Course on climate science appropriate for K-8 teachers.
Offered by the School of Education at Boston University. Tuition is free for a 4-credit graduate course (equivalent to 90 PDPs) in the School of Education. (Tuition value is $ 2260.) There is a $ 700 stipend for teachers who complete the course. Each teacher will be offered $ 200 for equipment for their classroom. The course is split between 5 three-hour sessions in May and June and two weeks in July. The 5 sessions in May and June will offered at both Malden High School and at Boston University. The two week session in July will be at BU.
Applications are linked to the following website: http://inquiringminds.bu.edu Questions can be addressed to garik@bu.edu.
New England Association of Chemistry Teachers Central Division Meeting
This meeting is free of charge. $ 25 annual membership in NEACT is encouraged. It will be held Saturday, May 12, 2012 at Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry Clark University, 950 Main St., Worcester, MA Agenda: Three Presentations by Clark University faculty members, with lots of demos to take back to your classroom. 9:00 am: Registration, Coffee and Refreshments. 9:30 am: Prof. David Thurlow: Exploring proteins and DNA at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). 10:30 am: Prof. Mark Turnbull: Demonstrating equilibrium with
Co(II) salts and other demos. 11:20: Break. 11:40: Prof. Sergio Granados-Focil, Ph.D: Chemical processes within polymers and use of everyday polymers as teaching tools. 12:30: Light lunch followed by NEACT Annual meeting. Please RSVP by Wednesday, May 4.
Dr. Mel Govindan, Central Division Chair,mgovindan@fitchburgstate.edu 978-660-8831. Directions: Clark is 950 Main St., Worcester, and attendees should plan to park in the lot on Maywood St. (right across the street).~ Turn into Maywood St. from Main Street. We will be in the Sackler Science Center, starting in Johnson Auditorium (Sackler 120).~For the lab demos, well be in labs in the same building.http://www.clarku.edu/campusmap.cfm In case of problems call Mel Govindan at 978-660-8831 (Cell). For PDP/CEU information contact: Lorraine Kelly at lorrainek12@aol.com
www.neact.org
No Child Left Indoors: Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators
Join Kim Noyes and Jim Lafley for an educational and entertaining evening with fellow educators. With over 50 years of combined outdoor teaching experience, Jim and Kim have a wealth of activities to share and inspire you to take children outdoors. Build on children’s innate curiosity in the natural world with fun and engaging activities using free or inexpensive materials. This program will be filled with activities to enhance children’s observation, problem-solving, math, reading, language and science skills. The evening will be spent both indoors, modeling activities to bring the outdoors in, and outdoors, because no child should be left inside. This professional development workshop is great for teachers, camp counselors, child care providers, home school parents and other educators. Dress for the outdoors. Light refreshments provided. Fee: $ 10. Thursday, May 31; 6 p.m.-8 p.m. For Educators of children ages 3-7
Pre-register by calling 800-859-2960 or email kim.noyes@gdfsuezna.com
Location: Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center, Northfield, MA
Project Learning Tree: Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood
This new early childhood education curriculum builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature. The activity guide, written for educators of children ages 3-6, includes over 130 experiences that engage children in outdoor play and exploration. Educators will participate in a variety of interactive, hands-on, fun-filled activities and gain experience and skills helpful for taking children outside to explore the natural world. This professional development workshop is great for teachers, camp counselors, child-care providers, home school parents and other educators of young children. Taught by Tim Rayworth, Regional Environmental Education Coordinator for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and Northfield Mountains Kim Noyes, this workshop will take place both inside and outside. PLT is correlated to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Standards and the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework. Sat., April 28; 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Fee: $ 20, includes Activity Guide and CD
Pre-register by calling 800-859-2960 or email kim.noyes@gdfsuezna.com
Location: Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center, Northfield, MA
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and Harvard Forest present Project Learning Tree
FOCUS on FORESTS
Workshop for Educators Interested in Field Work, Issue Analysis, and Critical Thinking Skills. Participate in hands-on forest exploration and model forest management decisionmaking activities. Receive PLT's Secondary Module, Focus on Forests. In-depth content, activities, and supplementary materials are presented in a flexible, user-friendly format. Written for middle and high school level, the module can be adapted to younger ages and informal situations. Spend the day in a collegial setting at Harvard Forest, a world-class long-term ecological research site. Harvard Forest is conveniently located just three miles south of Route 2 Exit 17, at 324 North Main Street (Route
32), Petersham. Meet inside the Fisher Museum. Snacks and beverages provided. Please dress for time spent outdoors in field study. Bring a lunch and explore the museum or the grounds after the program. $ 10 per person. Friday, June 1, 2012, 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA
For questions or to pre-register (by April 30), please call 413/584-6788 or email DCR Regional Educator Gini.Traub@state.ma.us Reasonable accommodations with advance notice.
