SMT598
Section 1: Learning Mathematics with Excel
Through
this course, students will learn many features of Excel that make it a powerful
learning tool. Students will participate in, and design, activities
to promote mathematical understanding.
Target audience: Pre-service or in-service middle or high school
mathematics and science teachers.
Taught by: Robert
Franzosa, Professor of Mathematics
Initial
meetings: Wednesday
and Thursday afternoons
SMT598 Section 2:
UV-Spectroscopy: Compounds,
Color and Concentration
This
course will teach the basics of UV-visible spectroscopy with applications
to determination of chemical concentration and identification of chemical
compounds. Participants will adapt existing curriculum
materials to their own needs and will have access to instrumentation for their
students.
Target audience: Science teachers in grades 7-12.
Taught by: Mitchell Bruce and Francois Amar, Associate Professors of Chemistry
Initial
meetings: Thursday and Friday
mornings
SMT598 Section 3:
Data Data Everywhere! Making sense of environmental inquiry in a sea
of online data
This
course includes how to locate, download, and learn from environmental data
available on the Web. Participants will learn science and technology
skills needed to answer original and meaningful questions by downloading and
interpreting different kinds of data about
Target audience: In-service and pre-service middle and high school
science or mathematics teachers, Maine Learning Technology Initiative teachers,
and environmental educators at public and private environmental education
institutions.
Taught by: Molly Schauffler,
Assistant Professor, Climate Change Institute and Center for Science and Mathematics
Education Research (Adjunct)
Initial
meetings: Wednesday
afternoon through
SMT598
Section 4: Using Computer Tools to Diagnose Student Reasoning
This course will
make use computer-based diagnostic instructional tools for middle and high
school teachers and students. These tools, which include web-served assessments,
are aligned with National Standards and Benchmarks in science and mathematics.
Resources in this project have been developed and tested by teachers and are
based on research into the teaching and learning of math and science.
The program, DIAGNOSER, is designed for formative assessments (e.g.,
assessments to inform learning and instruction rather than assign scores.)
Students receive feedback on their thinking as they work through their assignment.
Teachers can access reports on students' thinking related to the assigned
content. Participants will learn the software tools and
how to implement them in their courses.
Target audience: In-service and pre-service secondary and middle
school science and mathematics teachers.
Taught by: Michael Wittmann,
Assistant Professor of Physics and Cooperating Assistant Professor of Education
Initial
meetings: Wednesday and
Thursday afternoons
SMT598 Section 5:
Geometer’s Sketchpad for Standards-Based Middle School Mathematics
In
this course we will examine and develop Geometer’s
Sketchpad activities that directly address topics in the Connected Mathematics Project curriculum.
We
will also investigate available research results that support student learning
through technologies such as Geometer’s
Sketchpad and through standards based-curricula such as the Connected Mathematics Project.
The
teacher-participants in the course will work in pairs on a curriculum piece
which they implement and assess in their classroom during fall 2006. The teacher-participants
will subsequently report out to the rest of the class about their curriculum
project (either face to face or using distance-education technology) and will
create web materials which would enable other teachers to learn about their
project and contact them if interested in implementing the curriculum.
Target audience: Middle school in-service and pre-service mathematics
and science teachers
Taught by: Robert
Franzosa, Professor of Mathematics
Initial
meetings: Wednesday
and Thursday afternoons
SMT598 Section 6:
Using Data Acquisition Tools to Enhance Learning in Secondary Physical
Science
Connecting real-world
events to the physics (such as the motion of an object or the changing temperature
of a fluid) is often difficult for students. Decades of research has shown that well-designed
instructional materials can help students gain much deeper insight into processes
and events that were previously hard to observe or calculate. The software does the tedious work, the students
do the thinking. Participants in this workshop will work with data acquisition
software (DataStudio from
Target audience: In-service and pre-service physical science
teachers
Taught by: Michael Wittmann,
Assistant Professor of Physics and Cooperating Assistant Professor of Education
Initial
meetings: Thursday
and Friday mornings
SMT598 Section 7: Real-Time Data Collection
Software Use in Algebra, Pre-Calculus, and Calculus
Logger Pro is
a real-time data collection and analysis software. In this
course we will examine and develop activities using Logger Pro to investigate
rates of change in a variety of applications, beginning with the basic idea
of the slope of a line, working our way up through the concept of second differences
(rates of change of rates of change) and its implication on the shape of graphs
of functions. We will also investigate
available research results that address student understanding of rates of
change and that support student learning through data collection and analysis
software. Participants in the course will work in pairs on a curriculum piece
which they implement and assess in their classroom during fall 2006. They
will subsequently report out to the rest of the class about their curriculum
project and create web materials which would enable other teachers to learn
about their project.
Target audience: Middle and high school in-service and pre-service mathematics teachers
Taught by: Robert Franzosa, Professor of
Mathematics
Initial
meetings: Thursday and Friday
mornings
Aquaculture Workshop:
Domestication of Aquatic Organisms
This
mini-workshop (3 days) is designed to provide middle and high school level
educators with background information and a conceptual framework for using
aquaculture as a hands-on tool for teaching science.
The workshop will include topics such as, 1) working with small scale
aquaculture systems (aquariums) for classroom based demonstrations of basic
aquariology, water chemistry, filtration (biological,
chemical, mechanical), the aquatic food web, and the biology of different
types of aquatic organisms, 2) gaining experience with the tools and techniques
for monitoring an aquaculture system, 3) learning about and developing links
to aquaculture research programs at The University of Maine and elsewhere
in the state.
To
boost production, the aquaculture industry has turned to both traditional
applied breeding programs and the use of biotechnology.
In recent years, however, a tremendous amount of controversy has arisen
over the production and marketing of “genetically modified organisms” (GMOs).
Yet, what constitutes a genetically
modified organism is not always clear or easily defined. This institute will 1) introduce teachers to
basic genetic concepts that historically have formed the cornerstone of genetic
improvement programs and which are used in aquaculture research programs at
the University of Maine, 2) help educators gain experience in using computer
software for classroom demonstration of these principles, and 3) establish
links that will allow teachers and their students to work “in-silico” with aquaculture and applied breeding programs research
programs at UMaine.
This
workshop will be held at the Schoodic Education
and
Presented by: Dr. Paul Rawson,