Professional Development
Professional Development at the Science Museum
The Science Museum of Minnesota is a leader in continuing educators for the educators of our region. Find out the ways in which you can expand the classroom science experience for students of all ages. Learn More
Web seminar on day, night, and seasons
Jessica Fries-Gaither, science resource specialist at Ohio State University, will lead a discussion of two challenging topics in the elementary and middle school curriculum—Day and Night and Seasons—from both science and literacy perspectives. The discussion will review scientific principles, examine common misconceptions and formative assessment strategies, and discuss how to approach these topics by integrating science and literacy. Resources from Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears, the National Science Digital Libraries' Middle School Portal, and other high-quality content providers will be explored. The seminar is scheduled online for December 10, 2009, 6:30-8 PM EST on the NSTA Learning Center website. The seminar is free but registration enables the participant to receive free electronic professional development resources. Learn more on the NSTA website.
Enhance your teaching
PBS TeacherLine provides high quality, standards-based graduate-level courses to provide teachers the professional development opportunities they need in an accessible online format that makes learning fun, flexible, and collaborative. Earn graduate credit, PDPs, or CEUs while gaining strategies and resources to bring directly to your classroom. A free orientation course is available. A list of available courses is given at the website.
Manuscripts requested on teacher action
The Journal of Science Teacher Education is soliciting scholarly manuscripts for a special themed issue on teacher action research. Teacher action research and its products, including accompanying stories and intellectual narratives, serve as a mechanism for investigators to study the relationship among factors, such as student/teacher voice, social change, accountability, learning, and identity development. The editors are seeking manuscripts that explore these issues and share innovative methods for capturing and analyzing knowledge construction, learning, transformation, and empowerment in practice. The deadline for submission is November 30, 2009. For further instructions, check out the website.
Participate in space project
On November 16, 2009, Painted Lady butterflies (photo) will fly aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station. The butterflies will spend several months in space as part of an experiment to observe their life cycles and behaviors in microgravity. Classrooms can participate in the research. The butterflies will live in a special habitat which provides a safe environment, food, and water. Photos and video will be transmitted back to Earth and made available. Find out how to share the data and engage students in concurrent activities with their own butterflies on the BioEd Online website; a Teacher's Guide is available to downlad. This project is funded by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, and is a partnership with BioServe Space Technologies (University of Colorado) and Baylor College of Medicine.
Minnesota bird-watchers conference
The Minnesota Ornithologists Conference will be held December 5, 2009 at the Bell Museum of Natural History. The conference features reports on current research projects by academics and wildlife professionals.Topics range from the exotic and mysterious birds of Costa Rica to the Bird Breeding survey and Christmas bird count. These presentations are intended for both amateur bird enthusiasts and academics. Registration is $5 at the door or $4 in advance. Museum hours, location, and general information is available on the website.
FDA Food Recalls Web seminar
Introduction to FDA Food Recalls is the third of four free web seminars featuring scientists and education specialists from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The seminar is scheduled for Wednesday, December 9, 2009, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, EST. The seminar will focus on food microbiology, food processing, food epidemiology, nutrition, and the public health effect of food safety. These seminars are related to the FDA Symposium that will take place at the NSTA Area Conference on Science Education in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Each web seminar is a unique, stand-alone program and designed for educators of grades 5–12. Topics include disease, outbreaks, nutrition, personal hygiene, as well as food safety. Details are available on the The NSTA Learning Center website.
The SSP Fellows Program
The Society for Science and the Public (SSP) Fellows Program provides funds and training to selected US science and math teachers who serve under-resourced students to enable interested and motivated students to perform high-quality, independent scientific research. The SSP Fellows Program is expected to attract the most creative and motivated high school science and math teachers in the country. Teachers will receive financial and training resources needed to support and inspire success of their most enthusiastic science students. Fellows may serve for up to four years. The application process for the 2010 Fellows class will open November 16, 2009. Check out the SSP website for more information.
Enhance Your Teaching and Advance Your Career
PBS TeacherLine courses are standards-based, graduate-level courses in an accessible online format that makes learning fun, flexible, and collaborative. Earn graduate credit, PDPs, or CEUs while gaining strategies and resources to bring directly to the classroom. National Fall Term courses are open for enrollment; courses include teaching reading or writing in science, strategies in scientific inquiry and field work, and more. Find a complete course catalogue on the website.
