MY HERO Learning Circle
by by Wendy Jewell, The Schoolers
by Wendy Jewell, The Schoolers
Grade Level
K-4, 5-8, 9-12+
Subject
Arts - Media, Arts - Visual, English/Language Arts, Social Studies
The MY HERO Project, in partnership with iEARN's Learning Circles, brings together students and teachers from diverse parts of the world to collaborate on the topic of heroism through writing, digital art and/or short films.
There are two sessions per school year, each lasting 4 months. These interactive sessions allow kids to discover not only who or what inspires them, but also who or what is a hero to someone halfway around the world. Over the 16-week session, circles, made up of between 6-9 classes from around the world, exchange class surveys, welcome packets and ideas about heroism over the Internet and through the mail. There are weekly missives from the MY HERO Learning Circle facilitator to keep everyone on track and working towards completion of their own hero stories, art or short films. When finished, everyone has a chance to share each other's work and share their thoughts about each other's heroes.
A common reaction from teachers taking part in this project is, "everyone learned so much about each other's heroes, cultures, beliefs, food, music, lifestyles and countries." Here are some comments about the MY HERO Learning Circle from teachers who have participated:
Lillian from Lishan High School in Taipei, Taiwan:
"It really gave them a sense of accomplishment when they saw their works published on the myhero.com website. I can still recall how they presented their works with pride. Through these works, they not only share with the world their heroes but also leave something which they can reminisce about as they look back on their high school days."
Lishan High School ECREATE page
Debbie Senger, from Notre Dame Elementary in Alberta, Canada:
"Our class of twenty-seven students decided to take part in a World Wide Learning Circle adventure. The MY HERO Project spoke to me as a teacher and I felt my class would learn about what it means to be a hero. The students chose a wide variety of heroes right from family members to members of our own class. This has been an uplifting experience for us all and I am very proud of the results."
Click here to view the GOOD NEWS segment on the MY HERO Learning Circle project on Global TV.
Notre Dame Elementary ECREATE page
Dadhiram Khanal, Principal from Kathmandu, Nepal:
"Participation in this project has broadened students' horizons and knowledge. They have come to realize how important the computer is in today’s world for learning. Our school is in a rural area, where students had not even seen a computer, let alone used it."
HVP-Thali ECREATE page
Jennifer Collison, Bullock Creek High School, Michigan, USA:
"After a classmate lost his battle with cancer, our class was able to rediscover heroism, both personally and globally. Collaborating within The MY HERO Project helped us to heal and to reconnect with our faith."
Bullock Creek High School ECREATE page
Farnoush from the Mashar High School in Tehran, Iran:
"We loved participating in this project. We have learnt a lot and enjoyed our new relations. We realized that each person can have more than one hero and learning from different people is exciting."
Mashar High School ECREATE page
THE SCHOOLERS, a homeschooling group from Canada participated in the MY HERO Learning Circle with 12 other classes from Belarus, Poland, USA, Australia, Uzbekestan, Egypt, Israel, Lithuania, India and Nepal. Click here to view some of their written stories and here to view a short film from the same group--PAINTING PEACE.
