About Us

In today’s society children are faced with complex and difficult situations that require them to draw strength from within. The source they will look to for this strength is their character. Good character does not develop spontaneously. Our goal is to foster understanding, respect and empathy in children. We hope to do this through our website entitled, “Recognizing our Similarities, Respecting our Differences.” Our goal is to create a site that is both aesthetically and educationally attractive to both children and their teachers.

In support of our beliefs, Thomas Lickona (Center for the 4th and 5th Rs) offers “Six Reasons for Character Education” that point out the importance of this social and emotional learning. (http://www.cortland.edu/www/c4n5rs/CONTENTS.htm)

o It’s the best way to make an enduring difference in the life of a child.
o Done well, character education leads to improved academic achievement.
o Many children aren’t getting strong character formation anywhere else.
o It’s the best way to prepare students to respect others and live in a diverse society.
o It goes to the root of a range of social-moral problems, from violence to dishonesty to sexual promiscuity.
o It is the best preparation for the workplace.

Not many people question the effectiveness and significance of character education in our society today. In creating our site, we hope to offer a valuable resource for teachers and students alike, a place that one can go to find resources and materials to help support these much needed topics. Our collaborative site was designed to spark interest and communication about values that are often brushed aside or forgotten. We hope that Recognizing our Similarities, Respecting our Differences will remind our visitors how critical and essential it is to practice, encourage and discuss the critical values of respect, understanding and empathy.

Standards Addressed through this website

Our Reading of the Month selection will include different types of written literature such as trade books, picture books, articles, and short stories that will be aimed at an Elementary level audience. Teachers can visit each month to view the selection and share the writing with their class. Discussion should be encouraged both in the classroom and on our site’s QuickTopic discussion board. On QuickTopic, students will be able to share questions, comments and concerns about the reading with other children outside of their classroom. This will act as a springboard for healthy and respectful discussions between children of different backgrounds, communities and beliefs.

Our Quotes page is a simple and easy resource for both teachers and students. Teachers may use the quotes as a quote of the day, a journal topic, story starter or discussion topic. All of the quotes are related to character education and reiterate the importance of world-wide values. Students may use the page for similar reasons, as well as for a resource for writing assignments, writing prompts, or creative projects.

Links for Teachers is a collection of different resources that are readily available for use in the classroom. There will be links to both lesson plans and character education resources, lists of trade books and professional books as well as research supporting the implementation of character education. All links have been reviewed by teachers and have been found to be useful and easy to use. Use this page to review what sites are out there, what books are available to bring into your classroom and what resources every teacher should have when implementing a character education program with children.

Our Character of the Month page was designed to promote activity and interaction with the students who visit the site. The page will include personal stories from children. Students will have the opportunity to nominate someone else for Character of the Month based on the child’s actions. When sending a nomination, the child will have to include a description of why the child should be chosen for the title. This will encourage children to not only pay attention to their character, but to recognize it and acknowledge it in others. It will also offer the opportunity for children to see themselves or people that they know featured on the site, which makes the connection a more personal one. This title can create motivation and excitement about learning and practicing values in their everyday lives.