Learning to Look: Teaching Humanities with Visual Images is designed for college faculty, advanced graduate instructors, and secondary school teachers who are seeking to infuse visual images into their humanities curriculum. This summer institute emphasizes the importance of using visuals in history, literature, religious studies, philosophy, American studies, and other disciplines that have traditionally focused on textual evidence.

Long known for its regional commitment to Appalachia, Berea College provides a unique location for this weeklong summer institute. Participants will have opportunities to explore the rich holdings in Hutchins Library’s Special Collections and Archives as well as the galleries and working studios of Berea artisans. Dr. Peter Felten of Elon University, Dr. Deandra Little of the University of Virginia, and Dr. Chad Berry of Berea College, all Learning to Look national faculty, will lead the workshop.

During the week, participants will examine the pedagogical possibilities of incorporating visuals into traditionally textual disciplines as well as the questions they raise for teaching and learning—e.g., How can we teach our students to read images critically, or How might innovative techniques like digital storytelling change the way our students learn? Most importantly, this institute will allow participating faculty to
• Rethink their traditional classroom practice
• Explore a wide range of visual sources available for teaching and research
• Work with humanities scholars and educators who have pioneered teaching with new pedagogies incorporating visuals
• Plan active learning strategies for using visuals and other media with their students
• Use scheduled working time to develop projects for their own courses in a technology-rich environment

Returning to their schools for the 2008-2009 academic year, participants will apply the strategies they developed during the summer institute and take part in online discussions.

The Learning to Look program will involve a diverse group of humanities educators. We believe that secondary school teachers and college professors have much to gain from collective conversation about curriculum, learning, and teaching. The workshop seeks instructors already experimenting with new media education and those who have only begun their exploration. Our goal is to work together to discover ways to make visual resources more useful to a broader range of humanities teachers and students.

Application Process
The institute’s application form is available online at: http://org.elon.edu/catl/ltl

Applications are due by April 10, 2008. Early applications are encouraged, and we will review and accept applicants before the deadline. Selection will be finalized no later than May 1.

Institute Cost
Attending faculty will be charged a registration fee of $600. The fee covers the costs of materials, private lodging on the Berea College campus, meals during the summer institute (breakfast and lunch daily, plus two dinners), and expenses related to our yearlong activities – in other words, the $600 pays for everything BUT travel to and incidental expenses during the institute. A limited amount of financial support is available. If assistance is requested, include with your application a note explaining your situation.

Learning to Look is associated with the New Media Classroom program, coordinated by the American Social History Project and initially sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities.