UCSC faculty and staff are invited to attend the Online Teaching and Learning Institute offered July 19-21 by UC College Prep Online (UCCP). The sixth annual institute takes place at the University Inn in Santa Cruz. Faculty and staff may attend free of charge after registering online at www.uccp.org/institute.

The theme of the institute, "Any Place Academy: Education without Borders," explores the bridging of educational and geographic borders through online collaborations and partnerships, and focuses on best practices in instruction and technology development, particularly in middle and high schools. This year's event emphasizes hands-on experience with online programs and strategies, and attendees at most sessions will be provided laptops to explore the technologies and topics addressed first hand.

Among the highlights of the institute:

• A keynote speech by Jaime Tacher y Samarel, general manager of Educational Television, a project of the office of the Secretary of Public Education in Mexico, who will address the power of technology to propagate learning.

• A special session on collaborations between Mexico and the University of California to create online resources and access for Spanish-speaking students on both sides of the border.

• UCCP director Moises Torres will preview the findings of a wide-ranging study on online learning in California.

The institute offers a full range of workshops and seminars that give participants the opportunity to explore innovative technologies and software applications designed to accelerate student achievement. Led by leaders in the fields of education and technology integration, sessions are organized to address all levels of experience, from novice to expert.

UCCP is a University of California academic initiative to develop and deliver quality online courses, test preparation, and academic support services to students in California, across the nation, and beyond. UCCP also provides online content for classroom use and teacher training in educational technology. UCCP was created in 1999 to equalize access to college preparatory courses and materials by providing students and schools with curricula that may not be available otherwise.

source: currents.ucsc.edu