TASK 6: Final Activity - "Death Penalty"

El tema seleccionado, si bien es un tema muy delicado nos atrajo por su trascendencia, fundamentalmente en un país como Estados Unidos, donde ha generado mucha controversia. Si bien en nuestro país es una pena que actualmente no se aplica, sí la preveía nuestra primera Constitución de 1830 pero fue prohibida por ley en el año 1907 y posteriormente abolida en la Constitución de 1918. Se utilizó por delitos de traición, malversación de fondos públicos, violación de la constitución siendo las formas de aplicación generalmente: la horca o los fusilamientos.

Su aplicación ha variado los métodos, aún hoy dependen del lugar donde se ejecute a la persona: la horca, la cámara de gas, la silla eléctrica y la inyección letal son algunas de las más conocidas.

La inyección letal es la que se utiliza en E.E.U.U y se han suspendido ejecuciones por la mala utilización de las drogas que se administran, además de la polémica generada por la violación a los Derechos Humanos.

Asimismo, es  una pena que no ha reducido los delitos pero se sigue aplicando y le genera a los gobiernos más gasto que la aplicación de otras penas como por ej. cadena perpetua.
Hemos encontrado datos que nos han llamado la atención en el artículo anterior (Task 1) en lo que refiere a que  muchas veces depende la raza de la víctima para su ejecución, o sea si la víctima es blanca hay más posibilidades que se opte por esta pena que por una alternativa.

A nivel internacional también ha generado el rechazo y se han ocupado de su tratamiento organizaciones como Amnistía Internacional (fundada en 1961) que constituye un movimiento por la defensa de los Derechos Humanos. Se opone a la Pena de muerte en todas las circunstancias por considerarla el exponente máximo de pena cruel e inhumana ya que niega los Derechos Humanos. En 1977 recibe el Premio Nobel de la Paz y luego el premio a los Derechos Humanos por parte de la ONU.

  

Los movimientos internacionales detractores, han luchando para su erradicación pero todavía se encuentran con argumentos que la justifican. 

ARGUMENTOS A FAVOR DE LA PENA CAPITAL

• Prevención general y específica: reduce el delito y previene su reincidencia
• Menor costo que la prisión perpetua

ARGUMENTOS EN CONTRA 

• No reduce el crimen
• Discriminación contra minorías
• Atenta contra la dignidad de la persona como ser humano
• Perdida del Derecho a la Vida inherente a la calidad humana

Amnistía Internacional

TASK 5: Artículo Wikipedia

En nuestra experiencia al utilizar Wikipedia podemos destacar aspectos positivos y negativos.

Entre los positivos cabe destacar el conocimiento de una herramienta colaborativa que está tanto en español como en inglés y nos sirve para saber que se puede incurrir en ambas para producir textos que le pueden interesar a otros basados en otros textos ya existentes.

Como negativo es que al tener muchos requisitos para su uso, el docente y también el alumno se pueden sentir frustrados al no cumplir con los mismos, aún en una forma no intencional y ver que su artículo por ejemplo fue borrado, como nos sucedió en particular con el artículo que elegimos al considerarlo muy interesante, titulado: "Adolescent and cartoon violence". Al respecto podemos concluir que antes de utilizarlo con nuestros alumnos vamos a necesitar más entrenamiento para su uso adecuado, lo que requiere mayor información sobre la utilización de esta herramienta informática e instancias prácticas para lograr su mayor eficacia.

