August 3, 2009

Submitted by: Bryana Green

(INDIANAPOLIS)  The Purdue School of Engineering and Technology hosted its 10th annual Tech Camp for Teachers July 27-30, 2009, on the IUPUI campus from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Tech Camp offers attendees, primarily K-12 teachers, a chance to learn techniques to more effectively teach the latest software applications, web design and computer programming advances to their students. Approximately 75 teachers from Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin attended this year's camp, and one of those teachers was from Shakamak High School.

"We're so fortunate to have Tech Camp in Indiana. It's an inexpensive way to learn so much about the newest technological developments," says Dena Irwin, a business teacher at Shakamak High School and president of the Indiana Business Education Association.  Irwin, who has attended Tech Camp for the past nine years, says she always leaves feeling revitalized, due in large part to the networking and camaraderie she enjoys with fellow educators throughout the Midwest.

Tech Camp is currently the only technical training offered in the state for teachers.  As they came to explore and learn the latest and greatest technology this year, some teachers were attending for their 1st year and others were attending for their 10th year.  Tech Camp 2009 covered topics related to tools that schools are just beginning to use, including Office 2007, Adobe Creative Suite 3, Microsoft Expressions, Web services, game systems and social networking as learning tools, as well as podcasting.  Teachers received hands-on training and learned about technology they can share with students when they head back to school. 

"Indiana is one of the few states that offers this kind of just-in-time training for its Technology teachers," said Joy Starks, the organizer of Tech Camp and an Associate Computer and Information Technology Professor at IUPUI.  We offer the K-12 community a unique learning opportunity that they can't get anywhere else.

During the four-day camp, attendees were given the opportunity to meet with college professors and authors who discussed collaborative projects and college expectations.   Each day included a balanced mix of lecture, discussion, demonstration and lab time, and attendees received free copies of the latest textbooks and trial software.  Additional positive outcomes of past camps have included articulation agreements, part-time teaching opportunities, IUPUI web hosting for high school projects and great camaraderie.

To learn more about Tech Camp, visit: http://citserv.cit.iupui.edu/jstarks/techcamp/track.html.

About the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI The mission of the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI is to be one of the best urban university leaders in the disciplines of engineering and technology recognized locally, nationally and internationally. The school's goal is to provide students an education that will give them the leverage to be leaders in their communities, industry and society. For additional information on the School of Engineering & Technology, go to http://www.engr.iupui.edu/.