Mesa,+olga

Module #1 Write a brief - 2- page (500 word+ or -) report describing the influences you observed and discussed. Put you first reflection on your individual wiki page.

==This story deals fundamentally with the regret a young man feels of having performed violent practices driven by racism and idealistic fanaticism; these portrayed as some of the characteristics that define neo-Nazi groups: groups that based their philosophy in that of a Nazi era which fed enough hatred to ignite a war that brought the death of millions of people. These groups are commonly made by young people who don’t feel part of society, who are violent, xenophobic, and blindly willing to follow a somber leader who usually hides and commands them like a puppeteer hiding in a shadow of mystery and anonymity. Theirs is a local based organization, and as part of their outer commitment to their cause, they even show signs that make them stand out, like shaved heads, tattoos, etc.== ==It is important to point out that the story takes place in two parallel settings that mutually explain themselves, and in two stages of the life of an American family that lives and suffers the murder of their father, a firefighter rendering his duty during a fire.== ==The problem lies in the resentment Derek –the main character- feels; he is a quick-tempered, resentful and violent youngster who kills two African American young men, and who is condemned to three years in prison because of this murder. Until that moment, everything he lived had been seen through the eyes of Nazism: friends, his girlfriend, his brother and the memory of his death father; everything was related one way or the other with racial hatred and violence. Derek takes the role of the authority at home after the death of his father; his mother cannot overcome her grief and feels passive before the decision-making of her siblings, unable to help them in fulfilling the absence of their father. Danny, the youngest brother, idolizes Derek; he imitates, admires, and follows his older brother every step he takes. The resentment of all the young people and friends who follow Derek is driven by a man named Donovan, who is visible to his “fanatical soldiers” (weak-character, easily influenced people), but who is never seen by society; he has the power of conviction and great manipulative skills that lead them to commit delinquent actions that follow a Neo-Nazi patterned orders; theirs is a way of life ingrained by Donovan, that makes them reject Latin American immigrants and African American groups.== ==At the time of the story, Derek is in jail doing time for the murder of two African American youngsters. In jail he learned to reflect and reject everything that led him to commit this crime: racial hatred as an explanation to conflict, and violence as a way to solve conflict. He finds himself in situations that lead him to re-think his life; he realizes that the groups he has belonged to have an ideology of hypocrisy and corruption that serves as an excuse to commit crime. In jail he finds himself befriending a person he never imagined he would work with, least of all have as a friend: an African American who inspires him to begin changing his life and his way at looking at it; someone who makes him change his attitude towards everything. Enter a former superintendent at the school Derek attended, worried about the outcome of Danny’s future, and who asks him to write an essay in past tense about his brother’s story, and we have the core of this touching drama of change and redemption. The educator wants Danny to title his essay: American History X; an attempt by the superintendent to make Danny have a look at the past and reflect upon it, giving him a chance to solve life based in values of acceptance and freedom of expression; showing him that education is a tool of conflict resolution and teachers can be active agents of these processes.== ==Derek’s mission when he serves his time in jail is to get his family -specially his brother- away from conflict; away from the negative influence that had permeated all his life. There is a sour taste to the unexpected tragic end of the story. The moral can be that us as adults have to protect our children from living and suffering these illogical conflicts that lead to situations that have no solution: violent death because of unjustified ideologies.==

Module #2 V iolence - Prediction, Prevention and Intervention - Myth vs Reality - Write 5 Sentences about your reaction to the statistical data showing the trend below. (Remember your initial estimate on violence in the last 30 Years.)
 * [[image:http://edu640medellinspring2012.wikispaces.com/site/embedthumbnail/placeholder?w=NaN&h=NaN caption="crimeStats.jpg"]] ||
 * crimeStats.jpg ||


 * ==I think that there is more education, but the school environment is very stressful and this leads to more violence.==
 * ==Data can definitely lower the statistics due to the fact that there are so many variables; one of these can be that people are afraid to report these violent acts fearing consequences.==
 * ==Institutions have become more humanized, but still people’s individual reactions are violent.==
 * ==For me, it is a myth that violence tends to be less; what media and the environment provide to young children every day, relates more and more to violence, and young people learn to react according to what they have learned with these influence.==
 * ==My prediction was that violence increased instad of decreasing.==
 * ==I agree that to day there is more education, but theta is a lot of stress in the environment, which leads to violence.==
 * ==I believe one of the reasons the data shows a decreasing in violence is because people are not reporting the violent==

incidents to the police.
Module #3 Hearts and Minds Describe three things you plan to do in your teaching practice to reduce stress and win the Hearts and Minds of your students and co workers. 1. 2. 3.

