The 2011 TIP Seminar Program Welcomes Teacher Fellows in a Reception

Teacher Coordinator Kate Reber welcomes the 2011 TIP Fellows.

The 2011 TIP Seminars for teachers kicked off its sixth year with a Reception and Orientation on January 18 in the Terrace Room of Claudia Cohen Hall. A record 64 teachers had been accepted as Fellows for the five seminars, representing 25 schools. They came and met as groups for the first time with the professors who will serve as Seminar Leaders during the next fourteen weeks. Returning participants renewed contacts and friendships, while those new to the program received their informational packets and met new colleagues. A slideshow of photographs celebrating scenes from the first five years of TIP provided a backdrop to the arrival period.

Observing the proceedings were guests including Advisory Committee members, TIP alumni who recently retired, and invited colleagues from the new Delaware Teachers Institute in New Castle County. A short program hosted by Director Alan Lee featured program information as well as welcoming remarks by speakers Professor Rogers Smith, Co-Chair of the Advisory Committee; Kate Reber, Teacher Representative of High School of the Future; and Bonnee Breese, Teacher Representative from Overbrook High. Reber and Breese both serve as Coordinators in their respective seminars.

The large gathering then turned into a working session as each Seminar Leader introduced his/her topic to their group. The 2011 seminar series is under way with a festive touch and a productive orientation.

Professor Santiago-Aviles starts the discussion of “Marcellus Shale.”

Teachers gather with Professor Powell for “Middle East Through the Eyes of Women” seminar.

The TIP 2011 Seminar Series

For January 2011, the Teachers Institute of Philadelphia will present five seminars for Philadelphia teachers in the former West and Southwest Regions, covering a diverse range of topics. The seminars that will run weekly from January 18 to May 10 are designed to present materials and concepts that will allow teachers in grades K to 12 to explore and adapt content appropriate to their students. The seminars will be led by the senior Penn scholars as noted below. Deadline for applications is December 10, 2010. Applications may be downloaded from this website (see and click Link “About TIP”)

• “The Middle East Through the Eyes of Women,” led by Eve Trout Powell, Associate Professor of History;
• “Marcellus Shale and Pennsylvania: Energy, Money, Trout and Drinking Water,” led by Jorge Santiago-Aviles, Associate Professor of Electrical and Systems Engineering;
• “Who Are Those People and Why Are They Listening to That Music?,” led by Guy Ramsey, Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Professor of Music;
• “Children’s Literature,” led by Peter Conn, Vartan Gregorian Professor of English;
• “Math Concepts in the Classroom: Probability,” led by Dennis DeTurck, Professor of Mathematics, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Three TIP Teachers Attend July National Seminars at Yale University

Three Philadelphia teachers were accepted to attend the annual National Seminars presented by the Yale National Initiative. The TIP Teacher Fellows, drawn from the leadership ranks of the Institute, are:

Deborah Smithey		William Penn High School
Stacia Parker		Parkway West High School
Sam Reed		Beeber Middle School

The Seminars were led by eminent professors from Yale University and represented the Teachers Institute model of scholarship and curriculum writing of the local Institutes, but compressed into ten days of seminar sessions. The program ran from July 5 to 16 in New Haven, CT, on the Yale campus, and involved more than 70 teachers from nine cities and districts, including the four Institute cities and those in the process of planning and organizing Institute programs.

In addition to the Teacher Fellows, the early sessions of the program were attended by Institute Directors, planning Directors, and scholars from a number of Universities that are interested in partnerships during the first four days. The three TIP teachers were joined by Penn Professors Rogers Smith, Peter Conn, and Mary Hufford, and TIP Director Alan Lee. The visitors were able sit in on a seminar sessions, attend talks led by the seminars leaders and tour the Yale campus. All shared in the reports of progress of the planning new Institutes in other cities, with the positive news that a neighboring Delaware Teachers Institute, covering nearby New Castle County, is slated to begin operations in late 2011.

As required by Yale, all three TIP teachers are experienced Fellows in the Institute programs in terms of seminar study and curriculum writing, and serve as Teacher Representatives for their schools. They reported that the experience was academically challenging, and also a stimulating and enjoyable opportunity to learn more about their content areas; to build professional networks with teachers across the country; as well as making friends. As always, National Fellows returned home energized with a sense of purpose in providing fresh local leadership to Teachers Institute efforts in their respective communities.

For more information about the Yale National Initiative and its programs, links to Teachers Institutes in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Charlotte, or access to curriculum units created by all of the national Teacher Fellows, contact: http://teachers.yale.edu.

