Widening the Circle: Seeking Inclusive Education
Masters in Teaching 2008-2010 
The Evergreen State College


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July 31, 2008

Dear MIT Graduate Student,

Welcome!  You are now part of a richly textured, exciting, and demanding Master in Teaching Program which will include approximately 40 graduate students, six faculty and staff, and a variety of guest participants. We are very excited about the program and are eager to meet you! During the next two years, we will work together to gain a deep and sophisticated understanding of the nature and inter-relationships of learning, teaching, and schooling.  We will explore who we are as learners and teachers, what it means to "learn", what the current requirements are to become a public school teacher, who the children are in the public schools of this country, how to develop curricula to meet the needs of all children and youth, a bit about the history and politics of education, and what it might mean to create a decent education for all students.

This letter includes quite a bit of information you will need as you prepare for the coming year.  Please read the entire letter carefully and send the requested information to us without delay so that we can be ready for your arrival.

REGISTRATION AND ORIENTATION DAY (Saturday September 20th)

Your attendance is expected for this registration/orientation meeting.  The day will begin promptly at 9 A.M. and end by 4:00 P.M. We will email you the location soon.   You will have opportunities to meet other folks in the program, ask questions, buy your books for the quarter, register, have your picture taken, apply for your library card, email account, and parking sticker, and complete the forms for the required FBI background check and State of Washington Character Supplement.

You will need to be prepared to pay for the following:

•  full time graduate registration (see http://www.evergreen.edu/mit/costs.htm)
•  retreat costs (about $95)
•  finger printing (about $85 – through the Educational Service District Office 113)
•  program books
•  parking sticker ( see other commute options)

FIRST WEEK RETREAT INFORMATION (Monday, September 29th through Friday, October 3rd)

The faculty members in this program are committed to developing a community of learners.  We want to provide the time and opportunities for all of us to become acquainted, determine the assets we bring to this community, and develop a solid foundation for the year's work.  To support these goals, we have planned a five-day, full time retreat for the first week of class that will allow focused and intense work without requiring folks to be away from their families overnight. Our experience indicates that the benefits are quite wonderful and we hope you will be as excited as we are about the content and format of the first week of study and getting to know each other!

During the first week of classes (September 29th through October 3rd), we will meet Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM every day.  We will spend three of these days off campus, at a local retreat center.   We will provide you with directions to the site at Orientation.  Bring the following with you to the retreat:

We will spend Friday morning in the computer lab on campus.  On Friday evening we will have a potluck and talent sharing on campus for program members and their families and/or significant others. 

After the first week of class, you will be involved in MIT program activities four days a week.  Thursday mornings will be spent in public school classrooms.  The Fall Quarter observation sites have already been arranged.  On-campus classes will be on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Please see our website for class times for Fall Quarter.  Please keep in mind this schedule is tentative and is subject to change as room assignments and scheduling will not be approved until August.

COMPUTER PROFICIENCY AND LEARNING APPROACHES SURVEYS

You will find two surveys attached to this email. One asks that you assess your knowledge of computers and technology , the other concerns your approaches to learning, reading, writing, and group projects and discussions .  At Evergreen and in the MIT program, we believe that the learner must assume significant responsibility for her or his learning.  This is your first opportunity in this program to communicate with us about your needs, interests, and abilities as a learner.  Therefore, please respond to these surveys and submit them via email or mail right away.  We need this information to help us plan learning experiences and instructional groupings that will better support your learning.

We look forward to seeing you on ORIENTATION DAY.  We hope you enjoy the remainder of the summer!  Maggie Foran, our Advising and Certification Officer, will be sending you a reminder about Orientation with a map of the campus in late August.


Sincerely,

Sonja Wiedenhaupt, Faculty

Grace Huerta , Faculty                       

Jon Davies, Faculty

Sherry Walton, Director of MIT

Maggie Foran, Advising and Certification Officer

Loren Petty, Field Experience Officer