A month spent in Kurkum, was a month well spent.
The lessons and skills we gained, in regards to the qualities and attributes of leadership, far exceeded all expectations. However, as I reflect on the growth of my students, their numerous accomplishments, and the tremendous implications of the work they did during the Peace Talk Simulation process, I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for all the leaders in my life who allowed Kurkum to become a reality in our classroom.
There are many who laid the foundation, who did the hard work before me, and who shaped my view of the world, the power of education, and the importance of the empowerment of students. Without them, none of this would have happened, so I want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation.
In 2006, I began my teaching career at the age of 20, teaching Middle School students (not much younger than myself) at a Native American Tribal School. I was extremely fortunate, in those early years, to be guided and mentored by amazing educators such as: Jodie Rommel (my first principal and dearest friend), Dr. Sally Thomas (Co. Director of the Center for Language in Learning), and Dr. Sandra Fox (Educator and Indian Educator Lifetime Achievement Winner). They introduced me to some of the most powerful pedagogical practices and thoughts, through the CREDE Standards for Effective Pedagogy.
Those practices, including: making learning meaningful and relevant to students, having students and teachers producing products together, having real discourse and authentic conversations in the classroom, allowing for students to make choices, and presenting challenging problems while allowing for productive struggle (CREDE, 2016), continue to shape the way I teach today. They led directly to the development of this simulation and the way it was implemented.
More important, especially to the success of the Kurkum simulation, were the lessons that Mrs. Rommel, Dr. Fox, and Dr. Thomas taught me, that had nothing to do with teaching itself. Working with these powerful, accomplished, and brilliant educational leaders, at 20 years old, was intimidating to say the least. However, from day one, they treated me as if I were their equal. They listened, as if I had something equally important to contribute. They asked my opinions and acknowledged my successes. They treated me as if I were already a leader, who was already a change agent in the lives of my students and in the field of education. In short, they empowered me. And from that time forward, I've known I have the same responsibility to each and every one of my students.
A few years later, I was serving on a Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation team, doing an evaluation of a school in Paradise, California. There I met David Vixie, and again my eyes were opened to a way of thinking about my students and teaching that I had never considered before. Mr. Vixie teaches through simulation. When we walked into his classroom, he was teaching about Ellis Island. There were no desks in his classrooms, the students had no books, and he was dressed in period clothing. The students in the classroom all had a role or a job, and they ran the classroom themselves. Over the years, I have taken other teachers back to Mr. Vixie's classroom, and each time I learn a new way to make learning meaningful or contextualize it for my students, just as I first learned through my experiences with CREDE.
Dave Vixie has won numerous awards in the field of teaching, and in 2014, Office Depot featured him in their "Teachers Change Lives" video campaign. In that video, David Vixie said, "At the beginning of the day I say to myself: Would I want to be a student in my own classroom?, How do I want to be treated?, What kind of energy, what kind of things would I want my teacher to do for me?, Am I willing to do that?" In developing the Leadership course this semester along with the progression for the Kurkum simulation, I continually asked myself: "Am I willing to do that?" For me, this meant asking:
It would be negligent not to attribute much of the success of the Kurkum simulation to the work of John Hunter, and the World Peace Game Organization. Hunter developed a 4x4x4 plexiglass gameboard that encompasses the complex problems and conflicts that face the world. Through interactive experiences with the multi-tiered game board and role play, students, as young as 4th grade, solve the world's problems. In his TedTalk, Hunter described his process for developing the World Peace Game. He said, "I was creating a lesson for students on Africa. We put all the problems of the world there, and I thought, let's let them solve it. I didn't want to lecture or have just book reading. I wanted to have them be immersed and learn the feeling of learning through their bodies" (2011).
I have long admired Hunter's work and have wanted to run the game in my own class. However, implementing the World Peace Game in a classroom, involves intensive, year-long training and expensive equipment. And although it would be 100% worth every second and penny, it hasn't worked out for me so far. So, I decided I would use the valuable skills and tools my mentors had empowered me with, and develop a simulation that had the potential to be equally as powerful. Thus, my search for resources and the expansion of the Kurkum Peace Talk Simulation began.
