Summer Professional Development Opportunities 2009
Summer professional development classes are now forming. See what opportunities are available to assist in recertification points and/or college credit. Site will be updated as new opportunities arise.

Working With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Art, History, and Culture

• Summer Digital Arts
  The Southern Virginia Higher Education Center is proud to announce its first Summer Digital Arts Camp with program offerings for both teens (mornings) and adults (evenings). Taught by practicing, award-winning digital professionals in the SVHEC’s state-of-the-art Apple Macintosh lab, participants can chose from six weeks of “a la carte” classes. This is your chance to expand your digital media skills in Digital Photography, Video, Digital Music, Animation, and Podcasting.
  
  While the current economic climate is forcing all of us to do more with less, these classes offer an exceptional value and opportunity to learn about new and emerging technologies and discover new ways of leveraging them to get the most “bang for your buck.” So whether you want to learn more about technologies with an increasing presence in the workplace or just want to feel more comfortable using your digital photography or video camera to make presentations, home movies, or sharing with friends, these classes are for you!
  
  Who: Morning sessions for Teens (13-19) and evening sessions for Adults
  What: Digital photography, Video, Digital Music, Animation, and Podcasting – course descriptions provided below
  When: Weeks of June 22, June 30, July 7, July 14, July 21, and July 28
  How much: $80 per week for Teens; $60 per week for Adults; multi-course discount and scholarships available
  Required skill level: Users of all levels, from beginners to advanced, are welcomed and will be enriched by our expert instruction
  
  For more information or to register, please complete the registration form available at http://www.svhed.org or call 434-572-5440 or toll free 1-800-283-0098. Thanks to the generosity of the Halifax Educational Foundation several scholarships are available for the teen classes. The availability of these scholarships will provide economically disadvantaged students access to this enriching programming. If your teenager or a teenager you know can benefit from this opportunity, please download a scholarship application at www.svhed.org. 
   

• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
  2009 Summer Institute for Educators  
  at Rawls Museum Arts in Courtland, Virginia 
  American Vision: Art and Culture, 1778-1950
  Thursday, June 25, 8:30 am–8 pm and Friday, June 26, 8:30 am–3 pm, 2009 
  
  Rawls Museum Arts partners with VMFA to create an unforgettable American art experience in Courtland, Virginia this summer. Participants discover the history and culture of America through the work of the painters, sculptors, writers, and photographers who created a truly American vision for the developing nation. Hands-on activities bring American portraits to life. Pictures and other primary sources inspire creative hands-on learning sessions about landscapes, cityscapes, and neighborhoods. Participants enjoy American movies, music, architecture, photography, and food as they absorb the diverse elements of American culture from the Colonial era to modern times.  
  
  Fee: $20

  Spaces are limited, so register today! Registrations will be accepted through June 15, 2009.  
  To register, fill out the VMFA/Rawls Museum Arts Summer Institute for Educators Application Form and mail the completed form with your check to: 
  
  FLYER AND REGISTRATION FORM

  VMFA / Rawls Museum Arts Summer Institute for Educators
  Attention: Twyla Kitts
  200 N. Boulevard
  Richmond, VA 23220 

  OTHER HISTORY OPPORTUNITIES

Driver Education Program Coordinators

• Danville Community College Is Offering Edu 214 (The Second Of The Two
  Required Courses For Driver Education Endorsement)
  EDU 214 will be offered on the RCATT campus at DCC beginning May 26 through June 25 on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
  
  EDU 114 is a prerequisite for this course.
  
  For additional information contact Lynn Dillon at lndillon@comcast.net.

Career and Technical Education

Developing a Bright Future
August 3-7, 2009

The Virginia Department of Education, Office of Career and Technical Education, invites you to our across-the-board 2009 Career and Technical Education Summer Professional Development Institute, Developing a Bright Future, from Monday, August 3, 2009, through Friday, August 7, 2009, in Richmond. The Institute will officially begin with a series of across-the-board professional development programs on August 4, 2009, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. On August 3, 5, 6 and 7, each CTE program area's professional association will provide industry certification training, technical update workshops, and teacher recognition programs.

