Sundem, Chapter 3: Kids Helping Others
Chapter 3 of Sundem's book focuses on students tackling real life situations and issues in order to help others. These issues ranged from a student predicting a tsunami because of her previous knowledge about tsunamis from school, to a student raising awareness in Taiwan for the safety of workers. Each story was inspirational in its own way, but they all had one thing in common: the students took the initiative to make a difference. None of the students had to do what they did, it was all voluntary and their decision. What struck me was the inspiration these students gave to other members of their school, community, and even the country. Each one of them gained attention from news publications and organizations, prompting others to take notice and often pitch in with said cause. These stories are all relatively recent as well, meaning that the work these students did is still making an impact and inspiring others (such as ourselves, as we are reading this book!)
Something that stood out to me was the story of Ryan Hreljac. To refresh, Ryan wanted to raise money to help Africa dig wells to get clean water to its people. Ryan raised $75 through chores and work his parents gave him so he could build a well for a town. When Ryan learned this wasn't nearly enough money, he didn't give up. "His parents were sad that Ryan would have to learn a difficult lesson-that sometimes even though you try your hardest, some things are still impossible." This is how many people would have viewed this situation, and I'm sure how many of us in this class have looked at something before. Perhaps it was because of his adolescence that he was able to look at this as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. His persistence paid off and he was able to raise thousands of dollars to help the cause, and he was able to do so through the help of countless people who also donated and spread awareness.
Reading this chapter, I kept thinking one thing: How can I integrate stories like this into my classroom to spark motivation and inspiration? What can I do to make this a reality? I think that as educators, it's crucial to integrate social justice and change into our curriculum. This can be through any content area. If you're a math teacher, invite students to create proposals to save homeless pets in your area through the use of percentages, graphs, and financial goals. If you're a music teacher, organize a concert for the community to help raise money for schools with a lack of funding and musical instruments. I think that the possibilities are endless for teachers and students, and to me, one of the most important things is to be active yourself, as their teacher. Help them, get involved, and don't leave everything to them. It shouldn't feel like a chore or a boring assignment, it should be a great way to demonstrate real-world skill for the sake of bettering the community.
Critical Thinking Questions: (feel free to answer one or more)
1. How can you motivate students who would otherwise pass on an opportunity to get involved with their community? What can you do to get "lackluster" students excited about such a task?
2. What skills can charity and donation give to students? How do you make a project based on social justice while still reaching the common core standards?
3. How could you relate personally to this type of unit? What could you do to show your students that you too care about the cause and aren't just acting as a teacher?
Sundem, Chapter 4: Kids Overcoming Challenges
Similarly to the third chapter, Chapter 4 discusses children tackling real-life issues, but this time due to personal tragedies or shortcomings. Each story began with a child having to overcome adversity, and none of these adversities were easy to overcome. One of the children even lost her life to the cancer she'd been battling since birth. But again, none of these children had to fight against their condition, they could have simply given in to the negative outcomes. Yet it was impossible for them to do so. Why? Maybe it was because they were simply unwilling to accept a less than amazing life. Maybe it was because each of them had a good support system throughout their lives, whether it was parents, school, or doctors. Whatever the reason, these children were unwilling to let anything get them down, and it inspired millions.
The students in Chapter 4 are the type of children that inspired the stories in Chapter 3 to do something to help their community. They took matters into their own hands and were unable to accept "no" as an answer. To me, the story of the two children in America with physical disabilities served as motivation for a unit. If students in my classroom had to try to go through their day without an arm or leg, how would they do it? I could have students while in class hold their arm to their side or keep their leg behind them to see what they took for granted only moments before. Then, after this first class, I could introduce the idea of overcoming adversity in a number of different ways, such as teaching them about suffrage, the Civil Rights Movement, and same-sex marriage today. I feel as if these ideas would easily translate into most content areas as well. For example, if you were discussing workers' rights, you could compare the amount of money workers throughout different countries make per hour, then discuss what would be a fair amount for each country and how each country could reach this amount reasonably. This would require students to really think outside the box and research these issues thoroughly.
Critical Thinking Questions: (again, feel free to answer one or more)
1. How could you push the envelope with "kids overcoming challenges"? In other words, what topics could you address that would make your students really think about the issue, not just brush it aside?
