KTU Teacher/Educator Workshop Available!

Due to the weather, we had to cancel our January KTU educator workshop.  It has been rescheduled for March 22-23.  See the event information and register at the link below.  Agents, teachers, educators, etc. are all welcome to attend!  Funding for half-day substitutes for the first 15 participants to register.  Please contact Dr. Kathleen Jamison ( jamisonk@vt.edu ) with any questions or concerns!

The Workshop:
  Virginia 4-H is helping teachers make STEM learning fun and engaging for students through a hands-on, experiential workshop offered as part of Kids’ Tech University.
• provides opportunities to build STEM knowledge and skills in the area of crystal formation
  and composition
• encourages student interest in geoscience-related fields.
• explores essential questions: "How are bones and skeletons formed from crystals?" and
  "How do organic and inorganic crystal structures compare?"
    Workshop leaders will work with graduate students to deliver relevant and interesting science activities using best-practice education strategies:
• Dr. Kathleen Jamison (4-H Youth Development and Informal Learning Specialist) • Dr. Patricia Dove (Renowned Geosciences Professor) • Dr. Lindsey Kolbus (Professor of Minerology) • Llyn Sharp (Geosciences Outreach Coordinator)

•Who: Teachers of 3rd- 7th grade interested in STEM and Earth Science topics
•When: Dates & Times
  Friday, March 22, 2013, 1:00pm - 5:00pm
• receive coaching on the research topic and an introduction to activities during teacher-
   training session
   Saturday, March 23, 2013, 8:30am - 4:30pm
• participate with the children and researcher in an interactive discussion 
• debrief with researcher • practice hands-on learning activities with children and their parents. Geoscience professors/grad students will serve as coaches and mentors at this time. 
• make activity modifications based on classroom needs • develop plan for classroom application As a result of the workshops, students have the opportunity for exposure to current and relevant research. They will benefit from their teacher’s ability to connect research back to classroom content standards through intentional programming.
• Where: Campus, Virginia Tech; Meet at Virginia Bioinformatics, Room 325

• Cost: No cost to participate! 12 recertification points offered. Funding for half-day substitutes available for the first 15 participants to register.

• Deadline: Registration ends March 17, 2013- see registration link: https://survey.vt.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1360601956561

Teachers will be given a take home packet of activities with which they will have had practice with and be able to implement immediately.

SOL’s reinforcement that we have targeted thus far – teachers will have an opportunity to make additional connections to extend application of standards. The activities fit especially well with third grade, but could be used as a review as an anchor for expansion in later grades.

3rd Grade
§  3.1 and  a,b,g,j,l,m; emphasize the development of inquiry skills with context of topic and processes used 
§  3.3 a,b,c Matter 
§  3.4 b. Life Processes

4rd Grade
§  4.1 a, b, m
§  4.5 Will touch on community –ecosystem-habitats and niches

5th Grade
§  5.1 a. classification
§  5.5 b,c

6th Grade
§  6.4 g (oceans)