MƒA Winter/Spring 2023 Professional Development Course Catalog

Professional Development Catalog

Winter/Spring Semester: February - June 2023

FELLOWSHIP REQUIREMENTS AND GENERAL INFORMATION

In winter/spring 2023, MƒA will offer a variety of in-person and virtual programming sufficient for all teachers to meet attendance requirements comfortably. For the 2022-2023 school year, teachers can satisfy their minimum attendance requirements of seven Core Learning workshops with any mix of in-person and virtual programming. We encourage you to sign up for more than the minimum in the event of unforeseen circumstances to ensure you meet your attendance requirement.

We understand that scheduling conflicts occur for various reasons and may sometimes interfere with your ability to attend a workshop. Occasional absences do not reflect poorly on your participation in the fellowship. However, if you are going to be absent from a workshop, we ask that you notify MƒA at pdprogram@mathforamerica.org as soon as possible.

IN-PERSON COURSE INFORMATION

To minimize the spread of COVID-19, teachers, external facilitators, and guests of MƒA who wish to attend in-person programming must attest that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Additionally, MƒA takes several other safety measures to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19. Our safety policies are based on current evidence and expert recommendations and are subject to change as the situation evolves. Current policy, requirements, and logistical information about dining and masks are updated HERE . Additionally, it may become necessary to limit or pause in-person programming. Most in-person MƒA programming occurs at the MƒA office, 915 Broadway, on either the 14th or 17th floors. Some events take place at other locations throughout the city. Please carefully check course listings for details before registering to ensure you can attend the specified location.

All MƒA workshops run from 5:30-7:30 p.m. (unless otherwise noted). The MƒA lounge is available for teachers to work starting at 4:30 p.m. Pizza arrives by 4:30 p.m., and workshops begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. Eating is not permitted in workshop spaces after 5:30 p.m. We suggest arriving by 5:15 p.m. if you would like a few minutes to eat before your course begins.

In case of a citywide NYC DOE public school closure, in-person MƒA programming will be canceled or held virtually.

VIRTUAL COURSE INFORMATION

All MƒA workshops run from 5:30-7:30 p.m. (unless otherwise noted). Please refer to the course details on the Small-World Network. Virtual MƒA courses will continue to take place on the Zoom platform.

Accessing Zoom Workshops

Registered teachers will receive an automated email reminder both one week and two days in advance, including the Zoom link and the password needed to join the workshop. Zoom links for upcoming workshops are also on the Small-World Network in the yellow box on the left-hand side of the home page.

Zoom Attendance

We track virtual attendance using the Zoom participant record. To be marked present, teachers’ Zoom screen names must match the name MƒA has on file, and teachers must attend and actively participate in more than half of the workshop.

ACCESSIBILITY

MƒA strives to make programming inclusive and accessible to enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. To request accommodations or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact Sherry Yang, MƒA’s Associate Director, Project Management & Events.

Facilitators have been informed of closed captioning in our virtual courses and may already have it enabled. If not, you can anonymously request it during the session by clicking on “Live Transcription” and then “Request.”

REGISTRATION

Registration is required for all MƒA professional development and must be done through the Small-World Network. Please refer to your school and DOE calendars before signing up for courses. Please note: Based on teacher feedback, the registration time has changed for the winter/spring semester. Registration will begin at 6:00 p.m.

January 31, 6 p.m. - Limited Registration

During the two-day limited registration period, you may register for two credit-bearing courses from the Core Learning section of the catalog and add yourself to two waitlists. You are free to register for as many non-credit bearing courses as you can commit to attending.

February 2, 6 p.m. - Open Registration

When open registration begins, you may register for as many additional courses as you can commit to attending in full.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Elementary School

Middle School

High School

EQUITY AND INCLUSION p

March 9 & May 4

March 16 & May 11

March 23 & May 18

At MƒA, we believe equity and inclusion should be acknowledged and considered in every professional development experience, regardless of the focus of the course. MƒA also provides many options for teachers who want to take workshops explicitly focusing on equity and inclusion in the classroom. To highlight these opportunities and make them easier for teachers to find, we include this icon p next to courses that generally align with the TRU dimensions of equitable access and agency, ownership, and identity. Specifically, such courses should directly address the needs of students of color, transgender and gender-expansive students, students with disabilities, or students who are English Language Learners. The icon is also placed next to courses and affinity groups that support the unique challenges faced by educators who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC); educators within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) community; and white anti-racist allies.

MƒA Core Learning Opportunities

The following types of professional development satisfy fellowship minimum attendance requirements. They are the primary way MƒA teachers learn and grow during their fellowship.

Professional Learning Teams (PLTs) are a series of four connected workshops that meet monthly over the course of the semester and consist of small teams of teachers who come together to explore a specific problem of practice in depth. Learn more about PLTs here.

Mini-Courses are a series of three connected workshops in which experts from academic institutions, local organizations, and within the MƒA Master Teacher community engage MƒA teachers in a topic at the cutting edge of their content area and/or pedagogical practice.

Extended Length Courses are a series of six to eight connected workshops that meet throughout a semester or school year. Experts from academic institutions, local organizations, and within the MƒA Master Teacher community engage MƒA teachers in topics at the cutting edge of their content area and/or pedagogical practice.

Single Session Workshops are one-time workshops in which experts from the MƒA Master Teacher community, academic institutions, and local organizations engage MƒA teachers in a topic at the cutting edge of their content area and/or pedagogical practice.

Affinity Groups are a series of workshops in which teachers with shared identities grapple with how their particular identities intersect and inform their role as STEM educators, their classroom practice, and their engagement with the broader MƒA community.

MƒA Additional Learning Opportunities

The following meetings and events do not count towards fellowship attendance requirements. They are opportunities for MƒA teachers to expand their professional network, develop leadership skills, and explore their personal and professional passions.

Interest Groups are one-time workshops in which small groups of teachers meet informally around a common interest or identity. They provide opportunities to make connections and begin conversations with MƒA colleagues.

MƒAdventures are offsite events organized by MƒA teachers that allow teachers to explore shared interests. They are a great way to meet MƒA community members outside the MƒA office.

MƒA Additional Learning Opportunities cont.

Thursday Thinks are monthly STEM talks open to MƒA teachers, their colleagues, and guests from the wider STEM community. This speaker series features engaging and accomplished experts who delve into cutting-edge mathematics, science, computer science, and education topics.

Equity Webinars (formerly Wednesday Webinars) are virtual workshops open to MƒA teachers, other Master Teacher programs, and people interested in learning more about MƒA. Each webinar leads with a nationally recognized STEM educator talk, followed by breakout sessions, where small groups discuss how they can apply these powerful ideas in their classrooms. To receive credit, teachers are expected to stay for the entire session, including the talk and the small group discussion.

Community Contributions are leadership opportunities for MTII+ (teachers in their second, third, or fourth Master Teacher Fellowship) to deepen their connections within the MƒA community by becoming involved with admissions, recruitment, communications, facilitation, supporting new MƒA teachers, and other leadership activities. Please review each contribution for its unique structure and requirements.

MƒA ƒundamentals

MƒA ƒundamentals is a sequence of workshops that orient teachers to the frameworks which serve as the basis for the MƒA model. MƒA ƒundamentals Part 1: The Five Dimensions of Powerful Classrooms began in 2019 and will continue to be a part of all orientation sessions. MƒA will offer subsequent workshops in the sequence to each cohort and will notify teachers about when and how to register. Teachers are strongly encouraged to attend these workshops as we work to build a common language for STEM teaching and learning, professional growth, and leadership that supports continued learning and collaboration across classroom differences. The goal of these workshops is to help MƒA teachers build capacity for and deepen understanding of (1) powerful classrooms, (2) powerful sites for professional growth, (3) creating value in their fellowship, and (4) leadership at MƒA. They do not count towards the two-course limit during limited registration.

Annual MƒA Events

End of Year Celebration & Muller Award Ceremony takes place on June 6, 2023 as MƒA teachers come together to mark the end of the school year. Register through the Small-World Network here. During this event, we honor the winners of the MƒA Muller Award for Professional Influence in Education, an annual honor given to two extraordinary teachers from within the MƒA Master Teacher community who influence the teaching profession in exceptional ways.

2023 MƒA Summer Think is a three-day, teacher-designed, teacher-focused, and teacher-led conference held each July. This year the Summer Think will take place July 11-13, 2023. The MƒA Summer Think empowers teachers to explore and collaborate over the summer, from hands-on events to deep dives into specific topics. Registering today on the Small-World Network serves as pre-registration. By mid-June, those registered will receive an email with a link that will guide them through signing up for Summer Think workshops. More details are coming soon.

Summary of Core Learning Opportunities

COMMUNITY

Asian American Affinity Group p (AG)

Black, Latinx, and PoC Affinity Group p (AG)

LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group p (AG)

Space to Breathe: Women of Color Affinity Group p (AG)

White Anti-Racist Educators Affinity Group p (AG)

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

3D Printing: Steps to Successfully Enhance Your Class (SSW)

Code Puzzles in the Classroom (MINI)

Coding With Minecraft: More Than Just a Game! (MINI)

Collaborative Debugging in Computer Science (SSW)

DeltaMath Plus: What Have They Added? (SSW)

Digging Digitally: A Deep Dive into the CS and Digital Fluency Standards (PLT)

Excel Training for Novices and Prospective Data Specialists (MINI)

Getting Started With Arduinos (MINI)

HackMƒA (SSW)

Introduction to 3D CAD Modeling (MINI)

iPad Master Class (SSW)

Physical Computing to Inspire Innovations (MINI)

RoboExpo (SSW)

Three Dimensional Learning With 3D Printers (PLT)

INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

The ABCs of Student TAs (SSW)

Academic Mindfulness: Supporting Executive Function Skills in Students p (SSW)

The Art of Co-Teaching: Developing Positive and Productive Relationships p (PLT)

Book Club: Grading for Equity p (PLT)

Book Club: We Want to Do More Than Survive p (PLT)

Building Empathy Through Origami (SSW)

Deconstructing the Most Segregated School System in the Country p (PLT)

DIY Skills: Machine Sewing and Screen Printing (MINI)

DuraSEL: Fostering Motivation for Change Through Motivational Interviewing p (MINI)

Empowerment Through Reflective Practices p (MINI)

Equity, Identity, and Restorative Justice: Applications in Our Communities p (PLT)

Facilitation as Leadership: A Refresher (SSW)

From Research to Reality: Investigating Myths in Educational Psychology (MINI)

Game-Based Learning: An Introduction (MINI)

Gender-Inclusive Data Collection in Statistics and Science Classrooms p (SSW)

Going Gradeless in Your STEM Classroom (SSW)

Graphing and Data Analysis: How to Choose the Most Appropriate Graph (MINI)

How to Design Project-Based Learning Curriculum (PLT)

A Hundred Ways to Differentiate: Work Smarter, Not Harder With the UDL Framework p (SSW)

I’m a Teacher and I Want to Belong Too! (SSW)

Implementing and Evaluating Mindfulness Practice in Your STEM Classroom (MINI)

Interrupting the Myth of ‘Standard English’ p (MINI)

Leading Teachers: A Framework for Coaching, Mentoring, and Development (MINI)

Let Them Figure it Out! Strategies to Develop Basic Logic Skills (SSW)

Mechanisms for Empowering Students p (MINI)

Myth of the Average Learner p (SSW)

Paper Circuit Identity Portraits (SSW)

Physics in Math and Math in Physics (SSW)

Ratchetdemic Reality Hip Hop Ed Book Club p (PLT)

Staying TRU: Teaching for What Matters (PLT)

STEM Strategies for Multilingual Learners p (PLT)

Teacher as Writer (PLT)

Teacher Leadership for Impactful School Change II (SSW)

Trauma Informed Practices and Adult Wellness p (SSW)

Turning Your Classroom Into Equitable Practice p (PLT)

Using Protocols to Support Equity in Discourse p (MINI)

“Young Man, Get Out of Here!”: Historical Perspectives on NYC Discipline Policy p (MINI)

MATHEMATICS

5 Steps to Enacting Rough Draft Math (SSW)

Activities and Projects in Algebra II: Building Blocks for Accessible Learning (PLT)

Alternative Assessment in the Mathematics Classroom (MINI) Analyzing Free, Formative Assessment Lessons Using the TRU Framework (In-Person) and (Virtual) (PLT) Bending Curriculum for Equity and Joy p (PLT)

The Big Ideas of Linear Algebra (MINI) Bring Back That Loving Feeling: Using PERMA To Restore Joy p (SSW)

Category Theory: An Introduction (MINI)

Co-Teaching in Inclusive Secondary Mathematics Classrooms p (MINI) Culturally Responsive Mathematics: Creating Tools for Teaching p (PLT) Engaging Activities in Statistics (PLT) Everybody Deserves a Seat at the Table (MINI)

KEY

Professional Learning Teams (PLT)

Mini-Courses (MINI)

Extended Length Courses (ELC)

Single Session Workshops (SSW) Affinity Groups (AG)

Summary of Core Learning Opportunities cont.

Exploring Conic Sections (SSW)

Focus on the Process: Opening Up Questions in the Mathematics Classroom (SSW)

From Phi to Pell’s Equation (SSW)

Geometry for All: Interactive Tasks to Encourage Deep Learning in Every Student p (PLT)

Learning to Love Row Reduction (SSW)

Let’s Build! Designing StudentCentered Explorations Using GeoGebra (PLT)

Leveraging Community-Based Mathematical Modeling p (MINI)

Mathematical Modeling in Middle School (MINI)

Math Trails: Exploring Mathematics in the Real World (SSW)

Parking Functions: Choose Your Own Adventure (SSW)

Physics for Mathematics Teachers (MINI)

Proof Through Play: Exploring Axiomatic Systems and Proof With Games (MINI)

Race, Space, and Time: Mathematical Identities and Mattering p (MINI)

Rehumanizing Mathematics K-8 p (MINI)

Sunrise, Sunset: Deriving the Duration of Our Days (MINI)

Teaching Calculus (PLT)

Tilings, Tessellations, and Origami (MINI)

True Origins of the Pythagorean Theorem (MINI)

Under Construction: Building a Thinking Classroom (PLT)

Unlocking Intermediate Number Theory: Beyond Common Divisors and Multiples (MINI)

Unpacking the Next Generation Mathematics Learning Standards (PLT)

Viete’s Formulas: Quadratics, Cubics, and Beyond (SSW)

What Should Students Learn?: Updating the Mathematics Curriculum at Your School (PLT)

Writing in Math Class: How Writing Prompts Deepen Mathematical Thinking (SSW)

SCIENCE

24andMe: What mtDNA Can Tell Us About Ourselves and Our World (MINI)

Advanced Biology: Analyzing Primary Data to Hone Science Skills (PLT)

Alleviating Assessment Anxiety in the Physics Classroom (PLT)

Beyond Heroes and Holidays: CR-SE in the Science Classroom p (PLT)

C. Elegans and Neural Networks: What Can a Simple Roundworm Teach Us? (SSW)

CheMATHstry: The Math of Molecules (MINI)

Citizen Science: Birding in the Concrete Jungle (PLT)

Clickbait Science: Let’s Look at the Evidence (SSW)

Conquering Cancer: Recreating the Experiments That Led to Defeating Leukemia (MINI)

Data-Driven Climate Justice With EcoRise p (MINI)

Dissections Made Easy (MINI)

Electrify the Grid With Tabletop Games! (SSW)

Engaging Earth Day Activities (SSW)

Enhancing Elementary Science (PLT)

Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in Middle School Science p (PLT)

Exploring TRU: Video Study in the K-8 Science Classroom (PLT)

The Fate of the Universe: From Restless Stars to Expansion (SSW)

From Chopped to BioBits!: How to Use miniPCR Labs in the Classroom (MINI)

From Distance to Resistance: Physics Demo Derby (SSW)

From Molecules to Ecosystems: Modeling the Cycling of Matter With HHMI (MINI)

The Galapagos and Nature Journaling (SSW)

Getting Kids to Care About Climate Change (PLT)

Glued Into Science: Sustainable Polymers (SSW)

Guided by Wonder: PhenomenaBased Units in AP Chemistry (PLT)

Health Inequities: Analysis and Ethics p (SSW)

How to Create a Brain: Neurodevelopment and Stem Cells (SSW)

An Introduction to Quantum Mechanics: What Happens When Objects Are Very Small? (SSW) Investigating the Urban Heat Island Effect With Student Scientists (MINI)

Managing Stormwater Pollution: Green Infrastructure and Stewardship With the DEP (MINI)

Middle School Science Fair: A Toolkit for Differentiation and Engagement p (SSW)

Mind Control: Using Science and Engineering to Boost Computational Thinking (MINI)

Mucking Around With Oysters (MINI)

New York Botanical Garden Tour: A History Through Glaciers (MINI)

Physics With Phones: Redesigning Labs Using Cellphone Sensor Data (SSW)

Providing Opportunities for StudentLed Investigations (PLT)

Race and Evolutionary Biology: The Legacy of Misuse and Misinterpretation (MINI)

Raptors in NYC: Eagles, Osprey, and Hawks, Oh My! (SSW)

Rethinking APES Lab Activities (PLT)

Rolling in the Deep: Exploring Energy With Student-Designed Roller Coasters (MINI)

The Science of Smell: A Journey Into the Brain Through the Nose (SSW) Where Does Gasoline Go?: Climate Change, Climate Anxiety, and Climate Action (SSW)

Why Do I Need to Know This?: Using Storylines to Engage Students in Biology (PLT)

Wild About Worms! (SSW)

KEY

Professional Learning Teams (PLT)

Mini-Courses (MINI)

Extended Length Courses (ELC)

Single Session Workshops (SSW)

Affinity Groups (AG)

Summary of Additional Learning Opportunities

INTEREST GROUPS

All-Levels Vinyasa Yoga

Amplifying Up

The Assassination Classroom: An Exploration of Teaching in Anime

Board Game Appreciation

Brainstorm and Build: MƒA Course Proposal Support

Bringing Students to the MƒA Table

Cancer: Health and Social Justice Curriculum

Information Session

Computer Science Elective Share Out

Crafting Through Cricut in the Classroom

Department Chair Support Group

Earth Science Teacher Meetup

Experiential Educators: Bringing First-Hand Science Fieldwork Into the Classroom

Fiber Arts Interest Group

Getting Started With Grant Writing and DonorsChoose

Happy Teachers Change the World: A Book Club for Cultivating Mindfulness

International Teaching

The Intersection of Coaching and Teaching

Learn Spanish to Support Your Multilingual Students p

Let’s Do...Calculus!

Math and Science Teachers Can Cook Too!

MƒA Game Night

MƒA Magic: The Gathering Meet Up

MƒA Teacher Poker

Mindful Yoga Practice

Netrunner: A Competitive Card Game for Teachers and Students

Overbooked

Practice Your Poker Face for the MƒA Poker Tournament

School Trip and Club Leaders Interest Group

Sound Meditation: Exploration and Experience

Think Tank for Future Facilitation

Travel Opportunities With Your Students

Trivia Night

M ƒADVENTURES

Birdie, Eagle, Albatross, Condor!: MƒA Mini-Golf

Brooklyn Elementary Teacher Meet Up

Brooklyn Math Teacher Meetup

Day at the American Museum of Natural History

Horseshoe Crab Walk

Manhattan Elementary Teacher Meet Up

MƒA Pride March p

MƒA Summer Softball

Mothing Adventure

Prospect Park Ice Skating

Rather Be Fishing: MƒA Fly Fishing

The Science of Walking Spring is Coastal Clean-Up Time!

Stained Glass Creations: Advanced Stained Glass Creations: Beginner

Star Party on Staten Island

Unlocking Nature’s Potential: A Visit to a Chinese Pharmacy

THURSDAY THINKS

Building Thinking Classrooms

Mapping the Universe Across Space and Time

What It Means to Be Us Right Now p

EQUITY WEBINARS

Empowering Black Males in Mathematics Contexts p

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS

Applicant Screener

Brainstorm and Build Facilitator

Information Session Host

Learning Materials Screener

MƒA Orientation Host

Praxis Prep Session Host

Professional Development Catalog Builder

Small-World Network Mobilizers

Professional Learning Teams (PLTs)

Professional Learning Teams (PLTs) are a series of four connected workshops that meet monthly over the semester and consist of small teams of teachers who come together to explore a specific problem of practice in depth.

Professional Learning Teams (PLTs)

Activities and Projects in Algebra II: Building Blocks for Accessible Learning

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Siaka Kone, Leslyn Morris, and Christina Varghese, Ph.D.

MONDAYS, FEB 27, MAR 27, MAY 1, MAY 29

ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

How might we create Algebra II activities that have multiple entry points? Sometimes, Algebra II tasks can be lengthy and complicated or assume students already have a strong understanding of concepts. How can using short tasks and projects bridge this conceptual understanding? In this PLT, we will build on pre-existing tasks from past iterations, create new ones, and appropriately scaffold activities for our diverse learners. We will develop activities and projects, implement some of them, and share our experiences. We will create a toolbox of activities, projects, and rubrics for Algebra II units that challenge students, foster creative discussions, and maintain individual accountability. We will also share feedback as we modify tasks and develop projects our students have vetted. This PLT is best suited for Algebra II teachers.

Advanced Biology: Analyzing Primary Data to Hone Science Skills

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Amanda Buckley and Kelly Molloy

WEDNESDAYS, MAR 1, MAR 29, MAY 10, JUN 7

ONLINE

 SCIENCE

How might we use data from primary research articles to anchor student-centered activities and strengthen science skills? Data presented in textbooks are often idealized, hiding their authentic “messiness.” Exposing students to diverse, authentic data and allowing productive struggle with interpretations develops

critical thinking. With this in mind, our goal is to cocreate a collection of activities modeled on data-based free-response questions. In our first session, we will share strategies for finding articles or data, discuss how to scaffold data-driven activities, and then form small groups to begin identifying articles or data to anchor our activities. During the next two sessions, we will continue working with our small groups to develop activities we will test in our classrooms. Finally, we will reflect on our work, examine student artifacts, and collaborate to improve our activities for future use. This PLT is appropriate for AP/IB Biology teachers or any life science teacher who wishes to incorporate data analysis into their lessons.

Alleviating Assessment Anxiety in the Physics Classroom

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Josh Paugh and Nancy Yi, and MƒA Emeritus Teacher Raymond Bradshaw

TUESDAYS, FEB 7, MAR 14, APR 18, MAY 23 MƒA & ONLINE

+PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A HYBRID COURSE. SESSIONS 1 AND 4 WILL TAKE PLACE IN-PERSON AT MƒA . SESSIONS 2 AND 3 WILL TAKE PLACE VIRTUALLY.

How might we adapt physics assessments, reduce test anxiety, and provide students an opportunity to learn from their mistakes? Join us in this PLT as we consider how to help our students look beyond their numerical grades and gain a true sense of understanding. In session one, we will discuss using take-home and tiered assessments (for which students choose their own difficulty level). In session two, we’ll discuss collaborative assessments and the use of data analysis from both the teacher and student perspectives. Teachers are encouraged to try at least one type of non-traditional assessment between sessions two and three. Then, we will continue sharing our successes and challenges to reflect and iterate on our work. Finally, in session four, we will collaborate to create or adapt resources to compile and share to a digital repository.

This course is best suited for high school physics teachers.

Analyzing Free, Formative Assessment Lessons Using the TRU Framework

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Gary Cruz, Danilsa Fernandez, Sendy Keenan, and Azikiwe Peters

THURSDAYS, FEB 9, MAR 9, APR 27, MAY 25 (IN-PERSON)

WEDNESDAYS, FEB 15, MAR 22, MAY 3, MAY 31 (VIRTUAL)

 MATHEMATICS

+PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF THE FALL 2022 PLT. BOTH NEW AND RETURNING TEACHERS ARE WELCOME. THERE ARE TWO ITERATIONS OF THIS COURSE, ONE IN-PERSON AT M ƒA AND THE OTHER ONLINE.

How might we explore the ways our students engage in mathematical tasks to inform how we use those tasks in our classrooms? In this PLT, we will analyze video cases of teachers implementing lessons from the Mathematics Assessment Project , a database of 100 free, high-quality mathematics lesson plans. Developed by the Shell Center for Mathematical Education, the lessons and resources support teaching aligned to the Teaching for Robust Understanding (TRU) framework and are designed for secondary mathematics teachers who want to maximize the use of formative assessment in their classrooms. A crucial element of these lessons is that they are built to foster robust classroom conversations on deep mathematical ideas, making them an ideal vehicle for video cases. Throughout this PLT, we will have rich discussions about assessment as we lean on each other to deepen our understanding of the mathematics we teach and devise new ways to share that experience more powerfully with our students. This PLT is a part of a broader community of teachers doing similar work in the New York State Master Teacher Program and Chicago as a part of a National Science Foundation grant.

Professional Learning Teams (PLTs)

The Art of Co-Teaching: Developing Positive and Productive Relationships p

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Helen Haritos and Jake Leibold

TUESDAYS, MAR 7, APR 4, MAY 9, JUN 13

ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

How might we utilize the strengths of every adult in the classroom to meet the needs of our diverse learners?

Co-taught classrooms come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes the teachers work together seamlessly such that students cannot distinguish between the content teacher and the special education teacher. Other times, there are clear differences between the teachers, but each is leveraging their strengths to support every student in the classroom. And still, in other cases, the co-teaching relationship isn’t very productive at all, leaving students without the supports needed for success. In the first two sessions of this PLT, we will focus on the dynamics between co-teachers as we reflect on our own co-teaching experiences. We’ll identify what is needed in a positive and productive co-teaching relationship and create a road map for success no matter who our co-teaching partner is. In sessions three and four, we’ll focus on our students as we discuss strategies we’ve found successful and make plans to implement new ideas with our co-teachers. Throughout, we will also review a selection of resources on co-planning and co-teaching to help inform our practice. Teachers’ experience in co-teaching is important in all sessions; any mathematics, science, or special education teachers who have co-taught classes in the past, are open to sharing their co-teaching glows and grows, and are determined to improve their coteaching practice are welcome.

