Tools for Change: An Educator's Resource Site

Author(s): Judith V. Jordan and Cate Dooley

Publisher: Stone Center

Type of Resource: Group manual

Target Grades: High school, adults, peer-groups

Canadian Resource? No

Resource formally evaluated? No

What is the source, internet link, or article title for viewing the formal evaluation of this resource? (none supplied)

Subject Areas:Learning Skills, Career Studies, Healthy Active Living, Individual and Family Living, English

Developing Learning Skills and Strategies Grade 10

Interpersonal Knowledge and Skills - Overall Expectations

• identify and describe the knowledge and skills necessary for successful interpersonal relations and teamwork;
• assess their interpersonal and teamwork skills and strategies, and explain how those skills requiring further development affect their learning;
• demonstrate the ability to apply appropriate interpersonal and teamwork skills in a variety of learning environments.

Career Studies, Grade 10, Open (GLC2O)

Personal Management - Overall Expectations

• demonstrate effective use of interpersonal skills within a variety of settings.
• Discovering the Workplace, Grade 10, Open (GLD2O)
• Personal Management - Overall Expectations
• identify their interests, strengths, and needs, and describe how these influence their decisions about education and work;
• identify and use effectively the strategies required to manage their behaviour in school and in the community;
• identify and use effectively the interpersonal and teamwork skills and strategies required when working with others in school or in the community;
• Preparation for Transitions and Change - Overall Expectations
• identify changes and transitions that take place in their lives, and describe strategies to effectively manage these changes;

Healthy Active Living Education, Grade 9, Open (PPL1O)

Healthy Living - Overall Expectations

• identify the factors that contribute to positive relationships with others;
• identify strategies to minimize potentially dangerous situations (e.g., violence prevention, injury prevention).
• Living Skills - Overall Expectations
• use appropriate decision-making skills to achieve goals related to personal health;
• explain the effectiveness of various conflict resolution processes in daily situations;
• use appropriate social skills when working collaboratively with others.

Healthy Active Living Education, Grade 10, Open (PPL2O)

Healthy Living - Overall Expectations

• explain strategies to promote positive lifestyle choices and relationships with others;
• Living Skills - Overall Expectations
• identify ways of taking appropriate action in new situations based on knowledge of positive decisions related to healthy active living;
• demonstrate understanding of conflict resolution, anger management, and mediation;
• use appropriate social skills and positive attitudes when interacting with others.

Individual and Family Living, Grade 9/10, Open (HIF1O/HIF2O)

Self and Others - Overall Expectations

• describe the characteristics of human growth and development in adolescence, and explain their influence on the behaviour and needs of young people;
• analyse strategies to develop and maintain effective relationships;
• demonstrate a growing awareness of the need to be responsible and to contribute to the family.
• Personal and Social Responsibilities - Overall Expectations
• demonstrate an understanding of their growing rights and responsibilities in relation to their family, as well as their emerging independence from their family;
• demonstrate communication and conflict-resolution skills in the context of family and social relationships;
• understand and apply a variety of problem-solving and decision-making skills, grounded in psychological and sociological studies, to family and social problems;

English, Grade 9, Academic (ENG1D)

Language - Overall Expectations

• use knowledge of vocabulary and language conventions to speak, write, and read competently using a level of language appropriate to the purpose and audience;
• use listening techniques and oral communication skills to participate in classroom discussions and more formal activities, such as storytelling, role playing, and reporting/presenting, for specific purposes and audiences.
• English, Grade 10, Academic (ENG2D)
• Language - Overall Expectations
• use knowledge of vocabulary and language conventions to speak, write, and read competently and effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences, using a level of language appropriate to the context;
• use listening techniques and oral communication skills to participate in classroom discussions and more formal activities, such as dramatizing, presenting, and debating, for a variety of purposes and audiences.

(where noted: Consistently (C)   Often (O))

Exploring Well-Being Through Relationships

Knowledge

• • Personal growth in and through relationships
• • How healthy relationships support a healthy sense of well-being
• • Differentiate between healthy/equal relationships and relationships that are negative/unequal
• • How the nature of relationships are characterized by growth and change
• • Increase awareness of how actions and choices impact the well being of others
• • Increase awareness of how actions/choices of others impact personal well-being

Skills

• • Explore relationships from personal perspectives and experiences
• • Define values of healthy, supportive and caring relationships
• • Develop personal self-awareness and understanding of well-being
• • Express personal feelings, thoughts, and experiences
• • Opportunity for classmates to respond empathetically and respectfully

