IMSA’s Signature Strategy of Professional Development
IMSA offers professional development sessions on mathematics, science, technology, and pedagogy for pre-service and in-service educators and administrators. These professional development opportunities align with IMSA’s signature strategy of learning: Inquiry-Based, Problem-Centered, Competency-Driven, and Integrative. Professional learning experiences include events held at IMSA, sessions presented at conferences, online courses, and workshops delivered in schools across the state and beyond. Educator workshops can be customized to meet any school’s specific needs. The professional learning experiences provide Illinois State Board of Education professional learning credit.
FREE Introductory Courses
Introduction to Inquiry-Based Teaching & Learning – Register: MAY | JUNE
Introduction to Problem Centered Teaching & Learning – Register: MAY | JUNE
Introduction to Integrative Teaching & Learning – Register: MAY | JUNE
Introduction to Competency Driven Teaching & Learning – Register: MAY | JUNE
Upcoming Events
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Summer In-Person Professional Learning Experiences
These courses will be held in person at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, IL. Each course will earn the educator 3.0 CPDUs and costs $50.00 USD.
Foundations | Design Thinking: Empathetic Problems
Wednesday, June 21, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Design thinking applies the human element to the problem-solving process. In a world that requires students to systematically formulate solutions in a creative and empathetic way, this teaching and learning method encourages students to question, innovate, and iterate. In this learning experience, participants will experience first-hand the creative problem-solving process inherent in design thinking. Through modeling and authentic applications, educators will take a deep dive into this problem-centered teaching and learning experience.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Problem-Centered
Cultural Inclusivity in Math and Science
Monday, June 26, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
It may be presumed that math and science advancements are relatively modern and mostly western in construction but there is a long history of math and science from a variety of cultures from around the world. In this session, we will cover hands-on activities that share some of the history and cultural influences that shaped math and science. These activities can then be incorporated into your math and science curriculum.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Competency-Driven
Foundations | Engineering Hogwarts: An Integrative Approach to the 5E Instructional Model
Monday, July 10, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
In this learning experience, we will explore an integrative activity that could be used for mathematics, science, reading/ELA, any technology or STEM course, or as a fun after-school activity. Learners will design, plan, and build a room from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone using textual evidence from the book to guide and support their plans. This activity uses the 5E instructional model (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate), so we will also take a look at using the 5E model as a planning strategy. Each course module will focus on one ‘E’ of the 5E instructional model–taking you first through the student portion of the activity, and then reflecting as an educator. You will then create a 5E learning sequence of your own.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Integrative
Picture Books and Engineering: Dare to Tinker
Wednesday, June 21, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Up for a challenge? Join us for an interactive workshop featuring ways to integrate literature with STEM. Featuring the picture book, The Most Magnificent Thing, this session will engage participants in an engineering design challenge while focusing on foundational math and science concepts such as counting, graphing, working with money, simple machines, and forces and interactions. Social and emotional learning methods along with questioning techniques and inferential reasoning strategies will also be highlighted as educators explore the connection between the picture book and design challenge.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Problem-Based
Playing with Math and Science in the Early Childhood Classroom
Tuesday, July 11, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Young students are naturally equipped with the curiosity and creativity to be successful scientists and mathematicians. In today’s early childhood classrooms, strong foundational skills in math and scientific inquiry promote success in integrated contexts for years to come. Through play-based, open-ended explorations, young students can engage in skills such as subitizing, sorting, drawing, pattern recognition, and innovation and inquiry with loose parts. In this workshop, participants will actively take part in several activities highlighting each of these skills, discuss how they promote mathematical and scientific thinking, and share resources to be used in the classroom.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Integrative
Data: A Graph Tells a Story
Thursday, June 29, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Data, Graphs, Trends, Oh My! In this workshop, participants will examine the properties of data representations through a series of engaging activities. Exploring the collection and organization of data through the eyes of a student, educators will first investigate bar graphs and pie charts through literature connections, design their own survey to collect data, use manipulatives to physically build the representation, and make comparisons between data points to examine the collections’ “story”. Line graphs and scatter plots will also be investigated as participants are challenged to match various data sets with their graphs and infer which graph best represents different data types. Educators leaving this workshop will be well-equipped with interactive ways to explore data representations and the story they tell.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Competency-Driven
Senses and Soundtracks: Integrative Methods to Content Delivery
Thursday, July 13, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Did you know that music may alter how you perceive the world? Stimulate your students with an exploration in senses and soundtracks! In this learning experience, we explore methods to address standards from multiple disciplines with one activity, specifically integrating literacy with science and music. The goal is to explore the process of developing student competency using integrative techniques.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Inquiry-Based
Abstract Concepts to Concrete Understanding, Inquiry Style!
