The fellowship application is now open for the 20 graduate courses this summer through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Nebraska Math and Science Summer Institutes. Visit our course catalog here: https://scimath.unl.edu/nmssi/2021/course-catalog. From network science to epidemiology, several new courses for middle-level and secondary teachers bring exciting elective options for this summer’s offerings.
We encourage teachers to “learn in place” again, as travel is not necessary for taking NMSSI courses in Summer 2021. To be as flexible with scheduling as possible, most courses are synchronous online (web conferencing) over one or two weeks. As follows are a few courses we would like to bring attention to:
Elementary:
* Math 803P: Algebraic Thinking for the Elementary Classroom (K-5), July 5-16, M-F, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
Discussion will revolve around student understanding of Algebraic properties of mathematics as participants examine case studies, video segments and student work samples. Participants will explore instructional strategies for fostering Algebraic thinking that are appropriate for both the primary (K-2) and intermediate (3-5) elementary classrooms.
* Math 896: Elementary STEM (K-6), June 7-18, M-F, 8 a.m.-noon
Teachers will learn to leverage science explorations to provide context and meaning to mathematics instruction in the elementary classroom, while also supporting children’s learning of science. Participants will engage in integrated science/math experiences, deepen their knowledge of concepts needed to integrate math and science in their own classrooms, and learn how to develop rich, integrated lessons to engage children in meaningful and memorable learning experiences.
* GEOS 898: Weather, Climate and Climate Change, June 21-July 2, 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
This course will cover the scientific principles that govern our planet's weather and climate, and will demonstrate ways to teach these concepts to students using experiments and observations. Participants will leave the course with the confidence, knowledge and resources to teach their students about weather, climate, and climate change.
Middle-level and Secondary:
* Math 807T: Using Math to Understand our World, June 28-July 2, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (Note: Course will meet synchronously for one week with all remaining projects finished over several weeks asynchronously.)
This course will examine the mathematics underlying several socially relevant questions from a variety of academic disciplines. Mathematical models of problems will be constructed and studied using a variety of topics and basic skills in algebra, functions, statistics and probability. Sources will include original documentation whenever possible (such as government data, reports and research papers) in order to provide a sense of the very real role that mathematics plays in society.
* SOCI 898: Using Systems Thinking in Network Science, June 7-18, 8 a.m.-noon (note: primary audience is middle-level; tuition and fees for this course will be fully covered with completed NMSSI Summer 2021 Fellowship application)
This course is open to any teachers of math, science or computer science, with the primary audience of middle level teachers. Full tuition fellowships will be available from the Worlds of Connections grant. This course is intended for STEM teachers, who will: apply concepts of network science to systems and system models; explore activities designed to help students understand systems, systems models, and how network science concepts can reveal how systems operate; understand modeling situations and careers that intersect with network science; understand key concepts and terms related to systems and system models; apply concepts of systems and system models to teacher professional networks, student networks, and how network connections impact teacher and student learning and risk-taking; and explore developmentally appropriate phenomena with wide relevance to secondary students for applying systems and systems models.
* BIOS 897: Evolution in Action, July 5-16, M-F, afternoons live on Zoom for 2-4 hours per day
This graduate course for science teachers will review major evolutionary principles, investigate the importance of the Nature of Science in the teaching and learning of evolutionary biology, and help teachers build a framework for developing an inquiry-based approach to teaching evolutionary biology.
* ASTR 870T: Phenomena of Planetary Satellites, June 21-July 2, M-F, 10 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m.
This is a professional development course aimed at middle school and high school teachers. It will survey phenomena related to moons in our solar system. Although Earth’s moon will receive the largest focus, we will also explore the moons of other planets in our solar system. The phenomena to be explored include phases; eclipses; tides and tidal heating; orbital dynamic processes such as circularization of an orbit and synchronous rotation; and resonance with other objects. We will also explore sufficient planetary geology to discuss interesting characteristics of the moons. Special attention will be given to the 2017 eclipse and what was learned related to instructional pedagogy as well as informal science. We will use the lessons learned to plan similar efforts related to the upcoming eclipse of April 2024. Although the focus of the course is on science content, we will make use of multiple interactive pedagogies commonly used in college courses and explore and discuss the underlying motivations, requirements, strengths, and weaknesses of each. The pedagogies include computer simulation usage; desktop planetarium usage; peer instruction; lecture tutorials; and ranking, sorting, and matching tasks.
Secondary:
* Math 816T: Math in the City for Teachers, June 7-18, M-F, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. then asynchronous from June 21-July 2 (note: this course is 5 weeks)
This course culminates in a group project about COVID-19 using real data and information from local organizations and experts in epidemiology and virology. The course is designed for teachers with secondary certification in mathematics; experience with coding is recommended, though some instruction will be provided. The synchronous part of the course will focus on developing/reviewing background information needed to complete the project and will be followed by 3 weeks of group work. Participants should expect to meet synchronously in small groups 4-6 times per week at an agreed upon time until the projects are complete.
NMSSI Fellowships, typically $300 per course, can further reduce the cost of one web conferencing course to $590.15 or one asynchronous online course to $896. Current Nebraska classroom teachers will apply for NMSSI Fellowships at https://go.unl.edu/scimathapply. Start by creating an account on our CSMCE Application Portal.
The Benefits of the NMSSI:
• Each course is worth 3 graduate credit hours
• Courses will be offered utilizing several instructional models to allow for flexibility in scheduling
• Enroll in one simple application as a post-bac student at https://go.unl.edu/gradapp
• Teachers can apply for a tuition fellowship from the NMSSI: https://go.unl.edu/scimathapply
Take advantage of these professional development opportunities conveniently and affordably. Join the NMSSI community and “learn in place!” Contact us at nebraskamath@unl.edu with questions.
More details at: https://scimath.unl.edu/nmssi/2021/course-catalog