FOR CHARACTER
creating schools and communities of character
                                                                                                                                       May/June 2007
An electronic newsletter to help make sure character counts!
                                                                                                                                                        Gary Smit

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CHARACTER COUNTS! and the Six Pillars of Character are service marks of the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition, a project of the Josephson Institute of Ethics.  For more information about training opportunities and resources available to assist schools and communities in the integration of a character education initiative, check out their web site at: www.charactercounts.org or call them at 1-800-711-2670.

IN THIS ISSUE…
High Tech Bullies
From Aristotle to Angelou: Best Practices in Character Education
Information You Can Use
Children Lack a Consistently Rich, Suportive Elementary School Experience
Lesson Corner
Commentary By Michael Josephson

TAKE A MINUTE FOR CHARACTER

General Charles C. Krulak, Commandant of the Marine Corps, spoke of character and courage in a speech he gave at Pepperdine University. "Success has always demanded…character," he said. "Those who can reach…within themselves and draw upon an inner strength, fortified by strong values, always carry the day against those of lesser character. Moral cowards never win."

We may think that Krulak was focusing on the courage evident on the battlefield by soldiers. That was not the case. Rather, Krulak was referring to the ethical challenges we face everyday. He urged his audience to make moral courage a habit so they’ll "be ready for the greater tests of character." Krulak continued by saying, “we study and we discuss ethical principles because it serves to strengthen and validate our own inner value system…it gives direction to what I call our moral compass. It is the understanding of ethics that becomes the foundation upon which we can deliberately commit to inviolate principles. It becomes the basis of what we are…of what we include in our character. Based on it, we commit to doing what is right. We expect such commitment from our leaders. But most importantly, we must demand it of ourselves.”

He concluded his speech by saying,  "When the test of your character and moral courage comes -- regardless of the noise and confusion around you -- there will be a moment of inner silence in which you must decide what to do. Your character will be defined by your decision...and it is yours and yours alone to make. When that moment comes, think of this poem called ‘The Eagle and the Wolf’":

There is a great battle that rages inside me. One side is a soaring eagle. Everything the eagle stands for is good and true and beautiful. It soars above the clouds. Even though it dips down into the valleys, it lays its eggs on the mountaintops.

The other side of me is a howling wolf. And that raging, howling wolf represents the worst that is in me.  He eats upon my downfalls and justifies himself by his presence in the pack.

Who wins this great battle?

The one I feed.

Gary Smit
gsmit@forcharacter.com
Are you looking for tools to implement a character education initiative in your school or community?  More information can be found at the For Character web site

HIGH TECH BULLIES

It seems we have always had to deal with bullying behavior that occurs in our schools. We know where it happens.  Places without adult supervision, in hallways, on the playground, school buses or school bathrooms, is often where the bully seeks his next victim. Now, many school face the unseen bully through the use of technology used to victimize students in ways that are as damaging as the physical and verbal confrontations that occur within the confines of the school setting.  Here are just a few articles I found that address the issue of cyberbullying and what is being done to address the issue.

Educators Face High-Tech Bullies
Kids are finding new, technological ways to hurt or embarrass each other, and school officials have few answers for it. Gone are the days when bullying was limited to a shove in the hallway or an insulting name yelled across a classroom. As technology such as cellphones and the Internet becomes more prevalent, bullying is taking the form of widespread text messages and images. The problem was highlighted recently in Cave Creek when a 12-year-old girl took a cellphone from an 11-year-old classmate, took a photo of herself "below the waist" and sent the image to other students to embarrass her classmate, police said.
 
