Why are we here?

Choices �Session 1

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What is Choices about?

• 12 sessions, following the story of a girl called Ella
• Ella’s at school and facing many of the challenges that young people face
• We’ll look at who she is, why she is like she is and the kind of decisions she makes. We’ll use this to help us understand why any of us act in the particular ways that we do
• To do this we might cover some sensitive topics, so today’s session is about agreeing the practical aspects of how we’ll work together. We’ll also understanding the processes we’ll go through in order to be ready to fully participate in each session

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Thinking ahead …

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I LIVE IN THE MOST BORING PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE AND GO TO THE MOST BORING SCHOOL WHERE I LIVE OUT MY BORING LIFE.

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THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS ME GOING IS MY ONLINE CHANNEL WHERE I REGULARLY POST MY TIPS ON THE LATEST STYLES AND FASHION. IT’S A PLACE WHERE I CAN LOSE MYSELF AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE WHO AREN’T BORING. THE PEOPLE I MEET ONLINE ARE GREAT, WELL, APART FROM THE OCCASIONAL TROLL, BUT THEN EVERYONE HAS TO DEAL WITH THOSE, RIGHT?

MY LIFE ONLINE IS SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN MY REAL LIFE. I GET TO BE WHO I WANT, OTHER PEOPLE GET ME, THEY’RE FUN, AND THEY ACCEPT ME FOR WHO I AM. TAKE LEAH, FOR EXAMPLE, SHE’S GREAT. SHE’S COOL, INTERESTING AND REALLY WELL CONNECTED. SHE’S MY TICKET OUT OF THIS DUMP, PROVIDING I DON’T DIE OF TOTAL BOREDOM FIRST OF COURSE! BUT EVEN WHEN I’M DOING MY THING, MAKING MY OWN WAY AND HAVING JUST THAT LITTLE BIT OF FUN, PEOPLE WANT TO SPOIL IT. IT’S LIKE THEY CAN’T STAND TO SEE ME HAPPY AND WILL DO ANYTHING THEY CAN TO BRING ME DOWN.

WELL, I’VE GOT NEWS FOR THEM. I DON’T NEED THEM, THEIR BORING OPINIONS, OR THEIR RUBBISH ADVICE. I'LL MAKE MY OWN DECISIONS, LIVE MY OWN LIFE AND I DON’T CARE WHAT ANYBODY THINKS!

HI, I’M ELLA …

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How we use technology is a key theme we’ll look at on the Programme …

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Activity one: Telecom tower challenge

Your challenge is to work with your team over the next 15 minutes to construct a telecommunications tower that has a ‘transmitter’ on the top

1. To build your tower, your team may only use up to five items, each under 30cm tall
2. You may not use any other materials to assist in the support of your tower
3. You will be given three minutes to agree on the build items you would like to use. You will then have a further seven minutes only to complete your build. At the end of this time, your ‘transmitter’ must be on the top of the tower and your tower must be standing unassisted
4. You will be given a two-minute warning before your final time is up for building
5. Towers will be measured vertically from their base up �(eg from the floor / table top up)

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Reflect as a class: where did you use …

Critical Thinking

Collaborating

Communicating

Challenging (each other)

Problem solving

Reflecting

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In order to develop the skills from this programme:

• we need to be prepared to try new things
• and accept that this means it won’t always go exactly as planned

Getting things wrong is as a necessary part of the learning

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Be comfortable �with the uncomfortable

Source: Dr. David Rock, Neuroleadership Institute New York

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What does it mean to approach �these sessions with a growth mindset?

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Why should we establish ground rules?

When we look at complex and controversial issues, it’s likely we’ll have different opinions �to each other …

… and that’s fine

It’s therefore important that we agree �how to discuss these subjects positively �while being respectful of each other

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Establishing ground rules

• What kind of things are important when discussing complicated or controversial topics?
• What ‘rules’ or ‘agreements’ would help us overcome �any issues?

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Why self-reflect?

• It’s about examining the way you, as an individual, learns
• If we don’t think deeply about how we learn, we can never gain the insight we need to correct poor habits and affirm good ones
• It’s a cognitive process (i.e. it’s your brain working)
• It’s also a cycle:

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As you reflect, you …

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Reflection

Facts What happened during this session? What did I experience?

Feelings What impacted me and how did I feel?

Findings What truths / assumptions did I have about the session? �About myself? About the process? What can I learn?

Future How would I like to apply my insights going forward?

Friends Who will you share reflections, learnings and actions with?

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Hand this work to your teacher at the end

Y7 S1

I LIVE IN THE MOST BORING PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE AND GO TO THE MOST BORING SCHOOL WHERE I LIVE OUT MY BORING LIFE.

​

THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS ME GOING IS MY ONLINE CHANNEL WHERE I REGULARLY POST MY TIPS ON THE LATEST STYLES AND FASHION. IT’S A PLACE WHERE I CAN LOSE MYSELF AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE WHO AREN’T BORING. THE PEOPLE I MEET ONLINE ARE GREAT, WELL, APART FROM THE OCCASIONAL TROLL, BUT THEN EVERYONE HAS TO DEAL WITH THOSE, RIGHT?

MY LIFE ONLINE IS SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN MY REAL LIFE. I GET TO BE WHO I WANT, OTHER PEOPLE GET ME, THEY’RE FUN, AND THEY ACCEPT ME FOR WHO I AM. TAKE LEAH, FOR EXAMPLE, SHE’S GREAT. SHE’S COOL, INTERESTING AND REALLY WELL CONNECTED. SHE’S MY TICKET OUT OF THIS DUMP, PROVIDING I DON’T DIE OF TOTAL BOREDOM FIRST OF COURSE! BUT EVEN WHEN I’M DOING MY THING, MAKING MY OWN WAY AND HAVING JUST THAT LITTLE BIT OF FUN, PEOPLE WANT TO SPOIL IT. IT’S LIKE THEY CAN’T STAND TO SEE ME HAPPY AND WILL DO ANYTHING THEY CAN TO BRING ME DOWN.

WELL, I’VE GOT NEWS FOR THEM. I DON’T NEED THEM, THEIR BORING OPINIONS, OR THEIR RUBBISH ADVICE. I'LL MAKE MY OWN DECISIONS, LIVE MY OWN LIFE AND I DON’T CARE WHAT ANYBODY THINKS!

HI, I’M ELLA …

Y7 S1

Y7 S1