TASK 1: Tema - Death Penalty

Source: http://www.amnestyusa.org/pdfs/DeathPenaltyFactsMay2012.pdf


COMPLETE THE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS:

Know	Want to Know	Learned
-Se aplica en algunos Estados y en otros no. -Es la Pena máxima. -Existe una contradicción entre esta Pena y los Derechos Humanos (Derecho a la vida), reconocidos a nivel internacional. -Las técnicas utilizadas para su aplicación han variado a través del tiempo, de acuerdo a cada cultura (silla eléctrica, cámara de gas, horca, inyección letal).	-¿Cuál es el proceso que se cumple para su aplicación? -Su aplicación: ¿ha logrado disminuir el porcentaje de criminalidad? -¿Cuál es el número de ejecuciones por año que se llevan a cabo en países como E.E.U.U? -Para su aplicación: ¿importa la condición social, de genero, y raza de la victima?	-Es un proceso complejo, que presenta problemas durante su ejecución (ej. el condenado se resiste, la mezcla de las drogas que se utilizan es mala entre otras). -Cuando la victima es de raza blanca, con mayor frecuencia se opta por este tipo de Pena sin considerar una Pena menor. -Existen factores que contribuyen a considerar la Pena de muerte como arbitraria.

TASK 4: Tema - Human Rights

THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF hUMAN rIGHTS

HISTORY OF THE DOCUMENT:

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948, was the result of the experience of the Second World War. With the end of that war, and the creation of the United Nations, the international community vowed never again to allow atrocities like those of that conflict happen again. World leaders decided to complement the UN Charter with a road map to guarantee the rights of every individual everywhere. The document they considered, and which would later become the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, was taken up at the first session of the General Assembly in 1946.  The Assembly reviewed this draft Declaration on Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms and transmitted it to the Economic and Social Council "for reference to the Commission on Human Rights for consideration . . . in its preparation of an international bill of rights." The Commission, at its first session early in 1947, authorized its members to formulate what it termed "a preliminary draft International Bill of Human Rights". Later the work was taken over by a formal drafting committee, consisting of members of the Commission from eight States, selected with due regard for geographical distribution.

In 1950, on the second anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, students at the UN International Nursery School in New York viewed a poster of the historic document.   After adopting it on December 10, 1948, the UN General Assembly had called upon all Member States to publicize the text of the Declaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories."  (UN Photo)

The Commission on Human Rights was made up of 18 members from various political, cultural and religious backgrounds. Eleanor Roosevelt, widow of American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, chaired the UDHR drafting committee. With her were René Cassin of France, who composed the first draft of the Declaration, the Committee Rapporteur Charles Malik of Lebanon, Vice-Chairman Peng Chung Chang of China, and John Humphrey of Canada, Director of the UN’s Human Rights Division, who prepared the Declaration’s blueprint. But Mrs. Roosevelt was recognized as the driving force for the Declaration’s adoption.

The Commission met for the first time in 1947. In her memoirs, Eleanor Roosevelt recalled:

“Dr. Chang was a pluralist and held forth in charming fashion on the proposition that there is more than one kind of ultimate reality.  The Declaration, he said, should reflect more than simply Werstern ideas and Dr. Humphrey would have to be eclectic in his approach.  His remark, though addressed to Dr. Humprhey, was really directed at Dr. Malik, from whom it drew a prompt retort as he expounded at some length the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas.  Dr. Humphrey joined enthusiastically in the discussion, and I remember that at one point Dr. Chang suggested that the Secretariat might well spend a few months studying the fundamentals of Confucianism!”

The final draft by Cassin was handed to the Commission on Human Rights, which was being held in Geneva. The draft declaration sent out to all UN member States for comments became known as the Geneva draft.

The first draft of the Declaration was proposed in September 1948 with over 50 Member States participating in the final drafting. By its resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948, the General Assembly, meeting in Paris, adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with eight nations abstaining from the vote but none dissenting. Hernán Santa Cruz of Chile, member of the drafting sub-Committee, wrote:

“I perceived clearly that I was participating in a truly significant historic event in which a consensus had been reached as to the supreme value of the human person, a value that did not originate in the decision of a worldly power, but rather in the fact of existing—which gave rise to the inalienable right to live free from want and oppression and to fully develop one’s personality.  In the Great Hall…there was an atmosphere of genuine solidarity and brotherhood among men and women from all latitudes, the like of which I have not seen again in any international setting.”

