Course Description for Third Quarter 2008-09

This service learning course will work to develop strong, committed student voices at Shabazz in areas of personal leadership, school government, community building, group dynamics, conflict resolution, and problem solving. As a way to further understand concepts of leadership, students will complete a variety of writing and analysis assignments, actively participate in discussions, and contribute to hands-on projects. Students will also examine and develop an understanding of current educational issues and concepts of community through an analysis of various articles and media sources. WE MAY READ A BOOK AS A CLASS THIS QUARTER. All students in the CLASS must participate in either the district’s Student Senate evening meetingsor the Shabazz student input groups.

Prerequisites: Members of the course must bring with them a strong desire to understand and enhance their current Shabazz community, a firm commitment to follow current Shabazz policies, an ability to complete individual assignment responsibilities within deadlines, and a willingness to actively work in cooperative groups.

Note: Students with a harassment or AOD violation within the last two quarters are not eligible for this course.

Let your creativity shine!

A little bit of class fun . . .

Looking Back at the Campaigns -- Rhetoric of Leadership

Here is a short video retrospective of the McCain and Obama campaigns. Consider the path each candidate took in organizing his campaign, delivering his message, and persuading voters.

Click on this link to Choosing a President.

Source: NYTimes Online
Katharine Seelye, Andrew DeVigal

Published: 08

The Times's Katharine Q. Seelye narrates a look back at the two-year campaign.

Music and Politics

The music industry and Hollywood often join hands to use their celebrity status and popular culture influence to promote a political stance. Here as an example of how that is done.

(Note: Once I find an appropriate Republican-sided example, I will add it to this post.)



This was the best I could find for McCain:

Turkey Day Talent Show Auditions

The first round of auditions for the annual Turkey Day Talent Show will be held during first period on October 29th. Audition reservation forms are located on Denise's door (Room 35), outside of the main office, and in the cafeteria. Please return completed reservation forms to the envelope on Denise's door -- Rm 35.

Practice that great talent that we've heard about.

Rhetoric of Leadership 1

Consider how our national media directs our viewpoints of candidate policy and potential. Here is an example of one of the most famous political campaign ads of our modern history.

Political Satire

SATIRE is a type of presentation that aims to illustrate folly, vice, or inadequacy in a society, an institution, or an individual. Satire uses humor and hyperbole as a foundation. It pokes fun (usually in a very public forum) where fun is due. Satire has been a key element in the political debate throughout human history. The ability to produce and enjoy satire is protected by our nation's ideological foundation as outlined in the First Amendment of the Constitution.

Here are two recent examples in the modern media focusing on the 2008 Presidential race.




Saturday Night Live 2008 Season Premiere intro starring Tina Fay and Amy Poehler.



Fey and Poehler at it again from SNL episode on 9/28/08.

Another classic example of satire may be found in Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal.

Thinking Homework

What do students want teachers to know?

About "what," you ask? We will answer that question as a class in our discussions. What is most important to you in the educational process will be what you want teachers to know.

Think about it. We'll talk.....

Class Syllabus

C.L.A.S.S.
(Community, Leadership, Action, and Solutions in School)
Quarter One – 2008-09

C.L.A.S.S.is a service learning course working to develop strong, committed student voices at Shabazz in areas of personal leadership, student government, community building, group dynamics, conflict resolution, and problem solving. Understanding both the public education process and what it means to be a leader and positive contributor within a community will be our priority for the quarter. Effective group dynamics and community building techniques will also be a focus area for us. Students will be required to complete a variety of academic assignments, actively participate in discussions, and contribute to hands-on activities. Students will also examine and develop an understanding of leadership standards and group dynamics through an analysis of a variety of text and media sources. Students will examine and develop an understanding of current educational issues by using the Shabazz site and Madison school district as test cases or lab sites. Members of the course must bring with them a strong desire to enhance their current Shabazz community, a firm commitment to follow current Shabazz policies, an ability to complete individual assignment responsibilities, and a willingness to actively work in cooperative groups.

To earn credit in this course, students are required to fulfill ALL of the following:

1. develop and maintain a positive rapport with Shabazz staff and students (this includes following the three main Shabazz policies);

2. maintain a positive attendance record in all classes;

3. pro-actively participate in class discussions, group trust building activities/stress challenge programming, project planning, committee assignments/projects (i.e., all-school meetings, information gathering and delivery in classes, school site clean-ups, school improvement activities, etc.);

4. plan and implement a New Student Welcome Activity (This service component is required and is a single opportunity that cannot be made up.);

5. build organizational skills;

6. complete written assignments as requested. The components for first quarter may include:

• Analysis of National and Local Leadership. We will use the upcoming national and local elections as a discussion base this quarter. Each student will read about, analyze, respond to, and discuss in class our standards of leadership. We may also invite MMSD BOE members to join our discussions.
• Journal Responses to various articles, texts, media pieces, and/or events during the quarter. Many of these responses will follow local school board and funding issues as well as group dynamics analyses.
• Final Reflection / Personal Assessment of Progress. Individual reflection writing on work throughout the full quarter.

