Select a Dream - Lesson 2

I
Have
a
Dream


What can I do now? I think I have to learn a lot and find my possibility.! - Shino Kazama - Japan	Module 2 - Select a Dream Lesson 2

Decision time!

Do you find it easy to make decisions? As you are growing up perhaps many decisions are made for you. In this Lesson, however, you and your team members will make a very important decision. On your desk or your computer screen you have lots of information about dream projects. You must now decide what to do with all this information.

Everyone wants to find partners to work together with in the project. You have received invitations to join other dream projects and you have been looking for youth who might be interested in teaming up with you.

Of course, everyone wants their own dream to be *the* special dream project, but you also realize that by working together with youth from other countries and culture, your dream has a better chance of coming true.

It's time to make an informed decision. Let's begin the challenging work of Lesson 2 - it's decision time.

Teachers, coaches and youth! Remember to register for the program, or add members or coaches to your team. ! If you have registered your Dream project in previous modules, you don't have to do it again.

The activities and discussions below are suggestions. Use these as a guide for completing the program. You may always substitute other activities that are more suitable for your needs.

Lesson plan:

You have narrowed your potential partners to perhaps 2 or three groups. Are your goals similar enough that you can all work together?

Make a chart showing goals
Sample:

Team Dream Goals

The team from Iceland

The team from Japan

Send KidMail, or use the I Have a Dream KidCom rooms, to the groups with whom you would like to combine efforts.
List and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the differences.

As you look at the goals of possible partners more closely you might realize that there are some topics that you need to explore before you combine to form a team.

Identify these topics.
Go to the library, browse the Internet and talk to experts.
Decide if these topics are of significant importance to your dream plan.

Sample:
You have very similar dreams about helping people in the third world. One of the groups suggests that a part of the dream is to help people in Ethiopia (where in the year 2000 there had been no rain for two years) to bring the water from the rivers to the field. Before you agree on that, you will have to get more information about Ethiopia, e.g. find out where it is in the world and gather some facts about the country, talk to missionaries that have worked there, talk to engineers that have knowledge of such matters, etc.

Now you have to ask yourself:

Would you feel good about this choice?
Would certain risks be involved?
Are you willing to take such risks?
Evaluate the information in terms of its consequences.
Are you confident in that there is a market for your project? Will it get enough activity?

Some students in a classroom setting might decide at this point that they want to work on their dream alone and not join any other dream groups even within their own class.

Hopefully you have decided to join forces with someone. Now you have to negotiate with possible partners to make one Dream out of your dreams.

Read the letters again, are there many differences?
Try to find the weaknesses and the strengths in your own dream as well as the others dreams.
Try to separate facts from opinion.
Write to the possible partners using KidMail, and try to find out what they are thinking and try to express your own thoughts.

You might have competitors when selecting which group to work with. Others may want the same partners.

What can you do to solve this dilemma?
List possible solutions when several partners are trying to bring the same team into their own.
Discuss if one solution be that all competitors join forces and work together?

While negotiating with your possible partners there might arise some misunderstanding and you all might get a little tense. There could be several reasons for that.

List the languages that are spoken by each group in your dream project.
If there are difficulties in communication, what resources can you use to solve these?
Share with other I Have a Dream participants in the I Have a Dream KidCom rooms how you are bridging language and cultural differences.

After successfully negotiating with your potential partners you now have to make a decision. Who are going to be your partners?

Firmly establish your dream team and obtain a sincere commitment from all youth.
Announce and register your team membership in the I Have a Dream KidCom rooms.
In your message include:

student/youth nickname
the name of the dream

What kind of computer access does each group have?

Do any youth have computers at home?
Is access limited to school time?

Decide how often your groups will be able to communicate with each other.

Will time zones allow for KidCom or KidSpace?
Make a time zone chart with available times for meeting.
What school holidays will restrict communication?

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