March 29 - April 26, 2008
*NOTE: No face-to-face meetings are required. All coursework to be completed through D2L.
Patricia A. Shaw, PhD (pshaw@uwsp.edu)
Office: 462 College of Professional Studies (CPS)
Telephone: 715/346-3720
Fax: 715/346-4846
Office Hours: By appointment
web page: http://www.uwsp.edu/education/pshaw/
Syllabus
This is a hybrid course, predominantly online using the Desire 2 Learn (D2L) format*, designed for teachers who need one credit in Conflict Resolution Skills for DPI Certification**. It is also appropriate for other teachers or professionals who would like to increase skills in handling conflict at the worksite and in personal situations. We will explore conflict as an opportunity for learning, develop and deepen understanding of guidelines for transforming conflict and reaching consensus, and practice conflict transformation skills useful at work, home and in the classroom.
Online Communication in D2L
Each student will be randomly assigned to a small discussion group. All communication, with the exception of private emails you choose to send, will be conducted in D2L.
As you peruse the syllabus and D2L sites, note that there are forums for both small group and large group discussions under the "Discussion" link on the menu bar. Large Group Forums are for the weekly summaries and any responses, reflections, or reactions to those posts.
The remaining forums are for small group discussion. Only the members of your small group are able to read this correspondence. Groups will be identified in D2L by their chosen group name (see Assignments for Module #1 below).
Each participant will serve as her/his group's summarizer for one module. Each group will decide, through on line communication, who will write the summaries in the Large Group Forums for the respective modules. In the case of groups larger or smaller than 4, the group members will decide how to allocate the summarizer duties among the members.
Note that there is a special project for those of you taking the course for graduate credit. Those projects are to be posted in the D2L forum labeled "Graduate Students' Plans".
As your instructor, I am part of every small group. I will read all your posts in all forums and selectively respond with relevant comments, questions, and/or concerns. I will post points and respond to your questions and concerns in a timely manner throughout the course. Please email me (pshaw@uwsp.edu) with any questions, comments or concerns you may have during the course.
*See instructions at the end of the syllabus for accessing D2L.
**Wisconsin Teacher Licensing Rules - PI 3.05
(15) CONFLICT RESOLUTION. Except as specified under s. 118.19 (9) (b), Stats., effective July 1, 1996, an applicant who applies for an initial regular license shall demonstrate competency, as verified by a professional education program or school district supervisor, in all of the following:
(a) Resolving conflicts between pupils and between pupils and school staff.
(b) Assisting pupils in learning methods of resolving conflicts between pupils and between pupils and school staff, including training in the use of peer mediation to resolve conflicts between pupils.
(c) Dealing with crises, including violent, disruptive, potentially violent or potentially disruptive situations, that may arise in school or at activities supervised by a school as a result of conflicts between pupils or between pupils and other persons.
Required Text: (available for purchase at the UWSP Bookstore)
Lederach, J. L. (2003). The little book of conflict transformation. Good Books: Intercourse, PA.
Course Objectives:
1. Participants will understand how individual personality and assertiveness styles impact the ways in which their perspectives about conflict and conflict transformation are shaped.
2. Participants will understand the principles and strategies of transforming conflict as outlined by Lederach.
3. Participants will implement the conflict transformation strategies within their respective teaching practices.
4. Participants will evaluate the success (or lack thereof) of conflict transformation.
5. *Participants will work to enhance their personal conflict transformation skills within their respective teaching through continued practice of strategies.
*Your Plan for Personal Skills Development will outline the ways in which you plan to develop your skills for transforming conflict based on Lederach's strategies, your own style of approaching conflict, and the insights you have gained through this course.
Course Expectations:
1. You are required to post, in D2L, a MINIMUM of 3 times within each module (one module per week), including assignment posts and responses to other class participants. (Note: If messages are posted as attached documents, they must be posted in Microsoft Word. Messages posted in other programs, e.g. WordPerfect, will not be readable to us.)
2. Posts should be "pithy". We're not looking for novels; a couple of well-worded thoughtful paragraphs (maximum of two screens) should suffice. People tend to read and digest shorter messages than long ones. (See Message Guidelines below). Messages should be free of structural and grammatical errors.
3. Each participant will be responsible for posting a summary of their respective group discussion once. Summaries are done on a weekly basis. Group summaries are to be posted to the Large Group discussion forum.
