Welcome to Angelina and Eva's Social Responsibility Blog!

NPBS symbol

The Network of Performance Based Schools symbol is this circle of stones found in New Zealand. I've tried to find out the symbolism, but to no avail. They remind me of the Diversity Wheel.

Network of Performance Based Schools

(This is republished from my Democratic Education blog)
My school, Red Bluff-Lhtako Elementary, has been a part of the Network of Performance Based Schools for the past four years. Our focus is social responsibility. I have seen a great sense of community evolve in the school over that time.
Here is an outline of what the Network is about. When I read through this outline, some words that we use regularly in our class popped out at me.

The Network of Performance Based Schools is a voluntary action research community designed to improve student learning and to strengthen public education.
Network schools represent the diversity of public education in BC with small remote rural schools, large urban secondary schools, schools serving vulnerable populations, and schools in affluent communities all being part of this learning community. Network schools use teacher developed and validated classroom based performance standards in reading, writing, numeracy, and social responsibility. Schools in the Network share a number of common characteristics and commitments:
Teamwork – a willingness to work in their own school as teacher-principal teams on behalf of their learners and families.
Interdependence – a willingness to work with and on behalf of all interested schools in BC.
Inquiry – an interest in developing and collectively pursuing significant learning improvement questions in depth and over time.
Assessment – a belief in the central importance of individual and classroom assessment evidence as a powerful change force.
Public Communication – an acted upon belief in telling change stories honestly with both qualitative and quantitative evidence sources.
Depth of Thinking – a commitment to going deeper by asking themselves increasingly challenging questions about practice.
Sustained Thinking – an understanding that realizing genuine learning gains requires time, focused work, reflection, and on-going commitment.
Connecting Ideas- pursuing over time and changing circumstances, connections among literacy, mathematical problem solving, citizenship and other areas of disciplined thought.Metacognition – using knowledge about learning to strengthen thinking
Use of Evidence – a commitment to using clear evidence patterns to illustrate and describe improvement.
(* retrieved from the NPBS.ca website)

If you are interested in reading more about the Network of Performance Based Schools, visit their website here. You will find a list of all the schools that are involved in the Network, their stories and goals, as well as ways of getting involved in the Network.

Reader's Theatre

Thanks to Rose for lurking :) and passing on this link for reader's theatre ideas for the children's picture book Chrysanthemum.

Random Acts of Kindness website

WHY PRACTICE KINDNESS AND ORGANIZE KINDNESS EVENTS?
(retrieved from The Random Acts of Kindness website)

KINDNESS INCLUDES EVERYONE.
Kindness crosses all those distinctions that we sometimes place among ourselves — distinctions of race, religion, culture, gender, age. Students learn that kindness is a language that everyone understands. Through kindness, we celebrate diversity.
KINDNESS IMPROVES STUDENTS’ SELF-ESTEEM AND THE SCHOOL CLIMATE.
Whether academically proficient or not, students are given a way to excel through kindness, and excel they do. One teacher said that a few students who appeared to be headed down destructive paths were turned around due to the increased self-esteem and positive involvement that the school’s kindness program offered them. Other teachers have said that students are more willing to participate in class when they know that ridicule of their answers will not be tolerated. Thus, the learning environment is enhanced.
KINDNESS IS EMPOWERING.
Kindness is one of the most powerful interpersonal tools that we, as human beings, use to connect with one another. When we sense someone’s need, we either choose to help in some way… or we choose not to. If we act from empathy, we will offer kindness, and in that moment a surprising, gracious, humanitarian connection is made. This is the positive power that each of us — including children — possesses. During difficult times, kindness propels students into action and gives them power when they feel powerless. They can do something to improve the world.
KINDNESS HELPS STUDENTS CONNECT ACTIONS WITH CONSEQUENCES.
Students are almost always positively reinforced when they are kind to others. They see the gratitude of the recipient; they hear the “thank you.” They know that they made a difference.
KINDNESS IS A VITAL, LIFELONG, INTERPERSONAL SKILL.
Students will use kindness daily in their relationships at home, at work, and in the community. Kindness is an awareness that each of us develops with practice and over time. Through the kindness we give and receive, we begin to understand that we are intrinsically connected to those around us. We realize that we are part of a human community, in which giving and receiving kindness are vital to our health, harmony, and hope. Our children deserve to learn and experience this life skill of kindness… and so do we all. Let kindness flow!
— Your friends at The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation

Click on this link to go to The Random Acts of Kindness website now.

Good character website

www.goodcharacter.com is a terrific website. They have teacher's guides, writing activites, videos to order, questionnaires, value discussion questions and more on: Trustworthiness• Respect• Responsibility• Fairness• Caring• Citizenship• Honesty• Courage• Diligence• Integrity

Just click on the value above to take a look!

Lyrics for songs teaching social responsibility

Here are some links to songs that could teach social responsibility.
Please comment if you think of any others.

Crazy by Simple Plan
Where is the Love? by Black Eyed Peas
One by U2
Everybody's Free (to wear sunscreen) by Baz Luhrmann
So Much Trouble in the World by Bob Marley

Actually, many of U2's songs teach about being globally responsible. So does Bob Marley.

Anyone know how I can get an audio clip on my blog? I'm going to try tomorrow.

Operation Respect: Don't Laugh At Me

The link to this website is on the sidebar, or go to:
http://dontlaugh.org/

How do we create a classroom of social responsibility?

Can this place be created or should a place like a classroom be void of social responsiblities? Do we teachers have the right or the responsibilities to create this classroom? How do we go about this if it is our responsibility? These are tough questions to answer but they can be a starting point for further discussion.
Eva