As with all of the best ideas and lessons in teaching, Kurkum was not my idea. The original Kurkum Peace Talk activity was developed for the Ahtisaari Days festival for students in Finland (Ulkoasiainministeriö, 2013). Thanks to the wonderful World Wide Web, and the power of Open Education Resources, it is available for public use and download. Which is where the foundation of the Kurkum Simulation, as it came to be (after it was morphed and expanded at NCCS), was created. I am humbled by each of those who, brick by brick, built the path to this experience.
And finally, I am deeply grateful and inspired, by my students. They truly are my leaders and mentors. Through this process, they taught me invaluable lessons that will further shape and change my teaching and thinking. I will leave you with just a few of those lessons, in hopes of spreading the power and importance of empowering and listening to our students.
Lessons from Kurkum:
References:
Curriculum Research and Development Group. (2016). Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence Hawai‘i Project (CREDE). University of Hawaii at Manoa. http://manoa.hawaii.edu/coe/crede/
Hunter, J. (2011, March). Teaching with the World Peace Game.
https://www.ted.com/talks/john_hunter_on_the_world_peace_game/transcript?language=en#t-666180
Ulkoasiainministeriö. (2013). Kurkum Peace Talks Conflict resolution role play for Ahtisaari Days.
www.finland.org.na/public/download.aspx?ID=121097&GUID...3C4E-4121...
Vixie, D. (2014) Learning Outside of the Classroom. Office Depot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ2huOOdg8s
The lessons and skills we gained, in regards to the qualities and attributes of leadership, far exceeded all expectations. However, as I reflect on the growth of my students, their numerous accomplishments, and the tremendous implications of the work they did during the Peace Talk Simulation process, I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for all the leaders in my life who allowed Kurkum to become a reality in our classroom.
There are many who laid the foundation, who did the hard work before me, and who shaped my view of the world, the power of education, and the importance of the empowerment of students. Without them, none of this would have happened, so I want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation.
In 2006, I began my teaching career at the age of 20, teaching Middle School students (not much younger than myself) at a Native American Tribal School. I was extremely fortunate, in those early years, to be guided and mentored by amazing educators such as: Jodie Rommel (my first principal and dearest friend), Dr. Sally Thomas (Co. Director of the Center for Language in Learning), and Dr. Sandra Fox (Educator and Indian Educator Lifetime Achievement Winner). They introduced me to some of the most powerful pedagogical practices and thoughts, through the CREDE Standards for Effective Pedagogy.
Those practices, including: making learning meaningful and relevant to students, having students and teachers producing products together, having real discourse and authentic conversations in the classroom, allowing for students to make choices, and presenting challenging problems while allowing for productive struggle (CREDE, 2016), continue to shape the way I teach today. They led directly to the development of this simulation and the way it was implemented.
More important, especially to the success of the Kurkum simulation, were the lessons that Mrs. Rommel, Dr. Fox, and Dr. Thomas taught me, that had nothing to do with teaching itself. Working with these powerful, accomplished, and brilliant educational leaders, at 20 years old, was intimidating to say the least. However, from day one, they treated me as if I were their equal. They listened, as if I had something equally important to contribute. They asked my opinions and acknowledged my successes. They treated me as if I were already a leader, who was already a change agent in the lives of my students and in the field of education. In short, they empowered me. And from that time forward, I've known I have the same responsibility to each and every one of my students.
A few years later, I was serving on a Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation team, doing an evaluation of a school in Paradise, California. There I met David Vixie, and again my eyes were opened to a way of thinking about my students and teaching that I had never considered before. Mr. Vixie teaches through simulation. When we walked into his classroom, he was teaching about Ellis Island. There were no desks in his classrooms, the students had no books, and he was dressed in period clothing. The students in the classroom all had a role or a job, and they ran the classroom themselves. Over the years, I have taken other teachers back to Mr. Vixie's classroom, and each time I learn a new way to make learning meaningful or contextualize it for my students, just as I first learned through my experiences with CREDE.
