University News
Summer Experience 2008
July 17, 2008
MACOMB, IL -- If critics rated Western Illinois University's annual College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) Summer Experience, they would give the program four stars.
The 2008 conference, with the theme "Hooray for Hollywood," will be held Wednesday-Thursday, July 23-24 at the WIU-Macomb campus, and then the Summer Experience will go on the road to Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire (IL) July 30-31.
Sponsored by the Office for Partnerships, Professional Development, and Technology (OPPDT), the program brings together Pre-K-12 teachers, administrators and technology coordinators for two days of hands-on technology sessions focused on building student-centered instruction and technology-enhanced classrooms. The 2008 movie-themed conference will provide information for educators on how current and emerging technologies can enhance student learning and help teachers become "technology stars" in their classrooms.
Participants can choose from 20 different three-hour sessions, focusing on such topics as Second Life, WebQuest, Photoshop Elements, using blogs and wikis, creating podcasts and digital movies and much more. This year's keynote speaker is Steve Dembo of Discover Education. Dembo will discuss "New Permanent Records," explaining how current online activities leave a trail that could affect a student's future, at noon July 24 in Macomb. The keynote speaker for the July 31 event in Lincolnshire is Joe Brennan, a leader in the state of Illinois on using digital movies to support curricular goals.
OPPDT facilitates and coordinates cooperative ventures between Western's College of Education and Human Services and school districts throughout the region. Throughout the school year, the professional development teams of STAR-Online and STAR-Onsite work with pre-service and in-service teachers to effectively integrate technology in the classroom that add value to both the school district and the teacher education program at WIU.
"It's important for Western to provide access to innovative methods of instruction for its partner school districts," said COEHS Dean Bonnie Smith Skripps. "The Summer Experience provides such an opportunity, where teachers spend two days focused on expanding their instruction in preparation for the coming year."
For a full listing of workshops and registration materials, visit the 2008 Summer Experience website at wiu.edu/otep/summerexperience.
OPPDT is an ISBE-approved provider for teacher recertification with a total of 12 CPDU's available over the two days of the Summer Experience. For more information, contact Summer Experience Coordinator Danielle Brush at DM-Brush@wiu.edu or (309) 298-2444.
Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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