Registration

ODU: Teacher Recertification (Online) for Summer and Fall

• Old Dominion University:  Distance Learning at Patrick Henry Community College

  Teacher Re-certification Courses for Summer 2009 and Fall 2009
  Flyer (PDF) 

Agriculture in the Classroom

Virginia’s AITC program provides teacher training workshops throughout the Commonwealth. Hands-on activities, grade level appropriate SOL-aligned lesson plans, and other resource materials are available to workshop participants. Additionally, each teacher receives a free teacher resource kit with curriculum, books, posters, and much more!

Workshops incorporate: SOL-aligned lessons, activities, and experiments and high yield strategies and real-life applications, which bring the standards to life.

• Seeds of Knowledge:  To be held at Chatham Elementary
  Date: July 13, 2009
  Time: 9am—2pm
  Where: Chatham Elementary School
  Register: contact Nancy Towler, 432-2761 (nancy.towler@pcs.k12.va.us)
  Lunch will be provided. — Earn 5 recertification points
  Flyer (PDF)
   
• Summer Regional Workshop Schedule 
  AITC is offering 9 regional professional development workshops this summer!  Locations include Virginia Beach, Richmond, Loudoun, Norfolk, and Blacksburg.  For information on dates and registration, click here.
   
• Online Course for College Credit 
  AITC is proud to introduce HRT 195, a three credit online course offered through J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College.  Click here for more details. 
  
   

Lynchburg College

Lynchburg College
Graduate Studies Information Session



Lynchburg College Southside Cohort

Please attend this information session to learn more about the graduate studies programs offered by Lynchburg College.  The particular emphasis of this information session will be a proposed cohort program for regional educators, at a reduced tuition rate,  in the areas of Educational Leadership (administration and supervision) and Curriculum and Instruction  with Dr. Roger Jones and  Dr. John Walker. The cohort will offer six courses for both programs at a designated site in Chatham. Information on financial aid will also be available.   For additional information on Lynchburg College graduate programs, please view  http://www.lynchburg.edu/graduatestudies.

 To register in advance, please contact the Office of Graduate Studies (gradstudies@lynchburg.edu or 434-544-8383).  In addition, walk-ins are welcome.

FLYER (PDF)

Institute for Advanced Learning and Research

• Get Your Hands on Nanoscience
  Tuesday, June 23, 2009; 8:30 am – 4 pm @ IALR
  
  Middle and High School educators take a day and submerge yourself in the tiny world of nano, where things aren’t what they seem. Enjoy hands-on experience and discover the science of nano in the chemistry lab. You’ll make liquid crystal, experiment with self-assembling silver and discover the unique properties of gold at the nanoscale. Take away the materials and knowhow to do two of these experiments with your classes next year. Teachers will earn 7 Recertification Points for attending. To register, visit www.ialr.org or call 434-766-6772. Cost is $15, includes lunch, two breaks and ~$50 in take-away materials. To register, call or email Laura Holloway at 434-766-6772 or laura.holloway@ialr.org or Catherine Womack at 434-766-6611 or catherine.womack@ialr.org
   

• The UVA Summer NANO Academy
  July 20-24, 2009
  The UVA Summer NANO Academy at the University of Virginia, offers middle and high school teachers the opportunity to participate in a week-long seminar – FREE – without cost to you. Teachers will learn about the creation, measurement, manipulation and use of objects at the nanoscale in this three-credit graduate course. You will gain valuable experience using the same tools scientists use to manipulate nano-sized objects: the Atomic Force Microscope and Scanning Tunneling Microscope. This program includes tuition, learning materials, lodging, and two meals a day. Teachers will also earn three graduate credits for participating.
  
