Independent+Study+Students

= **Course Schedule & Assignments:** = **There are 10 sessions. You may work at your own pace and order.** = = = **Assignment #1** = **We will be posting all of our work online on a wiki page.** **Your Pre assignment is to make a Wiki page where you will post your first assignments.** **Please follow these directions exactly and carefully.** This is important so you will get full credit for your work. If you need help please ask a class mate or colleague to help with this assignment. This will count as the first of your 10 Assignments or Journal Entries.
 * 1) All individual work must be done by you, but you may work with others. If more than one person is taking this Independent Study in a cohort then working together is encouraged.
 * 2) Academic standards on integrity and professionalism are expected. Thank you.
 * 3) Please complete your work in a word processing program and cut and paste it to your individual page. Spell check and grammar are important.
 * 4) Save your work in a file on your hard drive in case of internet failure or problems.
 * 5) Your Instructor is as close as your email. Hank's Email
 * 6) Hank is at hjnicols@yahoo.com
 * 1) Each person should create a new page by clicking on "New Page' in the upper left hand corner of this page. **(ONE Page Per Person)**
 * 2) Your page name should be your name - Last, first so Hank will be ..... Nicols, Hank
 * 3) On your page you will post your Assignments as they are given. Start by looking at the sample page Hank made. Nicols, Hank
 * 4) All assignments should be posted on your individual page. Please do not send attachments to Hank. He does not open attachments.
 * 5) Now you need to add a link on the "Independent Study Students Pages" to your page.
 * 6) Click on the Independent Study Students Pages link on the left side of this page.
 * 7) Follow the directions there.
 * 8) On your page please write a brief biography for yourself and include a photo or icon so we might know or imagine what you look like.
 * 9) On the page you have created for your name, would you please write a short statement (250 +- words) describing what you think a course in Conflict Resolution / Peaceable Schools should be about. Please list five specific topics you would like to see included in this course.
 * 10) This is an independent study. That means that with your instructor you are in charge. The course is designed to take 40-80 hours of individual time by you. IF as you are doing the ten assignments you think of something that is more relevant for you you may substitute an assignment with instructor permission. MAKE IT RELEVANT. This should be a meaningful course for you and for your studies.

= ** Assignment #2 ** = With at least one other adult watch the 1998 movie American History X. The person you watch the movie with does not have to be a member of this course. They should however be prepared to discuss this movie with you. (If you have watched this movie before, you may either watch it again with new eyes, or you may follow the recommendation for using an alternative movie below. My recommendation is that you watch the movie again with an goal of applying the assignment below.) [|American History X] IMBD web link ** Warning ** this movie is Rated R for graphic brutal violence including rape, pervasive language, strong sexuality and nudity. Although this is a difficult movie to watch, there are many reasons we might use this particular film in Conflict Resolution. // If after reading the IMBD web link above you decide you would prefer to NOT watch this movie you may propose an alternative assignment using a movie that includes major elements of conflict. This is conflict resolution. Email the instructor to suggest alternatives. If you suggest an alternative movie you must convince a minimum of 2 other people to join you in watching the film that you have requested to watch. Before watching your alternative movie email Hank to confirm that it is OK to substitute that movie. // After watching the movie that you requested be approved by Hank or after Watching American History X have a discussion with those others who watched the movie on the role of nature and nurture in the film and the role of school, teachers and mentors in the film. Then, write a brief - 2- page (500 word+ or -) report describing the influences you observed and discussed. Post this entry on your individual wiki page. This is Journal entry number 2.

= = = ** Assignment #3 ** =

A. Remembering the film we just watched describe what the elements of a peaceable community or peaceable school might be. B. Do a web search for Oscar Arias (use a minimum of two sites other than wikipedia) C. Read the Oscar Arias speech to the international educators at the Tri-Association, found at this link.
 * What would a peaceable school or community look like?
 * What elements of communication would be included?
 * What would be tolerated and what would not be tolerated?
 * What would the rules be?
 * Would would the expectations be?
 * What would the responsibilities be?

You've got to be taught To hate and fear, You've got to be taught From year to year, It's got to be drummed In your dear little ear You've got to be carefully taught.
 * Read this poem: **

You've got to be taught to be afraid Of people whose eyes are oddly made, And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade, You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late, Before you are six or seven or eight, To hate all the people your relatives hate, You've got to be carefully taught!

Watch the video available from this link on YouTube

= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHKzn8aHyXg&feature=youtu.be =

YouTube Video - You Have To Be Taught Or in the window immediately below:

media type="file" key="Mandy-Patinkin-South-Pacific-Carefully-Taught.mp4" width="300" height="300" [|You have got to be taught]

D. Post Journal Entry #3 on your web page. (250 - 500 words)
 * Describe how if Hank (your professor) came to your classroom or community he would observe the elements of a peaceable community.
 * What evidence would he see?
 * How will you promote peace in your community?

Assignment #4
Our next lesson in conflict resolution will be a discussion of the worst of all the conflict resolution strategies that we will be exploring. That strategy would be violence. To begin we will limit our discussion to one on one violence as in crime rather than community violence like war.

The United States Department of Criminal Justice Services has tracked four serious violent crimes for many years. We have a great deal of data that we can use as we try to understand violence and conflict related to violence. The four serious crimes simply defined are:
 * 1) Homicide – the unlawful killing of a human being. There are many degrees of murder, homicide and manslaughter. All that are criminal are homicides.
 * 2) Rape – violent rape is sexual penetration without consent other than statutory rape. Statutory rape is when age, intoxication, impairment, or some other reason prohibit consent.
 * 3) Robbery – Forcible taking with the threat or use of violence
 * 4) Aggravated Assault – Assault with serious injury

To be sure there are other violent crimes bullying, domestic abuse, child abuse, kidnapping, molestation, and on and on. BUT the four serious crimes that we will discuss are those listed above.

Now, you must also remember that the population of the United States in the last 30 years has increased from about 200,000,000 to more than 300,000,000.

Now without doing ANY research, other than the explanation above, and using only the understandings that you already have, take the following 5 question quiz and administer it to yourself and four other people. They should all be adults. When you finish the quiz tally the scores for each question. You need to print 5 copies of this quiz.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 20px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman Bold'; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Answer Key & Assignment: ** After you take the quiz and give it to 4 non class members you will need to print one copy of the answer key. Here is a link to the background information that is generated in the answer key.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 20px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__<span class="wiki_link_ext" style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ee; font-family: serif; vertical-align: baseline;"> [|Statistics from DCJS] __ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 20px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">here is the file to provide even more information. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 20px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This is optional reading. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 20px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">IF you read this please comment on it as well.

This is an interesting link to a video on [|Waterboarding]. This is an "enhanced" interrogation technique. Write a brief comment about what you think about using torture or other "enhanced" interrogation techniques. (less than 250 words)

Then, read the information you find at this web site Most Dangerous Countries Study the map shown there and copied here

and then.... write a brief (250 word+ or -) report describing what you observed or experienced from session #4. This is Journal Entry #4.

Extra Credit? Sure. If you are still interested and want to know more... Watch this video Fighting Back on how one school is handling active shooters in a middle school. Do a Youtube search for "School Shooting Fighting Back". THEN Write two short 250 word paragraphs with both pro and con about what you have learned about this strategy!

This is the half way point of our course.
Your next assignment is to google the word "Amygdala" and to discover what that is. Then see if you can find out what Daniel Goleman (author of Emotional Intelligence) thinks the "Hijacking of a Brain" is. It is in the forward to his book Emotional Intelligence. A very brief description is when the brain is ruled by emotion and not by logic. Describe a time when you saw someone's brain get "Hijacked" by their Amygdala.

Then, write a brief (250 word+ or -) report describing what you observed or experienced. Post this entry on your individual wiki page. Then watch this video from TED by Amy Cuddy. [|TED talk by Amy Cuddy]

or here

[|TED Talk by Amy Cuddy on YOUTUBE]

Your Assignment: After watching this video is to share it with at least one other human being. A whole class would be better. Then, write a brief (250 word+ or -) report describing what you observed or experienced. Post this entry on your individual wiki page This is Journal Entry #5.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times; font-size: 32px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Assignment #6 This assignment has 2 parts. A & B
Define: What is a conflict? What is conflict resolution? (Texts, Web and personal observations are permitted.)

1. Analyze one conflict that you have observed or participated in in terms of a "Hijacked Brain". This would be a conflict that started and escalated because of an emotional engagement.
2. Read this court transcript. Warning This is an OPTIONAL READING. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #020202; font-family: 'Open Sans',sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Attached is the full conversation held in Floyd County Superior Court between Judge Bryant Durham and a defendant in a murder case Denver Allen.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #020202; font-family: 'Open Sans',sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Allen, 31, is accused of beating another inmate to death August 2015 in the Floyd County Jail. The conversation occurred in June 2016 during a request for a new public defender. He accused his current one of making sexual advances toward him. After denying his request Allen went on to verbal tirade against Judge Durham and his family.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #020202; font-family: 'Open Sans',sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Be advised, the content includes foul and hurtful language. Could you have kept your cool. The judge and the defendant both had amygdala engagements. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #020202; font-family: 'Open Sans',sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">

3. Describe what happened in the conflict above or the one you observed. Who was involved in the conflict, and how the emotional engagement of the Amygdala were all working to hinder the conflict?
Question: Do the involvement of emotions and the Amygdala always hinder conflict resolution?

Post your reflection, observations and comments on your wiki page. This is Journal Entry #6 A.

Now please go to this link [|Cursing by State - What is your favorite swear word?] After you read the article there watch the video at this web site. [|Cursing Reduces Stress] Then search the internet and read at least one other article or web site about swearing and or cursing. Finally, post a reflection, observations and comments on your wiki page. This is Journal Entry #6 B.

[[image:http://c1.wikicdn.com/i/mime/32/application/pdf.png width="32" height="32" link="file:edu640-conflict-resolution/InStepp.pdf"]] [[file:edu640-conflict-resolution/InStepp.pdf|InStepp.pdf]]
Read InSTEPP pages 155 - 173

The number one complaint about "I Messages" is that they are too simple. If you believe that you are misunderstanding the concept of an "I Message". We teach the delivery in a simple form of Behavior - Consequence - Feeling -but in reality they can be far more complicated in delivery. "I messages" are powerful because they connect emotion and logic, Feeling and observation. To demonstrate this Remember the brief video clip from American History X.

Where Derrick is getting out of prison and talks to Lamont about what Derrick believes is the reason he is still alive. Look for the "I" Message. See if you can identify the message hidden in that scene. You may need to watch the scene again.

This is a perfect example of an I message being delivered without it being a simple one that people immediately recognize and might discount. This video connects emotion and logic and is one of the most powerful scenes in the movie.

The three key elements are Behavior, Consequence, Feeling.. This is a template for an "I" message: When you ( Behavior ) ( consequence of the Behavior ) happens and I ( feeling ).
 * 1) Observable Behavior,
 * 2) The Consequence of that behavior,
 * 3) and a sincere Feeling

Here is an example of an "I" Message. When you correctly post your assignments on the wiki page Behavior I can easily see your work Consequence of the Behavior and I feel relieved about grading your independent study. Feeling

Your assignment #7 is to Identify and deliver 3 - I Messages (1 correction or negative "I" message & 2 positive or Rewarding messages) Post your "I" Messages on your wiki page. Tell what the reaction was to your "I" messages!

Now let's try to see if we can do better. This was a real life letter to Dear Abby: I think that we can do better.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',HelveticaNeue,helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px;">DEAR ABBY: My friend of five years, "Gigi," has a heart of gold. However, we were raised differently. Gigi comes into my home when I'm not here and borrows whatever she needs without telling me. And whether I'm here or not, she feels free to go through everything -- personal documents, my drawers and cabinets. Nothing is safe from her fingers or her eyes.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',HelveticaNeue,helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px;">I have tolerated her behavior because when I tried talking to her about it, she became upset and started crying, which made her husband irate. I'm now dating a man who values his privacy, and my friend's behavior bothers him. He's friendly with Gigi's husband and deals with my friend only out of respect for her husband.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',HelveticaNeue,helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px;">How can I get her to leave things alone without her having another meltdown? I don't want to lose a friend, but my boyfriend has a valid point that I happen to agree with. -- INVADED IN TEXAS

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',HelveticaNeue,helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px;">DEAR INVADED: How does this woman get into your home when you're not there? Does she have a key? If she does, ask for it back or change your locks. And when you know Gigi is coming over, place anything you would prefer this nosy woman not peruse out of sight or under lock and key. That way, you can reclaim your privacy without being directly confrontational.

