Contact Us | Member Log In | Shopping Cart | Site Map

Humane Edge E-News June 2009


Humane Edge Logo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11 TIPS FOR CREATING YOUR OWN HUMANE EDUCATION PROGRAM

Zoe Weil with class of studentsOne of the most powerful ways to help create a humane world is by engaging students in thinking critically and creatively about humane issues. But how do you go about doing that? One way is to start your own humane education program, giving presentations and teaching classes and workshops in schools and similar venues. There are several regional humane education programs in the U.S. and abroad, focused on introducing young people to the impacts of their choices and the power they have to create a just, compassionate, sustainable world. Interested in doing the same? Here are 11 tips for helping you develop your own humane education program.

  1. Make sure it’s right for you. Do you like and understand kids? Can you handle the chaos of a classroom atmosphere? Are you friendly and approachable, with a sense of humor? Are you ready for the uncertainty and bustle of giving six presentations in one day and none at all the next week? Do you feel comfortable guiding students through explorations of a variety of issues? Can you compassionately cope with strong emotions and conflict? Does the thought of being teacher, counselor, marketer, sociologist, philosopher, networker and office manager appeal to you? These are all essential elements of a humane educator who’s going to be working with youth.
  2. Learn your way around the education world. There are a whole slew of standards, policies, political hoops and teacher skills that it can really benefit you to know. If your only experience with education is your own schooling, consider visiting several schools, talking to teachers and principles, and taking some time to learn the ropes. You may want to take more formal courses, such as our Sowing Seeds Online course or even our Certificate program to help you gain knowledge, skills and confidence in speaking and working with students, parents, teachers and administrators.
  3. Educate yourself about the issues. You wouldn’t teach a foreign language without knowing it well. Be sure that you’re reading a variety of authors and perspectives, learning about the connections among humane issues, and keeping updated on news and changes in these areas. You could also volunteer for one or more non-profit groups to help increase your knowledge and experience.
  4. Choose your audience and format. What grades/ages will you focus on?  Public school programs? After school programs? Churches? Will you be creating a special summer camp? Teaching home schoolers? Will you offer one-shot presentations or a series on certain topics, or both?
  5. Create an age-appropriate core curriculum. Decide what few topics would best fit both your own strengths, expertise and interests and the interests of your audience (and their teachers) and then choose or create a core set of presentations. Be sure that your presentations offer the 4 elements of humane education, and that they’re lively, interactive, respectful and positive. There are plenty of activities available to use or adapt (such as IHE’s humane education activities), and a variety of relevant resources that can enhance your teaching, such as videos (be sure they’re appropriate). Once you’re confident, comfortable and successful with your handful of programs, you can then consider adding a few new ones, based on current events or the interests of students/teachers. If you look at the presentations that the regional programs offer, you’ll see that they stick to a solid core that covers a variety of topics.
  6. Determine the details. What are you going to call your program? (something that’s clear, inviting, positive and marketable –- and make sure that it’s not already taken) How often do you want to give presentations and to what age groups? What kinds of promotional items are you going to create to market yourself (brochures, business cards, website, etc.)? Are you going to charge money? Are you going to connect your programs to state standards? Are you willing to offer additional post-presentation resources, such as lists of suggested books and websites or extension lesson plans? How will you evaluate the success of your program? Be sure to address all those little details that can make or break your program.
  7. Practice practice practice. Practice your public speaking. Have friends and colleagues help you role-play addressing conflict or challenging questions. Hold mock conversations with “teachers” and “administrators” to woo them into inviting you to their school. Give your presentations/lesson plans to a safe audience of supporters and have them give feedback. Videotape yourself and watch for ways to improve. Just like you’re now a pro at tying your shoes and driving your car, you’ll become a pro humane educator by practicing frequently.
  8. Make connections. Whom do you already know who might be able to help you connect with schools? Also think about which schools and teachers are more likely to be open to humane education presentations: Alternative or magnet schools? Home school groups? Social studies, health & science instructors? Language arts? Speech and communications? Librarians? Consider not just an email or letter to the selected teachers and principle at a school; make an appointment to visit in-person, so that they can get to know you, and so that you can let them know why your program is such a plus for them. (Developing some talking points about the benefits really helps.) Once you’ve given presentations for some teachers, you can ask them to recommend you to others.
  9. Focus on flexibility. Are your programs age-adaptable? What if your audience of 20 becomes an audience of 80? You’re speaking to elementary kids as well as college students? You were promised 60 minutes but they’ve only given you 30? Flexibility is an essential element of a successful humane education program. Work to be well-prepared and organized, so that you can handle any situation with calm, confidence and compassion.
  10. Get support. There are already many humane educators teaching in their schools and communities. Connect with them for tips, suggestions and advice. Also focus on getting support from people in your own community, to help you practice, to provide you with leads, to share their skills in helping your program become a success.
  11. Go for it! It can be scary and intimidating to launch a humane education program, but once you’ve done the preparation, don’t let your concern over not being good or ready enough stop you. The only way you’re really going to get good at this is to do it. So, take a deep breath and begin!