  The class is limited to 12 high school science teachers. Middle school science teachers will be considered and may apply. Elementary school teachers are encouraged to apply and may be considered as well. An out-of-class, curriculum project required in pairs, so preference is given to pairs of teachers from the same school. If interested, please complete the attached application. For more information, call or email Laura Holloway at 434-766-6772 or laura.holloway@ialr.org or Catherine Womack at 434-766-6611 or catherine.womack@ialr.org
   

• Summer Educators Development Institute 2009 (SEDI)

• Word Document Listing of Sessions

• PDF Document Listing of Sessions

University of Virginia: Office of Mathematics Outreach

UVA: Online Course

Online Course Offerings from UVA

• On-Line Course Offering for Physical Education Teachers in Virginia
  EDHS 589W: Including Children with Disabilities in General Physical Education

  The purpose of this online graduate class is to prepare physical education teachers in Virginia to provide safe, appropriate, and individualized accommodations to children with disabilities who are included in general physical education programs. The course is divided into the following four modules: (1) introduction to inclusion, (2) planning and assessment, (3) instructional, curricular, game, and behavioral accommodations, and (4) safety and social considerations with inclusion in physical education. All information presented is based on scientifically proven practices in adapted physical education that have been successfully implemented in physical education programs in Virginia and around the United States. This web-based course includes lecture notes, supplemental readings, and video clips. Students must register by June 5th to establish an UVA email account for Blackboard access.

  FLYER (PDF FORMAT)

• School of Continuing and Professional Studies

EDIS 771W: Reading in the Content Areas
Explores the theory and practice of how students comprehend and learn with text. Participants will learn how to use comprehension frameworks and strategies to build students’ metacognition and overall understanding of concepts and texts. Practical applications are a key component of the course as you work individually and in teams.  FLYER (PDF)

EDIS 772W: Word Study: Language Structures & Phonics
Word Study is an approach to spelling instruction that relies on an understanding of English orthography and the way in which children develop as spellers. Participants will learn how to assess students’ spelling in the context of developmental spelling stages. Designing word study instruction (weekly and long-term), managing groups, and monitoring student progress are addressed in this course. FLYER (PDF)

EDIS 589W: Early Reading Development
This course is designed for primary educators who want to learn more about the components of a balanced literacy program for early readers. Participants will learn how to administer and interpret early literacy assessments (PALS, TOPPA, ERSI, and Running Records). Instructional topics include how to incorporate phonological awareness, phonics, leveled text, and guided reading lessons into a balanced language arts program. FLYER (PDF)

EDIS 770W: Foundations of Reading NEW!
Presents reading development and the teaching of reading from its earliest stage (the emergent reader) to maturity (advanced instructional reader). Major course topics include: (1) social and cultural perspectives on learning to read and write; (2) developmental stages of reading and word knowledge; (3) the five components of reading instruction (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension); and (4) reading disability and interventions. FLYER (PDF)

PSED 611: Adolescent Literacy NEW!
Characteristics of Adolescent learners and instruction that meets their needs will be explored in this course. Topics include: assessment, matching texts to readers, strategy instruction for comprehension and vocabulary. Integrated into the course is the use of technology and how to address the needs of ELL students and striving readers. Blended Format on-line/Live FLYER (PDF)

PSED 611D Young Adult Literature NEW !
Young Adult Literature is a 3-hour graduate level course designed to increase interest in and knowledge of young adult literature and to consider texts beyond the canon. Be prepared to read at least 1 YA book each week as we explore a range of genres and topics. Some topics include: Multicultural texts, classics, connecting books with film, non-fiction, graphic novels, manga, and picture books. The first and last classes will meet all day on a Saturday. All other sessions are on-line. FLYER (PDF)

PSED 624A: Teaching with Web 2.0 Technology in the 21st Center
Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other collaborative tools provide new opportunities for in-service teachers with minimal computer knowledge to integrate technology into teaching and learning. The Internet is a more customizable and user-friendly classroom utility than ever before. This cutting-edge class offers teachers an in depth look into incorporating numerous 21st century tools into classrooms in an effort to engage digital learners. Participants are required to have access to Blackboard at SCPS for course work participation. Establishing a UVa email account will be required. Instructions for setting up an email account will be provided once the registration process has been completed. Flyer (PDF)