Many school districts have rules against using cellphones during school hours, but the phones, many of which have built-in cameras, are small and easily hidden, making it a hard rule to enforce. "We take cyberbullying just as serious as a verbal threat," said Stanley Patterson, an assistant principal at Raymond S. Kellis High School in the Peoria Unified School District.
http://www.districtadministration.com/newssummary.aspx?news_date=2007-03-13&news_id=14095#top

Minding My Space
Schools are hard-pressed to balance the benefits and risks posed by kids' online social networks. Web sites such as MySpace, Facebook, LiveJournal and Xanga make it easy for students to post photos, personal information video clips and music files, and to build networks of "friends" across the country. But they also pose an irresistible lure to pedophiles, and they can be abused by children who use them to post scurrilous attacks on teachers, administrators and other adults. They also contribute to "cyberbullying" attacks by students on their peers. Carol Brydolf surveys the terrain of this brave new world for the California School Boards Association's "California Schools" magazine, offering school governance teams expert opinions on how to work with the emerging technology.
http://www.csba.org/csmag/csMagStoryTemplate.cfm?id=168

School Bullies' New Turf -- Internet
Nationwide, more than four in 10 teens have been victims of taunts and threats via social network Web sites such as MySpace and Facebook, instant messages and text messages from cell phones, a new survey says. One in eight reported feeling scared enough to stay home from school, according to the survey by the National Crime Prevention Council.  Internet safety expert Nancy Willard of Oregon, who gets calls from schools all over the nation, said educators first must determine whether the bullying is happening on campus and, if it is, reconsider how the school monitors student Internet and cell phone use.

If it's happening off campus, Willard said, schools should contact the parents. They also should know that most social networking sites, Internet service providers and cell phone companies address complaints about inappropriate behavior by their users. Willard teaches teens how to respond to bullies -- ignore them if you can -- and parents to not overreact.  The key is teaching teens to think before they type, experts say. So the National Crime Prevention Council, the Justice Department and the Advertising Council this month launched a public education campaign of television commercials and videos to stream on youth-oriented Web sites.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/17/BULLY.TMP

Bully Safe Schools
Here is a helpful resource related to ways we can address bullying in our schools. Check out the web site of Bully Safe Schools to  Learn about their research based programs and online surveys. www.bullysafeschools.com

FROM ARISTOTLE TO ANGELOU: BEST PRACTICES IN CHARACTER EDUCATION

The modern character education movement emerged in the 1980s as a consequence of growing parental and public concern for moral drift. Two decades later, it is time to ask, What are the successes of the character education movement? What do best practices look like? This essay by Paul J. Dovre in Education Next explores these questions through the study of character education in six schools. His conclusion: So far, character education programs that are carefully designed and implemented appear to be succeeding. Undeterred by philosophical disputes on the one hand and the preoccupation with academic achievement on the other, character education finds its strength at the grass roots, in those individual schools and communities where teachers, administrators, and citizens initiate programs designed to improve civility and citizenship -- legitimate goals in their own right. If research continues to show that comprehensive character education has positive effects on student achievement as well, then the movement may in time gain more robust political and financial support from education policymakers.
http://www.hoover.org/publications/ednext/6017651.html

INFORMATION YOU CAN USE

• MCLEAN STUDENTS SUE ANTI-CHEATING SERVICE  - Fairfax County, Va. -- Two McLean High School students have launched a court challenge against a California company hired by their school to catch cheaters, claiming the anti-plagiarism service violates copyright laws.  The lawsuit, filed this week in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, seeks $900,000 in damages from the for-profit service known as Turnitin. The service seeks to root out cheaters by comparing student term papers and essays against a database of more than 22 million student papers as well as online sources and electronic archives of journals. In the process, the student papers are added to the database. ... "All of these kids are essentially straight-A students, and they have no interest in plagiarizing," said Robert A. Vanderhye, a McLean attorney representing the students pro bono. "The problem with [Turnitin] is the archiving of the documents. They are violating a right these students have to be in control of their own property." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/28/AR2007032802038.html

• SCHOOLS BANNING iPODS TO BEAT CHEATERS - Banning baseball caps during tests was obvious -- students were writing the answers under the brim. Then, schools started banning cell phones, realizing students could text message the answers to each other. Now, schools across the country are targeting digital media players as a potential cheating device. Devices including iPods and Zunes can be hidden under clothing, with just an earbud and a wire snaking behind an ear and into a shirt collar to give them away, school officials say. Some students use iPod-compatible voice recorders to record test answers in advance and then play them back, reports Rebecca Boone for the Associated Press. Others download crib notes onto the music players and hide them in the "lyrics" text files. Even an audio clip of the old "Schoolhouse Rock" take on how a bill makes it through Congress can come in handy during some American government exams.  "Trying to fight the technology without a dialogue on values and expectations is a losing battle," Tim Dodd said. "I think there's kind of a backdoor benefit here. As teachers are thinking about how technology has corrupted, they're also thinking about ways it can be used productively." http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2007/04/27/schools_banning_ipods_to_beat_cheaters/

