CR Education

Author: creadmin

Pre-order 2011-2012 CRE Teacher Calendars

19 May 2011
creadmin
Categories: Administrators & Policy Makers
Tags: New Developments, Requests for Assistance

The 3rd Edition of our popular wall calendar for teachers and youth workers is being developed now. Promote conflict resolution skills in your learning communities with the full-color 28-page wall calendar covering the school year (August 2011 through July 2012). Each month includes a full page of activities and educator tips to promote conflict resolution. The calendar’s date grid highlights significant holidays, conflict resolution events and peacemaker birthdays. CREducation.org also provides a pdf smartboard-friendly version with live web-links leading to additional information, videos and learning modules.

CRE CALENDAR PRE-ORDER OPPORTUNITY
This announcement flyer serves as your chance to help support conflict resolution in education, gift others in your organization, and promote your own related initiatives. A business card sized space is provided on the back cover of the calendar so donors can paste or stamp a label promoting your organization. Resale of this non-profit calendar is not permitted. Delivery of the print calendars is scheduled for the last week of July.

The cost for advance orders of the 28-page full-color calendars is as follows if you can commit by June 30, 2011.
$2.00 each (on pre-orders of 25 or fewer calendars);
$1.75 each (on pre-orders of 26-100);
$1.50 each (on pre-orders of 100+)

To get a better feel for the product, you can take a look at last year’s calendar online here.

sample from last year

New Editors Selected for 3rd Edition CRE Activity Calendar

5 May 2011
creadmin
Categories: Administrators & Policy Makers
Tags: New Developments

We are pleased to announce a new editorial team for the 3rd Edition of our popular Conflict Resolution Education Activity Calendar. Selected via a competitive application process, the 3rd Edition will be co-edited by Marina Piscolish (Hawaii, Mapping Change, LLC) and Kathy Wian (University of Delaware, Conflict Resolution Program) with support from Susan Young (Hawaii), Regina McCarthy (Pittsburgh, PA) and several others. The team will curate the content of the calendar, working with submissions from contributors (see submission form here) and newly developed content as needed. The theme for the 2011-2012 edition will include a focus on the relationship between conflict resolution practices and health and wellness.

Marina Piscolish was originally a secondary teacher of social studies, who later earned a doctorate in Education from University of Pittsburgh focused on critical democracy in school systems and in reform efforts. Upon moving to Delaware in 1993, she created the first CR Center at the University of Delaware, still in operation today. Originally called the Program on Conflict Resolution in Education, it later expanded to serve other sectors and dropped education from its title, while education remained a heavy focus of its work. Currently in private practice in Hawaii, Piscolish teaches Conflict Resolution for Educators at the University of Hawaii.

Kathy Wian is the Director of the Conflict Resolution Program (CRP) at the Institute for Public Administration at the University of Delaware. For the past 16 years, CRP has provided a variety of conflict resolution services to teachers, administrators, school boards, parents, advocates and students. They have conducted workshops focused on shared decision making, strategic change, peer mediation, conflict resolution, and collaborative meetings to name a few. CRP also manages Delaware’s statewide special education mediation program and the statewide IEP meeting facilitation program. More information on the Conflict Resolution Program that Wian directs is available online at http://www.ipa.udel.edu/crp/

Evidence-Based, Nonpunitive Alternatives To Zero Tolerance

17 April 2011
creadmin
Categories: Administrators & Policy Makers
Tags: Resource Reviews

A March 2011 research brief by Child Trends entitled “Multiple Responses, Promising Results: Evidence-Based, Nonpunitive Alternatives To Zero Tolerance,” suggests that zero tolerance school discipline policies have not been proven effective by research and may have negative effects, making students more likely to drop out and less likely to graduate on time. Instead, the brief recommends the use of nonpunitive disciplinary action, such as behavior interventions, social skills classes, and character education.

The brief is free and available online.

