Opportunities for Teachers

The Museum Institute for Teaching Science (MITS, Inc.) invites you to join us for our 2018 MITS Professional Development Seminar Series – full day workshops that cover both scientific content and inquiry-based pedagogy. Seminars are designed for staff and volunteers from science, environmental, history, technology, art and other cultural institutions and centers in New England. Teachers are also welcome. All sessions promise to provide hands-on, minds-on professional development opportunities for you and your staff. Come to one or more!

Wednesday, January 24th

• Extreme Events and Climate Change: What We Know and Some Ideas About What to Do About It 
  Presenter: Ellen Marie Douglas, Associate Professor of Hydrology, School for the Environment, UMass Boston
• How We Know What We Know: Using Real-World Data to Explore Key Climate Concepts
  Presenter: Jeremy D. Shakun, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Boston College

Wednesday, February 14th

• Developing a Taste for Molecular Biology
  Presenter: Lindsay Mehrmanesh, Biology Teaching Lab Supervisor, Brandeis University
• Sharing Science: Connecting Scientists and Engineers with the Public
  
• Presenters: Denise LeBlanc, Director of Learning Experiences, and Elizabeth Leahy, Assistant Director of Learning Experiences, The Discovery Museums, Acton, MA

Wednesday, March 28th (special full-day session)

• Dig In: Strengthening Sustainability Learning Through Farm-to-School Connection
  Presenters: Ryan Morra, Professional Learning Coordinator, Shelburne Farms & Vermont FEED and Simca Horwitz, Director, Massachusetts Farm to School Project

Tuesday, April 24th

• The Technology, Data and People Behind Forecasting in the National Weather Service
  Presenter: Glenn Field, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, NOAA/National Weather Service, Boston, MA
• Engaging Students with Weather & Climate Through Media
  Presenter: Jake Foster, Director, STEM Curriculum and Instruction, WGBH

Dates: January 24th, February 14th, March 28th and April 24th

Time: 9:30 am – 3:30 pm

Location: Higgins University Center, Clark University, Worcester, MA

Cost: $40 per seminar (discounted fees of $108 are offered for attending 3 seminars or $140 for attending all 4 seminars) 

Certificates of participation are available for each seminar. PDPs are available for those participating in 2 or more seminar dates.

Visit www.mits.org for more information and details about each session. Click here to register: https://museuminstituteforteachingscience.wufoo.com/forms/r1e2xt41a9win7/ 

Inspire the next generation of ocean and environmental scientists and stewards! One week left to sign up to present a workshop or interactive table demo at the 2018 High School Marine Science Symposium (HSMSS), sponsored by the Massachusetts Marine Educators (MME) and the Northeastern University Marine Science Center. 

We are particularly seeking table fair presenters at this time, who will deliver short, 5-10 minute activities or demonstrations, as groups of students rotate through the tables to meet presenters.

When: Thursday, March 8^th, 2018, 8am-1pm (presenters are done at 11:30am with the option to stay for keynote/lunch)

Where: Northeastern University, Boston

What: Individuals and presenter groups deliver a hands-on workshop or table demo/activity for high school students

If you are willing and able to participate, please register by Friday, December 22nd by following this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QGK35VT

The Hog Island Audubon Camp has been in operation since 1936 and is primarily an adult-focused facility which offers about 15 different residential programs each summer, each lasting for 6 days.  Some of our 2018 programs include  Field Ornithology; Sharing Nature: An educator’s week ; The Joy of Birding; Arts and Birding; etc. etc.    http://hogisland.audubon.org

We even have a scholarship program for interested individuals.

The Museum Institute for Teaching Science (MITS) has partnered with Mass Audubon to hold an electrifying alternative energy workshop, Lighting the Way with Wind and Solar: Pathways to a Sustainable Energy Future. Middle and High School Educators, join us for this two-day workshop, and... 

• Engage in an exploration of Earth’s energy balance, weather patterns and climate change.

• Discover how wind turbines and solar panels generate power that produces clean electricity and reduces carbon in the atmosphere.

• Experiment with solar and wind powered technologies; design a solar powered house.