Bending Curriculum for Equity and Joy p Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Marcelle Good and Ariel Thompson

TUESDAYS, FEB 28, MAR 28, MAY 2, JUN 6

MƒA

 MATHEMATICS

How might we adjust curricula to increase access and spark joy for all elementary mathematics learners? Join us as we find ways to manageably modify our current curricula to increase student engagement and create equitable learning experiences for all. We have two key assumptions: (1) using a curriculum and bending it to work for your students is key to equitable, accessible classrooms, and (2) entirely re-writing lessons is not sustainable. Using the Teaching for Robust Understanding (TRU) dimension of equitable access to content as a guiding lens, teachers will cocraft, implement, and reflect on modifications to their curriculum. We’ll explore resources from Illustrative Mathematics (IM), All Learners Learning Every Day (ALL-ED), and our own bodies of work. Creating meaningful contexts, incorporating movement, using personal whiteboards, and utilizing discussion protocols are some of the easy-to-implement strategies we will address. This PLT is open to all K-5 mathematics teachers using any curriculum.

Beyond Heroes and Holidays: CR-SE in the Science Classroom p Facilitators: MƒA Master Teacher Olivia Ramirez and MƒA Emeritus Teacher Rachel Wax

MONDAYS, FEB 13, MAR 20, APR 24, MAY 22

How might we modify our curriculum to center content and learning opportunities reflecting our students’ social, cultural, linguistic, and gender identities? If you feel too busy or overwhelmed by this undertaking, then this PLT is the perfect opportunity to get started in a collaborative and structured way! In our first session, we will assess our own curriculum using the Stages of

Multicultural Curriculum Transformation by Paul Gorski. Then, we will each identify our WHY and establish a realistic work goal to ground the following sessions. We will continue by evaluating a CR-SE-aligned exemplar, identifying a lesson or unit to enhance, and then working individually or in affinity groups to modify the lesson. We will conclude by presenting our work, sharing feedback, and setting future goals. This PLT is open to all science teachers interested in transforming their curriculum to reflect the diverse identities of their students.

Professional Learning Teams (PLTs)

Book Club: Grading for Equity p

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Samantha Adams, Nicole Beal, and Rachel Griffin

WEDNESDAYS, FEB 8, MAR 15, APR 26, MAY 24

MƒA

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

+PLEASE NOTE: TEACHERS ARE EXPECTED TO PURCHASE THEIR OWN COPY OF GRADING FOR EQUITY BY JOE FELDMAN, AND CAN BE REIMBURSED THROUGH THE MƒA FLEX FUNDS PROGRAM.

How might we integrate equitable assessment policies and practices into our classrooms? How we assess our students should be part of a culture centered on learning rather than compliance. It should cultivate intrinsic motivation, reduce bias, and accurately reflect what students know and can do. Together, we will work towards equitable assessment policies and practices through a book club structure, anchored by the text Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman. In each session, we will discuss a reading, plan for changes to our practice, and reflect on our work to change the culture of assessment in our classrooms. In the first session, we will focus on problems with traditional grading and discuss the case for change. Next, we will delve into accurate grading and the mathematical consequences of our choices. Then, we will examine how to develop bias-resistant grading practices as well as the impact of, and alternatives to, common grading policies. Finally, we will explore intrinsic motivation, the psychological impact of “punishing” students for making mistakes while learning, and competency-based grading with retakes. This PLT is intended for teachers of all content and grade levels.

Book Club: We Want to Do More Than Survive p Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Brittney Cook and Scott Gallagher

WEDNESDAYS, MAR 1, MAR 29, MAY 10, JUN 7

MƒA

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

+PLEASE NOTE: TEACHERS ARE EXPECTED TO PURCHASE THEIR OWN COPY OF WE WANT TO DO MORE THAN SURVIVE: ABOLITIONIST TEACHING AND THE PURSUIT OF EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM BY DR. BETTINA L. LOVE, AND CAN BE REIMBURSED THROUGH THE MƒA FLEX FUNDS PROGRAM.

How might we identify, challenge, and dismantle the oppressive structures and habits in our teaching practice? In this PLT, we will work to identify the oppressive systems that exist in our classrooms, schools, and communities; and we will examine the role we have played in this oppression using Dr. Bettina Love’s We Want to Do More Than Survive to anchor our work. We will begin by unpacking Dr. Love’s “Educational Survival” concept and exploring its impact on our students. With this common understanding, we will recognize the importance of mattering and challenge the idea of character education as a solution in today’s educational

landscape. We will then define what it means to be an abolitionist teacher and examine the need for joy in our instruction. In doing so, we will challenge our role in upholding oppressive structures and develop and implement action plans to move toward becoming abolitionist teachers. Dr. Love’s book will be used in conjunction with various protocols for discussion of text, student work, and problems of practice. Teachers of all subjects and grade levels are invited to participate.

Citizen Science: Birding in the Concrete Jungle Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Crystal Thiele and Jordan Wolf

WEDNESDAYS, MAR 8, APR 19, MAY 17, JUN 14

MƒA

 SCIENCE

How might we use birding as a citizen science tool to engage students in inquiry-based learning? Birds are all around us, even in our highly developed city—and with surprising diversity! If you can tell a pigeon from a starling, you’re halfway to being able to do species counts and population studies. In session one, we will

Professional Learning Teams (PLTs)

conduct activities that teach students and teachers how to be better bird identifiers. In session two, we’ll take our work outside as we collect real bird and environmental data using the eBird and iNaturalist apps. In session three, we’ll explore eBird databases and learn how our students can contribute their own data as citizen scientists. Finally, in session four, we’ll share and refine activities for future use. Throughout, teachers will contribute to a shared database of topics and resources to take back to their classrooms. Any teacher interested in birding, citizen science, or guiding their students into the concrete jungle is welcome.

Culturally Responsive Mathematics: Creating Tools for Teaching p

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Kent Hansan and Matthew Mitchell

MONDAYS, FEB 6, MAR 13, APR 17, MAY 15 ONLINE  MATHEMATICS

How might we design resources to bring culturally responsive teaching (CRT) into our mathematics classrooms? In this PLT, we will develop strong examples of CRT in mathematics, try these lessons out in our classrooms, and reflect on their execution. In small groups, we will work to identify specific standards and lessons where there are meaningful opportunities to incorporate the culture and identities of our students, create surveys to obtain information relevant to that topic from students and their families, and modify activities based on those survey responses. Groups will share their work each session and have the opportunity to give and receive feedback. We will use texts such as Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students by Zaretta

Hammond to ground our work. Mathematics teachers of every grade and content area are welcome.

Deconstructing the Most Segregated School System in the Country p

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Andrew Slivosky and Andrew Zieglestein

WEDNESDAYS, MAR 8, APR 19, MAY 17, JUN 14 ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

How might we maximize our impact as educators in the most segregated school system in the country? In this PLT, we will begin by using publicly available data and anecdotal experiences to reflect on the current state of segregation within the NYC public school system. We will build a shared understanding and language of what segregation looks like in our schools. In session two, we will investigate the causes and effects of the segregationist and anti-segregationist structures within our schools by examining historical and contemporary documents, inspiring rich discussions in session three about the policies and practices that manifest deep divides across schools and their surrounding neighborhoods. Lastly, we will articulate, debate, and plan for action as teachers and citizens, as we work towards dismantling segregationist practices within our schools and beyond. We will build on the work we began in the fall iteration of this course: Dismantling Segregation in the Most Segregated School System in the Country. We enthusiastically invite a diverse group of teachers, representative of both the MƒA community and the NYC school system. Both new and returning teachers are welcome.

Digging Digitally: A Deep Dive Into the CS and Digital Fluency Standards

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Joel Bianchi, Paige Healy, and Kate Maschmeyer

WEDNESDAYS, MAR 1, MAR 29, MAY 10, JUN 7

M ƒA & ONLINE

 COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

+ PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A HYBRID COURSE. SESSIONS 1 AND 3 WILL TAKE PLACE IN-PERSON AT M ƒA. SESSIONS 2 AND 4 WILL TAKE PLACE VIRTUALLY.

How might we ensure our students have access to meaningful, standards-based computer science (CS) curricula? Are you interested in incorporating the Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning standards into your lessons? In session one, we will familiarize ourselves with the standards. Then in sessions two and three, we will collaborate to incorporate the standards into particular subjects’ lessons or units. We will conclude by sharing, analyzing, and reflecting on student work. Please join us as we unpack the standards and discuss how we can use them to best meet our student’s needs! This PLT is for CS teachers and any teachers interested in enhancing their course by embedding the CS and Digital Fluency standards into their curriculum.

Engaging Activities in Statistics

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Christopher Chilas and Estella Li

TUESDAYS, FEB 14, MAR 21, APR 25, MAY 30

M ƒA

 MATHEMATICS

How might we captivate statistics students through meaningful and engaging activities? In this PLT, we will share and explore activities that enable our students to thoughtfully connect the science of statistics and its applications to the real world. We will present, iterate on, execute, and adapt our most engaging activities to help our students master conceptual and procedural content. Each session will focus on different topics of the AP Statistics curriculum. Come ready to collaborate,

Professional Learning Teams (PLTs)

share some of your favorite statistics lessons, and return to your class with a new set of inspiring activities. While we will primarily use resources and materials from the AP Statistics curriculum, all high school statistics teachers are welcome.

Enhancing Elementary Science

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Constance Clark and Jean Hourihane

TUESDAYS, FEB 7, MAR 14, APR 18, MAY 23

MƒA

SCIENCE

+PLEASE NOTE: TEACHERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PURCHASE THEIR OWN COPIES OF PICTURE-PERFECT SCIENCE LESSONS, USING CHILDREN’S BOOKS TO GUIDE INQUIRY, K-5 AND 3-6, BY KAREN ANSBERRY AND EMILY MORGAN, AND TEACHING SCIENCE THROUGH TRADE BOOKS , BY CHRISTINE ANNE ROYCE, EMILY MORGAN, AND KAREN ANSBERRY, AND CAN BE REIMBURSED THROUGH THE MƒA FLEX FUNDS PROGRAM.

How might we enhance the elementary science curriculum to engage and support all learners? In this PLT, teachers will build upon their elementary science curriculum to inspire, challenge, and support all students. We’ll open by identifying the needs of our students, engaging in a sample extension activity, and exploring resources aligned with curriculum standards. These resources will include: Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, Using Children’s Books to Guide Inquiry, K-5 and 3-6, by Karen Ansberry and Emily Morgan, and Teaching Science Through Trade Books, by Christine Anne Royce, Emily Morgan, and Karen Ansberry. In sessions two and three, we will create, adapt, and share activities to enhance our science units by utilizing literacy connections, engineering design tasks, and art integration. Finally, we will reflect on our curriculum development and plan the next steps for continued work. This PLT is best for elementary science teachers seeking to collaborate and reinvigorate their classrooms.

Equity, Identity, and Restorative Justice: Applications in Our Communities

p Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Sage Forbes-Gray and Naomi Hawkins

WEDNESDAYS, FEB 15, MAR 22, MAY 3, MAY 31

MƒA

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

How might we use circles and other collaborative practices to build resilience and respond to harm in our communities? How do equity and identity inform what we understand restorative justice (RJ) to be? And how can we ensure that students have opportunities to feel connected to their classrooms and schools, both academically and socio-emotionally? We will begin by briefly exploring some historical contexts of restorative justice, including its roots in Indigenous practices. Then, we will utilize storytelling and personal reflection to explore how our identities and perceived power can positively and negatively affect the implementation of RJ. As a group, we will flesh out specific challenges in our communities that might improve with RJ practices. We will break into small groups to generate actionable interventions to tackle these problems. In between sessions, teachers will take strategies back to their classrooms and schools to test out with colleagues and students and then share their experiences with the PLT. This course is best suited for all STEM teachers interested in building community and responding to harm in their classrooms. No previous experience with RJ is necessary, but it is welcomed.

Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in Middle School Science p

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Lauren Couto and Chereese Gardener

WEDNESDAYS, FEB 15, MAR 22, MAY 3, MAY 31

ONLINE

 SCIENCE

How might we teach equity, inclusion, and justice in our middle school science classrooms? This PLT aims to explore the Underrepresentation Curriculum

(URC)—a free STEM curriculum grounded in data analysis, investigation, and social justice–and adapt it for our middle school classrooms. First, we will discuss the importance of this work and familiarize ourselves with URC. In sessions two and three, we’ll develop and adapt a sequence of lessons appropriate for our classrooms. Finally, after piloting some lessons in our schools, we will share our experiences, give feedback, and consider next steps. This PLT is a continuation of work from the fall semester. Both new and returning middle school science teachers are welcome.

Exploring TRU: Video Study in the K-8 Science Classroom

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Pamela Flanagan, Keeshia Lambert, and Erica Tunick

TUESDAYS, FEB 7, MAR 14, APR 18, MAY 23

How might we analyze videos of other classrooms to help invigorate our own science teaching? As we emerge from two very challenging teaching years, many educators are left wondering, “Why am I a teacher anyway?” Teaching for Robust Understanding (TRU) is an excellent framework for re-energizing teachers and their classrooms. Join us in this PLT as we analyze videos of our own teaching and other science teachers in action, and engage in thought-provoking discussions on how to improve our practice. We will watch these videos through the lens of the five TRU dimensions. We’ll open with a focus on cognitive demand, discuss how it shows up in classrooms, and consider how we can leverage it in our practice. In session two, we will continue our analysis using a different set of teaching videos focusing on equitable access. After session two, we encourage teachers to record themselves incorporating what we have learned from these videos to then share in later sessions. In sessions three and four, we’ll investigate the dimensions of agency, ownership, and identity and formative assessment. All elementary and middle school science teachers are welcome.

Professional Learning Teams (PLTs)

Geometry for All: Interactive Tasks to Encourage Deep Learning in Every Student p

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Rebecca Caporale-Guarino, Carol Kinney, Ph.D., and Azikiwe Peters

WEDNESDAYS, FEB 8, MAR 15, APR 26, MAY 24

MƒA

 MATHEMATICS

How might we create interactive tasks to encourage access and depth for all Geometry students? In this PLT, we will collaborate to make content accessible and engaging to all learners as we create innovative, interactive, and cognitively demanding tasks. As we adapt and develop materials, we will share feedback to refine tasks, improve geometric comprehension for struggling students, and challenge our more confident

students to push themselves deeper into geometric connections and extensions. This PLT is designed for high school Geometry teachers who want to improve accessibility for diverse learners, including English Language Learners and students with IEPs, and to continually challenge all students to push their geometric understanding.

Getting Kids to Care About Climate Change

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Shakira Provasoli and Adam Zaid

TUESDAYS, MAR 7, APR 4, MAY 9, JUN 13 ONLINE

 SCIENCE

How might we cultivate a community of student activists with the knowledge and desire to change the world? In this PLT, elementary, middle, and high school teachers will share best practices for educating and inspiring students and will plan lessons and projects to motivate them to energize and educate others. In each session, we will spark a discussion with a guest speaker followed by planning time. In session one, a Youth Climate Leader will demonstrate how to develop a mindset of independence and activism. In session two, Cafeteria Culture will share their success with enacting change. In sessions three and four, we’ll focus on discussion starters, planning time, and sharing the work of our students taking action. Throughout, we’ll use a variety of resources to help guide our work, including the Student & Educator Toolkit developed by the Climate Resilience Education Task Force. All STEM teachers are welcome.

Guided by Wonder: Phenomena-Based Units in AP Chemistry

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Mohamed Elhawary and Laura Torres

WEDNESDAYS, MAR 1, MAR 29, MAY 10, JUN 7

ONLINE

 SCIENCE

How might we use phenomena to anchor AP Chemistry content and inspire wonder in our students? In this PLT,

we will investigate the use of phenomena, connecting them with our students’ lives and interests while also allowing for productive struggle and equitable access to this rigorous content. We will continue the work we began in the fall, further exploring Paul Andersen’s tools at The Wonder of Science to identify relevant and captivating chemistry phenomena (e.g., relating our sense of taste to molecular shape or linking an athlete’s performance to buffer capacity). We will alternate our time between designing phenomena-based lessons, implementing them in our classrooms, and discussing our experiences and the impact these lessons have on student learning. This course is open to both new and returning teachers. It is best suited for AP Chemistry teachers, but all chemistry teachers are welcome.

How to Design Project-Based Learning Curriculum

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teacher John Derian and MƒA Early Career Teacher Tess Dul

TUESDAYS, MAR 7, APR 4, MAY 9, JUN 13

MƒA

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

How might we design a meaningful project-based learning (PBL) unit to implement in our class? Join us in this PLT to explore PBL content and develop and get feedback on your own PBL unit to implement in your course! Our first session will focus on developing a project idea centered on students and aligned to key content. The second session will focus on the essential elements of PBL curriculum design. During the third session, we will explore PBL-style assessment and scaffolding. We will conclude with project management and facilitation strategies. We will use PBL Works’ Gold Standard PBL Design Elements to help focus our understanding of PBL and the projects we develop. This course is for any teacher interested in learning more about project-based learning and wanting to plan a PBL unit for their class.

Professional Learning Teams (PLTs)

Let’s Build! Designing Student-Centered Explorations Using GeoGebra

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Kevin Ehly and Benjamin Siegel

WEDNESDAYS, FEB 15, MAR 22, MAY 3, MAY 31

MƒA

 MATHEMATICS

How might we use the power of GeoGebra to spark curiosity in our students and help them discover critical geometric concepts? GeoGebra contains a vast library of dynamic diagrams, but many need more context to be ready for classroom use. Join us as we create a bank of high-quality investigations we can easily implement in our geometry lessons. In this PLT, we will define the necessary elements of exploration and identify highleverage topics well-suited for the interactive nature of GeoGebra. Then, we will collaboratively create or revise pre-existing activities to guide our students, allowing them to discover new geometric concepts or relationships. Finally, we will build a library of studentcentered explorations publicly available to all geometry teachers. Teachers who have participated in previous GeoGebra courses or have a strong command of the software are encouraged to join. Let’s build!

Providing Opportunities for Student-Led Investigations

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Grace Hu and Pravesh Shiwnarain

TUESDAYS, FEB 28, MAR 28, MAY 2, JUN 6

ONLINE

How might we create learning opportunities for our students to plan and carry out scientific investigations? As teachers, we are often torn between covering all the content and providing authentic opportunities for our students to engage in student-driven scientific

investigations. Join us in this PLT as we strengthen our knowledge and implementation of this science and engineering practice! We will open by discussing the concept and how to scaffold the process for all learners. Then, teachers will work in small groups to brainstorm possible experiments they want to implement in their classrooms. In our second and third sessions, we will co-create and adapt experimental instructions, slideshows, kits, and rubrics. In our final session, teachers will demo their experiments and give and receive feedback for further improvement and iteration. All high school science teachers are welcome.

Ratchetdemic Reality Hip Hop Ed Book Club p

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Sharon Colllins and Chereese Gardner

TUESDAYS, FEB 7, MAR 14, APR 18, MAY 23

ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP + PLEASE NOTE: TEACHERS ARE EXPECTED TO PURCHASE THEIR OWN COPY OF RATCHETDEMIC: REIMAGINING ACADEMIC SUCCESS , BY DR. CHRISTOPHER EMDIN, AND CAN BE REIMBURSED THROUGH THE MƒA FLEX FUNDS PROGRAM.

How might we implement Reality Pedagogy and #HipHopEd in our classrooms to create studentcentered STEM education where teachers and students can express their true Ratchetdemic selves? Dr. Christopher Emdin has transformed urban education all across America. In this book club, we will read selections from four of Dr. Emdin’s seminal works: For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood...and the Rest of Y’all Too; Ratchetdemic: Reimagining Academic Success; Stem, Steam, Make, Dream: Reimagining the Culture of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; and #HipHopEd: The Compilation on Hiphop Education. In the first session, we will self-reflect and explore how to be a Ratchetdemic and Hip-Hop Ed teacher. In the second session, we will focus on teacher moves to increase student engagement and achievement via Reality Pedagogy. In the third session, we will focus on empowering students so that STEAM lessons reflect their lived experiences. In our final

session, we will dive deep into problems with the current education system, our roles in that system, and what we want urban education to truly look like. Throughout the four sessions, we will explore these topics through Dr. Emdin’s works and share ways we implement his strategies in our classrooms. This course is for any mathematics or science teacher interested in reading a cross-selection of Dr. Emdin’s works and transforming their pedagogy, practice, and presence.

Rethinking APES Lab Activities

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Leovie Diaz and Sharisse Small

THURSDAYS, MAR 2, MAR 30, MAY 11, JUN 15

MƒA

 SCIENCE

How might we design a series of engaging and datadriven laboratory activities for the AP Environmental Science (APES) curriculum? In this PLT, we will work collaboratively to develop inquiry-driven lab activities that align with the nine units of the APES curriculum framework . In session one, we will discuss the new DOE lab safety requirements, lab offerings from the AP College Board, and our best lab experiences and practices. In the next two sessions, we will conduct demonstrations of our lab best practices and adapt them to each other’s classrooms. Before the last session, teachers will pilot one or more labs designed or adapted by the group in their classrooms. In the last session, we will reflect on the implementation, give and receive feedback on student performance, set goals and next steps, and digitally organize and share labs and resources. This PLT is best suited for AP Environmental Science teachers, but any high school science teacher interested in developing ecologically-driven lab activities is welcome.

Professional Learning Teams (PLTs)

Staying TRU: Teaching for What Matters

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Abbie Sewall and Mathew Sullivan

TUESDAYS, FEB 14, MAR 21, APR 25, MAY 30

MƒA

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

How might we use the Teaching for Robust Understanding (TRU) framework to better plan for authentic student engagement? Have you ever designed and taught something you thought was great, only to be mystified when it didn’t work out quite how you’d hoped? In this PLT, we will explore how the TRU Framework can be used as a tool to improve our lessons, enrich our classrooms, and make us more effective teachers. We’ll begin our work together by reflecting on our teaching practices through the lens of the TRU framework. In the next session, we’ll share artifacts from our classrooms including lessons, video clips, and student work as we discuss ways to improve our curricula and our practice as a whole. In session three, we will use what we’ve learned to build better lessons, activities, and routines with the goal of classroom implementation. In our final session, we will share additional classroom artifacts and discuss how we might continue to incorporate this work into our planning, future PLTs at MƒA, and within our school communities. All teachers are welcome.

STEM Strategies for Multilingual Learners p Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Izagma Alonso and Luna Ramirez

MONDAYS, FEB 6, MAR 13, APR 17, MAY 15

ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

How might we engage and support our multilingual learners (MLs)? MLs are not just learning your subject but are also navigating the nuances of a new language.

Join us as we explore strategies designed to specifically meet the needs of and support MLs in their content and language acquisition. In each session, we will discuss, test, reflect on, and refine strategies for MLs and leave with the resources and knowledge needed for classroom implementation. Teachers can seamlessly embed these strategies into any STEM content without taking time away from the syllabus. Likewise, while specifically designed to support MLs, the strategies we collaborate on will enhance content knowledge for all students. The purpose is to support MLs while helping all students master the content. All teachers are welcome—whether you are a seasoned educator or just starting this fantastic adventure, we all encounter students of various language fluencies that need different approaches to the materials.

Teacher as

Writer

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Lauren Brady and Brooke Sossin

TUESDAYS, FEB 28, MAR 28, MAY 2, JUN 6

ONLINE



INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

How might we create space to nurture our creativity and unique voice while also mastering the art of feedback and revision? As teachers, we do a lot of obligatory writing, including lesson plans, emails, and letters of recommendation—and we are constantly trying to improve our delivery of feedback. In this PLT, we will approach writing as a restorative practice and a means for creative expression. Join us in this safe and supportive community as we develop our communication skills by refining our written work and providing feedback to others. In our first session, we will break down the elements of strong writing based on our favorite works, establish the norms of a writing workshop, introduce a feedback protocol, and share our first original piece of writing (on any subject). In sessions two and three, we will start with a theme of interest (e.g., publishing or revision strategies), then continue to share work and implement our feedback protocol, all while refining the workshop process. In our final session, we’ll

use the feedback protocol on a fourth original work and close with an “open mic” to celebrate our progress. Not only will we improve our writing, but we will also elevate our classroom practice by refining our delivery of feedback as well as our process of revision. All genres of writing and experience level are welcome.

Teaching Calculus

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Lisa Bueno and Ben Morgenroth

MONDAYS, FEB 6, MAR 13, APR 17, MAY 15

ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

How might we support our Calculus students to build connections between conceptual understanding and solving problems effectively and efficiently? Join us in this PLT as we explore calculus content, problems, and effective pedagogical techniques through resource sharing, discussion, and collaborative analysis. We will

Professional Learning Teams (PLTs)

consider the conceptual understanding and problemsolving skills needed as we discuss focused calculus tasks. Teachers will be grouped based on a specific area of interest and experience level. We will also build on a wealth of resources from past Calculus PLTs. Past, present, and future AP and non-AP Calculus teachers are encouraged to join. This PLT is designed with all experience levels in mind.

Three Dimensional Learning With 3D Printers

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Olivia Bello and Sara Heymont

WEDNESDAYS, MAR 8, APR 19, MAY 17, JUN 14

MƒA

 COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

How might we leverage 3D printers to enhance and provide equitable access to our students? 3D printing tasks can engage all learners, increase student agency, ownership, and identity, and bring STEM to life as students engage in design challenges such as creating bubble wands to maximize bubble production or developing a scale model of a Mars rover. First, we will explore existing 3D printing tasks to identify where they may fit into our curriculum. Then, we will design, implement, reflect on, and revise 3D printing tasks. Finally, we will celebrate and share the implementation process of our tasks. We will collaborate to explore and create 3D printing tasks, discuss challenges, troubleshoot solutions, and ultimately leave with various teacher-tested 3D printing lessons. All 3D printer experience levels are welcome!

Turning Your Classroom Into Equitable Practice p Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Kristen Brown, Marna Lehnert, and Claryliz Peralta Rodriguez

THURSDAYS, FEB 9, MAR 9, APR 27, MAY 25

MƒA

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

+PLEASE NOTE: AS A PREREQUISITE TO THIS COURSE, TEACHERS SHOULD HAVE READ GRADING FOR EQUITY BY JOE FELDMAN. THE WORK OF OUR PLT IS BASED ON THIS TEXT.