History Teachers

Summer 2009 Opportunities for History:

• 10th Annual Content Teaching Academy
  The 10th Annual Content Teaching Academy will be held June 22-26, 2009 on the campus of James Madison University, located in the beautiful and historic Shenandoah Valley. The programs (Academies) offer high quality professional development that include in-depth studies in a range of content areas. In addition, each Academy is designed to engage participants in critical dialogues of practice with instructional sessions conducted by scholars and master teachers who understand the challenges associated with today's classroom.

  Openings still left for the HISTORY & SOCIAL STUDIES Content Teaching Academy. Please consider this exceptional professional development opportunity for your teachers. See the website for additional information about the use of STIMULUS FUNDS for offsetting the cost of the academy. http://www.jmu.edu/contentacademy

  Speakers will likely include former social studies Teacher of the Year, as well as content experts in religion and politics, world history topics, and US history topics. Also, we have scheduled sessions in digital storytelling, effective teaching methods, teaching controversial issues & discussion techniques, Smartboard use in civics and history, and differentiation. The Virginia Geography Alliance, Youth Leadership Initiative, and the ever popular Virginia Economic Council are all coming, as is Martha Washington from Mt. Vernon.

  REGISTRATION ENDS JUNE 5.
   

• Virginia War Memorial
  The Virginia War Memorial is pleased to announce their schedule of Teacher Institutes for Summer 2009. Listed below are the opportunities with dates and locations from which you may choose. These Institutes are being presented by the Memorial with our partners - U.S. Army Women's Museum, the Virginia Historical Society, the Cold War Museum, the National D-Day Museum, the U.S. Navy Museum, the Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation and the George C. Marshall Foundation. We begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m. with a complimentary lunch and no registration fee.
  
  Attendance at any of the Institutes will also be eligible for relicensure points in the Commonwealth. Each of the venues will have representatives and a presentation during their particular Institute. Please find the registration form attached. Additional information can be found on our website. You may also register online at our website, www.vawarmemorial.org.
   

All registrations need to be received by June 10, 2009.

• Vietnam - The Stories Still Echo - Richmond (June 24)

• D-Day - The Mighty Endeavor - Bedford (July 28) and Richmond (July 30)

• The Cold War - Facts, Fiction and Fables - Richmond (August 4) and Washington, D.C. (August 6)

• American Women - Their Changing Role as Citizen Soldiers - Ft. Lee (June 30)

• History in the Attic - Preserving a Family's History - Lexington (July 29)

• Called to Serve - Women in Military Service - Arlington (August 5)

Registration Flyer (Word doc)

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• The Tusculum Institute at Sweet Briar College will host a one day workshop
  for K-12 educators titled "Teaching With Historic Places" on June 13, 2009.
  The sessions will feature a hands-on approach to interpreting historic
  architecture and provide a field methods guide to interpreting historic
  places in your neighborhood.
  
  Guest speakers will include Carol Shull and Beth Boland of the National Park Service
  and Dr. Charles White of Boston University, who authored a recent text on K-12 teaching with historic
  buildings.
  
  Teachers will receive SOL-based lesson plans and a $75 stipend.
  
  Please contract Dr. Lynn Rainville, current Fellow-in-Residence at VCDH, for
  registration materials and information.

• VA Historical Society Summer Teacher Institute

The Theme is on the Brown V Board decision in Virginia and looks to be an outstanding program.  The target teacher audience is VA Studies, US II and Secondary History.  Deadline to apply May 15.

