This summer, the Old Rochester Regional School District wants teachers to get online.

Summer vacation can be invaluable time for teachers to get caught up on the latest technology, said Joyce Bourdon, a professional development instructor for the district.

Beginning in August, Bourdon will run six sessions of ORR’s Tech Camp.

The courses will cover everything from web design and blogs to interactive white boards and videos.

For Bourdon, a retired Rochester Memorial School teacher with a master’s in technology curriculum instruction, the summer sessions are a much-needed “refresher” for teachers.

“It’s the times and you have to keep up,” Bourdon said.

“People are interested and we’re able to bring a lot of new things. You have to know how to use it.”

Bourdon previously taught professional development courses in interactive whiteboard training at Cambridge College.

The classes proved popular, she said.

Most teachers, she said, want to know how to work with web designing software so that they can pass it along to the students.

“The teachers seem to be really excited about the training. It’s been received really well,” she said.

After the summer sessions, ORR’s Tech Camp will continue to run every month with a new set of offerings for teachers.

Bourdon has been working with the school district’s Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Elise Frangos, and Superintendent Doug White on developing a variety of subjects to cover in the program.

Bourdon said the classes will be geared towards what the teachers show interest in.

While the district holds professional development courses throughout the year, Bourdon’s course marks the first time that teachers outside of the district have been invited to participate, she said.

This, she said, will hopefully open up a few more opportunities for students to produce multimedia content in the classroom.

“The kids who graduate need to be tech savvy,” she said.

“To be able to provide them with that is a plus.”

“It’s a lot of fun in the classroom because it’s a whole different medium. It’s fun to teach these courses because I know how much the kids get from it,” she said.