Special workshop for science professional development providers • September 13

WestEd and CMSE have scheduled a special workshop Saturday, September 13, for science educators who design or present professional development activities for teachers. The sessionis called "Building Systems for Quality Teaching and Learning: A Simulation on Designing and Providing Professional Development programs in Science."

The five learning outcomes for the session include:

• Learn how to connect professional development designs to the specific learning needs of students and teachers;
• Learn the inputs necessary for designing effective professional development;
• Encounter the constraints and supports for professional development;
• Understand the role of leaders; and
• Learn about sustaining teacher professional development.

More information and a registration form are available here.

Online Discrete Mathematics course for Fall 2008

Center Director Russ Rowlett has developed a new online course in Discrete Mathematics intended for teachers seeking licensure in middle grades or secondary mathematics. The new course is one of many being developed by UNC General Administration as part of a major effort, led by President Erskine Bowles and supported by the legislature, to expand UNC's online offerings.

The new course is being offered in a pilot version in fall semester 2008. Registration for the course is open now through the Carolina Courses Online program. Hurry! The fall semester begins August 19 and ends December 12.

Pat Shane elected NSTA President!

Congratulations to CMSE's Associate Director Pat Shane, who has been elected President of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Pat has been active in NSTA activities throughout her career, and she has also served as president of the North Carolina Science Teachers Association and the North Carolina Science Leadership Association.

Pat's new duties begin in June 2008 and last for three years. She will be the association's President-Elect during 2008-09, President during 2009-10, and Retiring President during 2010-11.

Person County partnership project extended

Person County Schools has received extended funding for Making Geometric Thinking Happen, the county's mathematics and science partnership with CMSE. The additional $61,000 will fund extension of the program, through December 2008.

In the project, CMSE staff and instructors are providing job-embedded professional development for Person County's middle and high school mathematics and mathematics lead teachers in grades 3-12. From UNC, Ann Crawford, clinical professor of mathematics education, is providing leadership for the project, along with center director Russ Rowlett, associate director Pat Shane, and clinical instructor Cindy Kahler. At Person County, the project is led by assistant superintendents Sandra Davis and Maggie Whitt.

Professional development sessions for the fall will begin with a session for high school teachers on August 20.

NCCTM mini-grants for math teachers

September 15 is the deadline for proposals for mini-grants from the NC Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The grants "provide funds for special projects and research which will enhance the teaching, learning, and enjoyment of mathematics." In recent years, average grants have been in the $500-$1000 range. Full details are available here on the NCCTM web site.

K-4 GLOBE workshop set for October 11

GLOBE (Global Learnings and Observations to Benefit the Environment) has introduced a new program for the elementary grades that combines science and literacy. Designed to introduce K-4 students to the study of Earth system science, elementary GLOBE includes science-based storybooks designed to introduce students to key concepts in water, soil, clouds, seasons and Earth system studies.

CMSE is offering a workshop on Saturday, October 11, to focus on two of the modules, water and soil. Dr. Cindy Copolo will be the instructor for this workshop, which will be related directly to the NC Standard Course of Study. Classroom activities will be included, and participants can earn 1.0 unit of renewal credit if they complete the follow-up assignment.

More information and a registration form are available here. Join us!

SITE Geometry scheduled for June 2009

CMSE's popular SITE institute for high school geometry teachers is set for a third offering in June 2009. The institute is presented by two of the Triangle's top geometry teachers, Jan Crane of Durham's Riverside High and Beth Neill of East Chapel Hill High School.

Scheduled for June 22-26, 2009, the workshop covers content and pedagogical strategies for the Geometry course as it is described by the NC Standard Course of Study. Participating teachers will leave the workshop with a thick notebook of tested activities and strategies. In addition, each participant will receive a copy of Geometer's Sketchpad, the leading instructional software for geometry.

SITE Geometry is one of the Statewide Insitutes in Teaching Excellence developed by the NC Mathematics and Science Education Network.

Plan now to attend this valuable institute! Information and application forms are online now.

NCABR Science Workshops for 2008-09

The NC Association for Biomedical Research has announced a lineup of nine one-day science workshops for K-12 teachers during the 2008-09 school year. Topics include ethics in genomic science, cell biology and cancer, science of energy balance, forensic science, and chemicals in the environment. Presented a research labs throughout the Triangle, these workshops are free (a $25 deposit is refunded after the workshop). Full information is available from NCABR here.