SIS 619.005 and SIS 419.026 American University, Spring 2012 Room 233, SIS building Mondays, 8:10 PM to 10:40 PM Instructor: Barbara J. Wien Home Phone: 703-522-3069 Email: [email protected] Office Hours: Mondays, 7 -8 PM PEACE EDUCATION Photo: Afghan children work for peace "The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind." Kahlil Gibran Lebanese-American artist, poet, writer. Born 1883, died 1931 Introduction Welcome to Peace Education! This course is about big ideas and practical strategies for nurturing peaceful values, attitudes, skills, and behaviors in diverse age groups in formal settings, such as schools, and in non-formal settings, such as refugee sites, prisons, gangs, after-school programs, summer camps, etc. Because this course is one of eight in the Applied stream or concentration of the International Peace and Conflict Resolution Masters Program, we will operate on two levels simultaneously - - theory and practice - - also known as Praxis. We will explore such questions as: - What is peace education? What are the underlying assumptions, principles and purposes? - Is the content and approach different depending on the setting, culture, age group, demographic? - What do the critics say about peace education? Is it a form of indoctrination? How do we respond? - How does one actually teach peace? How does a teacher avoid being dogmatic or doctrinaire? - Is peace education effective in reducing violence? How do we know? How is success measured? This peace education course is designed to help us analyze conflict and violence through a new or different lens. We will deconstruct conventional assumptions about human nature, war, how people learn, obstacles to peace, youth, and violence. We will study foundations of educational theories, and cross-cultural teaching approaches from around the world. We will study exemplary curricula, ideas, practices and skills for nurturing peaceable classrooms, schools, and communities. Our approach will necessarily be interdisciplinary, drawing on history, feminist and gender studies, critical race theory, educational research, biology, anthropology, archeology, economics, communications, geography, sociology, psychology, political science, international relations, military history, peace research, fine arts, and labor studies, among other intellectual traditions.Required Texts - Claire McGlynn, et. al, Editors. Peace Education in Conflict and Post-Conflict Societies, Comparative Perspectives, 2009. Electronic Reserve at the AU Library. (New York: Palgrave Macmillan) Edition: 1st ed. You do not need to actually buy this $149 book. - Howlett, Chuck and Ian Harris, Books not Bombs: Teaching Peace since the Dawn of the Republic, 2010. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc. - Finley, Laura, Building a Peaceful Society: Creative Integration of Peace Education, 2011. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc. Learning Objectives: To search for the best ways to teach peace, compare, contrast and improve upon them; To learn how to write an effective curriculum for diverse groups in cross-cultural settings; To learn how to heal traumatized populations through peace education; To review evaluation studies and research on the impact and effectiveness of peace education; To gain an appreciation of just and peaceful institutions and societies; To model, experience and practice a peaceable classroom and healthy dynamics in small groups; To encourage students to become reflective peace practitioners and critical learners; To enhance our imaginations, creativity, intellectual flexibility, and problem-solving capacities; To encourage positive action and create beauty in the world; Pedagogy: This course builds on Maria Montessori’s philosophies and methods, Paolo Freire’s comprehensive education for human liberation, and Henry Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory. The pedagogical design encourages self-generated learning, utilizing more than 27 methods of instruction, including art, music, films, case studies, drama, storytelling, journaling, simulations, role-plays, small group work, student-led reviews of books and articles, guest speakers, independent inquiry, participatory action-research, observations, quiet reflection, writing for publication, and formal presentations. We will work to create a collaborative, cooperative learning community, based on healthy dynamics in small groups. You can expect to be up and out of our chairs, moving around the classroom quite a bit. I will seek to create an atmosphere of rigor, excellence, respect, trust and fun. Learning Outcomes - - by the end of this course you should be able to: Demonstrate knowledge of major concepts, frameworks, and methodologies in peace education; Acquire knowledge in key areas of Peace Education to effectively communicate your own emerging vision and approach to teaching others; Prepare and present an effective learning unit for possible use by teachers (in a variety of settings); Demonstrate effective skills in facilitating the learning of others using multiple ways of teaching; Connect course content to current public events and issues in the news; Develop and execute research projects integrating theory and analysis; Demonstrate writing and speaking skills to clearly and effectively convey knowledge; Apply concepts and theories from international economics to issues of peace and mass violence. Requirements and What to Expect: 1. Students are expected to contribute short “light & lively” exercises and fun activities for our breaks each week to keep us stay alert and get our blood circulating. Games should be related to our course and brief. 2. Students are expected to carefully read all assigned material before class, and come prepared to present questions and ideas from the readings. STUDENTS WILL LEAD DISCUSSIONS each week using an evaluative review method. Evaluators will discuss by phone or in-person with Barbara what they have planned.3. Students will present short learning units in micro-teaching situations in which other students serve as the intended learners. Presenters will be given responses from the point of view of learners and constructive critiques from the professor. 4. Students