Clif's Notes

THE CHALLENGE to All Educators 2009

I admire and appreciate everyone that has participated in The Challenge the past 2 years (2007, 2008). I look forward to doing more good together this holiday season, too.

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I’ve written posts encouraging educators to get students actively involved in service education. I’ve shared the rationale for implementing service activities in the classroom and suggested some resources to help us get started.

Your feedback and encouragement back in 2007 prompted me to take this a step further. Rather than simply encouraging teachers (in general) to do this I’m now challenging you (specifically you) to start a service activity in your classroom.

The holiday season is upon us, so I think it’s a great time to talk about service and initiate a project with your students.

Here’s THE CHALLENGE.

1. Kick-off a service activity in your classroom.
2. Make us aware of your project.
• I’ve dedicated a new section of the blog to this activity and added a permanent link titled The Challenge to the main menu. This allows us to to share information, photos, videos, and provide links to personal/ class blogs, wikis, websites, etc. where we can learn about each other’s projects and share resources and ideas. You can post your information by:
  • Leaving it in the comments in The Challenge area.
  • Emailing me a link to your project blog, wiki, site, etc. that I’ll add to The Challenge area.
3. Keep working on your project and enjoy all the wonderful things that will surely come from it.
4. Share. Share. Share.

• Let’s use The Challenge area, Twitter, Plurk, Skype, etc. to provide updates by which we (including our students) can all follow each other’s progress.
• Please tag all related materials and resources with thechallenge

Let’s make the world a better place. I CHALLENGE YOU!!!

Resources

Here are some great resources to help you get started.

Event Tag: thechallenge

• THE CHALLENGE to All Educators 2007
• THE CHALLENGE to All Educators 2008
• Service Education
• An Opportunity to Make a Difference

Team Darfur

Here’s another potential service project you and your students can consider helping.

(Crosspost from A Work in Progress)

Team Darfur is an international coalition of athletes committed to raising awareness about and bringing an end to the crisis in Darfur, Sudan. Team Darfur was co-founded by Olympic gold medalist speed skater Joey Cheek and UCLA water polo player Brad Greiner. Joey raised over $1 million in 2006 when he announced he would donate his medal bonuses to relief in Darfur, and encouraged other athletes and sponsors to do the same. After seeing the impact this action had Joey wanted to encourage other athletes to use their time in the spotlight to raise awareness about the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. At the same time, Brad realized that if athletes from around the world wore one symbol showing their commitment to Darfur, people from around the world would support them by raising awareness and funds for relief through purchasing that symbol. From these two realizations Team Darfur, and the Team Darfur sweatbands, were born. (Source)

• The Crisis in Darfur: A Mini-Lesson that Teaches So Much
• The Crisis in Darfur: A Mini-Lesson
• Civil Rights Museum
• Service Opportunity

My Second Blog

I’ve started another blog. It’s entitled A Work in Progress and is intended to be a place where I can share my thoughts and ideas, encouragement, resources and information, etc. with others that also have an interest in living for God. I welcome your active participation in this newly developing community.

I’ll still be blogging about education and technology here at Clif’s Notes, too.

All the best,
Clif

• And So It Begins
• New Cyber-Home
• Notes from Clif
• Welcome to UNCC Friends

Lost Generation

None Found

Hope for the Most Needy Kids

The Gainesville coach saw Hogan, grabbed him hard by the shoulders and said, “You’ll never know what your people did for these kids tonight. You’ll never, ever know.” (Source)

Take the time to read this entire article. You’ll thank me.

• Being a Friend to the Widowed
• I’m Thankful…
• If I Had My Child to Raise over Again
• Team Darfur

To You and Yours…

• 7 Things You Don’t Need to Know about Me
• Have You Sent Your Letter to Santa, Yet?
• Hi There, Ithaca…What Do You Want to Discuss?
• Did You Read to Your Children Today?

World on Fire

Learn more about World On Fire. Please also consider making a difference and teaching your students to be service-minded by being part of The Challenge.

• 1 Thing New Teachers Should Know
• THE CHALLENGE to All Educators 2009
• THE CHALLENGE to All Educators 2007
• THE CHALLENGE to All Educators 2008

I’m Thankful…

This post has been rolling around in my head for a couple of weeks but I didn’t get around to sharing it prior to Thanksgiving Day. I read Babbo’s Being Grateful Makes You Full of Greatness today and realized it would be good practice for me to go ahead and share some of the things for which I’m grateful.

I’m obviously thankful for family, friends, good health, a job, a home, our Savior, and all the other big and much more important things in life. This post is an effort to move beyond all of that and help me consider the countless other blessings in my life.

I’m Thankful…

• for free Wi-Fi in public places like the airport in Charlotte, NC.
• that there are often Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in the house.
• when I can drive the speed limit the entire trip between home and work.
• that we are no longer having to buy diapers!!!
• for each person in my PLN. You’ve greatly impacted my professional development.
• to hear that so many of my former elementary and middle school students are doing well in college and adulthood.
• that the Mississippi State Bulldog community unanimously appreciates the character of now-former coach Sylvester Croom.
• for the many Sonic Drive-Ins in the greater Memphis area.
• that I won’t spend the Winter shoveling snow out of my own drive-way like my buddy Dennis.
• for the many consulting opportunities and collaborations that came my way in 2008.
• that this season of Heroes is really good.
• for DVRs.
• for hard-working and engaged graduate students. They are the reason I do what I do.
• that gas prices aren’t so high right now.

• As We Go into the Holidays
• Sports Notes
• Happy Thanksgiving
• Happy Thanksgiving

Child Slavery: An Abomination

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

– Edmund Burke

Learn more at Touch a Life and C1 Entertainment.

• Service Education
• Must See TV
• What Do Teachers Make?
• This Blog Is Now Mobile-Ready

THE CHALLENGE to All Educators 2008

(Repost from 11/20/2007)

I recently wrote a post encouraging educators to get students actively involved in service education. In it I provided my rationale for implementing service activities in the classroom and suggested some resources to help you get started.

Your feedback has caused me to decide to take this a step further. Now, rather than simply encouraging teachers (in general) to do this I’m now challenging you (specifically you) to start a service activity in your classroom. The holiday season is upon us, so I think it’s a perfect time to talk about service and initiate a project with your students.

Here’s THE CHALLENGE.

1. Kick-off a service activity in your classroom.
2. Make us, the readers of this blog (there are hundreds of visitors on a daily basis), aware of your project before you begin. I’ve dedicated a new section of the blog to this activity and added a permanent link titled The Challenge to the main menu. This allows us to to share information, provide links to personal/ class blogs, wikis, websites, etc. where we can learn about each other’s projects and share resources and ideas. You can post your information by a) leaving it in the comments in The Challenge area, b) emailing me a link to your project blog, wiki, site, etc. that I’ll add to The Challenge area, or c) emailing me your information, files, links, etc. that I’ll post in The Challenge area.
3. Keep working on your project and enjoy all the wonderful things that will surely come from it.
4. Share. Share. Share. Let’s provide updates by which we (including our students) can all follow each other’s progress. Again, you can do this by clicking on The Challenge link in the menu, or by emailing me links, information, files, photos, etc. that I can post on Clif’s Notes for you.

Let’s make the world a better place. I CHALLENGE YOU!!!

Resources

Here are some great resources to help you get started.

• THE CHALLENGE to All Educators 2007
• THE CHALLENGE to All Educators 2009
• Service Education
• An Opportunity to Make a Difference