Professional Development &
Teacher Opportunities
CSTA provides the opportunity for organizations with professional
development opportunities for science teachers to post their
program information on the CSTA website, subject to CSTA approval.
If you would like to submit information to be included on
this site, please e-mail the webmaster.
Last updated: January 4, 2012
Summer Institute in Physics
and Physical Science for Inservice Teachers
The Center for Physics Education in the University of Washington
Physics Department offers a five-week, 10-credit summer institute
in physics and physical science for full-time inservice teachers.
The 2012 institute is tentatively scheduled for June 25-July
27 at the UW in Seattle. Classes meet from 9 a.m. to 3:45
p.m. Monday-Thursday, except for two Fridays scheduled for
exams. Directed by Professor Lillian C. McDermott and supported
by the National Science Foundation, the institute is tuition-free
and a $1500 stipend is offered on successful completion of
the course work. Additional money is available if needed to
help defray the cost of lodging for persons from outside the
Seattle area.
The Physics by Inquiry curriculum used in the course has
been especially designed to strengthen the subject matter
background of teachers in topics typically covered in precollege
physics and physical science using a hands-on, inquiry-oriented
method of instruction. The materials emphasize the development
of fundamental concepts and reasoning skills through laboratory
experience. The class is divided into two sections: one for
elementary-middle school teachers who may have little or no
background in physics; the other for high school teachers
of physics, physical science, and mathematics.
The application deadline is March 2, 2012.
Additional information is available on our website: http://www.phys.washington.edu/groups/peg/si2012.html
Applications are being accepted for 2012 summer/fall graduate
field courses and a master’s program that offer international
studies in 11 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Australia,
and the Americas.
Offered by Miami University’s Project Dragonfly, the Cincinnati
Zoo & Botanical Garden and partners worldwide, the GFP
Master’s degree brings together graduate students, scientists,
educators and community leaders at critical conservation field
sites across the planet. Sites for 2012 include the Amazon,
Australia, Baja, Belize, Borneo, Costa Rica, Guyana, Kenya,
Mongolia, Namibia, and Thailand.
Tuition for seven graduate credits and all basic in-country
expenses are covered in the $1,290 course costs. Accepted
students are responsible for airfare.
Earth Expeditions and the GFP, which can be completed part-time
from anywhere in the United States or abroad, are open to
educators and other professionals from all disciplines and
settings. For information and to apply, please visit:
Earth Expeditions: http://www.EarthExpeditions.org
Global Field Program: http://www.MastersGFP.org
MAT@USC: University of Southern California’s online Master
of Arts in Teaching Program
Teachers: Would you like to earn your MAT and teaching credential?
-- At the University of Southern California’s Rossier School
of Education, we challenged ourselves to re-imagine our Master
of Arts in Teaching program; to create a trailblazing curriculum
that integrates rich, interactive online learning with intensive,
school-based fieldwork experiences, no matter where students
live -- the result is the MAT@USC, the same rigor as our traditional
on-campus MAT program, conceived and built around an honest
discussion about how to integrate theory effectively with
classroom practice. For more information visit:
Online Teaching Program
Teach California
Whether you are a student, changing careers, looking for
a job, or are a teacher from another state or country, TEACH
California has everything you need to know about teaching
and how to become a California teacher. You'll find information
about pay, jobs, credentialing, licensure and financial aid.
You can even make and save your own personal career plan,
and it's all free. Details can be found at http://www.teachcalifornia.org/
Amgen Scholarships Available for Science Teachers Pursuing
National Board Certification
Amgen scholarships are available for science teachers pursuing
National Board Certification, the most prestigious credential
in the teaching profession. The Amgen Foundation is committing
$1.5 million over three years to support science teachers
in schools across the country who choose to obtain National
Board Certification. Scholarships will be given on a first-come,
first-served basis to teachers in select communities. First
priority will be given to science teachers teaching ages 11-18.
If funding remains available, scholarships will also be awarded
to elementary teachers teaching students ages 3-12 who are
responsible for science instruction. Teachers from the following
California couties may apply: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin,
Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma,
and Ventura. To apply visit: http://nbpts.org/scholarships.