The entire text of the UDHR was composed in less than two years. At a time when the world was divided into Eastern and Western blocks, finding a common ground on what should make the essence of the document proved to be a colossal task.

 http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/history.shtml
 

 

 

TASK 3: Tema - Mediation

 

         1- TEMA:

Tres cosas que sé

• Es un mecanismo para la resolución de los conflictos.
• Consiste en la intervención de un tercero imparcial, cuya función consiste en el acercamiento de las partes, a los efectos de facilitar las vías para que puedan llegar a un acuerdo.
• En algunos Estados es obligatorio pero en el Uruguay no lo es.                                                      

      Tres preguntas

•  1- ¿Cuál es la relación que existe entre la Mediación y la Justicia Ordinaria?
•  2- ¿Qué se puede lograr a través de la Mediación?
•  3- ¿En qué ámbitos se puede aplicar este Mecanismo?

                                                                 
Tres respuestas

• 1-  Es una alternativa al sistema de Justicia formal, no es una parte de ella.

 

• 2- Es una labor que propende a encontrar el mejor camino de resolución de los conflictos, garantizando  la comunicación y esos problemas son resueltos antes que ser ignorados.

 

• 3- Se puede aplicar en diferentes espacios como: la familia, la escuela, la comunidad en general (diversas organizaciones, ej. Hospitales, iglesias).

       2- SÍNTESIS:

a) Imagen ilustrativa

                                                                        

                                                      b) Video complementario

WHAT IS MEDIATION?

One of the amazing things about mediation is that it is so many things. This column discusses some of the many things mediation is and some of the people who act as mediators.

Mediation is school yard intervention. From kindergarten through twelfth grade, mediation is part of the education community and is supervised by school teachers and conducted by specially trained peer group mediators in the same classes as the parties in conflict.

In a growing number of schools, a mediator is a student in a federally funded initiative to reduce conflict and violence in schools.

Mediation is a part of the juvenile criminal justice system. For non-violent offenders, victim-offender mediation is a process where community volunteers, under the supervision of the criminal justice system caseworkers, help both sides humanize and rehabilitate each other.

In many communities, a mediator is an unpaid volunteer with three to six hours of training in a state funded program who helps kids get back on the right track.

Mediation is a part of family counseling for people getting divorced. Mediation is a way for families who are splitting into parts to learn to deal with the changes in roles, duties and opportunities and to face those changes with emotional balance.

To many, mediation is a special form of family counseling handled by licensed family counselors and therapists.

Mediation is a part of the civil court system where parties to law suits are aided in settlement negotiations aimed at helping them find their own best interest.

To most bar associations, mediation is something practiced by attorneys who have been through a 40 hour program and who accelerate negotiations.

Mediation is a part of community action and conflict resolution, a place where volunteers, often with the Better Business Bureau or Community Alternative Dispute Resolution Centers, resolve conflicts and problems that otherwise would end up in small claims court.

To many, mediation is an alternative to the formal justice system, not a part of it, conducted by "real human beings" rather than lawyers.

Mediation is a labor conflict resolution tool aimed at finding a better way. Drawing from a wide pool of talent and skills, labor mediation seeks to end conflict and improve feelings in the workplace.

To many, mediation is a way to get to the bottom line and to find compromise without fighting using a group of mediators who defy definition other than experience.

Institutional mediation is conflict avoidance, a form of human resources management that aims to resolve conflict and improve communication between those served and the institution and between the different members of the institution.

To many in large hospitals, churches and other diverse organizations, mediation is a method of ensuring communication and that problems are resolved rather than ignored, cured rather than allowed to fester.

Mediation is what diplomats do to prevent countries from going to war or to help countries at war find peace. From the Middle East to Bosnia, mediation is the resolution, by political means, of armed conflict.

