Westminster College Hosts Summer Academy for Teachers

The Academy features workshops in history, literature, and biology.  Each day begins at 8:30 a.m. with refreshments and 9 a.m. meetings with professors in the chosen field.  After lunch the afternoon sessions, which last until 2 p.m., meet in small seminar groups with teachers applying the material presented by professors earlier.

The biology workshop, "Fossils and Their Secrets: Mysteries to Challenge our Thinking and Teaching," is led by Dr. Keen Compher, professor of biology emeritus at Westminster College.  This session for middle and high school teachers centers on evolution, and is followed by field and laboratory experiences, as well as how to apply the information at various classroom levels.

The history workshop, "America in Conflict: Classrooms in Conflict Making Connections," is designed for kindergarten through grade twelve educators, and is led by Dr. David Twining, associate professor of history and coordinator of the First-Year Program at Westminster College.  This class focuses on three defining conflicts in history: The American Revolution, the Civil War, and the Vietnam War.  Causes and results of the conflicts, as well as unresolved issues, will be examined.

The literature workshop, "More Than Ever: Our World Needs Stories," led by Dr. Elizabeth A. Ford, associate professor of English at Westminster College, leads this session for kindergarten through grade twelve teachers.  This workshop examines theories/methods of reading multiple texts: fairy tales, films, picture books, and graphic novels.

This academy is supported by the Grable Foundation of Pittsburgh.

All workshops give Pennsylvania teachers 20 Act 48 activity hours, or one Continuing Professional Education credit.  For more information, contact Joyce Hoellein, coordinator of the event, at (724) 946-7185 or e-mail hoellej@Westminster.edu.

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