For more in-depth information about starting your own humane education program,

 

back2top

 

 

WHAT IS EDUCATION FOR?

 

Teacher and class with hands raised

What is the true purpose of education? IHE President Zoe Weil has a guest post at The Good Human blog outlining her thoughts about what schooling is for. Here's an excerpt:

"I believe that it’s time to shift the purpose of schooling from the narrow goal of educating for existing jobs –- whether as factory workers or business owners, farmers or engineers, nurses or physicists –- and expand our vision of what schooling can and should achieve. I believe we must educate young people so that they have the skills and desire to re-imagine and re-create systems in business, food production, construction, healthcare, transportation, law, politics, energy, etc., so that these new systems are healthy, humane, sustainable, just, and peaceful. We must provide students, in age appropriate ways, with the knowledge, tools, and motivation to become conscious choicemakers and engaged changemakers for a peaceful, sustainable, and humane world for all."

Zoe, along with artist and author Robert Shetterly, will be offering a presentation and discussion about the topic of what education is for at an event on Thursday, June 18, at 7:30 pm, at the Bay School in Blue Hill, Maine. 

Zoe says, “We should be examining the fundamental goals of schooling in these rapidly changing and uncertain times. If we're serious about preparing young people for their future, teachers and schools need to be actively involved in providing the knowledge, tools, and motivation so that students can be engaged in the creation not only of healthy lives, but also of a sustainable, peaceful, and humane world through whatever careers or jobs they pursue.”

The event will be recorded and broadcast by the local radio station, WERU, (co-sponsor of the event) and will be available as an archive on their website. 

 

 back2top

 

THE GDP: GREAT DEAL? OR GROSSLY DESTRUCTIVE?


Bar graph climbing upwardRegardless of the state of the U.S. economy (scarier than a slasher film or riding the roller coaster up another high), discussing issues of economic health and how we measure it are always relevant to students.

Like many other countries, the U.S. measures its economic health primarily by the GDP.

The GDP (gross domestic product) is “the total market value of all final goods and services produced in a country in a given year, equal to total consumer, investment and government spending, plus the value of exports, minus the value of imports.” It doesn’t include income earned abroad. Source: InvestorWords.com

The GNP (gross national product) is the GDP plus “the income accruing to domestic residents as a result of investments abroad, minus the income earned in domestic markets accruing to foreigners abroad.” Source: InvestorWords.com

The primary impetus with the GDP and GNP are growth, growth, growth. Most people believe that economic growth is good, and healthy, and desirable.

But, what counts as economic growth?

A 1995 article from the magazine The Atlantic, “If the GDP is Up, Why is America Down?” (old, but still very relevant) explores the impact of the GDP on U.S. society and offers suggested alternatives for measuring its health and well-being. As the article says,

"The GDP is simply a gross measure of market activity, of money changing hands. It makes no distinction whatsoever between the desirable and the undesirable, or costs and gain. On top of that, it looks only at the portion of reality that economists choose to acknowledge -- the part involved in monetary transactions. The crucial economic functions performed in the household and volunteer sectors go entirely unreckoned. As a result the GDP not only masks the breakdown of the social structure and the natural habitat upon which the economy -- and life itself -- ultimately depends; worse, it actually portrays such breakdown as economic gain."

Divorce? Up goes the GDP. Oil spill? Up it goes. Cancer? War? Crime? Layoffs? Environmental destruction? Up it goes.

Certainly some type and amount of economic growth is necessary, but there are some people who believe that there need to be different, better ways to measure the health and well-being of our society. They advocate using “alternative progress indicators,” focusing on the value of things like volunteering, good health, happiness, sustainability, safety, etc. Two examples include the highly-lauded Genuine Progress Indicator created by Redefining Progress and the widely-reproduced regional indicators used by Sustainable Seattle.

