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Summer 2018 PD Opportunities

Attention K-12 Educators! The STEM Center is excited to be offering the following professional development opportunities to teachers July 2018 at The College of New Jersey. Please reach out if you have any questions.

Workshops in high demand may be duplicated and added as additional sessions.

Lodging accommodations may be available for individuals traveling great distances! To view lodging options near The College of New Jersey, click here.

More complete information about each workshop, and registration guidelines can be found by clicking on the links after each description.

iSTEM and Literature for NGSS, Grades Pre-K – 2    (Trainer: Jodi Turner)
  • This workshop is for educators implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)/New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Science (NJSLS-S) Grades Pre-K – 2. Great if you’re starting an Elementary iSTEM class or maker space. A way to brush up on basic Science principles. Tips on equipment & material options for limited budgets.In this two-day experience, participants will explore engineering design challenges for Earth & Space, Life, and Physical Science. We will be working with primary-level concepts relevant to younger learners, blending the practices of science and engineering based on the NGSS/NJSLS-S. The focus of these days will be on Grades Pre-K – 2 best practices for design-based pedagogy, along with instructional and assessment materials linking Social Studies, Math and Language Arts Literacy to the NGSS/NJSLS-S.Activities will include the integration of literature and real-world connections for instruction, creating a classroom “Maker” environment using your existing space. Tips for unit/lesson planning will be included, along with book lists, previews of new materials, hands-on experiences, and tools for developing meaningful iSTEM experiences for your students throughout the year. Make & take fold-able tool pegboard included.

iSTEM and Literature for NGSS, Grades 3 – 5    (Trainer: Jodi Turner)
  • This workshop is for educators implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)/New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Science (NJSLS-S) Grades 3-5. Great if you’re starting an Elementary iSTEM class or maker space. A way to brush up on basic science principles. Tips for equipment and  material options for limited budgets.In this two-day experience, participants will explore engineering design challenges for Earth & Space, Life, and Physical Science. We will be working with primary-level concepts relevant to younger learners, blending the practices of science and engineering based on the NGSS/NJSLS-S. The focus of these days will be on Grades 3 – 5 best practices for design-based pedagogy, along with instructional and assessment materials linking Social Studies, Math and Language Arts Literacy to the NGSS/NJSLS-S.Activities will include the integration of literature and real-world connections for instruction, creating a classroom “Maker” environment using your existing space. Tips for unit/lesson planning will be included, along with book lists, previews of new materials, hands-on experiences, and tools for developing meaningful iSTEM experiences for your students throughout the year. Make & take fold-able tool pegboard included. 
How to Start a Middle School STEM Course – Makerspace and NGSS for Middle School    (Trainer: Chris Anderson)
  • Do you have the task of starting a STEM class (e.g., full-half year course, elective, or club) or Makerspace at the middle school level? Are you Science teacher looking to integrate Engineering practices and Core Disciplinary ideas from NGSS into your classroom?  

    Teachers from various content areas (including media specialists) will receive an introduction to design-based pedagogy and necessary skills for facilitating a safe and effective project based, 21st Century Learning Environment aligned to Next Generation Science Standards. Participants leave with sample curriculum outlines and strategies for adaptation within their own school(s); as well as sample instructional, curricular and assessment materials.  

    An integrative STEM course, club and/or elective is an excellent way to acquaint all students to the engineering practices and other conceptual shifts that they will begin to encounter in science, as well as other content areas Grades 6-12. If you are running a makerspace, you’ll certainly need to introduce students to a sequence of activities before they can use the space autonomously!

Hydroponic & Aquaponic Farming Systems, Grades Pre-K – 12    (Trainer: Chris Anderson)
  • In this workshop, global environmental issues associated with factory farming will serve as a launching point for investigations into the structure and function of plants and aquamarine life on both the micro and macroscopic levels, raising simple and complex questions about the movement of matter and energy within ecosystems, as well as the human impacts of the technologies used to control and optimize the lifecycle of various plants and fish found in fresh, as well as processed foods.  By the end of day one, participants will begin an engineering design challenge to create a self-contained hydroponic system for growing specific plants under unique conditions in a range of environments, each with their own set of problems.  The hydroponic systems will be explored as a way to introduce engineering notebooks that can be used to carry out long-term investigations, and an iterative, evidence based approach to designing and modeling solutions.  By the end of day two, participants will be designing, constructing and troubleshooting their own personal aquaponics systems, which can be taken back to their classrooms and scaled up or down – even on a shoestring budget – fostering iSTEM experiences linking bundles of PEs from across all four core disciplines in NGSS. 
Safety Considerations in a STEM Education Environment    (Trainer: Nicholas Beykirch)
  • Safety is an important facet of STEM education programs which focus on hands-on, problem solving learning experiences.  STEM education environments often require student use of tools, machines, and materials and it is important that we ensure that both teachers and students are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to use these in a safe and appropriate manner. 

    This workshop is designed with school/district administrators, curriculum supervisors, and teachers in mind to ensure that a proper safety program can be developed and implemented.  A focus will be placed on general safety considerations, tool/machine and material-specific safety, as well as the implementation of a classroom safety program. This workshop is focused primarily on the tools used in middle school and high school classrooms.

    Join us to ensure that your program is properly preparing your students for a safe and rewarding STEM education experience!

*The workshops above have been designed to support a wide range of teachers and educators seeking an immersive, hands-on experience in a specific area of Science & Engineering, including multiple lessons and activities (design challenges) that can be integrated into Science classrooms,STEM courses and/or Makerspace environments. Sessions vary in length, and may be grade-level specific, though all will address specific performance expectations, core disciplinary ideas and S/E practices from the Next Generation Science Standards

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