How might we develop, refine, and implement more equitable grading systems? In this PLT, we will create a supportive community for teachers interested in making these changes in their STEM classrooms. In our first session, we will build on a shared understanding of equitable grading, discuss its advantages and challenges based on Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman, and examine concrete examples of its implementation. In later sessions, we will redesign aspects of our grading systems, practice these changes in our classrooms, share learnings with each other, and reflect on our successes. This PLT is ideal for any teacher ready to either dive into equitable grading for the first time, or improve their current grading system.

Under Construction: Building a Thinking Classroom

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Amy Brenner, Shari Eng, and Jeffrey Hamilton

THURSDAYS, MAR 2, MAR 30, MAY 11, JUN 15

MƒA

 MATHEMATICS

+PLEASE NOTE: TEACHERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PURCHASE THEIR OWN COPY OF BUILDING THINKING CLASSROOMS BY PETER LILJEDAHL, AND CAN BE REIMBURSED THROUGH THE MƒA FLEX FUNDS PROGRAM.

How might we improve student thinking in our classrooms by exploring and implementing some of the 14 teaching practices in Peter Liljedahl’s Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC)? Join us as we learn how BTC’s big ideas, such as vertical non-permanent surfaces, visually random groupings, thin-slicing, and leveling to the bottom, impact student learning. In this PLT, we will experience these practices firsthand,

read the why behind them, and share the successes and challenges we have experienced in our thinking classrooms. Teachers will also have time to discuss, collaborate, and reflect on ways to start, develop, and strengthen their thinking classrooms. While this course is best suited to mathematics teachers of all levels, teachers of any content area who are curious and enthusiastic about building a thinking classroom are encouraged to join.

Unpacking the Next Generation Mathematics Learning Standards

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Brandi Kovac, Ismael Perez, and Rachel Woolley

TUESDAYS, FEB 14, MAR 21, APR 25, MAY 30

ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

How might we ease and support the transition to the New York State Next Generation Mathematics Learning Standards? In this PLT, mathematics teachers of all grade levels are welcome as we analyze key documents, including the grade-level Learning Standards Crosswalks and Snapshots, to ease and support the transition. We will compare the new standards with the Common Core standards, track the progression of essential skills through the grade levels, and adapt existing curricula to help students connect concepts and skills more effectively. Throughout, teachers will share best practices for teaching particular topics. Teachers will leave with a better understanding of the new standards and resources to share with their school communities.

What Should Students Learn? Updating the Mathematics Curriculum at Your School

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Tyler Hicks and Andrea Kung

TUESDAYS, FEB 28, MAR 28, MAY 2, JUN 6

MƒA

 MATHEMATICS

How might we reshape the traditional secondary mathematics curriculum to provide new and meaningful

Professional Learning Teams (PLTs)

pathways for our students to explore both the depth and breadth of mathematics? Join us as we come together to evaluate our schools’ current mathematics programs, interrogate the values implicit in these programs, identify how students are (or are not) served by the status quo, and search for areas of potential growth. We will challenge and support each other in (1)formulating and articulating our values; (2) drafting plans and proposals; (3) examining the decisionmaking protocols and hierarchies within our respective schools to develop action plans; (4) communicating with stakeholders; and (5) planning for impact analysis. This PLT is for mathematics teachers who want to make broad curricular and programming changes at their

schools and have some agency and influence in shaping their school’s overall mathematics program. Teachers from the same mathematics department are welcome and encouraged to attend together.

Why Do I Need to Know This? Using Storylines to Engage Students in Biology

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Marisa Miller and Jenny Yang

TUESDAYS, MAR 7, APR 4, MAY 9, JUN 13 MƒA

How might we use storylines to engage students in the Living Environment or biology curriculum? Storyline units are an increasingly popular and enjoyable way to infuse meaningful and authentic learning experiences into curricula. Unlike isolated topic-based lessons, storyline units start with an anchoring phenomenon that introduces a problem or question. Each step in the unit is framed around addressing the original problem and any student-generated questions. In our first session, we’ll begin with an introduction to storyline units as we examine a few widely available exemplars (e.g., New Visions, NGSS). We’ll also share any previous experiences using storylines in our classrooms and then form groups based on content and interest. In subsequent sessions, we’ll work in these small groups to create or adapt a “story-a-lined” curriculum. In our final session, we’ll share our units, reflect on our work, and set goals for further iteration and development. This PLT is intended for any biology or Living Environment teacher.

Mini-Courses

Mini-Courses are a series of three connected workshops in which experts from academic institutions, local organizations, and within the MƒA Master Teacher community engage MƒA teachers in a topic at the cutting edge of their content area and/or pedagogical practice.

Mini-Courses

24andMe: What mtDNA Can Tell Us About Ourselves and Our World Facilitators: Kelsie Anson, Ph.D., and MƒA Master Teachers Pooja Bhaskar and Megan Wallner

WEDNESDAYS, APR 19, MAY 3, MAY 17 OFFSITE

 SCIENCE

+ PLEASE NOTE: ALL SESSIONS WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 5 - 7 P.M. AT THE DNA LEARNING CENTER IN BROOKLYN.

Did you know that humans have a 24th “chromosome”?

Originating from the egg, this DNA plays an essential role in mitochondrial function and can also tell us about ancestry. Join us in this course as we uncover a small part of our ancestry and explore biotech projects for the high school classroom. We’ll begin by extracting, isolating, and amplifying our mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) using PCR. In session two, we’ll use gel electrophoresis to confirm our PCR results and discuss what mtDNA can tell us about population genetics. Finally, in session three, we’ll dive into simple bioinformatics and discuss how to apply this work to our classrooms. This course is best suited for middle and high school life science teachers, but anyone interested in learning more about their own ancestry is welcome. Teachers who complete the course are eligible to borrow and rent classroom kits from the DNA Learning Center.

Dr. Kelsie Anson is an Educator at the DNALC NYC, an operating unit of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s DNA Learning Center. Dr. Anson is formally trained as a biochemist, earning her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Pooja Bhaskar is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice in the Bronx.

Megan Wallner is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Sunset Park High School in Brooklyn.

Alternative Assessment in the Mathematics Classroom Facilitator: Márta Barbarics

TUESDAY, FEB 21

THURSDAY, FEB 23

ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

+ PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A TWO SESSION MINI-COURSE THAT TAKES PLACE DURING MIDWINTER RECESS FROM 9:30 A.M.12:30 P.M.

There are many ways to assess mathematics students, but how do we know which is best? In this highly interactive mini-course, teachers will grapple with questions such as: What does assessment mean to you? What are your assessment goals, and how can you achieve them? What “side effects” do different types of assessment cause? Join us as we share our assessment goals, explore new assessment tools, and consider what is compulsory and possible. We will analyze a variety of assessments, ranging from traditional testing to alternatives, including formative feedback, self-assessment, peer assessment, and more. We will discuss promising practices in small groups and apply them to our classroom contexts. We will also identify strategies to integrate these new assessment tools into our lessons and support our students’ learning. As we will examine examples from elementary to high school mathematics classrooms, all mathematics teachers are welcome. Teachers are encouraged to bring a lesson plan to explore how alternative assessments can fit into their practice.

Márta Barbarics taught mathematics for seven years at Petrik Lajos bilingual high school in Budapest, Hungary. During this time, she investigated the effectiveness of the Pósa Method, a form of guided discovery in mathematics teaching. Currently, she is an assistant professor at the Department of English Language Pedagogy at Eötvös Loránd University. She is also completing her Ph.D. on alternative forms of assessment, such as gamification. She is also the instructor of “Gamification and Playfulness in Teaching Mathematics” and “Directed Research: Discovery Learning in Secondary Schools” classes in the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics Education program.

The Big Ideas of Linear Algebra

Facilitator:

Francis Su, Ph.D.

TUESDAYS, MAY 2, MAY 9, MAY 16

ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

While linearity often hides in the world around us, it is, in fact, a fundamental mathematical concept. Linear Algebra helps us to uncover these hidden structures. With the growth of data science, its importance in the early stages of mathematics teaching and learning is increasing. In this course, we will explore an introduction to ten big ideas of linear algebra to help us better understand the subject and learn how to prepare our K-12 mathematics students to appreciate and uncover its applications and beauty. We’ll discuss linearity, practice thinking about it algebraically and geometrically, see how to keep track of linear information in a matrix, learn why matrix multiplication is defined so strangely, and discuss how it corresponds geometrically to a linear transformation. We’ll also unpack the ideas of eigenvectors and eigenvalues, which appear broadly in both classical and quantum mechanics. And finally, we’ll conclude with an introduction to the singular value decomposition, a frequently used tool to find hidden structure in data (e.g., data compression and making Netflix recommendations). All mathematics teachers are welcome. The only prerequisite is a desire to learn why algebra and geometry are so inextricably linked and a willingness to use analogies to stretch one’s ability to visualize more than three dimensions.

Dr. Francis Su is the Benediktsson-Karwa Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College and a former president of the Mathematical Association of America. In 2013, he received the Haimo Award, a nationwide teaching prize for college mathematics faculty, and in 2018 he won the Halmos-Ford writing award. His work has been featured in Quanta Magazine, Wired, and The New York Times. His book Mathematics for Human Flourishing, winner of the 2021 Euler Book Prize, is an inclusive vision of what mathematics is, who it’s for, and why everyone should learn it.

Mini-Courses

Category Theory: An Introduction

Facilitator: Eugenia Cheng, Ph.D.

WEDNESDAYS, MAY 3, MAY 10, MAY 17

MƒA

 MATHEMATICS

Category theory (abstract mathematics typically only seen by advanced graduate students) is a significant mathematics field to originate in the 21st century. In the last 60 years, it has become indispensable to large swathes of pure mathematics and parts of theoretical physics, computer science, philosophy, and even linguistics. It can be thought of as the “mathematics of mathematics”—a way of thinking about mathematics in the same way mathematics is a way of thinking about the world. Category theory is less about solving specific problems and more

about shedding light on mathematical structures, providing a language for making connections between different topics. This mini-course will introduce basic category theory emphasizing ideology and motivation, confirming these ideas are relevant to all mathematical thinking. We will explore graduate-level problems and more accessible ones for secondary mathematics classrooms. We will bring abstract mathematical ideas down to earth by centering social justice, current events, and everyday life in profoundly motivating ways—especially for students who often feel excluded from mathematics. We will conclude by discussing how “abstract” doesn’t mean “irrelevant” and how abstract thinking can help us understand urgent issues in the world around us. There are no prerequisites other than curiosity, an open mind, and basic arithmetic skills.

Dr. Eugenia Cheng is a Scientist-in-Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She won tenure in Pure Mathematics at the University of Sheffield, UK, and has a Ph.D. in Pure Mathematics from the University of Cambridge. In addition to teaching undergraduates, she has assisted with mathematics in elementary, middle, and high schools for over 20 years. Dr. Cheng is the author of popular mathematics books, How to Bake Pi, Beyond Infinity, The Art of Logic, and x+y: A Mathematician’s Manifesto for Rethinking Gender. Her latest book, The Joy of Abstraction: An Exploration of Math, Category Theory, and Life, hopes to demystify mathematical thought processes and help you dig deeper into mathematical concepts and build your mathematical background. She is also a columnist for the Wall Street Journal and a concert pianist.

CheMATHstry: The Math of Molecules

Facilitator: Disan Davis, Ph.D.

TUESDAYS, MAY 9, MAY 16, MAY 23

MƒA

 SCIENCE

Teaching mathematics in the chemistry classroom can sometimes feel challenging, especially when introducing new concepts students have yet to learn in their mathematics class (e.g., logarithms). In this mini-course, teachers will explore strategies to teach students how to use and understand mathematics within the context of their chemistry class. In the first session, we will dive into multiple ways of approaching unit conversions and calculations, beyond dimensional

analysis. In session two, we will consider techniques to build a conceptual understanding of logarithms and exponential decay. In our final session, we will discuss additional mathematics-based chemistry topics, review previous strategies, and share best practices from our own chemistry classrooms. This course is designed for all high school chemistry teachers.

Dr. Disan Davis is a Research Associate for the STEM PUSH Network , an NSF-funded national alliance of pre-college STEM programs focused on broadening participation in STEM, with a particular aim of supporting Black, Latine, and Indigenous students’ enrollment and persistence. Before this work, she led a pre-college STEM program at Rockefeller University, taught middle and high school science, and earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry. These days, she enjoys exploring science in the kitchen and the woods, and learning mathematics strategies from her seven year old.

Code Puzzles in the Classroom

Facilitators: Jeff Olson and Taylor Want

MONDAYS, MAR 13, MAR 20, MAR 27

ONLINE

 COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Whether you’re writing your first line of code or majored in computer science, you’ve likely heard of the code challenges companies like Google use as part of their hiring process. These puzzles require critical thinking, perseverance, curiosity, and excellent problem-solving skills—all attributes teachers would love to see in their STEM students! Join us to learn the basics, sharpen your coding skills, and dig deep into solving code puzzles. We’re excellent debuggers, ready to support teachers at their current coding level and to act as thought partners in adapting these games for each teacher’s students, classrooms, and school communities. All coders are welcome, from beginner to advanced.

Jeff Olson is the Director of Learning & Development at Giant Machines. Jeff has an undergraduate degree in neuroscience and American literature from Baylor University. Upon graduating in 2011, Jeff was placed as an English teacher in Phoenix, Arizona, with Teach For America and earned his M.Ed. in secondary education from Arizona State University. In 2015, Jeff taught beginner courses in software engineering, iOS app development, and web design to high school students in Los Angeles and New York City. He believes learning to code

Mini-Courses

is the most empowering experience a high school student can have, coding is joyful, and all students deserve access to this life-changing form of fun.

Taylor Want holds a B.A. in Physics from Carleton College and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Teaching from Boston University. She has built her career around increasing educational opportunities in computer science for underrepresented populations in tech. Taylor began her career in education as a high school physics and computer science teacher and then as the Director of Strategy and Operations at Upperline Code. At Upperline Code, she built, managed, and trained teachers for computer science education programs in partnership with organizations like Google, JPMorgan Chase, the New York City Department of Education, and Cornell Tech. She is now an Engineering Director at Giant Machines, where she works to support early-career software engineers in their growth and development.

Coding With Minecraft: More Than Just a Game!

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Luis Saltos

WEDNESDAYS, MAY 17, MAY 31, JUN 14

MƒA

 COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Have you heard students talking about Minecraft and wondered what all the fuss was about? In this minicourse, we will learn how to incorporate Minecraft Education Edition (EE), a game-based learning platform that uses block-based coding to build STEM skills, unleash creativity, and engage students in collaboration and problem-solving. Using their Coding FUNdamentals lessons and command blocks, teachers will explore algorithms, sequencing, loops, conditionals, variables, functions, and more. We will also learn how to apply Minecraft EE across content and skills, such as constructing models of atoms and compounds, learning about cybersecurity, and engaging students in social-emotional learning. This course is best suited for elementary and middle school teachers who are new to block-based coding and are interested in adding some coding to their classroom instruction.

Luis Saltos is an MƒA Master Teacher and computer science teacher at J.H.S. 189 Daniel Carter Beard in Queens.

Conquering Cancer: Recreating the Experiments That Led to Defeating Leukemia Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Subarna Bhattacharyya, Ph.D., and Jason Econome

WEDNESDAYS, MAR 15, MAR 22, MAR 29 OFFSITE

 SCIENCE

+PLEASE NOTE: ALL THREE SESSIONS WILL TAKE PLACE AT STUYVESANT HIGH SCHOOL.

Patients diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) have one of the highest (85%!) ten year survival rates thanks to incredible achievements made by oncologists and researchers. Join us in this mini-course as we retrace the steps leading to the development of oral chemotherapy treatments such as Gleevec (imatinib mesylate). In session one, we will perform a simulation of a DNA microarray assay to identify and better understand the genes and mechanisms that contribute to the unregulated production of myeloid cells. In session two, we’ll conduct an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the effectiveness and longevity of Gleevec. In our final session, we’ll perform gel electrophoresis on a PCR-based diagnostic of patients’ blood samples, analyze prepared slides, and explore Sanger sequencing of p53 to assess the threats of relapse. Teachers will leave with a variety of resources, including student handouts, articles, protocols, and assessments to effectively implement these activities in their high school biology or AP Biology curriculum.

Co-Teaching in Inclusive Secondary Mathematics Classrooms p

Facilitators: Jennifer Smith and Michelle Stephan, Ed.D.

TUESDAYS, FEB 28, MAR 14, MAR 28

MƒA & ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

+PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A HYBRID COURSE. SESSION 1 WILL TAKE PLACE IN-PERSON AT MƒA . SESSIONS 2 AND 3 WILL TAKE PLACE VIRTUALLY.

How might general and special educators work together to co-plan, co-enact, and co-assess for equitable access to mathematics? In this mini-course, teachers will learn strategies for developing genuine co-teaching practices that ensure all students, especially those with special needs, have access to high-quality mathematics instruction. First, we will learn how to co-plan effectively through lesson imaging, where teachers anticipate how chosen activities will unfold in real time—what solutions, questions, and misconceptions students might have, and how teachers can promote deeper reasoning. Then, we will deconstruct co-teachers’ instructional practices by watching videos of a student-centered inclusion mathematics lesson. Finally, we will adapt and modify assessments without lowering cognitive demand for students with special needs. Any middle school mathematics teacher is welcome; no prior ICT experience is necessary.

Jennifer Smith is a Teacher on Assignment for Seminole County Public Schools in Florida. She has taught students with special needs for 17 years and co-taught three of those years with Dr. Stephan in 7th grade mathematics. She teaches K-12 teachers how to create equitable classroom environments for all students.

Dr. Michelle Stephan is a professor of mathematics education at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. She and Jennifer Smith co-taught 7th grade mathematics for three years and have published multiple articles about implementing high-quality co-teaching practices in inquiry mathematics environments. She currently researches how to create equitable access to high-quality mathematics for all students.

Dr. Subarna Bhattacharyya is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at N.Y.C. Museum School in Manhattan.

Jason Econome is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan.

Mini-Courses

Data-Driven Climate Justice With EcoRise p Facilitator: Zakhia Grant

WEDNESDAYS, APR 26, MAY 3, MAY 10

MƒA

 SCIENCE

Geographic information systems (GIS) mapping helps us understand patterns and relationships within a geographic context. GIS is used in virtually every field and can make data come “alive” for your students. Join us as we discover GIS, explore EcoRise resources, and learn strategies to inspire students to act by giving them the skills needed to design solutions to environmental issues within their communities. In session one, we will begin with an introduction to environmental justice issues as we discuss and try out hands-on activities from the EcoRise curriculum. In session two, we’ll delve deeper by examining how EcoRise resources related to climate data, GIS mapping, and climate justice can shape students’ understanding of the causes and impact of climate change within their community. In our final session, teachers will learn how to support student climate action at their schools through the creation of datadriven policy or by applying for a student-driven EcoAudit grant. This course is best for middle and high school life science, environmental science, and Earth Science teachers.

Zakhia Grant is the Northeast Program Manager for EcoRise and provides professional development to K-12 teachers participating in the Sustainable Intelligence Program in New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. She is a geologist and a LEED Green Associate and brings with her more than a decade of experience teaching science and sustainability at both the high school and collegiate levels in NYC. She is passionate about equity and justice in sustainability and environmental education. Zakhia holds a B.A. in Geology from George Washington University and an M.S. in Geology from Bowling Green State University.

Dissections Made Easy Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher David Studer

WEDNESDAYS, FEB 8, FEB 15

MƒA

 SCIENCE

+ PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A TWO SESSION MINI-COURSE.

”When are we doing dissections?” Students often ask this question on the first day of class as they are eager to dive into the fun and exciting work of dissection. However, integrating dissection into an already packed life science curriculum can take time and effort. Join us to learn how to seamlessly incorporate dissection into your classroom. In session one, we’ll discuss the value of teaching through dissection, review DOE safety protocols, and consider the ethical concerns around this work. Then we’ll explore a step-by-step guide as we dissect earthworms. In session two, teachers will conduct two additional dissections, beginning with the classic frog dissection and then choosing between the crayfish or grasshopper. Each small group will learn more about their chosen organism, perform the dissection, and then share their findings with the larger group. Finally, teachers will have time to identify strategies for incorporating these dissections into their own classrooms. This course is best suited for middle and high school life science teachers.

David Studer is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Benjamin Banneker Academy in Brooklyn.

DIY Skills: Machine Sewing and Screen Printing

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Dorothy Cupka, Ph.D., and Jamie Munkatchy

WEDNESDAYS, MAR 8, MAR 15, MAR 22 OFFSITE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

+ PLEASE NOTE: ALL THREE SESSIONS WILL TAKE PLACE AT HUMANITIES PREPARATORY ACADEMY.

Are you interested in crafting and making, incorporating more art into your classroom, or building a makerspace in your own school? Come join us in this mini-course as we discuss how to integrate the DIY culture in science, entrepreneurship, and art with

a STEAM curriculum. As part of the process, we will create a silk screen, print on canvas drop cloth, and sew the printed fabric into a personal tote bag! We will also explore how the making skills used in this course are applicable to both mathematics and science. Crafters of all levels and experience are welcome! All materials and tools will be provided.

Dr. Dorothy Cupka is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Humanities Preparatory Academy in Manhattan.

Jamie Munkatchy is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at The James Baldwin School: A School for Expeditionary Learning in Manhattan.

DuraSEL: Fostering Change Through Motivational Interviewing

Facilitator: Marvin Antebi-Gruszka

WEDNESDAYS, MAR 15, MAR 29, APR 19

MƒA

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

Do you ever find yourself needing help to promote positive change in student behavior? Whether you choose to become a cheerleader or an industrial strength micro-manager, these efforts are rarely effective and always tiring. How might we view resistance to change as an opportunity for connection and growth? In this mini-course, teachers will explore the foundational skills and strategies of Motivational Interviewing (MI), a collaborative, conversation-based approach aiming to get those we work with to become their own cheerleaders for change. The primary goals of this mini-course are to (1) provide teachers with foundational skills in MI, (2) dedicate time and space to practice MI with feedback, and (3) create opportunities to integrate MI skills into the classroom. In session one, we will compare two cornerstones of MI, ambivalence and OARS (Open questioning, Affirming, Reflecting, and Summarizing) skills. In session two, we’ll consider how to transform resistance into motivation. And in session three, we’ll review the change process from beginning to end. Throughout, we will ground our work in Motivational Interviewing in Schools by Rollnick et al. (2016). All subject areas, grades, and

Mini-Courses

levels of familiarity with MI are welcome, including those who attended the fall 2022 PLT, ALL-ED Meets

Dura-SEL: All Learners Learning Every Day to Build

Durable SEL

Marvin Antebi-Gruszka is a former MƒA Master Teacher and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Mental Health Counseling at the City College of New York. He has worked at high-needs schools for 15 years as a science, health, and language instructor and as a student support specialist. Marvin looks forward to continuing his career in education through mental health counseling in schools.

Empowerment Through Reflective Practices

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Katie Francis and Deborah Schaeffer

MONDAYS, FEB 6, FEB 13, FEB 27

ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

How might we leverage self-reflection to cultivate both teacher and student agency? As teachers, we regularly reflect on our practice, our pedagogy, and our students to create the most vibrant and engaging classrooms. This process can feel daunting and self-critical, but ultimately fosters self-awareness, connection, and resilience. In this mini-course, we offer a fresh and fun way to approach reflection with a series of researchdriven practices. Designed to help us connect with one another, these tools will help us feel seen and heard and reaffirm our goals and values. We will open our first session by practicing mindfulness and creativearts reflection protocols. During session two, we will do a deep dive into interview protocols to strengthen our collaborative relationships. And in our final session, we’ll explore poetry as a tool for reflection and close with a protocol to integrate our learning. Teachers will leave with a renewed sense of vision and purpose and with a toolbox to integrate reflection into their lives and into their classrooms in transformative and meaningful ways. This course is open to all MƒA teachers.

Everybody Deserves a Seat at the Table Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Gary Rubinstein

TUESDAYS, APR 25, MAY 9, MAY 23

MƒA

 MATHEMATICS

When we teach topics involving square roots, trigonometry, or logarithms, we take for granted that our calculators have helpful buttons for determining the needed values. Before the invention of calculators, people used tables of values. Developing these tables was a critical endeavor spanning thousands of years and cultures worldwide. In this course, you will learn the elementary mathematics behind these tables. Using just geometry and algebra, teachers will analyze and discover some of the algorithms for constructing these crucial tables. We’ll examine tables for square roots, trig tables, and logarithms. Teachers will also explore and use a physical or virtual slide rule, a 300-year-old mechanical computing device, to demonstrate relationships between different sets of numbers. Teachers will leave with a new understanding of the mathematics behind the famous tables and will be able to include these clever algorithms in their lessons. This course is best for secondary mathematics teachers or anyone interested in the history of mathematical tables.

Gary Rubinstein is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan.

Excel Training for Novices and Prospective Data Specialists

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Soni Midha and Dave Richardson

TUESDAYS, APR 18, MAY 2, MAY 16

MƒA

 COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Are you interested in learning about the role of a data specialist or how to use Excel to analyze school data? If so, join us as we start with the basics of Excel and build

up to creating various reports for use in our school communities. First, we’ll cover the basics of Excel formulas, including VLOOKUP, SUMPRODUCT, and COUNTIF, and create a master data sheet. Next, we’ll use this master data sheet to understand and uncover bias using the Fergus disproportionality calculator. Finally, we’ll explore pivot tables, which help to sort and filter data in valuable ways. By the end of this minicourse, you will be able to confidently run data reports for your school community, calling attention to existing inequities and significant trends. This course is best suited for folks new to Excel and looking to learn the data specialist role from start to finish.

Katie Francis is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Curtis High School in Staten Island.

Deborah Schaeffer is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at East Brooklyn Community High School in Brooklyn.

Soni Midha is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at East Side Community School in Manhattan.

Dave Richardson is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at High School of Economics and Finance in Manhattan.

