Summer Philosophy Workshop for High School Teachers
Attention High School Teachers: Learn how to bring Philosophy into your classrooms.
Apply to the UConn Summer Institute in Philosophy which will be held at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT.
[marker color=”#b2c2e8″]The UConn Summer Institute in Philosophy: July 24-28, 2017[/marker]
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[icon icon=”user” size=”large” color=”#0066bf”] Who can attend?[divider style=”single” border=”medium” color=”#0367bf”]
Any teacher who is currently employed full-time at an accredited high school (public or private) may apply to participate in the workshop. To be a candidate for the Institute, a teacher does not need to plan to have a semester-long or full-year Philosophy course. Instead, she may intend to incorporate aspects of the subject into a course she already teaches, such as in history, literature or one of the sciences. There are 20 spots available to interested teachers.
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[icon icon=”check-square-o” size=”large” color=”#0066bf”] Does the Institute cost money and where do participants stay?[divider style=”single” border=”medium” color=”#0367bf”]
It does not cost money to apply, and each accepted applicant will receive $1,000 stipend to defray the costs of travel, accommodations and meals. The Institute sessions are held at the Homer Babbidge Library on the Campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT.
On-campus apartments will be available for a week of lodging for the participants.
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[icon icon=”calendar” size=”large” color=”#0066bf”] What is the daily schedule?[divider style=”single” border=”medium” color=”#0367bf”]
Morning sessions will be lecture and discussion, with focus on an historical text or a contemporary philosophical topic. Afternoon sessions generally be will be breakout, enabling curricular development in consultation with visiting specialists. Participants will produce a new, or revise an extant syllabus by the end of the Workshop. Throughout our time together, we will aim to build a community of teacher-scholars who will continue to collaborate with one another well beyond the summer. Our time together will culminate in a field trip to a nearby location of philosophical interest.
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[icon icon=”pencil-square-o” size=”large” color=”#0066bf”] How do you apply? [divider style=”single” border=”medium” color=”#0367bf”]
Applications to the Institute are due February 25, 2017. You can download the application here.
Applicants will be notified of the status of their applications by March 18, 2017.
Questions can be directed to Emma Bjorngard: emma.bjorngard@uconn.edu
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[icon icon=”comment” size=”large” color=”#0066bf”] Who runs the Institute? [divider style=”single” border=”medium” color=”#0367bf”]
It will be organized by Professor Mitchell Green from the Department of Philosophy at University Connecticut, with the aid of Graduate Student and Research Assistant, Ms. Emma Bjorngard, ABD. There will be visiting speakers from other universities during the Institute (soon to be announced). Professor Green has experiencing running summer workshops for teachers around the topic in Philosophy, having run two successful National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institutes in 2011 & 2013.
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[icon icon=”book” size=”large” color=”#0066bf”] What is the purpose of the Institute?[divider style=”single” border=”medium” color=”#0367bf”]
We aim to make Philosophy more accessible to students at the secondary level. We find that high school teachers are interested in incorporating philosophical material into their courses but few have the background or comfort in the field of Philosophy that would make this possible. In light of this, we have set out to create an opportunity for teachers to engage with philosophical content in ways that will allow them to meaningfully integrate it within their classrooms.
[box title=”Students Benefit from Learning Philosophy” bg_color=”#9fcc9d” icon=”lightbulb-o” icon_style=”border” icon_shape=”circle” align=”center”] At the heart of Philosophy is an emphasis on clarity of expression and the demand to give reasons for one’s position. Exposing students of all kinds to this form of intellectual challenge will, we hope, encourage them to be more sophisticated, skeptical, and reflective voters, consumers, and, more generally, decision makers no matter their eventual career path. We hope this summer institute provides teachers with the tools to support this type of reasoning and critical thinking in their students.[/box]
[box title=”Philosophy Empowers Students” bg_color=”#ededb4″ icon=”heart” icon_style=”border” icon_shape=”circle” align=”center”] We have heard from many high school teachers that philosophical discussion has a striking power to energize those students who may not be the highest performers academically, or who might have had run-ins with school authorities, the law, or their families. These students want to talk about justice, knowledge, and the difference between right and wrong! Philosophical discussion can provide such students an opportunity to think and talk about issues that matter to them most.[/box]
PLATO would like to thank Emma Bjorngard, Graduate Student, and Dr. Mitchell S. Green, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Philosophy at the University of Connecticut for taking the time to contribute to this blog post.
I am a Long Island high school English teacher interested in your Summer Philosophy Workshop. I’m interested either way, but is any credit offered for the workshop, in-service or graduate?
Questions can be directed to Emma Bjorngard: emma.bjorngard@uconn.edu
Emma is the person coordinating this workshop, and can answer your question about credit hours.