Pavlos,+Nicolas

== Hello there fellow teachers of the world's children. I'm a married father of two little ones; a boy and a girl, and I teach theatre and drama to high school students - currently at the American Embassy School here in New Delhi. I'm a US citizen but wasn't born or raised in the States, and I've been told I don't possess anything remotely resembling a US-centric view of the world. I'm a fan of reading, writing, watching live (and filmed) entertainment of all kinds, and have been spending a fair amount of my recent free time running around neighborhoods in my current home, which currently has the distinction of being the world's most polluted city. This is a picture of me and my son. ==

=__//**Assignment #1:**//__=

==//The phrase "international minded" has often been bandied about at the schools I've worked at over the last eight years. While the actual definition escapes me, I've always associated the phrase with a sort of cultural open-mindedness that I assume would make a school a more accepting environment. One where students are tolerant of others' differences, and where the student body thrives in large part because of the variety.//== ==//The truth is, however, conflict exists at all schools - regardless of how many languages are spoken or how often international day happens. I think the best way a course in conflict resolution would help me is to first accept the premise that conflict between students can and often will happen, but that there are ways to couch that conflict in order to make it productive - for both teachers and students. Peaceable schools don't just happen. They've worked hard to reach a point where the mission of the school (and willing students) outweighs individual gripes or concerns. The students actually believe in the school and it's mission.//==

** Nature vs. Nurture, etc. **
// I think it's fair to say that the influences on both Derek Vinyard and his younger brother Daniel in American History X are portrayed as coming from "nurture" - or external influences. The film does present an argument for the influence of "nature" - intrinsic, internal influences - on certain communities. Derek, Cam and the rest of the white power group use this argument to justify their fears about and feelings of hatred towards other groups. In the case of the main characters, however, the influence of fathers (or father figures), teachers and mentors can't be overstated. // // Derek's relationship with his father is revealed in three scenes, all of which are flashbacks. In one scene we see how his father's frustration and growing antipathy toward blacks in particular is slowly helping to shape his older son's opinions and views on race in current America. Shortly thereafter (at least in the chronology of the movie) we see Derek speaking to a reporter after his father has been accidentally shot and killed while responding to a fire alarm in a 'black' neighborhood. He is both incredibly sad and angry, and we see how the killing of his father has forced the transformation of his nascent prejudices into fully-fledged racist thought - ripe for him to taken under the wing of a father-figure, Cam. // // The main force behind (and ostensibly the mastermind) of the white power groups in Venice, Cam recruits vulnerable and angry Derek, and provides - we assume - the attention, praise and attention of a surrogate father. This dynamic in turn extends down to Derek's younger brother, Daniel. Daniel was 12 or 13 when his father died, and in many ways Derek became his father figure - teaching him right and wrong, how to question, etc. When Derek begins to follow Cam and take up his beliefs, Daniel is right there at this side, following suit; committing crimes, getting tattoos and embracing the new 'family' of this white power group. // // One of the most interesting characters in the movie is that of Sweeney. The principal of Venice Beach High and somewhat of a local expert on white power gangs, Dr. Sweeney influences both Derek and Daniel in different ways at different points in the film. It could be said that Sweeney is the first, positive, influence on Derek - or at, least that we see in the film - **before** that conversation with this father about affirmative "blacktion". In fact, the conversation with his father (and the ensuing reveal of his father's deep-rooted feelings) are in fact prompted by Derek's glowing review of his new teacher at school. The book this teacher's assigned, Native Son, is different from what he's ever read, and we can see the influence of this man before we actually see him in the film. We can assume from the film that Derek rejects Sweeney's thinking and offers of help and guidance from the period of time between the death of his father up until the scene when Sweeney visits him him in the prison infirmary. It's at that point that Derek again embraces the open-mindedness and racial 'realpolitik' that Sweeney's character has come to represent. // // Daniel's relationship with Sweeney is one of student and mentee. With Derek in prison for 3-odd years, Daniel has become a student of both Cam and Sweeney. To say that he is torn between the beliefs of both of his teachers - and the memory of what his brother was - is to understate the main dynamic of the film. Sweeney is trying very hard to redirect and open the mind of this young man, while Cam is intent on recruiting another soldier for the cause. We see in his first scene that Daniel is bright but misled, and that Sweeney is attempting to (within his role and teacher/principal) force the boy to take stock of his surroundings and those influences that have shaped him. This effectively sets the stage for the course of the film. //

=//__ ** Assignment #3 ** __//=


 * Elements of a peaceable community: **

There are a number of things to keep in mind when considering what a "peaceable" school or community would look like. Defined as a group that "avoids or doesn't engage in conflict or argument", I might go further and add that a peaceable state in fact should not be the end goal - but rather it should be the default setting of a place or of a community. Peace is something to strive for, but can't be expected to be a static state or condition.

Communication - regular, constant, transparent and respectful - would be a major underpinning of such a community. The expectations and responsibilities of all members and stakeholders would need to be openly presented and communicated for all to see. Once it's been decided upon by all (or a representation of all) concerned, some type of **mission** or **beliefs statement** would be helpful as well. This document outlining the beliefs or philosophies would regularly assist - in combination with the expectations and responsibilities of members - in guiding the direction of the community or school. It could be referred back to and, in many cases, could help as a sounding board when conflicts inevitably do arise.

One of the first things Hank would see in this community is the **emphasis placed on critical thinking and open-mindedness**. The school or community would likely //not// be homogenous in it's cultural, ethnic or gender make up (most international schools include faculty and students from all over the world). This varied make up would serve as an important backdrop to openness and acceptance of different cultures and points of view. Students would learn about the cultures and points of view of their peers. Conversations and discussions with thought leaders of various disciplines would be invited and encouraged, and students and community members would be encouraged to continue these discussion in and out of the classroom.

The most basic level of community involvement would be //tolerance//. Because it's not a high-water mark and effectively implies simple acceptance (nothing more), //tolerance// of others in this community would be the expected, every day. //Intolerance// would not be accepted, and those demonstrating intolerance would be given opportunities (within reason) to speak their mind/feelings, but would ultimately need to make the choice to stay or go. The hope is that the majority of members of this community would fall somewhere on the spectrum between simple **tolerance** one one end and **celebration** on the other. If Hank visited this community he would see much work put into the celebration of both the differences //and// shared values/beliefs of the community members. He would also see a strong emphasis placed on how mining the strengths, talents and points of view of all of the members is the true source of strength for this community. It's power lies in its diversity and community.

Students and community members would be given the opportunity to work on issues that have real-world impact as well. Using the mission statement or philosophy as a starting point, events or issues or problems could be selected and brought into the classroom to tackle. The application of new skills, critical thought and problem solving in these instances would be valuable, and would help all those involved (students/parents/teachers) to feel connected to (and take responsibility for) real world events and issues.

Conflict or argument would have it's place in this community as well. I am a firm believer that conflict, competition and dialogue can help ideas and thinking evolve and move a community further. Rather than being ignored or suppressed, Hank would see that arguments and conflicts would have a useful place in this community as well. Within a defined construct that continues to encourage multiple points of view and perspectives, arguments and conflicts would be overseen by a group of community members trained to bring the best and most productive elements out of people - likely a cross between an aggressive therapy session, workout and exorcism, these sessions wouldn't be allowed to reach violent extremes.

__//** Assignment #4: **//__
__ //Thoughts on **water-boarding** as an "enhanced interrogation technique"//: __ While the youtube video supplied to us didn't load, I found a pair of other videos in which participants (a journalist and a MMA instructor) willingly subjected themselves to **water-boarding**. I've never considered the technique as anything other than torture, really. It's in a vein similar to being hit repeatedly with a telephone book - which supposedly leaves no bruises) in that the physical trauma of this experience isn't seen in cuts, burns, blood, wounds, etc. How could any information extracted from this technique be trusted? Without secondary confirmation, I'd have a hard time insisting that it's a foolproof method. I suppose it comes down to the effectiveness of the technique. I don't necessarily have a huge issue with the fact that torture is being used - that seems like it won't ever change. But torture that doesn't yield accurate or trustworthy information? What's the purpose of that, then, if not to simply be sadistic? If an interrogation technique (considered torture or not) can't be trusted to be effective in getting the truth (and this is difficult to know), then it shouldn't be used. The death penalty comes to mind. Is it a deterrent to other criminals? Is it to make a statement that death will be met with death?

What was interesting to me about this session is how it shows violence as an ineffective means for conflict resolution. Violence, when used as a method to resolve a conflict, becomes self-perpetuating, and ultimately begins (or more often, continues) a cycle of conflict that doesn't go away or resolve anything. What's also interesting to note is how statistics of violence break down according to regional and national lines. Today, in July of 2016, one would be hard pressed to agree that the world as a whole is //less// violent (when taking into account the "big four") than it was 30 years ago. And yet, despite the increasing incidences of terrorism and wars, this seems to be the truth. I say "seems to be" because the only up to date data I found during this session is from the atlasandboots.com site which ranks countries according to their levels of peace.

