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

29 January 2011
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
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.

Pepsi Refresh Project (and you) Can Help Peer Mediators

31 October 2010
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
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
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
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
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.

A Good Read About SEL, Social Emotional Learning

25 August 2010
Categories: CRE Teachers & Trainers
Tags: Resource Reviews

Readers may be interested to know that the informative current issue of “Better: Evidence-based Education” magazine from Johns Hopkins University School of Education’s Center for Research and Reform in Education carries a theme about Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Looking ahead this year, the magazine focuses on what works in education concerning Implementing an SEL program (nationally and school-wide) and how to imbed solutions for SEL into school cultures. The magazine also provides articles about how societal trends can alter SEL from a broader prospective. You’ll enjoy reading the magazine which also provides a series of short article updates on latest research reports and how to access them. You can view the magazine here: http://snipurl.com/evidencelearning

Promoting “Peace One Day” September 21, 2010

24 August 2010
Categories: CRE Teachers & Trainers
Tags: Social Commentary

I just visited the “Peace One Day” website: http://www.peaceoneday.org/en/education and was impressed with what I found there. The website houses a number of great resources to help teachers and their students celebrate “Peace One Day” on September 21. September 21 is the UN International Day of Peace, a day of global ceasefire and non-violence: Peace Day. If you register on the site, it is possible to receive free resource materials for your school. Their goal is to provide education resources to every school on the earth! The materials are designed to help students gain insight into peace in a multicultural world. The materials use instructional methodologies such as reflective and individual group activities, critical thinking and modern technology to help student gain an awareness of Peace One Day. Nineteen interactive lesson plans can be used to help teachers explore issues like Bullying, Conflict Resolution, Intercultural Cooperation, Art, Music & more. It is recommended that the resources be used in conjunction with Jeremy and Jude Law’s documentary video: “The Day After Peace”. The 32 minute classroom resource video link is available on the website to view online for free. The video can be viewed with subtitles in Arabic, Chinese [Mandarin] French, Russian and Spanish. The materials obtained from the site would also be very helpful for teachers wanting to create projects with their students and/or create themes and projects to prepare for participation for Conflict Resolution Day this October 21st.

Free 2010-2011 CRE Teacher’s Calendar now available

7 August 2010
Categories: CRE Teachers & Trainers
Tags: New Developments

Good news – the 2nd Edition of the CRE Teacher’s Calendar has now been released. The 2010-2011 calendar, a cooperative project of ACR’s CR Day Committee, ACR’s Education Section and CRETE, provides activities, tips, and links to conflict resolution resources and significant calendar dates throughout the school year. Print versions will be distributed to teachers around the country and ACR will make a limited number of copies available for order via the web (details TBA).

cover of 2011 calendar

Check Out this Comic Book – Peace in Our Schools

24 May 2010
Categories: CRE Teachers & Trainers
Tags: Field Reports, Resource Reviews

Students in the Cleveland Municipal School District helped create this special comic book created by youth for youth. Through a grant from the Cleveland Foundation, children in public school classes across Cleveland came together to take a stand against violence in school and in the city. The comic book that resulted is found below. The book is part of a larger series sponsored by the Comic Book Project. You can visit the project website to see books created elsewhere and to learn about how your schools might get involved.

Peace in Our Schools Cleveland Comic Book

Conflict Resolution Examiner

8 May 2010
Categories: CRE Teachers & Trainers
Tags: Field Reports, Resource Reviews

The Examiner.com web network of syndicated writers now has a Conflict Resolution and Character Education examiner providing stories, role-plays, articles, and lesson plans. Lots of downloadable content of interest to teachers. The author is Debbie Dunn. Dunn is a professional storyteller, published author, a Conflict Resolution Specialist, and a Certified Teacher. She taught 14 1/2 years in elementary and middle school. She tells stories and writes full-time from her home in Mosheim, TN. Find out more here.

Teacher.tv Behaviour Challenge video module

21 March 2010
Categories: CRE Teachers & Trainers
Tags: Social Commentary

The U.K.-based Teacher.tv site has just released a very engaging learning module called The Behaviour Challenge which places you in the classroom with three students who are presenting problems that may interfere with the learning environment. You choose which student to focus on first, and then what approach to try with them and you see video of their response and some commentary from a coach. It’s a nicely done interactive learning tool. I wonder what others think – Does it incorporate enough Conflict Resolution concepts in the learning?