*4. EDUC 570 ONLY students are required to do #6 of Module 4. See below for instructions.
Grading:
Weekly posts = up to 15 points/week
Weekly summary = up to 20 points
Kiersey Temperament Sorter completion = 10 points
Assertiveness Inventory completion = 10 points
Description of conflict observation = up to 25 points
Plan for personal skills improvement = up to 25 points
Total possible points = 150
A = 145-150 points A- = 139-144 points
B+ = 133-138 points B = 127-132 points
B- = 121-126 points C+ = 116-121 points
C = 111-115 points C- = 105-110 points
D+ = 100-104 points D- = 95-100 points
F = 94 points and lower
*ED 570 only: Conflict Transformation Paper = 100 points
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Module #1: Understanding Your Personal Conflict Transformation Style
3/29 - 4/5/2008
Assignments:
1. Write an introduction about yourself to your small group (name, location, occupation, hobbies, etc.)
2. Suggest a name for your group (e.g. Bookworms, Packer Backers, etc. This name will be entered into D2L and will identify your group in both the Large Group Forums and the small group discussion forums).
3. Complete the Keirsey Personality Inventory online. (Note: you will need to sign in to take the inventory. Make sure you do not sign up to purchase anything unless you so choose!)
4. Open, print, and complete the Kraybill Conflict Response Style Inventory (click on link to open)
5. Post a reflection of the result of the two inventories to your small discussion group by 10:00 p.m., Tues., April 1, 2008.
6. Using directions in the Discussion forum for this Module, read and respond to others' reflections by 10:00 p.m., Thurs., Apr. 3, 2008.
7. Person(s) assigned to post weekly group discussion summary (including your group name) should post to the Large Group Discussion Forum for Week 1 by 10:00 p.m., Sat., April 5, 2008.
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Module #2: Understanding the Principles and Strategies of Conflict Transformation
4/6 - 4/12/2008
Assignments:
1. Read required text. Also read Physical Restraint in School found on Electronic Reserve (click on E-Reserve under Library Services). Another article you may wish to read (but which is not required) is: Guidelines for the Appropriate Use of Seclusion and Physical Restraint in Special Education Programs. It can be accessed at this link: http://dpi.wi.gov/sped/doc/secrestrgd.doc **See below for additional resources.
2. Post your personal reflection of the text and article to small group by 10:00 p.m., Tues., April 8, 2008.
3 Following directions in Discussion forum for this Module, read and respond to others' reflections in your small discussion group by 10:00 p.m. Thurs., April 10, 2008.
4. Person(s) assigned to post weekly group discussion summary should post to the Large Group Discussion Forum for Week 2 by 10:00 p.m., Sat., April 12, 2008.
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Module #3: Implementing Conflict Transformation Strategies
4/13 - 4/19/2008
Assignments:
1. Observe conflict scenarios in school, home, grocery store, etc.
2. If possible, implement conflict transformation strategies. If you are not directly involved in the conflict or, for other reasons, cannot directly implement strategies, think about what you would do in that scenario.
3. Without violating confidentiality, post a description of the conflict you observed to your small discussion group. Also post reflections about the resulting transformation OR how you would approach transforming this conflict to your discussion group by 10:00 p.m., Tues., April 15, 2008.
4. Following directions in Discussion forum for this Module, read and respond to others' reflections in your small discussion group by 10:00 p.m., Thurs., April 17, 2008.
5. Person(s) assigned to post weekly group discussion summary should post to the Large Group Discussion Forum for Week 3 by 10:00 p.m., Sat., April 19, 2008.
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Module #4: Evaluating Success of Conflict Transformation Strategies
4/20 - 4/26/2008
Assignments:
1. If possible, consult with those parties in conflict from Module 3 observations. What is their status with regard to being in conflict (or not)? How did (or didn't) the strategies you used transform their conflict?
2. After consulting with those parties and listening to their input, what would you do the same or differently with other parties in a similar conflict? Post your reflection to your small discussion group by 10:00 p.m., Tues., April 22, 2008.
3. Consider how you will enhance your personal conflict transformation skills. Post your Plan for Personal Skills Development to your small discussion group by 10:00 p.m., Wed., April 23, 2008.
4. Following directions in Discussion forum for this Module, read and respond to others' reflections in your small discussion group by 10:00 p.m., Thurs., April 24, 2008.
