Date: Fri 18-Aug-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: AMYD

Quick Words:

teachers-summer-school

Full Text:

When On Vaction, Some Teachers Go To School Instead Of The Beach

B Y A MY D'O RIO

Margitta Savo said young people will have no choice but to pay attention

nuclear power.

It will be a fact of their lives, which is why she signed up to take a summer

workshop on nuclear energy offered by the American Nuclear Society.

She wants to have more facts and fewer irrational fears and prejudices.

"I felt intimidated by nuclear power," said the Newtown Middle School

seventh-grade science teacher.

She signed up for a one-week program in Niantic, which involved touring a

nuclear plant and learning about nuclear energy's many uses, such as giving

foods a longer shelf life.

She said the media has taken a negative approach to nuclear energy, and

Hollywood has whipped up fears of catastrophe. Such hype makes it difficult to

approach the subject fairly, she said.

Due to the workshop, she said she now can teach the subject with more facts

and less skepticism.

Teachers get the summer off, but some spend their free time practicing what

they preach: being life-long learners.

While Ms Savo was delving into nuclear energy, four Newtown teachers explored

Native American history this summer.

The four teachers, Jan Brookes, Robert Dilzer, Carol Ridarelli and Gwen Parks,

spent one week at the Institute of American Studies in Washington learning

about many aspects of Native American culture and history.

They studied how Native Americans used deer, how southwestern tribes felt

about Spanish colonization, and they were updated on current issues.

Ms Brookes said she found information about midwinter celebrations

particularly intriguing. Northeastern tribes celebrated in mid-winter to break

the tension of close-quarter living.

She said if somebody had a dream about a particular object owned by another

tribe member, they could claim it. Ms Brookes said this dream ritual reminded

the tribe that relationships are more important than possessions.

Ms Brookes also said she was impressed with how workshop teachers taught about

the Pequot massacre. The event was presented from five different perspectives.

She said she plans to adopt that technique for her classes.

Ms Ridarelli said she plans to incorporate some Native American literature in

American history and American studies courses. Her own education did not

include much on Native American studies, so she said the workshop helped her

fill that gap.

Ms Parks said the shop was very productive for her too, especially since she

is helping to write a curriculum for a new course on ethnic minorities.

"I got a wealth of material," she said.

The list of activities Newtown teachers engaged in this summer goes on.

Newtown Middle School's Science Coordinator Tom Kuroski completed the second

half of a PIMS fellowship program.

He said it was geared toward educators improving their teaching strategies in

science. He said the information he picked up will help him integrate the

different sciences. Instead of teaching them separately, a teacher can weave

chemistry, biology and physics into each lesson.

Newtown High School teacher Marion Newbold spent this summer developing a

project for her ecology course. It will involve field work around a Newtown

river.

Martha Wilson, Newtown High School's video productions teacher, went to the

Juran Institute in Wilton to get more quality training. She is now qualified

to lead groups.

Nine educators from around the district attended a seven-day workshop on

technology, 25 teachers signed up for workshop on how they can better address

the basic human needs, and nine high school staff members met throughout the

summer to research high school reform ideas.