In this project, Southeast Asian Students from Laos related oral folktales to a group of GATE students at Green Acres Middle School. These middle school students then wrote the tales which you can read here.A complete description of this project can be found in Virtual Connections.

Participants in the project include Elainea Scott, Coordinator of Instructional Media Services, Visalia Unified School District, Susan Gaer, Instructor, Rancho Santiago College and Claudia Maddox, Learning Director and Judi Hopper Library Media Specialist at Green Acres Middle School

Hmong Tale

Mien Tale

Lao Tale

Folktales from the United Arab Emirates

Be happy with life. That is the mission.

“Experience is not what happens to you. It is what you do with what happens to you.”
Aldous Huxley

Companions of the Prophet.
Allah's Names.
Islam & Science.
Islamic Arts.
Islam in society.
Family life.
Relation between sexes.

A-Z historical counts on Philosophy

Robert Daniel Bullen, "The Dangers of Passion: The Transcendental Friendship of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Margaret Fuller" from his book The Love Lives of the Artists: Creativity and Non-Monogamy in the Age of Self-Reliance.
Excerpts from Diane Yoder's thesis on "Satisfying the Head as Well as the Heart: James Marsh, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and the American Transcendentalist Movement", 2009
Transcendentalist Principles from Emerson, Thoreau and Whitman
in the film, "The Dead Poets Society" by Allan Sugg
Review of Excursions, edited by Jeffrey S. Cramer.
"Man Thinking About Nature: The Evolution of the Poet's Form and Function in the Journal of Henry David Thoreau 1837-1852," by S. H. Bagley
"Transcendence: the Yin and Yang of Emerson and Goethe" by Sheri Gietzen.
The Transcendentalists by Barbara Packer.
A Plea for the Preservation of Henry Thoreau's Birthplace
Review of A Journey into the Transcendentalists' New England by R. Todd Felton.
Review of Mr. Emerson's Wife. A Novel by Amy Belding Brown.
Sermon on "Transcendentalism for the New Age." Jane Rosecrans. Spring 2005.

The Transcendentalists can be understood in one sense by their context -- by what they were rebelling against, what they saw as the current situation and therefore as what they were trying to be different from.

Concept of Transcendental Philosophy

1. All knowledge is founded upon the coincidence of an objective with a subjective. - For we know only what is true; but truth is generally taken to consist in the coincidence of presentations with their objects.

2. The intrinsic notion of everything merely objective in our knowledge, we may speak of as nature. The notion of everything subjective is called, on the contrary, the self, or the intelligence. The two concepts are mutually opposed. The intelligence is initially conceived of as the purely presentative, nature purely as what can be presented; the one as the conscious, the other as the non-conscious. But now in every knowing a reciprocal concurrence of the two (the conscious and the intrinsically non-conscious) is necessary; the problem is to explain this concurrence.

I tend to think that transcendental idealism is a metaphysical view that amounts to claiming that there is a distinction between noumena and phenomena

So what really distinguishes the “highly effective” organizations from their less effective counterparts? While there’s no magic bullet, Common Cause found that being strategic is effective. Specifically:

1. Their leaders play an active role in communications.
2. They have donors that understand the importance of communications and provide the resources to back it up.
3. Communications planning is done in concert with organization-wide planning.
4. They have the right staff for the right jobs, and get help when needed.
5. They master the basics and go beyond.
6. They evaluate their work to better gauge successes and areas for improvement.

A friend in Linkedin

Yogyakarta Bangun Madrasah Internasional
DEPAG PERLU PERHATIKAN PENDIDIKAN ISLAM
MA Nurul Jadid Paiton, Percontohan Madrasah Bertaraf Internasional di Jawa
Madrasah Bertaraf Internasional Dibangun di Dumai
Lima Madrasah Aliyah Internasional Segera Dibangun
Depag Setujui Bangun Madrasah Bertaraf Internasional di SBT
Depag Setujui Bangun Madrasah Bertaraf Internasional di SBT
Madrasah Model Indonesia Diakui Secara Internasional
Madrasah Bertaraf Internasional Akan Dibangun di Pekalongan

Pengertian sekolah bertaraf internasional (SBI) setingkat SMA/MA adalah sekolah nasional yang menyiapkan peserta didik berbasis standar nasional pendidikan (SNP) Indonesia berkualitas internasional.

