficulty of timing our work, and access to computers, with the 48-hour window of opportunity. And I just realized that the Friday is a half-day for us with the students (the other half: professional development). I would love to podcast my students reading their pieces, too, but am unsure if I can pull that off.

My principal is fully on board and loves the idea. I sent an email home to parents today, alerting them to the project. The kids were silent and thoughtful as I introduced a bit of what we were going to be doing and some asked if what was going on in Darfur was like what happened in Germany under Hitler. They were already making some connections that will allow me to frame their understanding in some interesting ways.

I know they are looking for as many teachers and as many students as possible, so head to the blog site or the wiki planning site and get involved. When we talk about Web 2.0 and the power to put meaningful writing and social action in the hands of our students, this is the kind of project we are all talking about and advocating. It can be as simple as a blog post, or a petition, or a podcast, or a video. You decide.

I found this video from the band Mettafix that is interesting. It’s a great song:

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/qQwCCm-H-sU" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

The first stanza:

See the nation through the people’s eyes,
See tears that flow like rivers from the skies.
Where it seems there are only borderlines
Where others turn and sigh,
You shall rise (x2)

Peace (it’s the least we can do),
Kevin