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Topics for Discussion

These topics are intended for discussion among students, teachers, parents and everyone else in and outside of school. The topics are particularly valuable as they feed new perspectives and provoke thoughts conductive for constructive and productive actions beyond the academics. We welcome suggestions and questions regarding any aspect of what we provide.

Topic 1: Social responsibility, social change, social impact

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What’s the motto of your school? All schools have different mottos, but what’s common among them? Is it about knowledge? Is knowledge acquisition the sole purpose, the sole direction your school offers to you? What exactly is it that your school proposes to offer you? Interaction? Interaction among students and teachers? But what does that interaction lead you to? More knowledge acquisition? What about your school preparing you for the future beyond high school?

 

Is social responsibility part of the education you have grown used to? Does social responsibility have anything to do with citizenship? What does your school offer about social responsibility or citizenship? What is something you have learned and acted upon as a result of your education that specifically pertains to your sense of social responsibility and hence citizenship?

 

Aren’t you expecting to become a better person, a better citizen, a better member of the society with an even better sense of responsibility and citizenship? Are you graduating high school with a mature sense of social responsibility and citizenship? Are you aware that you are expected to, as a member of the society, bring about little to big changes in the society in which you live with others?

Topic 2: Capabilities upon high school graduation

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So much work you have done through high school, and yes, many more years before high school to learn and apply what knowledge you acquired. What is this journey about? Heading off to a very new destination after high school, what are the real challenges? Are you fully prepared to tackle these challenges? What are the very capabilities you have that give you the assurance that you will be successful in the years ahead? Are your capabilities grown as a product of your high school education, or of your own endeavors? Specifically, what has your high school done for you in your pursuit of excellence and in your development of capabilities for success? How do you define the relationship between high school education and your capabilities precisely?​​

Proposal
 

Introduction
 

Learning environments typically pursue academic success through every aspect of their evaluation criteria. Students require dedicated time and privacy to discover their identity and discover what they love and what interests them and what type of future they wish to establish. The educational system in Korea shows special vulnerability because too many students finish their studies without developing any clear objectives or motivations after academic success and grades.

The educational program Topics for Discussion provides students with school-based space to reflect and set goals after engaging in meaningful discussions. The program enables students to explore their morals together with their personal strengths and future dreams during their academic development.

 


Objectives:

The main purposes of Topics for Discussion are to:

  • Students should spend time reflecting on what they care about as well as their values and future life goals.

  • Students should learn critical thinking abilities and build self-expression confidence.

  • Foster social awareness, responsibility, and empathy.

  • Students need professional advice to develop their career objectives together with their personal aspirations.

 


Program Structure

  • The program is designed to evolve with students as they grow, using age-appropriate discussions and activities to support each stage of self-discovery.

 

A. Elementary School (Exploring Joy and Curiosity)

  • Focus: 

    • Happiness discovery combined with curiosity development together with identification of personal interests stands as the main focus.

 

  • Key Questions:

    • What makes me happy?

    • What do I love doing?

 

  • Exploring Interests & Happiness

    • What makes me smile the most?

    • If I could do anything for a whole day, what would I choose?

    • What do I like learning about, even outside of school?

    • What’s something I love so much I could teach it to someone else?
       

 

  • Discovering Strengths

    • What am I really good at?

    • When do I feel the most confident or proud of myself?

    • What kind of problems do I like solving?

    • Who do I help, and how do I help them?
       

 

  • Imagination & Dreams

    • If I could be anyone for a day, who would I be and why?

    • What would I build or create if I had all the tools in the world?

    • What job looks fun to me—and why?

    • What do I want to learn more about this year?



 

Subject Integration + Real-World Problem Solving:
 

  • Language Arts

    • The activity requires students to compose a narrative about addressing minor community issues such as cleaning parks or assisting their friends.

      • Skill: Creative thinking + empathy

  • Art

    • Students will create school safety and student kindness promotional posters as part of their activity.

      • Skills: Visual communication and solution expression represent the skills learned in this activity.

  • Science

    • Students will engage in a problem-solving activity by finding solutions for keeping lunch products cold without access to a refrigerator.

      •  Skill: Observation + solution generation

  • Social Studies

    • Students should research local assistants including firefighters and farmers to build practical helper cards demonstrating their assistance techniques.

      • Skill: Understanding roles in society + collaborative thinking

 

  • Problem-Solving Focus:

    • Children should learn to detect basic challenges that exist within their surroundings

    • Proposing imaginative, age-appropriate solutions

    • The program explores the functions of helpers in society as well as collaboration between team members.

 

 

B. Middle School (Values, Identity & Growth)
 

  • Focus: 

    • Educational focus lies in two areas: examining societal connections with the self while studying responsibility development and resilience growth.

 

  • Key Questions:

    • I want to study which difficulties or problems matter to me the most.

    • What do I value most?

    • How do I define success?

 

  • Self-Discovery & Strengths

    • What is something that makes me unique?

    • What challenges have helped me grow stronger?

    • What is something I’ve worked hard to improve at?

    • When do I feel most like myself?