Mini-Courses

From Chopped to BioBits!: How to Use miniPCR Labs in the Classroom

Facilitators: Ally Huang, Ph.D., Katy Martin, Ph.D., and MƒA Master Teachers Joshua Modeste and Jessica Quenzer

THURSDAYS, FEB 16, MAR 2, MAR 9

MƒA & ONLINE

SCIENCE

+ PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A HYBRID COURSE. SESSION 1 WILL TAKE IN-PERSON AT MƒA , SESSION 2 IN-PERSON AT STUYVESANT HIGH SCHOOL, AND SESSION 3 WILL TAKE PLACE VIRTUALLY.

How might we support our students in learning about genetics, PCR, and cutting-edge space science? If you are looking for ways to supplement your genetics unit with hands-on, project-based learning, then join us as we explore two biotechnology kits from miniPCR and discuss how to utilize them in any biology classroom. In session one, we will use the newly launched Chopped! kit to explore how the CRISPR/Cas system is a programmable, specific, and powerful genome editing tool. In session two, we will use the BioBits cellfree protein expression kit and the p51 fluorescence viewer to demonstrate how the central dogma (transcription and translation) can be performed and visualized in vitro. In our final session, we will discuss how our students can conduct independent research related to the Genes in Space contest, a free competition in which students propose experiments that can be conducted on the ISS utilizing miniPCR equipment. This course is best suited for middle and high school life science teachers.

Dr. Ally Huang received her B.S in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins and her Ph.D. in Biological Engineering from MIT, with a thesis on making molecular and synthetic biology accessible to classrooms and other educational settings. She is currently the Lead Research Scientist at miniPCR bio and works towards providing everyone access to quality hands-on science education.

Katy Martin is the program lead for Genes in Space and serves as a member of miniPCR’s biology curriculum team.

Joshua Modeste is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at The Urban Assembly School for Global Commerce in Manhattan.

From Molecules to Ecosystems: Modeling the Cycling of Matter With HHMI Facilitators: Ann Brokaw

THURSDAYS, MAR 2, MAR 9

ONLINE

 SCIENCE

and Missy Holzer

+ PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A TWO SESSION MINI-COURSE.

To understand the cycling of matter in an ecosystem, students must develop knowledge of temporal, spatial, and biological scales. Join us in this mini-course as we investigate free HHMI BioInteractive resources to help students connect energy flow and cycling of matter in molecular, ecological, and geological contexts. In session one, teachers will explore biogeochemical cycles at varying scales, emphasizing the carbon cycle, and making connections to photosynthesis through model building and system disruption. In session two, we’ll zoom out to the ecosystem scale, exploring the role of these cycles in regulating ecosystem health and by modeling the impacts of limiting nutrients. We will also demonstrate how to integrate the three dimensions of NGSS—core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts— to enhance student understanding of fundamental molecular and ecological concepts. Throughout, teachers will have time to discuss how to apply the content and resources to their classrooms. This course is best suited for introductory and advanced high school life and environmental science teachers. Middle school science teachers, particularly those teaching Living Environment, are also welcome.

Ann Brokaw has more than 25 years of experience teaching biology at Rocky River High School, a public school outside of Cleveland, Ohio. She teaches Advanced Placement Biology, College Credit Plus Biology, and sophomore-level biology. She is passionate about biology and science education and continually seeks ways to develop her classroom practice and content knowledge. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys reading, good food, and time with friends, her partner, and four-legged fur babies.

Missy Holzer taught Earth, space, and environmental science classes and dual-credit physical geography for more than 30 years in New

Jersey. Currently, she is a science standards specialist and a college instructor. What she loves about teaching is connecting her students to their natural world and challenging them to think differently about the place they call home. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and cooking.

From Research to Reality: Investigating Myths in Educational Psychology

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teacher Matt Pastore and MƒA Early Career Teacher Juanita Martin

TUESDAYS, MAR 28, APR 4, APR 18

ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

Have you ever wondered what research really says about learning styles, praise, and inquiry-based instruction? Then join us in this mini-course as we explore educational psychology and discuss empirical research that may challenge our traditionally held views of assessment, learning, and inquiry. In each session we will focus on one topic, review the latest research, and consider how we might connect it with our teaching practice. By the end of this series, we will have a curated list of common myths and controversies in education, as well as a resource bank of podcasts, readings, and videos. This course is ideal for any teacher interested in deepening their understanding of educational research and its practical applications.

Matt Pastore is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn.

Juanita Martin is an MƒA Early Career Teacher and science teacher at The Math & Science Exploratory School in Brooklyn.

Game-Based Learning: An Introduction

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Jenna Denino and Kate Litman

TUESDAYS, APR 18, APR 25, MAY 2

MƒA

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

Do you want to energize your classroom? Do you think kids learn best through play? Do you want to explore the benefits of game-based learning while learning how to design games for your content area? Look no further! In this mini-course, teachers will explore

Jessica Quenzer is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan.

Mini-Courses

the games Spot It! (a.k.a. Dobble) and Codenames to unpack each game’s core mechanics and components. Then, teachers will use the design process to design their own playable decks. Finally, they will participate in a game jam where colleagues will play each other’s games to give constructive and actionable feedback. Each session will be highly interactive, fun, and educational. This course is open to teachers of all content areas and levels and best suited to those with a creative mindset and playful spirit.

Yenmin Young is an MƒA Master Teacher and computer science teacher at East Side Community School in Manhattan.

Graphing and Data Analysis: How to Choose the Most Appropriate Graph Facilitator: Kristen

Dotti

MONDAYS, MAR 20, MAR 27, APR 3 ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

Getting Started With Arduinos

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Kofi Bosompim and Yenmin Young

TUESDAYS, APR 18, MAY 2, MAY 16

MƒA

 COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Are you interested in learning to use Arduinos but want support in getting started? Arduinos are small, affordable microcontrollers that can enrich any mathematics, science, or engineering class. Learn with us as we explore the world of physical computing using the simple, powerful, and versatile Arduino Uno microcontroller. Over three sessions, we will learn how to program the Arduino to control actuators (such as LEDs and speakers), take measurements from simple sensors (such as photoresistors and force-sensitive resistors), and communicate with the user through the computer. Previous programming experience is not required, and we will provide readings for those with no programming experience before the start of the course.

Learning to graph is a complex and sophisticated skill developed over time. Often, there are many ways to represent data, and each depiction may encourage the reader to make slightly different conclusions; deciding on the most appropriate graph can be tricky. In session one, we will focus on graphing as a central tool to organize data, reveal trends, and develop evidencesupported claims. Teachers will put on their student hats to create graphs from a shared data set. Then, we’ll clarify the strengths and weaknesses of these graphs and define the story told by each depiction. In our second session, we will consider how to use graphs to answer questions, make predictions, and offer solutions to STEM problems. We’ll learn how to guide our students toward graphs that are less diverse but more likely to convey the primary message of the data. In our final session, we will focus on graphing as a means of data analysis and a potential shorthand for statistical testing. Teachers will leave with a collection of activities to teach graphing and data analysis in any 6-12 STEM classroom.

Kristen Dotti writes curricula and leads professional development training for teachers who enjoy using student-centered techniques. As a teacher, geneticist, and life-long learner, she is constantly exploring new topics from a scientific perspective to grow her mind and feed her passions. Although she travels to different schools each week to help them achieve their faculty development goals, she has made Asheville, NC home.

Implementing and Evaluating Mindfulness Practice in Your STEM Classroom

Facilitators: Simone Ousset Kuranishi and MƒA

Master Teacher Erika Stafne

THURSDAYS, MAY 11, MAY 25

ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

+ PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A TWO SESSION MINI-COURSE.

Do you want to help improve your students’ mental health while cultivating a classroom of support and responsiveness? Classroom teachers have the unique ability and responsibility to create and foster healthy learning environments for their students and themselves. Mindfulness practice is an effective social-emotional learning strategy to promote student and staff well-being. Mindfulness practice supports “students in accessing and applying knowledge and skills needed to manage emotions, forge positive relationships, achieve goals and make responsible choices.” (Kuranishi, et al., 2018). This course will

Jenna Denino is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Quest to Learn in Manhattan.

Kate Litman is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Quest to Learn in Manhattan.

Kofi Bosompim is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Bronx High School for the Visual Arts in the Bronx.

Mini-Courses

provide educators with research-based methods to incorporate mindfulness practice into their general education, ICT, and 12:1 STEM classroom settings. In each session, educators will engage in mindfulness practices and have time to practice, reflect, create tools, and set specific goals for their classrooms. We will also collaboratively reflect on glows and grows and strategize ways to improve our practices. This course is open to educators of all subjects and grade levels but is best for those new to mindfulness practices in the classroom or in need of a refresher of previously learned practices.

Simone O. Kuranishi is a dance, yoga, and special education teacher with over a decade of experience in public schools. She currently works as a freelance consultant in mindfulness, yoga, and dance education.

Erika Stafne is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School in Manhattan.

Interrupting the Myth of ‘Standard English’ p Facilitator: Pamela Jones

THURSDAYS, FEB 9, FEB 16, MAR 2, MAR 9

ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

+ PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A FOUR SESSION MINI-COURSE. Tropes painting the language practices of language minoritized students as deficient are filtered through the white gaze (Morrison, 1998) and rooted within a hierarchy celebrating monolingual norms. In this course, we will explore linguistic identity through critical lenses and consider the role of teacher language attitudes in teaching and learning. We will focus specifically on the language development of Emergent Bilinguals as we explore the role of dialects in schooling and society writ large, and the role of learning variations in language acquisition and development. Finally, we will examine critical language pedagogies (e.g., code-meshing and translanguaging) as a way to integrate family and community languages and literacies meaningfully into classroom

instruction—a shift that celebrates linguistic diversity. By the conclusion of this course, teachers will consider at least one action step to ground their STEM teaching from a critical language pedagogical stance. This course is open to all MƒA teachers.

Pamela M. Jones, M.S.Ed., M.P.A., is an Advisor and Instructor at Bank Street College. Before joining Bank Street, Pam worked as a learning specialist for grades K and one, and as a third and fifth grade classroom teacher. Pam earned a master’s in Public Administration from Columbia University and her Master of Science in Education from Bank Street College of Education. Pam is pursuing her doctorate in literacy at New York University.

Introduction to 3D CAD Modeling

Facilitators: MƒMƒA Master Teachers Joseph Buro, Everton Henriques, Jared Jax, Ed.D., and Sandra Rossi

WEDNESDAYS, MAR 15, MAR 22, MAR 29

MƒA

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Ready for a guided, hands-on introductory immersion into 3D computer-aided design (CAD) modeling? Using CAD as a tool allows teachers to go beyond textbook learning. Join us to learn the skills to create virtual and physical models to help students visualize various concepts, including mathematical transformations and representations in geometry, molecular modeling in chemistry, systems in biology, and buoyancy in physics. First, we’ll learn the basics of CAD. Then, we will work in subject teams to brainstorm models. Finally, we’ll create and share our designs. Driving force topics will include the mathematics of architecture and biomedical, mechanical, and civil engineering. Teachers will leave with the ability to develop working CAD models to use with 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC routers. This course is open to all teachers, not only CAD users!

Joseph Buro is an MƒA Master Teacher and computer science teacher at Staten Island Technical High School in Staten Island.

Everton Henriques and Dr. Jared Jax are MƒA Master Teachers and science teachers at Staten Island Technical High School in Staten Island.

Sandra Rossi is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Bayside High School in Queens.

Investigating the Urban Heat Island Effect With Student Scientists

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Sarah Slack

TUESDAYS, MAR 21, MAR 28, APR 4

MƒA  SCIENCE

Temperatures are rising everywhere, but in city neighborhoods with the most pavement and the least green space, these increases are even more severe. Satellite and ground-based data reveal that on sunny days, highly developed areas are indeed warmer than their greener, leafier counterparts. This is the “Urban Heat Island Effect.” Join us as we explore this phenomenon and consider how to use it as a meaningful avenue for students to become citizen scientists and environmental justice activists. We’ll begin with an exploration of climate change and discuss strategies to cover this challenging topic. In session two, we’ll head outdoors to measure surface and air temperatures as we look for evidence of the urban heat island effect. We’ll conclude in session three by developing pathways for our students to take their observations to the next level—by proposing solutions to build climate resiliency in their communities and sharing data with broader audiences. Throughout, we’ll use the NGSS as a guide to help us evaluate our data and the effectiveness of various mitigation strategies. This course is best suited for middle and high school life, environmental, and Earth science teachers.

Sarah Slack is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at J.H.S. 223 The Montauk in Brooklyn.

Leading Teachers: A Framework for Coaching, Mentoring, and Development

Facilitator: Kara Imm, Ph.D.

WEDNESDAYS, APR 26, MAY 10, MAY 31, JUN 14

MƒA

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

+ PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A FOUR SESSION MINI-COURSE.

In this mini-course, we will build a learning community around our shared experiences as teachers of both

Mini-Courses

adolescents and adults. We’ll begin by reflecting on the differences between teaching our K-12 students and adult colleagues, including student teachers, new teachers, and grade or department leaders. We will name the specific challenges of teaching adult learners, including navigating how our positionality changes when we are seen as “teacher leaders” within school communities, and generate new ideas for framing this work. Finally, we will discover how coaching/mentoring is a part of human development, how incorporating various types of feedback and protocols focuses and fosters more meaningful conversation, and how to overcome common obstacles like resistance or non-participation.

Dr. Kara Imm is a K-12 mathematics educator based in New York City. In her more than 20-year career, she has been a middle and high school mathematics teacher, staff developer, leadership coach, and teacher education faculty. At MƒA, Kara has designed and led over 20 courses on design thinking, mathematical routines, models and modeling, developing a coaching practice, early algebra, and more. Kara has written several articles and books with and for teachers on the teaching and learning of mathematics. A proud graduate of Minneapolis Public Schools, Kara earned degrees from Stanford University and Bank Street College of Education. Her recent Ph.D. in Urban Education from The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, investigated the impact of mathematical modeling on high school girls of color who had experienced the gate-keeping effects of algebra.

Leveraging Community-Based Mathematical Modeling p

Facilitator: Zareen Gul Aga, Ph.D.

WEDNESDAYS, FEB 8, MAR 8, APR 19

ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

Three simple questions can mathematize the world: What do you notice? What do you wonder? What questions can mathematics answer? In this minicourse, middle school mathematics teachers will learn how to connect mathematics with social justice. Teachers will develop community-based

mathematical modeling instruction with five goals:

(1)facilitating connections, (2) fostering engagement, (3)promoting rigor, (4) cultivating civic empathy, and (5) elevating justice. We will discuss how these goals coalesce to advance equity and cultivate civic empathy as we examine sample community-based modeling lessons, adapt one or more lessons for our classrooms, and implement them. Teachers will then use the mathematical modeling lesson analysis tool to guide the development and revision of their lesson plans. Throughout, teachers will reflect on their understanding of equity and develop action plans to advance equitable teaching practice. As part of a larger research study, teachers are invited to contribute data by completing surveys, sharing student work, and testing the curriculum.

Dr. Zareen G. Aga is an assistant professor of mathematics education at James Madison University, where she teaches mathematics methods courses for middle and high school teachers. She integrates research topics such as supporting productive struggle, developing high cognitive demand mathematics tasks, fostering mathematical discourse, and equitable teaching practices of mathematics. As a former high school mathematics teacher, Dr. Aga is interested in making mathematics accessible to all students. She has been researching the

integration of mathematics and social justice standards in mathematics lesson plans and developing culturally responsive mathematics teaching.

Managing Stormwater Pollution: Green Infrastructure and Stewardship With the DEP Facilitator: Robin Sanchez

TUESDAYS, MAR 7, MAR 14, MAR 28

MƒA

SCIENCE

How does stormwater runoff pollute New York Harbor?

What is NYC doing to protect harbor water quality, and how can we help? Join the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to learn how the city manages stormwater through green infrastructure and stewardship initiatives. We’ll begin by investigating the NYC sewer system, then explore green infrastructure practices, and conclude by identifying student stewardship opportunities. We’ll also hear from a DEP guest speaker about the City’s new Cloudburst program, and consider the importance of innovative stormwater management for mitigating the effects of climate change. Teachers will explore the DEP’s new

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Green Infrastructure Education Module , including online resources and adaptable, hands-on lessons and activities. Teachers will be encouraged to iterate lessons in their own classrooms between sessions and share their experiences during session three. This minicourse is recommended for science teachers of grades 4-12.

Robin Sanchez is the Director of Education for the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, which provides pre-K to 12th grade students and teachers with a wide range of free programs and resources about New York City’s vital water supply, wastewater treatment system, impacts of climate change, and sound and noise quality. Education opportunities include field trips, virtual tours, hands-on activities, the annual Water Resources Art and Poetry Contest, teacher training, online education modules, and more.

Mathematical Modeling in Middle School

Facilitators: Elizabeth Burroughs, Ph.D., and Mary Alice Carlson,

Ph.D.

TUESDAYS, MAR 7, MAR 21, APR 4

MƒA & ONLINE  MATHEMATICS

+PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A HYBRID COURSE. SESSION 1 WILL TAKE PLACE IN-PERSON AT MƒA . SESSIONS 2 AND 3 WILL TAKE PLACE VIRTUALLY.

What’s the best voting method to select student council members? How frequently should the school recycling station be emptied? What’s the most appropriate passing period length? Rich mathematical modeling tasks address questions like these, questions that are relevant to students’ lives, engage them in decision-making, and provide multiple mathematical approaches. Rich tasks require students to understand the ideas and perspectives of others and use mathematical skills to develop empathy. Over three sessions, we will build an understanding of mathematical modeling in the middle school curriculum and identify connections between mathematical modeling and our local communities. We will also plan and implement a modeling task and discuss how it helps our students to develop empathy

and critical-thinking skills. Throughout the course, we’ll anchor our work and discussion in Becoming a Teacher of Mathematical Modeling, 6-8 written by the facilitators. All middle school mathematics teachers are welcome.

Dr. Elizabeth Burroughs and Dr. Mary Alice Carlson are co-authors of the NCTM book series Becoming a Teacher of Mathematical Modeling. They teach pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana.

Mechanisms for Empowering Students

Facilitators: Alan Cheng, Ed.D., and MƒA Master Teacher Vielca Anglin

THURSDAYS, FEB 9, FEB 16, MAR 9, MAR 30

MƒA & ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

+PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A FOUR SESSION HYBRID MINI-COURSE. SESSIONS 1, 2, AND 4 WILL TAKE PLACE IN-PERSON AT MƒA SESSION 3 WILL TAKE PLACE VIRTUALLY.

It is our firm belief that a primary goal of our schools is to help our students become responsible and responsive citizens, which requires a deep understanding of our self-worth and the tools we have to create change in our society. Through actions like civil disobedience and peaceful protest, young people have been at the forefront of many movements and struggles for justice in our history. In this mini-course, teachers and leaders will learn how to engage and empower students. For student voice to flourish, we need to be flexible when it comes to traditional school structures, practices, beliefs, and values. We will start with ways to increase student voice in school: what tools and strategies help students feel heard and develop a sense of belonging and responsibility? How do we ensure full inclusion of all voices? And how do we cultivate respectful disagreement between youth and adults? Finally, we will explore the nuances of student-led inquiry in the context of a New York City classroom: what does it look and sound like when students are generating ideas and questions and reporting those findings to teachers, school leaders, and community members?

Dr. Alan Cheng is a former MƒA fellow and co-facilitator of the MƒA School Leader Fellowship. Alan is currently a superintendent for NYC high schools in the Consortium after serving as the Principal of City-AsSchool High School for many years.

Vielca Anglin is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at City-AsSchool in Manhattan.

Mind Control: Using Science and Engineering to Boost Computational Thinking

Facilitators: Ido Davidescu, Ph.D., and MƒA Master Teacher Brittany Klimowicz

THURSDAYS, FEB 16, MAR 2, MAR 9

MƒA & ONLINE

 SCIENCE

+PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A HYBRID COURSE. SESSION 1 WILL TAKE PLACE VIRTUALLY. SESSIONS 2 AND 3 WILL TAKE PLACE IN-PERSON AT MƒA

Have you ever wanted to control a device with the power of your mind? This may sound like science fiction, but human-machine interfaces (HMI) are fast becoming a reality and have the potential to transform our society. Join us to learn how HMI can also serve as anchoring phenomena to engage students in computational thinking (CT) by integrating science and engineering practices. In this mini-course, teachers will learn what CT is, explore CT practices, and consider how they align with their existing content. We will begin with an introduction to CT and review existing curricular approaches. In our second session, teachers will put on their student hats to explore a newly developed unit to control a robotic gripper with their own muscle activity. We will conclude by sharing experiences and brainstorming opportunities for further development and integration. Teachers will leave with a variety of resources to implement the unit in their classrooms. All middle and high school science teachers are welcome.

Dr. Ido Davidesco is an Assistant Professor of Learning Sciences at the University of Connecticut, where he studies how science learning can be enhanced using portable and wearable technologies. Dr. Davidesco holds a Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. He completed post-doctoral training at Princeton University and New York University.

Brittany Klimowicz is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at the NYC iSchool in Manhattan.

Mini-Courses

Mucking Around With Oysters

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Suzette Nelson, Matt Steineger, and Andrew Zimmerman

TUESDAYS, MAY 9, MAY 16, MAY 23

MƒA & OFFSITE

SCIENCE

+ PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A HYBRID COURSE. SESSIONS 1 AND 3 WILL TAKE PLACE AT MƒA . SESSION 2 WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE FIELD.

Once upon a time, oysters covered over 200,000 acres of New York Harbor’s sea floor. Long before hot dogs, pretzels, and pizza, New Yorkers were munching on oysters as the quintessential NYC snack. But years of pollution and overharvesting decimated our oyster population and, with it, the balance of our local ecosystems. Join us as we explore the critical role of oysters as a native species, help our students connect to NYC ecology, and guide them toward citizen science and restoration work. First, we’ll discuss the historical role and importance of oysters as a keystone species in the Hudson Estuary. Then, in session two, we’ll meet out on the water to learn about the Billion Oyster Project (BOP) and explore their first community reef. Finally, we’ll discuss how to use oyster tanks, BOP curricular resources, and local data sets to teach about human impact and engage our students with NYC ecosystems. Throughout, we’ll explore materials from and inspired by BOP’s public resources. Science teachers of any grade looking for citizen science opportunities within the Hudson Estuary are welcome.

Suzette

New York Botanical Garden Tour: A History Through Glaciers

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Ramona Fittipaldi-Deoraj and Andrew Mittiga

TUESDAYS, MAY 23, MAY 30 OFFSITE

 SCIENCE

+ PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A TWO SESSION MINI-COURSE. EACH SESSION WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 4 - 6 P.M. AT THE NYBG.

People from all over the world visit the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) for its rare plants and phenomenal seasonal displays, however, most remain unaware of its secret geologic history. Join us in this mini-course as we explore the grounds of the NYBG to uncover this geologic history and look for rock outcrops shaped both by the Bronx River and the last period of glaciation. We’ll find evidence of glacial erratics, striations, and even a glacial pothole. In session one, we will walk along the current path of the Bronx River, identifying a variety of rock formations, and looking for signs of weathering and erosion. During our second session, we will use topographic maps to identify areas of glacial erosion and align topography instruction to the physical features in the Bronx, bringing real-life and local examples to our students. This course is most applicable to Earth Science teachers but all MƒA teachers are welcome.

Ramona Fittipaldi-Deoraj is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Young Women’s Leadership School in Manhattan.

Andrew Mittiga is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Young Women’s Leadership School in Manhattan.

Physical Computing to Inspire Innovations

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Renne Castro and Sandra Rossi and MƒA Early Career Teacher Nathan Weber

TUESDAYS, FEB 28, MAR 14, MAR 28

MƒA

 COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

With advancements in technology, we now interact with physical devices that gather information and communicate with us every day. Innovations from

physical computing have revolutionized our world and will continue to do so in the future. By merging concepts from physical science, engineering, mathematics, and computer science with Adafruit’s CircuitPlayground Express—an Arduino and CircuitPython-based microcontroller—we will use the engineering design process to create innovative devices that interact with the world around us. Physical computing can also bring new life to teaching by encouraging student agency, ownership, and identity and by empowering students to pursue projects and problems that are relevant and important to them. This course is best suited for middle or high school teachers interested in engineering or computer science. No prior experience is required.

Renne Castro is an MƒA Master Teacher and computer science teacher at Bayside High School in Queens.

Sandra Rossi is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Bayside High School in Queens.

Nathan Weber is an MƒA Early Career Teacher and science teacher at University Heights Secondary School in the Bronx.

Physics for Mathematics Teachers

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Courtney Ferrell, Marieke Thomas, and Andrew Wallace

WEDNESDAYS, MAR 1, MAR 8, MAR 15

MƒA

 MATHEMATICS

Are you a non-physicist interested in learning about the fundamental principles governing our universe?

Do you want to help students identify as practicing mathematicians by investigating how mathematics applies to their daily lives? Join us as we explore three key topics in physics: one dimensional motion, forces, and projectile motion. In our first session, we will explore the 1D motion of objects, linking acceleration, velocity, and displacement to graphical analysis, algebra, and calculus. Then, we will connect forces to vectors. Finally, we will discuss projectile motion as it relates to quadratics. We will curate topics most applicable to mathematics so teachers can incorporate real-world examples into their classes. This course is

Nelson is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Clara Barton High School in Brooklyn.

Matt Steiniger is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at School of the Future High School in Manhattan.

Andy Zimmermann is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Red Hook Neighborhood School in Brooklyn.

Mini-Courses

for mathematics teachers who want to learn physics content at an introductory level and potentially bring this new content to their mathematics classrooms. While this course is best for mathematics teachers, all are welcome!

appeal to educators interested in demystifying proof, exploring its role in mathematics, and thinking critically about how our students experience it. Likewise, this course hopes to provide possible activities teachers of proof could employ with their students.

Dr. Philip Dituri has taught and inspired educators and children for over 20 years. He is currently an educational consultant to various schools and districts and the Director of Education at the not-for-profit Financial Life Cycle Education. He served as a Visiting Professor at Fordham University and was a teacher and mathematics instructional coach at a public school in downtown Manhattan. While in public school, he was a three-time Math for America Master Teacher and a Big Apple Award finalist. Phil has a B.A. in Mathematics from NYU and a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from Columbia University. His research interests include proof and reasoning, problem-solving, collaborative learning, personal finance, and remote learning.