ARTEMIS Computer Project for Rising 9th grade girls
Boston University is pleased to announce that it will host the 2nd annual Artemis Project. Artemis is a free, five-week computer science summer program for 8th grade girls who will be entering 9th grade in September 2012. Artemis introduces participants to the creative thinking and problem-solving skills that are at the core of computer science. The program was founded in 1996 at Brown University and we launched the first program at BU last summer. The girls who participated found Artemis to be both fun and engaging as evidenced by the video montage on the program homepage. Artemis sparks the interest of girls by making fundamental topics in computer science fun and engaging, incorporating lessons with hands-on activities as well as real-world applications. Artemis teaches girls how to design their own websites in HTML/CSS, build and program robotics, and create games using programming languages such as Java, Python, Scheme and Visual Basics. Sample conceptual topics included introduction to search and sort algorithms, cryptography, artificial intelligence, circuits, and recursion through Towers of Hanoi. In addition, students go on weekly field trips and hear from a variety of guest speakers. We hope that students will leave Artemis with both the practical skills and the conceptual background that will help them succeed. The program will be held in Boston University's Photonics Center from June 25 through July 27, 2012 M-F from 9:00-3:00. Please note, this is a day program and accommodations are not available. For more information and to apply, please visit the program website at http://www.bu.edu/lernet/artemis
CAPSULE Summer Engineering Professional Development Experience for High School Teachers
CAPSULE is a two-week Engineering Project-Based professional development experience for high school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers funded by the National Science Foundation. Northeastern University and the Museum of Science in collaboration with the Boston Public Schools invite you to join us this summer in the design and implementation of CAPSULE, providing Capstone experiences for High School Students. Participants will be immersed in a variety of engineering experiences supporting the development of a menu of engineering capstone experiences for the high school classroom. Compensation: $ 1,500 stipend for participation in the two-week course; $ 250 for follow-up meetings and participation in online community; and up to $ 250 towards supporting classroom materials and supplies; Graduate credit is available. Priority Application Deadline March 20, 2012 Applications Due March 30, 2012 Summer Institute July 16 - 27, 2012
Web site: CAPSULE at Northeastern University http://capsulenu.weebly.com/ Please complete the application found in the link below: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8K53ZRH
Contact Claire J. Duggan c.duggan@neu.edu 617-373-2036
Summer RET Program
The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is soliciting applications from middle and high school teachers for the summer RET program. Up to six teachers will be selected to participate in team research at the Silvio O. Conte Center for Polymer Research. Participants will perform research as a team and develop teaching modules to transfer their experience to their classroom. The teachers will be selected to research a topic from a broad spectrum of topics in chemistry, physics, engineering of polymers, and biology. Examples of projects under consideration are: nanomembranes, crystallization in confined geometries, sensors, polymer deformation and analyses of bio-physical processes. The program begins the last full week of June and has a flexible duration of 6-8 weeks. Benefits include a stipend of $ 800 per week, up to $ 1,000 to defray relocation expenses, six graduate credits, and 135 PDPs. Please visit to apply: http://www.pse.umass.edu/mrsec/RET-Program/index.html
The deadline for receipt of applications is April 1st. All participants must be either U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents.