Residential Summer Institute Fellowship for K-12 Educators – (July 25 – August 8, 2011)

29 January 2011
creadmin
Categories: CRE Teachers & Trainers
Tags: New Developments

Readers may be interested in this Residential Summer Institute Fellowship for K-12 Educators: “Journeys of Nonviolence: Gandhi and Chávez” – Ahimsa Center at Cal Poly Pomona, CA, USA (July 25 – August 8, 2011)

The fourth in a series on Education about Nonviolence, this Institute will focus on two major proponents of nonviolent action for social change: Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948) and Cesar Chavez, (1927-1993). It will provide an extraordinary opportunity for educational leadership by integrating in school curricula the lessons based on critical understanding of Gandhi and Chavez, especially their respective journeys of nonviolence in seeking freedom and social justice. The Institute is open to all K-12 educators throughout the United States. Forty participants will be selected to receive residential fellowships. Application deadline: March 21, 2011.

Playground Peace Bridge Helps Students Develop Problem Solving Skills

12 January 2011
creadmin
Categories: CRE Teachers & Trainers
Tags: Field Reports

A recent episode of the weekly Classroom Closeup New Jersey show featured a group of first graders who have been learning about problem-solving by using a peace bridge that was painted on their playground. At North Boulevard Elementary School in Pequannock Township New Jersey, Yvette McBain (Morris County Teacher of the Year) has developed a peer mediation program whose theme is “A Bridge to Success,” which includes the 1st through 3rd grade Peacemakers, and The 4th and 5th grade Heart Club peer mediators. You can view the episode here.
Here’s a diagram of the bridge that was painted on the playground. It provides visual and verbal cues to help the students solve their problem. McBain’s classroom also has a song that reinforces the steps in the process.

The Term Bullying Has Little Resonance with Teens

5 December 2010
creadmin
Categories: Administrators & Policy Makers
Tags: Expert Advice, Field Reports, Social Commentary

Danah Boyd has written a very insightful piece on how teens experience conflict and how the term “bullying” is not working well in terms of connecting with them. A case example is provided of two girls (Janiya and Precious) who have a conflict that is long-standing and unresolved. It is definitely worth reading. As she note in the concluding paragraph:

Combating bullying is not going to be easy, but it’s definitely not going to happen if we don’t dive deep in the mess that underpins it and surrounds it. Lectures by uncool old people like me aren’t going to make teens who are engaged in dramas think twice about what they’re doing. And, for that matter, using the term “bullying” is also not going to help at all either. We need interventions that focus on building empathy, identifying escalation, and techniques for stopping the cycles of abuse. We need to create environments where young people don’t get validated for negative attention and where they don’t see relationship drama as part of normal adult life. The issues here are systemic.

Call for Submissions – Voice of Teachers journal special edition on Peace Education

4 December 2010
creadmin
Categories: CRE Researchers
Tags: New Developments, Requests for Assistance

Dear Colleagues,

You are invited to submit your research paper for possible inclusion in a special issue of the Voice of Teachers journal devoted to Peace Education. Peace education is the practice of teaching the knowledge, values, and skills necessary to promote peace at all levels, and we invite your submissions on any theme related to this topic.

The Voice of Teachers is an online, peer-reviewed journal designed to strengthen the fundamental connection between grassroots teacher professional development, world-class research, and big ideas. Overseen by a guest editor and a diverse group of peers, each issue addresses a theme of pressing importance to teachers. The Peace Education issue of the Voice of Teachers will be guest-edited by Toh Swee-Hin, a distinguished professor at the UN-mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica and UNESCO Peace Education Prize laureate (2000).

In keeping with the key peace education principles of embracing inclusivity, diversity and creativity, we encourage a wide variety of submissions from a wide variety of peace education practitioners, educators, writers, theorists, and researchers. Possible contributions include scholarly research and reports, professional development materials, lesson plans, personal reflections and narratives, creative writing, multimedia resources, book reviews, and visual art. Please keep in mind that your work will be reviewed using the scholarly peer review process.

If you are interested in submitting your work for possible inclusion in this upcoming issue of the Voice of Teachers, please use the following online form. The deadline to submit your work is January 31st, 2011. Please ensure that your submission does not include your name or professional affiliation.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. We are looking forward to receiving your submissions.

