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Charlotte Teachers Institute will help unwrap the secrets and complexities of mummies in its “Exploding Canons: Mysteries of Mummies of the World” at Discovery Place on Thursday, Jan. 26 from 6 to 10 p.m.

This installment of CTI’s “Exploding Canons” discussion series focuses on Discovery Place’s highly popular Mummies of the World exhibition, the largest collection of real mummies and related artifacts ever assembled. (Click HERE to view Discovery Place's "Mummies of the World" info and video.)

“Exploding Canons events offer new ways of looking at hot topics,” says CTI Executive Director Scott Gartlan. “We hear from a wide array of local academic experts whose varying expertise and focus areas help us see the issues through multidisciplinary lenses.”

The latest event brings new perspectives to Discovery Place’s mummies exhibition with a panel discussion including faculty members from UNC Charlotte, Davidson College, the Charlotte Museum of History and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The evening starts with a 6 p.m. reception, and guests can explore the exhibition afterward until 10 p.m.

Admission (including the exhibition visit) is free and open to the public, thanks to the event's primary sponsor -- the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Space is limited, so pre-registration at www.charlotteteachers.org by Jan. 22 is required. CMS teachers and administrators from all grade levels and subject areas are especially encouraged to attend, with CMS educators’ admission sponsored by the Arts & Science Council. Discovery Place is located at 301 N. Tryon St. in uptown Charlotte. Free parking is available in the Discovery Place parking deck.

“Exploding Canons:  Mysteries of Mummies of the World” presentations and panelists include:

“The Controversies of Studying Human Remains” -- Helen Cho, associate professor of anthropology at Davidson College, probes the clash between scientists who study human remains and those who object to disturbing and viewing bodies after they have been laid to rest. “I find Americans to be uncomfortable with the idea of death compared to other cultures, and this discomfort with the inevitable life event brings in topics of death, afterlife, religion and more,” Cho says.

“The Value of Archaeological Textiles in Mummification” -- Angelica Docog, executive director of the Charlotte Museum of History, points out “we are surrounded by textiles from birth to death. Archaeological textiles can provide fascinating insights to prehistoric cultures that created them.” Docog will examine early textiles as evidence of technology, socio-economic conditions, global influences, burial practices, botany, and how textiles continue to reflect culture today.

“Mummies of London” -- Alan Rauch, professor of English at UNC Charlotte and editor of “Configurations: A Journal of Literature, Science, & Technology,” will reveal Egyptian mummies as reflected in the society, poetry and literature of early 19^th century London including “The Mummy!” and discuss the effects of these texts on modern day views of mummies.

“Costume Research and Cultural Findings:  A High School Performance of Aida” -- Barbara Wesselman, apparel and costume design teacher at Northwest School of the Arts, will discuss her students’ research into ancient Egypt and what they uncovered about weaving, colors, style, social rankings and more, as they studied the setting and designed costumes for Northwest’s 2009 production of “Aida.”  

Douglas Coler, coordinator of in-house education for Discovery Place, will serve as moderator for the panel discussion. “Mummies of the World” is a major international touring exhibition including both naturally and intentionally preserved, human and animal mummies and related artifacts from cultures around the world, offering unprecedented insights into earlier civilizations.

“Exploding Canons: Mysteries of the Mummies of the World” is sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, with support from Discovery Place, Arts & Science Council and Charlotte Museum of History. “Exploding Canons” events leverage the partnerships among CTI to offer educators and the public collaborative educational opportunities that highlight university and college faculty, explore diverse topics in an interdisciplinary manner, and encourage community conversation.

Congratulations to CTI's dedicated, creative 2011 cohort of Fellows! After nearly nine months of thinking, writing, teaching and learning, the 2011 CTI Fellows and their seminar leaders (UNC Charlotte and Davidson College faculty members) enjoyed some fun and reflection at the annual Fellows’ Finale celebration Dec. 13 at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.

