Education Workshops

The education workshops offered through MVNU feature a variety of topics to keep you informed about the most current issues surrounding education today. Offered through our Master of Arts in Education Curriculum and Instruction program, our highly qualified instructors encourage interactive learning with a focus on integrating faith and values with education.

Cost and Registration

The workshops listed are for one graduate credit hour. The cost for workshops is $200 per credit hour. Please register early as enrollment is limited. Should there be insufficient enrollment, the workshop may be cancelled.

For more information about our workshops or the Master of Arts in Education Curriculum and Instruction program, call 877-686-8247, ext. 4710 or apply online.

View the complete brochure and registration form (requires Adobe Reader)

Workshop Descriptions:

Teaching Christianity Legally in Public Schools
Instructor: Dr. Jack Fennema
  • Time: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
  • Cincinnati Campus: June 9 – 10, 2008
  • Polaris Campus: June 12 - 13, 2008
  • Mount Vernon Campus: June 26 -27, 2008
This workshop is for teachers who want to both remain faithful to their Christian faith commitment as they teach within public schools, and also remain faithful to constitutional law at the same time. The goal is to develop as a Christian educator rather than be simply a “silent witness.” The idea of a “biblical worldview” for education is explored. Relevant Supreme Court cases are examined. “Can I?” and “How can I?” are questions explored. This is a practical, interactive workshop.

Discipline with Love and Logic
Instructor: Dr. Jack Fennema
  • Time: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
  • Mount Vernon Campus: June 16 – 17, 2008
  • Polaris: June 19 – 20, 2008
  • Cincinnati: June 23 -24, 2008
Evaluating classroom discipline against biblical norms will be threaded throughout both days. Topics include: rule-making, providing choices, and establishing logical consequences. Participants in this workshop will view “Taking Control of the Classroom” video tapes featuring Jim Fay and his Discipline with Love and Logic approach to classroom management.

The sessions will also include worksheet exercises and discussions.

Teaching Science as Investigation: Modeling Hands-on, Minds-on Strategies
Instructor: Dr. Joseph Akpan
  • Time: 8:00 am – 1:00 pm (Will include a working lunch)
  • Mount Vernon Campus: June 16 – 18, 2008
This workshop will emphasize integration of curriculum, collaborative instruction, and cooperative group learning. Special emphasis is given to Constructivism, best teaching strategies, and inquiry-based activities necessary to teach science in contemporary ways to middle/secondary school students.

Research on teaching elementary, middle and secondary science has indicated a need for a broader range of science teaching methods. This workshop focuses on teaching science as investigation: hands-on/minds-on inquiry-based science as described by the National Science Education Standards (NSES) through an approach that integrates science content and pedagogy in a manner consistent with inquiry.

Participants in this workshop will learn how to teach science content that supports students’ need to understand science concepts and how they learn science. They will experience inquiry-based science strategies that would encourage teachers to teach science as inquiry productively.

Funding Classroom “Best Practices” through Grants
Instructor: Dr. Carol S. Young
  • Time: 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
  • Polaris Campus: June 17-18, 2008
  • Cost of materials: Approximately $20.00. (Prior to the workshop, Students will need to purchase a copy of Getting Funded: The Complete Guide to Writing Proposals by Mary Stewart Hall.)
This workshop is intended for classroom teachers and teacher education candidates. Participants will explore the basics of grant seeking and grant writing. Candidates will tap into their own ideas and experiences with classroom best practices in order to formulate an action research project.

A writer’s workshop on the second day will assist participants in refining their research ideas into a fundable proposal complete with needs assessment, research questions, narrative description and action plan, evaluation component, and budget. Model proposals and draft proposals will be evaluated to provide insight into criteria that increase the likelihood of successful funding.

Pasture to Plate
Instructor: Ms. Janelle Reynolds
  • Place: Knox Soil and Water Conservation District Office -- 1025 Harcourt Road, Mount Vernon
  • Time: 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
  • Dates: June 17-18, 2008
  • $200 for MVNU credit. Pre-Registration fee----$15.00, for pre-registration contact Deb Bigelow at Knox Soil and Water at 740-393-6724 or dbigelow@knoxswcd.org.
This workshop will focus on the rich agricultural resources of Knox County and emphasize local food production. The workshop will emphasize the connections to the Academic Content Standards by following the food chain from growing the crop or animal, processing, and the final product in the grocery store.