To quote from the Texas Law Review, A Glass Half Full at Vol. 73:1594, mediation is "something better" "more accessible and understandable to the layperson, less adversarial, expensive, and time-consuming, and more likely to produce an outcome that matches the interests of the disputants."

So, having discussed "what is mediation" the second question is "what makes -that- mediation?"

WHAT MAKES IT MEDIATION?

Successful mediation as an alternative method of dispute resolution, in all of these contexts, is mediation because it has the following five elements:

1. An impartial third party facilitator.

The third party neutral, the mediator, is the person who makes the entire process work. As long as there is a neutral facilitator, the parties can trust that they have some safety and are not being abused by an interested party. All of these programs work because the mediator in them is known to either be neutral or supportive of the parties and not an involved party.

Thus the first thing that makes a process one of mediation (and not something else) is a third party who facilitates -- aids the parties in a neutral fashion to find the parties own best interests.

2. A third party who protects the integrity of the proceedings.

Usually this means that the facilitator or mediator protect the confidentiality of the proceedings. Thus, not only does the mediator not take sides against any party to the mediation, the mediator does not usurp the parties' rights to disclose, or not disclose information. The mediator preserves the integrity of the proceedings in all ways.

Generally this means many things -- such as there are no records kept by the mediator. When there is no record, it becomes much harder to breach confidentiality or to try to use the mediator to prove or force a particular point not finalized in the parties agreement. In fact, some ADR groups and centers require the parties to take all notes on provided paper and then take and destroy even the notes after each session.

Confidentiality also means that the facilitator is not subject to subpoena and thus cannot be made a witness. Without notes or the facilitator, the only method to breach confidentiality is the testimony of an interested party who is usually bound by law (and thus subject to being quashed) not to disclose more than is agreed.

3. Good faith from the participants.

Good faith includes not only entering into the ADR method with the intent to work towards a resolution, it also includes not using the process for outside purposes. Thus there are rules that provide for no service of process during ADR, and for similar bars to the abuse of the mediation process by attorneys and non-attorneys alike.

What makes all of the proceedings mediation is that the parties are in the process to seek solutions rather than for an ulterior purpose (e.g. to abuse the other party by use of the process). Both the behavior and integrity of the neutral are important in creating, and preserving good faith.

4. The presence of the parties

Those with full authority to act for the parties must attend so that the parties can work towards resolution. If the decision makers do not attend the process becomes something other than mediation.

All parties necessary to resolve the problems should interact with the mediator. In a family dispute, if a party always checks with his parents before acting, the parents should attend (and may need a referral to additional counseling). In a labor matter, if a company president always checks with the majority shareholder, the majority shareholder should attend.

It is the parties who are being resolved as much as it is the problem that is being settled.

5. An appropriate site or venue.

Generally this means a neutral site that is conducive to the process. It must mean a place where neutrality, confidentiality and inclusiveness may be obtained. The place is some times as important as the persons and is a part of the process often overlooked.

CONCLUSIÓN

Mediation means many things. Often the different meanings are in harmony and improve each other -- which is why so many family and other disputes involve co-mediators. However, successful mediation in all of its guises requires several factors to make it work and to ensure that it remains the "something better" that the public has come to think mediation really means.

http://adrr.com/adr1/essayi.htm

TASK 2: Tema - Connectivism

Complete

Know	Want to Know	Learned
-Es una teoría del aprendizaje alternativa a las teorías instruccionales. -El aprendizaje es continuo (toda la vida seguimos aprendiendo), co-creativo (implica crear conocimiento con el otro), complejo y conectado.	-¿En que consiste?    -¿A quién o quiénes le podemos atribuir su descubrimiento? -¿Tiene que ver con las nuevas tecnologías?   -¿Cuáles son los objetivos educativos que se plantea?   -¿Cuál es el rol que plantea para estudiantes y docentes?	-Es una teoría del aprendizaje para la era digital. -Fue descubierta por George Siemens y Stephen Downes. "En su corazón, el Conectivismo es la tesis de que el conocimiento está distribuido a lo largo de una red de conexiones, y por lo tanto el aprendizaje consiste en la habilidad de construir y atravesar esas redes" (Stephen Downes). -Es una teoría que conecta el pensamiento y las emociones.    -El aprendizaje es un proceso de formación de redes. Es el proceso de conectar nodos o fuentes de información especializada, no solo los humanos aprenden, el conocimiento puede residir fuera del ser humano.   -Es importante conectar las fuentes de información.