Dave Vixie has won numerous awards in the field of teaching, and in 2014, Office Depot featured him in their "Teachers Change Lives" video campaign. In that video, David Vixie said, "At the beginning of the day I say to myself: Would I want to be a student in my own classroom?, How do I want to be treated?, What kind of energy, what kind of things would I want my teacher to do for me?, Am I willing to do that?" In developing the Leadership course this semester along with the progression for the Kurkum simulation, I continually asked myself: "Am I willing to do that?" For me, this meant asking:
- Am I willing to treat my students as my equal?
- Am I willing to listen to my students as if they have something equally, or more important to contribute?
- Am I willing to ask their opinions and acknowledge their successes?
- Am I willing to truly believe, and treat them, as if they already are leaders, who are change agents in the lives of those around them, and in the world?
It would be negligent not to attribute much of the success of the Kurkum simulation to the work of John Hunter, and the World Peace Game Organization. Hunter developed a 4x4x4 plexiglass gameboard that encompasses the complex problems and conflicts that face the world. Through interactive experiences with the multi-tiered game board and role play, students, as young as 4th grade, solve the world's problems. In his TedTalk, Hunter described his process for developing the World Peace Game. He said, "I was creating a lesson for students on Africa. We put all the problems of the world there, and I thought, let's let them solve it. I didn't want to lecture or have just book reading. I wanted to have them be immersed and learn the feeling of learning through their bodies" (2011).
I have long admired Hunter's work and have wanted to run the game in my own class. However, implementing the World Peace Game in a classroom, involves intensive, year-long training and expensive equipment. And although it would be 100% worth every second and penny, it hasn't worked out for me so far. So, I decided I would use the valuable skills and tools my mentors had empowered me with, and develop a simulation that had the potential to be equally as powerful. Thus, my search for resources and the expansion of the Kurkum Peace Talk Simulation began.
As with all of the best ideas and lessons in teaching, Kurkum was not my idea. The original Kurkum Peace Talk activity was developed for the Ahtisaari Days festival for students in Finland (Ulkoasiainministeriö, 2013). Thanks to the wonderful World Wide Web, and the power of Open Education Resources, it is available for public use and download. Which is where the foundation of the Kurkum Simulation, as it came to be (after it was morphed and expanded at NCCS), was created. I am humbled by each of those who, brick by brick, built the path to this experience.
And finally, I am deeply grateful and inspired, by my students. They truly are my leaders and mentors. Through this process, they taught me invaluable lessons that will further shape and change my teaching and thinking. I will leave you with just a few of those lessons, in hopes of spreading the power and importance of empowering and listening to our students.
Lessons from Kurkum:
- Knowing how to quickly build a sturdy debris shelter can save your life, and give you strength to overcome great challenges.
- Never underestimate the power of a small group of people who are bonded by adversity.
- Too many "MasterBuilders," and not enough "Lego Stackers," can lead to the literal collapse of any group.
- Sometimes, in the middle of negotiations, people radically change their minds and do not give a rational answer as to why they did it. It takes great strength of character and flexibility, on the part of the other persons, to accept the change and move forward in compromises, without ever receiving a satisfactory justification for the change in plan.
- When making compromises, the small details matter as much as the big picture.
- Peaceful resolutions to conflict can be reached, even when the demands of the individuals are conflicting, and the stakes are high.
- I do not need to "teach" anything in Leadership. In fact, I barely have to talk at all. I only have to allow for an environment that lets my students step up and show who they already are.
References:
Curriculum Research and Development Group. (2016). Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence Hawai‘i Project (CREDE). University of Hawaii at Manoa. http://manoa.hawaii.edu/coe/crede/
Hunter, J. (2011, March). Teaching with the World Peace Game.
https://www.ted.com/talks/john_hunter_on_the_world_peace_game/transcript?language=en#t-666180
Ulkoasiainministeriö. (2013). Kurkum Peace Talks Conflict resolution role play for Ahtisaari Days.
www.finland.org.na/public/download.aspx?ID=121097&GUID...3C4E-4121...
Vixie, D. (2014) Learning Outside of the Classroom. Office Depot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ2huOOdg8s