Rights Respecting Schools:Workshop Series

2012 - 2013

Workshop 4

Teaching and Learning through a Rights Lens

Five-Minute Reflection

INSTRUCTIONS

• Welcome!

• Please circulate the room and read the quote at each table. Then choose to sit at the table with the quote you feel best reflects your educational philosophy.

• Discuss with your tablemates:

• Why did you choose this quote?

• How does this quote reflect your educationalphilosophy?

• How does this quote connect education andthe rights of children?

Workshop 4: Teaching and Learning through a Rights Lens

AGENDA

• Activity 1: Five-Minute Reflection

• Activity 2: The ‘How’ of Rights Respecting Education

• Activity 3: Creating a Classroom Charter

• Activity 4: Applying the ‘How’ to ‘What’ We Teach

• Activity 5: Good Practices for Teaching and Learning

What is a Rights Respecting Classroom?

The rights respecting classroom is a vibrant, safe and

diverse community of learners with a common ethos

grounded in respect for all human and children’s rights.

This ethos is nurtured through the teaching of rights

respecting education.

Rights Respecting Education

Rights respecting education combines talk with action.

With rights respecting education:

• The Convention is taken into consideration through both pedagogical approaches and content.

• Students are engaged in the process of democratic learning and participation.

• Essentially, children’s rights are not only taught, but are recognized, respected and modeled.

The ‘How’ of Rights Respecting Education

The Strategy: Democratic Pedagogy

The Lens: Teaching the Five Global Concepts Through a Children’s Rights Lens

The Learning Process: The Cycle of Learning

The Strategy: Democratic Pedagogy

The Lens: Global Concepts through Rights

The Learning Process: Cycle of Learning

RBM

An Example of ‘How’ – Classroom Charters

Rights, Respect and Responsibility

• Children’s rights are unconditional – they are not dependent upon responsibility

• Instead of ‘responsibility’ on charters, try ‘respect for rights’ language

RBM

An Example of ‘How’ – Classroom Charters

RBM

An Example of ‘How’ – Classroom Charters

Creating a Classroom Charter

1. Choose the six articles you think most relate to student’s lives at school.

2. Determine how you will word a commitment to each article in your classroom.

Example: In our classroom, we have the right to play.

3. Determine how you will demonstrate a commitment to respect each article in your classroom.

Example: We respect the right to play for ourselves and for others, by playing fairly and safely.

4. Decide on a design for the charter. Have everyone sign it. Revisit it throughout the year.

Teaching and Learning in Rights Respecting Schools

Benchmark 13

Teaching staff model rights in their classroom by adopting participatory teaching and evaluation methods.

Teaching and Learning in Rights Respecting Schools

Benchmark 14

Teachers give students opportunities to make choices in their learning and evaluation methods, within the framework of the required curriculum, so that curriculum requirements and students’ interests and concerns are met.

Teaching and Learning in Rights Respecting Schools

Benchmark 15

Conflicts between students, and between students and adults, are resolved with rights-consistent decisions, policies, and classroom management practices.

Teaching and Learning in Rights RespectingSchools

Benchmark 16

Teachers cultivate a culture of respect in their classrooms by adopting a class charter that incorporates the rights of children.

Barrhaven Elementary School – Ontario

Teaching and Learning in Rights RespectingSchools

Benchmark 17

Students have opportunities to give constructive feedback to their teachers with regards to the quality of teaching and learning, assessment, and evaluation methods.

The ‘How’ of Rights Respecting Education

Discuss:• In what ways is this pedagogical framework in line with

your educational philosophy and practice?

• In what ways does this pedagogical framework challenge your assumptions about teaching, about children and about schooling?

• What challenges can you anticipate with fully implementing this pedagogical approach? How would you respond to these challenges?

The ‘What’ of Rights Respecting Education

Group Work Instructions

• Look first at your Group Instructions page

• Ensure you have all the necessary materials

• You have 15 – 20 minutes for the tasks

• Designate someone to share the highlights from your discussion

RRS Action Plan: Our Roadmap

What is being done?What do we need to do next?

CRT completes RRS Action Plan

Our school has a roadmap for our future

Good Practices for Teaching and Learning through a Rights Lens

Work together asa group to determine which strategies wouldwork best to meet your assigned benchmark.

Create this 3-columned chart

Strategy Resources TimelineActivities the school will

undertake.People resource, budget and

materials needed to undertake activities.

Timing of year, duration of time needed to accomplish the

activities.

Take Away Resource – For Everyone

Strategies for Rights Respecting Educators

Describes strategies for upholding articles of the

Convention

Printed handout

Take Away Resource – For Staff/Students

Classroom Charters

Outlines a clear process for developinga democratically elected and

envisioned student council

Available for download onrightsrespectingschools.ca

Take Away Resource – For Everyone

Books for Rights Respecting Educators

This booklist includes children’s booksand novels suitable for exploring topics

related to children’s rights.

Suitable for use inside and outside the classroom.

Available for download onrightsrespectingschools.ca

Take Away Resource – For Staff/Students

Energizers

These participatory and engagingenergizer activities teach about

children’s rights as well as skills andconcepts that encourage a rights

respecting classroom culture.

Available for download onrightsrespectingschools.ca

Take Away Resource – For Parents/Staff

The Danger of a Single Story

Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice – and warns

that if we hear only a single story about another person or country,

we risk a critical misunderstanding.

Available for download atted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie

_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html

Congratulations!

Contact info: