Elementary Teacher Workshop
Announced: April 7
Mike Keenan, Executive Officer of COWAC and Dave Redekop, an elementary school teacher at Orchard Park School in Niagara Falls, will co-present a full day workshop specifically designed to assist grade 7 & 8 teachers with global issues. Their aim is to demonstrate to teachers how to implement Model U.N. teaching strategies across the curriculum through a one-week detailed set of lesson plans.
Through Ken Draayer, English consultant with the District School Board of Niagara, the workshop will be available to all elementary teachers ( gr.7&8) that might be interested throughout the board.
After this workshop, it is hoped that individual teachers will be able to conduct an in-class MUN as a finale to their week of instruction. This will be a prelude to a large MUN conference to be organized for the Niagara elementary schools on May 12 in Fort Erie. Public schools will also have the opportunity to test their MUN debating skills in the annual "Spoken Word" event conducted at Brock University, April 27-28.
Catholic school representatives have been also invited to stage a similar workshop for their teachers at which both Mr. Keenan and Mr. Redekop would volunteer their time and expertise. Nothing formal has yet been arranged.
At the workshop, employing the Model United Nations experience as a contemporary, multi-faceted, educational vehicle, elementary teachers will receive:
1. A one-week cross-curricular unit that meets Provincial overall expectations.
2. A method of assessment for the three Language strands in the Ontario curriculum document.
3. Activity-based strategies to implement in relation to the History & Geography expectations (curriculum documents).
4. Methods to enrich and assess the Learning Skills.
5. A positive vehicle to assist students with the transition to secondary school.
At the completion of this unit, students will be able to participate in an in-house simulation of the United Nations. This unique experience will qualify them to participate in further extracurricular experiences that will follow.