7. assist with at least 1 prospective “shadow” student visitations, including lunch and break periods and completion of the C.L.A.S.S. Visitation Feedback Forms;

8. develop and implement training sessions for future “shadow” guide leaders – as needed;

9. attend the MMSD Student Senate meetings and/or the Shabazz Lunch Advisory Group meetings. Student Senate Meetings dates will be posted on the door of Room 35 and on Denise’s Course Blog site. Report back to the class on issues and the meeting process;

10. begin to organize the Turkey Day Talent Show and the first round of auditions


Case Study Options and Requirements:

• All-School Meetings (to be planned with Sally’s input)
• New Student Welcome Activity
• Information Delivery for student body
• Student Senate Meetings and/or Shabazz Lunch Advisory Meetings
• Conflict Resolution / Transformation Skills Discussion and Development as needed
• Increasing Student Voice/Leadership at Shabazz
• Analysis/testing of public relations “tools” used by Shabazz (i.e., Web site, UW/Edgewood/MATC class presentations, news pieces, BOE meeting presentations)
• Ongoing Birthday Greetings and care of Graduation Plants
• Analysis of Mission Statement and input on Policies and Practices
• Preparations for Shabazz Thanksgiving activities

The Process of Leadership:

By choosing CLASS, all students in this room have taken on the challenge to ensure that Shabazz continues as a safe, strong community that upholds its mission. You have agreed to act as strong supporting “voices” for your peers and school. As a CLASS student, staff and administration may often look to you to set the best example possible to new students, old students, staff, and the broader Madison community of what it means to be a positive Shabazz student. That is a big responsibility. Please evaluate your dedication to our school=s mission. Do you believe in the policies staff and students have set together? Do you really know how to follow those policies? Do you know your responsibility in making sure your classes run smoothly? Do you know how to create a safe and positive school environment in and outside of your classes? Are you ready to assess your personal leadership strengths and areas needing improvement? Are you prepared to serve as a voice for the school at district-level meetings? We must constantly re-evaluate where we are going with our individual responsibilities and our goals as a class and as a school. This type of processing and planning may seem tedious at times, yet it is crucial to keeping our cooperative education process strong at Shabazz. Let us all try to be patient with this process and use our resources to the best of our advantage.

Basic Class Logistics:

Late Work & Late Passes:
Students must complete ALL assignments to earn credit.

Due dates are firm in this class. A student must turn in one Late Assignment Day Passfor each day an assignment is late. If a student is absent from class when an assignment is due, he/she must still use a Late Assignment Day Pass unless the assignment is turned in by 8:45 AM (sharp!) the following class day. Students are allowed 3 late assignment passes per quarter in this course. Passes may not be duplicated nor transferred to other students. Passes must be stapled to the completed assignment.(The only exceptions to this guideline may occur for students with documented special education writing concerns. Those students must have a dialogue with me about those concerns in the first week of the course. Permission for extensions must be in line with a student’s IEP.)


Attendance Requirements:

• It is each student’s responsibility to ask for any assignments or responsibilities missed due to absences. Please do this on the day you return to class.
• The Shabazz attendance policy will be strictly enforced in all classes. Remember that all tardies are accounted for (3 tardies = 1 absence). Students arriving more than 15 minutes late will be marked absent. No make-up time opportunities will be given. Students accruing more than 6 absences will automatically earn a no-credit evaluation in the class.
• Students earn 1 comp. hour for each evening Student Senate Meeting they attend or every 3 noon Advisory Meetings. Details of that hour will be discussed in class. Students may only use that comp.hour in the CLASS class.

Book / Other Materials Return:
All students must return books/other materials checked out for class (or for independent reading) to be eligible for credit. If a book is lost, talk with Denise about where you can find a replacement copy, or you may arrange for payment of the text with the office. Books have gotten extremely expensive in the last few years, so in order to maintain our excellent resource libraries here at Shabazz, we must keep close tabs on all our books.

John McCain's 2008 RNC Speech

Here is the link to the video and transcript of John McCain's presidential candidate acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention on September 4, 2008.

Barack Obama's 2008 DNC Speech

Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention on August 28, 2008.

The Elections

Do you have these questions?

How do I register to vote?
How do I become a poll worker?
Who are my current elected officials?
What does a ballot look like?

Do you have other questions about local elections or city government?

Go to these Websites:
City of Madison
Madison City Clerk Office

Basic Course Description -- Quarter One -- 2008-09

This service learning course will work to develop strong, committed student voices at Shabazz in areas of personal leadership, school government, community building, group dynamics, conflict resolution, and problem solving. As a way to further understand concepts of leadership, students will complete a variety of writing and analysis assignments, actively participate in discussions, and contribute to hands-on projects. Students will also examine and develop an understanding of current educational issues and concepts of community through an analysis of various articles and media sources. All students in the CLASS must participate in either the district’s Student Senate evening meetings, district Board of Education meetings, or the Shabazz student input groups.

Prerequisites: Members of the course must bring with them a strong desire to understand and enhance their current Shabazz community, a firm commitment to follow current Shabazz policies, an ability to complete individual assignment responsibilities within deadlines, and a willingness to actively work in cooperative groups.

Note: Students with a harassment or AOD violation within the last two quarters are not eligible for this course.