Wednesday, July 19, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
STEM concepts can be overwhelming for students, especially in the early stages of introduction. In this session, we take a more manageable understanding of symbols in music and language and draw comparisons to symbols in math and science. This strategy of teaching with inquiry techniques can inspire your teaching when concepts are not quite clicking with students.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Inquiry-Based
Physical Science: Fire Under the Microscope
Tuesday, June 13, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
The professional learning experience will take an inquiry-based teaching and learning perspective to your hypothesis lesson plan. We use an example activity, which can be easily integrated into your classroom, to share how strategically asking questions to your students can help remove the uncertainty around developing their own hypothesis and then, with confidence, propel them to the hands-on steps of prototyping, testing, and presenting their findings.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Inquiry-Based
Facilitate Physics: Mechanics of Musical Instruments
Wednesday, June 14, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
You do not need to love music to incorporate music into the physics classroom, but by doing so, you can create meaningful connections between students' interests and learning. How so you ask? This learning experience takes a look at how using a hands-on activity can make abstract concepts come to life in a significant way for students. The example activity we use will demonstrate how you can use a simple machine (in this case PVC pipe) to help students visualize and feel the relationship between vibrations and the length of an instrument can create music.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Inquiry-Based
Inspiring Engineering Thinkers: Recycling Process Innovations
Tuesday, June 20, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Learning about recycling is a must in elementary school - we think that poses a great opportunity to inspire some STEM thinking! Join us to learn how to take seemingly simple subjects and then take them a step further to engage students to think creatively while still learning important STEM thinking skills backed by NGSS practices. We provide the classroom management know-how for a great activity that asks students how to solve the problem of limited space for recycling by looking at the recycling trucks as part of the solution along with resources you can incorporate into your recycling lesson plans.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Problem-Centered
Adding Structure to Group Work: Designing a Cargo Rover
Wednesday, June 21, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Have you ever found an amazing activity for your student but did not know how to approach classroom management? You are not alone! This experience is about giving you insight into how to navigate larger, group-work activities in a way that is manageable and productive to the learning of students. By walking through a provided activity (inspired by the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge) you will have a detailed walk-through on strategic classroom management tips and the opportunity to ask specific questions about your teaching experience.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Problem-Centered
Natural Science: Solve Real-World Problems in the Classroom
Thursday, June 22, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Students today have a passion for solving real-world problems in the classroom, especially those related to the environment. As educators, we can tap into that passion and draw the connection back to the required course material for deeper engagement. This learning experience works around an example activity that takes a real-world problem, inspired by NASAs 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge that asks students to design suitable environments for space, as the example for learning about natural sciences.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Problem-Centered
The NGSS 3-Dimensional Approach: Valuable Lessons from Waves
Monday, June 26, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
It may be presumed that math and science advancements are relatively modern and mostly western in construction but there is a long history of math and science from a variety of cultures from around the world. In this session, we will cover hands-on activities that share some of the history and cultural influences that shaped math and science. These activities can then be incorporated into your math and science curriculum.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Competency-Driven
Exploring the Brain
Thursday, June 29, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
In this session, we explore various activities we can use to introduce the brain and central nervous system to our students. This includes a focus on mindfulness and understanding the developing brain of our middle-school students with regard to learning and emotion, along with discussing integrative, inquiry approaches to brain dissection. Depending on the availability of materials, this may include a sheep brain dissection activity.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Competency-Driven
Not Just a Story: Genetics and Probability
Monday, July 10, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
In this session, educators will engage in an Integrative STEM-based activity framed in a fictional story. This story integrates well with mathematical concepts of probability and chance, along with science concepts such as heredity, geared towards 6th through 12th grades.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Integrative
Integrating Math and Science Using Data-Driven Activities
Tuesday, July 11, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Probability and statistics are mathematical concepts that are integrally linked to science, experimentation, and data analysis. Join us for a hands-on approach to the topic as we cover lessons that start with collecting data and then lead to using probability and statistics to analyze the data. At the end of this experience, you will leave with activities that can easily be implemented in your classroom.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Integrative
Graphs and Fractions: Using Fictional Text as a Source for Data
Wednesday, July 12, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Can your students’ favorite stories be used for math? Yes, they can! Enjoy a fun, integrative approach to data collection and analysis using a popular piece of fiction, the book, Wonder, by RJ Palacio, for our evidence. The approach can then be applied to your popular classroom books, helping your students feel a connection to graphs and fractions.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Integrative
Explorations in Physical Science: The Chemistry of Papermaking
Monday, July 17, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
How can we increase engagement in the classroom? Bringing unique, hands-on activities to your classroom can inspire students to ask questions that enhance their understanding and learning experiences. In this session, we will explore water properties, material science, and chemical interactions with regard to paper-making as an example of a hands-on activity that can be done with students. And yes, you’ll be making paper in the process!
