Building Sustainable Democracy
With divisive media and language driving democratic weakness from the U.S. and Sweden to Hungary and Italy, teachers need to build toolkits of interdisciplinary resources for teaching Democracy, Human RIghts, and Citizenship. This teacher workshop combines poetry, short stories, and peacebuilding skills with new understanding about media manipulation and human behavior to help your students critically think about building sustainable democracies. If the two-hour version of the seminar is requested, teachers also can combine it with the workshop on building a democratic classroom with student-led seminars.
Building a Democratic Classroom with Student-Led Seminar
In this 60-90 minute workshop, teachers will engage in a seminar that is structured to explore and practice techniques that lead to student discussions that are rich in depth and breadth. By conducting a simulated session, teachers will curate their own thought-provoking questions and shared readings to experience how students can enjoy building on each other’s ideas with robust supporting evidence. This model can be used in any course. 2.4 Learning to Learn
Narrative Writing Workshop
Have you ever wondered why the Harry Potter books are so engaging to read? In this workshop, teachers will practice a process and tools that will help students to produce outstanding examples of narrative writing, from writing entertaining beginnings and inventing interesting characters to creating suspense and developing a main event that comes to life through a well-balanced recipe of components. 2.2 Competence in the Subjects and 2.4 Learning to Learn
Get into Character! Puppetry as a Tool for Inquiry
In this workshop, teachers in small groups will learn how to teach students about the art of creating puppet gestures, then explore short stories about interesting Americans, write short scripts and perform their own 4-5 minute puppet shows. The workshop uses puppetry as a tool for driving inquiry and bringing out the animated individuals hiding behind the quiet personalities of many students. 2.4 Learning to Learn
Peacebuilding is Real Work! Teaching Peacebuilding Techniques
Have you ever wondered what it would take to stop human beings from making war against each other? In this workshop, teachers will practice exercises that they can use with students. Participants will play the roles of combatants and mediators who try to bring peace to a conflict. Next, they will practice active listening techniques, and finally, they will conduct exercises to explore the essence of peace and discuss the role of women in peacebuilding. A take-away set of additional peacebuilding lessons is included. 2.4 Learning to Learn, 2.5.1 Health and life skills, and 2.5.2 Democracy and citizenship
Anatomy of an Engaging Case Study
In this workshop, teachers will learn techniques for driving inquiry and critical thinking in all classes by building their own toolkits of resources and creating their own engaging and meaningful case studies. The case study model combines video clips, news article excerpts, thinking routines, choice architecture, and visual communication. The particular case studies themes to be explored also include connections that help students to challenge traditional subject theory. 2.4 Learning to Learn