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Summer Institute for Secondary TeachersJuly 5-9, and August 23-25, 2010We are pleased to announce the second annual Crossing Boundaries Institute. The Crossing Boundaries Project is a collaborative effort between Hobart and William Smith Colleges and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Crossing Boundaries provides middle and high school students with knowledge, skills, motivation, and inspiration to use information and communication technologies in addressing biodiversity conservation issues in local and international contexts.
Crossing Boundaries is a year-long professional development experience that includes access to the Crossing Boundaries curriculum, sustained teacher professional development, and a variety of opportunities for students to see scientific and environmental careers in action. Secondary teachers and students analyze environmental and conservation related issues in their local or regional environments as well as in the Brazilian Amazon, Laikipia, Kenya and Chiapas, Mexico. A range of technology options enables students to interact with scientists, conservation professionals, undergraduate interns, and graduate students who are working on biodiversity-related research in intriguing regional and international settings. Participating teachers learn about geographic information technologies, such as GIS, GPS, Google Earth, Google Maps and communication technologies, such as blogs, wikis and podcasts. These and other tools create powerful opportunities for teaching, learning, and assessment. Science teachers of all backgrounds and comfort-levels with technology are encouraged to apply. The ultimate goal of this project is to help middle and high school students learn science concepts central to the NYS curriculum as they use technology to explore environmental and conservation issues. In addition, students will see the myriad of careers that make use of information and geospatial technologies to investigate, address, and communicate about environmental issues on regional and global scales.
We invite you to apply for the Crossing Boundaries Institute. During the Crossing Boundaries Institute, teachers will:
Crossing Boundaries teachers are recruited from throughout the Finger Lakes Region. Participating teachers will receive the following:
Professional development stipends are distributed twice a year. Summer stipends will be paid at the beginning of the school year when teachers complete a teacher survey and return student surveys to the project manager. Saturday workshop stipends will be distributed at the end of the year upon the completion of a teacher survey, return of student surveys, and possibly participating in an interview. Research participation is a required part of our project and is designed to benefit both the project and the field of science education more generally. Enrollment in the 2010 Crossing Boundaries Institute is limited to 20 participants. You may access the application materials at: http://crossingboundariesproject.org/summerinstitute.html and send the application form to Mike Batek at the address listed below or via email. Finally, please let us know if you have any questions. We hope to see you this summer! Please note: Applications are due April 12, 2010. We plan to make acceptance decisions on or around April 19th. Application Form (Word) Sincerely,
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©2009 Crossing Boundaries | E-mail |
Teachers of all types of secondary science courses from the Finger Lakes Region are welcome to apply. We especially encourage applications from those who are teaching courses for students who are characterized as academically-challenged.
The Crossing Boundaries Institute entails a total of eight days of hands-on training at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY divided into two sessions. (Both sessions are required): 
Crossing Boundaries and our previous project, entitled GIT Ahead, have supported over 70 Finger Lakes science teachers over the past four years. By working collaboratively with participating teachers, we have created an effective professional development model that supports science teachers wishing to use technology in their classrooms. We focus on providing teachers with a supportive and collaborative atmosphere within which they can learn about new tools and find ways to integrate them into existing curricula, including Regents science courses, courses for pre-Regents students, and elective or AP courses. Crossing Boundaries teachers vary in their experience using technology and the courses they teach (Living Environment, Environmental Science, International Baccalaureate, AP Courses, General Science, etc.). We work closely with each educator to help them use geospatial and communication technologies in ways that meet their professional goals and fulfill the needs of their students. 
