NSTA Conference Presentations

March is conference month for educators.  And, it certainly is for MMSTLC.  The presentations continue at the National Science Teacher Association Annual Convention in Philadelphia, PA, from March 18-21. These sessions highlight two specific sets of resources and activities that came out of the MMSTLC Science Leadership development efforts.  The first, Investigate the State, is a combination professional development/inquiry-based curriculum program that utilizes online tools to encourage collaboration among educators and classrooms on large scale scientific investigations, such as water quality in a watershed, or regional air quality concerns.  You can learn more about this program at the presentation, or by wandering over to our “sister” site – investigatethestate.org.

The second session focuses on the writing strategies that were the focus of many discussions and activities focusing on assessment practices.  This session is one of the featured sessions at the conference.  We would love to have you attend, so please check out the NSTA site to register, and see the session times for our presentations below:

Say What You Mean! Strategies to Help Students Better Communicate Science
2:00 – 3:00 pm, Saturday, March 20
Philadelphia Marriott, Grand Salon G

Investigate the State: Collaborating to Study Science Issues in Michigan
9:30 – 10:30 am, Saturday, March 20
Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel, Room: Freedom H

MSTA Conference Presentations

MMSTLC Leaders will be presenting six sessions and a full day workshop at the upcoming Michigan Science Teacher Association conference. The MSTA Conference, which takes place March 4-6 in Lansing, is the premier annual science education conference for teachers in Michigan. These sessions or workshops, which utilize MMSTLC resources, include:

Science Specific Writing Skills to Enhance Student Understanding
Full day workshop (including lunch) from 9:00am to 2:30pm, Thursday, March 4
Registration fee is $45 and includes materials, lunch, and refreshments
Radisson Hotel, Room Capital 4

Say What You Mean! Strategies to Help Students Better Communicate Science
10:00 – 10:45am, Friday, March 5
Room 102, Lansing Center

The Problem with Models and How to Fix Them
11:00 – 11:45am, Friday, March 5
Room 201, Lansing Center

Creating a New Generation of Science Leaders
4:00 – 4:45pm, Friday, March 5
Room 203, Lansing Center

Web 2.0 in the Classroom: Collaborative Learning Tools for Science
10:00 – 10:45am, Saturday, March 6
Room 104, Lansing Center

Investigate the State: Collaborating to Study Science Issues in Michigan
11:00 – 11:45am, Saturday, March 6
Room 104, Lansing Center

Science Book Studies as Professional Learning Communities
1:00 – 1:45pm, Saturday, March 6
Room 202, Lansing Center

The MMSTLC presents a workshop for educators:

Science Specific Writing Skills to Enhance Student Understanding.

Presented by Stephen Best and Nancy Williams, University of Michigan

This workshop focuses on one of the more challenging issues that educators deal with in science – getting our students to better communicate their understanding of science through writing.  The workshop is one of the pre-conference offerings for the MSTA Conference in Lansing in March.  The workshop is a full day (9:00 am – 2:30 pm) session, held on March 4 at the Radisson Hotel in Lansing.

Check here for more information.

This flyer provides information about the workshop.

MACUL (Michigan Association of Computer Users in Learning) is accepting applications for the 2010 MI Champions program. MI Champions provides support for professional development around technology use and integration for teachers, based on the NETS standards. For the program, teams of 3-5 teachers from a school can apply, with up to 70 schools or 350 educators participating in the program. MI Champions awardees receive funding to support participation at the MACUL conference in 2010 and 2011, onsite coaching, professional development support (including stipends and sub-reimbursements), and the possibility of CEU or graduate credit for the experience.

For more information, visit the MI Champions website and check out the application form.

Applications are due December 16, 2009.