Promote STEM education among students
"Americans ages 25 to 34 are less educated, on average, than their parents' generation, and are less likely than their predecessors to earn degrees in science, technology, and mathematics," according to a new report by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. The report, Leadership for Challenging Times, is the result of a yearlong study by the association's Presidential Leadership and Global Competitiveness commission. While the article urges emphasis at the college level, the emphasis could apply also at the secondary school level. This report appears in The Chronicle of Higher Education written by Libby Nelson in the October 27, 2009 issue.
Grants for integrating technology
The Qwest Teachers and Technology Grant Program is a competitive grant open to Minnesota public school teachers and administered by the Minnesota Business Partnership. The aim is to recognize teachers who are finding innovative ways to integrate technology into their curriculum, and are modeling best practices of technology integration and application. Applications are being accepted through November 30, 2009. Nearly $100,000 in grants will be presented to Minnesota public school teachers in April and May of 2010. Details and an application form is available on the MN Business Partnership website.
Global learning adventures
Fund for Teachers is a program to enrich teachers' personal and professional growth by providing recognition and support to pursue opportunities around the world. Proposals can include tours, conferences, and independent studies on any continent. Multiple grants of $5,000 for individuals and team grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded. Online applications are available after October 1, 2009; however the deadline for application varies with the area, for example, the deadline for the Minneapolis district is November 2, 2009. Details are available on the website.
Food issues in the 21st century
Hungry Planet: What the World Eats is a new exhibit at the Bell Museum of Natural History focusing on the grocery lists and dining tables of people around the world. Based on the book by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Alusio, the Hungry Planet: What the World Eats exhibit combines photos with hands-on displays on what people eat, what it costs, and where it comes from. The exhibit focuses on ten cultures, many with ties to Minnesota. The exhibit also features the rise of the fast food culture, the evolution and history of food plants, current and ancient agricultural methods, and the practice of raising and eating meat. An Open House for K-12 Teachers will be held October 29, 2009, 4 PM to 7 PM CT at the Bell Museum. Check out the museum website for more information, directions, parking, and maps.
Education policy experience
The Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship provides K-12 classroom teachers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) an opportunity to gain expertise in program and policy making. In this program, teachers can inform national policy makers and improve communication between the K-12 STEM education community and national leaders. These are paid academic-year fellowships enabling teachers to work with Congress or in a Federal Agency in Washington, DC. The program is administered by the US Department of Energy. The deadline for application is January 13, 2010. Learn more about the program on the website.
Target Field Trip Grants
As part of their commitment to education, Target has awarded 7,400 grants to educators in all fifty states. Target Field Trip Grants will award 5,000 grants of up to $800 each for the upcoming school year. Complete an application online by November 3, 2009.
Count feeder birds for science
Project FeederWatch is a winter-long survey of birds that visit feeders at backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales in North America. FeederWatchers periodically count the birds they see at their feeders from November through early April and send their counts to Project FeederWatch. The project can help engage children in the excitement of nature study and the wonder of scientific investigation. Homeschool families can also participate in this project. Data entry will open on November 1 for all participants registered for the 2009-2010 season of, which runs from November 14, 2009, to April 9, 2010. Learn more about this project on the website.
Top Ten Trends in Learning with Technology
Today's students approach learning in different ways as a result of their ubiquitous technology use. Speak Up survey findings identify the top ten trends that every school and district administrator should be aware of, as well as consider when addressing the instructional needs of today's students. Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, the nation's leading education nonprofit organization that facilitates the annual Speak Up surveys, will present the data findings and moderate a panel discussion with students, teachers, and administrators from various school districts. The one hour webinar will take place on November 20, 2009 at 2:00 PM CDT. It is free, but registration is necessary; details are available on The Journal website.
American Honda Foundation grants
The American Honda Foundation provides grants awards up to $100,000 in the fields of youth education and science education. K-12 institutions as well as institutions of higher education are eligible. To determine if your program or project meets the qualifications for consideration, the online application process begins with an Eligibility Quiz. The deadline for application is November 1, 2009 and again February 1, 2010. Learn more about this program on the website.
Genes to Cognition Online
This one-day workshop introduces educators to up-to-date neuroscience research using interactive web-based experiments. From molecular signals, to neural circuits, to anatomical structures of the brain, participants explore thinking and disorders of thinking at different levels of complexity. The Genes to Cognition Online (G2C) website provides resources to teach the complex workings of the brain, including unique learning aids that enable students to build concept maps to visualize the learning progress. The webinars are scheduled for November 6, at Raritan Valley Community College, Somervile, NJ, and November 20, at Great Bay Community College, Portsmouth, NH. Learn more about this program at Dolan DNA Learning Center.
