Modern Underdog Blogspot
elimate bullying from elemetry schools using kiva!
- A Bully Free Zone sign – School in Berea, Ohio (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
just the other day, we extolled the virtues of Finnish schools — how money is smartly allocated to many aspects of student care, and how educators are kept inspired to do their best. There’s another thing the Finns are doing very well: they have quite possibly the best program to address school bullying, and this time, the U.S. is taking notice — a pilot program will be kicking off as early as the school year of 2012-13 in select Lawrence, Kansas schools.
Called KiVA, the program is a unique, multifaceted approach which addresses not just the single bully and the victim, but the classroom as a whole, including teachers and even parents. With KiVA, the peer environment becomes inhospitable to bullying, and the culture of the school changes. Funded by the Finnish Ministry of Education, the program was developed and tested back in 2006-09; it is so effective that it decreased bullying by 50% compared control schools, and won the European Crime Prevention Award in 2009.
KiVA has numerous components, but its underlying thought is this: bullies should not feel that they can be rewarded with friendship and status by acting in an abusive way — after all, all anybody wants at the end of the day (especially in school) is friendship and status. In fact, with KiVA, bullying is made out to be what it is: ugly behavior that is not tolerated by peers. Instead, it is by preventing bullying — with a major emphasis on recruiting the onlookers — that children will gain status and friendship.
A series of classroom lessons (consisting of discussion, group work and videos) are supplemented with an anti-bullying computer game, and teachers are involved by putting up posters, wearing supervisor vests and getting PowerPoints which they can use to present the program to parents (who also get an instructional pamphlet). Teachers are also taught how to address acute situations of bullying, whereby both the harasser and victim are involved in a discussion, along with a select few students who are challenged to take the victim’s side.
KiVA’s concrete, easy-to-understand lessons are supported by a full ‘cultural’ movement at the school where every student is provided with the tools to safely address bullying situations. The computer game doesn’t hurt, either. These methods are based on concrete learning and are derived from research findings — psychology professors at Kansas University are the ones who will be bringing this school-changing research on board and creating the pilot programs. They say that all the methods currently being tried in the States are just not working well enough — KiVA will change the “peer ecology” to one that no longer tolerates bullying, and they think this shift will have lasting impact.
There are many lessons we can learn from the Finns about how to better our schools. It is up to researchers, educators and policy-makers to take note of these wonderful initiatives — the difficult part has already been done: the Finns have found the way, and now all we have to do is provide our children with the same.
You can get more details about the program at KiVA’s site, or read this study which evaluated its effectiveness.
The only thing is I would love this program in canada!
Viewers and reader please make action and bring this program to your local school boards attention… We can change the public school social culture
link to site and give this info to your head of board
http://www.kivakoulu.fi/there-is-no-bullying-in-k
this is my own version of what bullying looks like (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
iva-school
http://cbpp-pcpe.phac-aspc.gc.ca/intervention_pdf/en/717.pdf
Related articles
- Film Review: Bully (filmophilia.com)
- Iowa paper devotes front page to fighting bullying (kansascity.com)
- MIBRN Asks – Is It Getting Better Right Now? (kcareyinfante.com)
- Bullying Information Center | Education.com (education.com)
- Have You Ever Encountered Any Redhead Bullying? (bellasugar.com)
- Tips to Reduce Bullying in Schools (ebookcoverdesign.org)
- Kiva launches Kiva.org/women and Partners with Dermalogica to Give Away $100,000 in Loans (entrepremusings.com)
Državni vrh Hrvatske: Zločin u Jasenovcu ne smije se negirati ni zaboraviti
Jasenovac, ilustracija
Hrvatski državni vrh – predsjednik Ivo Josipović, premijer Zoran Milanović i predsjednik Hrvatskog sabora Boris Šprem - poručili su na komemoraciji u Spomen-području Jasenovac, u povodu 67. godišnjice proboja logoraša, kako se ne smije zaboraviti i negirati zločini u Jasenovcu te da u Hrvatskoj fašističke ideje više neće proći.
Predsjednik Josipović istaknuo je kako treba prepoznati svakoga tko želi negirati zločine i tko u ime nacije želi mržnju i stradanje.
Viva la Difference
Q: How does one tell a politician from a prostitute?
A: Prostitutes don't call themselves Republicans.
Political graph of all the countries!
I put all the micronations on this little graph. It represents the combined opinions of their citizens. For example, even though the South Republic has a party that agrees with Groinland, since nobody votes for it, it doesn't make the South Republic have the same views as Groinland.
Comparing these nations to ones that really exist, the South Republic is like the USA, Canada is between the South Republic and Bob's Fun Club, and Nazi Germany was a bit like the Dictatorship of Goddanged.
Obama, SECRETLY Revolutionizing the U.S. Tax System!
Will Tell
Denver, CO
WillTellsAll.Wordpress.com
Follow on Twitter: Will_Tell_2012
Tuesday representative Tom McClintock (R) from California's fourth district spoke on the floor of the house chamber in regards to governments tax laws and behavior therein. Specifically the taxing of nonprofits was the issue the congressman addressed. Over the years we have all heard Obama discuss the need to revolutionize the country's tax system.
Haiti dans la presse nationale et internationale - Special du dimanche 22 avril 2012
Kanye Meets the Family! [Candy Dish]
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West: are they or aren't they dating? Apparently it's really on! TMZ reports that Kim brought Kanye to meet the entire Kardashian crew in New York this past week, and the family couldn't have been happier. Kim and Kanye were also spotted shopping and eating ice cream in Soho. Get all the details here!
In other news: …
Event Notices From April 20-22
Learn how to export your company's products at Port Lansing logistics conference: The Port Lansing 2012 Global Logistics Conference will be held Tuesday, May 15 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Michigan State University Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, 55 S. Harrison Road in East Lansing. Seasoned importers and exporters, global logistics specialists and international business and financing experts will be on hand to teach would-be exporters how to localize global logistics, optimize a global supply chain, and finance your international efforts.
FAIR GAME: birth places, polygamy communes, and presidential candidates
As the Republican Teaparty has taught us since Barack Obama won the presidency, the background of a candidate is completely fair game -- particularly if that background does not involve the candidate's ancestors being passengers aboard the Mayflower (and specifically if one's ancestors are any race other than white). Fact: these are the people Romney panders to.
Therefore in the interest of public awareness and fair play, Dave Weigel asks:
