Professional Development Opportunities

American Museum of Natural History Online Professional Development Courses

Designed for K-12 educators and available this Spring, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) offers award-winning Seminars on Science online professional development courses. The six-week courses immerse the learner in an area of contemporary research, and are taught by Museum scientists and educators, and feature rich web-based discussions. Graduate credit is available from a number of major institutions and may meet local professional development requirements. For more information and to register, go to http://learn.amnh.org or call 800-649-6715.

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Coastal Processes in the Outer Banks is a free workshop offered as part of the Coastal Legacy: Multicultural Marine Science, Professional Development Summer Program from the Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence- SouthEast (COSEE-SE). Participants will explore the physical forces that create barrier island dynamics. By investigating regional geology, currents, waves and weather, educators will learn how researchers use technology to measure the processes and enhance their Earth science and physical sciences classes. Multicultural strategies that maximize learning in the science classroom will be examined. Applications will be accepted from middle and high school teachers, pre-service teachers, and informal educators in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia; teachers in schools with high percentages of underrepresented/underserved populations are encouraged to apply.

Information and applications will be available on the web site.

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Digital Workshops offers online professional development for teachers in math and science, language arts, and other areas. Watch presentations on vocabulary, phonemic awareness, reading and writing in the content areas, algebra, measurement and geometry, computation, linear equations, differentiated instruction, history, inclusive classrooms, and using data to improve instruction.

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The Faculty and Student Teams (FaST) Program is a cooperative effort between the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Faculty from colleges and universities with limited research facilities and those institutions serving populations, women, and minorities underrepresented in the fields of science, engineering, and technology are encouraged to apply for the FaST program. The FaST program will support a team comprised of one faculty member and 2 – 3 undergraduate students. The program provides hands-on research opportunities in DOE national laboratories during the summer. The faculty member identifies a mutually beneficial research area amenable to collaboration by the faculty member and the laboratory scientist. Potential areas of collaboration are based upon the Project Descriptions described at the specific DOE Office of Science laboratory. Faculty and student team members recruited by the faculty member should apply online. If the application is accepted, your institution may be responsible for requesting supplemental funding from NSF to support the team's participation.

For more information please visit their web site.

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Elementary, middle and high school teachers are invited to join NASA and the International Technology Education Association’s one-day professional development workshops. Attendees will receive standards-based units complete with assessments and teacher resources that align with the upcoming STS-118 mission.

For more information, please visit the web site.

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Master's Degree in Education for Science Teachers

Online Master's Degree in Education from UMassOnline was created for elementary and middle school teachers who are ready to increase their science content knowledge and teaching skills. UMassOnline features hands-on, inquiry-based online science and science education courses 100% online. For more information and to register, go to the UMassOnline web site.

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Master's Degree in Earth Science Education

This program is designed to expand and enhance the expertise and skill-base of in-service secondary-level Earth science teachers through a carefully structured and integrated set of instructional experiences. The program includes both classroom and field-based (i.e., "outdoor") elements, and builds on the strong, successful and long-standing undergraduate program in Earth science education at EMU.

The degree is grounded in developing the skills represented in these roles and competencies and will prepare future Earth science educators to be at the forefront in evaluating, incorporating and promoting new developments in Earth science content and pedagogy in the secondary classroom setting. For more information and to register, go to the Eastern Michigan University web site.

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Each summer, 600 third- through fifth-grade teachers from school districts across the country attend the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academies. The Academies offer a five-day program, with camps in New Jersey, Texas and Louisiana, designed to provide third- through fifth-grade teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to motivate students to pursue careers in science and math.

Taught by a distinguished faculty compiled through the National Science Teachers Association and Math Solutions, teachers experience a fresh and engaging approach to many math and science concepts. The Academy faculty follow a philosophy of a learning cycle, the 5E teaching and learning model based on the theory that students learn best when they are allowed to work out explanations for themselves through learning experiences structured by the teacher. This learning cycle has five key cyclical components: engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration and evaluation. The structure of the model demonstrates the benefit of teachers guiding students through the learning process which is key to students fully understanding the critical subjects of math and science. To learn more and apply, log on to the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy website. Contact Dr. Joe Sciulli, Program Director, at jsciulli@nsta.org if you have questions.

For more information please visit their web site.

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Does your career as a teacher require you to obtain a Master's degree, continuing education units or graduate coursework? Do you lack the time to attend an evening class once a week after a full day at school? If the answer to either of these questions is YES, then consider the teacher in geosciences distance-learning program.

