2008 SUMMER INSTITUTES
FOR PHILADELPHIA AREA K-12 TEACHERS


Sponsored by Haverford College
and the Bryn Mawr/Haverford K-16 Collaborations in Science and Mathematics Education
with support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Virtual Thinking/Learning:
Explorations into the Role of Computing in Education

Program Outline: A series of interactive presentations and lab experiences to provide a venue of discovery for K-12 teachers to learn about computers, information technology, networks, and various software applications, as well as discuss the implications of computing in the classroom. The goals of the workshop are twofold: to appreciate the unique field of inquiry provided by computing, including its benefits, limits and consequences (e.g. security, artificial intelligence); and to provide hands-on experiences with tools used to facilitate learning (e.g., algorithm visualization, robots, media computation, kinesthetic learning exercises). Presenters will be drawn from Haverford, Bryn Mawr and other local colleges. The workshop is limited to 16 participants.

The institute director is John ("JD") Dougherty, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at Haverford College. Among other things, J.D. teaches popular courses aimed at bringing computing knowledge to the nonscientist population, advanced courses in computer graphics and parallel computing, and is actively involved in computer science education research, including outreach. He has led summer programs for high school students and teachers at Haverford, and is very interested in bringing new technologies to K-12 education, especially those that would enable more students with disabilities to participate in the process. Most recently, J.D. chaired SIGCSE 2008 (www.cs.duke.edu/sigcse08), the premier symposium on computing education.

The Institute will consist of lectures and demonstrations, including hands-on computer laboratories, together with discussion periods aimed at exploring computing technology and its impact on education, both inside and outside the classroom.

Institute Requirements and Follow-up: Participants will be expected to play an active role in the Institute -- to attend all sessions, prepare projects for use in their own classrooms, put together a written proposal for educational supplies and materials to put those projects into practice, and prepare a report of the their year's activities to be published on the web so as to be available to other interested teachers. Participation in subsequent years is contingent on completing all Institute obligations.

Institute Schedule and Location: This Institute will take place in Koshland INSC H204 at Haverford College from Monday, June 23 through Friday, June 27. Sessions will be held from 9 am. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Continental breakfast and unch will be provided.

Eligibility: High school, middle school and elementary school teachers, including department heads and school administrators, are eligible. Participants may teach science and/or other subject areas. Preference will be given to teams of teachers from schools that serve overlapping student populations. Please indicate team memberships on the applications forms. Enrollment will be limited to sixteen. Participants from prior institutes are welcome to apply

Incentives: Each participant will receive 30 hours of Act 48 credit, and a $250 stipend. An additional $200 per participant to purchase educational supplies and materials will be available to teachers submitting cogent curriculum proposals and agreeing to provide a written report on their experiences.

Principal's Commitment: Institute participation requires signature of principal.

Application procedures: Information and application forms are available on line at http://serendipstudio.org/local/suminst/vti08/application.html.
See http://serendipstudio.org/local/suminst/ for information about the general program and other available Institutes.

For more information: John Dougherty, jd@cs.haverford.edu, (610)-896-4993, Department of Computer Science, Haverford College, Haverford PA 19041. www.cs.haverford.edu