LULUSANNYA dapat diterima di sekolah mana pun di dunia yang kualitasnya sama, tanpa harus dites terlebih dahulu. Dengan kata lain mampu berdaya saing secara internasional.

Rumusan mengenai SBI dapat dituliskan, SBI = (SNP + X), di mana SBI = sekolah berstandar internasional, SNP = standar nasional pendidikan yang meliputi 8 (delapan) standar nasional, dan X = pendalaman, perluasan, dan pengembangan dari SNP untuk menghasilkan lulusan bertaraf internasional. Kurikulumnya menggunakan kurikulum nasional sebagai dasar, tetapi dapat diperkaya dengan kurikulum lain, selama tidak bertentangan dengan falsafah negara kita.

Dalam Pasal 50 ayat 3 Undang-Undang No. 20 Tahun 2003 tentang Sistem Pendidikan Nasional (UUSPN, 20/2003) dinyatakan bahwa pemerintah dan/atau pemerintah daerah menyelenggarakan sekurang-kurangnya satu satuan pendidikan pada semua jenjang pendidikan untuk dikembangkan menjadi satuan pendidikan bertaraf internasional.

Basics of Conflict Management

Written by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright 1997-2008.
Adapted from the Field Guide to Leadership and Supervision.
Clarifying Confusion About Conflict
Conflict is when two or more values, perspectives and opinions are contradictory in nature and haven't been aligned or agreed about yet, including:
1. Within yourself when you're not living according to your values;
2. When your values and perspectives are threatened; or
3. Discomfort from fear of the unknown or from lack of fulfillment.
Conflict is inevitable and often good, for example, good teams always go through a "form, storm, norm and perform" period. Getting the most out of diversity means often-contradictory values, perspectives and opinions.

Conflict is often needed. It:
1. Helps to raise and address problems.
2. Energizes work to be on the most appropriate issues.
3. Helps people "be real", for example, it motivates them to participate.
4. Helps people learn how to recognize and benefit from their differences.
Conflict is not the same as discomfort. The conflict isn't the problem - it is when conflict is poorly managed that is the problem.

Conflict is a problem when it:
1. Hampers productivity.
2. Lowers morale.
3. Causes more and continued conflicts.
4. Causes inappropriate behaviors.
Types of Managerial Actions that Cause Workplace Conflicts
1. Poor communications
a. Employees experience continuing surprises, they aren't informed of new
decisions, programs, etc.
b. Employees don't understand reasons for decisions, they aren't involved in
decision-making.
c. As a result, employees trust the "rumor mill" more than management.

2. The alignment or the amount of resources is insufficient. There is:
a. Disagreement about "who does what".
b. Stress from working with inadequate resources.

3. "Personal chemistry", including conflicting values or actions among managers and employees, for example:
a. Strong personal natures don't match.
b. We often don't like in others what we don't like in ourselves.

4. Leadership problems, including inconsistent, missing, too-strong or uninformed leadership (at any level in the organization), evidenced by:
a. Avoiding conflict, "passing the buck" with little follow-through on decisions.
b. Employees see the same continued issues in the workplace.
c. Supervisors don't understand the jobs of their subordinates.
Key Managerial Actions / Structures to Minimize Conflicts
1. Regularly review job descriptions. Get your employee's input to them. Write down and date job descriptions. Ensure:
a. Job roles don't conflict.
b. No tasks "fall in a crack".

2. Intentionally build relationships with all subordinates.
a. Meet at least once a month alone with them in office.
b. Ask about accomplishments, challenges and issues.

3. Get regular, written status reports and include:
a. Accomplishments.
b. Currents issues and needs from management.
c. Plans for the upcoming period.

4. Conduct basic training about:
a. Interpersonal communications.
b. Conflict management.
c. Delegation.

5. Develop procedures for routine tasks and include the employees' input.
a. Have employees write procedures when possible and appropriate.
b. Get employees' review of the procedures.
c. Distribute the procedures.
d. Train employees about the procedures.