• Discover how to adapt your curriculum to include energy-related investigations that meet the Revised MA Science and Engineering/Technology Standards.

• Charge up your curriculum with a kit containing equipment ready to use in your classroom.

What: 2-Day Alternative Energy Workshop for Middle and High School Educators

Workshop Title: Lighting the Way with Wind and Solar: Pathways to a Sustainable Energy Future

Dates: Friday and Saturday, December 1 & 2, 2017

Time: 8:30 am – 3:30 pm

Location: Gordon Hall, Mass Audubon Headquarters, Lincoln, MA

Fee: $175 (includes toolkit of materials to take back to your classroom)

Collaborators: Museum Institute for Teaching Science, Mass Audubon

Registration Deadline: Monday, November 27, 2017

PDPs: 13 PDPs are available for this workshop.

Register Online: https://museuminstituteforteachingscience.wufoo.com/forms/rkxlqru1a7fjcg/

For more information, visit http://mits.org/teacher-workshops/.

December 2: Fall Section Meeting of NAGT-NE 2017 (National Association of Geology Teachers - New England).

A consortium of geoscience educators. 

K12 and higher education instructors as well as informal educators are welcome to attend.

The fall meeting for the New England Section of the NAGT will take place on December 2, 2017 at the University of Massachusetts Lowell in the Olney Science Center room 212. 

10:00-10:45 am: Business Meeting (News, Voting) All welcome.

11:00- 12:00 Dr. Daniel Obrist will present on his latest research: “Tundra uptake of atmospheric elemental mercury drives Arctic mercury pollution.” This research was described in July for the Journal Nature.

Dr. Obrist is the new Department Chair for the Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. 

12:00 Lunch: Bring your own.

12:30 - 2:00ish  Short Local Geology Field Trip

If the weather cooperates, we will go on a short field trip through the Nashoba and Merrimack Terranes. 

Contact/Questions?  Lori Weeden 

President New England Section National Association of Geoscience Teachers 

Senior Lecturer Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences University of Massachusetts Lowell 

Lori_weeden@uml.edu

Opening on October 18 at Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) in Lowell, Silent Sky is the incredible true story of boundary-shattering New England astronomer Henrietta Leavitt and her colleagues working at Harvard Observatory in the early 20th century. Astronomers and scientists get 25% off tickets using promocode: SKYPLAY. (4 tickets per order, offer may be rescinded at any time, cannot be combined with other offers.) Just call the Box Office at 978-654-4678 or go online at mrt.org to buy your tickets. Also, student tickets are always just $15.

The 2018 Energy Conference for Educators brings together educators from all over the country that are passionate about bringing energy education to their classrooms. Through five interactive days in Galveston, the conference will provide educators with the most up-to-date information on all aspects of energy including the science of energy, sources of energy, transportation, electricity, efficiency, and environmental and economic impacts.

Participants receive the training and materials to implement innovative hands-on energy units in their classrooms, multi-disciplinary teams, and after-school programs. NEED leaders at the conference help participants develop specialized units that meet state standards and can be utilized with students of all learning styles.

Who Should Attend

•             Educators interested in Energy!

•             Science and STEM Teachers

•             Informal Educators

•             Museum Education Staff

•             Utility Education and Outreach Staff

Registration Fee: $1,500

Includes:

•                      Conference materials

•                      Curriculum materials

•                      Double occupancy lodging

•                      Most meals

•                      Local transportation to and from the airport in the conference city

Scholarships for classroom teachers are available (On your application indicate scholarship is requested). Graduate credit is available.

Apply Today! need.org/summertraining

What past attendees have said:

“I would definitely recommend this conference! It’s a great way to network with other people and get to know more ways to implement science lessons and make them more fun!”

“This was a 100% ‘on’ workshop, no fluff or disorganized wasted time.”

“This has been, by far, the best professional development I have attended. The presenters modeled best practices.”