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• Library Of Virginia
  Going To The Source: Teaching And Learning With Digital Primary Sources

Dates:
June 22–23, 2009

June 22, 2009, 7pm
Evening Reception

June 23, 2009
Registration Begins At 8:30 am, Keynote At 9am, Workshops 10:15 am - 5pm; Lunch Provided

Sponsors: LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES NORTHERN VIRGINIA PARTNERSHIP, And PATRICK HENRY COMMITTEE AND ST. JOHN’S CHURCH FOUNDATION

Cost:  $25.00 per person

Description: Teaching and Learning with Digital Primary Sources: A Conference for Virginia’s K-12 Social Studies Educators that will explore and demonstrate how teachers can find and use the Library of Congress and the Library of Virginia’s Digitized Primary Sources to enhance social studies instruction through interactive presentations and hands-on activities. Educators will learn strategies for finding and using digitized materials to invigorate social studies inquiry in the classroom.

Professional Development:  Attendees will receive a certification of completion that may be turned in for professional development points with the Virginia Department of Education.

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• Civil War Preservation Trust Summer Institute in Fredericksburg

The CWPT Teacher Institute will be held July 24–26, 2009 in Spotsylvania County, Va. Through a series of lectures, workshops, discussions and battlefield tours, attendees will gain greater knowledge of the Civil War, while learning new and exciting methods for passing that knowledge on to their students.

The CWPT Teacher Institute is an intensive three-day experience that prepares teachers to deliver thoughtful, engaging instruction. Attendees will attend their choice of ten workshops presented by teachers, education professionals and historians. The workshops will provide teachers with a deeper understanding of the complex content of the Civil War while presenting the latest techniques for history instruction. CWPT is thrilled to once again welcome Dr. James I. “Bud” Robertson, director of the Virginia Tech Center for Civil War Studies, as our scheduled keynote speaker.

Science Teachers

Summer 2009 Opportunities for Science Teachers:

• Get Your Hands on Nanoscience
  Tuesday, June 23, 2009; 8:30 am – 4 pm @ IALR
  
  Middle and High School educators take a day and submerge yourself in the tiny world of nano, where things aren’t what they seem. Enjoy hands-on experience and discover the science of nano in the chemistry lab. You’ll make liquid crystal, experiment with self-assembling silver and discover the unique properties of gold at the nanoscale. Take away the materials and knowhow to do two of these experiments with your classes next year. Teachers will earn 7 Recertification Points for attending. To register, visit www.ialr.org or call 434-766-6772. Cost is $15, includes lunch, two breaks and ~$50 in take-away materials. To register, call or email Laura Holloway at 434-766-6772 or laura.holloway@ialr.org or Catherine Womack at 434-766-6611 or catherine.womack@ialr.org
   

• The UVA Summer NANO Academy
  July 20-24, 2009
  The UVA Summer NANO Academy at the University of Virginia, offers middle and high school teachers the opportunity to participate in a week-long seminar – FREE – without cost to you. Teachers will learn about the creation, measurement, manipulation and use of objects at the nanoscale in this three-credit graduate course. You will gain valuable experience using the same tools scientists use to manipulate nano-sized objects: the Atomic Force Microscope and Scanning Tunneling Microscope. This program includes tuition, learning materials, lodging, and two meals a day. Teachers will also earn three graduate credits for participating.
  
  The class is limited to 12 high school science teachers. Middle school science teachers will be considered and may apply. Elementary school teachers are encouraged to apply and may be considered as well. An out-of-class, curriculum project required in pairs, so preference is given to pairs of teachers from the same school. If interested, please complete the attached application. For more information, call or email Laura Holloway at 434-766-6772 or laura.holloway@ialr.org or Catherine Womack at 434-766-6611 or catherine.womack@ialr.org

• VCU Summer 2009 Workshop Series for Life & Earth Science Teachers
  Spend a week of your 2009 summer in historic Richmond living out your CSI fantasies, studying genetics and family history, learning about cutting-edge biology, and much more. Earn graduate credit at Virginia Commonwealth University while learning new science content, lab activities, and instructional ideas that will capture your students’ interest. Nine workshops will be offered: Biotechnology I, Rivers and Tributaries: Sustaining their Future; All in the Family: Genes and Your Health; Systems Biology: Genes, Proteins & Biochemical Reactions; Biotechnology II; Rivers & Tributaries; Forensics: DNA, Drugs, and the Law; Forensics: The Science at a Crime Scene. Scholarships are available for some courses.
  
