Alanna's Post
My group decide to do our service learning project at The Bright Horizons Preschool where Jenn works. I though the experience overall was great. All the students eagerly participated and seemed to learn a lot from the lesson.We split the students into groups and each had a basic plan of talking about what bullying is, preventing it and recognizing it as well as reading "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" by Carol McCloud.
For my group I decided to have the students to tell me something a bully would do. Most students said simple child actions that are considered bullying but are most likely common at this age; my brother stole my lunch, I got tripped, somebody called me stupid.I asked the students how they felt and did they think it was right for somebody to do this and act like this, of course they all said no.
We then read the children's book and talked about nice things we could do for each other, and how we could help stop bullying if we saw it or were apart of it. The one concept I kept stressing was to always tell an adult, to never try and take action on your own especially because some situations can get out of hand. I had the students list on a white board the names of people in their lives they could talk to if they had an issue, were being bullied, or witnessed bullying.
I loved working with Jenn's students, they were all so adorable and I think this lesson was great for them but like Melissa said it would be better with an older group of students but I think overall the concepts behind bullying and preventing it were good.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Melissa's Service Learning Reflection
For our project, our group decided to do a presentation on bullying with the preschoolers at Bright Horizons. Jenn, Alanna and I decided to break the students up into groups to have a more personal discussion with the kids. To start the discussion with my group I asked the children what or who a bully is. My students came up with the following thoughts: someone who is mean, someone who doesn't like you, someone who makes you cry. After we discussed what a bully was, I read the book "Have you filled a bucket today?" After reading the story I asked the students to all go around in a circle and say something nice about the person sitting next to them so that everyone was complimented. I then discussed with my group the importance of being nice to people and 'filling buckets.' I then decided to ask the children what they should do if they are being bullied or see someone being bullied. My group decided that the best ideas would be to tell a teacher, tell your parents or ask the bully to stop.
It felt to do this project with the young children. I think that it is so sad that bullying happens this young, but it does and it is important for young children to know what to do if they or someone is being bullied and also the importance of being nice and caring to their peers. I think that the book was a great addition to this lesson because the children were very engaged with the book. It felt great because I feel like I really got through to the children because they were discussing and engaged in the lesson.
I would definitely do this lesson again with my future students. I think that bullying is something that unfortunately is going to be around for a while, and our students need to be educated on this topic. Depending on the age of the students I would change the discussion questions and the book that I read, but keep the same overall concept for the lesson. I think that I would do this project in the early years of my teaching and continue on with it throughout my career. Like I said, bullying is always going to be an issue and even if it isn't, children should always be taught to be caring to their peers and how to react to bullying.
I think that service learning would fit better into the methods course if the topics were more designed for young students. Personally, my topic was one that could be taught to students quite easily but i know some other groups might have a had a hard time turning their topic into a lesson for elementary aged students.
Jenn's Service Learning Project Reflection
My group decided to do our service learning project at Bright Horizons Preschool (my work). We were in a classroom with 19 children and 2 teachers. When we got there, we separated into groups of 6 or 7. Each group had either Melissa, Alanna, or I to have a discussion with. In my group, we began by using a white board to discuss what it means to be a bully. The children came up with the following answers.
1 A mean boy or girl
2. Someone who kicks you
3. They make you cry
4. A strong boy
5. They make you sad
6. When someone pushes me down on the playground
After they finished discussing what a bullying is, we talked about different ways to stop bullying from happening. Some of the children were unsure about how to stop it, so I wrote down some ideas on the white board and asked them which ones they liked best.
1. Asking the bully to stop
2. Talking with a teacher
3. Talking with your parents
4. Staying away from that person
Many of the children liked the idea of talking with their parents. They said that if they tell their moms and dads, then the bullies moms and dads would tell them to stop. After discussing different strategies, we began reading the book, Have You Filled Your Bucket Today? I told them that this was a book about making people feel good. As we began reading, one child said, lets make our own buckets. I told them that when the story was over, we were going to say something nice about each child in the group like the boy does in the story.
After we finished reading the book, I began by saying, “You boys and girls did a great job listening. I can see how smart you all are.” Then I asked each child one by one to say something nice about the child sitting next to them. Once they did this, they were all smiling and saying nice things to everyone else in the classroom.
After completing this service learning project, I felt like I made a difference. Many of the children knew what bullying was, but they were unsure on ways to stop it. After reading the story, I think they really understood the concept I was trying to emphasize. It is important for teachers to discuss bullying with their classrooms and really make sure they understand it. When I become an elementary school teacher, I will discuss bullying on a weekly basis. I think that it is important to do service learning projects with students (depending upon the age) so they can really understand a specific topic. As I previously stated, completing this service learning project made me feel like I had an impact on those children. I was able to communicate with them about bullying and hopefully prevent them from bullying others children or becoming victims of bullying. Within the past couple of years, students have committed suicide because of being bullied. I think that if teachers continue to discuss bullying with students, they will feel more comfortable and safe coming to school everyday. As future teachers, we need to be the ones to stop bullying. Realistically, bullying will never stop, but the drastic measures students are taking because of it needs to be prevented. Children should feel safe coming to school everyday. There is no need for other students to feel that they have the right to bully another child.
In my opinion, I feel that service learning projects should be integrated into the classroom. The more hands on experience students, the more understanding they will have. Teacher can discuss certain topics with their students, but physically getting up and doing something for other people is what makes a difference. We can not just say we want to stop bullying. In order to stop bullying, people need to do projects such as this and really leave an impact on the children. I think that projects such as these can really help get people involved in the community. I think if anything could do anything differently, I would love to have more guest speakers and see the techniques and strategies they use with college students.
