Journalist Charles Bowden once said, “Summertime is always the best of what might be.” That might be the most accurate way to look at the Belin-Blank Chautauqua, an opportunity to enjoy professional learning with colleagues who enjoy time with others who share their interests.
Chautauqua was an adult education movement in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, bringing Americans together to learn and enjoy time spent with one another. After two years of hosting Chautauqua only online during the pandemic, the Belin-Blank Center is looking forward to hosting participants who want to participate in person, as well as those who choose to continue to participate via Zoom.
Professional Learning
Our Chautauqua is a unique form of professional learning, offering six one-semester-hour classes that begin over two weeks in July. Each class meets for two days and continues online with readings, an online discussion or two, and a final project. All classes end on or before August 5 this summer, the final day of the last university summer session. Those who are interested in expanding their professional expertise in gifted education may enroll in the combination of classes that makes sense for them, from one to all six classes.
Scholarships
Participants who enroll as graduate students in three classes in one week receive a full scholarship for the cost of one class (you pay for two, the Belin-Blank Center provides a scholarship that pays for one). Participants who enroll as graduate students in all six classes over the two weeks receive a full scholarship for the cost of one class each week (you pay for four, the Belin-Blank Center provides a scholarship that pays for two classes).
Coursework
The six classes represent the strands required for the endorsement in the State of Iowa:
- the Psychology strand (understanding the nature and needs of gifted/talented learners);
- the Programming strand (appropriately differentiated programming/coursework for talent development);
- the Administrative strand (administrative issues in the field that school personnel might now know).
Classes in Chautauqua are different from one summer to the next, so educators can earn the State of Iowa endorsement in two summers! For those who want to earn the endorsement even more quickly, Chautauqua classes can be combined with online summer classes to complete the endorsement in one summer. Classes are offered throughout the year to meet the needs of anyone seeking endorsement or seeking professional development in new areas.
Chautauqua in Summer 2022 includes all one-semester-hour courses:
| Week 1: Jul 11 – 29 Meets Monday/Tuesday, 9:00 – noon; 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | EDTL:4072:0WKA | Thinking Skills (Programming strand) | Dr. Laurie Croft |
| Jul 13 – Aug 2 Meets Wednesday/Thursday, 9:00 – noon; 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | EDTL:4096:0WKB (Topics) | Executive Functioning: Skills for Learning and Life* (Programming strand) | Dr. Kristine Milburn |
| Jul 15 – Aug 4 Meets Friday/Saturday, 9:00 – noon; 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | RCE:4125:0WKA | Counseling/Psychological Needs of the Gifted (Psychology strand) | Dr. Jean Peterson |
| Week 2: Jul 18 – Aug 5 Meets Monday/Tuesday, 9:00 – noon; 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | RCE:4123:0WKA | Gender Issues and Giftedness (Psychology strand) | Dr. Jolene Teske |
| Jul 20 – Aug 5 Meets Wednesday/Thursday, 9:00 – noon; 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | EDTL:4096:0WKC (Topics) | Infusing Language Arts with Creative Thinking* (Programming strand) | Gwen Livingstone Pokora |
| Jul 22 – Aug 5 Meets Friday/Saturday, 9:00 – noon; 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | EPLS:4113:0WKA | Staff Development for Gifted Programs (Administrative strand) | Dr. Jolene Teske |
*NEW!
Registration
To take part in classes, you must register one time each year with Distance and Online Education as a non-degree seeking student. For the State of Iowa Endorsement in Talented and Gifted Education, you may register as either a graduate or undergraduate student, regardless of your professional status (scholarships are awarded to those who register as graduate students). Once you have your HawkID and password, you can follow the directions to register for courses that interest or benefit you. Follow the steps laid out at belinblank.org/educators/reg.
Belin-Blank Center 