Tuesday, May 31, 2016

IRD is looking for Professional Development Study Participants

Instructional Research Group (IRG) in Los Alamitos, California, has announced a professional development (PD) opportunity for 8th grade teachers as part of a federal research grant. The PD is available for 8th grade social studies teachers who teach American history and have English Learners (EL) in their classrooms. This project will help teachers learn to augment and enhance their existing curricular material by incorporating academic vocabulary instruction. They will learn about effective vocabulary instruction for teaching both general academic vocabulary words used across disciplines and specific vocabulary words that are unique to American history. The vocabulary material covered in the PD sessions will help teachers in addressing the literacy, language, and reading standards associated with history/social studies content for 8th grade. Participating teachers will collaborate with their colleagues to develop lesson plans based on effective vocabulary instructional techniques. The PD sessions will be conducted at the school site at a time that is convenient to teachers.  All teachers participating in the study will receive a $500.00 stipend, and their school will receive a regular institutional membership to National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) for one year (a $121 value). The study will be conducted during 2016–17 year.

Results from this study will help school districts in building the capacity of middle school teachers to improve the academic vocabulary of their students—both English learners and other learners in the classroom. Improved academic vocabulary use in oral and writing activities is a potential benefit for students, especially English learners.

Contact Dr. Mary-Jo Taylor to participate or for additional information. Details about the design of the study can be found here.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Free GLOBE Teacher Workshop: July 14-15, Denver

The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program is an international science and education program that provides students and the public worldwide with the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process, and contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment.  GLOBE provides grade level-appropriate, interdisciplinary activities and investigations about the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and soil/pedosphere, which have been developed by the scientific community and validated by teachers.  GLOBE connects students, teachers, scientists, and citizens from different parts of the world to conduct real, hands-on science about their local environment and put in a global perspective.

If you are a teacher who cares about deepening student learning through real world field experiences, become a GLOBE teacher and learn about Eco-Schools USA in this free workshop. Designed for teachers in grades 6-8, but teachers from any grade level are welcome to attend. 

Click here for more information and to register.

Colorado Foundation for Water Education: Summer Training Opportunities

CFWE LogoStormwater Education Workshop Series
July 7, Glenwood Springs
August 18, Sterling
August 23, Durango
September 19, Pueblo
The Colorado Foundation for Water Education's Water Education Network is partnering with Earth Force and Denver Public Works to host four stormwater educator workshops. These are intended for water educators including River Watch Teachers, municipal stormwater professionals, watershed organizations, environmental educators, water festival volunteers and any other interested water professional or teacher. Registration for the first three workshops is now open! Register and read 
more here.

Project WET Train the Trainer Facilitator Training
July 19 and 20, Carbondale
Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) is the most widely used K-12 water education curriculum in the world. This summer's trainings are for any water education organization or educator who would like the train the trainer credential (or update their credential) to host their own Project WET educator workshops within their community. View video | Learn more about the workshops and register here

Project WET Experienced Facilitator 2.0 Update Webinar
July 12, Online
Have you attended a Project WET facilitator workshop in the past? Have you previously facilitated educator Project WET workshops? We need you to keep excellent water education happening across Colorado! We would like to offer you a webinar to update you on the new exciting Project WET available resources as well as invite you to work with the Water Educator Network to order books for your upcoming educator workshops.
This two hour webinar will introduce you to the new resources, share the system for ordering books, and offer tools for marketing your upcoming educator/teacher workshops.

This workshop is free to WEN members but registration is required. Click here to register.

Teaching STEM Literacy through Infographics

If you are interested in incorporating science infographics in your curriculum to improve STEM education in our country, please consider joining the SLI Teacher Summer Institute at UC-Boulder.  

SLIThe "STEM Literacy through Infographics" (SLI) project aims to improve the science literacy and mathematical reasoning of participating high school youth by involving them in the critique and construction of science news infographics. For examples of youth-created infographics, click here 

Teachers selected to be involved in the project will participate in professional development programs (July 18-22, 2016 on the CU campus with approximately 30 hours of meeting time, and two to four followup meetings with 4-8 hours of “virtual” meeting time during non-school hours across the academic year). Participating teachers will be compensated $1,200 for their time ($800 for participation in summer, and $500 for academic year followup). In order to participate, teachers will need to secure permission from their school district and/or school to ask for student assent and parent or guardian consent to participate in a research project approved under IRB at University of Colorado Boulder. 

Please contact Joseph Polman or project research associate Joanna Weidler-Lewis for more information.  

Friday, May 20, 2016

CU Science Discovery Summer STEM Academies

Non-credit STEM Academies are open to high school students completing grades 9, 10 and 11. Taught by CU Boulder faculty and graduate students, Academies include guided laboratory work, field trips, guest lectures and discussion groups. These full-day, 3-week long programs are designed for highly motivated high school students looking to delve deeper into a specific STEM field. Topics include: Aerospace, biotechnology, chemistry, earth science, engineering, and programming.   Each program includes morning and afternoon sessions split by a midday lunch break at CU Boulder's incredible dining hall, the Center for Community (C4C); where students will get a taste of college life (daily lunch included in course registration fee). Payment plans can be arranged. 

Please relay this link regarding CU-Boulder's STEM Academies to your students!

Outdoor Understanding for Teachers (OUT) Summer Institute

Colorado Parks and WildlifeJoin Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Partners for OUT Teacher Training Workshops!
Discover the tools needed to help students in the field experience a sense of the changing human dimension on Colorado’s landscape and help kids evaluate their changing world. Participants will spend the week investigating various local landscapes to better understand the natural environment and how we humans can both positively and negatively impact the world around us. 
1.5 Credits available through Colorado School of Mines. 
Registration is $50/participant.
Click here for more information regarding the workshop calendar and registration.  

Stem Summer Institute 2016

Announcing the STEM Summer Institute at the University of Denver, June 13-17, 2016!

UNC Offering Free Summer Field Trip Series

University of Northern ColoradoThe Earth & Atmospheric Sciences department at University of Northern Colorado is hosting a series of geoscience field trips this summer, FREE and open to the public! Destinations include Rocky Mountain National Park, Carter Lake, Red Mountain Open Space, Lyons, Estes Park, and more. Trips are scheduled between June 1 and July 27, and registration is required two weeks prior to each trip. See the flyer for more details.