Mini-Courses

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.