Three Options for the Summer
Your students are done with classes and summer fun is beckoning
them. However, for those who would want to keep on learning during the
summer months, what pointers can you offer? Do you do it the
old-fashioned way and come up with a reading list for two months? Or do
you come up with options for the summer that can be accessed with
Information and Communication Technology?
Here are some ideas to keep your students’ interests in different
subjects, and to teach them a thing or two about the possibilities of
the World Wide Web:
Register for a summer course
Visit the different websites of universities in the Philippines, and
check out their summer school offerings. This is a great way to become
well-oriented with the eventual course your students will take in
college.
In Oregon State University, USA, students have to register as
visiting students during the summer, applying for “non-degree” status
before the actual registration with the Admissions Office. Application
forms are available on their website, as well as information on how to
select courses, get an identification card, and find out specific class
schedules. These can also be done through the Web Registration system
on their homepage.
Take part in an online writing workshop
The National Writers Workshop in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental held
every May is a hands-on three-week workshop. The best writers in
Philippine literature head to Silliman University just to critique the
works of 15 or so writers in extremely intense sessions.
But online is a different matter, and more so with online writing
workshops. As an exploration of the creative responses of students, for
example, the workshop of ReadWriteThink.org can be created by the teacher as an extended class to students showing potential for writing.
The lesson uses a picture book by Cooper Edens entitled, “If you’re
afraid of the dark, remember the night rainbow.” Students can then use
reading logs to record reaction, and the different online tools like
forums to develop their own if statements. They can also submit drafts, and submit them to the online writing group for peer review.
Head to summer camp
If your students are interested in fun ways of learning and meeting
people with the same interests, try summer camps. In the Philippines,
there is an abundance of summer workshops for art, dance, and martial
arts among others, but there are few summer camps (stay-in, week-long
or more camps) focused on specific subjects.
Online, there is a wealth of information regarding summer camps. Even NASA has a Nasa Academy,
which is broken into three separate programs: the Goddard Space Flight
Center, Ames Research Center, and Dryden Flight Research Center. Online
applications are available.
Gifted high school students might also be interested in the following:
Center for Mathematics, Science and Technology – a National Security Agency program
SMaRT camp (Summer Mathematics Research Training) – held at the Texas A&M University
The Summer Academic Enrichment Institute (SAEI) – can earn high school credits for taking preparatory math or science classes
The International Paper Math and Science Scholars Summer Workshop – at the Marymount College in the New York Metropolitan Area
Sources:
“Improve Students’ Writing Using Online Workshops.” Retrieved April 15, 2009 from
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=1036
“Step-by-Step Instructions.” Retrieved April 15, 2009 from
http://summer.oregonstate.edu/new-visiting/register/step-by-step.htm
“Summer Opportunities for Students.” Retrieved April 15, 2009 from
http://www.maa.org/students/reustuff/pages/smrpage.html
(Published 27 April 2009, Smart Communications, Inc.)
