An Inclusive World

I just finished reading Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin and I have to say it is a must read. Greg Mortenson is a living example of someone who possesses the philosophical perspective of a social reconstructivist who believes in an inclusive world.

Three Cups of Tea is the story of a failed American mountaineer, Greg Mortenson, who ends up in an impoverished Pakistan village. (There is an adult version of the book, a young adult version of the book, and a picture book all available.) Moved by the kindness of the inhabitants he makes a promise to return and build a school for the uneducated children of the Karakoram village. As of today he has built 78 schools.

Mortenson describes a situation where he is trying to get funding for the school project and sends out 580 letters to celebrities. He only receives $100.00 from Tom Brokaw but somehow a group of elementary school children from River Falls, Wisconsin hear about his project. These elementary students begin collecting pennies for the project which they named Pennies for Peace and donate $623.40 which then inspires adults to begin making donations.

This is what teaching children about an inclusive world looks likes in a classroom or a school. It is children learning empathy for others and making a difference one penny at a time.

Visit http://www.threecupsoftea.com/ to learn more about this incredible story of social inclusion in action.

Extra Credit Opportunity

The monthly The Brownbag Series on Diversity is in LSF 144 this Wednesday, March 25, at noon.

Jodi James, the Disability Services Coordinator at PNC, will present "Diversity in Disability," which will look at the diversity of characteristics and effects caused by various disabilities that are seen in higher education classrooms. Students within various disability categories have unique characteristics that follow them into the classroom. Jodi will look at these effects and how they can be accommodated so that a student's knowledge is not filtered through their disability. Students and faculty both can learn why certain students are accommodated and how these accommodations work to bring students with disabilities to the same level as their peers.

This extra credit assignment is worth 10 points.

Portfolios

The education department recently made a decision to discontinue the portfolios. You will not need to create a portfolio or add to your portfolio if you created one in block I.

Have you filled out your FAFSA?

Deadline: March 10, 2009

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (or FAFSA) is a form that students (and their families) can complete online, and is used to calculate their eligibility for financial aid. While certain types of federal aid (Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, etc.) can be included in a student's financial aid package regardless of when the form is filed, there is a deadline to maintain eligibility for certain Indiana aid programs (Frank O'Bannon Grant, 21st Century Scholars, etc.). These State grants, which do not need to be repaid, could amount to as much as $6,012 for the 2009-2010 academic year (approximately 30% of the total cost of attending PNC), depending upon a student's need.

Last year, only 35% of PNC students filed their FAFSA before the Indiana deadline. Essentially, two-thirds of PNC students passed up "free money" from the state, relying instead upon either off-campus employment or loans that will represent a lingering debt whether they complete a degree or not.

EXTRA CREDIT Opportunity

If you would like to earn 10 extra credit points here is an opportunity for you.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Tech 214
1:30-2:30 p.m.

Watch block V students do reader theatre performances. Provide the performers with feedback by completing a feedback form and sharing your opinion of their performance.

Please leave your name on this post if you are interested in this opportunity.

Mid Semester Celebration

Come celebrate making it half way through the semester!!! Let's show our support to Graham Smith, Dave Farris and Dr. Pratt other wise known as Common Denominator- Sunday night March 8, 2009 at 6:oo p.m. at Buffalo Wild Wings in Valparaiso- show starts at 7:30 p.m. in the basement.

Behavior Contracts

I have included some websites you may find helpful in creating or deciding on a behavior contract that you might use as a classroom teacher
http://specialed.about.com/cs/behaviordisorders/a/behavcontract.htm
http://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Sample_Classroom_Behavior_Contracts
http://www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/interventions/behavior/behcontr.php
http://k6educators.about.com/cs/classroommanageme3/a/createcontract.htm