As you may know there is a 15 PDP course requirement in the field of English Learner Education in order for professional educators in Massachusetts to advance their licensure. MATSOL is offering a course specifically for educators of mathematics and science. The information about the course is found below:

Academic English for English Learners in Math and Science (EL-106)

·         EL-106-FA17-001: Oct 28 & Dec 16, 2017 (Burlington)

MATSOL also offers SEI endorsement courses for educators and administrators.  These offerings are listed below.

Massachusetts Sheltered English Immersion Teacher Endorsement Course (RE-600)

·         RE-600-FA17-001 - Starts Sep 5, 2017 - Tuesdays 4:00-7:00 PM (12 sessions), Fitchburg MA

·         RE-600-FA17-002 - Starts Sep 20, 2017 - Wednesdays 4:00 - 7:00 PM (12 sessions), Swansea MA

·         RE-600-FA17-003 - Starts Oct 3, 2017 - Tuesdays 4:00 - 7:00 PM (12 sessions), Lexington MA

·         RE-600-AY18-001 - Starts Jan 9, 2018  - Tuesdays 4:00 - 7:00 PM (12 sessions), Framingham MA

·         RE-600-AY18-002- Starts Jan 18, 2018 - Thursdays 4:30 - 7:30 PM (12 sessions), North Attleborough, MA

Massachusetts Sheltered English Immersion Administrator Endorsement Course (RE-601)

·         RE-601-FA17-001 - Starts Sep 27, 2017 - Wednesdays 4:00 - 7:00 PM (5 sessions), Lexington MA

·         RE-601-FA17-002 - Starts Sep 28, 2017 - Thursdays 4:00 - 7:00 PM (5 sessions), Framingham MA

·         RE-601-FA17-003 - Starts Oct 25, 2017 - Wednesdays 8:30-11:30 AM (5 sessions), Hingham MA

·         RE-601-AY18-001 - Starts Jan 9, 2018 - Tuesdays 4:30 - 7:30 PM (5 sessions), North Attleborough, MA

Arduino is an electronics platform (mini-computer). “Arduino boards are able to read inputs -

light on a sensor, a finger on a button, or a Twitter message - and turn it into an output -

activating a motor, turning on an LED, publishing something online.” They’ve been used for

engineering and robotics projects, science experiments, artwork, and more!

Hear about Arduino and want to learn more?

Want to use them in your classroom, but you’re not sure where to start?

Please join us for a FREE hands-on workshop at Smith College. This workshop is targeted to

middle- and high-school science and technology teachers who are interested in learning about the

Arduino platform. We will begin with an introduction to Arduino and circuits and conclude with

some time to play with an Arduino and test out introductory lab activities. If you are familiar

with Arduino already, more advanced labs will be available. Space is limited, so please RSVP.

More info/RSVP:

Kristen Dorsey

(413) 585-4058

KDorsey@smith.edu

The Laboratory Safety Institute will be offering 24-hour lab safety short courses at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, on July 24-27, 2017 and at LSI in Natick, MA on August 7-10, 2017 

This course provides an in-depth look at the fundamentals of lab safety and effective lab safety programs. You will learn to identify and manage common laboratory hazards; many of which you may never have considered. Using a "real world" approach to safety issues in the laboratory, our seasoned instructors will illustrate how to reduce the likelihood of injury, illness, accidents and lawsuits while providing you with simple, inexpensive (even free) things that you can do to have an even better safety program. Registrants are encouraged to bring their problem descriptions, accident accounts and safety program materials for review and discussion.

Topics will include:

• Accidents & Activities

• Biological & Animal Hazards

• Chemical Handling & Storage

• Compressed Gases

• Disposal of Chemicals

• Electrical Safety

• Eye & Face Protection

• Fire Control

• Handling Glassware

• Hazardous Waste Disposal

• Labeling

• Legal Aspects of Safety

• Needs Assessment

• OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Std

• OSHA Lab Standard

• Planning for Emergencies

• Radiation

• Recordkeeping

• Safety Program Planning

• Scope of the Problem

• Student/ Employee Involvement

• Ventilation 

Registrants will receive 2.1 Continuing Education Units (CEU's).

The course duration is 24 hours spread over 4 days. Priced at $1095. Register at labsafetyinstitute.org.