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Inquiry-Based
Navigating Frustration in the Classroom: It's About Time!
Tuesday, July 18, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
STEAM rationale exploded during the “Dark Ages” and it’s likely fair to assume that there were frustrating moments during the learning curves. Students today can relate as it can be frustrating to learn a new topic or to apply a new learning style. This session will give educators strategies to build students' perseverance by using an activity that involves challenging, but grade-appropriate, engineering techniques to build a medieval clock out of K’nex. Clocks, time, see what we did there.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Inquiry-Based
Guided Inquiry in Math and Science: Medieval Farming Innovations
Thursday, July 20, 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Inquiry-based learning can happen in a variety of ways and in this session, we explore a guided inquiry activity that merges science and math topics of medieval farming practices. Guided activities are a great way to help increase students' critical thinking skills and this one will be available to take with you after the session.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Inquiry-Based
Gamifying Chemistry
Wednesday, July 11, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Games can be a fun and motivating way to engage students, but they are often used as a means to practice, apply, or review learned content instead of introducing a new concept. In this Learning Experience, educators will explore the use of common games as a tool for an inquiry-based approach to introducing topics in high school chemistry such as atomic structure and periodic trends.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Inquiry-Based
Facilitate Physics: Mechanics of Musical Instruments
Wednesday, June 14, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
You do not need to love music to incorporate music into the physics classroom, but by doing so, you can create meaningful connections between students' interests and learning. How so you ask? This learning experience takes a look at how using a hands-on activity can make abstract concepts come to life in a significant way for students. The example activity we use will demonstrate how you can use a simple machine (in this case PVC pipe) to help students visualize and feel the relationship between vibrations and the length of an instrument can create music.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Inquiry-Based
Adding Structure to Group Work: Designing a Cargo Rover
Wednesday, June 21, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Have you ever found an amazing activity for your student but did not know how to approach classroom management? You are not alone! This experience is about giving you insight into how to navigate larger, group-work activities in a way that is manageable and productive to the learning of students. By walking through a provided activity (inspired by the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge) you will have a detailed walk-through on strategic classroom management tips and the opportunity to ask specific questions about your teaching experience.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Problem-Centered
Data and Statistics: Modeling Parachutes
Thursday, June 22, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
In this learning experience, participants will explore ways to integrate math with science through an investigation incorporating problems in aerodynamics. Putting the mathematical, science, and engineering practice standards into action, educators will explore a sample problem-centered STEM activity to design and model parachutes with the goal of determining the specifications necessary to construct a life-size chute that would successfully support their body weight. In this session, participants will make connections between data, statistics, and science as they consider design criteria for the rate of descent and graphically represent data and mathematical information as a scatter plot.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Problem-Centered
Natural Science: Solve Real-World Problems in the Classroom
Thursday, June 22, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Students today have a passion for solving real-world problems in the classroom, especially those related to the environment. As educators, we can tap into that passion and draw the connection back to the required course material for deeper engagement. This learning experience works around an example activity that takes a real-world problem, inspired by NASAs 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge that asks students to design suitable environments for space, as the example for learning about natural sciences.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Problem-Centered
The NGSS 3-Dimensional Approach: Valuable Lessons from Waves
Monday, June 26, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
It may be presumed that math and science advancements are relatively modern and mostly western in construction but there is a long history of math and science from a variety of cultures from around the world. In this session, we will cover hands-on activities that share some of the history and cultural influences that shaped math and science. These activities can then be incorporated into your math and science curriculum.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Competency-Driven
Quadratic Functions: As Simple as A, B, C
Wednesday, June 28, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Participants will engage in several activities that demystify applications of quadratic functions. By exploring simple, yet interactive exercises, students will understand that this function is more than just a formula of a, b, and c. Participants will walk away with several lessons that can be easily adapted to any classroom.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Competency-Driven
Exploring Properties of Water Using Inquiry and Integrated Techniques
Wednesday, June 28, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Water is used in many technological and scientific processes, on that account, we will explore why water is so ubiquitous in STEM through a series of experiential learning activities that can be easily incorporated into your classroom. These activities will cover the topic of the properties of water from a real-world perspective.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Competency-Driven
Breaking the Mold of Traditional Chemistry Labs
Monday, July 10, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Labs are an integral piece of science courses, but many labs are often done to confirm a concept that students have already learned. In this Learning Experience, educators will look at how laboratory experiences can be structured into different levels of inquiry by working through some hands-on activities that focus on polarity. While the lessons in this learning experience are designed for a high school chemistry class, the activities can be adapted for biology or middle school science class.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Inquiry-Based
A Unified Science: What's Chem Got to Do With It?