Open House at the College of Vet Med
The annual Open House at the Veterinary Medical Center, the Equine Center, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus, is set for Sunday, October 11, 2009, from 11 AM to 4 PM. View the workings of the Veterinary Medical Center where more than 45,000 small and large animal cases were treated last year by more than 100 veterinarians. Visit The Raptor Center which rehabilitated more than 700 birds last year (screech owl photo). Public parking is free and available at the Gortner Avenue Ramp adjacent to both facilities. The itinerary for the Open House is available on College of Veterinary Medicine website.
"Big Ideas" of new biology curriculum
The revised, Advanced Placement biology program annual conference was held in July 2009 and a new draft was released. The four "Big Ideas" of the new curriculum are 1) Evolution as the basis for both the diversity and the unity of life, 2) Biological systems and their properties, including energy use, molecular components, growth, reproduction, and homeostasis, 3) Information: how organisms store it, retrieve and use it, transmit, and respond to it, and 4) Interaction of system components and the emergent properties of the resulting entities, from DNA molecules to cells to organisms to ecosystems. Using this program in secondary education is expected to better prepare students for higher education. A summary and discussion of this conference is reported in Science, September 25, 2009, pages 1677-1678.
Seminars in science
The American Museum of Natural History offers online courses in the life, earth, and physical sciences. Download a 2009 course catalog from the website. The fall session for 2009 is October 19 to November 29; the registration deadline is October 5. The spring 2010 has two sessions - from January 25 to March 7 (register by January 11, 2010), and March 15 to April 25 (register by March 1, 2010). Easy-to-use online courses are designed around a busy schedule. Access to cutting-edge research and world-class scientist are available at affordable graduate credit rates.
Celebrate Mole Day October 23
Celebrated annually on October 23 from 6:02 AM to 6:02 PM, Mole Day commemorates Avogadro's Number (6.02 x 1023), which is a basic measuring unit in chemistry. Mole Day was created as a way to foster interest in chemistry. Schools throughout the United States and around the world celebrate Mole Day with various activities related to chemistry and/or moles. To find mole day projects or activities, take the mole pledge, or read mole jokes, go to The National Mole Day Foundation website.
One-day workshop on education future
This workshop focuses on the emerging qualities of innovation, workers in the 21st century, the impact of social technologies and media (crowd sourcing, etc.), the changes required of education systems, and "what's next" as we build Society 3.0. The workshop meets on Saturday, October 10, 2009, 9 AM to 3 PM at the University of Minnesota, Carlson Room 1-136 as class # 59838. The registration class number is EdPA 5080 sec 777. K-12 teachers are encouraged to register. Contact the instructors for further information: John Morvec, moravec@umn.edu, 612-625-3517 and Art Hawkins, harki001@umn.edu.
NanoTeach 2009
The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) NanoTeach Conference 2009 will be held in Danville, VA, November 3, 2009. The workshop is for K-12 teachers who want to learn more about nanotechnology education. The world of small things will be lead by Nobel Laureate Sir Harry Kroto, one of the founders of nanotechnology, and by Dr. Wade Adams, Director of the Smalley Institute at Rice University. Cost for the entire conference is $15.00, which includes lunch and refreshments. Teachers will receive extensive take-away materials; registration is limited to 125 teachers. The deadline for mail-in registration is October 15, 2009, and November 1, 2009 for credit card registration. Details are available on the IALR website.
National Parks featured on PBS
Filmed during more than six years at some of nature's most spectacular parks—from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska—The National Parks: America's Best Idea is a story of people who devoted themselves to saving a portion of the land they loved, and thereby reminded their fellow citizens of the full meaning of democracy. It is a story of struggle and conflict, high ideals and opportunism, and adventure. This six episode series begins on PBS on September 27, 2009. Printed and online educational materials created around the film support formal and informal classroom settings with lesson plans and hands-on learning activities. View a preview and find out more on PBS's National Parks webpage.
NEA Foundation grants to teachers
The NEA Foundation awards grants to support teachers in their efforts to develop creative learning opportunities for students and enhance their own professional development. There are two primary grant categories: Student Achievement Grants and Learning & Leadership Grants. Applications for both can be completed online. The deadline for application is October 15, 2009. Application forms and details are available on the website.
Online climate change conference
Smithsonian scientists, curators, and educators will hold a live discussion online of the latest research on climate change from September 29 through October 1, 2009. The sessions are open and free to everyone; the entire conference will be archived for replay at any time. Forms are available at the Smithsonian Education website.
