1st week completed! For some reason it was the longest week I've ever experienced. The students have settled into their routines and we're starting to "get to work" in all three classes: Global Studies, Modern Problems and Civics. Students in Global Studies are starting with the Industrial Revolution. On Thursday we had an in-class activity where part of the class made football flippers in a cottage industry setting and the others in a factory environment. It was a great strategy and the kids did enjoy it. In Modern Problems the classes are watching "Sick Around the World" and are delving into the issue of healthcare reform. The discussions have been fantastic and it's refreshing to hear students voice their opinions and ask questions. I theorize that by the time we're done with this particular issue the students will know more about healthcare reform than their parents do. In Civics we have deviated from the normal lesson plans and instead are starting with local government instead of federal. Students are learning about civic responsibility and duty and also the functions of their local governments. In order to instill a greater sense of civic duty we are requiring each student to sign up for one of four possible community service projects: graffiti removal, city-wide clean up day, book drive, or creating podcasts of local area veterans. Initially the instructors had hoped each student or group of students would design their own community service project, but unfortunately we were having difficulty getting them motivated and focused at the local level. Therefore, the two instructors and myself decided we would have to "push" them towards the four projects we felt could be accomplished in a relatively short amount of time and have an impact at the local level. Each students will form into groups and then discuss what each person's role is going to be, how the project will be put into motion, who will benefit, and all other logistics. Ialong with the two instructors will act as a facilitator for one of the groups - in my case it's the book drive project. It will be intersting to see how well the students organize themselves and if the projects will be successful. We're especially excited about the podcasting project and the goal we're shooting for is to have the podcasts completed prior to Veterans Day.

Soon I'll be starting to lead lessons and I very excited to get started --