Suggestions for institutes and conferences: Summer 1960

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a& CHEMICAL EDUCATION R - W S q

Suggestions for Institutes and Conferences: Summer 1960

During its meetings in Boston the Division of Chemical Education's Committee on Institutes and Conferences reviewed the summer institute programs for the summer of 1959 with an eye toward discovering how this committee might best serve to help make these program-when viewed on a national scale--the most effective and efficient possible. As a result of these considerations the committee submits the following snggestions to t h o s e who plan to submit proposals for science teacher institutes and oonferenoes to bc held during the summer of 1960: (1) A definite need exists for more institutes devoted to study in s. single discipline as opposed to institutes devoted to study in two or more disoiplincs. This yew 23 institutes of the 350 sponsored by the National Soience Foundation are "chemistry only" institutes. Fourteen of these are for secondary echool and/or junior oollege teachers. Six are lor college teachers. There are s t least two good reasons lor encouraging single subject institutes. First is the fact that mosL teachers feel their energies are not efficient,lyutilized when they hsve to study two or more subjects during the short summer session. Many institute direotom and instructors can testify to the inefficiency of meh a program. Some, however, hold to the notion that because nearly d l secondary sohool teachers must teach s t least two sciences, it is wise to try to update them in several a r e a simultaneously on the grounds that the teacher may not get an opportunity to return to summer school soon again. With the multiple opportunities now available for subsidired summer teacher training this notion seems untenable. The second reason for encouraging single ~ n b j e e summer t institutes is that these can provide better service for the participants through more homogeneous grouping. With numerous single subjeot institutes it should he possible, for example, to have some aimed st those who teaoh chemistry as their "second" subject, others designed for teachers who hsve been teaching ohomistry for 15 or more years and still others for those who are far enough advanced to help pioneer entirely new approaches to the teaching of introductory chemistry, Homogeneous grouping, if carried to extremes, has certain drawbacks but many directors with long experience in this work feel that the advantages of homogeneous grouping far outweigh its disadvantages a t this point in the development of teacher training programa. These are the principal reasons the Committee on institute^ suggests that more proposals be submitted for institutes in which teachers study chemistry only. Proposals for summer institutes sponsored by the National Scienco F o u n d & m must be in Washington by August 1. I n an effort to help stimulate proposals and assure some ooordination of summer institutes, a suheommittee on summer inst,it,ut,e n,ct,ivit,ies Those . ~ ~ - . has ~been ~ established. ~ ~ ~ ~ wishine more information pertsining to the problem discussed horo may contact the ohairman of t.his subcommittee who is ~~~~~

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Otto M. Smith Kansas State Teachers College Emporix, K a n ~ a s ( 2 ) Because of the tcmondously accelerated formation and expansion of junior colleges, more institutes and conference8 designed for teachers of ohemistry a t theseinstitutions areneeded. Here again the varied background and experienoe of teachers makes this an area where carefully planned institute8 or conferences can make significant contributions to chemical education. Those desiring more information aoncerning prapoaals for institutes for junior college teachers may oontsot the chairman of the subcommittee on junior colleges who is

Robert K. Fitnnerel Junior Colloge 2 Kansss City Kansss City, Mi~fiouri (3) One ol the newest programs of the institutes section of the National Soience Foundation in the summer conference for college teachers. These conferences are designed for such purposes as aonsideration of spoaislieed topics or recent advances in a particular area. They are of one to three weeks duration and are usually held either a t the beginning or end of the Bummer so that college teachers involved in teaching summer school may participate. During the summer of 1959 six conferences in various areas of chemistry will be held. The need for mare and varied oonferences of this type is obvious. The subcommittee on conferences is currently stimulating proposals and soliciting s u g g e ~ t i o nfor ~ topics, possible directors, and host inst,itutions for conferences to be held in 1960. Suggestions may he sent to

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Department of Chemistry University of Florida Gaininosville, Florida. or inlormation on the preparation of proposals is available from the Institutes Section, National Science Foundation, Washington 25, D. C. These suggestions pinpoint only a. few of the are= in which institutes and conferences can serve to meet existing needs. The Committee on Institutes and Conferences invites comments and suggestions relat,ive to improving present programs or stimulating the development of new programs. WILLIAMB. COOK,Chairman W. T . LIPPINCOTT, Secretar7~ Corninitlee on Institutes and Coqfwcnces Division of Chemical Bdwalion

Volume 36, Number 6, June 1959

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