Today marks the first anniversary of the deadliest school shooting rampage in US history: the April 16th massacre of 32 students and teachers on the Virginia Tech University campus. There have been numerous shootings in schools since the massacre at VA Tech.
Do you think university campuses are safe? Or do you think further action should be taken? Some have proposed allowing students to carry guns. Is this the solution?
Throw your dirty laundry somewhere else. We ask that you don't curse or use other inappropriate language here (if you have to think too hard about using a word, you probably shouldn't). This is a forum for the exchange of positive ideas, not a place to gang up on others or make anyone feel bad. Feeling good is good, right? Yup. Also, for your own safety, we ask that you don't post personal information about yourself or where you live on these boards. Please follow these simple and important rules or you WILL be voted off the island. Okay, to clarify, here’s the…Don’t DO It Checklist (for our Message Boards):
Do Something can decide, in its sole discretion, what is inappropriate for our message boards and can restrict your access or delete your account at any time.
be a fan on Facebook
friend us on MySpace
watch us
Mock Peace conferance
Executive Summary on Conflict Resolution
My name is Pat Parris, and I teach Leadership for the K-12 cyber school, Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School (PALCS); I am also the adviser for the school’s student government. Our Student Government Senate proposes A Project Addressing World Peace with a Specific Goal of Resolving Cultural Differences between Western and Middle Eastern High School Students. This project fits well into our school’s mission which includes leadership development. Resolving conflict is a key leadership characteristic, and conflict resolution is a trait we wish to instill in our future leaders. This project will teach both students and parents who wish to learn strategies for living in a peaceful world.
The project will be based upon the following objectives: 1) Students will compare and contrast the cultural similarities and differences between the Middle East and Pennsylvania by studying and discussing excerpts from the book, Snow, by Orhan Palmuk 2) Pennsylvania students will travel to NYC to participate in a cultural forum on teenage violence and conflict resolution in Western and the Middle Eastern cultures. 3) Parents will attend the summit to support their teens’ initiative.
We will need the following resources to successfully implement this plan: copies of the book, Snow, for all students, computers with web-cam communication software, a course and instructor, students of foreign-descent, funds for travel, a location for the student summit meeting, and housing.
I will be teaching this cyber course at PALCS. The cost of my salary and the books will be covered by PALCS. We will use Skype and Moodle, (free software packages), which will allow us to communicate with anyone in the world. PALCS has agreed to pay for a teacher/chaperones to accompany the PALCS students. The project has a budget of $2,300. We have already secured $350 toward our goal. We hope to attain the balance through the State Department. The immigrant Middle Eastern students will be provided through strategic partnerships with schools in NYC.
Our Leadership Center at PALCS has the skills necessary to organize, fund, and run this project successfully. Further, I have spent seventeen years in fund raising, staff management, and training with the United States Chamber of Commerce. During these years, I learned resourcefulness, perseverance, and how to staff and train managers. Teaching online has also allowed me to develop courage, discernment, and imagination. Most importantly, Student Government Senators will help to monitor and energize the class and event.
My proposal will be implemented in a two stage process. The first stage will involve an internet cyber course at PALCS which will run for 18 weeks. As a part of this class, the students will read Snow, a Nobel Prize- winning book by Orhan Palmuk. This novel can be used as a platform for discussion on the topic “Teenage Violence and Conflict Resolution in the Middle East and Western Culture.” All of the students will learn and then practice conflict resolution skills through online discussions utilizing the Moodle platform which embraces social and collaborative learning styles. The second stage will involve a three- day stay in NYC where students will stage a three-day summit over Martin Luther King Day. Here, the participants will work together to build common bridges and to find healthy options to solve current conflicts within their cultures.
The cyber class and summit will be evaluated with a questionnaire and a PowerPoint with an embedded interview.
The largest risk that we will face on this project will be the interaction of two volatile student populations. It is my assertion that our students will, at a minimum, discover that they have more similarities than differences, and that they may find that their common ground helps them to resolve conflicts. If we are successful, we will find harmony among our students and their neighbors, a small demonstration project and reflection of what is possible on a larger scale in this turbulent world.
This summary is based on this problem-based learning unit. http://pparris9.edublogs.org/ http://questgarden.com/54/03/6/070731094648/
this is wrong.
that shooting never should have happened. the guy who was the killer was not supposed to be walking around freely in the first place. carrying guns isn't a solution, but neither is being defenseless either. but then again, in texas people carry guns, and there's not a lot of crime there...I don't know. a better solution needs to be suggested.