Welcome to the Cal U TPS Summer Institute Blog. The site is maintained by the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (LOC TPS) program in California University of Pennsylvania’s (Cal U) College of Education and Human Services. This blog exists to showcase the work of teacher-participants from the both current and prior Cal U TPS Summer Institutes, while simultaneously serving as an online resource repository for teacher-participants.
Cal U TPS Summer Institutes are underwritten by the Library of Congress to provide professional development opportunities. Teachers in Pennsylvania earn Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits/hours that are required to maintain teacher certification.
Starting in July, 2011, the Cal U TPS Summer Institute will be facilitated by Mrs. Linda Muller. Previous TPS Summer Institutes were facilitated by Mr. Nik Roberts and by Dr. Dave Lonich. The Cal U TPS Program is overseen by Dr. Michael Brna, Director of Cal U’s Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program. Lynne Berdar, TPS secretary, assists with daily needs in invaluable ways.
For more information about Cal U’s Library of Congress/Teaching with Primary Sources program you can visit our website at http://www.calu.edu/business-community/teaching-primary-sources/index.htm or contact us by telephone at 724-938-6025.
Cal U TPS Summer Institute Blog 
Dear educators:
Thank you all for helping to make the 2009 Teaching with Primary Sources Summer Institute a great success! Your collaborative spirit created a shared learning event that was well received and appreciated by all in attendance.
The skills you learned at the Institute are important to helping your students move towards higher achievement and add to your professional development as they are part of the diverse skill sets necessary for success in a 21st Century learning environment.
Your reflections provide important feedback about the event and the work you produced adds to the growing body of knowledge about the effective use of primary sources in the classroom. Educators across the nation will benefit from your work.
Your future feedback about implementing your lessons/activities in the classrooms is highly important to educators and researchers who share your commitment to using primary sources to engage students.
We look forward to keeping you up to date on topics and research related to the effective use of primary sources and we hope many of you will continue your pursuit of teaching excellence and consider advancing to the TPS ambassador level.
We are committed to being an ongoing resource for you and look forward to continually providing you with whatever assistance is necessary for you to hone the art of effectively using primary sources in the classroom to enhance student achievement.
Sincerely,
Michael J. Brna Ph.D. MBA
Director
Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources department @ Cal U