Foxfire program for profs

[Rich Gibson <rgibson@pipeline.com>]

> > Foxfire Course for College Profs
> >
> > *Sunday afternoon, July 9, through Friday **noon**, **July 14, 2006***
> >
> > *Foxfire** **Center**, **Mountain** **City** (**Rabun** **County**), 
> > **Georgia***
> >
> > * *
> >
> > The success of the Foxfire books (#13 published in 2005) focused 
> > attention on the instructional approach used with Rabun County High 
> > School students who generated the articles collected in the books. The 
> > success of the teacher outreach program in disseminating that approach in 
> > turn focused the attention of some college instructors on adaptations for 
> > their own classrooms. A number of them joined to start a College-Level 
> > Foxfire Network to share experiences and enlist colleagues in the effort. 
> > This summer workshop continues that initiative.
> >
> > The Foxfire Course for College Profs provides a different perspective 
> > through which to consider your overall approach to instruction, including 
> > reflections on assumptions about students, learning, curricula, assessing 
> > achievement, etc. While that may be uncomfortable, we assume that folks 
> > participate in this workshop because they already have a measure of 
> > discomfort with their teaching. The workshop models the Foxfire approach, 
> > which means it will be highly interactive, critical/supportive, and 
> > constructive.
> >
> > The Foxfire approach is not a method.It is not a template nor set of 
> > instructions to follow like a recipe for classroom success. Each 
> > practitioner adapts the approach to her/his own subject areas, student 
> > constituencies, institutional contexts, and curricular requirements. The 
> > Foxfire Core Practicesdeveloped over time by distilling the practices of 
> > highly successful teachersprovide both a starting point for analysis and 
> > a life-long set of referents for improvement. Practitioners realize 
> > fulfillment of all of the core practices for only fleeting moments, hence 
> > the title of Wiggintons book /Sometimes a Shining Moment/. Pursuing the 
> > approach tends to elicit creativity in instructional practices long 
> > missing from college teaching.
> >
> > The Course is residential at the Foxfire Center. (No exceptions.) 
> > Accommodations are rustic but comfortable. Breakfast fare and lunch are 
> > provided as part of the fee. Evening meals are on your own. Our 
> > experience with these workshops since 1986 is that the residential 
> > experience enhances the effectiveness of the workshop considerably. 
> > Spending down time with instructors from different disciplines and 
> > experiences tends to stimulate participants to look at their situations 
> > in a new light. Plus, being at the Center on the side of Black Rock 
> > Mountain is like having a vacation to accompany the learning sessions.
> >
> > Texts: /Experience & Education, 60^th Anniversary Edition/, John Dewey
> >
> > /What the //Best// //College// Teachers Do, Ken /Bain//
> >
> > _Cost_: $500.00, including residential costs and materials.
> >
> > NOTE: Space is limited to 15 participants.
> >
> > Contact Dr. Hilton Smith at hsmith@piedmont.edu 
> > <mailto:hsmith@piedmont.edu> for more information