"Paperclips"

I thought the documentary "Paperclips" was really intriguing. It was such a great idea on the part of the school! By creating a project where each and every student can be involved is tricky but very effective in teaching students a certain context. The project really modeled John Dewey's theory of education. The students of Whitwall Middle School, thanks to the commitment of the teachers, were dedicated to collecting millions of paperclips in order to learn about the Holocaust. Through the physical amount of paperclips, the students were able to grasp how many people were killed during the Holocaust. I also thought that having survivors come and speak to the class was very effective as well because it gave the students emotional learning and development that they may not have received otherwise.

At the same time, I believe there are some things the teachers could have done to make the project better. By implementing Dewey's theory, students gained a lot of knowledge by active engagement; however, it did not appear that they learned a lot of textbook information. I thought the teachers of Whitwall could have involved more direct teaching than they used. The combination of the high active students and the factual information would have led the students to a broader understanding of the whole issue. These lectures would also allow the students to see both perspectives of the Holocaust--to see why Hitler thought what he was doing was right and why it took people so long to discover what was going on.

Another thing Whitwell could have improved upon was addressing the wider diversity issue. Yes, they tackled religious diversity through their study of the Holocaust but I feel like the did not address racial and/or gender discrimination. Racial diversity and discrimination is a larger issue in the United States today than religious diversity is. I think it is important for students to learn early on, especially those in nearly all white schools, that everyone is equal and needs to be respected. If diversity were addressed early in a child's life, I believe we would find ourselves with a much more tolerant society. It is intolerance and lack of understanding within the realms of diversity that are causing many of the world's problems. I think to move away from that trend, teachers need to teach about all forms of diversity to their students in very real ways (such as the Paperclip project).

The paperclip project was very encouraging. I commend Whitwell Middle School for educating their students about diversity in a way that will change their lives forever. However, this project, and all future projects, could be even more effective with an increased use of textbooks and lectures. I also think it is important to address all the aspects of diversity and not just focus on one kind of diversity.