  Website http://www.community.vcu.edu/programs/sws/
   

• Nuclear Energy Workshop by the Virginia Section of the American Nuclear Society
  
  A workshop for science teachers is being held in Richmond, Virginia, in July. Seats are still available and we are soliciting your help in spreading the word within your area.
  
  This year’s workshop promises to be invigorating and “energizing” for educators as they discover the “Science of Nuclear Energy and Radiation.” Participation in this workshop is open to all interested teachers and the content is especially suited for middle-school, high-school, community college, and tech prep teachers.
  
  The dates and place of the workshop are as follows:
  
  Dates: July 14 through 18, 2009
  Place: University of Richmond, Richmond, VA 23173
  Cost: $75 per participant (price includes all materials, CEU credits, meals, lodging accommodations, and a visit to a nuclear power station)

  Registration is open through June 2. Once registered, you will receive an email regarding payment. Payment of $75 is due by June 15, 2009.
  
  Registration information and forms can be found at http://local.ans.org/virginia/3dSTW/2009/2009_4dSTW.html
   

• Mary Baldwin College: Environment-Based Learning Courses
  Graduate Credit: Each course extends beyond the week, on-line, and provides 3 hours of graduate credit from MBC. The courses may apply toward the M.Ed. degree (EBL) through MBC. Tuition is discounted by grants for some of the courses. A $50 non-refundable registration fee is required. Courses will be held in Staunton and at various field experience locations. Housing options are available.
   

  • June 22 – 26 Nature Journaling across the Curriculum
    Nationally-known author and illustrator Clare Walker Leslie will lead this course as we practice the wonderful art of nature journaling. In the course, educators will study a variety of journaling techniques and artistic medium for observing and documenting the natural world, including the use of illustrations, painting, photographs, print material, and personal/professional writing. The course is designed to: 1) introduce educators to strategies for improving the artistic, written and reflective abilities of K-12 students using nature experiences; 2) encourage educators to use the outdoors around the school and community as sites for nature-related observation, documentation, and artistic/written expression; and 3) help educators develop school-based curriculum strategies for integrating art with science and writing through nature journaling.
     

  • June 29 – July 2 Environment-Based Learning
    In this course, educators will learn to integrate problem-based themes of the local community into the K-12 curriculum. Using the complex interconnections of natural and built environments, educators from rural to urban areas will learn to facilitate investigations of real-world issues from a variety of perspectives: historical, scientific, socio-cultural, economic, and personal. This course will emphasize the use of Environment-Based Learning (EBL) to teach state and national standards.
     

  • July 6 – 10 Storytelling: A Pathway to Curriculum Integration
    The oral tradition of storytelling provides a window into the context of culture and environment; therefore, the process can address standards in language arts, science, and social studies. In the course, educators will come to understand how to use this timeless tradition as a tool for motivating student learning while enhancing the oral and written abilities of k-12 students. Through storytelling, students will learn to observe, reflect upon, and document their own sense of place in time. Donald Davis, nationally known and award winning storyteller, will return this summer as the facilitator for this course. The course will begin with a 3-day stay on historic Smith Island with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and end at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton; the Chesapeake Bay and Shenandoah Valley will provide a cultural/environmental context for practicing the process.
     

  • July 13 – 17 Trout in the Classroom
    Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is designed to teach educators about a science-based curriculum developed through the conservation organization Trout Unlimited. In TIC programs, students in grades K-12 raise trout from eggs, monitor tank water quality, engage in stream habitat study, learn to appreciate water resources, begin to foster a conservation ethic, and come to understand ecosystems. Most programs end the year by releasing their trout in a state-approved stream near the school or within a nearby watershed. In the MBC course, educators will focus on integrating TIC across the curriculum, coordinating efforts with local resources, finding grant and funding options, and TIC tank set-up and maintenance. Field experiences will include stream studies, fisheries biology, and land use/watershed issues.