Exploring Social Relations of Violence, Oppression and Equality

Knowledge

• • Knowledge about social structures of inequality, marginalization/exclusion, negative stereotypes, discrimination and violence
• • Recognize and understand oppression on the basis of gender and other forms of inequality (i.e., race, culture, socioeconomic status, education, geographic location, ability/disability, etc.)
• • Knowledge about the social relations of equality, inclusion, acceptance and empowerment
• Skills
• • Explore multiple and different forms of violence/vulnerability and experiences of exclusion in their lives
• • Explore gendered aspects of their social identities, relationships and experiences
• • Explore personal experiences of vulnerability and privilege by understanding social inequality/oppressions.
• • Opportunity to personalize knowledge of social relations of oppression and empowerment
• • Engage in gaining a sense of social responsibility for addressing social oppressions/exclusions and for participating in achieving positive social change

Exploring Identity, Gender, and Diversity

Knowledge

• • Knowledge to examine social identities relationships and experiences within the context of multiple social relationships and structure of inequality (vulnerability vs. privilege)
• • Knowledge about how values and biases are (can be) used to exclude and cause harm to individuals and groups of individuals

Skills

• • Opportunity for students to identify, explore, and name their own identities, experiences, and values
• • Opportunity for students to develop an understanding and respect for the identities, experiences, and values of their classmates/peers

Developing Connections, Creative Thinking and Participation

Knowledge

• • Validation of students’ perspective and knowledge in understanding violence and healthy relationships
• • Strategies for personal and/or social change are offered to students for the promotion of healthy and equal relationships.
• • Gain in knowledge about choices and actions that promote mutual empowerment and respect

Skills

• • Opportunities to develop and practice their capacity for healthy interactions and connections within the context of the classroom/school
• • Opportunities to work collaboratively with peers to discuss and develop strategies for healthy and equal relationships

Structure and Format:

• Research-based introduction
• Evaluation of the resource (e.g., formal research on the effectiveness of the program
• Information guide or scope and sequence of lessons (i.e. how to strategies)
• Ready to use scripted format
• Sequential guide or lessons that are user friendly
• Availability of support to implement the program/resource
• Accommodations for exceptional students indirectly identified

Teaching/Learning Strategies:

Direct Instruction: whole class and small group

• Explicit Teaching
• Explicit teaching and use of thinking skills and strategies
• Explicit teaching and using self-assessment and reflection

Interactive Learning

• Small-group cooperative learning
• Conferencing: peer and student-teacher.

Indirect Instruction

• Guided teacher-directed inquiry
• Guided student-directed inquiry
• Reflective discussions

Experiential Learning

• Simulation, role play
• Case studies/scenarios
• Community-based learning opportunities

Teaching and Learning Activities/Lessons Include:

• Choice, where possible, in student tasks and assignments
• Portfolio development

Assessment Methods:

Demonstration/Performance:

• Class
• School and community-based projects
• Simulations

Personal Communication:

• Portfolio work
• Students assess their own learning and set specific goals

This resource does an excellent job educating students about positive relationships and connections with other people. Its main emphasis is in exploring personal growth in relationships and recognizing the difference between healthy/unhealthy relationships and how individuals affect one another. There is an emphasis to explore relationships through personal perspectives and experiences. Although this resource does not explore conflict resolution or violence, it does a great job educating and exploring healthy relationships.

The resource is easy to follow with eight sessions and would work well with a small group of students. It enables explicit teaching and use of self-assessment, reflection, thinking skills and strategies; and is predominantly designed for small group discussion. The suggested structure for use of this resource includes, a relational ‘check in’ which gives the participants a time to discuss feelings, examination of the overall concepts participants will be working on in each session, and exercises to follow in each session.

This resource effectively explores personal well-being and the well-being of others through relationships by focusing on the differences between mutual and non-mutual relationships, empathy, respect and the markers of good connections. This resource also effectively explores identity, gender, and diversity issues, and it identifies and discusses oppression on the basis of gender and promotes an understanding of equality. Sessions consistently encourage students to develop supportive and healthy connections and emphasizes learning and growing through conflict.

The resource’s strengths lie in relationship building, developing connections, creative thinking and conflict management. It addresses personal growth, increased awareness of how actions impact others, power “with” rather than power “over”, and building strategies for personal/social change and knowledge about choices and actions that promote mutual empowerment and respect. The onus is placed on the facilitator to plan activities using the handouts provided.

How the material in this manual is applied is left to the discretion of the facilitator - individual creativity is highly encouraged. The purpose of this manual is to build knowledge of relational empowerment and increase awareness of self and others; energizing the members of the group, as well as facilitate effectiveness and creativity within the setting where the sessions are conducted.

This resource has good references that readers can access and review, and strong background information (it incorporates theories and models).