I have to ask whether there is a connection in the U.S. between our perception of the level of violence and the actual level of violence? Number 4 on the quiz was the most often incorrectly answered. There is a perception, my respondents believe, that the U.S. is in a period of extreme violence. How can it not be, one would ask when glancing at the paper or hearing the news of another mass shooting? What I wonder about is whether and how this perception of increased violence become its own self-fulfilling condition? Are we actually more inclined to be violent (either in general or as a means of resolving conflicts) because we perceive things to //already be that way?//

Our current national reflection on water-boarding is a good example of how the conversation seems to have shifted away from the moral impact of committing violence and moved toward the relative benefits of violence. Instead of asking if it's right, we seem to be asking if it's a useful tool - and if so, can it be relied on (and therefore justified) to prevent further violence.

=//__ Assignment #5: __//=

=== __Amygdala__ (definition): an set of almond-shaped neurons set in the brain's medial temporal lobe: Shown to play a key role in the processing of emotions, it is linked to both fear responses and pleasure. Its size is correlated with aggressive behavior across species. ===

As a teacher, I admit that I don't often observe students, as Goleman puts it, being 'hijacked' by their amygdala. It's a feature of (and really, an expectation) of high school that students act and respond in a reasoned, thoughtful way. Of course this isn't always the case ... and often emotions take control and teenagers react on impulse - whether driven by fear or pleasure.

Tis election season in the U.S. right now, however, and I //have// seen a whole host of amygdala hijackings on display in the news. At one recent convention rally I observed how competing groups of protestors, passionate about their beliefs and absolute in their convictions, seemed to slowly devolve from people arguing points back and forth to men and women yelling and beating each other with whatever they found handy. It was frightening, actually, to think that their fears could take over their rational brain and ride roughshod over logic, reason, and the actual //reason// //for protesting in the first place;// to make their views and opinions known and, one would assume to convince others of the merits of these points of view.

__** TEDtalk by Amy Cuddy: (responses/reactions) **__

The first observation is that I had (that was unexpected) was that there was a correlation between body language and success in class. The question was asked, "do non-verbals govern how we feel and think about ourselves?" It seems the answer is a yes ... as in, if we force our bodies to come across as powerful, do we in fact begin to feel powerful? She began to present evidence that if you effect a role change - as in, for two minutes you force yourself to smile (or adopt 'high' or 'low' power poses) - the hormonal changes (in both cortisol and testosterone) are significant. It seems, in fact, that not only do our bodies (and body language) change our minds, but change the chemical nature of our brain ... at least to a certain degree.

=//__ Assignment #6A: __//= //Conflict is a serious and often protracted disagreement in opinion or belief, or can be a clash of opposing opinions or needs//. //Conflict resolution is a methodology and practice of helping two or more parties to find a peaceful solution to the disagreement among them. In CR when a dispute arises, the most often course of action is negotiation to resolve the disagreement or argument.//
 * What is conflict? **
 * What is conflict resolution? **

__Instance of "hijacking the amygdala"__: //When my 3 year old son doesn't go to bed, I often get upset. I'm not sure why, but perhaps it's because up until quite recently he slept like a log. One particular night not too long ago, my son - who was clearly extremely tired - had insisted as we read his bedtime books that "he wasn't ready to go to sleep". I knew enough to not try and force the issue, and instead said, "okay, but it's nighttime and you need your rest." He said nothing as I began to leave the room but I knew that in a few minutes he'd come walking out of his door, yelling my name, and insisting that he didn't want to go to sleep.// //Sure enough, that is what happened. The first few times I calmly reminded him it was time to go to bed, and guided him back in to his room and up onto his bed. I asked him to be quiet so that he wouldn't wake up his one-year old sister, who'd also been having trouble falling asleep. The cycle continued; he came out of his room calling my name and I would get up, remind him to be quiet and then guide him back to his bed.// //After the 7th or 8th time, there was a pause. It seemed, for a moment, like he was done, and might have actually fallen asleep. I came downstairs and began to work on the computer. Suddenly, from inside his room I heard him yelling my name at the top of his lungs. His door flew open with a bang and then he slammed it shut, loud enough to wake up his sister. I ran up the stairs and, getting frustrated now, reminded him loudly to keep his voice down. He began to kick at my legs and push me, saying "no, no, no!" I was instantly furious and hurt - not in pain, but feeling something like betrayal - so I picked him up carried him into his room and threw him onto the pillows of the bed. While he wasn't hurt, he was clearly scared of the force that I'd used, and that momentarily lapse into the emotional reaction of the amygdala was replaced with a strong feeling of shame and guilt. I could have possibly hurt my 3-year old son, and only because I got angry and emotional at his unwillingness to be ... something other than a 3-year old.//

//Now, I don't believe the involvement of emotions always hinders conflict resolution. There certainly is a place for emotions in conflict resolution. I have seen examples where displays of emotion (usually positive) are effective in bringing frustrated parties back to a place where they can see (from someone else's perspective) the impact of their emotional decision-making. Emotions can be used to appeal to the better angels of our nature ... not only the rational, logical angels. Emotions can also serve to communicate what the stakes are in a certain situation. This might be unclear to others, and depending on the circumstances, sometimes strong emotions can only be distracted by the equal, opposite emotion.//

=//__** Assignment #6B: Cursing & Swearing **__//= I find it interesting that swearing (according to these studies from University of Bristol and Keele University) actually increases adrenaline in the blood, which in turn increases the heart rate and sets off the body's flight or fight response. I'm imagining myself swearing in pain - in fact I stepped on a shard of glass earlier today and didn't swear, despite the surprising pain. I would agree about the benefits of camaraderie with co-workers and others, but that seems somewhat surface and casual, and almost forced.

