MPT Gets Ready for the Advance Team Summer Institute

Much of MPT's recent work on the LG2G project has involved preparations for this month’s Advance Team Summer Institute (August 8 – 10). The Advance Team consists of a group of 17 teachers from Baltimore County, Dorchester County, Allegany County, Caroline County and the Archdiocese of Baltimore. These teachers will play an important role in the success of LG2G, as they are offering input into the development of the game and maybe even more significantly, will be at the forefront of the group of teachers that brings LG2G into middle-school classrooms.

"The Summer Institute will really focus on having our teachers get to know each other and begin the work of team-building," says Diane Rymer, MPT's Assistant Director of Professional Development. Some of the goals for the Summer Institute include:

• Sharing educational theories and strategies for teaching pre-Algebra
• Discussing educational gaming and building an understanding of the challenges faced when implementing this technology in the classroom
• Enlisting teachers into an electronic learning community that will facilitate ongoing discussions and feedback throughout the year.

In addition, Scot Osterweil of MIT will use paper prototypes of game puzzles to conduct a game-playing session with the teachers. According to Rymer, "Teachers will have plenty of time to play games and begin to internalize the characteristics of good learning games. That will help them evaluate our game and make it better."

Look for a wrap-up of the Advance Team Summer Institute in next month’s LG2G Update.

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