Dennis Nelson (NELSOND@ny-smtp.army.mil)
Fri, 23 Apr 1999 10:31:01 -0400
Date: Fri, 23 Apr 1999 10:31:01 -0400 From: Dennis Nelson <NELSOND@ny-smtp.army.mil> Subject: violence at school -Reply
List address to send message to everyone: ifets-discuss@LISTSERV.READADP.COM
Details of current discussion: http://ifets.gmd.de/discuss.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
One question asked is "How can we enforce/promote discipline at
school when we adopt the principles of the constructivist theory?"
The context of the question was recent student murders at a school and
comparisons between other teaching and constructivist theory.
May I extend the context? How in any environment do we
enforce/promote discipline without role modeling violence and lack of
self-discipline?
All existence and activity is part of a continuum. Discipline exists in
terms of thought, feeling and spiritual activity as well as physical. We
can do violence to another in all four spheres, as well. The violence can
be a minimal disrespectful nudge or murdrous. Constructivism exists
across all four spheres and in all settings. The issue is the degree and
balance of engagement of each of the entities, not that constructivism is
missing. The recent school violence grabs the attention of most who
hear about it. Sadly, the "lesser" violence across other than the physical
sphere seems to receive less attention. But which is more insidious?
The "quick murder" where the "victims and perpetrators" are quickly
identified and lost or dealt with; or the "victims and perpertrators" who
daily continue to be harmed, harm others, and extend the cycles and
boundaries of harm?
Historically, in some homes and societies, we perceive there has been,
there is, less violance and more self-discipline. If our perceptions are
correct, the answer to enforcing and promoting discipline at school or
elsewhere can be found in those homes and societies. Probably, the
answer lies in generations of existence in the basic values, mores and
ethics of the people we would study.
The answer is that the violence we do or allow to ourselves or to exist in
an environment which we have influence is the violence we will see
exhibited in our environment. Recognizing that fact, we, over
generations, can effect greater enforcement and promotion of
self-discipline and containment of violence by ourselves exercising
greater self-discipline and control of our personal violence. There are no
shortcuts, and there will be those who will try to take short term
advantage of our new posture. If we commit to the higher values and
accept the personal costs of exercising our commitment, we will
succeed. Short the faith that brings the support we need for success,
we will fail.
Dennis R. Nelson
---------------------------------------------------------
Forum website: http://ifets.gmd.de/
Forum's contact person: kinshuk@ieee.org
Info on Join/Leave List: http://ifets.gmd.de/maillist.html
---------------------------------------------------------
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b3 on Sat 24 Apr 1999 - 01:47:13 MET DST