• WHY WE VOTE: HOW SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES SHAPE OUR CIVIC LIFE - Why do more people vote -- or get involved in other civic and political activities -- in some communities than in others? The new book, "Why We Vote," demonstrates that our communities shape our civic and political engagement, and that schools are especially significant communities for fostering strong civic norms. Much of the research on political participation has found that levels of participation are higher in diverse communities where issues important to voters are hotly contested. In this well-argued work, David Campbell finds support for this view, but also shows that homogenous communities often have very high levels of civic participation despite a lack of political conflict. Campbell maintains that this sense of civic duty springs not only from one's current social environment, but also from one's early influences. The degree to which people feel a sense of civic obligation stems, in part, from their adolescent experience. Being raised and thus socialized in a community with strong civic norms leads people to be civically engaged in adulthood. Campbell demonstrates how the civic norms within one's high school impact individuals' civic involvement -- even 15 years after those individuals have graduated. Efforts within America's high schools to enhance young people's sense of civic responsibility could have a participatory payoff in years to come, the book concludes; thus schools would do well to focus more attention on building civic norms among their students.  http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s8326.html

• ADDRESSING DEGRADING TREATMENT & ABUSIVE DISCIPLINE IN SCHOOLS - A report by the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative (NESRI) shows that middle and high school students in New York City and Los Angeles are frequently ignored and mistreated in their classrooms, and subjected to harsh discipline policies that punish, exclude and criminalize students.  The report uses a human rights framework to document the use of suspensions, law enforcement and other punitive disciplinary strategies that ignore students’ educational and emotional needs.  Schools with the most repressive policies are overwhelmingly under-resourced, overcrowded and primarily attended by low-income students of color. The report calls on the Department of Education in New York City and the Los Angeles Unified School District to take a holistic approach to school climate and safety by reducing overcrowding, increasing resources for teachers, and guaranteeing the participation of students and parents. Schools should view discipline and the teaching of behavioral skills as an essential part of education and prioritize counseling and mediation. The criminalization of discipline and use of police in schools must stop.  Students interviewed reported that they are mistreated, ignored and discouraged from learning in the classroom.  Half stated that their teachers sometimes or most of the time say things that humiliate or insult them, such as calling them stupid or ugly, or telling them they "belong in the ghetto."  Schools impose excessive suspensions for minor infractions, including being late to school, getting into arguments with students, or even giving a teacher "a look," that add up to significant losses in learning.  Two-thirds of students reported they never, rarely or only sometimes feel safe with the presence of police, while one-third felt threatened, many referring to the sight of loaded guns.  Students reported that police have used excessive force, including "slamming" students to the ground and spraying mace. Teachers reported that police have removed students from their classroom, sometimes humiliating them in front of the class. Teachers complained about losing the ability to provide input into disciplinary actions or exercise discretion to help individual students with problems. http://www.nesri.org/programs/dignity_report.html

CHILDREN LACK A CONSISTENTLY RICH, SUPPORTIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

The typical child in the U.S. stands only a 1-in-14 chance of having a consistently rich, supportive elementary school experience, say researchers who looked at what happens daily in thousands of classrooms. The findings, published today in the weekly journal Science, take teachers to task for spending too much time on basic reading and math skills and not enough on problem solving, reasoning, science and social studies. They also suggest that U.S. education focuses too much on teacher qualifications and not enough on teachers being engaging and supportive. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, educational researchers spent thousands of hours in more than 2,500 first-, third- and fifth-grade classrooms, tracking kids through elementary school. It is among the largest studies done of U.S. classrooms, producing a detailed look at the typical kid's day. The researchers found a few bright spots, reports Greg Toppo in USA Today. Kids use time well, for one. But they found just as many signs that classrooms can be dull, bleak places where kids don't get a lot of teacher feedback or face time. For example, fifth-graders spent 91.2 percent of class time in their seats listening to a teacher or working alone, and only 7 percent working in small groups, which foster social skills and critical thinking. Findings were similar in first and third grades.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-03-29-teacher-study_N.htm

