Language for Peace Forum
elementary education
Learn about Restorative Justice in Education – June 27-28
The Restorative Justice in Education (RJE) Academy is taking place June 27-28, 2016 at Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA. Check out details and registration here.
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We Learn by Doing
For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them. (Aristotle) Learning by doing is not a new concept. Artisans such as stonemasons, bakers, playwrights, songwriters, blacksmiths and tailors have mentored their apprentices in specialized crafts and in a workshop context for centuries. The items they created had practical … Continue reading
Black ants and Buddhists: Thinking critically and teaching differently in the primary grades
The title of this book may raise some curiosity – it certainly did with me. The author, Mary Cowhey, who has roots as a community activist, tells stories of striving to create a social justice classroom with her grade ones. Her aim is to use language and literacy to teach about the world in a way that engages and empowers children. Continue reading
Language That Can Change Lives
Just a few days ago I was part of a book club with a group of young teachers. Over the past few years I have worked as a learning support facilitator in their classrooms and developed valuable friendships with them. I admire them for working hard alongside their students in creating safe and inspiring learning environments. Our discussion focused … Continue reading
4 Pathways to a Culturally Responsive Classroom
Language and culture are often implicitly woven together in language classrooms and it’s easy to get caught up in teaching mainstream culture. But what does this do to learners’ own cultural identities and development, particularly for younger learners? Continue reading
Oct 15 is Conflict Resolution Day
Did you know that the third Thursday of October is Conflict Resolution Day? Check out the poetry contest, classroom resources, activities and more! Continue reading
Responsive Classrooms
A bit of a newcomer to the realm of education theory, philosophy and curriculum, as I continue doing research in those areas, I have found myself ‘discovering’ for the first time teaching styles that spark my imagination. Some philosophies are more realistic than others, and some work better for certain age groups over others. Since … Continue reading
Acting Out Helps ESL Students
In an article on the Scientific American site entitled How Acting Out in School Boosts Learning, the writer looks at the theory of “embodied cognition” in education. Connecting mind and body is shown to be helpful particularly for language learners. This also resonates with the holistic approaches in peace education.
Storytelling and Language Learning
Matthew James Friday’s article on Why Storytelling in the Classroom Matters highlights storytelling with children, emphasising the role of stories in language learning. Although the types of stories may be different, this holds true for adult education as well.
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