Welcome+Letter+2012

=Welcome to the New Literacies Teacher Leader Institute -- 2012! =

Greetings NLI Participants,

We look forward to seeing you at the New Literacies Teacher Leader Institute at the Friday Institute, July 9-13, 2012. Designing the Institute has been an exciting experience for us—full of innovative ideas, collaborative practices, and dynamic questions about new literacies in the 21st century. We are eager to continue this ongoing venture as we work and learn with you during the week.

In preparation for an action-packed week, please complete the following __before__ you attend the **Monday, July 9th Welcoming Reception, 5:00 - 7:00 pm at the Raleigh Contemporary Art Museum (CAM)**:

1. The Institute begins Monday evening at the **Welcoming Reception at the Raleigh Contemporary Art Museum** (5:00 – 7:00 pm). The museum is located downtown Raleigh: 409 West Martin Street. Directions to the museum can be found online at: CAMRaleigh.org. As a way to begin thinking about your role as a teacher leader, bring a leadership artifact to the reception. The artifact can be any type of symbol that represents a characteristic of your leadership or that of a leader whom you admire. Think creatively!

2. **Get Connected:** //(a)// Join our Institute wiki: http://nli2012.wikispaces.com. If you have not used Wikispaces before, you will need to create an account, and we will approve you for the site; //(b)// Join our Ning at [] There you will upload a picture of yourself and write a professional bio (100 words or so) in order to get to know your fellow Institute participants. You can also use this information to find an inquiry partner that you will work with during the week, if you don’t already have a partner. We have created a group within the Ning that we would like for you to join: []

3. **Bring your wireless, Internet-ready laptop and power cord.** For those who do not have a laptop, PC laptops will be provided during the Institute. Feel free to bring other devices (ipad, smartphone, digital cameras, etc.) if you like.

4. Note that **lunch and snacks will be provided each day**. Refreshments will be served Monday evening at the opening reception. Dinner is on your own each evening, except for Wednesday. Wednesday night we will have our **NLI Banquet** at Jibarra Restaurant from 6:00 - 8:30 pm. The restaurant is located in downtown Raleigh: 321 W. Davie Street, Suite 102. We will share what we're learning, eat great food, and have fun in a relaxed, social gathering. Please let us know if you have special dietary needs (email Erin at eelyjak@ncsu.edu). Dress is casual for all events.

5. **The success of the Institute depends on you!** We need your physical presence as well as your full creative participation. Remember that the Institute begins on Monday at 5:00 pm and will end on Friday at 1:00 pm. Please make your travel plans accordingly. Come prepared to attend fully, work hard, be innovative, and, above all, have fun!

Our passion and energy for our work comes from our belief that education transforms lives. We believe that our educational system must be transformed to meet the new demands of globally-connected life and work in the 21st century. We also believe that emerging technologies play a critical role in contemporary education and in changing what it means to be literate. Teachers are central to the educational change process. Teacher leaders, along with policy makers and other educational leaders, must be actively involved in creating new visions and pathways for education. The possibilities for being innovative as a teacher are endless, and we believe that all students—not just a few—should have high quality, creative educational experiences. That’s why we have chosen the following theme for the week: “Inquire, Collaborate, Create!” We look forward to your helping us make this theme come alive as we all explore new ways of “doing” education in changing and challenging times.

We'll see you at the Welcoming Reception on Monday July, 9 (5:00 - 7:00 pm) at the Contemporary Art Museum (CAMRaleigh.org).

Cheers!

The NLI 2012 Design Group

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, NC State will honor requests for reasonable accommodations made by individuals with disabilities. Requests can be served more effectively if notice is provided at least 10 days before the event. Direct accommodation requests to haspires@ncsu.edu or 919-513-8501.