Start the class with activities that stimulate the brain of the students and their learning more effective and permanent activities such as movement, careers, drama, movement, etc.. Encourage working in pairs or groups to interacting targets are met academic, social, conflict resolution, etc.. Having clear goals and explain to students so they know they will learn, as it may apply to your life and waiting for theteacher with the unit they are studying.

Module #4 Do the Personality Prototype test with another person. Discuss what the results mean. When you Teach you learn. Tell us on this site what you learned by sharing PP Results with another person.

Aplique la prueba a mi esposo; el resultado obtenido fue: PP 20, LE 27, CP 24, PM 29 según lo anterior el PP es MANEJADOR PRÁCTICO.
==COMENTARIO: al explicarle el resultado de su test se sintió identificado, al explicarle las caracteristicas de su prototipo no estuvo de acuerdo por que el no planea cada cosa, por el contrario es una persona que puede hacer su trabajo y resolver otras situaciones inesperadas.==

I applied the test to my husband; the result was: PP 20, LE 27, CP24, PM 29; according to these results, his PP is PRACTICAL MANAGER.
==COMMENTS: when I shared with him the results of the test, he identified himself with them; when explaining to him the caracteristics of his personality, h e did not agree with this description of this personality, arguing that he is not the kind of person who plans everything ; that, on the contrary, he is more a person who can do his work and solve unexpected situations with ease. ==

Module #5 Moral Dilemma - Develop a MD for use in your teaching practice. Outline it here. Use any lesson plan style or outline that you might have for your class / subject / or grade level. Describe your audience, age, demographic and what you will do.

==Dilema Moral: La profesora programa una excursión al Parque de los Nevados en la Cordillera Central de Colombia durante 4 días; dormirán en un hotel cerca de los Termales de Santa Rosa y escalarán el Nevado del Ruiz, además de otras salidas interesantes en la zona. El viaje tiene un costo de $2.000.000 por niño. De los 20 alumnos 2 no podrán viajar porque sus padres están pasando por una situación económica difícil y no tienen el dinero.==

==En la clase durante todo el año los niños hacen un ahorro voluntario para el programa, ”Plan Padrino”, en el que se recoge dinero para pagarle la educación a un niño de una escuela de bajos recursos; se les ha motivado mucho para que le ayudemos a nuestro ahijado a pagar el estudio.==

==La profesora le ha propuesto al grupo que dispongan de este dinero para que los dos compañeros puedan ir a la excursión y no se la pierdan. Los alumnos deberán decidir si lo toman para sus compañeros o si lo dejan para el ahijado.==

==Solución: después de largas discusiones (dos clases), los niños pudieron llegar a un acuerdo y fue casi unánime: “el dinero no lo gastarían en sus dos compañeros”; este era para el ahijado y no lo tocarían, porque es muy importante su educación. Pero harán ventas y actividades para recoger dinero y pagar los gastos de los dos niños que no podrán viajar.==

Unit: Climate and Landscape forms
==Mora Dilemma: The teacher plans a field trip to Parque de los Nevados, which is one of Colombia's highest mountain range in Cordillera Central; it is a 4 day trip; children will stay at a hotel close to the Santa Rosa hotsprings, and will try an ascent to the Nevado del Ruiz glacier, as well as some other outings to other interesting places in the surrounding area. The cost of this trip is COP $2,000,000 per student. Of the 20 children in the class, 2 will not be able to go due to a difficult economic situation in their families.== ==In class, throughout the school year, children contribute voluntarily to a social project called ”Plan Padrino” (Godfather Project), which collects money to pay for the school tuition of a child in need; Children are very motivated with this program and encourage each other to give.== ==The teacher has proposed to her students to use this money to help finance the trip of their 2 classmates who could not go to the field trip, so they don't miss out on a unique opportunity. Students will in the end decide if they use this money to help their peers, or help their godson's tuition.==

Action: After exposing the problem and the possible solution to the students, the class was divided in two groups to discuss and find a way to solve the conflict at hand.
==Solution: After a long time of discussion (which lasted two class periods), children came to an almost unanimous agreement: “money would not be spent financing their classmates' trip, but would be used to pay for their godson's tuition; they thought that his education is very important. They would, however, sell goods and think of money-collecting activities to pay for expenses for their peers.==

Module #6 Post 2 "I" messages - (positive) comment on the reactions. Post 1 "I" Message (negative or corrective)

I feel disappointed.
Module #7 1. Open a copy of the book IN STEPP. Read the Chapter on Time Management. Including Ben's Story. 2. Go to this Web Site. [|Values and Stuff] Explore the links that you find on the page. 3. In the upper left of the page, under the heading of tools look for the Mission Statement builder. Click on the link. 4. Then when the MSB page opens click on the link on the far right of the page (Your Values) and build a mission statement. 5. Post a copy of your mission Statement on your wiki page.

