iEARN-USA - The International Education and Resource Network - iEARN - Success Story

	Success Story - Virtues

by Mary Ann Popec Gormley

magormley@verizon.net

Topic: Virtues and My Life. I am in the process of growing and becoming. What kind of person do I want to become?

Description

Participants: Students in grades 7-12.

Students in this project will communicate what they have learned about virtues and values in life, and articulate the virtues that they want to model in their own lives. They will also share what they personally believe about virtues and values in life with other students around the world on the online Virtues forum. At the end of the project, each student will present all his or her work to their teacher in the form of a booklet.

Objectives

In this project, students will:

Communicate what they have learned about virtues and values in life.
Ask themselves: ìWhat kind of person do I want to become?®
Identify and articulate the values that, if they incorporate into their lives, will help them to be the type of person that they want to be.
Share what they personally believe about virtues and values in life with other students around the world.
Produce a booklet that contains the activities that they have completed in this project.

Desired Outcomes

The goals of this project are to:

Help the students grow in self-knowledge.
Help the students learn about the values, which are held by other people around the world.
Foster understanding and appreciation of the values of other cultures.
Provide opportunities for the students to communicate with students from other countries who are involved in the Virtues project.

Procedures

Introduce the project to the students and invite them to participate in it. Share with the students the objectives, desired outcomes, and timeline for the project.
Provide students with the requirements of the project.
Respond to their questions and concerns. Ask for their input.
Provide students with access code so that they can view what has been posted on the Virtues project interactive forum.
Support and encourage them in their endeavors. Work with students as they post their replies on the interactive forum and complete their booklet.

Project Plan and Activities

Students may use any format (listed below) to complete the following assignments and put them in the order listed in their booklet:

Poem
Essay
Drawing or cartoon
Story
Poster or collage
Pictures with captions

Directions and requirements for students as they participate in this project.

Think about what values are most valued and promoted in our culture. Review/look at what kind of people television shows, music, movies, magazines, advertisements, books, plays, our peers, etc. say that we should be? What AT LEAST ten of these values are.
Show at least three of the most important virtues/values your parents have taught you.
Think about virtues and values that are held as important by your religion. Show what these values are.
Ask your parents, friends (at least three), and one teacher to tell you what they think are the virtues by which you live.

Ask them to fill out the questionnaire and return it to you.
You will also complete a ìgift® sheet in class.
Look over the questionnaire and ìgiftî sheet.
Write down your thoughts in a journal type entryóanswer the following questions:
- What did people say about you?
- What did you learn about yourself?
- How do you feel about what you read?
- How can this help you to become the person you want to be?

Complete one of the following:
- Make a list of the things you would want people to remember about you when they think or talk about you.
- Write a poem that shows what you would want people to remember about you when they think or talk about you.
- Design a collage that shows what you would want people to remember about you when they think or talk about you.
- Write your own epitaph or eulogy. Design your own tombstone.
Post at least one of the above activities (# 1,2,3, or 5) on the interactive forum Virtues discussion site.
Read what students have posted on the interactive forum Virtues site and respond to at least 3 postings from students in another country.
What 5 virtues do you think are most needed in our world today? Give your reasons why you think these virtues are important.
Post your answer to #8 on the Virtues forum, read what others have written, and respond to at least 3 postings.
Articulate AT LEAST 5 of the virtues that people of your age who participated in this Virtues project consider to be most important.
Post your response to the question above on the interactive forum Virtues site.
Review what you have learned about virtues and values in your class.

Think of what kind of person you would like to become and what virtues you would live by to become this kind of person.

Articulate the kind of person (be specific) and the virtues and values by which you need to live in order to become this kind of person.
Post your response to the question above on the interactive forum Virtues site and respond to at least two postings by other students.
Discuss your ideas about participating in this project: Did you like participating in it? Why?/Why not? Would you recommend doing such a project again? What would you do differently? What was your favorite part of the project? What was your least favorite part of the project? Do you have any suggestions or advice about doing such a project?
Pass in your completed booklet to your teacher.

Standards and Frameworks

The Virtues project addressed the following MA state standards and frameworks:

learn about recent events and trends that have shaped modern day America and the world;
examine the causes and consequences of the ethnic and religious conflict in many parts of the world.