Proof Through Play: Exploring Axiomatic Systems and Proof With Games

Facilitators: Philip Dituri, Ph.D., and MƒA Master Teacher Paul Gray, Ph.D.

WEDNESDAYS, FEB 15, MAR 1, MAR 8 MƒA

Students of all levels struggle to justify their claims using deductive reasoning and generate their own proofs. Tinto (1988) suggests that students even fail to comprehend the general idea of proof and its role in mathematics. According to her research, many secondary school students think that proof is used only to verify already known facts. But what if we could start over in a simple yet unknown “math-like” space where we, like most of our students, are novices? This course aims to give teachers a (re)introduction to the structure of mathematical proof and axiomatic systems through playing and strategizing around simple combinatorial games like tic-tac-toe, NIM, and sprouts. By starting with structures that teachers and students are familiar with and looking at them through a mathematical lens, we hope to help teachers better understand the nature of mathematical proof and provide them with a possible framework for how to approach proof with their students—all while having fun! This course will

Race and Evolutionary Biology: The Legacy of Misuse and Misinterpretation p

Facilitators: Kaia Tombak, Ph.D., and MƒA Master Teacher Caitlin Samuel

TUESDAYS, MAR 7, MAR 21, APR 4

MƒA

 SCIENCE

Long before Darwin, evolutionary ideas were brewing and built upon by both Western and non-Western thinkers. When Darwin published On the Origin of Species, social change in the West slowly allowed evolutionary ideas to become more acceptable to the public, but only in an altered form that justified the social order as a natural one. Unfortunately, evolutionary biology is still misused and misinterpreted today—even by some scientists—to fit racist biases. While racism is sufficiently unjustified on moral grounds, it is helpful to understand the pressure points of the logic of a biological concept of race. First, we will discuss what evolution is (and what it isn’t). Then, we will delve into how evolutionary principles were twisted to give rise to the biological concept of race. Finally, we will break into small groups to discuss how these misconceptions and manipulations have fed

justifications for racism throughout history and today and brainstorm ideas to develop anti-racist curricula. The course is best suited for middle and high school life science teachers but is open to anyone interested in how a better understanding of evolutionary biology can stop pseudoscientific justifications for racism in their tracks.

Dr. Kaia Tombak is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Anthropology at Hunter College and a Junior Fellow at the Simons Society of Fellows. She holds a MSc from McGill University and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University. Her main line of research investigates the evolution of social behavior, including how egalitarianism or hierarchies emerge in primates and what social and ecological factors determine group size in zebras. Her postdoctoral research investigates how nutritional ecology and food competition may have shaped the social evolution of great apes. She is passionate about incorporating anti-racism and social justice into teaching and research practices in academia.

Caitlin Samuel is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Hunter College High School in Manhattan.

Race, Space, and Time: Mathematical Identities and Mattering p

Facilitator: Grace Chen, Ph.D.

WEDNESDAYS, APR 26, MAY 10, MAY 24, JUN 7 ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

+PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A FOUR SESSION MINI-COURSE.

How does your racial identity affect how you show up in the mathematics classroom with and for your students? Where is your mathematics classroom— and what was there before it? How did you get to be a mathematics teacher in 2023? In this course, we’ll explore race, space, and time in our work as mathematics teachers through a mix of readings, discussions, and personal/historical research, including interviewing fellow teachers. Consider this a critical (in both senses of the word) update to the classic mathematics autobiography—a chance to situate ourselves more deeply in our work’s social, political, ecological, historical, and mathematical contexts and to figure out how this informs our teaching and student relationships. There will be some independent

Courtney Ferrell is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at New Design High School in Manhattan.

Marieke Thomas is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at the Bronx High School of Science in the Bronx.

Andrew Wallace is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at World View High School in the Bronx.

Dr. Paul Gray is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at New Design High School in Manhattan.

Mini-Courses

research/me-search work between sessions, and teachers will be asked if they consent to have their course participation and materials used in research.

Dr. Grace A. Chen is an Assistant Professor/Faculty Fellow at New York University. A former high school mathematics teacher, she studies how teachers navigate the ethical complexities of working in unjust systems.

Rehumanizing Mathematics K-8 p Facilitator: Kara Imm,

Ph.D.

TUESDAYS, FEB 7, FEB 14, FEB 28

MƒA

We know that mathematics has often felt dehumanizing to Queer, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other marginalized people. In this course, we will explore the kinds of experiences that have felt dehumanizing and begin to envision and design ways of doing mathematics that are rehumanizing. First, we will make sense of the eight dimensions of the “ Rehumanizing Mathematics” framework (Gutierrez, 2018): (1) participation/positioning, (2) cultures/our/ their stories, (3) windows/mirrors, (4) living practice/ futures, (5) broadening mathematics, (6) creation, (7) body/emotions, and (8) ownership/stewardship. Then, we will locate both dehumanizing and rehumanizing practices within our schools, classrooms, and teaching practices. Finally, we will take action to rehumanize mathematics for the students we serve. The course is designed for any elementary or middle school teachers dissatisfied with the current “equity” movement within mathematics education and searching for critical and radical alternatives.

Dr. Kara Imm is a K-12 mathematics educator based in New York City. In her more than 20-year career, she has been a middle and high school mathematics teacher, staff developer, leadership coach, and teacher education faculty. At MƒA, Kara has designed and led over 20 courses on design thinking, mathematical routines, models and modeling, developing a coaching practice, early algebra, and more. Kara has written several articles and books with and for teachers on the teaching

and learning of mathematics. A proud graduate of Minneapolis Public Schools, Kara earned degrees from Stanford University and Bank Street College of Education. Her recent Ph.D. in Urban Education from The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, investigated the impact of mathematical modeling on high school girls of color who had experienced the gate-keeping effects of algebra.

Rolling in the Deep: Exploring Energy With Student-Designed Roller Coasters Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Tim Tschurjumov

WEDNESDAYS, MAR 1, MAR 8, MAR 15

MƒA

 SCIENCE

Most of us remember riding our first roller coaster with a mixture of fear and glee. The slow inch forward followed by dramatic speed, loops, and swirls that seemed to defy gravity. Roller coasters are the perfect phenomena to teach a variety of physics topics, particularly the law of conservation of energy. In this mini-course, we’ll explore this law as we build our own roller coasters. First, we’ll examine an exemplar project from a 9th grade physics classroom where students designed and built roller coaster models. Next, we’ll get our hands dirty and develop our own models using everyday materials such as cardboard and paper. Finally, we’ll discuss how we can use our roller coasters and design-based projects to model the conservation of energy, both analytically and qualitatively. This course is designed for middle and high school science and engineering teachers, especially those who teach energy.

Sunrise, Sunset: Deriving the Duration of Our Days

Facilitators: Paul McDowell, Lawrence Whitfield, and MƒA Early Career Teacher Elissa Levy

TUESDAYS, MAY 30, JUN 6, JUN 13

ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

What time does our Sun rise and set at any day of the year and at any location on Earth? Join us as we answer these questions and strengthen our understanding of the Earth/Sun system. We will start by addressing four “assumptions:” the duration of a year, the tilt of the Earth, the shape of our planet as a sphere, and the shape of our orbit as a circle. From describing a sphere to deriving the length of any day at any location on Earth, we will move through a series of steps using high school algebra and geometry. We will supplement the derivation with original GeoGebra simulations modeling the system as seen from space and Earth. To conclude, we will compare our derivation

Tim Tschurjumov is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Humanities Preparatory Academy in Manhattan.

Mini-Courses

to known values and discuss how to resolve any minor discrepancies. This course is primarily for Earth science, physics, or mathematics teachers.

Paul McDowell studied mathematics and astrophysics at the University of Toronto and then worked in business systems. He progressed from programmer to V.P. and Chief Information Officer. As Managing Director of a major international consulting firm, Paul led global transformations. Most recently, Paul was at the world’s largest hedge fund, building new people/work systems. Paul’s career and passions are about understanding the Universe, simplifying the complex, and unleashing human capability. Paul graduated from Ryerson University with studies in Computing Systems. His hobbies include mathematics, model trains, running, and film-making.

Lawrence Whitfield taught high school mathematics in Zambia, Africa, for six years and then became a software developer. While progressing from software developer to project management to senior management, he enjoyed mathematics as a hobby throughout. Ever intrigued by Earth-Sun geometry, Lawrence challenged his astrophysicist friend to quantify these movements via mathematical equations. This was a successful process with the side benefit of mastering Geogebra. Lawrence developed several renditions of the Earth-Sun movement available on his YouTube channel. Lawrence contributed to SoME and SoME2 via 3Blue1Brown. Lawrence has an Honours B.Sc. in Mathematics and Computer Science.

Elissa Levy is an MƒA Early Career Teacher and science teacher at Hunter College High School in Manhattan.

Tilings, Tessellations, and Origami

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Grace Chang and Kevin Peters

THURSDAYS, APR 27, MAY 11, MAY 25

MƒA

 MATHEMATICS

Have you ever tried to design a tessellation or tiling? In this course, we will create tessellations by twisting paper to form different shapes and then repeating them in various arrangements to create intricate patterns. In the first session, we will fold a square twist on a square grid and use it to create an iso-area tessellation. In the second session, we will fold a triangle twist on an isometric grid and then tessellate

the paper with triangles. And in our final session, we will fold a hexagon twist and experiment with different possibilities for tessellating paper using an isometric grid. Throughout, we will discuss some of the mathematical properties of paper folding and how to apply these properties and constraints to exploring and making our own tilings and designs. Previous experience folding paper is helpful but not required.

Grace Chang is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Neighborhood School in Manhattan.

Kevin Peters is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at 47 The American Sign Language and English Secondary School in Manhattan.

True Origins of the Pythagorean Theorem

Facilitator: Christina Eubanks-Turner, Ph.D.

TUESDAYS, APR 4, APR 18, APR 25

 MATHEMATICS

Traditional ways of organizing content in the history of mathematics hold a Eurocentric bias common in producing, disseminating, and evaluating scientific knowledge (Powell & Frankenstein, 1997). Much of the focus in a traditional history of mathematics course focuses on Greek beginnings in introducing “rigorous” mathematics through proof. This prevailing Eurocentric, male-centered view of mathematics obscures history and denies the communities and cultures that played significant roles in the development of mathematical knowledge (Joseph, 1987). In this course, we will look beyond these Eurocentric views as we explore the origins and uses of the Pythagorean Theorem and present evidence demonstrating knowledge of the Theorem that preceded Pythagoras. We will also examine other wellknown mathematical theorems and ideas attributed to Europeans, which Non-European mathematicians actually discovered.

Dr. Christina Eubanks-Turner is a Professor of Mathematics and Graduate Director of the M.A. in Teaching Mathematics program at Loyola Marymount University. Her primary research areas include mathematics, mathematics education, and broadening participation in

mathematics. She has extensive experience working with pre-service and in-service teachers from small and large urban districts across the US. She teaches mathematics content courses for K-12 preservice teachers. She has taught various graduate-level mathematics courses for in-service middle and secondary teachers. She has led several teacher professional development workshops in collaboration with education faculty and school district leaders. Her mathematics education research focuses on best practices for supporting the development of mathematical knowledge for teaching.

Unlocking Intermediate Number Theory: Beyond Common Divisors and Multiples

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Scott Matthews

THURSDAYS, MAY 4, MAY 11, MAY 25

MƒA

 MATHEMATICS

The locker problem is a well-known, high school-level, elementary number theory problem involving divisors of numbers. One by one, students numbered 1 to 1000 walk by a row of lockers numbered 1 to 1000, all of which are initially closed. The first student opens every locker. The second student closes every second locker. The third student changes every third locker; if it’s closed, they open it; if it’s open, they close it. That same pattern continues for all 1000 students. Which lockers are left open after all 1000 students have walked the row of lockers? In this course, we will work collaboratively to solve problems related to numbertheoretic functions, including the divisor function, the sum of divisors function, and Euler’s totient function. Then we will find solutions to Diophantine equations, if they exist, with the help of the Euclidean algorithm. Lastly, we will use modular arithmetic to develop Fermat’s Little Theorem, Wilson’s Theorem, and Euler’s Theorem. This course is open to all teachers, as we’ll cover the basics of number theory. If you are interested in more deeply exploring number theory, join us!

Scott Matthews is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Brooklyn Technical High School in Brooklyn.

Mini-Courses

Using Protocols to Support Equity in Discourse p Facilitators: Tina Glover and MƒA Master Teachers

Lauren Couto and Rose Ventimiglia

MONDAYS, FEB 6, FEB 13, FEB 27

ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

Protocols organize conversation to support equitable and rigorous discourse, help students feel integral to the work, and keep everyone on task. In this minicourse, we will delve into protocols developed by the National School Reform Faculty (NSRF) and explore how to build our own protocols around annotation and group work. Each teacher will have the opportunity to engage in and explore several protocols, such as Building Agreements, Zones of Comfort, Risk, & Danger, and Compass Points. In each session, we will consider the components of an effective protocol, discuss how to select a protocol to match our learning goals, test the protocol, and then debrief in a supportive group setting. All teachers are welcome.

Tina Glover has worked at the American Museum of Natural History’s partnership program, Urban Advantage, for over 15 years. She has more than 20 years of experience working with students and teachers in both formal and informal settings. She has her coaching certification and facilitator certification from the National School Reform Faculty.

Lauren Couto is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Jonas Bronck Academy in the Bronx.

Rose Ventimiglia is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at J.H.S. 167 Robert F. Wagner in Manhattan.

Rachel

WEDNESDAYS, MAR 15, MAR 22 ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

For as long as there have been schools, there have been students whom adults deem “disruptive,” “disorderly,” and “unruly.” In this mini-course, teachers will explore themes and challenges related to classroom discipline from a historical perspective. Using the story of the origins of the New York City DOE’s suspension policy, we will examine the history, politics, and ideas informing current disciplinary policies that exclude, segregate, and criminalize students—particularly Black students. Teachers will draw connections between historical trends, beliefs and practices, and their current practice. This course is especially relevant for those engaging in or considering restorative justice reforms, as it highlights both the need for change and the roots of resistance.

Dr. Rachel Lissy is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Ramapo for Children. She has worked in residential care, in the backcountry with Outward Bound, as an out-of-school-time program director for Good Shepherd Services, and as a teacher and intervention specialist in the Oakland public schools. She has a Ph.D. in Social and Cultural Studies from the Graduate School of Education at the University of California at Berkeley, as well as a master’s in Policy, Organization and Leadership Studies from Stanford University’s School of Education. Dr. Lissy’s dissertation focused on how the institutionalization of punitive and criminalizing disciplinary policies in New York City that disproportionately harmed students of color was influenced by resistance to school integration. Along with her first-hand experience supporting and learning from young people, she also brings historical and organizational perspectives to her work with schools, communitybased organizations, and Ramapo’s Rhinebeck campus-based programs.

“Young Man, Get Out of Here!”: Historical Perspectives on NYC Discipline Policy p Facilitator:

Lissy, Ph.D.

Single Session Workshops

Single Session Workshops are one-time workshops in which experts from the MƒA Master Teacher community, academic institutions, and local organizations engage MƒA teachers in a topic at the cutting edge of their content area and/or pedagogical practice.

Single Session Workshops

3D Printing: Steps to Successfully Enhance Your Class

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Joseph Buro, Everton Henriques, and Sandra Rossi

THURSDAY, APR 27

MƒA

 COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

3D printers are great if you know how to use them, but they often become dust collectors because of everyday obstacles. Join us so that your students and your lesson can be the focus of your attention, not the pile of melted plastic that was supposed to be a model. This workshop will help you seamlessly integrate 3D printing into your teaching practice. First, we’ll discuss logistical issues, including common pitfalls when purchasing supplies and maintaining printing equipment. Then, we’ll explore modeling and slicing software choices for various contexts and suggest ways to incorporate 3D printing as an instructional tool. This introductory-level workshop is best for teachers new to 3D printing.

Joseph Buro is an MƒA Master Teacher and computer science teacher at Staten Island Technical High School in Staten Island.

Everton Henriques is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Staten Island Technical High School in Staten Island.

Sandra Rossi is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Bayside High School in Queens.

5 Steps to Enacting Rough Draft Math

Facilitator: Amanda Jansen, Ph.D.

THURSDAY, MAR 30

MƒA

MATHEMATICS

Would you like to lower students’ anxiety and create safer spaces for intellectual risk-taking in your mathematics classes? In this workshop, we will explore five steps for incorporating the rough draft and revision process into mathematics lessons: (1) building and sustaining academic safety, (2) selecting and enacting revisable tasks, (3) planning for explicit revision, (4)

implementing revision-specific instructional routines, and (5) adjusting assessment practices. Through rough draft mathematics, students learn that even “correct work” is revisable, and teachers gain greater access to student thinking and can better honor their strengths in the revision process. This session is open to mathematics teachers of any grade level.

Dr. Amanda Jansen is a Professor in the mathematics education program in the School of Education at the University of Delaware. She also holds a joint appointment in her university’s Department of Mathematical Sciences. Before becoming a teacher educator, she was a middle school mathematics teacher in Arizona and earned her Ph.D. in educational psychology from Michigan State University. Her book, Rough Draft Math: Revising to Learn, was published by Stenhouse.

The ABCs of Student TAs

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Stefanie Ismail and Taryn Martinez

TUESDAY, MAY 16

ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

Ensuring all learners receive enough targeted support is difficult, especially with large class sizes. But without that support, student misconceptions persist, work quality suffers, and relationship-building becomes more challenging. By training students to be classroom teaching assistants (TAs), we provide them with opportunities to demonstrate mastery, develop leadership skills, and build positive associations with STEM. This leaves us, as teachers, the time to focus on students who need the most intervention. In this workshop, we will discuss why TAing opportunities matter (especially for our most at-risk students), how to effectively train TAs, and how to successfully leverage them in the classroom. We will provide teachers with examples of both short and long-term TA-led activities, including materials specifically used in Living Environment classes. This session is appropriate for any teacher but is geared toward science teachers. Those who enroll should think of a lesson or activity in need of enhanced student leadership.

Stefanie Ismail is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at The Heritage School in Manhattan.

Academic Mindfulness: Supporting Executive Function Skills in Students p

Facilitator: Rhys McGovern

WEDNESDAY, MAR 8

ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

Even when it is clear our students are trying, strong academic performance is not always the result. Perhaps a student performs well in class but never turns in homework, or maybe your last period class is zoning out… again. Even though there’s no quick fix, you can address some underlying factors to help prevent these challenges! Executive functioning skills allow us to conceptualize, plan, and follow through on all our daily tasks. In this workshop, we will explore different types of executive functioning skills, identify what it looks like when the demands of a school environment exceed a student’s skill set, and discuss how educators can foster executive functioning skills in their students. Teachers will leave with an understanding of executive function variability, skill-building strategies to incorporate into their classroom, and greater ability to positively impact students’ academic experience.

Rhys McGovern is a hard-of-hearing, multilingual speech-language pathologist and teacher who grew up in New England. He currently lives in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and works with clients on both sides of the Atlantic. He holds a Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Emerson College, Massachusetts State SLP and Teaching licensure, and the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence. Rhys has been working with children, teens, and young adults for over 15 years, and founded his private practice New Leaf Language in 2018.

Taryn Martinez is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Hunters Point Community Middle School in Queens.

Single Session Workshops

Bring Back That Loving Feeling: Using PERMA To Restore Joy

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Dawn PagliaroNewman and Melissa Singer

MONDAY, FEB 13 ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

Children enter their school years filled with joy. Yet along the way, many begin to associate mathematics with frustration. PERMA, developed by Martin Seligman, outlines five components of happiness: Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishments. We can use this psychological theory as a lens for examining our pedagogy. Teachers will explore how this theory connects to mathematics pedagogy, plan lessons for future use, and exchange ideas. Let’s collaborate to share what we already do, what we can improve on, and what we can newly incorporate to ensure we bring back the love of mathematics in the elementary and middle grades.

Dawn Pagliaro-Newman and Melissa Singer are MƒA Master Teachers and mathematics teachers at P.S. 130 The Parkside in Brooklyn.

Building Empathy Through Origami p

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Rebecca Johnson

TUESDAY, FEB 7

MƒA

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

Join us as we explore how origami can help our students develop understanding, compassion, and empathy for others and the world around them! Numerous studies have demonstrated the value of doing origami with geometry students; however, by being mindful and purposeful about the origami models, a teacher can help students form crosscurricular, culturally responsive connections that surpass geometric connections. In the first half of this workshop, we will explore ways of incorporating

culturally-responsive origami lessons into a STEM class; for instance, making origami DNA double helices while learning about the mRNA science behind the vaccine or discussing the complicated contributions of Henrietta Lacks. For the second half of the session, teachers will create their own culturally responsive origami lesson, and by the end of this workshop, we will have cocreated a collection of lessons ready to use with our students.

C. Elegans and Neural Networks: What Can a Simple Roundworm Teach Us?

Facilitator: Robert Fernandez, Ph.D.

TUESDAY, APR 4

MƒA

 SCIENCE

Would you believe a tiny roundworm helped lay the foundation for understanding how our neurons communicate and regulate behavior? Join us in this

workshop as we explore the wonderful world of the model organism, C. elegans, and learn more about the workings of the human nervous system. We’ll begin by discussing research on the egg-laying circuit, a pathway composed of only three neurons regulating egg-laying in these roundworms. Next, we will conduct a few simple experiments to measure this behavior. Working in small groups, teachers will analyze actual datasets to determine how manipulating chemical neurotransmitters (such as serotonin) affects egg-laying. Finally, we’ll come back together to discuss our findings, share our conclusions on the mechanisms of egglaying, and exchange ideas on how to perform this and other C. elegans experiments in our own classrooms. This course is best suited for middle and high school life science teachers.

Dr. Robert W. Fernandez is a postdoctoral fellow in neuroscience at Columbia University and a Junior Fellow at the Simons Society of Fellows. He received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University. His work focuses on the role of homeodomain transcription factors in regulating the neuronal identity and neuronal circuit assembly. He is also the co-founder of Científico Latino, a

Rebecca Johnson is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Beacon High School in Manhattan.

Single Session Workshops

science organization devoted to helping underrepresented students navigate higher education in the sciences.

Clickbait Science: Let’s Look at the Evidence

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Tracy LaGrassa, Ph.D.

TUESDAY, APR 25

ONLINE

 SCIENCE

How can we equip our students with the tools to evaluate science news and headlines? In this workshop, we will develop a framework for analyzing newsworthy science by letting students choose headlines and then chasing the claims back to the actual science. First we’ll model a versatile claim, evidence, and reasoning approach, in which students put on their scientist hats to interrogate the news and associated primary source data. We’ll consider multiple questions including, “What is the claim of this headline? How does it make us feel and do we believe it? What evidence do we expect to see in support of the claim? What is the actual evidence, and how can we make sense of it?” Then, we will discuss how to adapt this model for use in our classrooms. We will focus on an exemplar from a high school biology class, but any teacher interested in new strategies to develop media and data literacy is welcome.

Dr.

Collaborative Debugging in Computer Science

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Rebecca Caporale-Guarino and Richard Premvaree

THURSDAY, MAR 9

ONLINE

 COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Debugging is not just about stomping on those pesky lanternflies! Debugging code requires content knowledge, research skills, effective communication,

and critical thinking. Collaborative debugging allows students to engage beyond the computer screen by sharing ideas and problem-solving with peers. In this workshop, we will share and model collaborative debugging techniques for the whole class and small groups. We will also invite teachers to share their own strategies. Prior knowledge of the Beauty and Joy of Computing curriculum and Code.org’s AP Computer Science Principles course is helpful but not required. Teachers will leave with ready-made assessments and the confidence to apply these strategies in their current or future computer science courses.

Rebecca Caporale-Guarino is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Manhattan Village Academy in Manhattan.

Richard

is

DeltaMath Plus: What Have They Added?

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Andrew Fitts

WEDNESDAY, MAR 1

MƒA

 COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

DeltaMath is a powerful tool for teachers and students. With recent changes to create DeltaMath Plus, several new features have been added (pun intended). Join us in this workshop to explore some of these features, including how to attach instructional videos, track student progress, make individualized assignments, customize modules, add co-teachers, integrate with Google Classroom, and more. The workshop will follow the group’s interests and is open to all mathematics teachers. DeltaMath will provide a temporary two-week DeltaMath Plus subscription to all participating teachers. Andrew Fitts is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at NYC iSchool in Manhattan.

Electrify the Grid With Tabletop Games!

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teacher Matthew Sarker and MƒA Emeritus Teacher Rachel Wax

WEDNESDAY, FEB 15

MƒA

 SCIENCE

Is it true that nuclear power will solve our energy crisis? Is wind energy really too expensive? How can we power our city and our country with low carbon energy to mitigate climate change? In this workshop, we’ll explore these questions with two tabletop games, Generate: The Game of Energy Choices, a free game developed by the EPA to help students weigh the costs and considerations of energy choices, and Energetic, a game wherein players balance a budget, determine grid stability, and consider public opinion as they build a clean power facility for New York City. We’ll begin by sharing our success and pedagogical rationale for using these games, continue by playing each game, and conclude by debriefing our experiences and discussing classroom integration. This session is best for middle and high school physics teachers or anyone who teaches energy content.

Engaging Earth Day Activities

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Shakira Provasoli and Jeanne Salchli

THURSDAY, MAR 2

ONLINE

 SCIENCE

Do you want to celebrate Earth Day with engaging, student-driven activities? Join us in this workshop to explore a variety of activities inspiring activism and appreciation for our planet. We’ll open with a collaborative activity to raise awareness for the natural world, then we’ll discuss some tried and tested projects, including Green Team led workshop ideas, and finally,

Tracy LaGrassa is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at The Bronx High School of Science in the Bronx.

Premvaree

an MƒA Master Teacher and computer science teacher at Manhattan / Hunter Science High School in Manhattan.

Matthew Sarker is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at The Bronx High School of Science in the Bronx.

