Summer Institute 2008

Citizenship Education in the Digital Age
June 9-13 2008

The Hoosier State has a long tradition of educating future citizens.  In fact, in 1995, the Indiana General Assembly passed legislation (IC 20-10.1-4-4.5) requiring Indiana public schools to integrate ‘good citizenship instruction’ into the current curriculum. This legislation defines various attributes of ‘good citizenship’ and is similar to legislation passed in both 1937 and 1975.
Technology provides many opportunities to prepare Indiana’s next generation of “good citizens.” The Internet provides access to rich primary sources such as those at the National Archives or the Library of Congress. Virtual fieldtrips are now available to museums such at the Smithsonian or to historic sites such as Historic Williamsburg. Unfortunately, research has indicated that a number of barriers keep teachers from using the Internet in their teaching. Among these are a lack of time necessary to prepare quality instruction using the Internet and a lack of long-term professional development in how to integrate Internet technology into their teaching—it’s clear that the one-shot in-service does not work.

This intensive Summer Institute is designed to assist classroom teachers in addressing both of these issues. The Institute seeks to bring up to twenty-five classroom teachers from around Indiana to the Purdue University campus to work with nationally recognized civic educators and experts in educational technology. Participants will acquire the skills necessary to develop meaningful instruction using the latest technology. Participants will develop exemplars that may be used to demonstrate in their own classroom. They will also develop an implementation plan that will guide them in the project. These resources can be used to help them foster in their students the core values of democracy, the fundamental principles of self-government, and citizenship skills required by all effective citizens. Participants will be expected to create a video or presentation software product using primary sources for a unit of study to be used in their classrooms the following fall.  The product is to be posted on Primary Access thus providing availability of multiple units of study to all participants. 

Institute Goals include having participants:
• Explore the use of primary sources in the history classroom
• Identify the wide range of digital primary sources available for teaching history in their context
• Create a classroom activity that integrates digital primary sources using the Primary Access tool or a Wiki scrapbook
• Implement created projects within their classrooms during the subsequent school year
 
Among the topics the Institute will cover include the following:

Technology

Internet resources for citizenship education
Integrating technology: A primer
Primary sources and citizenship education
Introduction to Primary Access – a digital presentation tool
Access to the Library of Congress Teaching with Digital Resources material™
Introduction to the Indiana Historical Society digital resource library

Civics/Citizenship

Constitutionalism

Core democratic values

Fundamental rights and responsibilities

Civic participation

Project-based citizenship education including “Project Citizen”

During this Institute, Ackerman Fellows will have the opportunity to develop skills in Internet-based curriculum development and integrating digital media into their instruction.  In addition, participants will have the unique opportunity to develop age-appropriate examples that will be published on-line and will be accessible to all teachers in the state via a searchable database.  Participants will be able to take away valuable technology-based curriculum development skills that can be useful in a variety of contexts. 
 
Ackerman Fellows will also be introduced to strategies for developing democratic dispositions in students and integrating citizenship within the curriculum. Past Fellows have appreciated the classroom applications of the Institute such as developing integrated citizenship projects for use in Fellow’s own school, fostering in students the ‘good citizenship’ called for by Indiana legislation and being able to connect powerful learning and teaching principles with effective educational practices.

Ackerman Fellows receive a wide range of support and materials including paid travel, room and board expenses to attend the Institute.  Fellows can also earn up to three graduate credit hours available through Purdue University. In addition, each Fellow is awarded a mini-grant to implement a technology-based citizenship education program at the Fellow’s school, and to provide resources for technology integration. The Summer Institute also provides the opportunity to work collaboratively with educators from across Indiana, access to classroom and reference materials and resources related to civic and economic education as well as follow-up assistance and support in developing technology projects.
If you are a 3rd through 8th grade teacher (or know one) who is intellectually active, interested in challenging (but rewarding) professional development, enjoys the use of technology (or is interested in using more technology) in their teaching, and who wishes to impact future citizens of Indiana, please apply for the Summer Institute by following this link:

2008 Summer Institute Application 

Institute Administrator Recommendation

If you have questions about the Institute or the application process, please e-mail Phillip VanFossen, Director or Kathy Reppert, Administrative Assistant.