Professional Learning Opportunities
Part of Educators
2024 Professional Learning Opportunities
Course:
The Pedagogy of Place: Connecting Perspective, Location, & Experience
IN PERSON AT THE MUSEUM
This session will use a critical pedagogy of place to explore how perspective, location, and experience can shape our definition of what "place" really means. Participants will use experiences both inside and outside the museum to reflect on how these three concepts might and should be leveraged to provide layered discussion about ecosystem dynamics for all students.
Museum Facilitator: Candyce Johnson
Grade Level:
Grades 6-12 Educator
Dates & Times:
April 4, 2024
9 am–2 pm
Grades 6-12 Educator
April 4, 2024
9 am–2 pm
Course:
Adventure Is Out There! Connecting Social Emotional Learning Through Nature
IN PERSON AT THE MUSEUM
Building Social Emotional Learning while learning academically is of significant importance, especially in the new modern age we live in. In this workshop, we will discuss how to incorporate SEL while learning about nature around us and our students.
Museum Facilitator: Sonia Bueno
Grade Level:
Grades K-8 Educator
Dates & Times:
April 11, 2024
9 am – 1 pm
Grades K-8 Educator
April 11, 2024
9 am – 1 pm
Course:
Climate Change Teaching That Supports Understanding, Resilience, and Social Justice
HYBRID
The rapid pace of change to Earth’s climate, as well as the constant presence of climate emergencies and worrisome projections in media including social media, make the subject of Earth’s climate a very important one for students, and for science educators and their colleagues in adjacent subject areas. The subject is an important one for academic achievement, for developing students’ sense of social justice, and for contributing to healthier social-emotional outcomes of students and providing a space in which students can initiate and cultivate a healthy sense of agency. The complex subject matter also makes it advantageous to plan for multi-year learning in which existing units are modified and redirected to highlight connections to the larger theme of climate change. This course will explore guiding questions that will help educators plan strong learning sequences and will explore areas of content that are applicable to climate change.
Museum Facilitator: Hudson Roditi
Grade Level:
Grades 6-12 Educator
Dates & Times:
April 17 and May 8.
Online: April 17, 4:30-6:30 pm; In person: May 8, 4:30-6:30 pm
Grades 6-12 Educator
April 17 and May 8
Online: April 17, 4:30-6:30 pm; In person: May 8, 4:30-6:30 pm
Course:
Panel by Panel: Understanding Science Concepts Using Graphic Novels and Comics
IN PERSON AT THE MUSEUM
Graphic novels and comics have become tools that help students engage in visual, critical, and creative thinking. In this session, participants will discuss the potential of science-themed graphic novels and comics in helping students explore, understand, and remember various science concepts and practices. Participants will discuss science literacy, sequential art, and visual storytelling, visit the Museum halls to practice close observation, as well as view and analyze various titles provided by the instructors. Participants do not need any experience with drawing to participate in this session. All are welcome!
Museum Facilitator: John Sapida and Jay Holmes
Grade Level:
Grades 6-12 Educator
Dates & Times:
April 20, 2024
10 am – 1 pm
Grades 6-12 Educator
April 20, 2024
10 am – 1 pm
Course:
Spring NGSS Institute 2024: Reimagining Elementary School Science Teaching
IN PERSON AT THE MUSEUM
During this three-day workshop, we will dive deeply into the instructional shifts teachers need to make to support New York State’s new science standards by using a curriculum that is aligned to the standards. We will work to articulate the three dimensions of science teaching and learning presented in the standards and explain how these dimensions work together to support students in sense-making about science phenomena. At the end of the institute each participant will design a phenomenon-based learning experience for their students using the Museum halls.
Museum Facilitators: Adriana Aquino, David Randle, and Bridget Murray
Teacher Facilitator: Marie Suchan (Department of Education)
Grade Level:
Grades K-5 Educator
Dates & Times:
April 22, 2024 - April 24, 2024
9 am – 3 pm
Grades K-5 Educator
April 22, 2024 - April 24, 2024
9 am – 3 pm
Course:
Taking the Scenic Route: The Benefits of 'Slow Looking' on Museum Field Trips
IN PERSON AT THE MUSEUM
Research indicates that on average, museum visitors spend 30 seconds in front of an exhibit. In this session, teachers will participate in an immersive experience in the new Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation focused on helping learners slow down on Museum field trips as a means of building descriptive language, practicing empathy, and connecting with themselves and their peers.
Museum Facilitator: Colleen Owen
Grade Level:
Grades K-12 Educator
Dates & Times:
May 7, 2024
9 am – 3 pm
Grades K-12 Educator
May 7, 2024
9 am – 3 pm
Course:
Using 3D Models to Address Misinterpretations of Phylogenetic Trees
HYBRID
In this three-hour in-person session, we will investigate the Museum’s Collections Core. Spanning three floors, the Collections Core houses fossils, artifacts, specimens, written interpretation (in multiple languages), and digital interactives. By exploring and interacting with the displays, participants will be tasked with finding something that connects to their curriculum. How can this exhibit complement the curriculum taught in the classroom? Through sharing ideas, teams will diversify perspectives, engage with differentiation, and expand their understanding of the Museum as a classroom.
Museum Facilitators: Adriana Aquino and Dave Randle
Grade Level:
Grades K-12 Educator
Dates & Times:
May 15 and 18.
Online: May 15, 5 pm - 7 pm; In person: May 18, 9 am - 1 pm
Grades K-12 Educator
May 15 and 18
Online: May 15, 5 pm - 7 pm; In person: May 18, 9 am - 1 pm
Support for the Museum’s education and evaluation programs is generously provided by a grant from the Bezos Family Foundation.
The Museum’s Education Collection is generously supported by the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation and Elysabeth Kleinhans.