(2013). The Role of Ethnomathematics in Curricular Leadership in Mathematics Education. Journal of Mathematics Education at Teachers College, v4 n1 p19-25 Spr-Sum. In this paper we share our reflections regarding the role of ethnomathematics in providing direction for leadership in mathematics education. Our arguments are grounded in an analysis of the world today, characterized by inequities and injustices, clamoring for a new social order. We contemplate the role of mathematics and mathematics education in improving the world for the benefit of future generations. In our vision, the Program Ethnomathematics is positioned as a theoretical framework capable of guiding practice and curriculum for a very different educational project, one that centers the children in a world of social equity and justice as well as a world in which humanity achieves equilibrium with and respect for nature and its resources. We end our reflections with some thoughts on the preparation of teachers and leaders for this alternate educational project…. [Direct]
(2013). Bringing Civil Rights Figures to the "Peace Table". Social Studies and the Young Learner, v26 n2 p9-12 Nov-Dec. In a fifth grade classroom at The University of Texas Elementary School (UTES), a unit on the Constitution sets the stage for a year of integrated learning. The very next unit of study focuses on the civil rights movement. Teaching UTES students, who come from diverse backgrounds, means exposing them to many points of view so that they may form their own opinions and learn to express them effectively. There is an expectation at UTES that each teacher demonstrates best practice instruction and explicitly teaches and integrates social emotional learning (SEL) into the general curriculum. SEL skills enable children to be socially competent citizens within their school environment and help build an overall positive climate in their school. At this school, SEL skills from the beginning of the school year include empathy with respect, listening with attention, being assertive, predicting feelings, and taking other's perspective. Wanting students to employ the same kinds of strategies that… [Direct]
(2015). Connections 2015: Our History: Journeys in KF Research. Annual Newsletter. Kettering Foundation Each issue of this annual newsletter focuses on a particular area of Kettering's research. The 2015 issue focuses on a yearlong review of Kettering's research over time. This issue contains the following articles that address this review: (1) How Kettering Discovered Democracy (David Mathews); (2) Key Events in KF History (Collette McDonough); (3) The Issue Guide and the Issue Forum: Political Inventions (Brad Rourke); (4) A Treasure Chest about to Open (Nicholas A. Felts); (5) From Public Policy Institutes to Centers for Public Life: Transforming People and Communities (Alice Diebel); (6) At Franklin Pierce, Learning to Make a Difference (Joni Doherty); (7) Town versus Gown? Not Here (Sara A. Mehltretter Drury); (8) Kettering's Evolving Understanding–and My Own (Ray Minor); (9) Two Decades of Learning with Communities (Phillip D. Lurie); (10) Public Education as Community Work (Connie Crockett, Phillip D. Lurie, and Randall Nielsen); (11) Listening for, and Finding, a Public Voice… [PDF]
(2015). Citizenship Education in Civics Textbooks in the Japanese Junior High School Curriculum. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, v35 n2 p153-175. This article discusses the types of citizenship education that are included in a sample of Japanese junior high school civics textbooks. Seven civics textbooks that have been authorized by the Ministry of Education for use in junior high school from the 2012 academic year were analysed in the context of fundamental issues in citizenship education and the national curriculum guidelines in Japan. In contrast to some previously published research, it is argued that the textbooks encourage, to a limited extent, active, participatory approaches by students with exercises and practical tasks to help students develop skills and gain the understanding required to live in contemporary society. It is suggested that the textbooks place some limitations on active learning especially in relation to students' political participation and that they reflect the struggle Japan is experiencing in the search for an inclusive national identity. Further work may serve to clarify the nature of potential… [Direct]
(2012). Peaceful Schools. International Journal of Children's Spirituality, v17 n2 p187-191. This article is based on the presentation Anna Lubelska made at the 12th International Conference on Children's Spirituality. Anna is Director of Spiritual England which is a not for profit organisation set up in 2009. Its aim is to promote the importance of spirituality and to help increase access to opportunities for spiritual development. Its remit covers spirituality in all faiths and no faith. Anna worked for many years in community development and services for children and families. This year she started the Peaceful Schools Movement which encourages schools to become more peaceful. For example, schools are enabled to engage creatively with their pupils to design quiet rooms and gardens, alongside undertaking activities such as the practice of mindfulness and training in conflict resolution, all within the context of a whole-school ethos of dynamic peacefulness…. [Direct]