1 A mean boy or girl
2. Someone who kicks you
3. They make you cry
4. A strong boy
5. They make you sad
6. When someone pushes me down on the playground
After they finished discussing what a bullying is, we talked about different ways to stop bullying from happening. Some of the children were unsure about how to stop it, so I wrote down some ideas on the white board and asked them which ones they liked best.
1. Asking the bully to stop
2. Talking with a teacher
3. Talking with your parents
4. Staying away from that person
Many of the children liked the idea of talking with their parents. They said that if they tell their moms and dads, then the bullies moms and dads would tell them to stop. After discussing different strategies, we began reading the book, Have You Filled Your Bucket Today? I told them that this was a book about making people feel good. As we began reading, one child said, lets make our own buckets. I told them that when the story was over, we were going to say something nice about each child in the group like the boy does in the story.
After we finished reading the book, I began by saying, “You boys and girls did a great job listening. I can see how smart you all are.” Then I asked each child one by one to say something nice about the child sitting next to them. Once they did this, they were all smiling and saying nice things to everyone else in the classroom.
After completing this service learning project, I felt like I made a difference. Many of the children knew what bullying was, but they were unsure on ways to stop it. After reading the story, I think they really understood the concept I was trying to emphasize. It is important for teachers to discuss bullying with their classrooms and really make sure they understand it. When I become an elementary school teacher, I will discuss bullying on a weekly basis. I think that it is important to do service learning projects with students (depending upon the age) so they can really understand a specific topic. As I previously stated, completing this service learning project made me feel like I had an impact on those children. I was able to communicate with them about bullying and hopefully prevent them from bullying others children or becoming victims of bullying. Within the past couple of years, students have committed suicide because of being bullied. I think that if teachers continue to discuss bullying with students, they will feel more comfortable and safe coming to school everyday. As future teachers, we need to be the ones to stop bullying. Realistically, bullying will never stop, but the drastic measures students are taking because of it needs to be prevented. Children should feel safe coming to school everyday. There is no need for other students to feel that they have the right to bully another child.
In my opinion, I feel that service learning projects should be integrated into the classroom. The more hands on experience students, the more understanding they will have. Teacher can discuss certain topics with their students, but physically getting up and doing something for other people is what makes a difference. We can not just say we want to stop bullying. In order to stop bullying, people need to do projects such as this and really leave an impact on the children. I think that projects such as these can really help get people involved in the community. I think if anything could do anything differently, I would love to have more guest speakers and see the techniques and strategies they use with college students.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Our group is thinking of doing a informational discussion with the local boys and girls club of Salem Massachusetts. We would want to sit down wit the girls and boys and talk about all the aspects of bullying and offer up some videos that would both inform and motivate the children to stop bullying, prevent bullying, and speak out against it. We could also do one of the projects mentioned below. When we go to do this project we will contact some of the following people :
THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB
OF GREATER SALEM
13 HAWTHORNE BOULEVARDSALEM, MA 01970
978-744-0915
978-744-6203 (FAX)
www.bgcgs.org
Administrative Office
194 Essex Street
Salem, MA 01970
Phone: 978.740.KIDS
Fax: 978.740.2486
Deborah A. Kneeland
Executive Director
978.740.5437, Ext. 14
dkneeland@fkoafterschool.org
| Mentor Coordinator | Arielle Sobov | 978.740.5437, Ext. 19 | asobov@fkoafterschool.org |
If our group were to do a service learning project for elementary students it would be a group sit down. For this, the teacher would split the groups up to 6 to 8 kids per group. The students would then go around the group and discuss what they feel a bully is. The teacher would also have them talk about how to protect themselves against bullying, who to get in touch with and how to help others if they see someone getting bullied. Once the students finish their discussion, the next thing the teacher would have them do is a trust fall lesson. Each student would have to let someone catch them while closing their eyes and crossing their arms. This is a true trust building experiment. It allows for a community atmosphere in the classroom.
Another activity that our group would do to educate elementary students about bullying, or as a service learning project could be the following lesson:
Introduction
Explain to students that an estimated 5.7 million young people in the United States have identified themselves as a bully, admit to being bullied, or both. Bullying can be verbal or non-verbal, physical or non-physical. Bullying can be direct, like hitting, teasing, or making threats. It can also be indirect, like rumors, manipulation, isolation and exclusion. A bully might be one person acting out independently, or a clique or group of people picking on someone out of a need to increase their popularity or to seem more cool.
Procedure
1. Ask students what the think the saying “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can really hurt me.” Has anyone heard another version of this saying? Which is truer? Ask students to take a moment to reflect on their experiences. Have they ever had someone say something to them that hurt their feelings. Has someone ever hurt them physically or tried to scare them? Have they ever hurt someone by something they said or did?
2. Teachers might want to provide students with their own personal example of a time they were a victim or a witness to bullying or they hurt someone’s feelings. If students feel comfortable, allow them a few moments to share their experiences aloud. And/Or read a book about bullying like This is Our House, Hey, Little Ant, Mr. Lincoln’s Way, Say Something, or Simon’s Hook.
3. Give each student a light gray paper “stone.” Have students write a behavior that could hurt someone or make them feel bad such as calling someone an ethnic name, or tripping someone. Younger children can draw a picture.
4. Have them wrinkle up the "stone" and then try to smooth it out. Explain that once someone has been hurt, it is never forgotten. You cannot remove the hurt. The wrinkles will always be there.
5. Hang stones on wall to create a wall of intolerance or have students sit in a circle and pile the rocks up in the middle. Ask students to think about ways to prevent these things from happening. Create a class list of ideas.
6. In turn, have each student select someone else’s stone off the wall or from the pile. Read your stone and imagine that this happened to yourself or a friend of yours. What could you do about it? Pair and share your ideas.
