MY HERO Learning Circle
by Wendy Jewell , The Schoolers

Subject Area: Art/Music, English/Language Arts, Social Science, Technology/Media Literacy

Grade Level: K-4, 5-8, 9-12

Overview/Purpose:

The MY HERO Project, in partnership with iEARN's Learning Circles, brings together students and teachers from diverse parts of the world to collaborate on the topic of heroism through writing, digital art and/or short films.

There are two sessions per school year, each lasting 4 months. These interactive sessions allow kids to discover not only who or what inspires them, but also who or what is a hero to someone halfway around the world. Over the 16-week session, circles, made up of between 6-9 classes from around the world, exchange class surveys, welcome packets and ideas about heroism over the Internet and through the mail. There are weekly missives from the MY HERO Learning Circle facilitator to keep everyone on track and working towards completion of their own hero stories, art or short films. When finished, everyone has a chance to share each other's work and share their thoughts about each other's heroes.