Compare Text A and Text B

Texto A

Texto B

-George Siemens y Stephen Downes fueron los descubridores de la teoría del aprendizaje social para la era digital llamada Conectivismo. Denunciando las limitaciones del Conductismo, Cognitivismo y Constructivismo. -Siemens analizó las teorías anteriores en tres perspectivas: el aprendizaje, la epistemología y la pedagogía concluyendo que hay otras explicaciones para el aprendizaje que se está produciendo mediante las nuevas tecnologías como por ej. Internet. Se han dado nuevos fenómenos relacionados con el aprendizaje producto del avance de las ciencias y las tecnologías. -Esta teoría plantea un debate entre lo que es una Teoría del conocimiento instructiva o una simple perspectiva pedagógica. -El Conectivismo se caracteriza por una reflexión acerca de nuestra sociedad que está cambiando rápidamente, cambio mediado  por el incremento de los avances en tecnología. -El conocimiento consiste en la habilidad de construir y atravesar las redes de información. La capacidad de aumentar el conocimiento es más importante que lo que ya se sabe. Es necesario nutrir y mantener las conexiones para facilitar el aprendizaje continuo. El aprendizaje es un proceso de creación de conocimiento y no solo de consumo de conocimientos.

-Conectivismo es una teoría del aprendizaje para la era digital. La forma en que se adquiere el conocimiento ha ido cambiando desde hace varias décadas. -Las teorías del Conductismo, Cognitivismo y Constructivismo proporcionan distintos puntos de vista acerca del aprendizaje, en diferentes contextos. -Es una teoría alternativa a las teorías instruccionales mencionadas donde la inclusión de la tecnología y la identificación de conexiones como actividades de aprendizaje, empieza a mover a dichas teorías hacia la era digital.   -El pensamiento  y las emociones se influyen unos a otros. La integración del pensamiento y las emociones es importante en la construcción de conocimiento. Una teoría que solo considere una dimensión (pensamiento o emoción) excluye una gran parte.  El conocimiento es un proceso de conectar fuentes de información. -La palabra clave es Conexión: el aprendizaje presupone mantener conexiones permanentes a tres niveles; entre comunidades especializadas, entre fuentes de información y entre redes. -La circulación / interconexión de conocimientos es fundamental porque así se generan los conocimientos.

TEXTO A

Connectivism as a Learning Theory for the Digital Age

Betsy Duke, Ginger Harper, Mark Johnston

Kaplan University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Abstract

George Siemens and Stephen Downes developed a theory for the digital age, called connectivism, denouncing boundaries of behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Their proposed learning theory has issued a debate over whether it is a learning theory or instructional theory or merely a pedagogical view. While the theory presented is important and valid, is it a tool to be used in the learning process for instruction or curriculum rather than a standalone learning theory? It has also forced educators to look at what is being done in digital education and rethink, debate, and philosophize over how each part fits. Continually evaluating how each new generation learns with regard to instruction and curriculum serves to hold education to high standards. Certainly this theory is worth our thorough consideration.

Connectivism as a Learning Theory

George Siemens and Stephen Downes developed a theory for the digital age, called connectivism, denouncing boundaries of behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Their proposed learning theory has issued a debate over whether it is a learning theory or instructional theory or merely a pedagogical view.

What are the essential criteria for something to be a learning theory?

