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 On August 6th, ESD Research Center hosted the Open Forum titled as "Education for Conflict Resolution in the United States". The guest speaker was Mr. Tom Roderick, Director of Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility, who has engaged in "Social and Emotional Education (ESR)" at schools in New York for long time.
 Mr. Roderick introduced 4Rs Program and Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP) as the practical methods of ESR, and some practices at one of elementary schools in Brooklyn, New York. The "4R" means Reading, Writing, Respect and Resolution, and those elements are integrated into language curriculum in schools. RCCP is the program co-developed by Morningside Center and Education Division of New York City, and it can helps school children to learn about what conflicts and cultural diversities are. Also, Mr. Roderick emphasized that we can be grown up by learning from conflict, and that it is important for children at young ages to start learning about conflicts with their friends or in their classrooms and schools.
 In Japan today, conflicts and miscommunication among children and between them and teachers are one of difficult problems in schools. When we consider "sustainable society" and "sustainable school", we could learn a lot from such experiences of Morningside Center and Mr. Roderick's ideas and suggestions. |
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