Earn a Master of Science in Geosciences with an emphasis in Educational Applications via distance learning from Mississippi State University. Learn about meteorology, geology, planetary science, oceanography, physical geography and hydrology from noted science experts. Earn a Master of Science degree, or just take those courses you need the most, without having to attend the Mississippi State campus.

More information about this program is on the Mississippi State web site.

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Stay abreast of the latest in science content from a top-100 research university. The National Teachers Enhancement Network's fall line-up includes graduate-level online courses in astrobiology, geography and many other sciences.

Back this year are several popular favorites: Teaching Evolution (BIOL 580); Global Warming, Climate Change and Our Environment (GEOG 580); and "The Fascinating Bug: Learning About Insects through Observation." This inquiry-based entomology course, designed for K-6 teachers, combines art with science as teachers and students learn about insects by maintaining a colony of live bugs throughout the semester. It is co-taught by a Smithsonian science consultant and an award-winning nonfiction children's book illustrator.

For more information, go to the web site.

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NASA Langley Research Center will host a hands-on workshop designed for educators of grades 6-12. The workshop will focus on using Earth system science data sets developed for the pre-college education community as part of the MY NASA DATA program. The data sets are derived from the archive of remotely-sensed data from NASA's Earth Observing System satellites.

Participating teachers will explore topics in Earth system science (especially atmospheric science), educational application of data sets and hands-on classroom activities. They will attend lectures and tours led by scientists.  Participants will also explore how the data sets can be used to enhance their curriculum and how students can utilize these data for inquiry-based learning and research. A major component of the workshop will be to develop lessons incorporating one or more data sets.

For more information, go to the web site.

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A weekend of hands-on workshops and informative science talks will be offered as part of the 120th anniversary meeting of the nonprofit Astronomical Society of the Pacific. These workshops will take place Sept. 12-13, 2009, at the Westin Hotel near the San Francisco Airport in Millbrae, Calif. The program will include space science and earth science workshops for K-4 educators, as well as sessions for educators who work in informal settings (such as museums, nature centers, amateur astronomy clubs, and community organizations.)

No background in astronomy will be assumed or required. Experienced educators from the Society's staff, from NASA and NSF-sponsored projects, and from educational institutions around the country will be presenting. Only a limited number of spaces will be available, and, thanks to conference supporters, registration for each day of the workshop will be only $39. Thanks to the support of the Spitzer Space Telescope Science Center, a limited number of travel-support scholarships (of up to $300 per person) will be made available for educators.

Sunday afternoon will feature a special non-technical lecture series about the search for life among the stars, with some of the leading scientists from the SETI Institute describing the scientific experiments now under way to identify life beyond Earth.

For more information, go to the web site.

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NASA-Funded Project 3D-VIEW

Project 3D-VIEW (Virtual Interactive Environmental Worlds), designed and developed by U.S. Satellite Laboratory, Inc., is a new, NASA-funded, comprehensive, curriculum-based program for Grade 5 and 6. Students engage in simple-to-use, immersive 3D technologies with 3D imagery and animations, and learn standards-based concepts and practice inquiry in lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and, then, Earth systems. Being a beta-school includes: Online professional development, Comprehensive curriculum-materials, Formal literacy and Mathematics components, Assessments and Rubrics.

Twenty-five participants will participate in two unique online classes in September, which will be national and live. Visit: the project web site for more information, or contact Glen Schuster, Project Director.

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The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) offers a series of six and seven week courses for middle and high school teachers that combine geoscience content, information about current climate research, easy to implement hands-on activities, and group discussion. The courses run concurrently from Jan. 22 through March 14, 2010. There is a $225 fee per course (save $25 if you register by Jan. 1st.)

CD 501: Introduction to Earth’s Climate
CD 502: Earth System Science: A Climate Change Perspective
CD 503: Understanding Climate Change Today

For more specific course information, a course schedule and registration information, Visit: the project web site for more information or contact Kirsten Meymaris at kirstenm@ucar.edu.

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NOAA's Ocean Explorer Program offers professional development opportunities for educators to bring the thrill of ocean exploration to the classroom. While studying the ocean, educators will learn how to incorporate mathematics, science, technology, as well as address state and national standards. Spaces are limited and registration is required.

Go to the Ocean Explorer web site to learn more.