Math with Robotics
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: MATERIALS WORLD MODULES (MWM) Teacher Training: The National Center for Advancement of STEM Education (nCASE) will bring MWM Training on Math with Robotics 1 to the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC), April 17, 18, 19, (Tues, Wed, Thurs) 8am-4:30 at US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, 15 Kansas Street Natick, MA 01760. MWM, a highly-acclaimed science program developed at Northwestern University, will be offered in the functioning labs at NSRDEC, giving teachers a unique experience. MWM offer hands-on learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for middle and high school students. Teachers will gain inquiry and design skills while having the opportunity to work with NSRDEC mentors within NSRDEC's facility. Math with Robotics 1 is open to Middle School Teachers and some High School Teachers. Robotics is proving to be an effective tool in STEM education. Nationally, students are responding with tremendous enthusiasm for programs utilizing the technology. nCASE lead instructors have developed an exciting mathematics program utilizing Lego Robotics as a primary (not only) component for classroom use. Teachers learn to integrate robotics with mathematics while performing a variety of intriguing hands-on activities to accomplish the following objectives: use self-discovery techniques; compare and contrast attributes of different wheels; program, collect and analyze data; and compare and contrast attributes of different gears. Teachers will receive a $ 75/day stipend for attending this training. Certificates of Attendance will be presented at completion of training; PDPs must be individually pursued. To register and save a spot, please email: Rebecca Engle at Rebecca.engle@us.army.mil Your email should include: Name, US Citizen (Y/N), Email Address, Home Address, Phone Number, School/Grade/Subject Matter, Module: Math with Robotics 1.
STEM Professional Development Centered on the NASA Centennial Challenge at WPI
Worcester Polytechnic Institute will be hosting the first NASA Sample Return Robot Challenge (part of the Centennial Challenges Program) on June 16-17, 2012. In honor of this event, the STEM Education Center at WPI is offering a free professional development program for science and technology teachers. The program will focus on project-based STEM learning related to the NASA challenge. Teachers will meet for two times, before and after the challenge, with a third unique opportunity for some of the teachers to bring their students to the WPI campus on Friday, June 15, and meet with the participating teams. Opening meeting: Wednesday, April 18 2012; 8am-12pm (during April Vacation). Participants learn about the NASA challenge, explore hands-on model eliciting activities (MEAs) and spend time creating project-based activities for their students that focus on one of the NASA challenge problems. Optional meeting: Friday, June 15 2012, two hours visit with students to the WPI campus. Participants have a unique opportunity to bring their students on campus and meet with the challenge teams a day before the competition. The students will be able to interact with the challenge participants and learn how they had resolved the same problems that the students faced. Closing meeting: 9am-11am during the week of June 25; exact day TBD. Participants reflect on and share their experiences in developing and conducting the projects in their classrooms. The teachers also meet with a challenge representative to learn about the results of the competition. Space is limited, we will accept applications until capacity is reached. Don’t miss this special opportunity to engage your students with the NASA Centennial Challenge. For registration click: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WPI_NASA_Challenge_PD_Registration
For further information please contact Mia Dubosarsky,mdubosarsky@wpi.edu or 508-831-5617.
Teachers on the Estuary
This summer the National Estuarine Research Reserves at Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island and Waquoit Bay in Massachusetts are again offering 4-day long "Teachers on the Estuary" (TOTE) professional development workshops. In addition, Weeks Bay in Alabama will also be offering a TOTE workshop this summer. The workshops are research and field-based professional development opportunities designed to improve teachers' and students' understanding of estuaries using local research examples. The workshops will provide resources and hands-on experiences to support the incorporation of estuary and watershed topics into classroom teaching. Participants will work with local scientists and coastal educators to explore estuary habitats, practice scientific field activities, and bring data into the classroom. The workshops are free, but space is limited so an application is required. They will be held July 9-12, 2012 plus follow up session, at Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Falmouth, MA .
