Video Synopsis: Ella Ochoa is the Executive Director of the NAF Multicultural Human Development Corporation. Ella went from being a migrant worker in the fields across various states of this country to being the executive director of an organization dedicated to being an advocate for migrant workers in Nebraska. While she is still overcoming hurdles both personal and professional, watch this inspiring video of what one person can do with a little belief and encouragement and a desire to help others.
Suggested for: Traditional schools, alternative programs, youth groups, community centers
Suggested grade use: K-12
Quick Start
Pre-video Discussion points: Time: 10 min 21st Century skills used: LIS-CT, LIS-CI, CS-CL, CS-EL
How would you describe community?
Who is part of your community?
What would you do if your children told you they wanted more out of life, they wanted to go to school? Can you imagine what it would be like to not be able to go to a regular school? What would it feel like to go to a new school every couple of months?
What comes to your mind when you think about migrant workers? Do you know the difference between migrant and immigrant?
If you are not a migrant family is it your community’s responsibility to help the migrant community out?
What do you know about Nebraska? Is your state similar to Nebraska? Do you have migrant workers in your state?
Post-video Discussion points: Time: 20 min + 21st Century skills: LIS-CT, LIS-CI, CS-HL
What do you think about Ella?
How did Ella’s choice to take her GED change her life path? Do you know what a GED is? Why do you think Ella needed a GED?
How do you think Ella’s children changed her families future?
How do you think Ella’s husband had to risk to follow Ella and his children’s desires?
Do you think you would have taken the same risks Ella took? Would you have taken the job?
What would you have done differently?
What problems do you feel Ella is solving?
Would you consider Ella’s actions Kind actions? Why/Why not?
What is Ella’s community, who is in it?
Action: Time: 40 min 21st Century Skills: CS-CL, LIS-CT, LIS-CI,
Define as a group what your community is and who is in it
Explore things that could be improved in your community.
Tip, this is accomplished best as a brainstorming session. One suggested method: Give each student a post-it-note pad and a pen. Depending on attention span provide 1-5 minutes for the students to write one idea on each sheet, not fleshed out, just concept. Encourage student to write as many ideas as come into their head. At 5 minutes, or when they stop writing, collect all of the notes and begin grouping them by sticking them on the wall. Create a separate line for each similar idea/category/theme. Have the group determine which line has the most suggestions and choose that as the area your group will explore to provide a solution.
After agreement has been reached discuss an activity/program/project the students can create to work on that problem.
Develop groups to tackle the different sections that need to be researched, designed, developed. Be sure to utilize all possible new media tools in the project design as appropriate.
Create Kindness based community action: 40 min 21st Century Skills: LCS, LIS-CT, LIS-CI, IMT-ML, IMT-T
Breakout into groups to do the groundwork for the class chosen activity.
ACTIVITY: Time determined by class
Post-activity: Time: 60 min 21st Century Skills: LCS, IMT
Be sure to capture a video or photographs of the students in action and have the students develop a blog entry utilizing video and photos to report their results and how the project made them feel. Submit to RAK!
Life lessons explored:
Overcoming obstacles
Being aware of the communities around you
Life choices
Personal passion
Connection to community
Taking risks
Community lessons explored:
Determining a need
Building from the ground up
Finding support
Building a team
Service to others
Kindness lessons explored:
Care for another
Doing over and above the expected for another
Living with awareness of all in your community
Learning to expand the boundaries of your community
21st Century Skills Explored: Life and Career Skills (LCS)
Initiative and Self Direction - Manage goals and time
Social and Cross-Cultural skills - work effectively in diverse teams, work w/people in a range of social and cultural backgrounds
Productivity and Accountability, manage projects, produce results
Leadership and Responsibility - guide and lead others, be responsible to others
Learning and Innovation Skills (LIS)
Critical thinking (LIS - CT)
Systems thinking - analyze how each part interacts to create the outcome
Make judgments through analysis, interpretation, reflection
problem solving
Creativity and Innovation (LIS - CI)
use a wide range of ideas
create new ideas
be open and responsive to new ideas
understand the real world limits of adopting new ideas
Information, Media and Technology Skills (IMT)
Media Literacy (IMT - ML)
Create media products using appropriate tools and effectively communicate to a diverse audience
Technology (IMT - T)
Use technology as a tool to research, organize, communicate
Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes (CS)
Civic literacy (CS - CL)
Civic engagement as defined "Individual and collective action designed to identify and address issues of public concern." "Civic engagement", American Psychological Association. Retrieved 11/26/07
Video projection
Internet
Basic video editing software
flip cameras or other basic video camera
Additional materials as required by students for their impact/kindness project
Suggested Materials:
Time: Video watching: 10 min Discussion time: 40 min Group break-out: 60 min Community/Kindness project: Time determined by group and action chosen Report creation: 60 min
®2010, The Random Acts Of Kindness Foundation 1727 Tremont Place, Denver, CO 80202 • Phone: 800-660-2811 • Fax: 303-297-2919 www.randomactsofkindness.org
Guiding principles of 21st Century Skills from Partnership for 21st Century Skills: www.p21.org Videos courtesy of 50 in 52 Journey (c) 2009