Character Based Literacy Program

Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

Santa Clara University

500 El Camino Real

Santa Clara, CA 95053-0633

408.551.7049

Presented by Bob MichelsSchool Program Manager/CBL Trainer

The Character Based Literacy (CBL) Program is both a :

• Character Education Project• Character Literacy Project

The object is to:

• Promote school practices that positively influence the processes by which school pupils become good people, good citizens.

This can be accomplished by:

• Making use of effective and efficient methods to influence the values, thought processes and coping skills of students such that habits and choices result in pro-social rather than anti-social behavior.

• This development of characteris a method rather than a subjectaccomplished through definite and specific parts of the school curriculum.

• Utilizes English/Language Arts curriculum since literacy is fundamental to all success in school and in life for all students.

English/Language Arts is anatural place to pursue questions of:

• Value and character in literature• Language expression• Writing and creative processes• Can continue into any content area-- history-social science and science curriculum

CBL is a project that intends to serve students who:

• Have had marginal success in school

• Are at serious risk for school failure and antisocial behavior

What are the outcomes of schooling?

• Knowledge: what I know

• Skills: what I am able to do

• Character: the kind of person I become

What do we mean by character?

• Sum of my virtues and vices

• Who I am today as a result of all that I have become and overcome in my life as well as who I will be in the future as a result of what I do today

How is moral life properly influenced in a public school?

• Formed by two universal moral values forming the core of a public, teachable morality (Thomas Likona):– Respect -- worth of someone or something– Responsibility -- active side of morality

What is Character Education as we use the term?

• Everything we do in school that influences the kind of person that I (or anyone else) becomes

• Not a subject, or an activity, it is the curriculum done with people in mind

• It is based on:

Character Development in the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics Model Role Models

Parents Other Adults Teachers Peers Mass Media

Legends and Heroes Reinforcement Narratives

Family stories Literature TV/movies/games

Graphic/comics Peer stories Rhythm & song

Valu

es

Thoughts

Problem Solving Identify Brainstorm Choose Implement Evaluate Reflection Real not distorted Frameworks Who I become Consequences Benefits/harms Fairness Common Good

Skills Coping Emotion/anger management

Impulse control/restraint Cooperation Lanruage & social routines

What prompted the Character Based Literacy Program?

• First conceptualized 10-15 years ago by Steve Johnson, Santa Clara University, for students in the juvenile justice system.

• Changed as a result of the new California Reading/Language Arts Standards with accountability through evidence.

Organized in five value themed units

Responsibility Requires Action

Quarter 1

Change Requires Effort

Quarter 2

Justice Requires Restraint

Quarter 3

Courage Requires Moderation

Quarter 4

Integrity Requires Wholeness

Quarter 5 Summer

The theme units move students away from:

• Anti-social thoughts, values and behaviors and into pro-social thoughts, values and behaviors

Accomplished by:• Engaging students in literature that is

acceptable for grade level credit• Engages their imaginations• Connects them to characters they care

about• Provides opportunities to discuss the value

context of the literature

Daily writing in integrated language arts lessons

• Accomplished with the use of the six language arts– Reading

– Writing

– Listening

– Speaking

– Viewing

– Visually representing

Lessons are rooted in a particular text where students:

• Prepare to read

• Read

• Respond to and react to

• Explore more deeply and then

• Extend to their lives and the world

Phases of the lessons consist of

• Short activities based on a collection of nearly a hundred literacy strategies which have been validated by research in the teaching of English language arts and found usable by teachers of our special populations

In addition, there are:

• Daily lessons that pay attention to particular values in the readings

• Teach rational ways of thinking about problems and conflicts in the story

• Teach skills for coping with situations such as those faced by characters in the day’s readings

The program is coordinated and coherent

• Classrooms using program are reading literature from a limited list

• Those in the program are teaching the same unit, same book and doing the same lessons in a given week

• Students lose little if any ground when they move from one CBL site to another

Teacher support is provided through

• Initial training in program methods• Regular updated session at sites called CBL Next• Consultations with CBL staff• Wealth of program materials including daily

lesson plans in English/language arts and social studies available on the program web site

Web site access:

• www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/cblp

Major funding for the development of the CBL Program

• Walter S. Johnson Foundation• Markkula Family Foundation• Southern California expansion provided by the Daniels

Fund and the Von Der Ahe Foundation• Funding for CBL New Solutions provided by Verity

Corportion, Adeptec Corporation, Affymetrix Corporation, Symantec Corporation, Thane Kreiner and Cheryl Breetmor

For further information on the Character Based Literacy

Program:Contact:Bob MichelsSchool Program ManagerSanta Clara UniversityMarkkula Center for Applied Ethics500 El Camino RealSanta Clara, CA 95053-0633408.554.7874Rmichels@scu.edu