The 2010 Program Wrapped Up with a Spring Gathering in May

Professor Peter Conn (center) with members of the “American Painting and American Literature” seminar: Kate Reber, Bonnee Breese, Kelly Graham, Rita Sorrentino, Dale Apple, Nancy Matlack, and Joyce Arnosky

In the TIP custom, the Institute invited teachers from the five seminars to assemble in a plenary session to celebrate the end of another program year. The Gathering brought together more than 40 people together for refreshments and casual conversation and presented the opportunity to strengthen the professional networks among educators in the School District. A short program then featured TIP Fellows from each seminar presenting highlights of their seminar experience and their research for curriculum. The presenters were:

Stephanie Felder		Roxborough High School
Tamar Magdovitz		Shawmont K-8
Nancy Matlack		Penn Alexander K-8
Donna Rohanna		Patterson ES
Stuart Surrey		Girls High School

The Gathering allowed everyone to share some of the diversity of topics that the Teacher Fellows in the program enjoyed during the session. The program highlighted the retirement of three long-time TIP teacher leaders Nancy Baulis, Mona Kolsky, and one of two original TIP founding teachers, Barbara Dowdall.

TIP retirees, (l. to r.)Barbara Dowdall, Nancy Baulis, Director Alan Lee, and Mona Kolsky share a laugh during the presentation.

TIP Presents a Strong 2010 Seminar Program

On January 19, the Institute celebrated the start of its fifth year by offering a seminar program for 2010 with a deep and diverse range of topics, led by an impressive line-up of Penn scholars.

The titles and Seminar Leaders are:

• Alternative Energy: What is New Under the Sun — led by Jorge Santiago-Aviles, Associate Professor of Electrical and Systems Engineering;
• American Literature and American Painting — led by Peter Conn, Vartan Gregorian Professor of English;
• History of the Modern Middle East — led by Eve Troutt Powell, Associate Professor of History;
• The Art and Craft of Problem Solving — led by Dennis DeTurck, Professor of Mathematics, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences;
• Multi-Cultural Fairy Tales: Portals to the Humanities — Mary Hufford, Adjunct Associate Professor of Folklore.

The Orientation and Reception brought together teachers from 25 schools to meet the seminar leaders and their seminar colleagues. Over refreshments, the Teacher Fellows were greeted by Director Alan Lee. Advisory Committee Co-Chair Rogers Smith, Professor of Political Science; and TIP veteran Teacher Fellows Nancy Baulis and Meagan McGowan gave program information and personal insights of their Institute experiences.

Members of the “Alternative Energy” Seminar are briefed byProfessor Jorge Santiago-Aviles

National Liberty Museum Honors Two Institute “Teachers as Heroes.”

On January 21, the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia honored ten educators from the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Metro area in its “Teachers As Heroes” program sponsored by State Farm Insurance. Two of the honored teachers were TIP’s own Bonnee Breese (Overbrook High) and Sam Reed (Beeber Middle), for their dynamism and their efforts both students and teacher colleagues beyond the call of duty. Their participation in TIP and the Yale National Initiative were specifically mentioned in the nomination to this honor. Both teachers were also featured on the leading local television news channel in winning this award. TIP is extremely proud of its teacher leaders and their well-deserved recognition.

Bonnee Breese (front left) and Sam Reed (second row right) among “Teachers As Heroes” honorees.

 

National seminars wrapped up with a strong TIP Presence

Kate Reber, Karen Brinkley, Bonnee Breese, and Barbara Dowdall represented Philadelphia very successfully in the National Seminars of the Yale National Initiative held at Yale University in New Haven. Barbara and Bonnee had the distinction and responsibility to serve as Coordinators for two of the seven seminars led by renowned Yale scholars. The seminars held daily for ten days over the span of two weeks were described as stimulating in-depth examinations of a variety of topics (see http://teachers.yale.edu for more information).

The National Seminars attracted teachers from eleven cities and counties from across the nation. Teacher Fellows from four existing Institutes in New Haven, Pittsburgh, Houston, and Philadelphia, were joined by teachers from the newest Institute in Charlotte, NC (starting Fall 2009), as well as cities in the advanced planning stage in New Castle, DE and San Francisco, and planning cities in Chicago; DeKalb County, GA; Richmond; and Santa Fe, NM. The program also attracted scholars from a number of universities in the Institute and planning cities to observe the seminars and share various experiences and plans concerning the growth of the program.

TIP Teachers on WHYY Radio

Public radio journalist Stephanie Marudas interviewed three TIP teachers about the problems of teacher burnout and their approach to mitigating the effects of job stress. The interview with Rita Sorrentino (Overbrook Elementary), Meagan McGowan (Lamberton), and Sam Reed (Beeber) was broadcast on FM 90.9 in late June.

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