7. Together as a class make a poster or some other product (PowerPoint, video, letter to newspaper) explaining something positive everyone could do about bullying.
Alanna Herdt Reflection:
I chose this picture because it ties into what we had talked about in the first blog. The state does not have good anti-bullying laws which is a big problem. Bullying is growing and expanding, more and more kids are being hurt and affected by bullying. And now with the internet it is more prominate and even more difficult to see and stop. This picture shows the few states still missing these laws that could save lives.
I think that this project/blog has allowed me to really think about bullying, and where I stand on the issue. Obviously I knew that I would be against it, but I did not think I would be this interested in the social issue. It is truly a growing issue, more and more children and being hurt, taking their lives, and taking other students lives. My heart sinks every time I hear about a school shooting or young deat because of bullying. There has to be something we can do individually, as educators, as members of our community and as United States citizens. I think its only right that anyone getting into the education field is aware of bullying and is able to stand up against it, aware of the laws, the rules, and the facts. It is not a small issue. These students wont just "toughen up". I think in a learning environment especially its important for the students to be comfortable and to feel safe. Bullying does not allow that. As a teacher, and as a person its important to speak out against it in any way possible. Do let people get bullied in front of you-- its consequences can be irreversible.
I chose this picture because it ties into what we had talked about in the first blog. The state does not have good anti-bullying laws which is a big problem. Bullying is growing and expanding, more and more kids are being hurt and affected by bullying. And now with the internet it is more prominate and even more difficult to see and stop. This picture shows the few states still missing these laws that could save lives.
I think that this project/blog has allowed me to really think about bullying, and where I stand on the issue. Obviously I knew that I would be against it, but I did not think I would be this interested in the social issue. It is truly a growing issue, more and more children and being hurt, taking their lives, and taking other students lives. My heart sinks every time I hear about a school shooting or young deat because of bullying. There has to be something we can do individually, as educators, as members of our community and as United States citizens. I think its only right that anyone getting into the education field is aware of bullying and is able to stand up against it, aware of the laws, the rules, and the facts. It is not a small issue. These students wont just "toughen up". I think in a learning environment especially its important for the students to be comfortable and to feel safe. Bullying does not allow that. As a teacher, and as a person its important to speak out against it in any way possible. Do let people get bullied in front of you-- its consequences can be irreversible.
Reflection
Melissa's Post
Through this blog, I have learned more about bullying than I thought that I would, but most importantly, I learned that I can make a difference. By simply signing a petition against bullying I immediately felt better. I also am blessed to be in a third grade classroom where I can spread awareness about bullying. I have always believed that bullying was going to become something that causes havoc in our country; and I believe that it has. Too often you turn on the TV and there are countless stories of kids getting bullied and taking the wrong way out: killing themselves or killing others. Bullying has morphed from teasing on the playground to violence and torment. With the rise of technology bullying has become even worse now that kids are able to bully others behind the scene and anonymously. This blog has gotten me to research bullying more in depth and it has shown me the horrible sides to bullying. I have learned about the current policies and laws about bullying. I think that this is a very important topic for everyone to know about and be aware of, and also try to prevent. As a future elementary school teacher I plan on educating my classes every year about the importance of preventing bullying from happening inside and outside of school. I want all of my students to always know that if they are being bullied, or know someone that is being bullied they can always speak up and tell someone, myself, another teacher, or the principal without being afraid. Too often students do not speak up because they are so afraid of what their bully is going to do to them, so they keep quiet in hopes that it will go away. To tie this into a classroom I would do something like create different role play bullying scenarios where they find a solution or written problems that the students have to find solutions too.
Here are some great anti-bullying websites:
http://www.stopbullying.gov/
http://www.thinkb4youspeak.com/
Through this blog, I have learned more about bullying than I thought that I would, but most importantly, I learned that I can make a difference. By simply signing a petition against bullying I immediately felt better. I also am blessed to be in a third grade classroom where I can spread awareness about bullying. I have always believed that bullying was going to become something that causes havoc in our country; and I believe that it has. Too often you turn on the TV and there are countless stories of kids getting bullied and taking the wrong way out: killing themselves or killing others. Bullying has morphed from teasing on the playground to violence and torment. With the rise of technology bullying has become even worse now that kids are able to bully others behind the scene and anonymously. This blog has gotten me to research bullying more in depth and it has shown me the horrible sides to bullying. I have learned about the current policies and laws about bullying. I think that this is a very important topic for everyone to know about and be aware of, and also try to prevent. As a future elementary school teacher I plan on educating my classes every year about the importance of preventing bullying from happening inside and outside of school. I want all of my students to always know that if they are being bullied, or know someone that is being bullied they can always speak up and tell someone, myself, another teacher, or the principal without being afraid. Too often students do not speak up because they are so afraid of what their bully is going to do to them, so they keep quiet in hopes that it will go away. To tie this into a classroom I would do something like create different role play bullying scenarios where they find a solution or written problems that the students have to find solutions too.
Here are some great anti-bullying websites:
http://www.stopbullying.gov/
http://www.thinkb4youspeak.com/
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Reflection on Bullying & Service Learning Project
Jenn's Post:
Participating in this blog has really pushed me to research more about bullying and understand ways to help prevent it. Working with Melissa and Alanna to research the effects and laws of bullying has made me understand how big and serious this issue really is. Interviewing others about bullying helped me to see it from others peoples perspectives and not just my own. I think that it is important to get the community involved to help brainstorm various ways to prevent bullying and make school systems a safe environment. I do not feel that schools are doing everything in their power to help prevent bullying and it is sad to see how many children commit suicide, run away from home, or curl up in a corner because of what other children put them through. I feel that the government needs to take a higher position against bullying and realize the severity of it. If teachers talk on a daily basis to students about bullying and how it effects other students, it may absorb into their heads and force them to stop. Doing activities and lessons around bullying will eventually get these children who are bullies to see what they are like and hopefully change their thoughts about bullying someone again.
Our group has decided to do our service learning project at the Boys and Girls after school program in Salem. We are going to do a small activity and presentation with the students to help them understand everything they need to know about bullying. We decided to do this because we thought it would be a great way to get students from the community involved and really impacts their opinions and thoughts about bullying. It is important to get these students involved in some way so that they can be the ones to tells their peers to stop bullying and stand up for what it right.
Bullying prevention websites and school discussions regarding bullying:
http://www.wickedlocal.com/westborough/topstories/x535933631/School-officials-discuss-bullying#axzz1npM2eAWh
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/harassment.index.htm
http://www.kcl-law.com/node/117
Participating in this blog has really pushed me to research more about bullying and understand ways to help prevent it. Working with Melissa and Alanna to research the effects and laws of bullying has made me understand how big and serious this issue really is. Interviewing others about bullying helped me to see it from others peoples perspectives and not just my own. I think that it is important to get the community involved to help brainstorm various ways to prevent bullying and make school systems a safe environment. I do not feel that schools are doing everything in their power to help prevent bullying and it is sad to see how many children commit suicide, run away from home, or curl up in a corner because of what other children put them through. I feel that the government needs to take a higher position against bullying and realize the severity of it. If teachers talk on a daily basis to students about bullying and how it effects other students, it may absorb into their heads and force them to stop. Doing activities and lessons around bullying will eventually get these children who are bullies to see what they are like and hopefully change their thoughts about bullying someone again.
Our group has decided to do our service learning project at the Boys and Girls after school program in Salem. We are going to do a small activity and presentation with the students to help them understand everything they need to know about bullying. We decided to do this because we thought it would be a great way to get students from the community involved and really impacts their opinions and thoughts about bullying. It is important to get these students involved in some way so that they can be the ones to tells their peers to stop bullying and stand up for what it right.
Bullying prevention websites and school discussions regarding bullying:
http://www.wickedlocal.com/westborough/topstories/x535933631/School-officials-discuss-bullying#axzz1npM2eAWh
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/harassment.index.htm
http://www.kcl-law.com/node/117
Thursday, February 16, 2012
alanna post 1D
The Bullying petition I signed had the following to say :
I think its important for not only me but for everybody to have a voice. Speak out when you see a student being bullied or looks as though he or she has been bullied. As a future teacher its important to be aware of the signs and to know your children well enough to know what and when something is wrong. I think signing this petition and doing this project shed light on the already known fact; bullying is wrong and it effects more and more students everyday. I want to stand against it and make my students aware of the negative affects it can have as well as how to be aware of yourself, what you do and what you say.
Bullying is a problem that affects millions of students of all
races and classes. 1 out of 4
kids are bullied and 43% of teens,
97% of middle schoolers and 47% of older teens 18-24 are
cyberbullied. 9 out of 10 LGBT
students experienced harassment at school. As many as 160,000 students stay home on
any given day because they're afraid of being bullied.
Child and teen Bullying and Cyberbullying are at an all-time high. Some kids are so tormented that suicide has become an alternative for them. It has everyone worried. Not just the kids on its receiving end, but the parents and others who may not understand how extreme bullying can get.
Child and teen Bullying and Cyberbullying are at an all-time high. Some kids are so tormented that suicide has become an alternative for them. It has everyone worried. Not just the kids on its receiving end, but the parents and others who may not understand how extreme bullying can get.
I think I felt really good about signing the petition but I also felt as though I really hadn't done anything. I typed in my name but did I really help anybody? I hope so but I think apart of me knows that helping to stop bullying it is more than just typing in my name and email. If ninety seven percent of middle school children are being bullied, what can I do? I looked deeper into and ended up signing more and more petitions and would really like the chance to actually volunteer. 160,000 students stay home every day! I just cannot believe the numbers associated with this issue. If so many why is there so little being done?
Melissa's Post
To take action against bullying I signed a petition on the National Bullying Prevention Center's website. Although I did something so small, it really felt great to sign the petition. I felt that by simply typing my name and hitting submit I was a part of the change; the change that is happening everytime someone decides to sign that petition and put an effort in to stop bullying. Besides signing the petition, I am going to spread the word about bullying wherever I can. Now that I am in a classroom I will have the opportunity to educate the students in my classroom about bullying and why we need to put an end to it. I will be able to make sure that the students in my classroom are advocates against bullying because they are the generation that is witnessing it the most. I will also spread the word to my friends, family, neighbors and coworkers so that they will be able to educate any younger students that they know as well. I think by educating my students they will pass the word along to friends and family and it will create a domino affect. Eventually, hopefully, everyone will have heard about why we need to put an end to bullying.
It feels great that I am taking action against something that I feel so strongly about.
As far as teaching social justices, I feel it depends on the subject matter and the age of my students. If it is something that is appropriate and meaningful for my students, I believe that it should absolutely be taught. I think that we, as teachers, should be able to decided what we teach our students. I believe that education is an instrument for the public good because we are educating the next generation. These students are our future. I think that they need to know what is going on in our world, as long as it is appropriate for their age.
It feels great that I am taking action against something that I feel so strongly about.
As far as teaching social justices, I feel it depends on the subject matter and the age of my students. If it is something that is appropriate and meaningful for my students, I believe that it should absolutely be taught. I think that we, as teachers, should be able to decided what we teach our students. I believe that education is an instrument for the public good because we are educating the next generation. These students are our future. I think that they need to know what is going on in our world, as long as it is appropriate for their age.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
1D. Jenn's Post
I went on the National Bullying Prevention Center website and I signed a petition for bullying. There was a variety of different options regarding ways to help prevent bullying such as signing a petition, taking online surveys, writing your comments or concerns about bullying, and most importantly, reading about bullying and how serious of an issue it is. I think that bullying is such a serious issue in today’s society and every lit bit that people contribute is one step closer to putting and end to it. Taking this type of action connects with democratic values because it is connecting to the issue revolving around bullying and the principles that our society goes by to help prevent it.
