UM Offers AP Institute, Teacher Workshops for Summer 2010

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi is offering 10 weeklong summer workshops and an Advanced Placement Summer Institute through its Division of Outreach and Continuing Education.

In June, educators can select from a variety of one-week workshops, for which they will earn academic credit hours that may be applied toward teacher certification or recertification. The workshops are perfect for teachers who wish to enhance their classroom curriculums with knowledge from some of the best faculty members the university has to offer, said Don Howie, director of summer school.

“This year’s slate of workshops has something for everyone, from Astronomy to The Civil Rights Era,” Howie said. “We believe the departments and our instructors have compiled intensive and informative workshops that will be both fun and challenging for teachers this summer.”

Other workshop choices include “Teaching ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ in Cultural Context,” “Sustainable Freshwater Resources,” “Dickens in Film” and “Teaching Writing for Thinking.” The five-day workshops involve approximately 35 hours of classroom instruction.

The AP Summer Institute, a College Board-endorsed program, is set for July 19-23.  Teachers can learn and develop AP curriculum content, as well as share teaching methods for AP courses including Calculus AB, U.S. History, English Literature and Composition, English Language and Composition, and Government and Politics in the United States.

AP Summer Institute participants may earn Continuing Education Units that satisfy the requirements of the Mississippi Department of Education licensure and certification programs.

“The AP Summer Institute is a great opportunity for new and experienced AP teachers who wish to strengthen their own instruction by receiving strategies and skills to connect students to college success,” said Mary Leach, AP Summer Institute coordinator.

Scholarships are available for both summer teacher workshops and the AP Summer Institute. For more information and for tuition fees for both programs, contact Howie (workshops) at 662-915-3884 or Leach (AP Institute) at 662-915-7847, or go online to http://www.outreach.olemiss.edu/summer_programs/.