Global Ozone (G03) Project
Teachers: Would you like to participate in an exciting new
project for high school students, measuring ozone and meteorological
parameters, and receive a free instrument package, valued
at $5000, for your school? In the GO3 Project, students around
the world measure ozone and meteorological parameters outside
their school and upload their data to an overlay in Google
Earth to share with other students, teachers, and scientists
around the world. Eighteen schools participating at the present
time, including four international sister schools in Madrid,
Moscow, Sydney, and Cairo. GO3 students are learning about
environmental science while helping create the world's first
ground-level ozone database. To learn more about the project,
see the G03 website and 2-minute video at http://www.go3project.com.
Online Colleges
OnlineColleges.org is a nonprofit resource for students considering
an online college for their associates, bachelors, masters
or doctorate level degree. All the schools are listed on the
front page and lead directly to each program, additionally
they are sorted by state. Visit http://www.onlinecolleges.org/.
Masters in Education Guide
The Masters in Education Guide is an on-line directory of
Masters in Education programs. Programs are searchable by
subject matter, state, or type of degree (masters or doctorate).
The site also offers informational articles and links to job
opportunities. http://mastersineducationguide.com/
UCLA Extension: Global Sustainability Certificate Program
with Concentration in Education
This 36-unit program has been designed for those interested
in exploring the dynamic field of environmental sustainability,
those needing to stay up to date in their current position
or for individuals who want knowledge and skills to be better
global citizens. Encompassing the fields of architecture,
design, business, education, landscape architecture, law,
marketing, public policy, real estate, science, technology
and urban planning, this program will focus on major elements
that impact the environment on a daily basis such as our use
of water, air, land, energy and transportation. In particular,
this area of concentration will address the roles of educators
and administrators from pre-K to the university level. Courses
focus on incorporating environment-based curriculum across
academic disciplines, with an emphasis on the Education and
the Environment Initiative (EEI) curriculum, which will be
disseminated across California schools in mid-2010, as well
as on service learning and green schools. For more information
please visit: https://www.uclaextension.edu/r/ProgramDetails.aspx?reg=CF574.
Online Education Degrees
Education degree.com includes over 20,000 teacher education
degree and certificate programs, offered by over 1,700 colleges
and school districts across the US, reviewed and compiled
by hand from the college and district websites. Visit http://www.educationdegree.com for links and information.
Foundational Level General Science/Math Credentials
The School of Education at Sonoma State University will offer
summer institutes for teachers who want to earn foundational
level teaching credentials in science or mathematics. The
general science teaching credential allows for teaching science
at the junior high school level or basic high school science
classes, but not college prep high school lab science classes.
Check with Sonoma State University at http://www.sonoma.edu/education/ for more information.
Nominate a Distinguished Teacher
TEACH California seeks great science, math, and special ed.
teachers to feature on their Distinguished Teachers” website.
Featuring vignettes of California teachers, the site honors
the thousands of great teachers in the state and allows them
to share their thoughts on teaching. Requirements of the nominated
teachers are: 1. they are GREAT teachers; 2. they are fully
credentialed; and 3. they teach special education, mathematics,
or science (the highest shortage areas). Get more information
and find out how to nominate someone at http://www.teachcalifornia.org/.
National Middle Level Science Teachers Association
The NMLSTA, an affiliate organization of NSTA, focuses on
providing quality programming for middle school teachers.
Teachers who join the organization at the low cost of $15
receive a $25 gift certificate towards Frey Scientific, School
Specialty, or Science Kit. Visit http://nmlsta.org
for membership information.
Participate in a NOAA Survey
Do you currently (or have you previously) used live plants
or animals in classroom teaching? Would you like to win a
preserved specimen kit for your classroom? Oregon State University
is leading an international research project funded by the
National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration looking at learning
opportunities related to the use of live plants and animals
in classrooms and education on invasive species. The goal
is not to limit the use of live plants and animals;
rather information gathered from this study will help in the
development of appropriate educational materials and other
solutions that will help prevent the establishment of invasive
species in the environment. By completing this 10-15 minute
survey, you will be helping in the development of educational
tools on the use and care of live plants and animals, raising
awareness about invasive species, and helping prevent their
spread. Your responses will be completely confidential. Participating
teachers will have the opportunity to pilot new learning materials
and participate in additional training and professional development
on invasive species. Also, you can enter a drawing for an
invasive species educational kit for your classroom! Please
take the survey at : http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=xAog62nFNIRrQ4uDwxQ2kQ_3d_3d.
For more information, contact Susan Zaleski at 213-740-8602
or szaleski@usc.edu.
