Post on 30-Mar-2015
Simple Words
… what the younger generation is thinking … (about things that matter)
the importance of words
The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names.
- ancient Chinese proverb
Simple Words: The book
Rabbi Steinsaltz challenges the reader to consider anew several core human concepts: nature, good, spirit and matter, faith, good deeds, sex, death, envy, masks, friends, family, love, and God....
Simple Words: The project
naturegood
faith
partnernature
friends
family
love
God
war
peace
An essay contest to encourage middle and high school students age 10-17in Russia and around the world to reflect upon and express in writing their comprehension of simple words and concepts which have – for each student – personal meaning and motivational power
The Contest is also designed to help teachers improve the teaching-learning process by employing the practical moral principles encapsulated in simple and common words, essential to all people worldwide
The project is predicated on the belief that there is real significance in encouraging and rewarding (and listening to) young people’s thoughts and beliefs – and – in conducting research into how teaching and learning about simple words can be helpful to young people worldwide and contribute to their future success
First Stage …• Launch through Junior
Achievement Regional Network in Russia in January, 2002
• First stage goal: 25,000 children participants
Prepare and distribute Essay Contest kits to organizers and teachers
Train JA Russia regional directors in Moscow
Teachers conduct contests in classrooms
First Stage (continued)…
• JA Russia will organize review of essays
10 award winners in Moscow in May, 2002
Awards: publication of best essays (in print and on www); prizes; scholarships; travel to award ceremonies
Recognition of sponsors, teachers, organizers
Krasnoyarsky RCKrasnoyarsky RCMagnitogorsky RCMagnitogorsky RCMoskovsky RC Moskovsky RC
Nizhegorodsky RCNizhegorodsky RCNorilsky RCNorilsky RCNovgorodsk RCNovgorodsk RCNovorossijsky RCNovorossijsky RCNovosibirsky RCNovosibirsky RCPermsky RCPermsky RCPrimorsky RCPrimorsky RC Pskovsky RCPskovsky RC Ryazansky RCRyazansky RC Sakhalinsky RCSakhalinsky RC Samarsky RCSamarsky RC
Angarsky RCAngarsky RCBashkirsky RCBashkirsky RCBelgorodsky RCBelgorodsky RCChuvashsky RCChuvashsky RCEkaterinburgsky RCEkaterinburgsky RCIvanovsky RCIvanovsky RCKazansky RCKazansky RCKemerovsky RCKemerovsky RCKhabarovsky RCKhabarovsky RCKhakassky RCKhakassky RCKhibinsky RCKhibinsky RCKirovsky RCKirovsky RCKomi RCKomi RCKostromskoj RCKostromskoj RC
Vladimirsky RCVladimirsky RCVolgogradsky RCVolgogradsky RCVologodsky RCVologodsky RCVoronezhsky RCVoronezhsky RCVyksunsky RCVyksunsky RCYaroslavsky RC Yaroslavsky RC Nizhny Tagil RCNizhny Tagil RC
Saratovsky RCSaratovsky RCSt. Peterburgsky RSt. Peterburgsky RStavropolsky RCStavropolsky RCTchukotsky RCTchukotsky RCTulsky RCTulsky RCUdmurtsky RCUdmurtsky RCVladikavkazsky RCVladikavkazsky RC
32 Regional Center
17 Education Programs
10,000 Trained Teachers
1,700,000 Students Educated
362,000 Students educated in 2000-2001 year
Junior Achievement Russia
Second Stage …• Publicize and extend network of
sponsors, teachers, researchers, schools
• Expand essay contest to include USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, other countries; encourage cross-cultural exchange
• Create web-based method for managing multi-lingual submissions and distributed international evaluation of essays
• Create database for managing demographic information and descriptive metadata about essays
Project Development
10,000
100,000
1,000,000
10,000,000
100,000,000
1,000,000,000
2001-11 2002-05 2003-07 2004-07 2005-07 2010-07
Initial contest. 25,000 Russian children
100,000 Russian children; 30,000 US, 30,000 Canadian, 30,000 Japanese
1,000,000 children - Russian, English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese
10,000,000 children; 100 languages; Special exhibit unveiled at World Exposition in Japan
1,000,000,000 children; all world languages; Special exhibit unveiled at World Exposition in Moscow
Children
Demographic/Essay Content Analysis
Program will feature collection of privatized demographic information
Evaluation of essays will enable assignment of descriptive metadata to “objectivize” content
System will feature ability to analyze metadata and demographic information to see how today’s children see tomorrow’s world
Demographic AnalysisRussian Children Age 14 Choosing “Peace” as TopicRussian Children Age 14 Choosing “Peace” as Topic
Demographic Analysis
Japanese Children Age 12 Japanese Children Age 12 Choosing “Business” as TopicChoosing “Business” as Topic
Summary
Project has begun; first essay winners to be announced in Moscow May, 2002
US, Canadian, Japanese expansion begins winter, 2002
New web-site, analysis tools available in winter 2002
Help children world-wide expand their horizons and thinking by participation