STEM Ed Announcement: Teaching and Learning with Simulations

["Mort Sternheim" <mort@k12s.phast.umass.edu>]

This is a UMass Amherst program.
 Contact information is below.
 ==================================
 
 
 Science in the Cloud: Enhancing Middle/High School Science Teaching
 and Learning with Simulations
 
 A one-day summer course for middle and high school teachers taught at
 UMass Amherst and sponsored by the NSF, UMass Amherst and MIT
 
 
 Thursday August 16, 2012 at U Mass Amherst (140 Governors Drive, Rm
 151) 9:00 to 3:30 
 
 
 $100/day stipend, course materials, and breakfast/lunch  provided to
 each teacher
 
 Free PDPs (no graduate credit)
 
 
 MIT and UMass Amherst researchers are working with Middle School
 science teachers in Holyoke and Springfield public schools to develop
 an iterative text book to support Earth Science teaching and
 learning. The OWLbook (owl.oit.umass.edu)  incorporates text, images,
 videos and sophisticated simulations that run in the "cloud" on
 high-performance computers (HPC) and are accessed via student (and
 teacher) friendly interfaces within the OWLBook on laptop/desktop
 computers. The OWLBook includes on-line assessment and feedback to
 the students. The OWLBook curriculum currently supports the
 Massachusetts Science frameworks for earth science (and will be
 adapted to the Next-Generation Science Standards). While the current
 curriculum is aimed at middle school earth science MCAS review and
 preparation, the OWLbook and HPC simulations can be adapted to other
 middle or high school science instruction.
 
 
 The participating teachers in the project will talk about their
 experience designing and evaluating the curriculum and OWLBook
 materials and demonstrate the OWLBook, covering topics on:
 
 Radiation, Convection, and Weather 
 Thunderstorm formation 
 Representations of Convection 
 Weather maps 
 Temperatures distribution patterns 
 Effect of Earths rotation 
 
 Using simulation to understand phenomena parameters and to make
 observations, comparisons and predictions. 
 
 
 The MIT/UMass Amherst/SageFox Team will discuss the project outcomes
 and evaluation and will work with attendees to design OWLBook
 curricula for their classes. After the course, participants are
 encouraged to continue to develop curriculum units that will be
 piloted during the school year. This material will be available for
 other teachers to use (with the writer's permission) via a course
 website.
 
 
 Application process: 
 We have space for 15 teachers. Register at:
 http://k12cloudscience.eventbrite.com 
 
 
 When registering, please send a brief narrative statement of how you
 intend to use the workshop materials in your classroom using the
 "Contact the Host" button on the registration page, emailing to
 fsullivan@educ.umass.edu or using the registration form.
 
 
 For more information, contact Professor Florence Sullivan, School of
 Education, University of Massachusetts Amherst
 Phone: 413-577-1950
 E-Mail: fsullivan@educ.umass.edu

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