Web Institute for Teachers 2003

Some WIT 2003 Final Evaluation Data

WIT 2003 Frequently Asked Questions

WIT 2003 Schedule

WIT Plenaries

WIT Homerooms

Some Photos Taken in WIT 2003

The Web Institute for Teachers (WIT) is an intensive summer seminar designed to help preK-12 teachers integrate the World Wide Web into their curriculum. WIT was originally offered in 1997 and has trained more than 440 Chicago-area teachers.

The International Society for Technology in Education lists WIT as an exemplary professional development program for inservice teachers.

WIT is not just about developing web pages or using existing resources as you find them. Rather, it presents a holistic, comprehensive approach to planning effective teaching and learning that incorporates multimedia resources. Participants gain a greater understanding of how to search the Web, evaluate web-based materials, find and adapt exemplary lesson plans and plan for successful technology integration.

The Web Institute for Teachers 2003 will take place from July 7 to August 1, 2003.

Both morning (9 to 1) and afternoon (1 to 5) sessions will be scheduled.

In addition to the regular WIT program, this additional special program will be held in 2003:

• A special section of WIT for librarians and others interested in learning more about digital libraries, to take place in the afternoon during WIT. For more information, click here.

See the WIT 2003 Brochure here. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, available here.)

To join our mailing list (to receive the WIT 2003 brochure via regular mail), please click here.

For more information, contact
Craig Cunningham, WIT Director, at 773-702-4885 or c-cunningham@uchicago.edu

The Program

WIT includes a variety of learning experiences designed to help participants to integrate the World Wide Web into teaching and learning. Instruction takes place in homerooms of 20 participants, each facilitated by two experienced mentors (instructors) who are for the most part former participants in the program and who have been specifically trained to foster the success of all participants in the program. Participants can also participate in a set of “special topics” modules that address topics of special interest to some participants, such as the creation of web-based assessments, animations, and interactivity. A series of plenary sessions brings together all the participants to listen to outside speakers chosen for their ability to augment the WIT curriculum and to extend participants' thinking in new ways. Each plenary session also includes a delicious catered lunch and the opportunity to talk informally with participants, mentors, and other WIT staff.

For 2003, WIT will add additional content and experiences based on the feedback received in prior years. For example, more attention will be paid to assessment issues, especially ways for teachers to modify their instruction based on student performance. In addition, WIT now includes substantial content related to preparing web-based materials for use by special needs students.

Who Should Attend

WIT is designed for the following audiences:

• PreK-12 teachers in all subject areas
• School librarians and media specialists
• Resource teachers and special education specialists
• Technology coordinators
• Curriculum specialists
• School and district administrators
• Web designers interested in educational applications
• Educators in non-school settings such as museums
• Homeschoolers interested in using the Web with their students

Program Format

WIT meets five days a week for four hours a day beginning Monday, July 7 and ending Friday, August 1, 2003.

Sessions are offered in the morning (9 to 1) and afternoon (1 to 5). Classes will be held at the University of Chicago, as well as in a variety of locations near the University and (depending on enrollment) at selected locations around Chicagoland.

WIT supplies each participant with a Web and email account on its server, allowing space for Web pages and other materials to be stored, as well as facilitating online communication with mentors and with other participants. These accounts are maintained for at least a year following the institute, to support ongoing practice and classroom use of materials created during the Institute.

Tuition

Tuition for WIT 2003 is $1250. A $100 deposit (payable to the University of Chicago) is due upon acceptance to secure your spot. Free tuition and a $1000 stipend is available to full-time certified teachers in the Chicago Public Schools. Click here for more information.

Recertification and lane credit

Successful participants in WIT 2003 will be eligible for up to 16 CEUs for use in recertification plans as required by the Illinois State Board of Education.

CPS teachers who successfully complete WIT 2003 will be eligible for 3 credits of lane promotion credit through the CPS Teachers Academy for Professional Development.

Two Strands Are Offered

Participants can apply for the strand that most meets their needs and prior experiences.

The first strand, “Using the Web in the Classroom,” concentrates on finding, evaluating, and adapting existing web-based resources. The “Using the Web in the Classroom” strand is designed for teachers who have used the Internet for personal productivity, e-mail, and lesson planning, but who have not yet used the Web widely with students. Participants must be comfortable using a mouse and keyboard, and must know how to copy and move files between diskettes and the computer. Participants also should have access to an Internet-connected computer during WIT so they can complete out-of-class assignments. (Please note: WIT is NOT a basic computer training course. It assumes basic familiarity with computers and focuses specifically on using resources from the World Wide Web.)

Upon completion of the “Using the Web in the Classroom” strand, participants will be able to:

• Choose the right Internet search engine for the task at hand; phrase a query for the right breadth and refine a query based on initial results.
• Evaluate Internet-based educational activities and resources in terms of their likely effectiveness for specific educational purposes
• Send and receive email, including attachments
• Create and maintain a personal Web page
• Create and maintain a classroom Web page
• Use simple graphics tools
• Plan how to use the Web in your classroom
• Plan for use of the Web by special needs students

  Note: A special section of "Using the Web in the Classroom" for librarians and others interested in digital libraries will be held during WIT 2003. To get more information about this special section, email Christie Thomas at christie@cuip.net.

The second strand, “Creating a Curriculum Web,” teaches participants how to integrate curriculum planning with web development to create a web site to support teaching and learning in one unit. It teaches a process for building curriculum units using Macromedia Dreamweaver (a high-end web development tool). Participants must have well-developed computer skills (including the regular use of email, web searches and such tools as PowerPoint), and must have used computers effectively with students during the 2002-2003 academic year. Participants must be comfortable learning new software quickly, must have an Internet-connected computer at home and must be prepared to spend substantial time outside of class working on their curriculum web projects. For this reason, we do not recommend that participants in “Creating a Curriculum Web” take on any additional work during the dates of the Institute.

Upon completion of the “Creating a Curriculum Web” strand, participants will be able to:

• Use Dreamweaver to build a web-based project that can support a sustained process of teaching and learning
• Apply advanced concepts in curriculum development and learning theory
• Maintain a directory tree of files on a web server, using FTP and other tools
• Include sounds and video on a web page
• Assess student learning through online tools and evaluate your curriculum web's effectiveness
• Plan for use of your curriculum web by special needs students
• Teach others how to use the Web to support teaching and learning

WIT mentors are experienced public school teachers who have successfully integrated the Web into their teaching.

Sponsored by:

The Center for School Improvement at the University of Chicago (CSI)

And

The Chicago Public Schools/University of Chicago Internet Project (CUIP)