2009+Welcome+Letter

Greetings NLI Participants,

We look forward to seeing you at the New Literacies Teacher Leader Institute at the Friday Institute, July 12 – 17, 2009. Designing the Institute has been an exciting experience for us—full of innovative ideas, collaborative practices, and dynamic questions about new literacies in the 21st century. We are eager to continue this ongoing venture as we work and learn with you during the week.

In preparation for an action-packed week, please complete the following before you arrive on Sunday:

1. Join our Ning at http://newlit.org. There you will upload a picture of yourself and write a professional bio (150 words or so) in order to get to know your fellow Institute participants. You can also use this information to find an inquiry partner that you will work with during the week, if you don’t already have a partner.

2. The Institute begins Sunday evening at the Welcoming Reception at the Raleigh Downtown Sheraton (5:00 – 7:00 pm). As a way to begin thinking about your role as a teacher leader, bring a leadership artifact to the reception. The artifact can be anything that represents a characteristic of your leadership or that of a leader whom you admire. Think creatively.

3. Bring your wireless, Internet-ready laptop and power cord. For those who do not have a laptop, PC and Mac laptops will be provided during the Institute, including evenings. Lisa Hervey ( lisa_hervey@ncsu.edu ) will handle your computer needs on the first day of the Institute.

4. Peruse the Institute’s website at http://fi.ncsu.edu/newliteraciesinstitute.html. Here you will find links to the Daily Agendas and resource materials on new literacies. Go ahead and bookmark the website since the Institute will be paperless. In preparation for the Institute, please read the chapter at http://newlitinstitute.wikispaces.com/Online+Reading+Comprehension

5. Note that breakfast and lunch will be provided each day. Dinner is on your own, except for Sunday and Wednesday. Wednesday night we will have a banquet at Jibarra Restaurant from 6-9 pm. You will hear Brian Cambourne speak, eat great food, and have fun with your colleagues at a relaxed, social gathering. Please let us know if you have special dietary needs ( lisa_hervey@ncsu.edu ). Dress is casual for all events.

6. You will use a wiki to design your products of learning during the Institute. If you already have a wiki that’s great. If you don’t, please create one at wikispaces.com or pbwiki.com before you arrive at the Institute. If you need assistance, contact Ashley Hoffman ( ashleyjhoffman@gmail.com ) or we’ll help you when you arrive.

7. The success of the Institute depends on you! We need your physical presence as well as your full creative participation. Remember that the Institute begins on Sunday at 5:00 pm and will end on Friday at 1:00 pm. Please make your travel plans accordingly. Come prepared to work hard, be innovative, and, above all, have fun!

Our passion and energy for our work comes from our belief that education transforms lives. We believe that our educational system must be transformed to meet the new demands of globally connected life and work in the 21st century. We also believe that emerging technologies play a critical role in contemporary education and that teachers are central to the educational change process. Teacher leaders, along with policy makers and other educational leaders, must be actively involved in creating new visions and pathways for education. The possibilities for being innovative as a teacher are endless, and we believe that all students—not just a few—should have high quality, creative, and transformative educational experiences. That’s why we have chosen as our theme for the week: “New Literacies, Inquiry, and Equity: Teacher Leaders for a New Educational Era.” We look forward to your helping us make this theme come alive as we all explore new ways of “doing” education in these changing times.

See you in July!

Hiller, John, Carl, Don, Julie, & Jill