In my opinion, I think that teaching social justice in the classroom is extremely important. I think that students need to be aware of different issues happening in today’s society so that they can help change it. Depending upon the grade level and the severity of the issue, teachers should involve students to the appropriate extent so they can understand it and use their own minds to create ideas or solutions. We as future teachers need to decide whether or not we want to teach social justice and how it will affect our students. Personally, I want my students to be aware of social conflicts so they can come together as a community and help make positive changes.
I agree with the quote regarding the struggle for social justice because I do not think that many elementary teachers take the time to discuss different types of social justice with their students. Teachers do not have to spend a whole social studies lesson on social justice, but taking a few minutes away from their planning can really impact these young minds and make a difference.
In my opinion, I think that teaching social justice in the classroom is extremely important. I think that students need to be aware of different issues happening in today’s society so that they can help change it. Depending upon the grade level and the severity of the issue, teachers should involve students to the appropriate extent so they can understand it and use their own minds to create ideas or solutions. We as future teachers need to decide whether or not we want to teach social justice and how it will affect our students. Personally, I want my students to be aware of social conflicts so they can come together as a community and help make positive changes.
I agree with the quote regarding the struggle for social justice because I do not think that many elementary teachers take the time to discuss different types of social justice with their students. Teachers do not have to spend a whole social studies lesson on social justice, but taking a few minutes away from their planning can really impact these young minds and make a difference.
Service Learning Project
1A.
A critical attribute is a teaching strategy that focuses on transmitting the procedural knowledge of identifying the essential elements of a concept so that the students do not form inaccurate concepts. For the topic of bullying it is simple. Making students aware of what a bully looks like, knowing the signs of somebody who is being bullied and how to take action. You want children or adults who see bullying alert an adult and get the bullied and the bullier the help they need. You want to be aware at all times of what you are saying. Sometime people think it is funny to hurt others but it's not. The first way to stop bullying is to take action against it. To speak out against it. A great focus in 2012 is cyber bullying, which unfortunatly is the most difficult to see and stop. Children, teens and young adults want to be smart about what their doing online and on their phones.Firs you want to always think about what you post or say before you act. Don't share things that can hurt anybody else, or say things to hurt other people or to embarrass them."What seems funny or innocent at the time could be used against you. You do not have complete control over what others forward or post." Most websites offer privacy settings and it is important for you to be aware of what you are sharing and what you don't want shared.
As important as it for children, teens and young adults to monitor themselves and take responsibility for their own actions its equally important for parents to be aware of what is doing on. stopbullying.gov is an official U.S. Government Web site managed by the Department of Health & Human Services in partnership with the Department of Education and Department of Justice. They provide an excellent list of some great ways to to get help if your child is being bullied.
If the bullying gets worse and you need additional help, consider the following if:
Informational Knowledge- For informational knowledge it would first be important to understand what bullying actually is. Bullying is the intentional use of your superiority to intimidate someone who is inferior to you. A person can be bullied because the bully wants them to do something for them or for something about themselves (sexual orientation, race, gender, etc.) Bullying can be done face to face or over the internet. Bullying that is not done face to face is referred to cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is usually done over social networking sites, text messaging or instant messaging.
Procedural Knowledge- Procedural knowledge would be used to bring attention to the fact that bullying is a serious problem that needs to be stopped. Unfortunately bullying is not something that can be ended quickly or easily, but by taking different routes, we can bring attention to the situation. If more people are aware of this issue the closer we will be to ending it completely. Different things that can be done are: creating a petition, creating an anonymous hotline that either bullies or people being bullied can call for someone to talk too, creating an informational booth at a school fair or town fundraiser, discussing the bullying policies at different schools and providing information to school officials or by creating a social networking site.
To teach people about this topic it would be broken down into different concepts: what bullying is, the different types of bullying and how it can be prevented.
1B. There are variety of service learning projects that our group has read about regarding the topic bullying. After considering the different options, we have decided to create a binder. Creating a binder can show a variety of different ways to help prevent bullying within the school systems. We will include a variety of brochures regarding bullying and what the community can do as a whole to help get rid of it. Within this binder, there will be infomation regarding different people and places to get in touch with to discuss bullying and how to prevent it. It is important to collect as much information as possible to put into the binder so that our peers and other people can learn from it and go out on their own and make a difference. There are many different websites that we can go to that gives different ways to help prevent bullying and get our community involved. We can use these websites to create AD's within our binder for people to read and respond. We are looking foward to calling a few different elementary schools to discuss the topic of bullying with them and take note of their policies and the consequences for it.
Ditson Elementary School
39 Cook St Billerica, MA 01821
(978) 436-9530
Pierce Elementary School
85 Park Avenue Ext Arlington, MA 02474 (781) 316-3736
Barrows Elementary School
16 Edgemont Avenue. Reading, MA 01867
(781) 942-9166
There are also a variety of websites that people can go on to petition bullying and learn more about it.