= //**Note: This module was sent through the Values and Stuff link directly to you.**// =

Module # 9

Post two new resources for conflict resolution on our Wiki site under Video / other resources. Give your self credit.

Module #10 offers an alternative of two assignments. You can do either A or B.

A. Beg, borrow, rent or steal a copy of the 1999 film October Sky. You may watch the movie as a group or individually but all work must be done individually, and posted on your own individual wiki page.

After watching the movie compare and contrast that film with the film American History X. Use specific examples from each of the two movies to explain.


 * 1) The role of nurture by the families of the two main characters, Derrick and Homer.
 * 2) The role of the mother in the development of each of the two main characters Derrick and Homer.
 * 3) The role of the teacher Murray in Derrick’s life and the role of Miss Reilly in Homer’s life.
 * 4) The role of the two principals in the lives of Derrick and Homer.
 * 5) The role of the community in the lives of Derrick and Homer.
 * 6) Once you have finished this assignment and all of the other 9 assignments on our Wiki site send Hank an email letting him know that you are completely finished. He will then email you your grade. It may take a few weeks from your submission until the grading is completed.

1. For me, family is the main axle in education; it instills moral values and life principles; in the case of the two families involved in the plot of the movie, Homer’s is the one that seems more functional and capable of transmitting and teaching values, even through their communication barriers, their difference of opinion, and their different dreams and life goals. I perceive Derrick’s family as dysfunctional, with a depressed mother after the death of her husband, placing Derrick as head of the family; his problem is the affinity he has with a neo-Nazi group, which drive behavior driven by hate and violence. The values and principles he passes on to his family are inappropriate, and not in accordance with the social environment in which they live.

2. Derrick’s mother is a weak woman, forever grieving since the death of her husband, thus delegating the family responsibility to Derrick. In Homer’s family case, the mother is the one who encourages her son all the time to keep dreaming, doing everything within her reach so her husband supports their son.

3. Mr. Murray, Derrick’s teacher, never believed in him, considering him a lost case. Ms. Reilly, Homer’s teacher, on the other hand, was a great help in making Homer’s dreams come true; she encouraged him to register in college and work for NASA, his life goal.

4. The role of the two school directors in these two movies is totally opposite. The director in Derrick’s school believed in him and knew there was some very dark reason that made the young man he knew in school change; however, he was sure that if he fought back and helped him, Derrick could recover his life back and succeed. On the contrary, Homer’s school director doesn’t support his student; he just discourages him into accepting his reality and gives him a message never to pursue his dreams; he reminds him constantly that his place in society is to be a miner like the rest of youngsters that live in town.

5. In Homer’s town, people don’t believe in their youth initially, and it bothers them that youngsters have unreachable dreams, that they are idealists, that they dream out of the ordinary according to town life; when they see their perseverance and the fact that they can finally reach their goals, the town community supports them and look for ways to solve their difficulties and thus reach their dreams regarding rockets. The role of society in Derrick’s life is contaminating and harmful; violence and hatred are primary factors; there is a constant power struggle: racism and ideologies separate social classes, race and creed. This environment doesn’t help people like Derrick, who must show they are strong and invincible regardless of their weaknesses and their emotional emptiness, which in the end lead them to be part of a neo-Nazi group, and act in wrong and irrational ways.

Module #11 offers an alternative of any one of the 10 modules above. Watch the movie Emperors Club. Then write a reflection of 250 words (+-) describing the values choices that Mr. H made and discovered through the end of the movie. Describe your alternate choices or support his. For What would you walk the "I" beam?

==The story tells the relationship between this teacher and Bell, a problem teenager who becomes a negative leader. Mr. Hundert, our teacher, motivates Bell and challenges him to become a good student; to his surprise, Bell responds becoming better; however, Bell obtains the second place in a contest through cheating; Mr. Hundert notices this but doesn’t do anything because Bell’s father is a benefactor of the school.==

==Years later, Bell, now a successful businessman, invites Mr. Hundert to reenact the old High School contest. Bell cheats again, but this time, confronted by his old teacher, replies he would do anything to obtain success.==

Value all choices we get in life, trying to be the best we can as human beings, being honest to ourselves and those who live around us.
Post two new resources for conflict resolution on our Wiki site under Video / other resources. Give your self credit.