Biology Teachers Needed to
Lead Field Experiences
Since 1990, Save The Rainforest (STR ) has been sending groups
of high school and middle school students to the rainforest
reserves it helped create with donations from school children.
Many of the biology teachers who have led these groups are
retiring, and STR is looking for a new generation of biology
teachers to take their students on field courses to the Galapagos,
Amazon, Costa Rica, Belize, Panama, and Mexico. For more information
contact Bruce Calhoun at (608) 729- 4877 or saverfn@cybermesa.com,
or view STR's website at www.saverfn.org.
STR is a non-profit organization.
Seminars on Science: Online
Graduate Courses for Educators American Museum of Natural
History
Seminars on Science offers online graduate courses in the
life, earth, and physical sciences to educators throughout
the country and abroad. Designed by the Museum specifically
for K-12 educators, each six-week course immerses the learner
in an area of contemporary research. Educators come away with
a deeper understanding of both the science and the tools of
scientific inquiry as well as an array of classroom resources.
Courses are co-taught and led by Museum scientists and educators
and feature rich web-based discussions. Each course is available
for up to 4 graduate credits from leading institutions. Courses
offered by the program include Evolution; The Solar System;
Earth: Inside and Out; The Ocean System; Genetics, Genomics,
Genethics and more. For more information on courses or to
register, go to http://learn.amnh.org/welcome.php?w=CASTA.
Science In Action Courses from
the University of Nebraska
Science in Action courses are online courses that integrate
the application of content and pedagogy in the biological,
physical, and earth sciences. These courses are designed to
meet the needs of K-12 educators who want to improve their
content knowledge and ability to teach science. Course curricula
align with state and national science standards. Available
courses are Entomology, Natural Resources, Biotechnology,
and Food Science and Technology. For more information, contact
Cindy Larson-Miller at (402) 730-9691 or clarson@unlserve.unl.edu
National Science Resources
Center’s Professional Development Center
The National Science Resources Center's Professional Development
Center cordially invites you to take part in one or more unique
and exciting professional development opportunities—the Smithsonian
Science Education Academies for Teachers. Deepen your knowledge
of life and/or physical science; gain special access to the
scientists, curators, and educators of the Smithsonian Institution
and other museums and research institutions; learn about the
unparalleled resources available to teachers through the Smithsonian,
earn three graduate credits from Montclair State University,
New Jersey; inspire your students to greater understanding
of how the world works. For more information visit http://www.nsrconline.org/professional_development/index.html.
University of Michigan and Northwestern University
As part of an NSF-funded research study, the University of
Michigan and Northwestern University are offering free professional
development to teachers who purchase It's About Time's
Investigations in Environmental Science, a year-long,
case-based environmental science curriculum. Teachers will
receive 48 hours of free professional development along with
a $1,500 stipend upon completion of the study. To learn more
about the curriculum or to apply for the study, visit http://www.worldwatcher.northwestern.edu
or contact Beth Kubitskey at kubitske@umich.edu.
Coast Alive! Teacher Institute
at Monterey
Explore the Elkhorn Slough and nearby beaches while learning
to incorporate stimulating, inquiry based, and multimedia
curriculum in your middle or high school science classroom.
The focus on experimental design will help you develop a hypothesis
and conduct research in the best possible setting--the field!
Return with students to design and conduct field studies.
You will participate in hands-on local field investigations,
receive a free Coast Alive!—Land-Sea Interface CD-ROM,
use Coast Alive! materials, and earn a $500 stipend from California
State Parks and the California Institute for Biodiversity.
Enrollment will fill before the end of the school year. For
upper elementary and middle school educators; 6 CSUMB academic
quarter units. Registration fee without credit: $50. For details
and to apply, visit http://www.EurekaSeries.org.
Council for Elementary Science
International
The Council for Elementary Science International (CESI) invites
teachers to join the effort to improve science teaching. CESI
has a website that provides members access to a variety of
elementary science opportunities, including fellowships, grants,
and science activities (from past Make-It and Take-It programs
held at regional and national NSTA conventions). Newsletters
and the CESI Journal are additional benefits that teachers
will receive when choosing to join the organization. Memberships
can be completed at the web site on-line at http://www.cesiscience.org/.
Questions regarding membership and the CESI organization can
be emailed to sumrall@olemiss.edu. |