(2014). Constructive Conflict Talk in Classrooms: Divergent Approaches to Addressing Divergent Perspectives. Theory and Research in Social Education, v42 n3 p291-335. Dialogue about social and political conflicts is a key element of democratic citizenship education that is frequently advocated in scholarship but rarely fully implemented, especially in classrooms populated by ethnically and economically heterogeneous students. Qualitative case studies describe the contrasting ways 2 primary and 2 middle-grade teachers in urban Canadian public schools infused conflict dialogue pedagogies into their implemented curricula. These lessons, introducing conflict communication skills and/or content knowledge embodying conflicting viewpoints as learning opportunities, actively engaged a wide range of students. At the same time, even these purposively selected teachers did "not" often facilitate sustained, inclusive, critical, and imaginative exchange or deliberation about heartfelt disagreements, nor did they probe the diversity and equity questions surrounding these issues. The case studies illustrate a democratic education dilemma: Even in the… [Direct]
(2014). A Global Dialogue on Peace: Creating an International Learning Community through Social Media. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, v26 n3 p445-452. Technology and social media, often seen as counter productive to student learning, can provide intriguing new ways to extend and enhance learning across international borders. This article explores one successful learning project, based on the Nobel Peace Prize, that connected students from Norway, South Africa, and the United States through various social media forms, allowing them to learn about, dialogue on, and create projects surrounding the concepts of world peace, sustainable peace, and global citizenship, while themselves practicing that citizenship. The article details the pedagogy behind the learning project, explains the student responses, and describes the way that the high impact practices involved helped to increase student engagement. It also describes the international faculty collaboration that made this international learning project successful…. [PDF]
(2012). Chicago's Peace Warriors. Rethinking Schools, v26 n2 p33-37 Win 2011-2012. In 2009, Chicago witnessed 458 murders–more than the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. Many of those killings involved teenagers. Kingian Nonviolence is a training curriculum developed out of the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by two of his close allies, Bernard Lafayette Jr. and David Jehnsen. Used in schools, prisons, and communities around the world, it provides a framework to understand conflict and violence, and teaches communities a way to build peace. King believed that nonviolence is not a passive, but a proactive force that can defeat violence and injustice. It is not about teaching people to turn the other cheek, but about teaching people how to confront the forces of violence and injustice in their lives and create a real, lasting peace. It is, as King put it, "the antidote to violence." Tiffany Childress, science teacher and civic engagement director at Chicago's North Lawndale College Preparatory High, saw right away how this… [Direct]
(2012). Developing a Peace and Conflict Resolution Curriculum for Quaker Secondary Schools in Kenya. Journal of Research on Christian Education, v21 n1 p6-23. In 2008-2009, a team of educators from George Fox University, in collaboration with a committee of teachers and administrators from selected Quaker secondary schools in western Kenya, developed the first draft of a peace and conflict resolution curriculum for Kenyan form one (ninth grade) students. This case study offers a model for developing a peace curriculum relevant to the identified needs of form one students in Kenya, supported by adult learning strategies for teacher training. In addition, the development of this curriculum project serves as an example of effective collaborative cross-cultural partnerships. The outcomes of this project offer specific insights gained from this collaborative effort. (Contains 7 tables.)… [Direct]
(2010). Chemurgy: Using Science Innovatively to Save American Agriculture from Overproduction. History Teacher, v44 n1 p95-125 Nov. \A prosperous and productive agriculture is necessary to national and world peace and prosperity.\ This statement by Clinton Anderson, Secretary of Agriculture from 1945-1948, encapsulates the idea of chemurgy, the utilization of scientific research to discover new uses for agricultural surplus. In the late 1920s, chemurgists began looking at farm goods as raw materials for industry, not just as food. A study of the farm crisis of the 1920s and 1930s, the growth of the chemurgy movement, and current advancements in research will show that the chemurgists caused innovative change in agriculture and industry which greatly impacts the world today. (Contains 73 notes.)… [Direct]