National Chemistry Week
National Chemistry Week is celebrated October 18-24. The 2009 theme is Chemistry—It's Elemental! This community-based annual event unites local sections of the American Chemical Society (ACS) with businesses, schools, and individuals in communicating the importance of chemistry to our quality of life. Check out the ACS website for suggestions for classroom activities.
Bioneers Conference in Minneapolis
The Fourth Annual Northland Bioneers Conference will be held October 24-25, 2009, at the University of Minnesota, Willey Hall. The mission is to inspire people to use natural systems to develop and restore communities. People from around the world gather to hear global perspectives that illuminate the interdependence of life on Earth and propose solutions to current issues. This year's event will include keynote speakers Dr. Jonathan Foley, director of the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota, and Susan Hubbard, co-founder and co-president of Eureka Recycling, as well as local workshops and national plenaries. Get more information on the conference website.
Annenberg Media Programs
Annenberg Media professional development workshops and courses provide teachers with content and pedagogical learning to strengthen professional credentials. Workshops and courses are appropriate for pre-service and in-service teachers and cover specific curricular areas and grades. Workshop and course resources consist of video, print, and web components. All materials may be accessed for free on the website; get a list of courses and workshops at Learner.org.
Field Programs in Washington
North Cascades Institute offers a diversity of experiences designed to explore Washington: Seattle, the Methow and Skagit Valleys, Columbia Gorge, Bellingham, the Learning Center on Diablo Lake in North Cascades National Park, and more. Sign up for a half-day walking tour of Whatcom Creek, a weekend at the Learning Center, or a multi-day backpacking trip in the North Cascades. There are sixteen programs and excursions open for registration at the Learning Center. Register by December 15, 2009, for programs that run from mid-March to mid-June 2010. Check out the website to request a catalog of courses or receive a newsletter.
My Wonderful World
National Geographic Society, along with a coalition of national businesses and non-profit organizations, have created a campaign to improve the geographic literacy of young people. The My Wonderful World website provides resources to feature more geography in the classroom. Geography Awareness Week is November 15-21, 2009 and GIS Day, as an outgrowth of the Geographical Awareness Week, is emphasized on Wednesday of that week. Learn more about use of GIS in classrooms on the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ERSI) website.
NASA in the classroom
The NASA Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate awards one-year fellowships each year to more than forty current and prospective teachers. The project is administered by U.S. Satellite Laboratory, Inc. In partnership with State Departments of Education, Endeavor Fellows take five graduate courses in an online format from home or school and learn to apply research-based teaching strategies to their classroom. Applications are accepted until September 30, 2009. Fellows receive a NASA Endeavor Certificate in STEM education from Columbia University as well as graduate credits. Details can be found on the Endeavor website.
Teachers at Sea program
The mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Teacher at Sea program is to give teachers a clearer insight into our ocean planet, a greater understanding of maritime work and studies, and to increase the environmental literacy by fostering an interdisciplinary research experience. The program provides a unique environment for learning and teaching by sending kindergarten through college-level teachers to work under the tutelage of scientists and crew at sea aboard NOAA research and survey ships. Participants can expect to be at sea anywhere from one week to one month, with the average cruise lasting 12-14 days. All necessary travel costs are paid for by the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program. While airfare is paid for up front by the government, all other costs are reimbursed, including transportation costs, hotel costs, and per diem allowance. Applications for the 2010 season open October 1, 2009. For more information is available on the website.
Vernier workshops
Learn how to integrate data-collection technology into a science and math curriculum. Sign up for invaluable tips, techniques, and training with Vernier products (software and technology designed for science education). Earn two (quarter) graduate science credit hours through the Portland State University Center for Science Education. A workshop is scheduled for Minneapolis, MN on September 26, 2009. Other locations and dates are available on the Vernier website. The workshops are free; all are four hour, hands-on workshops.
One-time mini-grants
Mini-Grants of up to $500 are available for projects on a one-time-only basis from the Pay It Forward Foundation. Mini-Grants are designed to fund one-time-only service-oriented projects identified by youth as activities they would like to perform to benefit their school, neighborhood, or greater community. Projects must contain a "pay it forward" focus to be considered in the grant making process. That is, projects must be based on the concept of one person doing a favor for others, who in turn do favors for others, with the results growing exponentially. The deadline for the fall quarter is September 15, 2009. Find more information and an application on the website.
Customize a workshop locally
Curriculum Associates (CA), a Boston area curriculum company, will work directly with local districts to develop on-site workshops to meet specific professional development needs. A team of consultants will deliver the workshop to an area. Some sample workshops are Grant Seminars, Four Steps to Math Success, Test Preparation, and Instructional Strategies. Find more information on the CA website.