Today we did a couple of "getting to know you" activities in your defined groups. Students are assigned to 3 different groups (Cobalt, Denim and Navy), and the groups are comprised of students from all our participating schools (Clark Lane/Waterford, Dual Language Academy/New London, Montville High School/Montville, Preston Plains Middle School/Preston, Regional Multicultural Magnet School/LEARN, and Teachers Memorial Middle School/Norwich). We discussed how appearances and points of view can affect our preconceived notions. Oftentimes what may appear and seem obvious is, in fact, something completely different. Take the case of the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. Listening to the story from the perspective of the wolf makes you consider that he's not so bad after all. In the case of the gift box, how many times have you judged someone or something by appearances? First impressions often do not take into consideration all factors. The moral here...to give people a chance and not jump to conclusions by their appearance, their culture, or what you may think about them without getting to know them. Sometimes we have to put ourselves in another person's situation and consider what he or she is thinking or feeling. We learned about podcasts and blogs and some of their uses. One important to thing to remember about blogs is to be cautious about what is posted. Some important rules include the following:
First names only...no last names, school names or addresses.
Do not link to a personal blog/journal from your school blog; you might reveal information on there that you don't want to reveal on your school blog.
Your opinions should not be offensive. Don't disrespect anyone or anything, whether a person, organization or just a general idea.
No profanity
Keep your posting/commenting education oriented.
Don't write about other people in a negative way. Again, first names only.
Use facts in your writing.
Always make sure you check over your post for spelling errors, grammar errors, and your use of words.
We will be developing blogs and podcasts during the course of this program.
