June 10, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Sociology and Social Work will sponsor free XO laptop computer workshops for elementary school students and teachers from selected Birmingham City schools this summer.
The Integrating Computing Across the Curriculum (ICAC) workshops are open to fourth- and fifth-grade teachers and rising fourth- and fifth-grade students from Glen Iris, Central Park, Robinson, Barrett, Jackson, South Hampton and Epic elementary schools and John Herbert Phillips Academy. The workshops are supported through a $1 million grant awarded to the UAB Department of Sociology and Social Work from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
XO computers are low-cost, wireless devices about the size of a small book that have become known worldwide through the One-Laptop-Per-Child project. Children in Birmingham received the XO computers in 2008 through city government to help bridge the digital divide between children in inner-city schools and those in more affluent communities.
The teacher workshops will cover topics such as how to use and integrate XO laptops into the elementary school curriculum. Teachers who enroll will receive a $100 per day stipend.
A teacher workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 21-25 at Vulcan Park and Museum, 1701 Valley View Drive. A second workshop is scheduled for June 28-July 2 at the UAB University Boulevard Office Building, Room 222, 1201 University Blvd.
The workshops for students will cover computer programming using Scratch programming language and other computing concepts. Students may enroll in one of three workshops that will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., July 12-16 at Vulcan Park and Museum, 1701 Valley View Drive; July 19-23 at Springville Road Library, 1224 Old Springville Road; or July 26-30 at the UAB Humanities Building, Room 434, 900 13th St. South.
Lunch will be provided at all teacher and student workshops.
The ICAC workshops are co-sponsored by g8four, a research-based learning design firm that helps schools incorporate technology into education. ICAC is a g8four project that aims to give teachers and students the computing resources and skills needed to raise the number of minorities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers.
To register, call 866-899-4889, ext. 212, or contact LaToya O'Neal at ljoneal@uab.edu.
About the UAB College of Arts and Sciences
The UAB Department of Sociology and Social Work is housed in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences, home to academic disciplines that include the arts, humanities, sciences and the School of Education. The college's unique structure advances research and learning in both K-12 and higher education, and its courses are taught by a world-class faculty. Committed to the UAB spirit of independence and innovation, the college enables students to design their own majors, participate in undergraduate research or complete graduate degrees on a five-year fast track. Through productive partnerships, flexible curricula and a bold, interdisciplinary approach to learning and teaching, the college is preparing students for success in the ever-changing global marketplace of commerce and ideas.