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Gain first-hand research experience on a government ocean research vessel - explore the opportunities offered by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) The mission of NOAA¹s Teacher at Sea program is to give teachers a clearer insight into our ocean planet and a greater understanding of maritime work and studies, and to foster an interdisciplinary educational experience that provides a unique environment for learning and teaching. Since 1990, NOAA¹s Teacher at Sea Program has enabled more than 460 teachers to gain first-hand experience of science and life at sea. Teachers have enriched their classroom curricula with a depth of understanding made possible by living and working side-by-side, day and night, with those who contribute to the world's body of scientific knowledge. For more information, visit the Teacher At Sea web site.

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ODU-TIR Project will Qualify Completers for the following:

•  Master of Science in Secondary Education from ODU with a Post-Graduate Professional License from the Virginia Department of Education in one of the high-need content disciplines
• Instructor for dual enrollment course offerings in their major
• Post-graduation mentoring as a new teachers in a high-need school for three years
• Employment as a teacher in one of the high-need schools of Norfolk Public Schools and Portsmouth Public School for a period of no less than three years

ODU-TIR Supports and Incentives for Students Accepted into the Program*

• Tuition and fees paid for the training year
• $25,500 stipend for the training year
• Laptop computer with student software and wireless card for the training year
• Professional Development funds for travel/expenses up to $1,000 per student

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in high-need subject
• Undergraduate GPA in major of 3.0 or higher
• Passing scores on Praxis I, or board-approved SAT/ACT scores
• Passing scores on Praxis II in content area
• Passing scores on VA Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA)
• Scores of at least 1,000 combined on Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
• Minimum passing scores of 68 on Gallup’s TeacherInsightTM
• Evidence of successful work or volunteer experience with high-need /urban youth
• Completion of ODU online application, including supporting documentation

For more information, email TeacherImmersionResidency@odu.edu

For more information, visit the Teacher Immersion Residency project web site.

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Choose from six different content area workshops, designed to meet classroom curriculum requirements.  Grants provide all participants with a private room in the newly-built Brill Hall, reimbursements for travel costs up to $100, breakfast in the dining commons, and an allotment for lunches and dinners. In addition, tuition subsidies are available for all of the workshops on a competitive basis.

The workshops are an outreach program of NASA's Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium, the Eberly College of Science, the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, the Penn State Astrobiology Research Center, NASA Astrobiology Institute, the NSF-funded Penn State Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, and NASA.

For more information, visit the web site.

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Only three more opportunities remain this summer for teachers to participate in Project E3: Expanding Energy Education workshop training. This interdisciplinary grade K-12 energy education curriculum, offers exciting new teaching ideas for use in science, math, social studies, language arts, physical education and music. This six hour training at the Ocean Star promises to increase students' energy and Earth science literacy while having fun!

For more information , go to the web site.

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Sally Ride Science, in partnership with Northrop Grumman and NASA, is offering an Educator Institutes. These one-day professional development programs for upper elementary and middle school science teachers will focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. The institute will include presentations about the STS-118 mission and first Educator Astronaut Barbara Morgan, hands-on workshops, and a keynote address by a NASA astronaut.

For more information and to register online, visit the web site.

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The Toyota International Teacher Program is a unique study abroad opportunity for U.S. educators. This program aims to inspire collaboration between U.S. and International teachers and to build awareness of how to teach sustainability and environmental stewardship through a cross-cultural approach.

Applications are available online to participate in this fully-funded 10-day study tour. Eligible applicants much teach full time in grades 7-12 and must have at least 3 years teaching experience. Twenty (20) classroom teachers of all disciplines will be selected to travel to discover some of the world's most unique animals, explore cutting-edge environmental projects, and participate in discussions with experts and community leaders. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. sponsors these opportunities with the goal of expanding the global perspectives of all educators and their students.

Full-time classroom teachers in grades 7-12 are encouraged to submit online applications for the Toyota International Teacher Program. Apply online. Program brochures may be requested by visiting the Toyota International Teacher Program web site or by calling the Institute of International Education at 1-877-832-2457.

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Look backward and forward in time by studying weather for 1 day, 1 week, 1 month; climate for a year, 30 years, 400,000 years; and geology for millions of years. Sessions will include hands-on activities utilizing real-time NASA and NOAA satellite imagery in Google Earth to study the Earth System and detailed discussions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2007 Summary for Policy Makers. Teachers can earn 1 graduate level credit through the UW-Madison’s Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Department (course # 508). A nominal registration fee of $20.00 is required; otherwise the workshop (including lunches) is free to all educators with lodging provided for educators residing outside of Dane county.

For more information please visit: the web site or contact Margaret Mooney (mooney@ssec.wisc.edu), phone: (608) 265-2123.

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