To apply visit: http://www.waquoitbayreserve.org
For information about these workshops and other teacher training activities around the nation visit: http://www.estuaries.noaa.gov or contact joan.muller@state.ma.us
Museum Institute for Teaching Science 2012 Summer Institutes
How Science Inspires Engineering
Explore! Investigate! Invent! A minds-on, hands-on professional development experience for upper elementary and middle school educators that will provide you with scientific knowledge, classroom investigations, and a network of resources. Investigate the connections between science and engineering, and get ready to meet the forthcoming science and engineering frameworks. Learn how to present the engineering design process to your students and how it relates to science inquiry. Explore examples of how science has provided engineers with the foundations to create solutions to real world problems such as flight, machine design, building practices and the development of items you use every day. Participate in content and skill development sessions taught by professional educators and scientists at each partner organization. Take home investigations you can use in your classroom and a teaching resource kit! Find out about resources at education institutions in your region. Daily activities include indoor inquiry-based classroom experiences and outdoor field experiences. Offered in six regions of Massachusetts and Southeastern New Hampshire. Earn 60 PDPs, or 90 PDPs and 4 graduate credits Course Fee: $ 300 (discounts for teacher teams); additional fee and course requirements for graduate credit.
For more information please contact Tim LaVall: tlavallee@mits.org, 617-328-1515, http://www.mits.org
Registration Deadline: June 6th, 2012 (Call for space after deadline).
Economics U$A: 21st Century Edition
The so-called "dismal science" is dismal no longer as the result of this engaging and thoughtful exploration of the world of economics. Created by the Educational Film Center and offered as one of the Annenberg Learner resources, this primer on micro- and macroeconomics includes 28 30-minute programs. These materials were released in 2012, and they cover topics such as Supply and Demand, Economic Efficiency, and Profits and Interest. Educators will be glad to learn that the complete program website includes discussion questions, worksheets, and additional activities for the classroom. The series is quite up to date, and it even includes a discussion of the 2008 banking crisis and technology's broad influence on the economy.
Visit the website at: http://www.learner.org/resources/series79.html
Earth and Space Science
Earth and Space Science is a summer course for middle and high school teachers. It will develop an understanding of planetary accretion and evolution and the place of the Earth in the solar system. Topics will include: Making a planet: From elements to dust to planetesimals, Why there are volcanoes?, What shapes the crusts of planets?, Comparative planetology using maps, What is the lifetime of a planet?, and pertinent topics in mathematics. After the course, participants are encouraged to develop curriculum units that will be uploaded to the course website, edited as a group, and piloted during the school year. This material will be available for other teachers to use (with the writer's permission) via a course website. A $ 160 stipend and materials will be provided to each teacher. Free PDPs. No graduate credit. The program will be Tuesday and Wednesday, August 14 - 15, 2012 at U Mass Amherst. Apply at http://serc.carleton.edu/spaceboston/index.html
For information, contact Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton: ltelkins@dtm.ciw.edu, 202-478-8828
Applications are due April 1, 2012 . Late applications will be accepted if there is space.