Rachel Wax is an MƒA Emeritus Teacher and science teacher at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Manhattan.

Single Session Workshops

we’ll collaborate to adapt or design lessons for our own classrooms. Throughout, we’ll use protocols to guide our work. Teachers will leave with a toolbox of resources ranging from short lessons to complete units and projects. All teachers are encouraged to bring their favorite Earth-centered activity to share. This workshop is best suited for elementary and middle school teachers who want to instill a love of nature as they celebrate Earth Day or any teacher who leads a Green Team.

Facilitation

as Leadership: A Refresher

Facilitator: Alan Cheng, Ed.D.

THURSDAY, APR 27

MƒA

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

Exploring Conic Sections

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Alexander Lord, Ed.D., and Violetta Pinkhasova

TUESDAY, MAY 23

ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

For over 2,000 years, mathematicians have studied the famous conic sections, circles/ellipses, parabolas, and hyperbolas. This workshop will explore the profound aspects of conic sections through problem-solving and applications. We will make connections to a wide array of mathematical topics, including concepts of eccentricity, discriminants, matrices/determinants, and polar coordinates. This workshop is best for teachers familiar with the basic properties of conic sections and who wish to work collaboratively to explore their advanced properties.

Dr. Alexander Lord and Violetta Pinkhasova are MƒA Master Teachers and mathematics teachers at Francis Lewis High School in Queens.

Facilitation plays an important role in supporting teaching communities’ learning and ensuring equity and access for all students. In this workshop, we will practice responsive facilitation, build a toolkit to manage group dynamics, and receive descriptive feedback. We will begin with a refresher on strategies for effective facilitation and common pitfalls. Then teachers will have the opportunity to navigate challenging facilitation dilemmas and give and receive feedback. Thereafter, we’ll reflect on how we can bring these refined facilitation practices into our work at MƒA and our school communities. This course is best suited for any teacher who has previously taken a facilitation or leadership course with Dr. Cheng.

Dr. Alan Cheng is a former MƒA fellow and co-facilitator of the MƒA School Leader Fellowship. Alan is currently a superintendent for NYC high schools in the Consortium after serving as the Principal of City-AsSchool High School for many years.

The Fate of the Universe: From Restless Stars to Expansion Facilitator: William Coulton, Ph.D.

WEDNESDAY, APR 19

MƒA

 SCIENCE

Two revolutionary discoveries in cosmology—that the Universe is expanding and that it is occurring at an ever faster rate—have fueled decades of scientific debate, shifting our view of the eternal Universe in stasis to a dynamic one that began with the hot Big Bang. Join us in this workshop to explore the science behind these two great discoveries. We’ll begin by returning to the 20th century to review the evidence that led to Edwin Hubble’s discovery that the Universe was expanding. In the second half of the session, we’ll jump forward fifty years and explore how a campaign to understand and document distant supernovae, stellar explosions of

cosmic proportions, led to scientists discovering that Universe expansion was accelerating. The aim of this workshop is to share a high-level introduction to some key physical concepts in cosmology (including redshift, the expanding Universe, and Type-1a Supernova) and explore how these ideas were combined with careful observations to shake up scientific discourse. This course is best suited for physics teachers, but as the material is largely conceptual any teacher interested in learning more about these revolutionary discoveries is welcome.

Dr. Will Coulton is a cosmologist at the Center for Computational Astrophysics at the Simons Foundation Flatiron Institute. His research focuses on trying to elucidate the properties and processes governing the Universe at large. He explores questions such as how old is the Universe and what happened during the hot Big Bang?

Focus on the Process:

Opening Up Questions in the Mathematics Classroom

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Renu Budhraja and Andy Deegan

WEDNESDAY, MAR 15

MƒA

 MATHEMATICS

How might we change the language and structure of mathematical tasks to encourage students to analyze the problem-solving process? For example, rather than asking students to “Solve: cos x = 1”, what happens if we instead say, “The cosine of an angle is almost 1. What could the angle be?” Open-middle and openended questions require students to focus on analysis, planning, and process, rather than asking students to memorize procedures. In this workshop, high school mathematics teachers will learn how to modify existing course materials to incorporate these “open questions” that demand students truly understand the entire problem-solving process. Examples of “open questions” can be found at Robert Kaplinsky’s and Nanette Johnson’s website, Open Middle

Shakira Provasoli is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at P.S. 333 Manhattan School for Children in Manhattan.

Jeanne Salchli is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at P.S. 376 in Brooklyn.

Renu Budhraja and Andy Deegan are MƒA Master Teachers and mathematics teachers at Millennium Brooklyn HS in Brooklyn.

Single Session Workshops

From Distance to Resistance: Physics Demo Derby

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Jared Jax, Ed.D., and Marieke Thomas

WEDNESDAY, MAR 22

MƒA

 SCIENCE

+PLEASE NOTE: TEACHERS WILL BE EXPECTED TO SHARE A DEMO OR EXPERIMENT DURING THE WORKSHOP.

Looking for ways to spice up your physics classroom? Live demos spark interest, make abstract concepts concrete, and connect physics to students’ daily lives. In this workshop, each teacher will share a demo or activity showcasing a principle of physics, along with a short written description so others can replicate the demo in their classrooms. Every teacher will leave with new ideas and activities to help students discover the beauty of physics. This workshop is intended for high school physics teachers or middle school teachers who teach a physics unit.

Dr. Jared Jax is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Staten Island Technical High School in Staten Island.

Marieke Thomas is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at The Bronx High School of Science in the Bronx.

From Phi to Pell’s Equation

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Isabella Shen

WEDNESDAY, FEB 15

MƒA

 MATHEMATICS

There are general methods to find the explicit formula for arithmetic and geometric sequences, but what about Fibonacci-style sequences x(n+1)=ax(n)+bx(n-1)? Most know the golden ratio is embedded in the Fibonacci sequence, but a lesser-known fact is its place as “the most irrational” number. Why? What’s Pell’s Equation, and how is it related to irrational numbers? In this workshop, we will seek answers by exploring some non-routine sequences and finding the explicit formula of the Fibonacci sequence with elementary algebraic

methods. Then, we will examine the golden ratio’s irrational nature by introducing continued fractions. Lastly, we will use continued fractions to generate solutions to Pell’s equation and get a taste of classic algebraic number theory. This workshop is suitable for any teacher comfortable with algebra who wants to explore sequences beyond arithmetic, geometric, and introductory algebraic number theory.

The Galapagos and Nature Journaling

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Crystal Thiele

WEDNESDAY, MAR 22

ONLINE

 SCIENCE

Salt-water snorting iguanas, nocturnal seagulls, and penguins that live north of the equator—these are just some of the unique adaptations of the animal inhabitants of the Galapagos Islands. Tap into your inner Darwin as we use nature journaling to explore photos, videos, and other resources gathered from a National Geographic expedition to the Galapagos. We will study specific animal adaptations to better understand natural selection and try our hand at nature journaling, a tool used by many scientists past and present, including Darwin, Audubon, and Goodall. We will practice these journaling activities and discuss how to recreate them in any classroom to encourage students to deepen connections to the natural world and develop a greater love of biodiversity, wherever they are. While this course may be most interesting to grade 4-9 science teachers, all are welcome.

Gender-Inclusive Data Collection in Statistics and Science Classrooms p

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Susie Kang and Akil Wilson

WEDNESDAY, MAR 22

MƒA

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

How might we establish gender-inclusive data collection practices and highlight the importance of accurate and equitable gender representation in surveys and experiments? The workshop’s goal is for teachers to better understand the importance of addressing gender inclusivity when collecting data in the classroom and strategies for approaching this work with students. Teachers will examine classroom activities illuminating gender-related pitfalls in statistical and experimental data collection, including misgendering of participants (whether intentional or not) and the exclusion of nonbinary participants. We will also review excerpts from modern research to educate ourselves on current

Isabella Shen is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn.

Crystal Thiele is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at P.S. 321 William Penn in Brooklyn.

Single Session Workshops

practices and model potential solutions with students. Throughout the workshop, there will be opportunities to share our thoughts on what we have read and observed, reflect on proposed ideas, and generate new strategies for addressing such an unresolved problem in STEM. This workshop is best suited for teachers who incorporate data collection into their classes, whether as part of a high school statistics course, a unit on statistics in a middle school mathematics curriculum, or a peerto-peer data-collection science activity.

Dr. Brett Fors is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Cornell University. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from Montana State University and Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research focuses on the development of new synthetic methods and catalyst systems to control polymer architecture, composition, and function.

Jesse Hsu is a 4th-year graduate student in the Fors research group. He received dual bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and physics from Ithaca College. At Cornell University, Jesse is interested in finding ways to make and use polymers for sustainability—both by degrading and chemically repurposing existing plastics and by synthesizing new plastics that are important for clean energy devices. In this role, he is passionate about communicating with the public about polymers and sustainability.

Mark Walsh is the outreach programs coordinator for the Cornell Center for Materials Research. He coordinates outreach with graduate students and professors, developing hands-on kits and bringing STEM to the wider community. He received his bachelor’s in Biology from Hartwick College and taught middle and high school science for 20 years in New York City, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Malaysia.

Glued Into Science: Sustainable Polymers

Facilitators: Brett Fors, Ph.D., Jesse Hsu, and Mark Walsh

TUESDAY, MAY 9

ONLINE

SCIENCE

With more plastic generated than ever before, and very little of it being recycled, there is a tremendous need for sustainable polymers—polymers that meet the demand for plastic but do so without long-term damage to our environment. Researchers at Cornell University are currently working to transform how plastics are made, unmade, and remade through innovative research. In this workshop, members of the Fors lab at Cornell University will share some of their work on developing sustainable polymers. Following the presentation, teachers will explore a hands-on activity to create their own non-toxic polymers and use them, along with other household plastics, to test for material properties. We will conclude by discussing how plastics are classified for recycling and the inherent problems of these classifications. This course is best suited for chemistry teachers but all middle and high school STEM teachers are welcome.

Going Gradeless in Your STEM Classroom

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Shannon Guglielmo and Melissa Rodriguez

MONDAY, JUN 5

ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

What if we told you “going gradeless” could increase student agency, advocacy, and deep learning? Join us to make a plan around your grading practices for the 2023-2024 school year that will shift both your grading practices and your students’ learning! First, we’ll look at research from big names like Alfie Kohn as well as other STEM practitioners about why the practice of “ungrading” is both backed by research and empowering for students. Then, we’ll talk through the “going gradeless” approach in our own classrooms and common areas for troubleshooting. This course is ideal if you are ready to “go gradeless” but need some resources to do it in your own classroom.

Shannon Guglielmo is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Landmark High School in Manhattan.

Melissa Rodriguez is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Central Park East High School in Manhattan.

HackMƒA

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teacher Marieke Thomas and MƒA Early Career Teacher Elissa Levy

THURSDAY, MAY 25

MƒA

 COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Are you looking for a chance to use your programming skills to build something useful, fun, or meaningful? In this hackathon workshop, teachers will work in groups to plan and execute an original coding project matching their skills and interests. Teachers will share expertise, learn from each other while making something meaningful to them, and showcase their projects at the session’s end. This workshop is best for computer science teachers or those who know the basics of any coding language. We will organize groups by coding language preference. Take the leap and join us—you may code a mess or a gem, but it’ll be a blast either way.

Health Inequities: Analysis and Ethics p

Facilitators: Jacob Appel, M.D., and MƒA Master Teacher Deame Hua

WEDNESDAY, MAR 15 ONLINE

 SCIENCE

Why are infant mortality rates drastically different across NYC communities? What is the relationship between high school completion and long-term disability risk? Health inequities and differential healthcare access have risen to the forefront of public health. Join us in this workshop to explore the root causes of health inequity and discuss the ethical questions surrounding it. We will examine healthcare access and treatment, resource allocation, and priority setting. Teachers will collaborate to analyze a case study, consider current data, and explore all topics from a scientific and ethical lens. This workshop is best suited for any middle or high school science teacher interested in learning more about health

Susie Kang is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Essex Street Academy in Manhattan.

Akil Wilson is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at School of the Future High School in Manhattan.

Marieke Thomas is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at The Bronx High School of Science in the Bronx.

Elissa Levy is an MƒA Early Career Teacher and science teacher at Hunter College High School in Manhattan.

Single Session Workshops

inequities and bringing ethics into the classroom.

Dr. Jacob M. Appel is a physician, bioethicist, attorney, author, and poet. He is currently the Director of Ethics Education in Psychiatry and teaches at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine. His publications include pieces on reproductive ethics, neuroethics, organ donation, and euthanasia. His novel, The Man Who Wouldn’t Stand Up, won the Dundee International Book Prize in 2012. Dr. Appel is also the subject of the 2019 documentary “Jacob,” by director Jon Stahl. He has a J.D. from Harvard Law School and an M.D. from Columbia University of Physicians and Surgeons.

Deame Hua is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan.

How to Create a Brain: Neurodevelopment and Stem Cells

Facilitator: Thiago Arzua, Ph.D.

WEDNESDAY, MAR 22

MƒA

SCIENCE

It’s difficult to say precisely how many cells the human brain has, but scientists estimate between 80 to 100 million, all originating from a single stem cell. During the nine months of gestation, over three thousand cells are created every second, migrate to the right location, and form connections to neighboring cells. Join us to learn more about the amazing and intricate process of human brain formation. We’ll begin by examining the most recent research in neurodevelopment, including the many unfortunate ways things can go wrong. Then, we’ll explore how stem cells have been used in the past decade to study brain development, with an emphasis on human brain organoids, 3D models that can mimic the structure and function of a human fetal brain. We will conclude by discussing the scientific, societal, and philosophical questions that arise from studying these complex models made from human tissue. This course is best suited for middle and high school life science teachers.

Dr. Thiago Arzua is a postdoctoral scientist at Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute. He studies the neurodevelopmental aspects

of how traumatic experiences get passed down through multiple generations. He completed his Ph.D. in neuroscience at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he used human stem-cell derived brain organoids as models for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Outside of the lab, Dr. Arzua fights for diversity and equity within science as a co-founder of Black In Neuro, as well as a policy ambassador for the Society for Neuroscience. In his rare free time, he trains for triathlons, recently completing the 2021 Ironman Wisconsin.

A Hundred Ways to Differentiate: Work Smarter,

Not Harder With the UDL Framework p Facilitator: MƒA Early Career Teacher Stephen Kos

WEDNESDAY, FEB 8

MƒA

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

In this workshop, teachers will learn how to use the Universal Design for Learning Framework (UDL) as a guide for differentiation. We’ll begin with a brief overview of the neuroscience research backing this powerful tool, then gain familiarity with the three tenets of UDL. This work will help us reduce reteaching, improve assessment accuracy, and ultimately help ALL students thrive and enjoy school. Finally, we’ll explore and use GoalBookApp’s free UDL-Aligned Strategies to update our own lessons. This course is suited for all teachers striving to increase student success and enthusiasm.

Stephen Kos is an MƒA Early Career Teacher and science teacher at New Explorations into Science, Technology and Math High School in Manhattan.

I’m a Teacher and I Want to Belong Too!

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Yishan Li and Cathy Xiong

WEDNESDAY, FEB 15 ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

What does it look like to work in a welcoming and supportive environment that provides a safe space for us to be honest about our victories and our struggles? In this workshop, we will explore creative ways to foster connection between staff and collaborate to design relationship-building activities tailored to the needs and

constraints of our schools. This workshop is open to all courageous teachers seeking to no longer feel isolated and to belong in their school communities.

Yishan Lee is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at P.S. 219 Paul Klapper in Queens.

Cathy Xiong is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Secondary School for Arts and Technology in Queens.

An Introduction to Quantum Mechanics: What Happens When Objects Are Very Small?

Facilitator: Klejda Bega, Ph.D.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24

MƒA

 SCIENCE

Quantum Mechanics, one of the most successful scientific theories, has made possible many of the technological wonders we now take for granted. Yet, the theory’s implications for how nature works at its most elementary level are often beyond the grasp of a typical introductory physics student. In this workshop, we will explore the double-slit experiment to learn how to make the following questions accessible and engaging for any student: (1) what occurs when pellets, water waves, and electrons pass through a wall with two-slits?, (2) what is the wavefunction and what is the role of probability in quantum mechanics?, (3) what is the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and how does it fundamentally limit the precision of concurrent measurements of position, momentum, and speed of an object?, and (4) what happens to a particle when a measurement is undertaken on its entangled partner, and what does this tell us about the usual notion of locality? All physics teachers are welcome.

Dr. Klejda Bega has a Ph.D. in particle physics from Caltech and is currently a Lecturer in Discipline at Columbia University, where she teaches Frontiers of Science, a required interdisciplinary science course, part of the Columbia Core Curriculum.

Single Session Workshops

iPad Master Class

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Ryan Bittman and Andrew Fitts

THURSDAY, FEB 16

ONLINE

 COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Would you like to use your iPad in class more effectively? In this workshop, teachers will learn how to develop content and strengthen teaching practices using iPad technology. We will focus on several computer and iPad applications to support teachers, including Notability, Explain Everything, Doceri, Desmos, Sidecar, and X Mirage. The workshop is open to all who have an iPad and want to learn how to use it in the classroom.

Let Them Figure it Out! Strategies to Develop Basic Logic Skills

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teacher Andy Nissinboim and MƒA Early Career Teacher Jesse John, Ph.D.

MONDAY, MAY 1

ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

How do we get students to uncover and learn content in ways that move beyond direct instruction? In this workshop, we will reflect on our teaching practices, examine strategies to develop students’ logical thinking skills, and explore task design strategies to maximize learning and minimize teacher-centered content delivery. We will also find areas where we can better facilitate students’ critical thinking. We’ll plan and leave with a lesson that empowers students and de-centers the role of the teacher. This course is best for secondary teachers, but all teachers are welcome.

School for Innovation in Advertising and Media in Brooklyn.

Learning to Love Row Reduction

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Patrick Honner

THURSDAY, FEB 16

MƒA

 MATHEMATICS

If mathematics teachers have learned anything about matrices, it’s how to put them into row reduced form. Row reduction is often seen as a perfunctory exercise in symbol manipulation, but the right approach offers vital insights into linear algebra, like independence, rank, and invertibility. In this workshop, teachers will learn (or re-learn) how to put a matrix into row reduced form and then explore the many profound ideas connected to this simple procedure.

Math Trails: Exploring Mathematics in the Real World

Facilitators: New York State Master Teacher

Tara Redican and MƒA Master Teachers Ramona Fittipaldi-Deoraj and Andrea Kung

THURSDAY, JUN 15

MƒA

 MATHEMATICS

Are you interested in taking your students outside to explore mathematics in nature? In this workshop, we will discuss how to integrate field-based instruction in the mathematics classroom through math trails. A math trail is a discovery walk in which students solve mathematical problems around natural objects, such as calculating angles and areas of the Flatiron building and analyzing patterns in architecture, nature, and movement, providing students with real-life mathematical experiences. Join us as we practice a math trail at Madison Square Park and discuss how to create and

modify existing math trails for our classroom.

Tara Redican is a New York State Master Teacher and science teacher in Newburgh, New York.

Ramona Fittipaldi-Deoraj is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Young Women’s Leadership School in Manhattan.

Andrea Kung is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Urban Academy Laboratory High School in Manhattan.

Middle School Science Fair: A Toolkit for Differentiation and Engagement p

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Devan Aptekar, Allison Cohen, Pamela Flanagan, and James Salazar

WEDNESDAY, MAR 1

ONLINE

Are you looking to revamp your middle school science fair or perhaps you’re implementing one for the first time? Join us in this workshop as we explore a pedagogical toolkit to help us design an equitable

Ryan Bittman and Andrew Fitts are MƒA Master Teachers and mathematics teachers at NYC iSchool in Manhattan.

Patrick Honner is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan.

Andy Nissinboim is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at High School for Innovation in Advertising and Media in Brooklyn.

Dr. Jesse John is an MƒA Early Career Teacher and science teacher at High

Single Session Workshops

science fair fostering agency, identity, and engagement in our middle school students. We’ll begin by discussing our previous challenges and then explore a series of practical plans to guide students in conducting and sharing their own rigorous scientific research. Teachers will leave with an array of ready-to-use resources to support authentic investigation, successful group work, differentiation, vertical-alignment, and tested timelines and logistics. This workshop is most suitable for middle school science teachers, but anyone interested is welcome to join.

facilitating professional development on inclusive co-teaching practices and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Additionally, she is an educational coach and workshop facilitator for Roots ConnectED, where she facilitates workshops on inclusive practices focused on highimpact co-teaching models and the theory and practice of UDL.

Millen Tesfaldet is an educator at Community Roots Charter School in Brooklyn, New York, a Roots ConnectED learning site, where she teaches 1st grade and focuses on developing and revising curriculum. Millen has taught in high impact ICT classrooms utilizing various coteaching approaches and the Universal Design for Learning framework to meet the needs of all her students. She has effectively designed and revised units that guide students to explore issues of identity, power, perspective, and access.

Paper Circuit Identity Portraits

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Shiela Lee and Diana Scheck

THURSDAY, MAY 25

MƒA

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

Myth of the Average Learner p Facilitators:

Ellen Cantrell and Millen Tesfaldet

WEDNESDAY, APR 26 ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

We have witnessed far too many classrooms where students are taught to an imaginary “average,” excluding differentiation for any student outside of this “middle.” Achieving equity in our classrooms requires recognizing the variability of learners in our communities. To do this, we must eradicate the myth of the average learner from our mindsets. In this session, we will discover how addressing learning needs is related to equity and justice in our classrooms. Because a central component of our Anti-Bias Framework is inclusion, developing an inclusive mindset is essential in creating anti-biased classrooms and school communities. Teachers will leave with tangible next steps on how to create personal and systemic shifts in understanding around inclusion and anti-bias at their schools.

Ellen Cantrell is an elementary school educator who works in co-taught classrooms at Community Roots Charter School in Brooklyn, New York, a Roots ConnectED learning site. Ellen has been a member of the Inclusive Practices Group (IPG) at Community Roots since its inception,

Affirming student identity is essential in building community in the classroom, getting to know your students, and improving engagement. In this workshop, teachers will make their identity portraits and incorporate circuits to light up the parts of their identities that are most important to them. Join us for a STEAM-filled evening as we discuss using paper circuit identity portraits to extend learning in science and engage students. Teachers will leave with tools to affirm their students’ identities in the classroom and ways to integrate paper circuits within their curricula no matter the grade level. This workshop is open to all teachers.

Shiela Lee is an MƒA Master Teacher and computer science teacher at P.S. 059 Beekman Hill International in Manhattan.

Diana Scheck is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at P.S. 059 Beekman Hill International in Manhattan.

Parking Functions: Choose Your Own Adventure

Facilitator: Pamela Harris, Ph.D.

TUESDAY, MAR 7

ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

Consider a parking lot consisting of n consecutive parking spots along a one-way street labeled 1 to n Suppose n cars want to park one at a time in the parking lot, and each has a preferred parking spot. Each car entering the lot initially tries to park in its preferred spot. However, if a car’s preferred spot is already occupied, it will proceed forward to the street parking in the next available spot. Since the parking lot is along a one-way street, it is not guaranteed that every car will be able to park before driving past the parking lot. If we let ai denote the preference of car i and all of the cars can park under these conditions, then the preference list (a1 ,a2, ... ,an) is called a parking function (of length n). For example, (1,2,4,2,2) is a parking function, but (1,2,2,5,5) is not (you should convince yourself of this!). In this workshop, we will explore combinatorial problems related to parking functions and consider many new avenues for research stemming from this enumerative question. Come ready to collaborate and wonder about these mathematical objects!

Dr. Pamela E. Harris is a Mexican-American mathematician, award-winning mathematical educator, and Associate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She received her B.S. from Marquette University and her M.S. and Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Dr. Harris’s research is in algebraic combinatorics and she is the author of over 50 peer-reviewed research articles in internationally recognized journals. She has supervised the research of over 120 undergraduate students, most of whom identify as members of historically excluded groups in higher education. She has served as a research faculty mentor for undergraduate research programs at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and the Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics. She is the President and co-founder of Lathisms: Latinx and Hispanics in the Mathematical Sciences, cohosts the podcast Mathematically Uncensored, and is a co-author of the book series about advocating for students of color in mathematics Asked and Answered , Practices and Policies , and Read and Rectify.

Devan Aptekar, Alison Cohen, Pamela Flanagan, and James Salazar are MƒA Master Teachers and science teachers at Tompkins Square Middle School in Manhattan.

Single Session Workshops

Physics in Math and Math in Physics

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Pheona Hunt and Elli Simonen

THURSDAY, MAR 30

ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

Are you a physics teacher with students who need algebra support? Are you an algebra teacher who is interested in integrating physics into the curriculum? While we know that these subjects overlap, in many schools, they are taught in isolation. Join us as we collaborate to refine curriculum and devise instructional strategies to support learning both physics and mathematics. We will open by discussing each curriculum, finding connections between them, and determining skills needed for state assessment. Teachers will leave this session with resources compiled from our shared past experiences and our work together. This course is best suited for high school level physics and algebra teachers.

Pheona Hunt is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Special Music School in Manhattan.

Elli Simonen is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Special Music School in Manhattan.

Physics With Phones: Redesigning Labs Using Cellphone Sensor Data

Facilitators: David Rakestraw, Ph.D., and MƒA Early Career Teacher Elissa Levy

THURSDAY, FEB 9

MƒA

 SCIENCE

Our cellphones’ internal sensors are impressively powerful, enabling us to experimentally determine the acceleration of an elevator, the coefficient of friction between our phone and a table, the centripetal force exerted by a salad spinner, and even the strength of a magnetic field produced by a solenoid. In this workshop,

we’ll use the free Phyphox app to explore classroomready lessons developed by Lawrence Livermore National Labs and tested in physics classrooms around the country. After conducting a few investigations together, we’ll divide into groups to further explore online materials. We’ll conclude by discussing how phone physics can supplement (or replace) some of the labs we do in our physics classes today. This course is best suited for physics teachers of grades 7-12. Dr. David Rakestraw is a senior scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Following decades of conducting and managing research, David is currently working in the field of STEM education.

Raptors in NYC: Eagles, Osprey, and Hawks, Oh

My!

