Volunteerism among high school and college students is at an all-time high; many school systems actually build volunteer work into their curriculum. Young people are building homes for Habitat for Humanity, working in National Parks for the Conservation Corps, and involving themselves in political, environmental, and social causes.

During that period of time, there were many incidents around the world that deserved our utmost attention. The rise of terrorism around the world was televised around the world and the increasing number of children and teens suffering due to drugs, physical and sexual abuse was alarming. The increase in school-related violence and incidents were reported widely, from America to Japan. Not to mention, several incidents involving teens going on a school killing spree in America.

Heroes inspire. Everyone wants to be associated with ordinary people who accomplish extraordinary feats. Recently, educators have recognized the importance of using heroes to teach children and adolescents various subject matters ranging from values to science.

Tony R. Sanchez, Assistant Professor of Social Studies Education at Purdue University recognizes that using role models and heroes can be quite effective when teaching values education. He claims that by examining the spirit of heroism, it serves as an invitation for the students to adopt the heroic spirit for themselves.

Character education? Look at the obstacles! No matter what you say, you'll be assailed by ACLU crazies or fundamentalists of one stripe or another. But suppose your mind is made up! You are determined to introduce deep thoughts into your classroom. Philosophical and spiritual thoughts, no less. I say, bless you. And here's a way to do it.

Recently there has been an increasing surge in cultural and religious conflicts in public schools throughout the U.S. Some groups are more actively promoting posting of then national motto, “In God We Trust,” in classrooms. Others are pressuring school boards to include Intelligent Design alongside evolution in the classroom, while still others threaten to sue if they do. The current worldwide battle against terrorism has brought new questions about religious points of view and a fresh challenge of how to educate students regarding religious differences.

The decline of mass media and the rise of the blogosphere have blurred the distinction between the consumer and the producer. Unlike their parents, who grew up as recipients of television wisdom, today’s youth upload writings and videos, in addition to downloading them. Don’t mistake this as a new fad, following hoola-hoop, bell bottoms, slap bracelets and pokemon. This shift empowers all citizens to speak freely, truthfully and recklessly; and it demands that teachers expand their idea of “teaching for social justice.”

I recall my Christmas days as a child, when all that seemed to matter then, were the gifts and the tree, a tree that was first a real pine tree, delivered by our favorite uncle from the mountain province, then later on, a tinsel tree, all green and shimmery. Beautiful! Beautiful because a tree did not have to be chopped down just to stand for a few days. The tinsel tree was beautiful. I have more memories putting it together and later on putting the parts back into the box while my memories of the real pine tree were of the pine needles messing up our floor and causing my skin to itch. Pine trees were meant to stay on soil to grow.

I came across an article in the CEC SmartBrief that came from the Newton Daily News in Jasper County, Iowa, titled “Teacher writes book to raise awareness,” written by Jessica Lowe. It is about Jennifer Springer, a special education teacher at Delaware Elementary School, who was concerned about the teasing and bullying she had seen her students endure at the hands of fellow students. She was quoted in the article saying: “One of the more unfortunate things I have seen in my experience as a special education teacher are instances where my students are made fun of and rejected by peers. I feel that the issue for most kids is not that they are just cruel children, but that they are not educated and do not understand whey children with special needs do the things they do.”

Everyone, no matter their lot in life, will act a part in the play called life. When viewed against the vastness of space and time, our lives are but grains of sand on an infinite stage. Some lives in this performance are seemingly insignificant while others seem to play leading roles. The factors that determine our lot in life are guided by our views of truth and dictated by our larger view of the production for which we are cast.

Contained within every soul and locked within every human experience, truth abounds yet hides itself, patiently waiting to be found in its correct form and on its own terms. Truth, after all, is the ultimate end pursuit of all conscious efforts and the motivation for our movement forward in time. Housed in this tiny piece of real estate, we search, eking out our existence, patiently waiting for tiny moments of discovery that can fill our void and expand our view of the universe.