Fall Science Conferences

There are a number of conferences taking place this fall that address a range of science topics and content for teachers. Sure, MSTA is great, but it isn’t the only conference in the state. Check these out:

MESTA Conference – The Michigan Earth Science Teachers Association annual conference will take place Oct. 2-3 “in the Detroit area” (translation – there are field studies!). More information here…

Urban Environmental Education Conference from MAEOE – The Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education is hosting this conference at the UM Dearborn’s Environmental Interpretation Center from Oct. 8-10. More information here…

Michigan AAPT Annual Meeting – The Michigan Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers is having their annual meeting at the Alden Dow Science Musuem in Midland on Oct. 10. This meeting will feature a workshop on quantum physics. More information here…

Fall Science Update – The Regional Math and Science Center of Grand Valley State University is hosting the 25th annual Fall Science Update for K-12 educators on November 18 at the GVSU Eberhard Center in Grand Rapids. This year’s theme is “Building Enduring Understands in Science”. More information here…

It’s that time again – time to get any proposals to present at the spring conferences submitted. There are a number of conferences for mathematics and science educators coming up next spring, and many of these are accepting proposals to present for the next few weeks.

Are you looking for an opportunity to share your ideas and expertise in the classroom? Would you like a chance to attend some of these workshops for free? Then, this is your chance. Check some of the links below to find out more about the conferences, and to submit your proposals to present.

Conferences and Links

COLLABORATIVE TOOLS FOR LEARNING CONFERENCE
November 13, 2009 at the Macomb ISD
MACUL’s fall conference, a single-day event that focuses on the use of online collaborative tools.
Click here for more information about the conference.

Proposal submissions are due October 5.

MSTA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
March 4-6, 2010 at the Lansing Convention Center
Annual conference for the Michigan Science Teacher Association.

Click here for more information about the conference.

Proposal submissions are due October 5.

MACUL ANNUAL CONFERENCE
March 4-6, 2010 at the Lansing Convention Center
Annual conference for the Michigan Science Teacher Association.

Click here for more information about the conference.

Proposal submissions are due September 29.

MICHIGAN JOINT EDUCATION CONFERENCE CONFERENCE
June 23, 2010 at Holt High School
Annual conference for cross-curricular efforts – a collaboration of the various teacher professional organizations.

Click here for more information about the conference.

Proposal submission information will be posted on their site later this fall.

NDSC SUMMER CONFERENCE
July 18-21, 2010 in Seattle
Summer conference for the National Staff Development Council

Click here for more information about the conference.

Proposal submissions are due October 2.

NCTM REGIONAL CONFERENCES
October 2010 in Denver, Baltimore, and New Orleans
Regional conferences for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Click here for more information about the conference.

Proposal submissions are due November 1.

SAMPI at Western Michigan University is offering a training workshop on the use of the SAMPI Lesson Observation System. The session is designed for those who might want to use the tool for evaluation or research. A brief description of the system is provided below. If you are interested in knowing more about the tool, we can send you a more detailed brochure.

The workshop will be offered at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo on Monday, August 17 (8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) and Tuesday, August 18, 2009 (8:30 a.m. – Noon). This will be for the basic version of the observation system. On Tuesday, August 18 from 1 – 3:30 p.m., we will provide training on the mentoring version of the system. (NOTE: Only those who have had training on the basic version may participate in the mentoring version.)

To be approved to use the system and receive all the materials, you must participate in the full 10-hour workshop (in this case, both days). THERE IS NO COST TO YOU TO PARTICIPATE, OTHER THAN YOU PROVIDE YOUR OWN TRANSPORTATION AND OTHER TRAVEL COSTS. We’ll provide lunch on Monday and refreshments both days.

For the mentoring version training, you must participate in the full 2.5 hour session to receive materials. We can provide information about overnight accommodations if you need them.

If you are interested in participating, just RSVP to this email (from crystal.stein [at] wmich.edu), giving us email, telephone, and regular mail contact information, along with your affiliation. We will send a confirmation with specific details about location on campus and parking instructions.

YOU MUST RSVP BY Wednesday, August 5, 2009.

About the SAMPI Lesson Observation System:

“A comprehensive protocol for observing, analyzing, and reporting data from observations of content-based lessons in kindergarten through twelfth grade, and higher education classrooms. It is applicable in science, mathematics, social studies, language arts, fine arts, and other content-based lessons. It is based on Michigan and national teaching and learning standards in core subject areas with an orientation toward inquiry and investigative approaches to learning.”

Are you looking for a chance to broaden your horizons this summer and learn something new to support your teaching? Here are a number of professional learning opportunities posted by our colleagues around the state:

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