For our first lesson, I chose the topic of cyber bullying from standard 3, dealing with ethics. This lesson produced lively discussions and many positive comments from teachers concerning students' engagement and reactions.
I was intrigued by a recent blog post from Billings Beta on the topic "The Hurt Square." So, I borrowed the idea and created a bulletin board so students could react to a scenario. The scenario is that a friend posted a photograph of you with him at the age of six, running through a sprinkler wearing cowboy hats, and nothing else. Is this intentional or unintentional hurting, and to what degree is this embarrassing or hurtful to you? Here are the results in the photograph below.
Most students thought it would be hurtful to see this photo posted, though most also thought it was unintentional. Only a few thought it was totally intentional. And, even fewer thought it it would be not hurtful or embarrassing at all. To my surprise and delight, students are asking for the next scenario! When middle school students voluntarily participate in something, it makes you feel somewhat successful. My plan is to use a different color dot for each scenario until it runs it course. I will post another photo of the end results.
"The Hurt Square." Beta Billing/Notes from the Tech Lab http://www.billingsmiddleschool.org/beta/2010/10/05/the-hurt-square/