2. Think of an issue that you've personally struggled with, whether it's been something you suffered from or something that affected a loved one. How could you turn this into a unit in your content area?
Hi Kate,
ReplyDeleteI, too, was inspired by the students in these chapters. It is amazing that some of these events, as you mentioned, are still continuing today. I think it provides a great opportunity for students to become involved, make a difference, and learn empathy for others. I would like to respond to the following question that you posted:
1. How can you motivate students who would otherwise pass on an opportunity to get involved with their community? What can you do to get "lackluster" students excited about such a task?
One part of Ryan's story mentions how his teacher explained to the class that children in Africa have little time for school because they spend most of their time walking to find water. To motivate students and help them see the importance of the cause, I might have them log their typical schedule each day. Then, I would have them identify the amount of time it takes them to find supplies, do chores, etc. and compare this to the 6 hours of time it takes African children to simply find water. This may encourage them to think differently about their own lives.
Also, researching the effects of drinking unclean and unsafe water may help students see the importance of the cause. When students begin to understand that the purpose of the fund raising has a health benefit, not just a convenience benefit, they may be more willing to get involved. Presenting students with articles on the effects of intestinal worms and other diseases may help them to see the importance of getting clean water for children. These are just a few thoughts related to "Ryan's Well", but many others exist!
Thanks for asking these questions, Kate. I found Sundem's text really inspirational and I would love to incorporate several of the stories into my classroom one day. This blog really helped me reflect on my personal views of service and how I could share that perspective and passion with my students.
ReplyDelete3.1. I think that oftentimes students and adults can become so overwhelmed by a situation that they resort to apathy, forever telling themselves that “things won’t change anyway; I’m only one person how could I possibly make a difference,” and so forth. Therefore, I think it’s really important to show class members how even one small step can lead to a big difference over time. For example, if every single student made it a point to turn off the water faucet in between brushing teeth, each person would save 8 gallons of water a day. A minor number that leads to a major difference. I also feel it’s important to provide people with resources to make change happen. Oftentimes we learn of a social justice issue that affects us deeply yet we have no idea where to begin to make change happen. I think that as educators, it’s important that we not only bring causes to our students attention but also provide them with the information to allow action to occur as well. Continuing with that thought, I also feel that it’s vital to stress how everyone has something important to contribute and that their gifts can be initiators of change. The beauty of volunteering is that there are realms focusing on almost every passion imaginable. If a student excels in fixing bikes, they could transform that talent into repairing broken bicycles and giving them to lower income children. If a class member enjoys drawing, they could design community murals. If a child loves being in nature, they could rake leaves for the elderly. I think showing kids how their specific talents and gifts can be used to make a difference in their community will help inspire them to get involved, especially when they find that service can be both fun and rewarding. Another element to consider in helping students become excited about a task is allowing them to decide what cause speaks to them and how they would enact transformation. This provides them with ownership, thus building their self-esteem, and fully empowering them in the process of implementing change in their community. It also provides them with a framework to make a difference again and again.
3.3. I feel that, as a teacher, when you’re excited about a subject or feel deeply passionate about an issue, your enthusiasm will be visible to the students, thus spreading throughout the classroom. I also think that we’re more likely to select social justice issues that are near and dear to our hearts so they will garner more exposure in our classrooms. Plus, we might have more knowledge or resources in those areas to share with our students. I also feel that personal experiences relating to that issue could be expressed in the classroom, when appropriate, and this would also demonstrate our own real world connection to the cause outside of the school setting, which would further show our devotion to this subject. My only concern is that personal bias may be portrayed, so it would still be vital to allow for multiple perspectives and varying viewpoints to give students a chance to form their own opinions while also inviting them to voice their personal social justice issues.
Thank you Kate for your summary. I wanted to address the first two questions in chapter 3 and the first question in chapter 4.
ReplyDeleteI believe as an educator that motivating adolescents, especially in the middle school and teenage years, can be difficult because adolescents that often misbehave are not willing to get involved with their community in any way. However, I believe that through dialogue and through time with students in class discussions, the teacher can gauge the overall make-up of the classroom, in conjunction to the effect that social media as a whole affects how adolescents conduct their daily lives. Knowing this information, I believe that for me, I could create a project-based community project that encourages students to get involved with the community in which they live.