Stomp out bullying and cyber bullying
http://www.change.org/petitions/stomp-out-bullying-and-cyberbullying
National Bullying Prevention Center
http://www.pacer.org/bullying/
A critical attribute is a teaching strategy that focuses on transmitting the procedural knowledge of identifying the essential elements of a concept so that the students do not form inaccurate concepts. For the topic of bullying it is simple. Making students aware of what a bully looks like, knowing the signs of somebody who is being bullied and how to take action. You want children or adults who see bullying alert an adult and get the bullied and the bullier the help they need. You want to be aware at all times of what you are saying. Sometime people think it is funny to hurt others but it's not. The first way to stop bullying is to take action against it. To speak out against it. A great focus in 2012 is cyber bullying, which unfortunatly is the most difficult to see and stop. Children, teens and young adults want to be smart about what their doing online and on their phones.Firs you want to always think about what you post or say before you act. Don't share things that can hurt anybody else, or say things to hurt other people or to embarrass them."What seems funny or innocent at the time could be used against you. You do not have complete control over what others forward or post." Most websites offer privacy settings and it is important for you to be aware of what you are sharing and what you don't want shared.
As important as it for children, teens and young adults to monitor themselves and take responsibility for their own actions its equally important for parents to be aware of what is doing on. stopbullying.gov is an official U.S. Government Web site managed by the Department of Health & Human Services in partnership with the Department of Education and Department of Justice. They provide an excellent list of some great ways to to get help if your child is being bullied.
If the bullying gets worse and you need additional help, consider the following if:
| Someone is at immediate risk of harm because of bullying | Call the police 911 |
| Your child is feeling suicidal because of bullying | Contact the suicide prevention hotline  at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) |
| Your child’s teacher is not keeping your child safe from being bullied | Contact local school administrator (principal or superintendent) |
| Your school is not keeping your child safe from being bullied | Contact the State School Department |
| Your child is sick, stressed, not sleeping, or is having other problems because of bullying | Contact your counselor or other health professional |
| Your child is bullied because of their race, ethnicity, or disability and local help is not working to solve the problem | Contact the U.S. Department of Education’s Office on Civil Ri |
Informational Knowledge- For informational knowledge it would first be important to understand what bullying actually is. Bullying is the intentional use of your superiority to intimidate someone who is inferior to you. A person can be bullied because the bully wants them to do something for them or for something about themselves (sexual orientation, race, gender, etc.) Bullying can be done face to face or over the internet. Bullying that is not done face to face is referred to cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is usually done over social networking sites, text messaging or instant messaging.
Procedural Knowledge- Procedural knowledge would be used to bring attention to the fact that bullying is a serious problem that needs to be stopped. Unfortunately bullying is not something that can be ended quickly or easily, but by taking different routes, we can bring attention to the situation. If more people are aware of this issue the closer we will be to ending it completely. Different things that can be done are: creating a petition, creating an anonymous hotline that either bullies or people being bullied can call for someone to talk too, creating an informational booth at a school fair or town fundraiser, discussing the bullying policies at different schools and providing information to school officials or by creating a social networking site.
To teach people about this topic it would be broken down into different concepts: what bullying is, the different types of bullying and how it can be prevented.
- What is bullying? Bullying is when someone is being intentionally harassed by someone. It is aggressive behavior that is unwanted by the person who is receiving it. The behavior is usually repeated over time and there is usually an imbalance between power and strength, meaning that the person being bullied is usually someone who is timid and meek, less likely to tell an adult or stand up for themselves.
- What types of bullying are there? Bullying is broken down into many specific categories: Verbal bullying, bullying through isolation, physical bullying (hitting, kicking, shoving, etc.) bullying through false rumors or lies, being threatened or forced to do something by someone, racial or sexual orientation bullying, and cyber bullying. These categories are types of bullying/ ways that bullying can occur. There are certainly other ways that someone can be bullied, but these are the more common ways.
- Like we stated above, it is more difficult to completely end bullying than it is to bring attention to the issue. There are many different ways that you can bring attention to bullying. For specifically in an elementary school, you could create a bullying awareness week, have a guest speaker come in, make a clear policy for bullying, do a school wide promise to not bully, or create a project that all the students can participate in to bring attention to bullying.
1B. There are variety of service learning projects that our group has read about regarding the topic bullying. After considering the different options, we have decided to create a binder. Creating a binder can show a variety of different ways to help prevent bullying within the school systems. We will include a variety of brochures regarding bullying and what the community can do as a whole to help get rid of it. Within this binder, there will be infomation regarding different people and places to get in touch with to discuss bullying and how to prevent it. It is important to collect as much information as possible to put into the binder so that our peers and other people can learn from it and go out on their own and make a difference. There are many different websites that we can go to that gives different ways to help prevent bullying and get our community involved. We can use these websites to create AD's within our binder for people to read and respond. We are looking foward to calling a few different elementary schools to discuss the topic of bullying with them and take note of their policies and the consequences for it.
Ditson Elementary School
39 Cook St Billerica, MA 01821
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Hi ! It's Alanna and I did my interview with Joshua, my boyfriend. Being a male I thought he might have a different perspective and or understanding on bullying.
Is this a problem that you think is important? Why or Why not?
What do you think other people think of this issue, especially being a male and growing up in public school systems?
A: There is no awareness. People don't do anything until it truly effects them. And you are seeing that now with all the incidents around.
Do you think bullying was always an issue? Do you remember ever being taught or made aware of it when you were younger?
A:It's always been an issue but it was never talked about. I feel like bullying was a part of growing up but now of days kids are taking it over board. And now there are so many more outlets for kids to use to bully. Kids as young as eight and ten have Facebook and they put things out there that they aren't aware hurts people.
Why Do you think children don't speak out?
A: I think fear. They are afraid that they will be made fun of even more. And for some kids its easier to stay in the "bullying bubble" than stand up to your fear.
What do you think schools can do to make children comfortable with coming forward about bullying?
A; More awareness. I think its important to teach at a young age about respect. And I think at a young age there is not enough awareness of the differences in children. There is not elaboration on the understanding of each other. I think if there were more session with parents involvement it would help too.
