Thanks for reading our monthly newsletter from Weber State’s Center for Science & Mathematics Education. We have a collection of announcements and resources, but whenever you can’t find what you want or need please reach out to us.
In this installment:
Teacher Twilights
Physics (& Phriends) Open House
Kits and resources
Graduate course opportunities
November Teacher Twilight: Math & Science Integration
We know that math and science should be like peanut butter and chocolate. But how do we actually integrate them together in a range of classrooms? We’re calling on Diane Crim and Niki Hack from Salt Lake Center for Science Education, a pair of educators who have developed a rich collaboration and tools for braiding science and math into the same learning experience.
Here’s our flier to read more details, share, or print out:
And, here’s our RSVP form. Food is part of the deal, so sign up and let us know what your preferences are!
And in case you missed last month’s collection of shared lessons and resources across all kinds of math and science possibilities, here’s a throwback to the slides shared by October’s presenters:
Physics & Phriends Open House
The Department of Physics & Astronomy, together with a big collection of others throughout Weber’s College of Science, welcome you, families, and students to this annual event of sharing hands-on, family friendly science here in Tracy Hall this Friday, Nov. 8 from 6-9PM.
CSME doesn’t host this, but we get dragged into the festivities just like anyone else. Adam, with his other foot in the physics department, gets to play with lasers and light up pickles and other potentially dumb ideas. You could also take in a planetarium show, peer through microscopes, solve a chemical mystery, play with piles of magnets, and on and on. Feel free to share with others in your circles.
Kits & Resources
Did you know that we have kits for you to check out and use in your classrooms for a couple weeks? Descriptions of what we have to offer and a checkout form are available here on our webpage:
If this is new to you, we’re excited to share; and if you already knew about this we’re delighted that you’ve been in the loop. But for people in either group, we would love to know what else you might need. In particular, is there a collection of tools that you could use that you’d only need temporarily and wouldn’t normally have on hand? For example, a collection of light sources for mixing colors? A box of tuning forks? Or something more elaborate that combines multiple resources into a coherent investigation for your students? We want to know … and if you have an idea that we can create we would especially love for you to try it out. If we can adopt your idea, you’ll be the first to know and the first to try it out. (Don’t be afraid to aim high, because we know there might be some things that make the checkout process more worth it for you.) Let us know what you might need with a quick email to Adam, or set up a time to talk about more ideas.
Future Opportunities: Modeling
Not that kind of modeling.
Modeling Workshops help teachers transform instruction to allow students to make sense of real world phenomena and put thinking and laboratory skills into practice. These span lots of disciplines, but Brooke Jenkins, Chemistry instructor and CSME-affiliated faculty, is planning to host one of these courses for graduate credit and endorsement potential this summer. (Tuition for courses that meet endorsement requirements for public school teachers in Utah is reimbursable through a state grant.) Next week, Tuesday, November 12, at 5PM, a free webinar previewing this course is open to all.
In case you’re interested in previewing other offerings around the country, take a look at the American Modeling Teachers Association’s latest newsletter or the AMTA’s webpage.
We’ll have more updates about course offerings in the coming months. We have plans.
Reach out
Thanks for reading this far. Anything else you want to know about or need? Just let us know (csme@weber.edu). And feel free to share this with others in your circles.
Hang in there! Hope to see you at Teacher Twilight or other events in the near future.
Adam
Adam Johnston
CSME Director
ajohnston@weber.edu