LESSON CORNER

There is an excellent web site you should check out to provide strategies to incorporate citizenship into your classroom lessons. Bens’ Guide to US Government for Kids provides activities for students at all grade levels related to citizenship. http://www.bensguide.gpo.gov/

Five Steps to Teaching Any Character Trait
The only chance many of today's students have to learn the traits of solid character is from a caring, committed teacher. But do you know how to teach them? Included: Five steps to teaching character traits.  For Michelle Borba, the five teaching steps are:

• Step 1. Accentuate a Character Trait
• Step 2. Tell the Value and Meaning of the Trait
• Step 3. Teach What the Trait Looks and Sounds Like
• Step 4. Provide Opportunities to Practice the Trait
• Step 5. Provide Effective Feedback,

The five steps are discussed in depth in the article found in Education World. http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev135.shtml

Defining Character Traits
Activity "What Character Traits Mean to Me"
Readiness for Activity
1) Class divided into cooperative groups for the purpose of defining traits
2) Chart paper and markers for each group
3) Reference materials for defining traits

Activity
1) Each cooperative group will be assigned a character trait as follows: Trustworthiness – Honesty, Integrity, Promise-Keeping, Loyalty
Respect
Responsibility – Duty, Accountability, Pursuit of Excellence, Self-Control
Fairness
Caring – Love, Kindness, Charity, Concern for others, Mercy, Forgiveness
Citizenship – Civic Duties, Doing one’s share

2) Each group shares its work with the class. Post the chart paper around the room as references that may be used throughout the unit. Also, encourage the class to add to the definitions as they become more familiar with the traits.

Questions
1) Name an individual who exhibits each trait and give an example of how he/she demonstrates it.
2) Why is it important to know about character traits?
3) What trait do you think you represent the best and why?
4) How is our community better when all members exhibit positive character traits?

Additional Activities
1) Write a paragraph naming the trait that you feel is most important and why you believe this.
2) Review children’s literature to find characters that model each trait.
3) Have students find quotations that speak to each of the traits
4) As a twist on the traditional “current events” assignment, have students select a quote that relates to the news story and explain why it is relevant to that current event.
5) Assign a group of three or four students a trait and have them prepare a one- to two-minute skit to illustrate the essential message of the trait..

COMMENTARY BY MICHAEL JOSEPHSON
Don`t Miss the Chance

While collecting poems and quotations for a project I once worked on to expose kids to inspirational thoughts that could change and guide their lives, I ran across a poem of unknown origin called "Take the Time." Among other things, it advises us to take the time to think, work, and play and shows how each can be a source of power, success, and eternal youth.

The concept and cadence of the poem stimulated me to write my own version called "Don`t Miss the Chance."

Don`t miss the chance to read; reading stretches your mind and strengthens your heart.
Don`t miss the chance to think; thinking yields understanding and wisdom.
Don`t miss the chance to learn; learning empowers and enlarges you.
Don`t miss the chance to dream; dreams give your imagination wings.
Don`t miss the chance to feel; feeling paints your hours and days in vibrant colors.
Don`t miss the chance to remember; memories are the museum of your past.

Don`t miss the chance to try; trying is the first step to every achievement.
Don`t miss the chance to change; change is challenge.
Don`t miss the chance to work; work gives you independence and fills your days with purpose.
Don`t miss the chance to serve; service is the surest road to personal fulfillment.

Don`t miss the chance to smile; smiles sprinkle sunshine wherever they land.
Don`t miss the chance to laugh; laughter is music that makes your troubles dance.
Don`t miss the chance to give; giving is the best form of getting.
Don`t miss the chance to love; love opens your heart and fills it with joy.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
To receive Mr. Josephson's commentaries by e-mail at no charge, visit www.CharacterCounts.org.