To ensure that I can get the students to get involved with the community and enjoy it, there are preliminary steps that have to be taken throughout the course of time that a teacher has with his or her students. If I were to incorporate this project-based event into the curriculum, it would be something that would be done 2-3 months before the duration of the school year. To get adolescents to be in agreement with participating in any given project, a teacher would have to establish trust with the students throughout the year, and periodically have conversations that evolve into discussions about real-life situations so that the teacher can get an idea of what project would be the most beneficial for the students to participate in (ex. feed the community, recycle, donate can goods, etc). Building preliminary steps is where the bulk of the work will come from when it comes to getting students to be a part of a community-based project.
Charity and donation can first and foremost strengthen students' interaction skills with others. It can also help students to develop traits of unselfishness, compassion, and willingness to help the community by helping those in need, or just helping the community to be a better place. It can also help them to build relationships with those in need, it can help them to communicate more effectively, being sensitive to those in need, and help them to be a team player not only with their classmates, but with their community.
As an educator, I believe that teachers can easily address topics that students can relate to, and the teachers can get the students to think about the issues that are being addressed, but brushing it aside could present itself as a challenge. To me, brushing something aside is not talking about the thoughts that surround adolescents that may be crucial for them to bring up for insight, healing, or help. Topics that can be brought up in the classroom are those that are seen in the social media. In actuality, even though social media sometimes depicts adolescents and teenagers in a negative light, these challenges are similar to the ones that students face in their home life as well as their social life (ex. no father in the home, or students that rebel with both parents in the home, students with stepfathers, students coming from homes where parents are divorced, being raised in a same-sex partnership environment, etc). It is easy to bring up these issues, and easy for these issues to evoke reflective thinking, but the help comes in when students speak up about issues that are tearing them apart on the inside. Again, in order for students to get to a comfortable place, a teacher has to establish that trust so that the students know that the information that they have is going to a safe and helpful source.
I loved Sundem's text. I believe many children (or even us as adults) sometimes think that we can not change things, but his text shows everyone, that changes can be made if you are determined and have an awesome support system.
ReplyDeleteTo answer the first question from your chapter 4 section:
1. How could you push the envelope with "kids overcoming challenges"? In other words, what topics could you address that would make your students really think about the issue, not just brush it aside?
I think I would first make sure that I am a teacher that students are open to talking with. I will have an "open door" policy and allow students to have private time to talk to me or allow them to have my e-mail so that we may discuss personal issues. That would be my first step so that I am even able to identify which students have challenges that they need to overcome. Next, I would ask the student if they would feel comfortable sharing their story or if they would feel free with us addressing such an issue in the classroom, however they would not be the subject of the discussion. I think then I would start the discussion by using a book or article.
To keep the students engrossed int he subject I would make sure to use a person/character that is relatable to them. I will try to keep the subject of the "issue" within their age range and if possible, someone from a similar background. I believe students are usually interested in a story if they can relate to it. Maybe, they can not directly relate, because it is not something they experienced, but maybe someone they know has experienced it. Or maybe they will think of it as "if this is happening to someone like me maybe it can happen to me."
Katie, I thought you did a good job of summarizing these two chapters and your excitement about what we read really showed. I also think it is important to motivate young people to participate in the types of activities described in Chapter 3. In order to motivate them to do so, sometimes all that is necessary is to provide them with time and opportunity to get something done. Some students will dislike an assignment like this but will be better off for it. Others will use it as a springboard to really make a difference, like Ryan. Another factor that is necessary to get students motivated in social causes is a genuine interest yourself. Students will know if you are not excited about something and will not put forth full effort themselves because of it. Pick something to discuss with them that you truly care about and be yourself so that your passion shows. Then, encourage them to find something else for themselves. Everyone has something that they care about – it is just a matter of finding it and providing the opportunity to pursue it.
ReplyDeleteAs for “Kids Overcoming Challenges”, there are a million stories out there about children who show incredible courage. The stories in this chapter are incredible but every child will face some type of adversity that they are going to have to overcome. You don’t have to be attacked by sharks or inflicted with a terrible disease to find obstacles in your life that you need to address head on. It is important to bring these inspirational stories to the attention of young people, not to point out that someone else has it worse than them so they shouldn’t complain, but to point out that everybody has issues that they need to work on. If they can see the benefits of tackling the small and large problems in their lives like the children in these stories, they can build self-esteem and live happier lives. Similar to what I mentioned in the previous chapter, one of the keys is to be yourself and share something when discussing these issues with your students. The challenge in my own life that is fresh in my mind is trying to figure out how I am going to take care of a newborn child for the first time. Millions of people have done it, but that doesn’t make it any less terrifying! Although their situations are completely different, I can find inspiration from these children’s stories to approach this challenge with a positive attitude.
I wish that this book included more information or images of the stories to go with each chapter (how can you spend a chapter talking about how much Junichi Ono's artwork affected the world without including a single example? http://www.junichiworks.com/profile.html).
ReplyDeleteHowever, it would be interesting to do a project where students research one of the kid profiled here and elaborated by creating a similar project aimed at their own community.
As far as pushing the envelope, I try to challenge students to create charitable projects that are designed to help people they have never met, but who have the most pressing problems, even if those problems are completely unfamiliar to them. This requires research and some math skills, which is somehow colder and often less immediately satisfying than helping a cause that is completely foreign to you. For example, with a reasonable amount of compassion and energy, you can organize a charity to help cancer research in reaction to meeting someone with cancer. You feel good about yourself, and you feel as though you helped the person you met, even if indirectly. However, it takes some analytic skills to come to the conclusion that your efforts will have a bigger impact if you work to, say, provide mosquito netting for children in malaria zones. Most people in first world countries do not encounter anyone with malaria, or even necessarily understand how malaria work, which is why it takes a greater leap of imagination and empathy to help people who are so literally and metaphorically distant. That, to me, is the real challenge.
Great point! I think the book is a little dry, to be honest, in terms of how it is presented (Ono's artwork should definitely be in the book!), but the messages are very effective.
DeleteThese stories are truly inspirational. I believe that adolescents can be some of the most outstanding examples and actors in the community when they become impassioned for some reason or some cause. These stories should be shared with students so that they can become aware of what they, too, can do if they have a mission and preserver. Too often in today’s world students are often lackluster and indifferent to social causes. I, too, agree that as educators, it's crucial to integrate social justice and change into our curriculum. This integration can take many forms and can be applied to any content area. It is important, however, that students feel empowered and that they can make a difference. Students need to feel that they have ownership in the cause they are fighting for.
ReplyDeleteFor example, students could begin with issues they experience in the local community or even within the school itself. Here it becomes important that the teacher knows his or her students and what matters to them. Sometimes it can be a challenge to ignite a passion within students that leads them to social action. Teachers can help foster interest in students, for example, by taking them to venues such as homes for the elderly or disabled, introducing them through structured activities to action which takes them beyond their own interests to broader social concerns. While structuring the curriculum around the community or communal needs, students can find a cause or a calling they feel impassioned about.
Also, teachers can impassion students by leading the way. By modeling social concern, teachers can spark an interest in students for social justice and change. Teachers can share with students their concerns and actions, and foster discussion among students on important social topics in order to get them thinking about important social issues. By engaging students in discussions and debates, teachers help students form values and opinions, developing their sense of social justice, which can lead them to action for social change.
I think this text is a great resource for kids to get snapshots of what it takes to stand up, make change, and be confident. As it shares a breadth of cultures and diversity, each story has a small map pointing to the country of origin and a world map at the front. To me, those images were enough considering the purpose of the book - though I don't think that more images would have hurt. Interesting that Mr. Library mentions that Junichi Ono's artwork because when I read this story with two young girls I tutor (5th and 6th grade) the first thing they asked immediately after finishing was if we could go look up some of his artwork! That being said, I think the stories are structured in a way that gives enough of a condensed background, purpose, and conclusion to inspire more questions and curiosity. One story may speak to a child more than another, and I don't think the book is meant to be read in succession, but rather allows students choice in which stories they think they might like. The reason I brought in some of these stories with the girls I tutor is because one of them (the 5th grader) highly dislikes literature and has a very difficult time connecting to fictional characters because, in her words: "they're just NOT REAL. I can't compare REAL situations that AREN'T REAL," she says. I thought that Sundem's text was perfect, and she really ended up liking it. As for a classroom setting, students could choose a story from the text and do a summary, reflection, and/or evaluation of the story. To take it further, as Kate suggests, into using it as a resource to help implement social justice projects - students might fill out a template of the process that the an individual from one of the stories in the book encountered in accomplishing their goals and the end result (for example,: identify and issue/problem, brainstorm ways to make a difference, determine purpose of making a difference, try to act on change, if you do not succeed try something else, keep going, evaluate and reflect). Instructors should definitely be aware of some of the sensitive and/or heavy topics presented here, especially since not all of these stories have a "happy ending" (though Sundem still makes sure to note the positive outcomes of their efforts, which I like).