For more information or to register, go to: www.mbc.edu/ebl or contact Dr. Tamra Willis, Graduate Teacher Education Program, Mary Baldwin College.540-887-7135 or twillis@mbc.edu.

FLYER (PDF Format)

• Danville Science Center
  The Danville Science Center is proud to offer a series of courses designed to enhance teachers’ understanding of the sciences. In addition to increased content understanding, teachers of grades K-5 will be on track for a Master Degree through the Science SOLutions program.
  
  This summer, the Science Center will lead two Science courses, Ecosystems and Earth and Sun for graduate credit through Averett University. Each 3 credit graduate course combines meaningful content learning with real hands-on experience. The content of the courses fully supports the Virginia Science Standards of Learning.
  
  Science SOLutions is funded through a grant from the Virginia Department of Education and Supported through a partnership between Averett University, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research and the Danville Science Center.
  
  To learn more about the program go to http://www.dsc.smv.org/ and click on the Professional Development link.
   

• VAST Professional Development Institute
  Friday, November 5-7, 2009 at Dulles Airport Hilton Hotel
  
  Mark your calendar for the VAST Professional Development Institute at the Dulles Airport Hilton Hotel on November 5-7, 2009. This PDI promises to be the best yet, with access to the Washington, D.C. area as an additional feature of the location. Come to Engage! Explore! and Empower! yourself as a science educator and bring your family to enjoy the sights of our nation's capital.
  
  Everyone knows that participating and attending sessions is professional development, but so is being a presenter! Presenting at a conference is an excellent opportunity to share with other colleagues what you have learned in the classroom and provides for professional growth. The deadline for presenter proposals is May 15, 2009.
  
   

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  Exploring Earth Science in Shenandoah National Park
  Tuesday, August 11 –Wednesday, August 12, 2009
  
  Geology and earth science teachers! What better way to prepare for the new school year than to learn how to use Shenandoah National Park for investigating earth science with your students? Join us on August 11-12, 2009, for a hands-on teacher workshop that will introduce two brand new units of Exploring Earth Science in Shenandoah National Park: An Integrated Curriculum Guide for Grades 7-12. Workshop participants will receive the complete curriculum guide with lesson plans and materials for using the park to study a variety of earth science topics. Several lessons meet Meaningful Watershed Education Experience (MWEE) requirements. The workshop includes field-based instruction on the two new units, Protecting Our Water Resources and The Changing Face of Stony Man plus an overview of four other lesson plans in the curriculum guide.
  
  FLYER (PDF FORMAT)
   

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  The Box Turtle Connection: Virginia’s Box Turtle Monitoring Program For Teachers and Their Students
  June 18, 2009 in Charles City County July 7, 2009 in Loudoun County
  July 16, 2009 in Charlottesville
  
  The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) is offering three workshops for educators interested to helping to monitoring Box Turtle populations. Participants will learn field methods and protocols including setting up a census plot and conducting a visual survey, equipment use and maintenance, collection of morphometric data, and radio telemetry and other tracking techniques.
  
  At the workshop where you will receive: The Box Turtle Connection, a training manual that includes lessons plans on box turtle biology and ecology, scientific protocols and standardized methods for data collection, as well as math, science, and writing curriculum extensions for elementary, middle, and high school students; and training and field equipment in order to take your class into the field and monitor turtle populations.
  
  FLYER (PDF FORMAT)
   

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  Multi-Day Science Teacher Workshop, "SCIENCE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY & RADIATION"
  Tuesday July 14-18, 2009
  
  The Virginia Section of the American Nuclear Society (VA-ANS), the Virginia Chapter of the Health PhysicsSociety (HPS), the North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NA-YGN), and the Lynchburg Chapter of Women In Nuclear (WIN-LC) invite you to attend their annual Multi-Day Science Teacher Workshop. The workshop provides a forum for science teachers from Virginia to improve and sharpen their knowledge of Nuclear Energy and Radiation, and spark the interests of middle and high school students. A visit to North Anna Power Station, a tour of VCU's Nuclear Medicine Facilities, and hands-on lab experiments using Geiger- Müller Counters are included in the workshop.
   