Do you think your local community does enough to stop and to fight bullying?
A:If there is I don't know anything about it. But I also don't have any children in the school system and am not longer in it. When I went to school there were no specific bullying policies. Just the obvious can't fight, etc. But there was nothing that was written that I can remember.
Is this a problem that you think is important? Why or Why not?
A: Yes. This is a very important problem, more and more you hear about kids that are bullied. And what gets me sad is that some of these kids end up taking their lives. Its very disturbing and very sad to think that kids can be so cruel. I could never imagine being bullied like that and being so down on myself where I wouldn't seek help and I think that is the bigger problem.
What do you think other people think of this issue, especially being a male and growing up in public school systems?
A: There is no awareness. People don't do anything until it truly effects them. And you are seeing that now with all the incidents around.
Do you think bullying was always an issue? Do you remember ever being taught or made aware of it when you were younger?
A:It's always been an issue but it was never talked about. I feel like bullying was a part of growing up but now of days kids are taking it over board. And now there are so many more outlets for kids to use to bully. Kids as young as eight and ten have Facebook and they put things out there that they aren't aware hurts people.
Why Do you think children don't speak out?
A: I think fear. They are afraid that they will be made fun of even more. And for some kids its easier to stay in the "bullying bubble" than stand up to your fear.
What do you think schools can do to make children comfortable with coming forward about bullying?
A; More awareness. I think its important to teach at a young age about respect. And I think at a young age there is not enough awareness of the differences in children. There is not elaboration on the understanding of each other. I think if there were more session with parents involvement it would help too.
Do you think your local community does enough to stop and to fight bullying?
A:If there is I don't know anything about it. But I also don't have any children in the school system and am not longer in it. When I went to school there were no specific bullying policies. Just the obvious can't fight, etc. But there was nothing that was written that I can remember.
RESPONSE:
I really liked interviewing Josh. We are so close and have never really talked about bullying and what it means to me or to him. Being, that I am a teacher I think it is very important and I always thought because he is a guy that maybe he did not take it as serious thinking that boys need to be "tough" but I was very wrong. He was more aware of the situation than i thought and felt the same that there was not enough awareness of the issue and that getting children and parents aware and comfortable with talking about ti was the first issue that needed to get addressed. Being in a technological age it all too real how mean people can be without ever seeing your face. And the ability to hurt people is as simple as clicking a button.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Melissa's Interview
For my interview I interviewed a family friend who is a second grade teacher. Since she has been a teacher for almost 25 years, she has dealt with incidents of bullying before. I sat down with her to ask her some questions regarding the topic and her thoughts.
Is this a problem that you think is important? Why/ Why not?
- I think that bullying is a huge problem these days. It has grown into an issue that is now ending in children taking their own lives to get away from the torture. With the growing of technology and social media people are able to bully and torment their peers anonymously.
- I can't imagine anyone not seeing this as an important problem. At our school, all teachers, faculty and staff realize that this is an issue and are constantly doing whatever we can to prevent this from happening.
- I have had many students that have been bullied. Many of the students were bullied were being bullied by other students in my classroom, so it was easier for me to handle. Fortunately or me, it never escalated into anything where the authorities had to get involved. It was resolved after mediation with the students and their parents.
- The most serious incident that I have had in my classroom is when a young girl with learning disabilities was being teased and left out by the girls in my classroom. It got to a point where she did not want to come to school. Again, it was never something where the authorities had to get involved, but we did have to have a mediation with the parents and students.
- I feel that it is something that needs to be stopped, but I'm not sure will ever be completely stopped. No matter what we do it is something that will always be around so we have to just try and control it. It has become so severe over the past couple of years and I can't believe how terrible it has gotten. As a teacher, I never thought that bullying would become so bad that hundreds of children are taking their lives because of it.
- One of the very first things I teach my students is our no bullying policy. I consider my classroom like a family, and I explain to the kids that no one would treat their family members that way, so no one in the class is to treat each other that way. They learn that there are serious consequences for bullying, and it absolutely will not be tolerated. Our school also makes its no bullying policy very clear to the students.
- Personally, I think our school does an amazing job making the bullying policy known to the students. There are bullying posters placed all over the school as well as quotes and poems about bullying. Our school has a great sense of community and I think that our kids understand how terrible bullying is and the horrible consequences.
- Make sure you address the situation as soon as you hear about it. If you don't, you loose the students trust that approached you with the situation. Do not ever treat it as if it is not a big deal because then the students will not think that it is a big deal.
I really enjoyed interviewing my family friend. I thought it was great to talk to someone who is a teacher in elementary school and hear her thoughts on bullying. It was great to see that her school and everyone within does not treat bullying lightly. I thought it was great how her no bullying policy is introduced right away. I also loved how she compared her classroom to a family with her students. That way the students realize that they would never treat a family member that way, and their classroom is like their second family. I also thought the advice that she gave to future teachers was great.
Jenn's Interview
Interview: I interviewed my boyfriend, John. After interviewing him, I found it interesting that he knew a lot more about bullying than I thought he did. It is amazing to see how people realize that bullying is a serious issue and somehow, it needs to be resolved. John stated that bullying has been going on ever since he was in elementary school, and it is horrible that it is still occuring in school systems today, but more drastically. Hopefully, we as future teachers can figure out a way to really impact students minds and end bullying once and for all.
What are you feelings about bullying?
What are you feelings about bullying?
I think that bullying has increased drastically in the past couple of years. I was shocked when I heard people stating that elementary schools have different levels of bullying happening everyday. It is horrible to see that bullying has been taken to the next level and is now all over the internet.
No. I can remember some times when I saw others being bullied, but I can not recall any times when I was bullied. I may have been, but it was nothing as severe as it is today.