We will tour local farms, orchards, farm markets, meat processors, and grocery stores. We will provide Project Food, Land and People Curriculum guides for activities to use in the classroom that relate to the workshop focus.

Focusing on Youth Issues
Instructor: Community Mental Health and Recovery Board of Licking/Knox Counties
  • Time: 9:00 am – 3:30 pm
  • Mount Vernon Campus: June 17 – 19, 2008
This workshop focuses on mental health issues affecting our youth. Various community partners come together in the development, sponsorship, and presentation of this workshop. Presenters include local professionals representing youth-serving agencies. This is the 7th year for this conference.

A fee will be charged for this workshop. Early registration before May 31 is encouraged. Registration fees increase after May 31. In addition, tuition of $200 will be charged those who desire one graduate credit from MVNU. A representative from MVNU will be available Tuesday morning (first day of conference) to complete paperwork to receive university credit.

For questions and required pre-registration, call: Karen Boyd at MVNU at 740-397-9000, ext. 3700.

For registration for the one credit hour from MVNU, please contact Diana McQueen at 740-397-9000, ext. 4710 or be email at dmcqueen@mvnu.edu

Approaching Islam in the American Classroom
Instructor: Dr. B. Barnett Cochran
  • Time: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
  • Mount Vernon Campus: June 23-24, 2008
  • Cost of Materials: Before the workshop, Students are responsible for securing the book, Islam: The Straight Path, 3rd Edition, by John Esposito.
This workshop will deepen our understanding of Islam as one of the great civilizations of the world, as a contemporary religion and source of identity, and as a world cultural zone. Islam is the world’s second largest and fastest growing religion. For Americans, interest in Islam is higher than ever, but our knowledge has not yet caught up. As such, we need to learn more and be teaching more about Islam in our classrooms.

We will consider a variety of ways of thinking about Islam and identify challenges and strategies for teaching about Islam in different classroom settings. We will also consider the challenges associated with encountering Muslim students in our classrooms.

Learning Can Be Fun & Games
Instructor: : Dr. Bevin & Mrs. Donna Shiverdecker
  • Time: 12:00 pm – 4:10 pm
  • Mount Vernon Campus: June 23-25, 2008
  • Cost of Materials: Approximately $25.00 (A list of materials will be provided in the first class session by the instructors, to be purchased by workshop participants.)
This workshop focuses on the construction of a variety of classroom games. Campus facilities will be made available for the construction of these learning games.

Learning Styles: Teaching to the Four Learning Quadrants
Instructor: Dr. Joseph Akpan
  • Time: 8:00 am – 1:00 pm (Will include a working lunch)
  • Mount Vernon Campus: June 25-27, 2008
Students learn in a variety of ways, all legitimate. Teachers must recognize how students are learning in different ways. Teachers also need to plan and teach lessons that actively involve all of their students through the use of a wide variety of appropriate methods. Also, teachers need to reinforce each student’s sense of achievement. Teachers need to embrace the need for multiple methods of instruction if they are to reach diverse learners.

This workshop will enhance a teacher’s ability to both spark the heart and enlighten the mind of students they care for. Participants in this workshop will understand students’ learning styles and adjust their teaching to those styles and students will learn. The workshop will provide an increased understanding of students with various learning styles through appropriate anecdotes, live cases, and practical suggestions on how to instruct your students inside their learning frame.

Sage Advice for the Elementary Teacher
Instructor: Mrs. Leah Geiger
  • Time: Time: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
  • Mount Vernon Campus: July 10 – 11, 2008
  • Cost of Materials: Approximately $30.00. (Instructor suggests purchasing The First Days of School by Henry K. Wong and Rosemary K. Wong)
To lower the everyday stress that all educators may endure, this instructor will share many years of sage advice and provide tips to help each participant understand ways to better plan, organize, and govern their lives and their classrooms. This advice will be particularly beneficial for teachers of grades 2 though 6; especially the self-contained classroom. All ideas are also adaptable for any grade level or special area.

The ABC’s of Learning Centers
Instructor: Dr. Bevin and Mrs. Donna Shiverdecker
  • Time: 12:00 pm – 4:10 pm
  • Mount Vernon Campus: July 16-18, 2008
  • Cost of materials: Approximately $25.00 (A list of materials will be provided in the first class session by instructors, to be purchased by workshop participants)
Workshop participants will learn All about the Basics of Learning Center and their Construction (ABC’s). Research supportive of learning centers and best practices linked to learning center implementation will be reviewed. Be prepared to sample and have some fun constructing learning centers.

