Posts tagged curriculum
Becoming a #payitforward ninja: #1 why explore these virtues?
Apr 28th
Each week for the next 10 weeks, the foyble guys will be exploring the virtues of a #payitforward lifestyle. You can read the first post here. This weeks post is #1 of 10- why explore these virtues for your life?
Before we get into the virtues that every pay it forward ninja has we thought we would spend some time thinking about why we are doing this. In doing so we hope that you will consider a similar thought exercise- why consider the virtues of a #payitforward lifestyle? And in considering these virtues, what do you hope to accomplish in your own life, or the lives of your loved ones?
In this series we are hoping not to simply give you our opinions on giving, each post will also have a few resources you can use to craft your own view of what it means to be a #payitforward ninja. This post, though, will be a little more extemporaneous- that is, we are going to tell you why this is important to us. More >
Starting the GIVE: Pay it Forward Day in Elkhart, Indiana
Apr 28th
You all know that foyble, Start the GIVE, and Pay it Forward are synonymous. The folks at foyble HQ are always looking for ways to start and spread the GIVE. When we see others committed to the same philosophy, we like to spread the word. Our web alerts went to DEFCON 1 this morning (acts of kindness ready for launch) when we came across this story from reporter Brandon Lewis from WNDU news out of Elkhart, Indiana:
image via WNDU
The city of Elkhart is encouraging people to help a neighbor this weekend as they declare Saturday “Pay It Forward Day”. The idea is to give back to your community, especially if you’ve received help.
There will be a bed race, a tug-of-war, and much more. The winning team will get to donate a check to their favorite charity.
Meantime thousands of students at Elkhart schools will be involved in assemblies to learn what it means to pay it forward and do good deeds for others. Classrooms will also teach kids that there are a lot of simple ways to make a difference.
“A lot of times things don’t cost money or very little money to do something nice for somebody,” said Debbie Micola from Santa’s Pantry Inc. “So that’s what we really try to get through to the kids that they can do something no matter how old they are.”
Micola introduced us to Art Jones, an Elkhart resident who exemplifies what it means to pay it forward. He’s helping make it easier for others to make a difference. Jones started a web site called “Basic Needs” that allows people to buy items at discount prices, and then he delivers them to local charities. For example, tooth brushes or canned food items. Even though he’s been battling cancer for several years, Jones says the project is good therapy.
“It gives me a good purpose in life.” said Jones. “I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve had a lot of people helping me. And then what I’m doing hopefully will give something back to the community that’s helped me so much.”
Brandon’s original story with related video can be found here.
We love this idea and send out mad foyble love to the city of Elkhart, Debbie Micola, Art Jones, and all the other residents of Elkhart that are participating in Pay it Forward Day this weekend!
Posted by Jerry
Exploring the virtues of a #payitforward lifestyle
Apr 21st
Here at foyble HQ, we like to think that we are pretty obsessed with #payitforward. We have all these google alerts set up so we see all the stories that are posted to the internet with that subject. We search twitter and facebook for those hashtags. We bought over 100 strangers lunch once just to see what would happen. We believe in #payitforward. Recently, Dan and I were talking and we wondered about what characteristics people who commit act of kindness might share. What are the attributes that best prepare a person for a lifestyle filled with paying forward? What would it take to become a #payitforward expert? What skills do the #payitforward ninjas practice everyday? And more importantly, how can we model our lives to become more like those ninjas? Finally, why is it important to live a life with these values?
This conversation spawned an idea: let’s put together a series of posts that explore these questions. Let’s distill these posts into a separate page on the blog with resources people can come back to. More >
“‘Pay it forward’ pays off.” The science of the GIVE.
Apr 11th
This diagram illustrates how a single act of kindness can spread between individuals and across time. Cooperative behavior spreads three degrees of separation: if Eleni increases her contribution to the public good, it benefits Lucas (one degree of separation), who gives more when paired with Erika (two degrees of separation) in period 2, who gives more when paired with Jay (three degrees of separation) in period 3, who gives more when paired with Brecken in period 4. The effects also persist over time, so that Lucas gives more when paired with Erika (period 2) and also when paired with Lysander (period 3), Bemy (period 4), Sebastian (period 5), and Nicholas (period 6). The effect also persists at two degrees of separation, as Erika not only gives more when paired with Jay (period 3), but also when paired with Harla (period 4) and James (period 5). All the paths in this illustrative cascade are supported by results in the experiments, and it is important to note that if Eleni decreases her initial contribution then her uncooperative behavior can spread and persist as well. (Image via James Fowler, UC San Diego)
The following article discusses a study by some pretty smart guys at UC San Diego and Harvard providing scientific evidence that acts of kindness are contagious. Now that’s the kind of cold foyble hopes everyone will catch! Read this for a dose of scientific inspiration.
by Inga Kiderra, UC San Diego:
For all those dismayed by scenes of looting in disaster-struck zones, whether Haiti or Chile or elsewhere, take heart: Good acts – acts of kindness, generosity and cooperation – spread just as easily as bad. And it takes only a handful of individuals to really make a difference.
In a study published in the March 8 early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the University of California, San Diego and Harvard provide the first laboratory evidence that cooperative behavior is contagious and that it spreads from person to person to person. When people benefit from kindness they “pay it forward” by helping others who were not originally involved, and this creates a cascade of cooperation that influences dozens more in a social network.
The research was conducted by James Fowler, associate professor at UC San Diego in the Department of Political Science and Calit2’s Center for Wireless and Population Health Systems, and Nicholas Christakis of Harvard, who is professor of sociology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and professor of medicine and medical sociology at Harvard Medical School. Fowler and Christakis are coauthors of the recently published book “Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives.”
foyble is developing a service curriculum aligned to national standards for teachers and students
Jan 14th
Note: Special thanks to Chad Sansing and Dr. Jack King for helping us get this post together. Check Chad out here and Jack out here.
Imagine your students on the Act Map!
foyble is working with Dr. Jack King, creator of Leadership Upside Down and Chad Sansing of the Community Public Charter School in Charlottesville, VA, to create a service project-based curriculum that educators and administrators can use to provide an educational opportunity in an inspirational package to meet the needs of educators and administrators, students, and communities.
The philosophy: foyble will help schools and children help build new relationships in their communities. Administrators, teachers, and students will use social media to help students, teachers, and administrators learn together through instuctional technology, with content standards that deliver academic rigor. The curriculum will be developed in a way that will support administrators efforts to draw funding from multiple sources so that service projects have an opportunity to be fully funded. Educators should be able to meet professional development goals while working on the service projects with students. More >
