Fall Science Update – Call for Presenters
The Regional Math and Science Center is currently recruiting teachers, professors, and science consultants to present K-12 science sessions during the annual Fall Science Update. This full-day conference will take place on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Eberhard Center, located on Grand Valley State University’s downtown Grand Rapids campus.
We welcome hour-long science sessions on current content information and teaching strategies in biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, environmental science, physical science, and technology. We also encourage sessions that will feature successful teaching strategies and tools for the classroom. Opportunities for student learning adventures, both as field trips and/or classroom experiences, may also be presented.
The deadline for presenter applications is Friday, June 5, 2009. Please download a presentation form for the Fall Science Update on our website at www.gvsu.edu/rmsc or contact Margo Dill at (616) 331-2272 or dillm@gvsu.edu for additional information.
The brochure for this year’s event will be mailed out to schools in early October, 2009.
MCTM / T3 Conference
The Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics is presenting their annual conference and institute at Dakota High School in Macomb, Michigan. The conference will take place on August 6-7, featuring keynote presentations from Hung-His Wu and our own Judy Flowers, as well as dozens of breakout sessions on a variety of topics.
The Institutes on August 4 and 5, feature one and two day sessions focusing on specific issues for mathematics teachers in a far more focused environment.
For more information, check the MCTM website at www.mictm.org.
The 2nd Michigan Joint Education Conference is coming soon!
Focusing on the conference theme of “Connecting 21st Century Learning”, this conference addresses the use of highly relevant integrated curriculum in Michigan schools. MSTA (Michigan Science Teachers Association), MCTM (Michigan Council for Teacher of Mathematics), MCSS (Michigan Council for the Social Studies), MAMSE (Michigan Association of Middle School Educators), and MACUL (Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning) have all joined together to bring needed information to teachers!
There will be over 60 presentations we have this year, and the 11 groups who have joined in this effort also include:
The groups are:
- MAASE – MI Association of Administrators of Special Education
- MAISD – MI Association of Intermediate School Administrators
- MAME – MI Association of Media in Education
- MASA – MI Association of School Administrators
- MASCD – MI Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development
- MBEA – MI Business Education Association
- MCEC – MI Council for Exceptional Children
- MCTE – MI Council of Teachers of English
- MMSCH – MI Mathematics & Science Centers Network
- MSDA – MI Staff Development Council
- REMC – Regional Educational Media Centers for Michigan
Everyone has joined together to bring lessons that will cover more than one strand…..also, we will have over 50 vendors with information and materials to help you.
AND - the price is ONLY $49 for members…..so, if you are a member of any of the 16 groups listed above, you can come for $49…..and that includes breakfast and lunch! (Non-member registration is $79).
Don’t wait – early registration ends June 5, 2009 – after that, there is a late fee!!
For full details and the registration form, go to: www.mijec.org
Field Test Opportunity with Inquiry-Based Curriculum Materials
BSCS is seeking eighth grade middle school science teachers to field test a standards- and inquiry-based unit between November 2009 and March 2010. The overall goal of the project is to improve learning in science for all students. Teacher-collaborators will choose one major content area from an eighth grade multi-disciplinary science program currently under development (Life Science, Earth/Space Science, Physical Science, or Science and Society) and will teach a unit on that content area to their students. Teacher and student feedback will play a key role in informing the revision of the materials. As a former classroom teacher, I can assure you that BSCS is developing this program with the best approaches to student learning in mind. These approaches are based on current research in learning and teaching for conceptual understanding and include literacy strategies, sense-making strategies, and a constructivist approach to teaching/learning science. Each unit addresses standards that closely align with state and national standards for eighth grade science.
Field testing will begin the second week of November, 2009, and will continue through the end of March, 2010 or until you complete the unit. Selected field test teachers will also be invited to consider field testing the revised materials in the 2010-2011 school year. BSCS will provide additional support for the implementation of the revised materials.
We are excited about working with classroom teachers around the country to develop leadership in teaching multi-disciplinary science. If you are interested in field testing an eighth grade science unit, please visit www.bscs.org/inquiry8 for additional information and to download an application [.pdf].
Submit your application by 15 June 2009 to be given priority status and receive a free gift bag. The final application deadline is 25 September 2009. Please pass on this information to any of your colleagues who might be interested.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Thank you,
Sue Kowalski
Science Educator, Field Test Coordinator