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  ChemEd
  August 2 - 6, 2009 at Radford University
  ChemEd 2009 is a biennial conference focused on sharing strategies and experiences for chemistry educators from the elementary to the college level. The following link is the conference’s website and provides information and key dates about presentations, registrations, and housing: http://www.radford.edu/~chemed2009/.
  May 15: Deadline for ChemEd 2009 registration and other related fees

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Mary Baldwin College - Environment-Based Learning Courses
Summer 2009

Available Courses:

• June 22 – 26    Nature Journaling across the Curriculum

• June 29 – July 2   Environment-Based Learning

• July 6 – 10    Storytelling: A Pathway to Curriculum Integration

• July 13 – 17   Trout in the Classroom

Graduate Credit: Each course extends beyond the week, on-line, and provides 3 hours of graduate credit from MBC. The courses may apply toward the M.Ed. degree (EBL) through MBC. Tuition is discounted by grants for some of the courses. A $50 non-refundable registration fee is required. Courses will be held in Staunton and at various field-experience locations. Housing options are available.

For more information about each of the courses, please see the attached flyer or go to http://www.mbc.edu/mat/ebl.asp.

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Environmental Education Professional Development
Spring/Summer 2009

There are numerous professional development opportunities listed on the Virginia Naturally website at http://www.vanaturally.com/vanaturally/summer.html

Many are free or very low cost!

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Basic Geospatial Applications for Teachers
May 29, 2009 in Norfolk, VA

This one day workshop presented by OVERspace (Offering Virginia Educators Resources in Spatial Practices across the Curriculum for Excellence) will provide educators with the opportunity to explore the latest geospatial classroom applications, technologies and teaching strategies.  Participants will use a problem-based teaching model that motivates students to learn while engaging them in real-world technology activities using the power of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Remote Sensing.   The goal is to make a positive difference in the classroom and help prepare students for the workforce.

Please see the attached flyer for more information, or Nick Koltun at nkoltun@odu.edu.

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The Virginia Resource-Use Education Council (VRUEC), in cooperation with several state, federal, and private agencies, will again conduct two Chesapeake Bay Academies this summer.

• The Coastal Bay Academy will focus on the coastal portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and will be held in Tappahannock, Virginia, June 22-26, 2009. Topics covered will include water quality, Chesapeake Bay habitats (including wetlands, oyster reefs, and underwater grass meadows), and living resources.
   

• The Mountain Bay Academy will focus on the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and will be held at Douthat State Park in Bath and Alleghany Counties, June 22-25, 2009. Topics covered will include watersheds and water quality, groundwater, geology, and karst topography.

The VRUEC has been awarded a federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) grant to support the participation of 30 science teachers in each Academy. The week is a summer learning experience for middle and high school science teachers and is designed to closely support the implementation of the Science Standards of Learning and provide detailed training, field experiences, print materials, and hands-on resources supporting the science standards content and skills. Special emphasis is being given to provide instructional resources that will support the science standards related to watersheds and the Chesapeake Bay in sixth-grade science, Life Science, Earth Science, and Biology.

For more information, including registration please see Supt. Memo #056-09 at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/info_centers/administrators/superintendents_memos/2009/056-09.shtml

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VIMS Coastal Ecosystems Field Course:

A residential Coastal Ecosystems Field Course for teachers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s Eastern Shore Lab in Wachapreague, VA, will be held July 13-17, 2009. Join us for 5 days of field exploration and learning as we investigate the various ecosystems that are characteristic of the Mid-Atlantic region.

Details are still being worked out, including firm agenda and cost (<$200), so if you are interested, please email Chris Petrone (petrone@vims.edu) right away to be notified when the application packet and more information become available.

Funding for this workshop is provided by Virginia Sea Grant and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

FLYER (PDF)