Summer Workshops

Summer Workshops allow teachers to perform activities that cover the course material for the featured topic as if they were the students exploring and becoming familiar with these concepts firsthand. Teachers actively practice 'process of science' skills using data-generating models, simulations of phenomena, evidence-based debates, student-designed experimentation and other applied methods that are relevant to the topic for that week. Training in the Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core, Advanced Placement® College Board and International Baccalaureate® science course standards is achieved by clarifying and modeling the implementation of these requirements.  After an activity, or sometimes in the middle of an activity, we may break out of the student mode to discuss teaching challenges such as grading, classroom management, pacing, note-taking and other tasks that make the implementation of a flipped classroom successful. If you are looking for professional development that will sharpen your skills and widen your repertoire of techniques that can be used to differentiate learning, identify and dispel misconceptions, and increase student involvement and critical thinking, this is the workshop for you.

2018 Summer Workshops in Asheville, NC:

• “Using Critical Thinking Activities for Teaching Cell Biology”  July 9-July 13, 2018 (for teachers of any level biology course)

• “Using Critical Thinking Activities for Teaching Genetics and Evolution”  July 16- July 20, 2018 (for teachers of any level biology or environmental science course)

• “Student-designed Labs and Statistics for AP/IB Science” July 23- July 27, 2018 (for teachers of any science or independent research course)

• “Using Critical Thinking Activities for Teaching Ecology” July 30- Aug 3, 2018 (for teachers of any biology and environmental science course)

Summer Workshop Application 2018

As professional training is most effective when you have on-going support, teachers who sign up with a colleague will receive a 10% discount on tuition for each attendee (use coupon code WS10).  Multiple workshops by the same attendee will also earn a 10% discount on tuition for each session (use coupon code WS10).

Transportation

Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) is a 15-minute taxi/Lyft/Uber ride to the workshop hotel downtown. The closest international airports are Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP) served by Southwest, one hour from Asheville; Charlotte, NC (CLT), 2 hours from Asheville; and Atlanta, GA (ATL) 3.5 hours from Asheville.

Pricing and Schedule

Each 5-day workshop takes place at the Hilton Garden Inn 8am-5pm Monday-Thursday and 8am-1pm Friday.  We break 1.25 hrs for lunch each day.  Tuition is $550 per week and includes workshop materials, 40 hours of Continuing Education Credits and lesson plans for activities covered in the workshop.  If you are enrolled in a degree program, I am happy to help you earn graduate credit.

It is recommended that you bring a laptop, a scientific calculator and the materials you may want access to for planning your courses.  Bring clothes for comfort indoors when moving about the air-conditioned room, and for the warm sunny or rainy summer weather, we are likely to experience during outdoor activities or when walking around downtown on our lunch break.

Accommodations

Summer Workshops will be held at 309 College St. at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Asheville. Restaurants and shops are accessible by foot and Lyft/Uber can provide transportation to the Biltmore House, the Folk Art Center, Brevard Music Center or other locations.

Rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn can be booked for $139/per night Sunday-Thursday using the link below (these rates are not available through the phone or hotel website).

Hilton Garden Inn July 9-13

Hilton Garden Inn July 16-20 

Hilton Garden Inn July 23-27

Hilton Garden Inn July 30-Aug

Alternate places to stay, still within walking distance of the workshop and restaurants are the two hostels located downtown, Sweet Peas Hostel at 23 Rankin Ave. (828-285-8488) and Asheville Hostel and Guest House at 12 Ravenscroft Dr. (828-423-0256) or any of the other downtown hotels.  The hostels have single rooms and group rooms with private or shared bathrooms for a traveler who is looking for more affordable pricing.  Please realize the hostels can sometimes be a bit noisier, so earplugs are recommended---that being stated, many teachers have stayed at both hostels in the past and have been very happy with their choice.  AirBnB.com and CouchSurfing.com are two other ways to choose your price and enjoy a bit of the local culture.

The YMCA is located at 30 Woodfin St. and Asheville Yoga Center is located at 211 Liberty St., both are 2-8 blocks from the Hilton Garden Inn and both hostels.  Hiking, biking and running trails surround the city and I welcome workshop participants to join me for an afternoon run (or walk) after each day's workshop. There will be enough daylight after the workshops to enjoy the mountains if you want to catch the sunset at a Blue Ridge Parkway lookout, check out the crafts at the Folk Art Center, or bring an evening picnic to a concert at the Brevard Music Center.  Right outside the hotel, the streets of downtown Asheville offer live music; beer brewery tours; an outdoor fountain park for the kids to cool off (Splashville); contra, jazz, blues dancing; street performers; open galleries; comedy performances; summer symphonies and numerous other opportunities to take in the culture of this area.  Please download Things to Do in Asheville to learn more.