A theory generally applies to the synthesis of a large body of information. The criterion of a theory is not whether it is true or untrue, but rather whether it is useful or not useful for explaining or predicting behavior. A theory is useful even though the ultimate causes of the phenomenon it encompasses are unknown. A theory can be refined, or with new information, it can take on a new direction.

If thoroughly tested, a theory may be widely accepted for a long period of time but later disproved (Dorin, Demmin, & Gabel, 1990). So a useful theory of learning must have resulted from considerable testing and observation. In the evaluation of the quality of a theory, one must consider several other criterions as well. The criterion of falsiability, developed by Sir Karl Popper, requires that a researcher carefully examine any negative evidence that proves their conclusions untrue. Additionally, a rule of parsimony is the preference of simple theories over highly complex ones (Johnson & Christensen, 2004).

What is connectivism?

Stated simply, connectivism is social learning that is networked. Stephen Downes described it as, “… the thesis that knowledge is distributed across a network of connections, and therefore that learning consists of the ability to construct and traverse those networks” (Downes, 2007). Connectivism is characterized as a reflection of our society that is changing rapidly, complex, connected socially, global, and mediated by increasing advancements in technology. It is the orchestration of a complex disarray of ideas, networked to form specific information sets. Ways of knowing are derived from a diversity of opinions. The individual does not have control; rather it is a collaboration of current ideas as seen from a present reality. The core skill is the ability to see connections between information sources and to maintain that connection to facilitate continual learning. Decisions are supported by rapidly altering fundamentals as new information is quickly integrated to create a new climate of thinking. This constant update and shift of knowledge also can be contained outside the learner, such as in a database or other specialized information source. For the learner to be connected to this outside knowledge is more important than his or her existing state of knowing. The first point of connectivism is the individual. Personal knowledge consists of a system of networks, which supplies an organization, which in turn gives back to the system. The individual continues the cycle of knowledge growth by his or her access back into the system.

https://www.hetl.org/wp-content/uploads/gravity_forms/2-298b245759ca2b0fab82a867d719cbae/2013/01/Connectivism-hand-out.pdf

 

TEXTO B

Connectivism is a learning theory for the digital age. Learning has changed over the last several decades. The theories of behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism provide an effect view of learning in many environments. They fall short, however, when learning moves into informal, networked, technology-enabled arena. Some principles of connectivism:

The integration of cognition and emotions in meaning-making is important. Thinking and emotions influence each other. A theory of learning that only considers one dimension excludes a large part of how learning happens.

Learning has an end goal - namely the increased ability to "do something". This increased competence might be in a practical sense (i.e. developing the ability to use a new software tool or learning how to skate) or in the ability to function more effectively in a knowledge era (self-awareness, personal information management, etc.). The "whole of learning" is not only gaining skill and understanding - actuation is a needed element. Principles of motivation and rapid decision making often determine whether or not a learner will actuate known principles.

Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources. A learner can exponentially improve their own learning by plugging into an existing network.

Learning may reside in non-human appliances. Learning (in the sense that something is known, but not necessarily actuated) can rest in a community, a network, or a database.

The capacity to know more is more critical that what is currently known. Knowing where to find information is more important than knowing information.

Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate learning. Connection making provides far greater returns on effort than simply seeking to understand a single concept.

Learning and knowledge rest in diversity of opinions.

Learning happens in many different ways. Courses, email, communities, conversations, web search, email lists, reading blogs, etc. Courses are not the primary conduit for learning.

Different approaches and personal skills are needed to learn effectively in today's society. For example, the ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.

Organizational and personal learning are integrated tasks. Personal knowledge is comprised of a network, which feeds into organizations and institutions, which in turn feed back into the network and continue to provide learning for the individual. Connectivism attempts to provide an understanding of how both learners and organizations learn.

Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning.

Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate impacting the decision.

Learning is a knowledge creation process...not only knowledge consumption. Learning tools and design methodologies should seek to capitalize on this trait of learning.

Retrieved from: http://www.connectivism.ca/about.html [21/05/2012