What happened to your classmates when they were bullied?
In some cases, they were sent to the principle and then after about an hour of detention, they were let go.
What was one case of bullying which you witnessed?
When I was in elementary school, I can remember being on the bus when 2 older boys picked on this younger girl until she cried and ended up getting off the bus. I was the only one to stand up for her and sit with her so she felt safe and somewhat comfortable until getting off the bus. I knew she needed a friend and I did not care what other kids thought of me, I just wanted to help her.
Is this problem important?
Yes. Within the past 3 years, children have committed suicide or come close to it because of being bullied in school. If people do not take this matter seriously, then children are not going to want to go to school because they are not comfortable in that environment and it is not safe for them.
Are you aware of the policies in elementary school systems regarding bullying?
I am almost positive that teachers must report incidents that involve bullying and if they do not, then can risk losing their job or something worse.
What do you think the consequence should be for bullying?
I think that students should be expelled depending upon the age. I know that expulsion can not solve everything, but students need to realize that this is a serious matter and it is not to be taken lightly.
Where can I get more information about this problem ?
Research the internet and go into different school systems and compare the different policies.
Friday, January 27, 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27kGfh21GAo
Bullying In Schools with Casey Heynes
A gripping video on what bullying does to children. The different view on bullying in this video opens up a debate: Is it okay to fight back? Does being a bully against a bully make it okay?
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Introduction to Bullying
Melissa's Post
Hi, I'm Melissa! I am interested in bullying because it is something that has become a serious issue in our country. Although bullying has always been around, it seems as if it has become much more intense and torturous than it used to be. Bullying has become something that now has criminal charges, and some bullies are even facing jail time. I became interested in bullying when the story of Phoebe Prince hit the media like wildfire. She was a freshman at South Hadley High School in South Hadley, Massachusetts who was tormented so badly by a group of classmates that she took her own life. The part of this story that intrigued me the most was the fact that many staff members and teachers at Phoebe's school knew what was going on and did nothing about it. Some of the attacks on Phoebe were done in front of staff members. They could have saved Phoebe's life. There are hundreds of lives that could have been saved from bullying if someone would speak up. I feel passionately about bullying and I hope that someday I can help young students realize that speaking up about bullying is the right thing to do.
The link that we chose for this post was for the Stop Bullying website. We thought that this link would be great for our initial post because it is a reference that everyone can use. It is broken down for anyone who would want to check out the website: young kids, teenagers, young adults, parents and even educators. It provides advice for people being bullied and even for bullies. There is a great section on recent news involving bullying.
http://www.stopbullying.gov/
I am Melissa and I believe that there should be laws in all 50 states for bullying. It should absolutely not be tolerated and there should be serious repercussions for people who disobey the laws. I think that the consequences for bullying should range depending on the seriousness of the situation. I think that bullying has been pushed under the rug as something not important for far too long and it is time to change that. By exposing the ugly truths of bullying people will see the seriousness of this issue and realize that it is time to take a stand.
Alanna's Post
Hi, I am Alanna and I researched the federal policies for anti-bullying in the United States. I was surprised to find that there are no federal laws for anti-bullying. However, each state has the right to its own legislation. There are forty six that have anti-bullying laws. Thirty Six have a provisions dedicated towards cyber bullying.
In a press release from the Department Of Education in December of 2011 analyzing each states policy and laws on bullying, "The report shows the prevalence of state efforts to combat bullying over the last several years. From 1999 to 2010, more than 120 bills were enacted by state legislatures from across the country to either introduce or amend statutes that address bullying and related behaviors in schools. Twenty-one new bills were enacted in 2010 and eight additional bills were signed into law through April 30, 2011." This study done by the D.O.E basically takes each states policy and gives out criteria on how to combat bullying.
Like I said, I was surprised to find that there was no federal legislation for anti-bullying. Also, more amazing is the fact that there was not any laws anywhere before 1999. It wasn't until Columbine that states decided to act to bullying. Bullying is a terrible act to commit and no one should be subjected to any instance of bullying. Hopefully with new laws being formed, there will be less bullying. As a teacher, I want to promote respect and cooperation in class. As a younger teacher I am aware of the new form of bullying, cyber bullying. I hope that each state can put together new laws stopping such acts. As the world turns towards technology the chances for children to be bullied continues to increase alarmingly.
Jenn’s Post
Hi, I’m Jenn. I am interested in bullying because over the past couple of years, bullying has become a bigger issues within elementary, middle, and even high schools. When I was in elementary school, I vaguely remember bullying taking place as often as it does today. It occurred on various occasions, but not consistently. The way students bully other students today is horrifying. I can remember my classmates making fun of someone because of the way they dressed, or making fun of someone for wearing glasses, but nothing was ever done about it. In elementary schools today, bullying has been taken to a whole new level. Students are more afraid than ever to go to school because they fear their classmates. Within the past few years, there has been more suicide attempts because of bullying.
In 2010, The Department of Education issued guidance to support educators to attempt to demolish bullying in schools by clarifying when student bullying violates federal education anti-discrimination laws. School officials were warned that if bullying was to occur at their school, they must report it to their supervisors who then take it to the next level if appropriate. If they fail to do so, they could violate civil rights violations and lose their jobs as educators. As I previously stated, the Federal Branch is the current branch of government working with this issue. There is involvement with the Obama Administration to help with this issue, but current information shows that bullying is currently in the hands of the Federal Government.
In my opinion, bullying is the number one problem within school systems today. Up until recently, bullying was not taken seriously and unfortunately, lives were taken or close to be taken because of this. They way which students feel they can harass and abuse other students physically and emotional is baffling. Hopefully, we as future teachers can change this, abolish bullying in our school systems, and help dozens of students.
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