Wednesday, July 12, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
It is important for all students, no matter what their future education and career path, to engage in innovative and integrated STEM experiences. However, while chemistry is often referred to as “the central science”, most students experience it as one of the many subject-specific courses in their schedules. In this learning experience, educators will look at how inquiry-based activities can be used as a tool for integrating content across multiple disciplines. While the lessons in this learning experience are designed for a high school chemistry class, the activities can be adapted for other courses.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Integrative
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Online, Asynchronous Professional Learning Experiences
These learning experiences are offered online each month allowing participants to work at their own pace. Access is given at the beginning of the month and will close at the end of the month. Each course has an assigned facilitator dedicated to monitoring your progress and answering questions. Each course will earn the educator 3.0 CPDUs and costs $50.00 USD.
Foundations | Engineering Hogwarts: An Integrative Approach to the 5E Instructional Model
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
In this learning experience, we will explore an integrative activity that could be used for mathematics, science, reading/ELA, any technology or STEM course, or as a fun after-school activity. Learners will design, plan, and build a room from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone using textual evidence from the book to guide and support their plans. This activity uses the 5E instructional model (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate), so we will also take a look at using the 5E model as a planning strategy. Each course module will focus on one ‘E’ of the 5E instructional model–taking you first through the student portion of the activity and then reflecting as an educator. You will then create a 5E learning sequence of your own.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Integrative
Foundations | Low Floor, High Ceiling
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
It can be difficult to provide the differentiation needed for students at different stages of mastery. One solution is to use activities that can be engaged with at multiple levels. If meeting the relevant standards is represented by the floor, then going above and beyond them is the ceiling. Ideally, an activity begins with an inviting, non-threatening floor, but allows accomplished students to quickly climb toward more engaging challenges within the same activity.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Competency-Driven
Foundations | Teaching with a Full Deck: Card Sorts
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
Card sorts tend to make students do the “things” we value most: think and talk. Beyond making matches, card sorts provide opportunities for students to classify, rank, sequence, and mind map while setting a natural context for inquiry, argumentation, and use of the claim-evidence-reasoning framework. In this Learning Experience, educators will engage in a series of math and science card sorts to explore how this easy-to-prep tool will encourage students to reason and think critically.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Inquiry-Based
Foundations | The Art of Getting It Wrong: Developing Persistence
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
Winston Churchill once said, “success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Unfortunately, traditional learning activities often lack the ability to authentically and safely fail, evaluate points of error, and celebrate the process of learning. Providing students the opportunity to fail, reevaluate and redesign leads to persistence in learning and allows students to struggle through difficult problems in a productive manner. In this experience, participants explore a struggle-worthy activity, reflect on the importance of perseverance, and determine what to do with those questions that aren’t quite right.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Problem-Centered
Problem Based Learning 1: Getting Started & Foundations
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
This course is designed to be an autonomous learning experience. First, we introduce the learner to the fundamentals of the Problem-Based Learning technique. Learners then work to define the technique, identify important characteristics and explore the student experience of the process. Lastly, learners identify problems they can use to teach specific classroom content. Instructor feedback is provided throughout the course.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Problem-Centered
Problem Based Learning 2: Details in Design
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
This course is the second in the PBL course series and is designed to be an autonomous learning experience. In this course, learners explore design elements involved in creating Problem-Based Learning for the K-12 classroom. Through exploration of example units, learners learn to apply the design elements to create their own PBL unit unique to their classroom. Instructor feedback is provided throughout the course. Suggested Prerequisite: PBL 1: Fundamentals
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Problem-Centered
Problem Based Learning 3: Applications in the Classroom
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
The third in our online PBL series, this course focuses on techniques to prepare the teacher and their students for the successful implementation of a Problem-Based Learning unit. Topics such as inquiry-based learning, problem-solving, and building collaboration, as well as assessments, are explored. Instructor feedback is provided throughout the course. Suggested Prerequisite: PBL 2: Details in Design
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Problem-Centered
Foundational Science: Setting the Stage for Success
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
The Next Generation Science Standards have provided educators with a magnificent framework on which to base science education in today's classrooms, and the three dimensions provide consistent themes in terms of content and skill for K-12 students. During this learning experience, we will explore the progression of science content and skills as they build from Pre-K forward and identify and practice ways to provide early learners with opportunities to build a strong foundation in science and STEAM.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Competency-Driven