The Blended Classroom: Combining Traditional Teaching Methods with Web 2.0
Instructor: Mr. Damon Osborne
  • Time: (1st & 2nd Days) 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm (3rd Day) 12:00 pm – 4:30 pm
  • Mount Vernon Campus: July 22 – 24, 2008
This hands-on workshop explores tools associated with online learning and Web 2.0. It focuses on how these tools can be used in a traditional classroom setting. Blending online learning tools such as threaded discussions, email, and electronic assignment submission, with Web 2.0 tools such as podcasts, wikis, social networking, and blogs, can dramatically enhance a traditional face-to-face learning environment.

Participants will learn the core functions of these online tools, and determine appropriate ways to integrate these technologies into their individual teaching practices.

Student Behaviors that Drive Teachers Crazy
Instructor: Dr. Joseph Akpan
  • Time: 8:00 am – 1:00 pm (with a working lunch)
  • Mount Vernon Campus: July 23 – 25, 2008
This workshop will help teachers better serve students with behavioral, emotional, and psychiatric disorders or with mild to moderate cognitive impairment. While most students in a mainstream classroom setting can control their behavior, a few cannot or have great difficulty doing so. For these students, many behaviors, referred to as neurological based behavior (NBB), are outside of their control and are unresponsive to normal behavior management techniques. This leaves some teachers feeling powerless.

Students with NBB may behave erratically or inconsistently for no apparent reason. Their behavior does not respond reliably to normal discipline strategies. This workshop will provide an increased understanding of students within this disability area and will suggest a range of behavior management strategies for use in a mainstream setting.

Constructivist Classroom Practices
Instructor: Dr. HeeKap Lee
  • Time: (1st Day) 9:00 am – 4:00 pm (2nd Day) 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
  • Mount Vernon Campus: July 24 – 25, 2008
  • Polaris Campus: August 7 -8, 2008
  • Cost of Materials: $9.38. The reading packet for this class can be purchased at the MVNU bookstore prior to the workshop.
This course is intended for pre-service and in-service public school teachers of grades K-12, focusing on the theory of constructivism, constructivist learning models, and constructivist assessment processes. Participants will apply what they have learned in designing and implementing a lesson plan based on constructivist principles.

Constructivism is everywhere. It is currently a ‘hot-potato’ issue in the fields of philosophy, education, technology, and even in religion. The theories and practices of constructivism have strengthened public education by encouraging self-directed students, the teachers as a facilitator, and well-organized learning experiences.

The M & M’s of Teaching (Methods and Management)
Instructors: Dr. Bevin and Mrs. Donna Shiverdecker
  • Time: 12:00 pm – 4:10 pm
  • Mount Vernon Campus: July 28 - 30, 2008
Although effective teaching may be as much an intuitive art as it is a science, it does not just happen. This workshop will enable participants to sample the M & M’s (Methods and Management Strategies) of effective teaching that promote a classroom learning environment that is conducive for all students.

Multicultural Education in Public Schools
Instructor: Dr. Heekap Lee & Dr. Stephen Metcalfe
  • Time: 9:00 am – 4:30 pm (1st Day) 9:00 – 4:00 pm (2nd Day)
  • Mount Vernon Campus: July 17 - 18, 2008
  • Polaris Campus: July 31 – August 1, 2008
This workshop is designed to provide students with a theoretical background and pedagogical approaches to multicultural education. Multicultural education theories and practices are critically important components informing constructive interventions that contribute to changes leading to fundamental fairness in schools as well as in society.

Emphasis will be placed on the demographic, legal, political and linguistic issues inherent in teaching a culturally diverse student population within the public school environment.

Pathwise for Mentors/Cooperating Teachers
Instructor: Kathy Kasler and Deb Strouse
  • Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
  • Mount Vernon High School: July 30 – 31, 2008
The purpose of Pathwise training is to develop observation skills for mentors/cooperating teachers in order to observe Entry Year Teachers and Student Teachers using the four Domains of Teaching. The Pathwise study is based on the research of Charlotte Danielson. It includes the Domains of Planning, Environment, Teaching and Professionalism. The class will include:
  • Lecture on the domain criteria
  • Videos of practicing teachers
  • Practice with scripting observations
  • Instruction and practice writing summaries
  • Forming recommendations

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