Sincerely,
Konrad Glogowski
Director of Programs
konrad@twb.org

Pepsi Refresh Project (and you) Can Help Peer Mediators

31 October 2010
creadmin
Categories: CRE Teachers & Trainers
Tags: Requests for Assistance

The Mediator Mentors project in Fresno California has entered into the Pepsi Refresh challenge. This note just arrived from Pam Lane-Garon encouraging folks to vote to help grow 60 university/school conflict resolution partnerships.

CREducators?
Please consider voting for our project on Pepsi Refresh.
http://www.refresheverything.com/mediatormentors
Thank you!

You can find other worthy projects as well by searching the site.

Peer Mediation Video Clips from the BBC

27 September 2010
creadmin
Categories: CRE Teachers & Trainers
Tags: Resource Reviews

The BBC has a large collection of educational video clips, and some of them are of special interest to readers of this blog. A video presenting peer mediation to 5th grade students was clipped to create a few shortened learning videos that might be used in teaching. You can see all three of them via this link.

Here’s the details and links to each one:

What is a peer mediator? – Duration: 02:45
What is a peer mediator? A class of Year Five children explore conflict and how best to deal with it.

What makes a good peer mediator? – Duration: 03:57
Explores what makes a good peer mediator, skills include understanding feelings, not taking sides, knowing how to help and how to listen.

Seeing both sides of a story – Duration: 01:37
Children learn how to support their peers in the playground to find resolutions to conflict.

Getting to Know You – Classroom Activities for Starting Off the School Year from Morningside Center

7 September 2010
creadmin
Categories: CRE Teachers & Trainers
Tags: Resource Reviews

As a new school year begins, teachers and students renew relationships after the long summer break, see new faces, and establish their routines for the year. The activities in this nice packet from the Morningside Center are designed to help you get the year off to a good start by engaging you and your students in getting to know each other, practicing listening skills, and discussing the values that will shape your classroom community.

There are separate sets of activities for grades Pre-K to 2, grades 3 to 5, and grades 6 to 12. They are adapted from exercises in the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program and the 4Rs Program (Reading, Writing, Respect & Resolution) developed by the Morningside Center.

Mastering Classroom Management

6 September 2010
creadmin
Categories: CRE Teachers & Trainers
Tags: Expert Advice

In a recent edition of ASCD Express, Bob Somson provides a nice set of tips for creating a positive classroom environment. Here’s the topics he covers:
1. Build Connections Daily.
2. Use Consistent Procedures and Routines.
3. Respond Quickly to Misbehavior.
4. Notice Specific Positive Behaviors.
5. Use Instructional Design for Success.
6. Neutralize Arguments.
7. Sometimes Delay Consequences.
8. Develop an Empathetic Classroom Culture.
9. Build Connections with Families.
10. Use Enforceable Statements.
11. Offer Choices.
12. Teach Problem-Solving Skills.

New Diverse Teaching Kit Offered About Bullying

25 August 2010
creadmin
Categories: CRE Teachers & Trainers
Tags: New Developments

A new teaching kit, named “Bullied” is now being offered via the Teaching Tolerance website at: http://www.tolerance.or/kit/bullied . The film (dvd) “Bullied” is a documentary that chronicles a student’s encounters at the mercy of anti-gay bullies. The kit, which is being offered for free, will be shipped beginning in mid-September. There is an electronic order form on the website. The site indicates it is possible to receive the film in time to use during National Bullying Prevention Month in your classroom (October 2010). The kit includes: the 40 minute documentary film, a two-part viewer’s guide including lesson plans and activities for staff for use in development and access to additional materials online. Please note that the package is designed to assist teachers, administrators and counselors create a safe environment and create an awareness about the issue for all students, not just those who are gay and lesbian. There is a limit of one kit per school.

Call for Nominations: Evens Prize for Peace Education (EU-based projects)

25 August 2010
creadmin
Categories: Global CRE
Tags: Social Commentary

Through its new Prize for Peace Education, the Evens Foundation seeks to recognize organizations, associations or institutions – based and working in the EU – that offer training programs to teachers (among others) in learning how to manage interpersonal and/or intergroup conflicts in a positive and constructive way.The prize money of € 25,000 awarded by a professional jury and the Evens Foundation, will be shared between the award-winner and the dissemination/promotion of the winning training program (in cooperation with the award-winner). Deadline for submission: October 1, 2010.