6. Regularly hold management meetings, for example, every month, to communicate new initiatives and status of current programs.

7. Consider an anonymous suggestion box in which employees can provide suggestions.
Ways People Deal With Conflict
There is no one best way to deal with conflict. It depends on the current situation. Here are the major ways that people use to deal with conflict.
1. Avoid it. Pretend it is not there or ignore it.
a. Use it when it simply is not worth the effort to argue. Usually this approach tends
to worsen the conflict over time.

2. Accommodate it. Give in to others, sometimes to the extent that you compromise yourself.
a. Use this approach very sparingly and infrequently, for example, in situations
when you know that you will have another more useful approach in the very
near future. Usually this approach tends to worsen the conflict over time, and
causes conflicts within yourself.

3. Competing. Work to get your way, rather than clarifying and addressing the issue. Competitors love accommodators.
a. Use when you have a very strong conviction about your position.

4. Compromising. Mutual give-and-take.
a. Use when the goal is to get past the issue and move on.

5. Collaborating. Focus on working together.
a. Use when the goal is to meet as many current needs as possible by using mutual
resources. This approach sometimes raises new mutual needs.
b. Use when the goal is to cultivate ownership and commitment.
To Manage a Conflict Within Yourself - "Core Process"
It's often in the trying that we find solace, not in getting the best solution. The following steps will help you in this regard.
1. Name the conflict, or identify the issue, including what you want that you aren't getting. Consider:
a. Writing your thoughts down to come to a conclusion.
b. Talk to someone, including asking them to help you summarize the conflict in 5
sentences or less.

2. Get perspective by discussing the issue with your friend or by putting it down in writing. Consider:
a. How important is this issue?
b. Does the issue seem worse because you're tired, angry at something else, etc.?
c. What's your role in this issue?

3. Pick at least one thing you can do about the conflict.
a. Identify at least three courses of action.
b. For each course, write at least three pros and cons.
c. Select an action - if there is no clear course of action, pick the alternative that
will not hurt, or be least hurtful, to yourself and others.
d. Briefly discuss that course of action with a friend.

4. Then do something.
a. Wait at least a day before you do anything about the conflict. This gives you
a cooling off period.
b. Then take an action.
c. Have in your own mind, a date when you will act again if you see no clear
improvement.
To Manage a Conflict With Another - "Core Process"
1. Know what you don't like about yourself, early on in your career. We often don't like in others what we don't want to see in ourselves.
a. Write down 5 traits that really bug you when see them in others.
b. Be aware that these traits are your "hot buttons".

2. Manage yourself. If you and/or the other person are getting heated up, then manage yourself to stay calm by
a. Speaking to the person as if the other person is not heated up - this can be very
effective!
b. Avoid use of the word "you" - this avoids blaming.
c. Nod your head to assure them you heard them.
d. Maintain eye contact with them.

3. Move the discussion to a private area, if possible.

4. Give the other person time to vent.
a. Don't interrupt them or judge what they are saying.

5. Verify that you're accurately hearing each other. When they are done speaking:}
a. Ask the other person to let you rephrase (uninterrupted) what you are hearing from
them to ensure you are hearing them.
b. To understand them more, ask open-ended questions. Avoid "why" questions -
those questions often make people feel defensive.

6. Repeat the above step, this time for them to verify that they are hearing you. When you present your position
a. Use "I", not "you".
b. Talk in terms of the present as much as possible.
c. Mention your feelings.

7. Acknowledge where you disagree and where you agree.

8. Work the issue, not the person. When they are convinced that you understand them:
a. Ask "What can we do fix the problem?" They will likely begin to complain again.
Then ask the same question. Focus on actions they can do, too.

9. If possible, identify at least one action that can be done by one or both of you.
a. Ask the other person if they will support the action.
b. If they will not, then ask for a "cooling off period".

10. Thank the person for working with you.

11. If the situation remains a conflict, then:
a. Conclude if the other person's behavior conflicts with policies and procedures in
the workplace and if so, present the issue to your supervisor.
b. Consider whether to agree to disagree.
c. Consider seeking a third party to mediate.