Addresses the following themes:

The evolution of the concepts of personal freedom, individual responsibility, and respect for human dignity.
The influence of economic, political, religious, and cultural ideas as human societies move beyond regional, national, or geographic boundaries.
The effects of geography on the history of civilizations and nations.

The development of scientific reasoning, technology, and formal education over time and their effects on peopleís health, standards of living, economic growth, government, religious beliefs, communal life, and the environment.

Outcomes

Participation in the Virtues project:

fostered studentsí self knowledge (about values and priorities in oneís life);

helped students understand the influences on their value systems (e.g. parents, society, culture, religion, media, etc.);

helped them to learn the thoughts/feelings/beliefs of students in other countries about what the values of their parents, society, culture, media, religion are;

fostered dynamic and well informed exchange of ideas among students who participated in the Virtues interactive forum;

helped students to understand that while there may be differences among them, they have very much more in common with each other when it comes to what they consider as important virtues and values in their own lives and that are needed in our world today;

provided opportunities for students to affirm and respond to the ideas of others who posted their opinions, essays, poems, etc. on the forum;

fostered greater global understanding among students;

generated and provided a forum in which students could genuinely and honestly express their deepest feelings and thoughts;

caused students to think about how they can integrate, personalize, and apply virtues in their own lives;

fostered higher order thinking skills: application, evaluation, analysis, synthesis;

enabled students to strengthen their computer and language skills;

fostered the creative aspects of students;

fostered the use of technology in teaching and learning;

addressed the various learning styles of students;

engaged the cognitive, emotional, reflective, affective, kinesthetic, and social aspects of student learning;

provided a safe environment for students to exchange ideas in a respectful manner;

helped students to apply what they learned to other disciplines (e.g. writing, history, psychology, geography, religious studies, etc.);

generated enthusiasm for continued contact with participants on the forum.

The results were tangible... in the production of each student's personal booklet and in the production of the iEARN virtues booklet.

Student response to participation

The online portion of the project was one that ALL students looked forward to completing.
They were excited and gratified when they received responses to their postings.
They shared their excitement and knowledge with others (parents, fellow students, teachers, etc.).
They felt it was an enjoyable way of gaining first-hand knowledge of topics that they were studying in school.
They felt that it helped them see where others were ìcoming fromî and helped them to understand students from other parts of the world in a better way.
They all commented on the things they have in common as teens regardless of the geographical part of the world from which they come.
They all expressed a hope for a better world and a determination to personally work toward its achievement.

iEARN projects and traditional teaching

How is teaching through iEARN projects different from teaching in a traditional way?

It provides first hand contact.

It is interactive.

It is dynamic.

It links students who would otherwise not be linked.

It provides opportunities for the development of healthy, respectful, conversations and sharing of ideas.

It reinforces what is learned in the classroom in a way that no other method can.

It generates excitement and hooks student interest in learning and sharing their knowledge.

It helps students to articulate their knowledge, opinions, etc. in a thoughtful and cogent way.

It provides another resource for gaining knowledge (supplements, textbooks, films, readings, handouts, worksheets, etc. used in class).

Administration and parents' responses

The project was carried out in a private secondary school for girls in Central Massachusetts. Principal gave assent to the project and Curriculum Director (me) was wholly in favor of using iEARN in learning because I ìsawî the results.

Parents ó no formal study was done but many parents voiced their support of the project and said that it fostered a comfortable, worthwhile, sharing of ideas and communication between themselves and their children.

Challenges

Finding ways to engage other faculty in iEARNÖ.convincing them of the ìuser friendlyî formats, the worthwhileness of incorporating iEARN into their teachingÖ.

Recommendations

Talk to students and teachers that have participatedóget their input.
Ask teachers who have participated for help/guidance/tips, etc.
Check out the website and links to projects, learning circles, professional development, etc.
Have your students check out some of the forums and see what they think of them.
Ask students if they would like to participate and what their interests and ideas are for participation.
See what is offeredÖand what would be helpful to you and your students.
Take an iEARN online course if you can.
JUST GIVE IT A TRYÖ.YOU MAY LIKE BEING PART OF THIS LEARNING ORGANIZATIONÖit doesnít have to be a ìhugeî projectÖ.can begin in small ways.
Read the Virtues Booklet or go to the forum and you can see how the project makes a meaningful contribution to helping students see how they can personally work to make a better place!