(2011). A Pedagogy for Global Understanding–Intercultural Dialogue: From Theory to Practice. Policy Futures in Education, v9 n1 p104-108. Given the current tensions and animosities between people of varying cultural and ethnic groups, intercultural dialogue, rooted in Europe's humanist tradition, offers a concrete strategy for fostering understanding, promoting tolerance and breaking down barriers based on stereotypes and xenophobic violence. As the world's population increases each year, so does the significance of peaceful coexistence. It is important for people to develop a sense of community and a desire to communicate non-violently with each other. Though the theory may appear simple, practical application is complex. This article explores the challenges of implementing intercultural dialogue in educational settings, referencing current research in higher education…. [Direct]
(2013). Educating for Peace and Understanding: Face to Faith in America's Schools. Social Education, v77 n6 p307-309 Nov-Dec. An innovative program for schools that promotes respect and understanding between major religions enables students to engage with peers around the world via videoconferencing. Using videoconferencing and online community, "Face to Faith" enabled students from across the globe to learn from, with, and about one another. In the 2013-2014 school year, students between the ages of 12 and 17 in nearly 100 schools in the United States are connecting directly with their peers in more than 20 countries. By focusing on civil dialogue, "Face to Faith" empowers young people with the ability to understand and respect different perspectives about religion and, importantly, to resist extremist voices. Direct encounters between students with very different cultures and beliefs put a human face on the "other." Direct dialogue with peers in other countries about their values and beliefs enables students to break down barriers, dispel stereotypes, and build respect for… [Direct]
(2012). Citizenship Education and the Promise of Democracy: A Study of UNESCO Associated Schools in Brazil and Canada. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, v7 n3 p241-254 Nov. With current manifestations of globalization creating local problems, including widening equity gaps, increased environmental destruction and burgeoning poverty, many policymakers, civil society, organizations and educators are seeking models of education that promise social justice and a democratic public sphere that reflects more than democracy of and for elites. This study of UNESCO Associated Schools, located in Brazil and Canada, identified how educators negotiate contradictory global agendas and employ UNESCO ideals of a peaceful world, human rights and democracy, and a healthy environment to create a platform for citizenship education. While there is no package of liberation and transformational education that comes with being a UNESCO Associated School, there is encouraging evidence that educators are working in creative and critical ways to educate toward more engaged citizens who are capable of contributing to a strengthened public sphere. This article compares the… [Direct]
(2009). Counter-Narratives of Mourning the Missing Persons in Cyprus: Pedagogical Limits and Openings for Reconciliation Education in Conflict-Ridden Societies. Perspectives in Education, v27 n2 p120-132 Jun. In this article I examine the possibilities that exist within mourning and mourning narratives for coming to terms with the pain and suffering of the oppositional Other. This implies that rather than taking official discourses as structured and predictable, research with citizens of Cyprus, who had lost loved ones through war, demonstrates pedagogical and political possibilities for counternarratives and counter-mourning based on the recognition of common suffering…. [Direct]
(2011). Civic Education Partnerships: Civil Society Organisations, Donors and the State in Fiji. International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives, v10 n2 p127-139. This article reflects on some of the challenges and opportunities presented when working in partnership in the highly politicised and contested Fijian Civil Society environment over the past five years. The authors are practitioners who specialise in working with communities which experience conflict. The paper discusses and analyses the genesis and growth of a series of partnerships between and within civil society organisations in Fiji, a peacebuilding organisation in Australia, and a number of bilateral and multilateral donors. Recognising the importance of building multi stakeholder partnerships in order to advance processes of peacebuilding and development, we investigate how Civil Society Organisations are negotiating the ever-changing political landscape. (Contains 1 figure and 9 footnotes.)… [Direct]