ReplyDeleteKate—awesome summaries! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to comment on two questions:
1. How can you motivate students who would otherwise pass on an opportunity to get involved with their community? What can you do to get "lackluster" students excited about such a task?
At the risk of seeming super obvious, I think it makes a big difference when students have ownership of a project. Adolescents in particular are so defensive about their ideas, and they are so involved in defining their own identity, that they often need a personal investment to really want to get involved. As a teacher, I can't preach to them why they should care about a particular issue... I need to be able to subtly prompt them to realize for themselves why the issue is relevant to them. I think to get students involved we need to listen to them. Ask questions about what they care about, what moves them, and really listen to their answers. Maybe they feel like they won't be taken seriously, and so they're afraid to really speak out about an issue that they are passionate about. As in the content area, it's important to give kids the opportunity to come up with their own creative ways of identifying and solving problems.
2. Think of an issue that you've personally struggled with, whether it's been something you suffered from or something that affected a loved one. How could you turn this into a unit in your content area?
One issue that really resonates with me is the lack of financial, psychological, and medical support that our military veterans face when they return from overseas duty. It's an issue that has always bothered me, but when my brother joined the National Guard in college and my cousin started doing tours in Afghanistan, I really started to think hard about this issue. Living in Chicago, it's a pretty visible issue, as well... any time you travel to the Loop, or to many major intersections in the city, you meet with homeless veterans who are struggling to survive.
I think that this issue would work really, really well in any unit in a history class that deals with war... our nation has been involved in many conflicts and the veterans of military service from different eras have faced very different challenges. I think that incorporating awareness and activism on behalf of veterans' services to a unit about Vietnam, Desert Storm, or the current campaigns in the Middle East would be particularly powerful because they are more recent, and many students may know a person who served or who struggles with issues brought on by combat or overseas deployment. Or, this is an issue that could be woven into a civics unit about the responsibilities of the state to its citizens and its soldiers, or about the costs of war and militarism. Really, it could work in so many different contexts.
On this topic: If you are interested in supporting Chicago-area veterans in need, check out www.saluteinc.org. It's a truly amazing organization that raises money and other forms of support for veterans and their families.
In response to question number one: It may be easy to motivate students to become involved with serving their community when they have a better understanding of the importance of serving. The youth should learn early on about the significance of giving back and helping others. Also, there are some cases where students may not have an interest in serving their communities because they do not feel connected with their communities. In this case, it may be beneficial to figure out a way to get students connected with their communities. For example, students can conduct research on their communities and learn interesting facts about their communities. In addition, another way to motivate students about serving in their communities is to find out students’ talents and what students are passionate about. Then, suggest and encourage students to figure out a way that they are able to use their talents and passions to help others.
ReplyDelete1. How can you motivate students who would otherwise pass on an opportunity to get involved with their community? What can you do to get "lackluster" students excited about such a task?
ReplyDeleteGreat question! From my experience, I'm not sure that students would pass on doing something for their community. In my experience students tend to feel more grounded in work that serves others and has purpose...community based lessons, whether stemming from personal introspection and family experiences, small or large excursions into other cultural and societal viewpoints, direct action activities, outdoor and experiential education, etc etc. Children from 3-93 seem to gravitate toward things that have meaning and that they can see an outcome from their learning and work. Any lesson can get a lackluster response, depending on how its presented--leaning on the moral responsibility edge, or "you will learn something important from this experience' viewpoint doesn't do it for kids though. I always like to start with a story, or a narrative that we can read together, act through, interpret, and relate to, as a conduit/opener for the new story we will create through our community project.