=So:= =On your wiki page give Gigi and "I message" to help her change her behavior.= =and= =After she changes her behavior give her another "I Message" to reinforce her behavior change.= =Your assignment is two final "I Messages" One corrective and one positive!=

This is Journal Entry #7.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times; font-size: 32px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Assignment #8 Do Either A or B
A: 1. Read the attached article from ASCD

2. Read the two samples of conflict resolution contracts provided below. 3. Then check out this web site about Behavior issues and contracts. [|Behavior Contracts] 4. Use that information to develop a contract with a real life student. (If a student is not available to you, use one from past experience.) 5. Share that contract on your own wiki page. This is Journal Entry #8. DO NOT use the student's name in the contract. Do describe the behavior issues that you are working to change. In your discussion think about the advantages and disadvantages of having parents sign off on behavior contracts with students. Think about the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

B: Follow these 3 links about Bullying and read the articles that you find there. [|How to Cultivate a Bully Free Community] [|Resources to fight bullying at your school] [|What Neuroscience reveals about bullying by educators] After reading these articles write a journal entry of about 250 words about what you learned and how you might use this information in your school.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times; font-size: 32px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Assignment #9

1. Take the Personality Profile below. One of the tests is for adults the other for adolescents.




=
2. Read this article  ======

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times; font-size: 32px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Assignment #10 - ** offers an alternative of two assignments. **
 * You can do either A or B. **

A. Beg, borrow, rent or steal a copy of the 1999 film October Sky. You may watch the movie as a group or individually but all work must be done individually, and posted on your own individual wiki page. After watching the movie compare and contrast that film with the film American History X. Use specific examples from each of the two movies to explain.
 * 1) The role of nurture by the families of the two main characters, Derrick and Homer.
 * 2) The role of the mother in the development of each of the two main characters Derrick and Homer.
 * 3) The role of the teacher Murray in Derrick’s life and the role of Miss Reilly in Homer’s life.
 * 4) The role of the two principals in the lives of Derrick and Homer.
 * 5) The role of the community in the lives of Derrick and Homer.
 * 6) Once you have finished this assignment and all of the other 9 assignments on our Wiki site send Hank an email letting him know that you are completely finished. He will then email you your grade. It may take a few weeks from your submission until the grading is completed.

** OR **

B. Go to this site [|http://education.] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #020202; font-family: 'Open Sans',sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Attached is the full conversation held in Floyd County Superior Court between Judge Bryant Durham and a defendant in a murder case Denver Allen.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #020202; font-family: 'Open Sans',sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Allen, 31, is accused of beating another inmate to death last August in the Floyd County Jail.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #020202; font-family: 'Open Sans',sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The conversation occurred earlier this month during a request for a new public defender. He accused his current one of making sexual advances toward him. After denying his request Allen went on to verbal tirade against Judge Durham and his family.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #020202; font-family: 'Open Sans',sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Be advised, the content includes foul and hurtful language. [|.com/] follow the directions to join the site and make a class specific Weebly site for use in your classroom. This is an easy to use web page making tool. Here is an example made by students in this course from Honduras. [|http://conflictresolutionathome.weebly.com/] Your weebly must include the following elements:
 * 1) A definition of conflict
 * 2) At least 3 resources that are grade specific to your teaching practice that could be used in conflict resolution.
 * 3) Identifying information to tell us who you are and for whom the weebly is intended to be used.
 * 4) At least 2 conflict resolution activities that are grade specific to your teaching practice that could be used in conflict resolution.
 * 5) This assignment is intended to provide you an opportunity to be creative and to use and apply the elements of our class experience. Have fun, be original and make something useful.

This is your final Assignment or Journal Entry #10.

Submitting your final Work
 * 1) = Once you have finished all of the assignments on this Wiki site send Hank an email Hank's Email letting him know that you are completely finished. =
 * 2) = He will then review your work and email you your grade. =
 * 3) = It may take a few weeks from your submission until the grading is complete. =