As part of a growing end-of-year tradition, CTI Director Scott Gartlan shared the collective impact of these 82 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teachers by the numbers:

Together these teachers span all 13 grade levels from kindergarten through high school.  They represent more than 15 subjects – from elementary teachers to biology teachers, world history, American history, and art history, language arts and costume design, Spanish, French, German, earth science, environmental science, physics, math and technology. 

Together they have taught for 960 years with 762 of those years in CMS, and together they plan on teaching for an additional 1,163 years.  They will teach over 10,000 students during the next 12 months.  These 82 teachers plan to share the curriculum units they wrote for CTI with over 500 other CMS teachers, and 7,200 students will be taught the units Fellows created this year.  Together they will have spent 2,730 hours attending CTI seminars at UNC Charlotte, Davidson College, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and the Mint Museum.  And together these teachers have written approximately 1,640 pages of new curriculum that will be accessible to teachers around the world through CTI’s and the Yale National Initiative’s websites. 

Cheers to our 2011 CTI Fellows!

2011 CTI Fellows Orientation in April at the Mint Museum

Click here to view full list of 2011 CTI Fellows.

As a fellow member of the League of Institutes, the Charlotte Teachers Institute has proudly partnered with the Yale National Initiative, Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, Pittsburgh Teachers Institute, Teachers Institute of Philadelphia, and the Delaware Teachers Institute in New Castle County to recognize the Teachers Institute model as a nationally significant program. Senators Joseph Lieberman (I, CT) and Richard Blumenthal (D, CT) and Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D, CT-3) and Chaka Fattah (D, PA-2) recently introduced legislation (S. 1240 and H.R. 2255) to create a competitive grants program to establish Teachers Institutes in other states.

Three Distinct Features of the Teachers Institute Model

1. The University-School Partnership Approach

This approach threads the needle of the academic and intellectual pipeline by connecting world-class university and college faculty with motivated, talented K-12 teachers in a highly collaborative learning environment.  This results in meaningful and lasting professional relationships among educators spanning entire spectrum of the educational system from K through university scholarship.  

2. Focus on Content Knowledge Linked to Pedagogy

Unlike traditional teacher professional development programs that place heavy weight on pedagogical knowledge alone, the Teachers Institute model emphasizes the balance between content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge.  This blended approach reenergizes teachers, professors, and their students at the K-12 level, as well as at the university level, to focus on the core curriculum in their schools and in their fields.  Writing the Curriculum Unit develops teachers writing skills and increases their content self-efficacy.

3. Teacher-Led Leadership Structure

The teachers are the leaders.  Teachers have the opportunity to contribute to CTI in a variety of leadership roles including the Steering Committee, an advisory group responsible for making decisions about institute functioning; the Seminar Coordinators, the teacher leaders representing each seminar group; and the School Contacts, a group of motivated teachers who promote CTI to other teachers in the district.

Based on its recent growth and success in establishing educational partnerships throughout the country, the Teachers Institute model should be considered a nationally significant program for the following reasons:

• Teachers Institutes engage and excite teachers to motivate their students for success.
• Participation in Teachers Institutes is strongly correlated with teacher retention in high-need schools.
• Teachers Institutes are an investment in innovation and creativity in education.
• Teachers Institutes provide opportunities for students to develop a deep understanding of the content across a wide variety of subject areas.

Currently, as a way to spread the word about what’s going on here in Charlotte, the Charlotte Teachers Institute is undergoing a good old-fashioned letter writing campaign to Congress.  We are encouraging teachers, faculty, school and university leaders, parents, and students to write letters to Members of Congress and their legislative assistants for education by e-mail.   The letters are simply a way of expressing support for the work of the Teaches Institute model.  If you are interested in learning more about the legislation or how to help, please click on the following documents below.

Helpful Information about the Legislation: 

Arguments for Enacting of the Teachers Institutes Bill

Congressional Press Release about Teachers Institute Bill

Yale National Press Release about Teachers Institute Bill