Syllabus

Course Description

Resolving Conflicts in Schools & Classrooms presents a proven and innovative approach to creating safer, more productive classroom environments based on creating "Peaceable Classrooms." This model emphasizes the classroom and the school as communities of caring and respect where six themes are emphasized: cooperation, communication, emotional expression, responsible decision-making, appreciation for diversity and conflict resolution. This approach was developed out of classroom teachers' practice and has been tested in schools across the United States and Canada.

Objectives

Students will:

• Identify the root causes of violence in U.S. culture
• Identify and discuss the six themes of the Peaceable School/Classroom
• Explore the link between violence and conflict
• Analyze conflicts using the Conflict Escalator
• Understand the role of emotions in conflict and learn to handle them effectively
• Learn how to use the five styles of conflict resolution
• Explore how to reach "win-win" resolutions in typical conflict situations
• Learn the principles of "win-win" negotiation and mediation
• Explore how perspective-taking can enhance conflict resolution
• Examine how racial, cultural and ethnic diversity affects conflict and conflict resolution
• Experience cooperative learning strategies as a means for building community in a school or classroom
• Develop an implementation plan for school or classroom
• Demonstrate professional communication and collaboration through participation in the class Forum and e-mail

Curriculum Design

Resolving Conflict in Schools & Classrooms online is a forty-five hour 3 semester graduate course. Most modules take one week to complete. Module 10 will be completed over two weeks so students have time to revise and complete the final integration project.

Time Requirements

This course is offered over a period of 15 weeks. Modules are completed over the 15-week period pending length of assignments per week.

Skill and Hardware Requirements

Students may use either a Macintosh computer or a PC with Windows 2000 or higher. Students should possess basic word processing skills and have Internet access as well as an active email account. Students also are expected to have a basic knowledge of how to use a Web browser, such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc.

Course Materials

Course Materials: Text - Waging Peace in Our Schools, Linda Lantieri & Janet Patti, Beacon Press, 1996. In addition, online readings and Web site reviews (including journal articles and best practices from the body of educational research) will be assigned during the course to enhance learning. These readings will be presented as annotated Web sites within the course content.

Course Outline

Module One: What is Conflict Resolution?

Contents:

• Explain conflict resolution
• Discuss the importance of conflict resolution in school
• Explore the three levels of conflict resolution
• Evaluate the common myths about conflict resolution
• Test the five different conflict resolution styles and their uses and limitations

Module Two: Solving Conflicts

Contents:

• Formulate one's preferred conflict management style(s)
• Plan a way to think about choosing conflict management styles
• Examine a basic conflict solving method
• Develop practices using the Win-Win Grid

Module Three: The Role of Feelings in Conflict

Contents:

• Analyze the role of emotions in conflict
• Discover formula for "I-messages"
• Examine principles of teaching anger management
• Evaluate degrees of anger
• Develop various techniques for "cooling off"

Module Four: Communicating to De-escalate Conflict

Objective: Students will correctly illustrate constructed selected response test questions.
Contents:

• Explore the role of communication in conflict and conflict resolution
• Explain the five "Communication Potholes" and their effects on conflicts
• Determine the importance of active listening
• Develop active listening techniques

Module Five: Negotiation and Mediation

Contents:

• Evaluate the difference between positions and interests
• Examine the process of principled negotiation
• Assess the mediation process
• Develop classroom applications of the principled negotiation and mediation

Module Six: Cooperation and Perspective Taking

Contents:

• Evaluate the relationship between conflict resolution, community building, cooperation and perspective taking;
• Examine skills and attitudes which affect the productivity of a group and the satisfaction of its members;
• Mark the characteristics of different stages of team development;
• Interpret various points of view in conflict situations.

Module Seven: Diversity and Conflict: Part 1

Contents:

• Evaluate fears and expectations about issues around diversity;
• Distinguish between prejudice and discrimination;
• Determine institutional '-isms' that exist in our society;
• Develop strategies for addressing issues of diversity in the classroom.

Module Eight: Diversity and Conflict: Part 2

Contents:

• Examine four levels of cultural competence and how they affect the understanding of differences;
• Discuss the relationship between diversity issues and conflict;
• Develop strategies for building alliances;
• Determine the key challenges in dealing with issues of diversity and to model appreciation for diversity in the classroom.

Module Nine: Conflict Resolution An Essential Component of Classroom Management and Discipline

Contents:

• Explain the relationship between conflict resolution, classroom management, and approaches to discipline;
• Discuss the idea of punitive and instructional discipline and identify strategies that enable students to move from unskillful to skillful behavior;
• Evaluate the Prevention - Intervention - Invention model as a frame for classroom management and effective teaching;
• Choose strategies that help prevent student misbehaviors and encourage positive participation and a sense of belonging;
• Discuss effective intervention strategies that can help teachers defuse and manage conflicts and confrontations.

Module Ten: Program Planning

Contents:

• Develop rationale for infusing conflict resolutions skills and concepts into the standard curriculum;
• Discuss strengths and limitations of various conflict resolution program components;
• Design program planning;
• Complete the final integration project;

Course Requirements:

1. Forum Participation 28 points.
2. Reading/Reflection Assignments 54 points
3. Final Integration Project 18 points.

Grades
100-93 - A
  92-85 - B
  84-77 - C
  76-69 - D
  68-  0 - F

Student Academic Integrity

Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by the Teacher Education University catalog and is subject to academic disciplinary action.

Bibliography

Bloom, A.. (2008, February). Troublemakers in class? Give peace a chance. The Times Educational Supplement,(4774), 6

Bondy, E., & Ross, D. (2008, September). The Teacher as Warm Demander. Educational Leadership, 66(1), 54.

Crowe, C.. (2008, November). Solving Behavior Problems Together. Educational Leadership, 66(3), 44

Greenspan, S. (2007, January). Children Who Have Trouble Relating. Scholastic Early Childhood Today, 21(4), 20-22

Perry, G. (2006). Positive Teacher Talk for Better Classroom Management: Grades K-2. YC Young Children, 61(6), 98.

Whitehurst, L. (2007, September). More Time to Teach: Responding to Student Behavior. The Booklist, 104(2), 77

Teacher Education University reserves the right to adjust and adapt this syllabus as necessary.