Much attention has also been given to the concept of “Gross National Happiness” promulgated by the country of Bhutan, which focuses on happiness and well-being as essential indicators of the country’s health and wealth.

Two video resources that can help spark discussion about the GDP include a brief video PSA produced by Adbusters, and a video featuring Robert Kennedy’s speech 40+ years ago challenging the way Americans measure wealth and progress, created by the Glaser Progress Foundation. (You can also find several suggested articles about the GDP and alternative economic indicators on Glaser’s website.)

IHE offers a free downloadable activity about the GDP: Is What's Good for the GDP Good for Me? (PDF) that increases student awareness about the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and what it measures, introduces them to alternative indicators and encourages critical thinking about what factors contribute to a healthy, sustainable, stable economy. (It's recommended for grades 8 and up and takes about 60-90 minutes.)

In this time of economic uncertainty, it's important that we think critically (and help students to do the same) about how our money is being used and how "growth" is determined, and that we search for tools that accurately reflect, reveal and support the kind of healthy, humane, sustainable world we want.

 

 back2top


YOUR PLANET NEEDS YOU: WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

World Environment Day logoJune 5 is World Environment Day, a United Nations' annual campaign to spark worldwide awareness of environmental challenges and the actions we can take to create positive change. The website includes suggested tips, video clips, global initiatives (such as planting trees), other resources, and a listing of cities around the world who are hosting activities. Find out more.

 

 back2top

 

FEATURED ACTIVITY: NOT SO FAIR AND BALANCED: ANALYZING MEDIA BIAS

 Cover of magazine

We know that prejudice and bias continue to infuse themselves throughout society. We know that we pick up our biases from sources like friends and family. But media -- movies, TV, advertising, news -- also has a huge influence, especially because media contains its own bias. This lesson plan helps high school students take a closer look at prejudices, the biases that media contains and perpetuates (such as in what is/isn't reported on, or how particular genders or ethnicities are portrayed), and the ways we are influenced by those media biases.

Download Not So Fair and Balanced. (pdf)

 

 

 back2top

 


FEATURED RESOURCE: USING IMAGES & ADS TO EXPLORE HUMANE ISSUES


Magazine ad in front of woman's faceWhen exploring issues related to human rights, the environment, animal protection, and culture, images can be a powerful tool. We can learn a lot about ourselves and our values from how we respond to and what we notice (or don’t notice) in images.


Two terrific resources for making use of images in exploring humane issues are Sociological Images and Gender Ads.com.


Sociological Images posts (primarily) images, videos and graphs, along with frequent commentary, “for use in sociology (and related) classes.” The site focuses on numerous topics related to culture, from the way men, women and people from different ethnic groups are portrayed, to body image issues to violence to consumerism to politics. Many of the images and videos are from ads, and examples from a variety of decades and countries are represented. Recent posts that have caught my eye include one about "in" and "out" groups and one about the hyper-consumerism surrounding babies, children and tweens.

Posts are organized by topic (look for the “select tag” drop down menu), so that browsers can see all the posts related to issues of interest — everything from objectification to race and ethnicity to health to animals/nature to children/youth. Some of the images are pretty explicit, so don’t browse this at work or when younger kids are around.

There are some really amazing and horrifying examples here — great conversation starters, eye openers and arrgghhh! inducers. A useful tool for sparking discussion on a variety of humane topics.

Another helpful resource, which deals strictly with advertising images related to gender is Gender Ads.com. The site (which is no longer updated) has organized ads by general concept (females in ads, males in ads, objectification, etc.) and also by dozens of specific themes (nagging, dehumanizing, violence, parts, power, etc.). The site uses ads from a variety of countries and time periods, and many of the images are only appropriate for an older audience. The site could be more user-friendly, and some of the ads are difficult to see (especially older ones that have been scanned), but there is still a lot here worth exploring, especially when you tie it in with other resources.

 

Image courtesy of mauren veras via Creative Commons.

 back2top

 


FEATURED STUDENT: SOPHIA ERLSTEN

 

Sophia ErlstenAs a child, Sophia fell in love with the natural world. She says "I experienced nature as if it were a friend that I could visit with every day." When Sophia learned about IHE's M.Ed. program from a Sowing Seeds Workshop she attended, she fell in love with a career in humane education. Now she dreams about founding a K-12 school that would "help students develop their compassion, responsibility, action and leadership."

 

Read more about Sophia.

 

 

 

 back2top




email email spacer print print spacer post to del.icio.us del.icio.us