UMASS STEM Digital Summer Institute
STEM Digital Images in Geoscience Investigations: Teaching Analysis with Light
STEM DIGITAL will show how digital image analysis can be applied to environmental quality issues in ways that can readily be introduced into STEM courses, engaging students and encouraging them to think about related careers. The air quality theme will focus on the three components of the atmosphere that primarily affect visible, infrared and ultraviolet light, respectively: particulates and aerosols, carbon dioxide, and ozone. The water quality theme will look at the role of plant biomass on drinking water quality and on global carbon cycling. Arsenic is listed as number one in the US in terms of environmental contaminants that pose a potential threat to human health; research topics will include the identification and mapping of local arsenic contaminated sites and bioremediation possibilities. You may choose to also participate in an academic year follow up and work on approximately six projects spread over the fall and spring semesters. These will be a combination of new projects, extensions from summer projects, and data sharing projects. There will be a stipend of $ 375 (and $ 300 for the optional school year follow-up). Three graduate credits will be available for the institute; at a cost of $ 300 plus a $ 45 registration fee. PDP's will be available at no cost. The program will be held from Monday, June 25th to Friday, June 29th at UMASS Amherst. For more information and to apply visit: http://www.umassk12.net/digital/
Or contact the institute at msilver@umassk12.net (413) 545-0734
Applications are due on April 1, 2012
Great Science for Girls
Funded by the National Science Foundation, Great Science for Girls has seven programs operated by intermediary organizations to provide informal opportunities for elementary to high school grade girls to explore science. Some of the programs focus specifically on astronomy, women scientists, engineering, and scientific inquiry. The website provides program information as well as information on "Status and Participation of Women in STEM", "Effective Practices in STEM", and "Afterschool Program Effectiveness". For any educator looking to encourage young women to discover STEM disciplines, this site is well worth a visit at
GreatScienceforGirls.org
UMASS Nanotechnology 2012 Summer Institute
Nanotechnology deals with materials on the scale of nanometers. Applications of this rapidly growing field include regenerative medicine, fabrics and construction materials of unprecedented strength and much more. The UMass Nanotechnology Summer Institute will explore the basic science and engineering concepts of this exciting new field, and will illustrate how they may be integrated into the usual math, science and technology courses in middle schools and high schools. The content and pedagogy will be aligned with the Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Framework. During the institute, participants will begin to develop curriculum units for their own classes. The program will be Monday to Friday, July 9 - July 13, 2012 at UMass, Amherst . A stipend of $ 375, materials, parking, lunches, and housing will be provided. Three graduate credits will be available for the institute and curriculum unit; the cost will be $ 300 plus a $ 45 registration fee. PDP's will be available at no cost.
To apply and for additional information visit:http://www.umassk12.net/nano/
Or contact STEM ed Institute at msilver@umassk12.net, (413) 545-0734
Applications are due on April 1, 2012
The Wisconsin Program for Scientific Teaching Digital Library
Sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professors Program, the Wisconsin Program for Scientific Teaching is designed to "enhance undergraduate biology education by training a new generation of 'scientific teachers." The hope is that these new instructors will bring the rigor and spirit of science research to teaching. The program is based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and partners have worked to create the materials for this very nice digital library. On this site, users will find twenty different units designed to get young people excited about science. Visitors can scroll through the offerings here, including "Going Viral!" and "Microbial Ecology, Evolution, and Symbiosis". Each unit includes a teacher's guide, along with a listing of primary goals and supplemental materials.
Visit the website at: http://scientificteaching.wisc.edu/library/
NOVA:scienceNOW: Explore Teacher's Guides
The vast and fascinating world of science and technology is made accessible and interesting via NOVA's fine programs. This particular website was designed by NOVA's scienceNOW group, and it offers a wide range of teacher's guides designed to be used in conjunction with the scienceNOW programs. The guides are divided into thirteen topical areas, including "Mathematics", "Physics" and "space Science". The activities within each area are designed to be used before and after viewing the scienceNOW programs, and they include activities around primate evolution, the 1918 flu epidemic, and mass extinctions. Visitors can also look over science news updates, as well as research projects like Einsten@home, which deals with looking into waves from space.
Visit the website at : http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/educators/subject-anth.html
Computer Simulations for Teachers (ITOP)
The Department of Physics and the School of Education at Boston University are continuing their offering of graduate courses for physics teachers. Chemistry and Mathematics teachers are welcome as well. The courses are part of the sequence Improving the Teaching of Physics (Project ITOP)NS 548 Computer Modeling Section A1 (2 credits). Learn Easy Java and create your own simulations for teaching. Meets at Boston University on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 7:30.
For more information visit: http://physics.bu.edu/teachers
Contact Andrew Duffy (617)353-9089 at aduffy@bu.edu or
Peter Garik (617)353-4735 at 
