The second of two technology camps for teachers will begin
Monday in the Ralph Paiewonsky Library on the University of the
Virgin Islands' St. Thomas campus. The first camp took place June
22, 23 and 24th. The second camp will take place August 10, 11 and
12th.
The Special Projects and Applied Research Center (SPARC), a
collaborative effort of the University of the Virgin Islands and
the V.I. Department of Education's St. Thomas- St. John District,
is the sponsor of the camps. The camps, which instruct teachers in
the use of technology as a tool for teaching and learning, are
being paid for by Title V funding allocated to the V.I. Department
of Education for teachers in the non-public schools.
In order to develop this collaborative initiative, Dr. Joane McKay,
dean of UVI's Division of Education, visited all of the schools in
the St. Thomas and St. John district, to find out what teachers
need. Some teachers have never used technology. Others have
experience with it, she said.
The camps instruct pre-school through 12th grade teachers in the
use of digital cameras, I-touch, I-Pods, and laptop computers.
Participants were selected to take part in the program.
McKay said a host of incentives including a $300 stipend, laptops,
digital cameras and flash drives, are provided to participating
teachers to assist them in their classrooms during the coming
academic year. UVI's Division of Education will provide monthly
support to make sure that teachers who participate will have the
opportunity to use this new technology.
"We are excited to do it because our mission, our goal is to serve
the children of the territory," Dr. McKay said. "In order to serve
the children we have to first serve the teachers."
Among those who have given their time to make the technology
camps a success are: Erik Heikkila, Suzanne Darrow, Dr. Suzy
Harney; Peter Wholihan; Oliver Elcock, Steve Goode and Catalina
Enrique-Johnson. Noted scholar and NCATE examiner Dr. Linda Quinn
of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, the author of "The Joy of
Teaching," will provide instruction at the camp.
For information about the technology camps or the Special Projects
and Applied Research Center at UVI, please contact Dr. Harney at
340-693-1308 or by e-mail at sgreen@uvi.edu .