In a few ways this connects to (or at least makes me think of) the TEDtalk with Amy Cuddy - simply replace the body language or positions of power your forcing your body to adopt with forcing yourself to swear a blue streak as loud as you can. Is there a similar impact in increased testosterone and/or cortisol levels, I wonder? In the article I read HERE from Elle magazine, the writer maintains the benefits of swearing are outweighed by the drawbacks. This surprised me, until I realized that factors like //public perception// and //ability to be hired// were also being take into account.

For some, the article maintains, obscenity is a final level of rebellion. I would agree, but also acknowledge that this benefit is usually seen when speaking to others whom one is trying to impress. Or when you're trying to grab someone's attention and, as Pinker says, to "ping the emotional centers of the brain and perk up a listener." But if overused, that attention will quickly wane. This makes sense, and while I personally enjoy swearing, I find it a matter of personal pride (and style, somewhat) to find effective, well-considered alternatives to swearing that have as much (or more) emotional impact on the listener.

=//__** Assignment #7: **__// "I"messages: =

Things for Gigi to consider and to say ("I"messages):

**Corrective:** "Gigi, // when you come to my house and borrow my things without telling me I am surprised and I feel threatened and untrusting of you." // **Positive:** //"Gigi, over the last five months you've called me before you came over and asked me if you wanted to borrow something. I am happy our friendship is stronger and I trust you."//

My own "I"messages:

(The reaction to this corrective imessage was initially silence. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, she apologized for making me feel bad.) //2) Mom, you wrote my sister an email describing my wife as controlling and manipulative and I read it. I feel hurt and angry as a result.// **Positive:**  //1**) Shai, you made it through a whole class without interrupting anyone while they were speaking. The discussions we had today were fruitful and thought-provoking, and I am very happy to see you taking control of your impulses.**// (Shai reacted well to this, surprisingly. The challenge with Shai is to determine whether or not he's in a Child or Adult state. More often than not, he's in the former.) //2) Tom, you challenged yourself to run 20 miles this week and you ended up doing 24! I am so excited to see you become such a disciplined and committed runner.//
 * Corrective: **
 * //1) Melinda, when you dismiss my concerns about our son's behavior I feel like you are rejecting my opinions and it makes me not want to contribute to discussions about parenting at all.// **

=//__** Assignment #8: **__//=

==Goal 1: While the other members of class present their ideas and opinions during class discussions, I will remain quietly supportive and open to what they are saying. == ==Goal 2: During group work and projects I will commit to the success of the group and the activity even if this means my ideas and thoughts are not the most popular and/or chosen to be used by the group. ==

==I understand the importance of achieving these goals and understand how they connect to the learning in this class. If I continue to meet these goals I will be able to: ==

//__** Assignment #9: Personality Profiles **__//
I took this personality test and gave it to my wife as well. I must say, the results didn't surprise either of us in the slightest. It seems that **my wife, according to the test, is a PM (practical manager)** -with a strong score of 32 points. **I am a PP (people person)** however, with a score of 30 points.

I teach drama, consider myself fairly well-versed in human behavior, so I'm not surprised that I ended up with the PP (people person). I am diplomatic, empathetic and sensitive to other people's feelings, and know this about myself. Probably to a fault.

Given what we know of ourselves and our personalities, we've long ago decided that these two types work well together (or at least that's what we tell ourselves ;-). The second place personality types are the most interesting, I find. A close second for both of us was the learned expert (LE). I should also mention that my highest point (PP) was my wife's lowest point value, and her highest (PM) was my lowest.

The fact that we also score second highest on learned expert is not surprising either, in fact. We consider ourselves well-informed and critical thinkers, and do like to comment and interject into other people's conversations with additions of our own. This trait also makes it sometimes difficult for one of us to hear the others' point of view. But, as I'm a PP, I can more easily connect to and relate to the other person in my conversation than my PM wife. Or at least that's what I think.

//__** Assignment #10: Creating the Conflict Weebly for class **__//
I have chosen **Option B:**

Below is the link to my website (created from Weebly.com) for my Theory of Knowledge class in Warsaw, Poland. =http://tokataswarsaw.weebly.com/=