Meaningful contexts for Peace Education.Many schools throughout the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. have mandated some form of character education, peace education, or conflict resolution. The Peace Education Network hopes to encourage an exchange of ideas about what schools and teachers are doing that works and doesn't work. An article in The Washington Post (Kalita, 2003) describing a newly adopted Character Education Day at a local high school indicated that the students found the lectures and skits presented that day to have little meaning for them. This column will suggest more effective ways to make such efforts meaningful and will offer practical resources. What is hot effective? A one-day event one-day event a contraction of the three-day event but like that contest is aimed at selecting the best all-round horse and rider. The events usually contested are show-jumping, dressage and cross-country. that is unconnected to the students' everyday lives. What is effective? An ongoing concern for issues of peace, caring, and conflict resolution, integrated throughout the day and the curriculum, in ways that are age-appropriate and respect students' knowledge and experiences. Rather than being an add-on A purchase of additional goods before payment is made for goods already purchased. An add-on may be covered by a clause in an installment payment contract that allows the seller to hold a security interest in the earlier goods until full payment is made on the later goods. , peace and caring can be part of the curriculum (Noddings, 1995). Such themes as caring for the environment and addressing hunger and homelessness can be incorporated into the science, social studies, math, and literacy curricula. In building this approach, teachers need information about available resources. The Internet offers resources and helps us learn from models that are working. In some localities, Peace Centers serve the community and beyond with a variety of programs. Many also provide online resources for those who live elsewhere. Perhaps the most significant message to be gained from these centers is that there is action on behalf of peace education in many places. We have collected a few examples of Peace Centers. Visit the Web sites for models of local programs, lists of resources, and links to other peace organizations. If you are familiar with a Peace Center or programs and resources near you, please let us know so that we may highlight those programs in future columns. * Worldwide: The American Friends Service Committee The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) affiliated organization which works for social justice, peace and reconciliation, abolition of the death penalty, and human rights, and provides humanitarian relief. carries out service, development, social justice, and peace programs throughout the world. It maintains a video and film lending library lend·ing library n. A library from which books may be borrowed or rented for a minimal fee. Also called circulating library. Noun 1. with an online catalog Similar to an online library or databases in the information storage respect, ‘’’online catalogs’’’ allow potential customers to browse a company’s items for sale from a different location using the internet. of hundreds of videos and films. www.afsc.org * Connecticut: The Connecticut Center for Peace Education Pax Educare (Hartford, CT) serves community schools, pre-K through higher education higher education Study beyond the level of secondary education. Institutions of higher education include not only colleges and universities but also professional schools in such fields as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art. , with training in peace and conflict studies, working with local schools and teaching a course, "Making Peace Where I Live," that is part of an international peace education curriculum, www.paxeducare.org * Pennsylvania: Bucks Bucks: see Buckinghamshire. County Peace Center (Langhorne, PA) serves local communities and schools with a program of training in conflict resolution and peace education. The Center is supported by United Way of Bucks County and an active Quaker community. It offers a Project Peace for Schools, which fosters "peace education and violence prevention for administrators, educators and support staff, students, and parents with continued follow-up and support over a three-year period." www.comcast.com/~peace/index.html * Virginia: Richmond Peace Education Center carries out peace education and violence prevention in area schooLs, www.rpec.org * Ohio: Cincinnati Center for Peace Education offers programs in area schools "to resolve conflicts constructively" with a Peace Team model for children and an annual Peace Camp. www.cincinnati-peace.org * Ohio: The Lion and the Lamb Peace Arts Center of Bluffton College, in existence since 1987, has collected more than 5,000 children's books on peace-related and multicultural mul·ti·cul·tur·al adj. 1. Of, relating to, or including several cultures. 2. Of or relating to a social or educational theory that encourages interest in many cultures within a society rather than in only a mainstream culture. topics; it also houses a fine arts collection, www.bluffton.edu/lionlamb * Ohio: The Wilmington College Wilmington College may refer to:
In ancient Greece, an aristocratic banquet at which men met to discuss philosophical and political issues and recite poetry. It began as a warrior feast. Rooms were designed specifically for the proceedings. . www.wilmington.edu/manilla/peace/home.html * Texas: Dallas Peace Center is a local model with an annual Peace Camp for children and a Peace Library. www.dallaspeacecenter.org References Kalita, S.M. (2003, October 22). At school, the issue is character. The Washington Post, p. B08. Noddings, N. (1005). Teaching themes of care. Phi Delta Kappan, 76, 675-679. Edyth Wheeler, Towson University, wheeler@towson.edu Aline Stomfay-Stitz, University of North Florida The University of North Florida (UNF) is a public university in Jacksonville, Florida. It currently has an enrollment of more than 16,000 students and employs over 500 full-time faculty. The current president is former Jacksonville mayor John Delaney. , astomfay@unf.edu |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion