[ ACADEMICS ]
Educating Educators Summer Workshops
For teachers and students alike, finals and end-of- the-year festivities typically mark the beginning of a summer filled with fun and relaxation away from the classroom. However, many teachers in the Wichita area have discovered opportunities for quality learning and fun through the variety of summer workshops offered by Friends’ education department.
Beginning in early June and lasting through early August, the workshops for teachers series, sponsored by the Friends University Division of Education, includes a wide range of offerings. This diversity allows teachers to experience some of the many educational opportunities available within the community. In addition to workshops at Friends University, sessions at the Sedgwick County Zoo, the Museum of World Treasures and the Great Plains Nature Center offer educators the chance to explore some of the area’s most popular attractions while also learning new, innovative teaching ideas.
The workshops can also be used for fulfilling state license renewal requirements for school personnel. As education coordinator and licensure officer Sue Livengood said, "The goal of the summer workshop series is to provide school personnel with a user-friendly and purposeful way to enhance their teaching skills and knowledge while gaining credits for relicensure purposes.”
Each year, more than 1,200 school personnel register to attend at least one of the numerous summer workshop choices. Classes offer hands-on opportunities to explore activities used to encourage critical thinking, reasoning and problem-solving skills while integrating math and language arts topics. Other workshops enable teachers to learn new methods for integrating the arts and traditional core subjects in their classrooms.
Workshop participants also discuss and learn more about educational issues including classroom management, assessment, utilizing technology in the classroom and effective teaching strategies for working with diverse learners. These classes offer suggestions for educators from all grade levels and subject areas on ways to help all students achieve their personal bests in the classroom.
Through its sponsorship of the summer workshop series, Friends University is able to serve the community while maintaining its high standards.