 

  • Values & Decision-Making

    • What is one rule or belief I’ll always stand by?

    • What makes someone a good friend, leader, or role model?

    • How do I know when I’ve made a good decision?

    • What’s more important to me: doing what’s right or being liked—and why?

 

  • Dreams & Aspirations

    • If I could fix one thing in the world, what would it be?

    • What kind of problems do I want to help solve when I’m older?

    • What kind of future do I imagine for myself?

    • If I had to create a goal for next year, what would it be and why?


Subject Integration + Real-World Problem Solving:
 

  •  Language Arts

    • Students should write convincing school and community improvement proposals about introducing recycling systems alongside healthier dining options.

      • Skill: Critical thinking + persuasive communication
         

  • Social Studies

    • The educational activity requires students to conduct role-playing workshops for town meetings and student government tasks alongside the resolution of local problems.

      • Skill: Civic engagement + negotiation
         

  • Science

    • Students should identify environmental issues, such as water waste, and conduct studies to develop classroom-based solutions.

      • Skill: Students will practice inquiry-based learning together with scientific thinking as their primary skills.
         

  • Math

    • Students will understand school-wide issues through statistics by analyzing student online activity behavior and developing improvement propositions.

      • Skill: The activity requires students to use analysis of data while creating solutions to defined problems.
         

  • Technology

    • Students should design application software and poster designs to spread awareness about their selected educational subject matter.

      • Skill: Tech for impact + practical innovation

 

  • Problem-Solving Focus:

    • Identifying school and community issues

    • Researching root causes

    • Proposing realistic, collaborative solutions

    • Building empathy for others’ perspectives

 

 

C. High School (Future Goals & Impact on Society)
 

  • Focus: 

    • They focus on adult readiness by linking their objectives to universal matters alongside individual principles.

 

  • Key Questions:

    • I wish to make which type of meaningful impact on life?

    • I want to understand the essence of an impactful existence which matches my vision.

    • I want to establish which timeless mark I wish to create for future generations.
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    • Personal Identity & Purpose

      • What kind of person do I want to become?

      • What motivates me when no one is watching?

      • What do I stand for, and how do I show it in my actions?

      • What values will guide my choices after graduation?

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  • Future Planning & Career

    • What would I pursue if failure weren’t a fear?

    • What do I want my daily life to look like in ten years?

    • How can I align my career with the problems I care about?

    • What skills do I need to develop to achieve the life I imagine?

 

  • Social Impact & Responsibility

    • What issues in the world feel impossible to ignore—and why?

    • If I could solve one problem in my community, what would it be?

    • What does “making a difference” mean to me personally?

    • How can I leave things better than I found them?

 

  • Legacy & Meaning

    • What do I want people to remember me for?

    • How do I define a life well-lived?

    • What does success mean beyond grades or income?

    • When I look back at my life, what do I hope I’ll be proud of?

       

Subject Integration + Real-World Problem Solving:

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  • Language Arts

    • Students should write social commentaries and op-eds about their important causes including mental health and inequality.

      • Skill: Argument construction + public expression

 

  • History/Social Studies

    • Students examine historical movement solutions to social problems then discuss modern approaches for handling the same issues.

      • Skill: Ethical reasoning + systems thinking

 

  • Science

    • Students need to research solutions for global problems along with creating development proposals for clean energy production and disease prevention methods.

      • Skill: Research + innovation

 

  • Math

    • Students will employ financial modeling to study budgeting processes along with social entrepreneurship methods while evaluating the expenses of social issue resolutions.

      • Skill: Quantitative reasoning + decision-making

 

  • Electives (Business, Art, Psychology)

    • In business students should develop new startup ideas which solve actual market requirements.

    • Skill: Through the medium of art one can develop campaigns which promote specific causes.

 

  • Psychology

    • Explore human behavior in decision-making for better solutions.

 

  • Problem-Solving Focus:

    • Through research along with critical evaluation individuals address complex social problems

    • Individual values need to link with worldwide requirements

    • The implementation of diverse fields of expertise results in developing sustainable ethical solutions with broad-scale applications

    • Practicing leadership and advocacy

 

Implementation Plan

 

  • Teacher Training

    • All teachers should attend workshops to acquire skills for running reflective discussions while leading students through open discussion.

  • Integration into Classes

    • The program can integrate within homeroom and advisory sessions and special projects and extracurricular activities.

  • Parental Engagement

    • Opportunities for families to discuss the essential learnings with their children will be supported through supplementary homework materials and suggestion prompts.

  • Student Reflection & Feedback

    • Students will receive journal assignments and permission to create presentations and join group reflection activities to record their changing ideas and objectives.

 

Expected Outcomes

 

Students who participate in Topics for Discussion will:

  • Build greater self-awareness and personal confidence.

  • Strengthen critical thinking and communication skills.

  • Take more ownership of their choices and futures.

  • Recognize that success is not only academic but also personal and purposeful.

 


Conclusion


Topics for Discussion gives students the chance to consider more than their present schoolwork by building their path toward their future. Newton Academy should implement this program according to my plan because it allows students to find their identity and determine their life goals.

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