According to United Nations Association of the United States of America, "Global Classrooms is an innovative educational program that engages middle school and high school students in an exploration of current world issues through interactive simulations and curricular materials. Global Classrooms cultivates literacy, life skills and the attitudes necessary for active citizenship."
This is great in theory. But how do you convince 75 students that five paragraph essay organization, parallel sentence structure, effective research strategies, public speaking skills, and parliamentary procedure are worthwhile skills? More importantly, how do you convince them that it is cool enough to be worth spending some of their recreos (half hour breaks in the school day) hanging out with me preparing for the conference? How do you make them want to send draft after draft of their essays to me? I'm not exactly sure, but I can tell you that it took a lot of enthusiasm.
Having 75 students throughout the Global Classrooms process was both a blessing and a curse. The large classes made it easier to have varied debates and to include a wide range of countries, simulating the conference experience. It also allowed me my choice of the 12 most prepared, most eager students. However, as with anything of this nature, there were tears when students were not chosen (crying because they can't do any more research papers?!) and others that sat through the 4 month process without ever turning a single assignment in. And of course, having 75 students meant that I had a few more position papers to correct than the Fulbrighter who had 13 students. (Though I'm sure it was easier to pick 12 students out of 75 than to tell 1 student that he/she would be the only one not going.)
Anyway, through thick and thin, Fabiola (my cooperating teacher) and I pushed through and WE MADE IT. Sitting in my apartment in my pajamas, I am happy that it happened and happy that it's over.
Yesterday, we went to La Asamblea, Madrid's main legislative building, for the opening ceremonies. Contrary to the standard of Spaniards arriving late, we arrived over an hour before the beginning of the 45 minute arrival window they gave us. Luckily, there was a mall across the street and the principal of the school wasn't bothered by students wandering around by themselves while we drank a café con helado from McDonalds. (They were wearing suits, after all. How much trouble could they possibly get into?)
When it was finally time to enter, we got our first (of many) group pictures...
The students posing with the good luck cards I wrote them :) They hid them behind their backs for the official photo and then whipped them out when it was time for the photo with my camera.
Then we got inside, where we waited for almost another hour for the thrilling (sarcasm? noooooooo...) speeches to start.
Well, you can take the high schooler out of the high school... but you can't take the high scool out of the high schooler...
La Asamblea de Madrid (Madrid's principal legislative building)
As we were listening
to speeches from members of the Comunidad de Madrid, representatives
from the U.S. embassy, Fulbright officials, etc., I was thrown off by
the reoccurring statements saying that these students are the future. I
thought I was the future. I mean, I remember sitting in my
National Honor Society induction, being told about the problems with the
melting glaciers and how it was up to us to solve the problem of the polar bears. Am I getting old?! 23 is just around the corner....
Okay, okay. Enough of the sappy business. Here the top 10 highlights of the conference:
- Walking to school at 6:45 AM this morning reminded me to be thankful that I don't have a "real job" yet. It's dark out at that time!
- The kids looked sharp! The boys were rocking the suits and my girls dressed very appropriately... no bubble gum pink 6 inch heels or 3 inch skirts like some of the other students we saw.
- I got to meet a few of the kids parents, who greeted me with, "Oh! You're Amber! We've heard so much about you!" (They assured me that it was all good, though we can never know....)
- In our extra time this morning, the students excitedly reviewed their opening speeches, implementing dramatic phrasing and well-rehearsed hand gestures. It was quite a sight to see in the middle of the sidewalk at 7:45 AM.
- It snowed for a few hours as we began the conference today. It made Las Acacias (a big, old complex where educational meetings are held) look like a wonderland!
- Students from the other schools blew me away with their opening speeches, debating, and note passing in my debate room. The only disappointment was that nobody tried to pass a love note... they realized we were serious when we said Río would read them all.
- I was beyond impressed with the seriousness attitude with which all of the students approached the conference. They took the issues of Orphans and Vulnerable Children and Scarcity of Freshwater Resources seriously and really searched for plausible solutions to the problems.
- The girls all became convinced that I am in love with my friend, Dan, who was also at the conference. They started by making comments like, "Don't think we didn't see that..." and ended making heart motions towards us until Dan gave them a thumbs up.
- On the other hand, the same girls enjoyed pointing out their new crushes to me. Then, when one of the boys won an award, my student turned around and said, "Beauty and brains! He has it all!"
- And, last but not least, one of the pairs won best delegation for their conference! WAHOO!
We will be the voices of the future.
But we have to speak up so we can be the voices of the present.
The voices of IES Ramiro de Maeztu
Global Classrooms
is an innovative educational program that engages middle school and
high school students in an exploration of current world issues through
interactive simulations and curricular materials. Global Classrooms
cultivates literacy, life skills and the attitudes necessary for active
citizenship. - See more at:
http://www.unausa.org/global-classrooms-model-un/about-global-classrooms-model-un#sthash.M15yWvjO.dpuf
Global Classrooms
is an innovative educational program that engages middle school and
high school students in an exploration of current world issues through
interactive simulations and curricular materials. Global Classrooms
cultivates literacy, life skills and the attitudes necessary for active
citizenship. - See more at:
http://www.unausa.org/global-classrooms-model-un/about-global-classrooms-model-un#sthash.M15yWvjO.dpuf
Global Classrooms
is an innovative educational program that engages middle school and
high school students in an exploration of current world issues through
interactive simulations and curricular materials. Global Classrooms
cultivates literacy, life skills and the attitudes necessary for active
citizenship. - See more at:
http://www.unausa.org/global-classrooms-model-un/about-global-classrooms-model-un#sthash.M15yWvjO.dpuf
Global Classrooms
is an innovative educational program that engages middle school and
high school students in an exploration of current world issues through
interactive simulations and curricular materials. Global Classrooms
cultivates literacy, life skills and the attitudes necessary for active
citizenship. - See more at:
http://www.unausa.org/global-classrooms-model-un/about-global-classrooms-model-un#sthash.M15yWvjO.dpuf
