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Strengths and Weaknesses

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) cites Peace Works strengths as: 

 

  • Professional Development

  • Relationship Skills 

  • Responsible Decision Making

  • Self-Management

  • School-wide Coordination

  • Family Partnerships

 

As Peace Works promising attributes, CASEL cites: 

 

  • Social Awareness

  • Self-Awareness

  • Community Partnerships

 

After reviewing the program in depth, noted strengths are: 

 

  • Training not required; however, is available and customized to various learning contexts

  • Academic integration strategies provided

  • Contexts promoted and reinforced in the school, classroom, and family

  • Flexible parent component which provides resources and training for families on communication skills, anger management, and mediation. Problem solving skills can be reinforced at home

  • Peace Works recognizes the essential role of educators and primary adults in children's lives to model, encourage, and teach appropriate responses to everyday challenges

  • Resources are available for children in their early years, a time recognized as critical for healthy learning and brain development

  • Meets the requirements of a CASEL SELect program based on design, training, and evidence-based research support

 

 

 

Strengths

Weaknesses

After reviewing the program in depth, noted weaknesses are: 

 

  • Assessment tools for monitoring implementation limited to measuring student behavior

  • Minimal community context

  • Cost of training

  • Training limited to Miami, Florida, USA and limited surrounding area. 

  • Website needs improvement

  • Limited evidence-based conducted evaluation that documents positive impacts on student behavior and/or academic performance in the early and elementary years

Kindergarten student-voiced strengths:

"I like the I-Care-Cat. He's funny and I know that cats really are caring." - Ava

 

"The I-Care-Cat knows about peace. I know about peace because it was just Remembrance Day. He wants us to be peaceful and kind all the time and not just one day a year, like on Christmas or Easter." - Draeko

 

"I learned that other people love things about them just like I love things about me." - Maddy

 

"I learned that our hands are helpful. My mom told me that you can tell a lot about someone by their hands. Mine will be friendly." - Adriana

 

"I like how we got to go outside and move for that one." - Max 

Kindergarten student-voiced weaknesses: 

"Where did the I-Care-Cat go? Is he helping us or not?" - Max

The I-Care-Cat is not a participant in all lessons. Some children connected with the puppet as a "safe" medium to explore new ideas.

 

"That was a short lesson. That was less time than Calendar. We already know all that." - Adriana

Some lessons are evidently geared towards 3 year olds. Educators will need to adapt language, some content, and time to meet the needs of diverse learners and older peers.

 

"Where's the creativity in this?!" - Ava

"Art" lessons are often very teacher directed with a clear purpose reflecting curricular content. The Kindergarten students discussed with their teacher the difference between "art for art's sake" and "art created to reflect a learning intention" The learning intention was understanding that hands can be used to help others.

 

"This is juvenile." - Nicolas

 

 

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