Summer PD That Promises to Not Waste Your Time
Woooooo hooooooooo! Here comes the summer! SUMMER… and all of summer´s promises… let’s see…nights we don’t have to go to bed early, mornings that we can sleep later than the rising of the sun, a much needed break from the grading and lesson planning, and unscheduled time! Aaahhhhhh… time to relax… time to enjoy family… time to catch up… time to prepare for next year…and time to find some awesome professional development opportunities.
As a science teacher, I look for PD opportunities that focus on the changes being ushered in by Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), like engineering, inquiry, project based learning, student driven classrooms, and cross curricular teaching. As a mom on a budget, I look for low cost, FREE, or stipend workshops (offering meals is a bonus I look for) that aren’t too far away or require too much time away from my kids. Here’s a list of PD opportunities you can check out coming to New Jersey this summer that promise to not waste your time and can be applied to your classroom with ease.
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PD: Edcamp Exit 8A: Learning to Lead: Leading to Learn
Location: FEA Conference Centre, 12 Centre Drive Monroe, NJ 08831
Dates: July 13, 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Registration Deadline: rolling until filled
Pricing: Free, includes breakfast and lunch
Description: Edcamp is an unconference where organizers determine a schedule for the day, but sessions are determined by participants on the day of the event by proposing, leading, conversing, and collaborating- participants lead the learning. If our classrooms are supposed to be student driven, we need to LEARN this skill of letting go in order to facilitate a student driven classroom.
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PD: NGSS Within and Beyond the Classroom: Creating Solar Cars
Location: Montclair State University, PRISM- Blanton Hall
Dates: July 17, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Registration Deadline: rolling until filled
Pricing: Free
Information and registration at:
https://www.montclair.edu/csam/prism/science-workshops/
Description: Educators in the 5th-8th grade classroom will use the engineering design process to design, construct, test, and teach model solar cars (focussing on MS-PS3-3- ¨apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer¨).
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PD: 2017 Summer Institute 21st Century Science Connections: Real World Applications for the Classroom
Location: College of St. Elizabeth, Morristown, NJ
Dates: July 17-21 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM, includes breakfast and lunch
Registration Deadline: rolling until filled
Pricing: must be (or become) members of NJSTA ($25 annual fee)
Information and registration at:http://www.njsta.org/simmons-2017.html
Description: This is a five day workshop for middle school science teachers focussing on engaging student through application, pedagogy, and application of the Next Generation Science Standards, focussing on changing learning experiences into lessons!
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PD: Environmental Problem-Based Learning: Water Pollution
Location: Duke Farms, 1112 DUKES PKWY W, HILLSBOROUGH, NJ 08844
Dates: JULY 17 & 18, 2017, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM OR JULY 27 & 28, 2017, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Registration Deadline: rolling until filled
Pricing: $45 (lunch provided and FREE overnight accommodations are available)
Information and registration at:
July 17-18 workshop:
http://www.dukefarms.org/classes–events/event-detail?id=34519802659
July 27-28 workshop:
http://www.dukefarms.org/classes–events/event-detail?id=34519803662
Description: This workshop is part of Rutgers University Graduate School of Education research program and focuses on problem based learning in the 6-12 classroom to use multiple disciplines (especially science and social studies) to explore point and non point source pollution. I will personally be attending this one, so see you there!
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PD: NGSS Guided Curriculum Writing
Location: Montclair State University, PRISM- Blanton Hall
Dates: July 18-19-20, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Registration Deadline: rolling until filled
Pricing: Free
Information and registration at: http://www.montclair.edu/csam/prism/rainforest-connection/
Description: Calling all grade k-5th educators that do not feel ready to implement NGSS, come and familiarize yourself with the engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas through investigations. Time will be set aside for planning, sharing, and redesigning of current curriculum to align them with NGSS.
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PD: NJAET’s Summer #TechSplash 2017
Location: Stone Bridge Middle School, 1252 Yardville-Allentown Road, Allentown NJ 08501
Dates: August 1, 8:15 AM – 2:45 PM
Registration Deadline: rolling until filled
Pricing: $25 by July 25, $35 after July 25, includes breakfast and lunch
Information and registration at: http://www.njaet.org/njaet/Conference/%23TechSplash-2017.html/_top
Description: Educators will learn and practice with technology including G Suite for Education (formerly Google Apps for Education or GAFE), G Suite for Differentiation and Personalizing Instruction, iMovie, Buncee, Canva, Tech Tools, twitter, Apps for Independence (for students with disabilities), and MORE! Bring your own device (free Wifi provided).
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PD: Teaching and Learning with Monarch Butterflies
Location: Duke Farms, 1112 DUKES PKWY W, HILLSBOROUGH, NJ 08844
Dates: August 3 & 4, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Registration Deadline: rolling until filled
Pricing: $50 and includes lunch
Information and registration at:
http://www.dukefarms.org/classes–events/event-detail?id=31123507248
Description: This 2 day workshop is appropriate for educators from pre-k through 12. Experienced educators will model cross curricular methods and skills to introduce participants to the life of the monarch butterfly. Using both classroom and field experiences, participants will gain the ability, skills. knowledge, and resources (each participant receives rearing cages, books, posters, DVDs and more) to confidently raise and teach monarchs in their own classrooms.
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PD: TeachMeetNJ
Location: Toms River Intermediate South, 1675 Pinewald Rd – Beachwood, NJ 08722
Dates: August 17, 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM (door open at 7)
Registration Deadline: rolling until filled
Pricing: Free and includes breakfast
Information and registration at: http://www.teachmeetnj.com/
Description: This is a quick paced, anyone can share ¨unconference¨ event where teachers can share knowledge, experiences, and applications of technology or web 2.0 tools that would benefit other educators.
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PD: Using NGSS to Focus the Future
Location: Rowan University
Dates: August 17, 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Registration Deadline: rolling until filled
Pricing: NJSTA Members: $40, Nonmembers: $65 (includes membership), includes lunch
Information and registration at:http://www.njsta.org
Description: STEM! Learn what STEM is, how to integrate it into your instruction and curriculum, how to ensure its effectiveness, and see a STEM showcase.
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PD: Edcamp Jersey Shore 2017
Location: Monmouth University
Dates: August 24, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Registration Deadline: rolling until filled
Pricing: Free, includes breakfast and lunch
Information and registration at: https://edcampjs.wordpress.com/
Description: This is another participant driven Edcamp. This event includes a STEM challenge, a participant created session board (4 choices created, run, and driven by the participants throughout the day), as well as a Makerspace and robot/device station for tinkering.
Written by Jessica Cicalese Guidera- Toms River Schools 7th Grade Science educator
