Teacher Professional Development
Workshops offered by Physics Outreach
- Data Collection Using Scientific Probes
- Teaching Across the Curriculum: Writing in Science, Using Inquiry-Based Science to Teach Composition and Writing
- Constructing and Creating While Solving Problems with LEGO Building Blocks
- The Nature of Science-Observation based on The Private Eye® process
- Science First Hand
All workshops may be scheduled by communicating with the outreach coordinator, Julie Conlon, at jaconlon@physics.purdue.edu or by telephone at (765) 494-0740.
In order to maintain our ability to provide teacher professional workshops, donations are welcome. The cost for us to provide these workshops vary with the length of the workshop and the distance the school is from the university. In general, a suggested donation would be $150 per hour, to include all handouts and travel expenses.
Workshop Title: Data Collection Using Scientific Probes
Total Time: 2-3 hours
Workshop Objectives:
· To assist teachers in the learning the use of probes that allow scientifically-based research. Learn to use data collection that utilize the power of computers in a versatile and exciting learning environment. With easy-to-use tools and curriculum for data collection and analysis, your students will learn to transform data through hands-on, authentic learning. It's engaging and challenging
Workshop Title: Teaching Across the Curriculum: Writing in Science, Using Inquiry-Based Science to Teach Composition and Writing
Total Time: half day
Workshop Objectives:
· To provide teachers with techniques for accelerating students' growth as scientific writers and thinkers
· To provide teachers with low-cost inquiry-based science explorations that culminate with opportunities for student writing to explain the science concepts they learned, thus writing and thinking across the curriculum
· On an INTERNATIONAL level, to provide teachers in developing countries who teach English an avenue to include other teachers in their school to participate in their task of teaching English and to teach teachers of both disciplines something new (science and English)
Workshop Title: Constructing and Creating While Solving Problems with LEGO Building Blocks
Total Time: 2 hours
Workshop Objectives:
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To provide teachers with opportunity to experience problem solving using LEGO building blocks
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To assist teachers to explore teaching pedagogy that includes structured inquiry that may lead to guided inquiry and open inquiry
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To demonstrate for teachers how they may create an interactive learning environment that increases student interest in math, science, and technology
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To share personal experience with both gifted and at-risk students who grew academically from their problem solving experiences with LEGO
Workshop Title: The Nature of Science-Observation based on The Private Eye® process
Total Time: 1-2 hours
Workshop Objectives:
To model with teachers how they can bring out the scientist in every student, linking science to writing, art, math, and social skills
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To demonstrate how observation is the foundation of science
To engage teachers in working together to brainstorm the skills required of a scientist
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To make class observations of objectives from nature and to generate a list of 10-15 analogies (It looks like... or It reminds me of...)
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To involve teachers in forming hypotheses.
This workshop is based on The Private Eye (5X) Looking/Thinking by Analogy, by Kerry Ruef ©1992,1998,2003 The Private Eye Project.
Workshop Title: Science First Hand
Total Time: 1 1/2 - 2 hours
Workshop Objectives:
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To show teachers how to become active facilitators for their students’ active hands-on science
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To show examples of students who were given materials with which to explore and examine natural phenomenon on their own before formally instructed with vocabulary and classical theory
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To assist teachers in becoming problem posers
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To demonstrate how to create a learning environment where students respond to hands-on experiential method of learning