Much comes back the essential when presenting any lesson: passion of the instructor, magnetic content and materials, multi-modal and tactile experiences, and a bit of tricksterism for baiting students to want to do something from their own inner altruistic and loving drive. I LOVE THE STORY as the launching pad...I say it again because there's something in us all that loves stories on human potential, love and laughter, conflict and confusion. For me, this means ongoing visits to websites for visual narratives, to the adolescent and young adolescent section of the bookstore, to find the magnet that will pull us into the community project.
2. What skills can charity and donation give to students? How do you make a project based on social justice while still reaching the common core standards?
Nice...I would probably word the above raising awareness, living generosity and fund-raising resources. Many of my students come from lower class families whereby charity is a testy space. Knowing that many of my kids' families do belong to churches that have some sort of humanitarian project that involves intermittent fundraising. When we have done charity and donation projects I will often place a limit on how much young people might individually raise ($5) over a two week-to-month long period, and place greater emphasis on the awareness raising piece. When my students' did the Hurricane Katrina Response and Responsibility project, they raised funds, did a canned food-drive wrote the president and FEMA and circulated a petition that they sent to FEMA. When we did the slave-buy-backs with Antislavery International, we set our aim for every five students raising enough to buy one slave back ($25-50). We would try to have multi-faceted practices for every fund-raising initiative, where getting money for the cause was one element but could not stand alone.
I love watching students write a fundraising letter, writing letters to legislators and political representatives, doing a t-chart outlining problems matched with solutions, doing speeches at after-school activities--all of these carrying various skill sets that engage young activists and artists around issues they want to influence and change. It takes a lot of ongoing energy and dreaming on the part of the educator, engagement in dialogue and strategy planning with students, and is not easy--but the journeys are so worth it, including the experimentation and failure, and the successes and modifications. I always say that these activities are a "brick of self-esteem" in a students' templar body. The experience of making change only makes a younger person wiser, and a better leader and thinker, whatever scale the work is done on.
Excellent synopses!
ReplyDelete2. What skills can charity and donation give to students? How do you make a project based on social justice while still reaching the common core standards?
Being involved with charity can contribute a great deal to student’s understanding of all manner of subjects. Though there is not a common core standard that directly relates to charity, I feel that there are all kinds of indirect connections. For example, there is a standard for Social Science that calls for understanding of quantitative and technical data. In studying about a group served by a charity, students could investigate demographics of people who are served by the charity. By making them aware of those who are less fortunate, students are able to expand their perspectives about those who are in need and the ways that people can provide support. It is unfortunate that this kind of community improvement is not a fully supported and integrated part of the curriculum, as I think that it is important for students to learn about the community and to be part of the solution when it comes to social problems.
1. How could you push the envelope with "kids overcoming challenges"? In other words, what topics could you address that would make your students really think about the issue, not just brush it aside?
I think that the most powerful way to spur thinking about kids with challenges is by creating connections between kids with challenges and kids who do not. There is little doubt that there are kids within all communities who have challenges that rival those we have read about in the book. If possible, I think it would be powerful to have these kids come to the class and talk about the challenges that they face. Making these personal connections can be one of the most influential ways of getting kids involved with these communities and individuals. When students find themselves face-to-face with someone who is facing challenges they had not even considered, there can be greater motivation to become invested in the issue and make some change themselves.
What skills can charity and donation give to students? How do you make a project based on social justice while still reaching the common core standards?
ReplyDeleteFundraising projects have a lot to offer in terms of what it can teach a student. Depending on what activities you have built into it and what kind of end goal you've got in mind it can teach anything from organizing a benefit-dinner to writing a letter to a local businessman or politician. Within just those two examples there are lessons for interpersonal skills, organizational skills, money management skills, persuasive skills, and much more. I think above all else though it builds confidence and positivity - and at the end of the day this is more important than any one skill that can be taught.
As far as reaching standards through social justice, this too is limited only by the scope and imagination of the instructor. History standards can be met through researching the history of any given social justice issue, writing standards can be met with written reflections, textual analysis that deals with the topic, and essay writing if the unit calls for a research, persuasive, or narrative writing assignment. Math standards can be met with statistics on the particular issue and science standards are met as students find research and experiment with solutions. I feel like social justice issues are perfect for interdisciplinary projects because it really spans all of them AND it gives students something positive to work on rather than doing drills from a text book.