5. Person(s) assigned to post weekly group discussion summary should do so by 10:00 p.m., Sat., April 26, 2008.
*6. For EDUC 570 students only: Think about how you could organize or in some way make a difference in the ways conflict is currently addressed in your school or workplace. Write a 3-5 page paper, create a PowerPoint, design a web page, or in some other form, communicate to us a description and analysis of the current approach to conflict management/resolution/transformation in your school or workplace. Be sure to include what you believe to be the strengths and weaknesses of the program. How would you incorporate the strategies of conflict transformation to restructure and enhance your school's program?
Post your project to the Large Group Discussion Forum in D2L. Deadline for posting is 10:00 p.m., Sat., April 26, 2008.
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(used with permission from Prof. Chere Gibson, UW-Madison, Feb. 22, 2002)
Here are some helpful guidelines as you post to the online discussion in the various formats:
1. Post your initial message as early in the week as possible so people have time to read and respond to your contribution. Post additional messages throughout the week that are either new contributions or replies to someone else.
2. Keep your messages concise and clearly written. Most ideas can be stated in a couple of paragraphs, although sometimes a longer message may be needed to develop your thoughts adequately. Remember: people are apt to read and digest shorter messages than longer ones.
3. Be respectful of others' ideas, opinions, and beliefs. Its' fine to disagree with someone, but please respect their right to think differently.
4. A message that demonstrates substance contributes to the understanding and application of ideas by doing one or more of the following:
Reflection about meaning: Describe thoughtfully what something means or new insights it provides, or raise a question as a seed for clarification or further discussion.
Analysis: discuss relevant theses, concepts, main ideas, components, or relationships among ideas or identify hidden assumptions or fallacies in the reasoning.
Elaboration: Build on ideas of others or ideas found in the readings by adding details, examples, a different viewpoint, or other relevant information.
Application: Provide examples of how principles or concepts can be applied to actual situations, or discuss the implications of theory for practices.
Synthesis: Integrate multiple views to provide a summary, a new perspective, or a creative refashioning of ideas.
Evaluation: Assess the accuracy, reasonableness, or quality of ideas.
5. Avoid using all caps. IT SEEMS LIKE SHOUTING!
6. Use emoticons if you wish to convey emotion, especially if you want people to know that you are using humor or joking:
:-) happy
:-( unhappy/sad
:-O shocked
;-) winking
:-/ wry/ironic
or
:-}
7. Maintain the privacy of participants, including privacy of comments made during electronic conversation that is to be shared only with those participating in the course.
8. Abide by Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act rules which find academic information is confidential and forbids disclosure of academic information without the participant's consent.
9. Operate within the guidelines of Appropriate Use of UWSP Information Technology Resources - http://students.uwsp.edu/info/policies.htm
10. Notify the course instructor, Pat Shaw, as far in advance as possible of any time exceeding 5 days in which participation will not be possible during the course.
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**Additional Articles on Electronic Reserve
Ryan, J. B. & Peterson, R. I. Physical restraint in school.
Talbot, K. Restraints and timeout: The controversial interventions.
Siris,K., & Osterman, K.: Interrupting the Cycle of Bullying and Victimization in the Elementary Classroom
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Accessing Desire 2 Learn (D2L)
Go to this link and follow log on instructions: https://uwsp.courses.wisconsin.edu/
(For ease in accessing D2L in the future, add this link to your "Favorites" by clicking on "Favorites" on top-most menu).
Click on Content in menu bar to view the course modules. Links in each module will take you to assignments or discussions. You can check your points for each week by clicking on "Grades" on the menu bar.
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All information given below as well as directions on how to change your password are available on the Computer and Technology web site for students:
http://www.uwsp.edu/it/exchange/AccountsStu.htm
Please contact the IT HELP desk (7/15/346-HELP) if you have any problems.
For Off Campus technology support, please go to this link: http://www.uwsp.edu/it/offcampus/index.htm
To access your UWSP email off campus, go to: http://email.uwsp.edu
(You may want to add this link to your "Favorites", too!)
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Please note: I wish to fully include all persons in this course, including those with disabilities or other personal challenges. Please let me know if you need any special accommodations in the curriculum, instruction, or evaluations in this course to enable you to fully participate. I will try to maintain the confidentiality of the information you share with me.