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Stephen McClellan and Scott Wassmuth

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31 OFFSITE  SCIENCE

+ PLEASE NOTE: THIS SESSION WILL TAKE PLACE IN ISHAM AND INWOOD PARKS.

If you ask your students to name some NYC wildlife, they will probably list rats, pigeons, and cockroaches, but rarely will they mention birds of prey. For decades, raptor populations in NYC were in decline, but thanks to recent restoration efforts, raptors are back! Join us in this workshop as we walk through Isham park and explore the infrastructure and reintroduction efforts to restore our native raptor population. We’ll begin by discussing the history of predators in the city and the sudden disappearance of birds of prey coinciding with the increased use of organophosphate and organochloride biocides. Then, we will examine the slow scientific and societal recognition of the dangers of these chemicals, the environmental legislation to curtail their release, and the eventual protection of our top predators. We’ll also consider trophic cascades, connections between raptor loss and a rise in rodent populations, and the epidemiological and ecological

consequences of this trophic disruption. Throughout, teachers will learn how to identify native raptors on a guided raptor walk with a ranger from the National Park Service.

Stephen McClellan is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan.

Scott Wassmuth is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at N.Y.C. Museum School in Manhattan.

RoboExpo

FacilitatorS: MƒA Master Teachers Everton Henriques, Jared Jax, Ed.D., and TJ Smolka

THURSDAY, MAR 30

MƒA

 COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Are you interested in creating or expanding a robotics program at your school but want support in getting started? Come to the MƒA RoboExpo! Teachers will explore a variety of approaches to robotics used by MƒA Master Teachers across various grade levels and contexts, including virtual platforms, Arduinos, Lego, VEX, TETRIX, and FIRST Competition robots. Learn about opportunities to incorporate robotics into your STEM classrooms and join a network of MƒA teachers ready to support you and your students in getting started. No previous experience with robotics is necessary.

Everton Henriques and Dr. Jared Jax are MƒA Master Teachers and science teachers at Staten Island Technical High School in Staten Island.

TJ Smolka is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical Education High School in Staten Island.

The Science of Smell: A Journey Into the Brain Through the Nose

Facilitator: Beka Stecky

TUESDAY, APR 25

MƒA

 SCIENCE

Have you ever caught a whiff of something that suddenly transported you back to a specific time and place? Perhaps you sat next to a stranger who wore the

Elissa Levy is an MƒA Early Career Teacher and science teacher at Hunter College High School in Manhattan.

Single Session Workshops

same perfume as your grandmother or walked past an open window that billowed out clouds of the dish your father used to make. In a world where sight and sound take priority, we often forget how the power of smell gives meaning to our world. A finely tuned chemical detector, the nose can identify odor molecules at surprisingly low concentrations while also discerning slight differences between complex molecular mixtures. Join us in this workshop as we explore the molecular physiology and neuroscience of smell. We will discuss what our sense of smell means for our well-being, how olfactory dysfunction can impact our health in mysterious ways, and how the olfactory system serves as a research model to help us study all sorts of biological questions. This course is best suited for middle and high school biology and chemistry teachers, but all noses are welcome!

Beka Stecky is a Ph.D. candidate and National Science Foundation fellow at Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute. She currently studies how the brain adapts to traumatic experiences. Before starting her doctoral work at Columbia, Beka earned her B.S. in Anthropology at Appalachian State University. Thereafter, she received her molecular biology training at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. When she’s not doing science, you can find her biking, doing acrobatics, cooking, and spending time with friends.

Teacher Leadership for Impactful School Change II

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Sharon Collins and Ben Morgenroth

TUESDAY, MAR 7

ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

How can we influence urban education beyond the walls of our classrooms? As NYC grapples with complex educational issues, teacher voice and expertise should be a required part of educational policy conversations and decisions. In this workshop, we will explore how to transfer our classroom leadership skills to our school communities and beyond. By reading selections from Teacher Leaders: Transforming Schools from the Inside, from Bank Street College of Education, we will learn how teachers are changing education for their students. We will apply a Success Analysis Protocol to analyze and better understand the determining factors that lead to effective teacher advocacy and activism. Lastly, we will be resources for each other in expanding our leadership and planning targeted ways to amplify our voices, integral in contributing to wider educational decisions. Join us as we move from discussion to execution. This workshop is a sequel to the fall 2022 Teacher Leadership for Impactful School Change workshop, but it is open to any teacher interested in developing their leadership skills.

Trauma Informed Practices and Adult Wellness p

Facilitators: Natalie Ginsburg and Jillian Morgan

WEDNESDAY, MAR 1

ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

As educators, we care for students and their varied needs. But our ability to care for others is affected by how well we care for ourselves. Collective trauma, which manifests and is experienced differently by all, requires us to have the skills and language to both understand and respond to different needs. Through connection and reflection, we will examine how our own trauma shapes both how we respond to or think about students and families, and how we view fellow teachers and school leaders. All teachers will leave with a more developed practice regarding nonviolent communication, self-care, and continued reflection and applications to practice.

Natalie Ginsburg is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Community Roots Charter School in Brooklyn, New York, a Roots ConnectED learning site. In her role as a Social Worker, Natalie provides individual and small group counseling to students, supervises social work master’s degree students, facilitates family workshops, and collaborates closely with teachers and families. She is a member of the Anti-Bias Education Collective (ABC), a staff leadership initiative focused on implementing anti-bias curriculum and staff professional development. Additionally, Natalie has served as a Teaching Associate for research and practice courses at Columbia University’s School of Social Work.

Jillian Morgan is a licensed clinical social worker working as the Director of Community and Wellness at Mediabrands, a global company spanning 13,000 employees. In this role, she works closely with DEI teams and employees to enhance psychological safety, well-being, and a sense of belonging for staff. She also works as a private therapist. Through her role at Roots ConnectED, she hopes to support school leaders, teachers, and educational professionals in creating brave spaces and communities that center equity and justice.

Sharon Collins is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at New Heights Academy Charter School in Manhattan.

Ben Morgenroth is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at Brooklyn Technical High School in Brooklyn.

Single Session Workshops

Viete’s Formulas: Quadratics, Cubics, and Beyond

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Priscilla Won and Malgorzata Zareba

MONDAY, FEB 27

ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

How can we extract information about a polynomial’s roots without knowing their numerical value? In this workshop, we will explore applications of Viete’s formulas, collaboratively tackle problems, and delve into the quadratic case, the cubic case, and beyond. We will also discuss Francois Viete, the French mathematician, and the history behind his famous formulas. Teachers will leave with a better understanding of Viete’s formulas and how to create problems inspiring curiosity in our students. This workshop is an introduction to Viete’s Formulas and is best for those with little to no experience.

Priscilla Won and Malgorzata Zareba are MƒA Master Teachers and mathematics teachers at The Bronx High School of Science in the Bronx.

Where Does Gasoline Go?: Climate Change, Climate Anxiety, and Climate Action

Facilitator: Don Haas, Ph.D.

WEDNESDAY, APR 19

ONLINE

 SCIENCE

Did you know a gallon of gasoline weighs about six pounds? A vehicle burning just ten gallons per week results in sixty pounds of gasoline seemingly disappearing from the tank. But where exactly does it all go? In 2021, Americans burned 369 million gallons of gasoline per day—more than a gallon per person. Such large numbers can be difficult to comprehend, but a deeper understanding of scale can help us better grapple with our use, our environmental impact, and ultimately how to meet our civic responsibilities. In this workshop, we will explore the story of a gallon of gasoline, a gripping tale that will inspire you to rethink

gasoline use and deepen your understanding of climate change science. We’ll begin by reviewing the basic science behind climate change and discuss the causes behind climate anxiety. Then we’ll dive into scale, highlight the challenges of teaching this concept, and finally share concrete strategies for overcoming these difficulties. Teachers will leave ready to act and with a toolbox of ready-to-use resources for middle and high school STEM classrooms.

Dr. Don Haas is the Director of Teacher Programming at the Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth and Cayuga Nature Center in Ithaca, NY. He is a nationally regarded expert in climate and energy education, place-based and technology-rich Earth and environmental science education, and is a past president of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers. He is co-author of the books, The Teacher-Friendly Guide to Climate Change and The Science Beneath the Surface: A Very Short Guide to the Marcellus Shale. He is committed to helping others thrive in their teaching and learning, especially as related to climate and energy. And… he wants you to talk more about fire.

Wild About Worms!

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Rebecca Haverstick

TUESDAY, MAY 2

MƒA

 SCIENCE

Did you know every bit of soil on the planet has passed through the body of an earthworm at least once? Worms are nature’s recyclers. As they eat their way through dirt, they transform decaying matter into fertile soil. Join us in this workshop to learn more about worms, how to acquire and care for them in the classroom, and the myriad ways to integrate a colony of red wiggler worms into your curriculum. First, we’ll discuss how worms can be a valuable tool to engage your students, then we’ll conduct a few simple investigations with live worms to guide us in planning student-driven investigations, and finally we’ll share how students can raise classroom worms with fruit and vegetable scraps from the school cafeteria. All teachers will leave with their own colony of worms and a habitat to house them. Science teachers of all grades are welcome.

Writing in Math Class: How Writing Prompts Deepen Mathematical Thinking

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Diane Thole TUESDAY, MAY 30

MƒA

 MATHEMATICS

Join us as we develop and incorporate writing prompts for everyday use in our mathematics classrooms. By transforming an ordinary question into an openended writing prompt, teachers can spark student conversations while reinforcing mathematics vocabulary, foundational skills, and reasoning abilities. Writing prompts are also a great formative assessment tool that gives students a routine to self-assess their learning in a low-stakes fashion. Together, we will explore example writing prompts, modify existing curricular materials, and investigate student selfassessment and peer assessment. This workshop is open to middle and high school mathematics teachers.

Diane Thole is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at School of the Future High School in Manhattan.

Rebecca Haverstick is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at Battery Park City School in Manhattan.

Affinity Groups

Affinity Groups

Affinity Groups are a series of workshops in which teachers with shared identities grapple with how their particular identities intersect and inform their role as STEM educators, their classroom practice, and their engagement with the broader MƒA community.

Affinity Groups

+ PLEASE NOTE: FOR ALL AFFINITY GROUPS, YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY AND PREFERENCE FOR IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL MEETINGS. CLICK ON THE DATES BELOW TO NAVIGATE TO EACH MEETING’S REGISTRATION PAGE.

Asian American Affinity Group p

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Yishan Lee, Sin Li, Susie Li, and Cathy Xiong

TUESDAYS, FEB 14, MAR 14, APR 18, MAY 16, JUN 13

OFFSITE & ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

Our monthly meetup aims to create a tight-knit community of Asian American educators who explore how our identity intersects with our role as educators. We will discuss and share the diversity of social and cultural values within the Asian American community. We will also examine the challenges facing all minorities and stand in solidarity with all.

Black, Latinx, and PoC Affinity Group p

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Shangaza Banfield, Leton Hall, Joshua Modeste, Eric Portales, and Samantha Tulloch

WEDNESDAYS, FEB 15, MAR 15, APR 19, MAY 17, JUN 7

M ƒA & ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

Do you identify as a Black, Latinx, Indigenous, or PoC educator interested in discussing the experiences and challenges faced by people of color in the world of education? Join us as we consider the issues met by our communities and support one another in our educational endeavors. We will meet monthly, and the needs of our community will set our agenda.

LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group

p

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Pooja Bhaskar and Lisa Bueno and MƒA Program Officer Nakita VanBiene

THURSDAYS, FEB 16, MAR 9

MONDAYS, APR 17, MAY 15

WEDNESDAY, JUN 7

OFFSITE & ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in meeting other queer educators in the MƒA community? Join us as we collaborate, recharge, and discuss common challenges we may face with fellow LGBTQIA+ STEM teachers. We will meet monthly, and the needs of our community will set our agenda.

Space to Breathe: Women of Color Affinity Group

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Alana Burgos and Alyson Lopez

WEDNESDAYS, FEB 8, MAR 8, APR 26, MAY 31, JUN 14

M ƒA, ONLINE, & OFFSITE

 COMMUNITY

Do you identify as a Black, Latinx, Indigenous, or woman of color interested in discussing ways to prioritize selfcare? Join us in this affinity group as we honestly discuss our shared struggles with work-life balance and explore research-based self-care practices. Gathered by the community, these practices will help us pour back into ourselves and each other to restore and rejuvenate. Any BIPoC woman-identified folks can join!

White Anti-Racist Educators Affinity Group p

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Brian Palacios, Christa Quint, and Andrew Slivosky

TUESDAYS, FEB 14, MAR 21, APR 25, MAY 23

M ƒA & ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

Are you a white person interested in working towards a more racially just educational system? Join us as we learn from and support one another, take on a more vocal role in our school communities, seek ways to lean into racial discomfort, decenter ourselves, and dismantle our privilege in educational settings. We will meet monthly, and the needs of our community will set our agenda.

Interest Groups

Interest Groups are one-time workshops in which small groups of teachers meet informally around a common interest or identity. They provide opportunities to make connections and begin conversations with MƒA colleagues.

Interest Groups

All-Levels Vinyasa Yoga

Facilitator: Emilie Brockmann

MONDAYS, FEB 6, MAR 6, APR 3, MAY 8 ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

+ PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY.

Are you interested in starting a yoga practice but feel a bit intimidated? Vinyasa yoga incorporates all levels of movement, making it perfect for beginners. In this hourlong session, we will safely move the body through carefully curated yoga postures as we explore different breathing techniques, build heat, seek balance, and stretch and strengthen the muscles. By linking breath to movement, our practice will become a moving meditation.

Emilie Brockmann is a yoga instructor, sound meditation facilitator, and wellness practitioner.

Amplifying Up

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Jackie Rivas

THURSDAY, FEB 9

M ƒA  SCIENCE

Are you interested in making Amplify exciting and fun for your students? In this interest group, we will find new and exciting ways to adapt and modify lessons to meet our students’ needs. We will discuss our experiences and share best practices for how we have altered or added to the curriculum.

The Assassination Classroom: An Exploration of Teaching in Anime

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Deborah Katz

TUESDAY, MAR 28

M ƒA  COMMUNITY

Are you interested in discussing how teaching is portrayed in anime? Join us for an in-depth pedagogical conversation centered on teaching in anime. We will set our agenda based on teacher choice and may include watching key moments in anime, sharing recommendations, exploring how to build connections with students, and compiling relevant resources and opportunities.

Board Game Appreciation

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Yishan Lee

WEDNESDAY, MAR 1

M ƒA

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in expanding your board game knowledge? If you are curious about the world of board games beyond classic games like Monopoly, Scrabble, or Uno, this is the space for you! Gamers of all levels are welcome, from non-gamers to fellow tabletop gaming enthusiasts. Experience the joy of face-toface interaction as we test out non-mainstream titles, explore game mechanics, and brainstorm ideas for incorporating play elements into our instruction.

Brainstorm and Build: MƒA Course Proposal Support

Facilitators: MƒA Staff Courtney Ginsberg and Uzma Shah, and MƒA Master Teachers TBD

WEDNESDAY, FEB 22

MONDAYS, MAR 6, MAR 27

ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

+ PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY.

Are you interested in facilitating a course at MƒA but don’t know where to start? Do you have an idea for a course and want support in fleshing it out? Do you have questions about the course proposal process and want guidance from MƒA staff and other MƒA teachers to help you navigate the steps and timeline for submission? Then join us in this workshop to learn what it takes to develop a successful course proposal. We’ll begin with an overview of the course proposal form, then hear from MƒA teacher facilitators as they share their successes and challenges in proposing courses. We’ll conclude with an opportunity for you to share your course ideas and to give and receive feedback. During this time, you can work in affinity groups aligned with areas of interest and expertise. By the end of the session, you might even leave with your course proposal fully developed!

Bringing Students to the MƒA Table

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Naomi Hawkins and Mario Simonelli

TUESDAY, MAY 30 ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

Are you interested in bringing students to the virtual table at MƒA? In this interest group, we will discuss how we can actually involve students in the MƒA experience (beyond sharing student work). Join us as we propose ideas for getting our students involved in the virtual MƒA community—together, we will share our ideas with MƒA staff for possible implementation in the 2023-24 school year.

Interest Groups

Cancer: Health and Social Justice Curriculum Information Session

Facilitators: Alia Komsany, Ph.D., and Erica Phillips, M.D.

MONDAY, MAR 13

ONLINE

 SCIENCE

Are you passionate about the intersection of public health and social justice? Do you want to empower your students to help reduce and control the uneven distribution of cancer in NYC? Join us in this information session as we introduce our innovative approach to integrating a school-based cancer and social justice curriculum. Designed for middle school science teachers, the curriculum aims to reduce the future onset of cancer in vulnerable youth and the current cancer risk of their families. We’ll share parts of the curriculum and present opportunities to test the lessons in your classroom.

Dr. Alia Komsany is a cancer biologist. In addition to conducting research, she mentors, teaches, and tutors young women in health education. She is also a nationally recognized rower and champion for Muslim women’s rights.

Dr. Erica Phillips is the Jack Fishman Associate Professor of Cancer Prevention at Weill Cornell’s Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center. She is a health services researcher and clinical obesity medicine specialist with extensive experience in conducting community-engaged research.

Computer Science Elective Share Out

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Paige Healy

MONDAY, MAR 13

ONLINE

 COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Are you interested in computer science (CS) curricula? Do you teach a CS elective and wonder what other schools offer or how to vertically align your courses? Join us in this interest group as we discuss the electives

we teach and want to teach! Computer science teachers of all grade levels are welcome!

Crafting Through Cricut in the Classroom

Facilitators: Hareem Ahmed-Zia and MƒA Master Teacher Quratul Waqas

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24

ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in crafting using a Cricut smart cutting machine in your classroom? Join us as we explore a variety of ways to use a Cricut, share ideas, and discuss how to use Cricut design space to create simple projects. Any teachers who have previous knowledge of Cricut design space are welcome!

Hareem Ahmed-Zia is a science teacher at John Adams High School in Queens.

Department Chair Support Group

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Matt Baker

WEDNESDAY, MAR 8

ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

Are you interested in collaboratively thinking through the challenges of leading a department? Many members of the MƒA Community have moved into leadership roles at their schools, often as chairs of their departments. But coordinating resources, planning meetings, and coaching adults is a different set of skills than we normally use in teaching. This interest group is for those in leadership roles to brainstorm and troubleshoot the challenges teacher leaders face, build a toolbox of resources, and create a community of support.

Earth Science Teacher Meetup

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers James Anderson and Jeanne Kopun

THURSDAY, MAY 11

ONLINE

 SCIENCE

Are you interested in sharing materials, lesson plans, and ideas with other Earth Science teachers? Would you like to collaborate to discuss the unique challenges that we face? Join us for an informal brainstorming session about best teaching practices in our subject area.

Experiential Educators: Bringing First-Hand Science Fieldwork Into the Classroom

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Jerry Citron, Justin Czarka, and Laura Ralph

WEDNESDAY, MAR 22

ONLINE

 SCIENCE

Are you interested in learning how to engage in science fieldwork and bring it back to your classroom? The goal of this interest group is to inspire, encourage, and support each other in doing fieldwork, expanding our content knowledge, and improving our teaching practice. We will highlight stories from our field experiences, share engaging learning activities, and provide resources from partner organizations around fieldwork opportunities and funding.

Fiber Arts Interest Group

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Kate Maschmeyer

TUESDAY, MAR 7

M ƒA

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in learning about and sharing fiber arts skills? Do you knit, crochet, spin, weave, cross stitch, embroider, needle felt, or create other fiber art? Join us as we chat, share, learn, and create fiber art! All skill levels welcome whether new, novice, or expert—we all have the potential to create something beautiful!

Interest Groups

Getting Started With Grant Writing and DonorsChoose

Facilitators: Andy Yung, and MƒA Master Teachers

Steve Oszust and Jordan Wolf

THURSDAY, FEB 9

ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in acquiring resources for your classroom but don’t have the budget to do so? Then look no further than DonorsChoose. Our team of grant writing experts will help you create a DonorsChoose account, teach you the craft of grant writing, and support you in writing and submitting DonorsChoose projects. We have over 600 completed projects among us. The skills learned in this session are easily transferable to many other grant applications as well.

Andy Yung is a pre-K teacher at P.S. 244Q The Active Learning Elementary School. He has used DonorsChoose.org to raise over $35,000 for his classroom, school, and community and is always willing to help those who wish to start their own crowdfunding journey.

Happy Teachers Change the World: A Book Club for Cultivating Mindfulness

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Amanda Bollati and Aoife Walsh

THURSDAYS, FEB 9, MAR 2, APR 27, MAY 25

ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

+ PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY.

Are you interested in being a happier teacher? Then join us in this interest group as we explore the book Happy Teachers Change the sWorld, by Thich Nhat Hanh and Katherine Weare. We’ll use the book to cultivate our own mindfulness practice and discuss how to take these techniques back to our students. Open dialogue about our own mindfulness journey will be shared throughout. Everyone is welcome!

International Teaching

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Elisabetta La Tanza and Leslyn Morris

THURSDAY, MAR 30

ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in connecting with other teachers who have taught abroad? Whether you are an international teacher originally from another country or you have taught abroad for some time, join us to share experiences, compare and contrast the different education systems and curricula, and discuss successes and struggles throughout our teaching career transitions. Teachers are encouraged to bring examples of topics or curricula taught in a different country. This group is for those who have taught internationally but all are welcome.

The Intersection of Coaching and Teaching

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Mario Simonelli

TUESDAY, MAY 9

ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

Are you interested in learning how coaching sports or leading other extracurricular activities overlaps with teaching STEM? Join us as we discuss coaching and teaching, including relationship building, the impact a coach has on a school community, switching between our teacher and coach hats, and navigating the PSAL.

Learn Spanish to Support Your Multilingual Students p

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Laura Antunez Rodriguez and Francisco J. Perez Martinez

WEDNESDAYS, FEB 15, MAR 29, APR 26, MAY 24, JUN 14

MƒA & OFFSITE

 COMMUNITY

+PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY.

Are you interested in practicing Spanish as a way to support your multilingual students? Then join this fun and interactive Spanish conversation group! Improve your fluency, confidence, and culturally relevant teaching practices. This group will help you connect with your students and with other educators.

Let’s Do...Calculus!

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Stephanie Bohbot

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31

MƒA

 MATHEMATICS

Are you interested in working through calculus problems with a group of teachers? Whether you want a refresher on the content before you teach calculus in the future, or want to engage with calculus problems for fun, this is the place for you! Join us to do some mathematics, learn from each other’s techniques and reasoning, and engage with the prerequisite skills you may be teaching

Interest Groups

in your current or future courses. We will work through the 2008 and 2012 AP Calculus AB exam questions together. Self-checking Desmos Activities covering all eight AP Calculus AB Units will be provided as an additional resource.

Math and Science Teachers Can Cook Too!

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Stephen Jackson and Andrea Steele

TUESDAYS, FEB 28, APR 18

M ƒA & ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

+ PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY AND PREFERENCE FOR IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL MEETINGS.

Are you interested in learning more about the cultural diversity of your students through the culinary talents of your MƒA colleagues? MƒA teachers reflect NYC, and in this interest group we will explore this through the foods we enjoy cooking and eating. We will share our cultures, culinary expertise, recipes, and final products, all while having fun!

MƒA Game Night

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Deborah Reich and Matt Steiniger

WEDNESDAY, MAR 22

M ƒA

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in strategy and diplomacy or backstabbing and intrigue? How about learning and sharing new games while socializing with your colleagues in an informal in-person setting? If so, join us for the MƒA Game Night! Board games will be provided, but feel free to bring your favorites along as well!

MƒA Magic: The Gathering Meet Up

Facilitator: MƒA Emeritus Teacher Sherri Shaarbafan

WEDNESDAY, FEB 8

M ƒA

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in playing Magic: The Gathering? This is a tabletop card game played by two or more players. Defeat your opponent by casting spells and attacking with creatures to deal damage! Anyone interested in learning how to play or interested in playing casually is welcome.

a mindful yoga flow, and conclude with a guided yoga nidra meditation. Sessions are open to all yoga practitioners—from first-timers to seasoned yogis.

MƒA Teacher Poker

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Diane Pflug and Peter Sell

THURSDAY, MAR 2

M ƒA

 COMMUNITY

+ PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A COMPETITIVE GAME UNSUITABLE FOR BEGINNERS, SO PLEASE ONLY REGISTER IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH TEXAS HOLD’EM.

Shuffle up and deal! Show off your poker skills at our annual MƒA Teacher Poker Tournament! Join us to compete against other MƒA teachers for the chance to play at our big poker event this spring. The top four winners of the March teacher tournament will attend and compete alongside MƒA Founder Jim Simons and others at the 2023 MƒA Poker Night Tournament, a fundraising event for MƒA on Thursday, April 20.

Mindful Yoga Practice

Facilitator: Roque Rodriguez

WEDNESDAYS, FEB 8, APR 19

Roque (pronounced: ROW-Keh), the son of Dominican-American immigrants, is a 500-hour trained Yoga teacher. In addition to his 500 hours of training, Roque has studied Anatomy with Jason Brown, Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra with Mona Anand, and is a certified Hosh Kids Yoga Teacher. Roque is a proud founder of Suryaside Yoga and Wellness in Queens, NY. When he’s not teaching the Suryaside community and mentoring his new teacher trainees, he is dedicated to spreading love and yoga to underserved and under-resourced communities through programs and partnerships such as Liberation Prison Yoga, which provides yoga and meditation to incarcerated people, and his “I Can Breathe” Yoga program, which offers teacher training scholarships to BIPOC who want to bring yoga to their community.

Netrunner: A Competitive Card Game for Teachers and Students

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Dave Richardson and Erika Richardson

THURSDAY, MAY 11

M ƒA  COMMUNITY

Are you interested in learning how to play Netrunner?

Netrunner is an award-winning, two-player, asymmetrical strategy card game played worldwide. Both within and around the game, the Netrunner community supports diversity with an ongoing commitment to a transmedia universe. It features a wide array of playable character identities in terms of race, sexuality, gender, and even fictional forms of transhuman and artificial intelligence. Join us to learn how to play and bring the game back to your students and school community. No prior experience is necessary.

+ PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY.

Are you interested in an hour of mindfulness and selfcare? Join us for a yoga experience in which we turn our attention inward and link our movement and breath. We’ll begin by warming our bodies, then move through

Interest Groups

Overbooked

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Phylicia Hoyt and Theresa Stanley

TUESDAYS, MAR 28, MAY 9

MONDAY, JUN 12

M ƒA & ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

+ PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY AND PREFERENCE FOR IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL MEETINGS.

Are you interested in reading for FUN but don’t always have time? Join our book club as we read (mostly fiction) for enjoyment and come together to discuss the book. In the past, we have read books such as Beartown by Fredrik Backman, The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom, My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, and Dancing in the Mosque by Homeira Qaderi.

Practice Your Poker Face for the MƒA Poker Tournament

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Lauren Schulman and Peter Sell

WEDNESDAY, FEB 15

M ƒA  COMMUNITY

Are you interested in honing your poker skills for the MƒA Teacher Poker Tournament? Join us for a no-stakes friendly game of Texas Hold’em and explore some techniques behind the game to help refine your skills. No expertise is necessary.

School Trip and Club Leaders Interest Group

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Brittany Beck and Matt Pastore

TUESDAY, MAR 7 ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in joining other activity coordinators to discuss how to create meaningful and fun experiences for your students and school communities? Many MƒA teachers plan trips, oversee student government, create school-wide events, manage graduation, and fundraise! Whether you are at a big or small school, new to planning activities, or have been doing so for years, all are welcome as we build a network of Activity Coordinators!

Sound Meditation: Exploration and Experience

Facilitators: Emilie Brockmann and MƒA Master Teacher Andy Brockmann

WEDNESDAY, MAR 22

M ƒA  COMMUNITY

Are you interested in experiencing sound meditation and learning how different instruments, acoustics, and applications can affect states of consciousness? Then join us for an evening of exploration and relaxation as you are immersed in sound meditation.

Emilie Brockmann is a yoga instructor, sound meditation facilitator, and wellness practitioner.

Think Tank for Future Facilitation

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Shangaza Banfield, Kristen Brown, and Alana Burgos

TUESDAYS, FEB 14, FEB 28, MAR 21

this informal setting to find out more about what it takes to create a successful proposal as MƒA Master Teachers with proposal and facilitation experience share their successes and challenges in proposing courses. You will have an opportunity to share, discuss, reflect, and receive feedback on your ideas.

Travel Opportunities With Your Students

Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Ramona

Fittipaldi-Deoraj and Andrew Mittiga

TUESDAY, FEB 7

ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in traveling the world with your students and giving them opportunities to engage with new cultures, foods, and experiences? Join us to learn about amazing travel opportunities for teachers and students, fundraising best practices, and how to organize a trip within school guidelines. This interest group is open to all middle and high school teachers.

Trivia Night

Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Keith Lau

WEDNESDAYS, MAR 15, MAR 29, APR 19

M ƒA

 COMMUNITY

+ PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY.

Are you interested in testing your brain? Then put your lesson plans aside and enjoy a night of pub-style trivia! Come on your own or come with a team. All types of knowledge and random facts are welcome.

+ PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY.

Are you interested in facilitating a course at MƒA but don’t know where to start? Maybe you have a course idea and need help honing and developing it. Join us in

MƒAdventures

MƒAdventures

MƒAdventures are offsite events organized by MƒA teachers that allow teachers to explore shared interests. They are a great way to meet MƒA community members outside the MƒA office.

MƒAdventures

Birdie, Eagle, Albatross, Condor!: MƒA Mini-Golf

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teacher Lisa Cover

SATURDAY, MAY 20 OFFSITE

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in birding? Careful! This is not a meeting of The Audubon Society, but rather a gathering of wannabe pro golfers! Join us for a round of mini golf in Williamsburg at Putting Green, an 18-hole mini golf course designed to educate visitors about climate change issues while providing fun family entertainment. Let’s build community while spending time with our families and networking with other Master Teachers. Kids of all ages are welcome—see you on the links!

Brooklyn Elementary Teacher Meet Up

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teachers Sarah Leaman and Laurie Matthews

THURSDAY, MAY 11 OFFSITE

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in joining fellow elementary school teachers in Brooklyn for drinks and good cheer? Join us as we celebrate spring and teaching! This is a great chance to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. Bring along colleagues who may be on the fence about applying for an MƒA Fellowship—let us convince them!

Brooklyn Math Teacher Meetup

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teacher Renu Budhraja

THURSDAY, MAR 30

FRIDAY, MAY 19 OFFSITE

 MATHEMATICS

+ PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY. EACH M ƒADVENTURE IS FROM 5:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.

Are you interested in meeting other MƒA mathematics teachers in Brooklyn to connect and build community?

If the answer is yes, join us at various Brooklyn locations, where we will share our teaching and MƒA experiences and get to know each other better over food. Teachers are responsible for their own dinner and drinks.

Day at the American Museum of Natural History

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teachers Christine Kola and Gloria Nicodemi

SATURDAY, MAR 18

OFFSITE

 SCIENCE

Are you interested in discovering what minerals are found in New York City, if iron meteorites are magnetic, or why some dinosaurs are considered archosaurs but not all archosaurs are dinosaurs? Spend the day with us at the American Museum of Natural History to learn the answers! We will visit on a Saturday and explore the Hall of Gems and Minerals, Hall of Meteorites, Hall of Planet Earth, and the Fourth Floor Fossil Halls. We will participate in a scavenger hunt and learning activities, experience what it’s like to walk through a giant cladogram, and discuss the museum’s many resources.

Horseshoe Crab Walk

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teachers Melissa Dowd, Rebecca Haverstick, and Cynthia Jimenez

FRIDAY, JUN 2

OFFSITE

 SCIENCE

Are you interested in observing living fossils in their natural habitat? Join us for a twilight Horseshoe Crab walk at Plumb Beach in Brooklyn! We will observe these fascinating marine invertebrates as they come to our shores to spawn under the full moon. Teachers should bring a flashlight and wear shoes they don’t mind getting wet.

Manhattan Elementary Teacher Meet Up

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teachers Lauren Anderson and Meera Zucker

MONDAY, MAR 20

OFFSITE

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in joining fellow elementary school teachers in Manhattan for drinks and good cheer? Join us as we celebrate spring and teaching! This is a great chance to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. Bring along colleagues who may be on the fence about applying for an MƒA Fellowship—let us convince them!

MƒA Pride March p

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teachers Pooja

Bhaskar and Lisa Bueno and MƒA Program Officer

Nakita VanBiene

SUNDAY, JUN 25

OFFSITE

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in joining a group of MƒA teachers to walk in the Queer Liberation March? Join us to march in solidarity, celebrate our diversity, and get a free t-shirt! ALL members of the MƒA community are welcome.

MƒAdventures

MƒA Summer Softball

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teachers Bob Burton and James Milana

TBD

OFFSITE  COMMUNITY

+ PLEASE NOTE: THE DATES WILL BE COMMUNICATED TO TEACHERS ONCE FINALIZED BY THE LEAGUE IN APRIL.

Are you interested in playing gender-inclusive, casual softball with other MƒA teachers this summer? We participate in a Zogsports league and have games on a handful of Sundays at various locations in Manhattan. We hope you can join us! Please register to indicate that you are interested in playing softball this summer. The facilitators will reach out before each game to confirm your availability.

Mothing Adventure

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teacher Wendy Castillo

SATURDAY, MAY 13

OFFSITE  SCIENCE

Are you interested in the hidden world that comes to life at night? Most often, we are so busy we don’t stop and take a moment to appreciate it. Join us and experience the beauty and diversity in nature through Lepidoptera. After sundown, we will spend some time identifying and learning about moths with the help of the parks department and an entomologist.

Prospect Park Ice Skating

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teacher Ben Morgenroth

THURSDAY, FEB 9

OFFSITE

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in connecting with MƒA colleagues on the ice rink? Join us for an evening of skating in Prospect Park. The cost of entry is approximately $10. Bring your own skates or rent at the rink for a small fee. Snacks are available for purchase, and lockers are available for rent.

Rather Be Fishing: MƒA Fly Fishing

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teachers David Connelly and Douglas Shuman

WEDNESDAY, MAR 29

OFFSITE

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in fly fishing and want to learn more about it? Join other MƒA teachers and their family

members who are passionate about this combination of entomology, riparian ecology, and physics! Our meetups may include casting practice in a park, followed by fishing tales or fly tying in a pub, with the hope of a trip to an upstate trout stream. This interest group is best suited for experienced fly fishers who own equipment, but beginners interested in learning and trying their hand at fly-casting are welcome!

The Science of Walking

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teacher Diana Lennon

TUESDAY, MAY 9

OFFSITE

 SCIENCE

Are you interested in the benefits walking offers—physical, spiritual, and emotional? In 52 Ways to Walk, author Annabel Streets recommends research-based weekly walks to help anyone develop a fulfilling walking lifestyle. We will review a few “ways to walk” and the scientific background for each.

MƒAdventures

Spring is Coastal Clean-Up Time!

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teacher Cynthia Jimenez

SATURDAY, MAR 18

OFFSITE

 SCIENCE

Are you interested in celebrating New York City’s coastlines by showing them a little love? Join us for the second annual MƒA coastal clean-up! We will spend time picking up trash while connecting with other MƒA teachers in the great outdoors. Gloves, garbage bags, and pickers will be provided. Please bring water, sunscreen, and comfortable shoes you don’t mind getting dirty.

Stained Glass Creations: Advanced

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teacher Scott Wassmuth

WEDNESDAY, MAR 1

MONDAY, MAR 13

SATURDAY, APR 1

ONLINE & OFFSITE

 COMMUNITY

+ PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A THREE SESSION HYBRID M ƒADVENTURE. SESSION 1 WILL TAKE PLACE VIRTUALLY, AND SESSIONS 2 AND 3 WILL TAKE PLACE IN-PERSON AT NYC MUSEUM SCHOOL. TEACHERS WILL HAVE TO PURCHASE SOME GLASS AND FOIL AT THE VERY LEAST - TO BE DETERMINED AFTER THE FIRST VIRTUAL MEETING.

Are you interested in further developing the skills you learned in the Stained Glass Creations: Beginner MƒAdventure to make a more elaborate piece? This three session hybrid MƒAdventure is open to those who participated in a beginner Stained Glass Creations MƒAdventure. We will start with a short overview of stained glass history, a showcasing of potential creations, and an opportunity to discuss any pitfalls we may encounter. Next, we will create our designs and prepare pieces for foiling. Finally, we will have a full day to finalize our pieces.

Stained Glass Creations: Beginner

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teacher Scott Wassmuth

WEDNESDAY, FEB 8 OFFSITE

 COMMUNITY

+ PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A THREE SESSION HYBRID M ƒADVENTURE . SESSION 1 WILL TAKE PLACE VIRTUALLY, AND SESSIONS 2 AND 3 WILL TAKE PLACE IN-PERSON AT NYC MUSEUM SCHOOL. TEACHERS WILL HAVE TO PURCHASE SOME OF THEIR MATERIALS.

Are you interested in how stained glass crafts are made? Do you want to make stained glass items for yourself or as a gift for someone else? Join us at NYC Museum School to learn the basics and hone your stained glass making skills. At the end of the session, you will learn the basics of stained glass creation and make your very own piece! You may then wish to create more pieces in the advanced course offered later in the semester. No previous artistic ability is needed to sign up and create stained glass!

Star Party on Staten Island

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teachers David Deutsch, Alia Jackson, and Jay Lang

MONDAY, APR 24

OFFSITE

 SCIENCE

+ PLEASE NOTE: RAIN DATES INCLUDE APRIL 25 AND APRIL 26.

Are you interested in stargazing? Then spend an evening with us as we observe the night sky using telescopes and cell phone apps and experience other fun astronomyrelated activities! You’ll learn how to safely observe the Sun and explore some basic astrophotography and spectral analysis methods, all while gazing at the Manhattan skyline. The urban evening sky offers more than you may realize; we hope to observe the Moon, available planets, bright stars, and possibly even nebulae or galaxies. Part of the adventure will be riding the Staten Island Ferry, as our stargazing will take place at Curtis High School, just a short walk from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.

Teachers, Take a Hike!

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teachers Nicole Beall, Courtney Ferrell, Yishan Lee, and Mary O’Keefe

TBD

OFFSITE

 COMMUNITY

+ PLEASE NOTE: DATES WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE GROUP, AND WILL FALL ON NON-SCHOOL DAYS, INCLUDING SOME WEEKENDS.

Are you interested in hiking as a means to rejuvenate and reflect as a teacher? Previous hikes have been in the Hudson Valley and Palisades, and new suggestions are appreciated! Once you register, the group will be polled about available dates, ability levels, car pool needs, and location preferences/ideas. See you on the trail!

Unlocking Nature’s Potential: A Visit to a Chinese Pharmacy

Coordinated By: MƒA Master Teachers Erin RatzGuiñals and Meng-Ping Tu, Ph.D.

SATURDAY, MAY 13

OFFSITE

 SCIENCE

Are you interested in Chinese herbal medicine? Join us as we visit a Chinese pharmacy, explore how Chinese prescriptions are made, and speak to the practitioners about their experiences. Teachers will have the opportunity to ask questions, observe herbalists fill prescriptions, and peruse the pharmacy’s herbal remedies. Afterward, we will celebrate with dim sum in a nearby restaurant. Anyone interested in learning more about Chinese herbal medicine is welcome.

Thursday Thinks

Thursday Thinks are monthly STEM talks open to MƒA teachers, their colleagues, and guests from the wider STEM community. This speaker series features engaging and accomplished experts who delve into cutting-edge mathematics, science, computer science, and education topics.

Thursday Thinks

Dr. Jacqueline (Jackie) Faherty is a staff scientist and senior educator at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). Her research centers on novel techniques for refining the detection and characterization of brown dwarfs, exoplanets, and exoplanet atmospheres. In addition, Jackie is a passionate educator at AMNH, preparing public programs and sharing her love of space with teachers in the Masters of Arts in Teaching program.

Cornelius Minor is a Brooklyn-based educator who works with teachers, school leaders, and community-based organizations to support equitable literacy reform in cities across the globe. His latest book, We Got This, explores how the work of creating more equitable school spaces is embedded in our everyday choices—specifically in the choice to really listen to kids. He has been featured in numerous publications and has partnered with The Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, The NYC Department of Education, The International Literacy Association, and Lesley University’s Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative. Cornelius was also featured in the documentary “Out of Print.” Most recently, along with his partner and wife, Kass Minor, he established The Minor Collective , a community-based movement designed to foster sustainable change in schools. Cornelius uses his love for technology, hip-hop, and social media to bring communities together. As a teacher, Cornelius draws not only on his years teaching middle school in the Bronx and Brooklyn, but also on time spent skateboarding, shooting hoops, and working with young people. You can connect with him at Kass and Corn , or on Twitter at @MisterMinor.

Mapping the Universe Across Space and Time

Speaker: Jacqueline Faherty, Ph.D.

THURSDAY, MAR 16

MƒA AUDITORIUM & ONLINE

 SCIENCE

It is an exciting time for space science. With several high-profile astronomy mapping missions sharing their findings, scientists have an unprecedented opportunity to explore this new data for the next big discovery about our place in the Universe. In this talk, Dr. Jackie Faherty will launch teachers into an immersive tour of the most complete map of the Milky Way Galaxy (and beyond) and guide them on an adventure into nearby stellar systems, exoplanet systems, star-forming regions, and more. Specifically, Dr. Faherty will focus on the distribution of objects within 1500 light-years—including stars, brown dwarfs, and exoplanets—and discuss how they form and disperse.

What It Means to Be Us Right Now p

Speaker: Cornelius Minor

THURSDAY, APR 20

MƒA AUDITORIUM & ONLINE

 INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP

We know more now than we have ever known—about teaching, communities, numeracy, how to position students on the path to success, and all the different kinds of success that can coexist. Why is it, then, that in many communities, the strategies for student success continue to elude us? The world in which we teach is ever-changing and radically different than it was even two years ago. In this talk, Cornelius Minor, author of the book We Got This, will discuss how to succeed in this new context by fostering equity through authentic listening. We are more than enough. We got this!

Thursday Thinks

Building Thinking Classrooms

Speaker: Peter Liljedahl, Ph.D.

THURSDAY, JUN 1

MƒA AUDITORIUM & ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

What our classrooms look like and what happens in them is often guided by institutional norms laid down at the inception of an industrial-age model of public education. These norms enable a culture of teaching and learning frequently devoid of student thinking. In this talk, Dr. Peter Liljedahl will present results from over fifteen years of research into how teachers can transform their classrooms from a space where students mimic to one where students think. Dr. Liljedahl will draw upon and discuss practices from his recently published book Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics (Grades K-12): 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning.

Dr. Peter Liljedahl is a Professor of Mathematics Education in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. He is the author of the best-selling book Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics (Grades K-12): 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning. A former high school mathematics teacher, Peter has kept his research interests and activities close to the classroom. He regularly consults with teachers, schools, districts, and ministries of education on issues of teaching and learning, problem-solving, assessment, numeracy, and building thinking classrooms.

Equity Webinar Series

Equity Webinar Series

Equity Webinar Series are virtual workshops open to MƒA teachers, other Master Teacher programs, and people interested in learning more about MƒA. Each webinar leads with a nationally recognized STEM educator talk, followed by breakout sessions, where small groups discuss how they can apply these powerful ideas in their classrooms. Teachers are expected to stay for the entire session, including the talk and the small group discussion.

Equity Webinar Series

Empowering Black Males in Mathematics

Contexts p

Speaker: Christopher Jett, Ph.D.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3

ONLINE

 MATHEMATICS

+ PLEASE NOTE: TEACHERS ARE EXPECTED TO STAY FOR THE ENTIRE SESSION, INCLUDING THE TALK AND SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION.

Black males’ mathematics experiences have gained traction in the literature. The majority of this scholarship has employed a critical race theory (CRT) perspective. Discussions about CRT have entered mainstream discourse and these debates have lasting implications for mathematics teachers and their students. In this talk, Dr. Christopher Jett will draw upon his critical race praxis to provide an overview of scholarship regarding the plight of Black males in mathematics. He will also share evidencebased practices and recommendations that positively influence and ultimately empower Black male students in mathematics contexts.

Dr. Christopher C. Jett is an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at Georgia State University. His research examines Black males’ mathematics and racialized experiences. In 2019, he received the Early Career Award from the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). He is the author of Black Male Success in Higher Education: How the Mathematical Brotherhood Empowers a Collegiate Community to Thrive and the co-editor of Critical Race Theory in Mathematics Education.

Community Contributions

Community Contributions are leadership opportunities for MTII+ (teachers in their second, third, or fourth Master Teacher Fellowship) to deepen their connections within the MƒA community by becoming involved with admissions, recruitment, communications, facilitation, supporting new MƒA teachers, and other leadership activities. Please review each contribution for its unique structure and requirements.

Community Contributions

Applicant Screener

Coordinated By: MƒA Chief Operating Officer

Michael Driskill, MƒA Manager of Admissions & Community Engagement Keoma Distan and MƒA Manager of Admissions & Recruitment Bryan Galligan

THURSDAY, MAY 25

ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

+ PLEASE NOTE: BEFORE SIGNING UP, PLEASE BE SURE YOU CAN ATTEND BOTH THE THURSDAY, MAY 25 (5:30 - 7:30 P.M.) ORIENTATION AND AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING DATES FOR SCREENING: JUN 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 24, OR 25 (8 A.M. - 5 P.M.)

Screeners help MƒA identify teachers with a strong foundation in content, pedagogy, and knowledge of students to become part of our MƒA Master Teacher community. Screeners are assigned to a panel of interviewers to help gather more information about fellowship finalists in a two-part, full-day interview process. Screeners first attend a mandatory orientation on Thursday, May 25. Then, on their assigned screening day, they collaborate with a team of two content experts to observe applicants’ presentations and conduct interviews. Over the course of the day, screeners will interview four to six teacher candidates and provide insight as to whether each meets the Master Teacher Fellowship criteria.

Brainstorm and Build Facilitator

Coordinated By: MƒA Director of Programming & Admissions Courtney Ginsberg and MƒA Associate Director, Scientific Outreach and Partnerships, Uzma Shah

MONDAY, FEB 6

ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

+ PLEASE NOTE: BEFORE SIGNING UP, PLEASE BE SURE YOU CAN ATTEND BOTH THE MONDAY, FEB 6 ORIENTATION AND AT LEAST TWO OF THE FOLLOWING DATES: FEB 22, MAR 6, MAR 27.

Have you successfully proposed and facilitated courses at MƒA? Are you interested in supporting and encouraging other MƒA teachers to do the same? Join us as we create a warm, inviting space for teachers to share and workshop their course proposal ideas. As a Brainstorm and Build Facilitator, you will work with members of the Programming and Admissions team to plan and co-lead two engaging sessions for participating teachers. Whether they don’t know where to start, have questions about the process, have an idea and want to solidify it, are looking for a co-facilitator, or all of the above, you can help guide them on their journey.

Information Session Host

Coordinated By: MƒA Manager of Admissions & Community Engagement Keoma Distan and MƒA Manager of Admissions & Recruitment Bryan Galligan

TUESDAY, FEB 7

ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

+ PLEASE NOTE: BEFORE SIGNING UP, PLEASE BE SURE YOU CAN ATTEND BOTH THE TUESDAY, FEB 7 ORIENTATION AND AT LEAST TWO OF THE FOLLOWING DATES:

VIRTUAL: FEB 16, MAR 14

IN-PERSON: MAR 2, MAR 29

Current MƒA teachers are essential in encouraging and supporting prospective fellowship candidates through the application process. If you are interested in helping create an MƒA community built on diversity and excellence and sharing your MƒA experiences meaningfully with others, then become an Information Session Host this spring!

All Information Session Hosts attend a virtual orientation to become familiar with their roles and responsibilities and are then required to help facilitate two Information Sessions this spring.

Learning Materials Screener

Coordinated By: MƒA Chief Academic Officer Eileen Murray, Ph.D., MƒA Program Officer Nakita VanBiene, and MƒA Master Teachers Jeffrey Lowenhaupt and Michelle Sims

WEDNESDAYS, MAR 29, MAY 31

ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

Once a PLT ends, what happens with the materials that teachers co-created? Are they destined to live in a Google Drive collecting electronic dust, or are there ways they can be shared with the wider MƒA community? MƒA Master Teachers have worked to create an organized database of excellent resources developed by MƒA teachers. The goal is to create more spaces where teachers can talk about what is and is not working in their classrooms, have an impact on each other while doing so, and demonstrate the power of a community. In this community contribution, Screeners will have the opportunity to review materials submitted by MƒA teachers, add these materials to a repository found on the Small-World Network, and influence discussion and shape practice of MƒA teachers across the city. As a Screener, you will continue the work of expanding our repository of materials created by and for MƒA Teachers.

Community Contributions

MƒA Orientation Host

Coordinated By: MƒA Chief Academic Officer Eileen Murray

WEDNESDAY, JUN 21

MƒA

 COMMUNITY

+ PLEASE NOTE: BEFORE SIGNING UP, PLEASE BE SURE YOU CAN ATTEND BOTH THE WEDNESDAY, JUN 21 PLANNING SESSION AND AN AUGUST ORIENTATION DATE TBD.

Have you taken the MƒA ƒundamentals Part 1: The Five Dimensions of Powerful Classrooms workshop? Have you participated in the Communication Norms workshop during orientation since 2021? Are you excited about these frameworks and interested in introducing them to new MƒA Master Teachers? MƒA Orientation Hosts will co-plan and co-facilitate the MƒA ƒundamentals Part 1 and Community Norms workshops at summer Master Teacher Orientation. Hosts may also assist with other aspects of orientation. Join us as we help welcome our new cohort of fellows.

Praxis Prep Session Host

Coordinated By: MƒA Manager of Admissions & Community Engagement Keoma Distan and MƒA Manager of Admissions & Recruitment Bryan Galligan

TUESDAY, FEB 7

ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

+ PLEASE NOTE: BEFORE SIGNING UP, PLEASE BE SURE YOU CAN ATTEND BOTH THE TUESDAY, FEB 7 ORIENTATION AND THE PRACTICE SESSION DATE ALIGNED TO THEIR CONTENT AREA.

FEB 28: BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, EARTH SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS

MAR 8: BIOLOGY, ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS/SCIENCE, GENERAL SCIENCE, PHYSICS, MATHEMATICS

Praxis Prep Session Facilitators play a crucial role in MƒA recruitment, helping prospective applicants by preparing them to take content-specific Praxis tests and answering

general questions about the MƒA fellowship and experience. As part of this community contribution, Praxis Prep Session Facilitators attend a virtual orientation to learn about their roles and responsibilities. They later lead a two-hour virtual Praxis Prep Session with prospective applicants in their content area.

Professional Development Catalog Builder

Coordinated By: MƒA Director of Programming & Admissions Courtney Ginsberg and MƒA Associate Director, Scientific Outreach and Partnerships, Uzma Shah

MONDAYS, APR 3, APR 24

ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in playing an integral role in supporting the design of the MƒA Professional Development Catalog? Join us as we review teacher course proposals and plan the MƒA program for the 2023-2024 academic year. As a team, we’ll discuss how the TRU frameworks for powerful classrooms and professional growth shape our catalog design process, read and offer insights about course proposals, and collaborate to plan a program responding to the wants and needs of the MƒA teacher community. Catalog Builders must read and evaluate course proposals between our two sessions.

Small-World Network Community Mobilizer

Coordinated By: MƒA Director of Data Systems Miriam Ignatoff

WEDNESDAYS, FEB 9, APR 13 ONLINE

 COMMUNITY

Are you interested in connecting with your colleagues and sharing your knowledge with the online MƒA community? Join us as we help initiate discussions and respond to questions on the Small-World Network (SWN). Mobilizers will log into the SWN weekly to reply to posts, ask their own questions, and select a post(s) to highlight in the weekly community digest email.

*Community Contributions are opportunities for MƒA teachers who have completed at least one Master Teacher Fellowship.