Playing with Math and Science in the Early Childhood Classroom
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
Young students are naturally equipped with the curiosity and creativity to be successful scientists and mathematicians. In today’s early childhood classrooms, strong foundational skills in math and scientific inquiry promote success in integrated contexts for years to come. Through play-based, open-ended explorations, young students can engage in skills such as subitizing, sorting, drawing, pattern recognition, and innovation and inquiry with loose parts. In this workshop, participants will actively take part in several activities highlighting each of these skills, discuss how they promote mathematical and scientific thinking, and share resources to be used in the classroom.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Integrative
Teaching STEM in the Preschool Classroom: A Book Study
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
This Competency Driven Learning Experience is centered around the book Teaching STEM in the Preschool Classroom, by Alissa A. Lange, Kimberly Brenneman, and Hagit Mano. In this book, the authors first discuss the concept of STEM education and its importance in the preschool classroom, followed by an in-depth look into each facet of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) as it applies to early childhood education. This learning experience requires the purchase of the book: Teaching STEM in the Preschool Classroom, by Alissa A. Lange, Kimberly Brenneman, and Hagit Mano.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Competency-Driven
Young Mathematicians: Laying the Foundation
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
In their math infancy, early childhood and elementary students are just beginning the journey of growing as proficient mathematicians. Laying the foundation for success ensures students develop positive experiences and skills in mathematics. In this Learning Experience, educators will explore the role of mathematics in early childhood and elementary classrooms. Exploring literature, research, and suggested activities, participants will investigate six mathematical foundations for young learners: sets, patterns, number sense, counting and operations, measurement and data, and spatial relationships and shape.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Competency-Driven
Real World Math: Three Act Tasks
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
Mathematicians view mathematics within interesting and natural contexts. In this learning experience, participants will engage and explore Three-Act Math Tasks; a story-telling, problem-centered, pedagogical strategy that elicits student curiosity, collaboration, and questioning while redefining the term “real-world context” and the role that students play in the learning process.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Problem-Centered
Senses and Soundtracks: Integrative Methods to Content Delivery
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
Did you know that music may alter how you perceive the world? Stimulate your students with an exploration in senses and soundtracks! In this learning experience, we explore methods to address standards from multiple disciplines with one activity, specifically integrating literacy with science and music. The goal is to explore the process of developing student competency using integrative techniques. We will also explore how the activity can be scaled to a variety of grade levels
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Integrative
Not Just a Story: Genetics and Probability
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
*This Learning Experience requires the book “Wonder” by RJ Palacio; a pair of dice; and two coins*
In this Learning Experience, educators will focus on the application of Integrative STEM-based instruction by experiencing a set of activities framed in literacy using a fictional story. This story integrates well with mathematical concepts of probability and chance, along with scientific concepts dealing with heredity. While the fictional story of focus is geared toward 5th grade, these activities focus on middle and high school level concepts (6th-12th grades).
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Integrative
Real World Math: Three Act Tasks
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
Mathematicians view mathematics within interesting and natural contexts. In this learning experience, participants will engage and explore Three-Act Math Tasks; a story-telling, problem-centered, pedagogical strategy that elicits student curiosity, collaboration, and questioning while redefining the term “real-world context” and the role that students play in the learning process.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Problem-Centered
Scale and Size: Modeling Powers of 10
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
In this Learning Experience, educators will experience a set of student activities that utilize a mathematical model to engage students in exploring very large and very small objects. This will be achieved by looking at patterns and measurements, ultimately building number sense in our students through the lens of an integrated real-world application. As educators journey through this course, they will reflect on how the student activities directly support Competency-Based teaching methods and several Common Core State Mathematics Standards written for students in Grades 4 through 8.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Competency-Driven
Breaking the Mold of Traditional Chemistry Labs
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
Labs are an integral piece of science courses, but many labs are often done to confirm a concept that students have already learned. In this Learning Experience, educators will look at how laboratory experiences can be structured into different levels of inquiry by working through some hands-on activities that focus on polarity. While the lessons in this learning experience are designed for a high school chemistry class, the activities can be adapted for biology or middle school science class.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Inquiry-Based
Gamifying Chemistry
Registration Links: MAY | JUNE
Games can be a fun and motivating way to engage students, but they are often used as a means to practice, apply, or review learned content instead of introducing a new concept. In this Learning Experience, educators will explore the use of common games as a tool for an inquiry-based approach to introducing topics in high school chemistry such as atomic structure and periodic trends.
Strand of Teaching and Learning: Inquiry-Based
