Cecilia Damonte, Elke Whittle & Denise Bendixen

Character Education• No one universal definition of Character

Education

• Many interpretations and applications by a wide range of institutions and organizations

• Character education is teaching children about basic human values, including honesty, kindness, generosity, courage, freedom, equality, and respect. The goal is to raise children to become morally responsible, self-disciplined citizens. (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)

• A deliberate effort to develop good character based on core virtues that are good for the individual and good for society.(Thomas Lickona)

• Constantly changing

History

Pre-1950: McGuffey’s Readers, based on Christian principles from the Bible, were used widely in schools to instill among children "natural virtues" – such as honesty, hard work, thrift, kindness, patriotism, and courage.

1950/60s: A major shift in American society:• Logical positivism• Moral relativism• Individualism• Pluralism

History (continued)60s & 70s: • Values clarification • Moral reasoning (moral dilemma discussions, Heinz dilemma) • Decision-making process focused on discussing values in a

theoretical sense only

1975: Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987), “Theory of Moral Development”

Mid-80s: Shift in American society: • Perceived degradation of morality in society• Recovery of common moral ground

History (continued)Mid-90s: New organizations and research centers were formed to advocate for

character education

2002:

President George Bush signed into law the “No Child Left Behind Act,” which made character education a stated priority for

public schools.

After 2002:

More schools are implementing character education programs.

The underlying theoryTheory of Moral Development Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987)

Level I: Preconventional Morality

Stage 1. Obedience and punishment orientationRules are perceived as absolute Doing the right thing is obeying authority and avoiding punishmentStage 2. Individualism and exchangeRules are obeyed for personal gainEverything is relative according how they serve the individual needs and interests

Level II: Conventional Morality

Stage 3. Good interpersonal relationshipsEmphasis on being a good person - shift in interpersonal feelingsImportance to live up to the expectations of family and close communityStage 4. Maintaining the Social OrderBroadly concern of the society as a whole Important to maintain the social order, respecting authority and performing one’s duties.

Level III: Postconventional MoralityStage 5. Social contract and individual rightsA shift to search for values and rights that should be present in a good societyBesides differences in culture and beliefs all rational people should agree on (1) certain basic rights and (2) democratic procedures to change unfair laws and for improving society.Stage 6. Universal principlesUniversal justice where all members of the society are treated in equal impartial manner, respecting their basic dignity.Implicit and explicit recognition that a democratic process will not necessarily guarantee a just society.A commitment to justice makes the concept of civil disobedience viable

Stages of Moral Reasoning: Preschool to adulthood. Dr. Thomas Lickona

(Ages indicate reasonable developmental expectations for a child of normal intelligence growing up in a supportive moral environment)

STAGE 0: EGOCENTRIC REASONING(preschool years - around age 4)

What's Right: I should get my own way.

Reason to be good: To get rewards and avoid punishments.

STAGE 1: UNQUESTIONEDOBEDIENCE (around kindergarten age)

What's Right: I should do what I'm told.

Reason to be good: To stay out of trouble.

STAGE 2: WHAT'S-IN-IT-FOR ME FAIRNESS (early elementary grades) What's Right:

I should look out for myself but be fair to those who are fair to me.

Reason to be good: Self-interest: What's in it for me?

STAGE 3: INTERPERSONAL CONFORMITY(middle-to-upper elementary grades and early-to-mid teens)

What's Right: I should be a nice person and live up to the expectations of people I know and care about.

Reason to be good: So others will think well of me (social approval) and I can think well of myself (self-esteem)

STAGE 4: RESPONSIBILITY TO "THE SYSTEM" (high-school years or late teens)

What's Right: I should fulfill my responsibilities to the social or value system I feel part of.

Reason to be good: To keep the system from falling apart and to maintain self-respect as somebody who meets my obligations.

STAGE 5: PRINCIPLED CONSCIENCE (young adulthood) What's Right:

I should show the greatest possible respect for the rights and dignity of every individual person and should support a system that protects human rights.

Reason to be good: The obligation of conscience to act in accordance with the principle of respect for all human beings.

Stages 1 through 5 are adapted from L. Kohlber’s stages of moral reasoning as described in Kohlberg (1975, 1978, 1981); Stage 0 is adapted from William Damon (1977) and Robert Selman (1980).http://www.character-education.info/Articles/stages_of_moral_development.htm

Comprehensive Approach to Character Education

1. Defines character comprehensively to include its cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions. Good character consists of moral habits of the mind, habits of the heart, and habits of action.

2. Moral habits, or virtues, are acquired through practice. This process is captured by James Stenson's statement, "Children develop character by what they see, what they hear, and what they are repeatedly led to do."

