Morality and Politics of Justice Project Brainstorm

Today's Modified Schedule

8:25-9:10           1st period
9:13-9:58            2nd period
10:01-10:31   All School Meeting (Commons)
10:34-11:19         3rd period
11:21-12:06          4th period

Announcement: SAT/ACT Prep class opportunity!

Starter

What is more important to you about Animas's educational model?  Hands-on projects or college-preparation?  Why?  Is this a FALSE dichotomy and if so, how can we do both well?

Agenda

Morality and Politics of Justice  Project Brainstorm!

1.  Why am I considering switching things up this year for this project?!

• YOUR feedback
• Desire to do real work that is meaningful to the community beyond the four walls of this classroom and to bring about justice in a legit way.
• I really want to get you all to apply these philosophies to something real and to do the deep thinking necessary to be critical thinkers and engaged citizens who can not only take an informed/educated stand and articulate yourself beautifully but also feel like you have the ability to make change and solve real problems.
• Concern that my usual project idea and the way class has been structured might not be ensuring justice?  My inquiry:  How do I ensure justice in my own classroom? How do I ensure that I am providing opportunities for all students to succeed both in my class AND in the world beyond?  
• As a driver, letting go of control is not easy for me!  So respect, yo.

2. What was my original plan for this project from here on?

3. What is one other idea?-- Attempt to bring about more justice around one issue in Durango, specifically homelessness.  

4. Let's go over the GOALS and ESSENTIAL questions I want this project to address:

Goals

• Create a more student-driven, community-engaged, relevant, transformative project 
• Identify an injustice in our community and attempt to solve that problem
• Incorporate multiple voices and perspectives
• Engage in rigorous research and critical thinking
• Apply the philosophies of justice in deciding what the just solution should be.
• Work with community members/organizations outside this classroom.
• Recognizes the diversity of learning styles and talents/strengths of students in this class and provides opportunities for all to thrive! 
• We have both SIZZLE and STEAK (engaging and cool, and challenging content-wise!)
• We are collaborating as a class (and ideally with the other class) to solve one issue of injustice.

Essential Questions

• What do I believe and why?
• What is the individual’s role in creating a just society?
• What is Justice?
• How should the government balance security/welfare, liberty and equality in order to create a just society?  

The Brainstorm Process

Today's driving question is:  How do we create a more student-driven, community-engaged, relevant, transformative project that achieves all of the above goals and seeks to answer the project essential questions?

Step 1: Individual brainstorm time

• Blue: What other goals should a project aspire to reach? Which goals DON'T matter to you of the list above? 
• Orange: What are injustices in the community (either at Animas or in Durango/local region?)
• Pink: What are BAD project ideas? Projects that lack content, substance, challenge, meaning, etc....
• Purple: What are GOOD project ideas that meet our goals and essential questions?
• Yellow: When are you most inspired by your work at Animas? What conditions/types of projects/subjects/teaching styles have most inspired you to do great work?

Step 2: Seminar
Once we've had a chance to brainstorm, we'll do a fishbowl seminar to share out your ideas from the brainstorm and try to get to more specific ideas.

• Inner circle: Discuss!

• Outer circle: Take notes on themes that stand out and any rad project ideas the inner circle inspires for you!  

Step 3: Outer circle share-out

• Share out what you heard the inner circle say
• What project ideas came from this?  (someone record those notes on the board)

Step 4:  Where do we go from here?

• How should we decide what project to do? What process should we use to decide?