3. It seeks to provide students with repeated, real-life experiences that develop all three parts of character.

4. It provides these character-building experiences through all phases of school life, including the formal as well as the informal ("hidden") curriculum.

5. There is no such thing as value-free education. A school teaches values in everything it does.

6. It is proactive—creating opportunities for teaching values and character—as well as responsive to opportunities (teachable moral moments) that spontaneously arise.

7. A school committed to a comprehensive approach to character: Publicly stands for core ethical values Defines these values in terms of observable behavior Models these values at every opportunity Celebrates their occurrence in and outside of school Studies them and teaches their application to everyday life, including all

parts of the school environment (e.g., classrooms, corridors, cafeteria, playing field, school bus)

8. Holds all school members—adults and students alike—accountable to standards of conduct consistent with the school's professed core values.

12-Point Comprehensive Approach to Character Education

http://www2.cortland.edu/centers/character/12-pt-comprehensive-approach.dot

Target Groups• Students

• Schools: • Faculty

• Administrators

• All school employees

• Parents and Caregivers

• Communities as partners

Research

• Smart &Good High Schools: Integrating Excellence and Ethics for Success in School, Work , and Beyond, 2005 (Lickona & Davidson, SUNY Cortland, CEP)

• What Works In Character Education: A Research-Driven Guide for Educators, 2005 (Berkowitz & Bier, University of Missouri-St. Louis)

• 11 Principles of Effective Character Education, revised 2010, (Lickona, Schnapps & Lewis, CEP)

Research (cont.)11 Principles of Effective Character Education, revised 2010, (Lickona,

Schnapps & Lewis, CEP)

1) Promotes core values.

2) Defines “character” to include thinking, feeling, and doing.

3) Uses a comprehensive approach.

4) Creates a caring community.

5) Provides students with opportunities for moral action.

6) Offers a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum.

7) Fosters students’ self-motivation.

8) Engages staff as a learning community.

9) Fosters shared leadership.

10) Engages families and community members as partners.

11) Assesses the culture and climate of the school.

Research on Effectiveness

What Works In Character Education: A Research-Driven Guide for Educators, 2005 (Berkowitz & Bier, University of Missouri-St. Louis)

• 109 research studies were evaluated and only 33 effective programs identified.

• There is multitude of strategies programs employed; therefore, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for its effectiveness.

• Not enough information:

Example: Many programs claim to integrate character education into the curriculum.

Few programs, however, document how they do it, which subjects are included, and

how extensively it is done.

ConclusionDifficulties:• Many different variables in character education.• Comprehensive approach perceived as unrealistic.• Constantly changing demands (technology, globalization, media exposure,

environment). • Constantly changing environment (make up of society).• Many programs are not effective.• Establishing a common framework to prepare for quality level III research is necessary.

Reality:• Evaluation guidelines and framework are being developed.• Established field with research departments at universities.• The Journal of Research in Character Education

• Best practices newsletter excellence & ethics

Skills for Social and Academic Success

Second Step

Second Step• The SECOND STEP program supports

academics in two ways:

– Lessons align with academic content standards and Head Start performance standards, and include academic integration activities.

– Social and emotional learning (SEL), the basis of the skills taught in the program, supports academics.

Lesson 4: Self-Talk for Learning

• Warm-Up - Brain Builder: My Turn, Your Turn

• Review

• Introduction

• Story and Discussion

• Skill Practice

• Wrap-Up

• Song work-it-out.mp3

Bullying in Friendships

Objectives

Student will be able to:• Indentify and recognize bullying within social

friendship groups• Understand what they can do about bullying

within relationships• Understand how a bystander canbe part of the

problem or part of the solution• Apply empathic concern and perspective

taking

Bullying:

Bullying is when one or more people repeatedly harm, harass, intimidate, or exclude others. Bullying is unfair and one-side

Broken Friendship

www.NetSmartz.org

Discussion points

• What can you do when you are being bullied by a friend or group of friends?

• Assertively telling a friend to stop is not always easy. What are some feelings you might have that would make it complicated

to tell a friend to stop?

Finding the courage

www.cfchildren.org/programs/ssp/ms/msvideo

Bystander:

A bystander is anyone who is aware that bullying is happening.

Group exchange

What do bystanders sometimes do that makes them part of the

problem?

Why can it be hard to stand up to bullying?

Be part of the solution: Don’t take part in bullying.  Offer support.

Be an ally to someone being bullied.  Take action against bullying.

You can make a difference!

2008 Committee for Children Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention

I want you to go home and think of an example in your life where you could have been part of the solution.

Take a Stand

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWJut7KQhI4&feature=related