NMSSI: Graduate Courses for Science Teachers

NMSSI GEOS 898 Geology of our Solar System 2011 - Making comets with Dr. Mindi Searls (right)
NMSSI GEOS 898 Geology of our Solar System 2011 - Making comets with Dr. Mindi Searls (right)

NMSSI fellowships available for science teachers to take graduate courses

Are you thinking about taking a graduate course this summer? Do you know a science teacher who is looking for professional development opportunities?

Courses being offered by the Nebraska Math and Science Summer Institutes at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln during the months of June and July provide a superb opportunity for grades 6-12 science teachers to deepen their knowledge of science and the teaching of science, thereby benefiting the students they teach.

Thanks to the generosity of the Pfizer Corporation and the Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, the NMSSI have set aside 29 fellowships for $400 each for science teachers who register in MyRed for one of the four courses listed below by May 18! (They must also complete the brief NMSSI Fellowship Application online.)

Combined with the 20 percent discount awarded to all Nebraska teachers, this enables science teachers to take a 3-credit hour, graduate level course for only $260 in tuition (plus fees) – compared with more than $825 for standard in-state, graduate tuition.

Please encourage science teachers to consider registering for one of these four courses by forwarding them this email or send them to our website, http://scimath.unl.edu/nmssi.

Teachers can apply for this NMSSI Fellowship online (please indicate in your uploaded letter that you are a science teacher who heard about this $400 fellowship offer). The fellowship application site is the last step in the enrollment process, which can be found summarized in four simple steps on our Web page: http://scimath.unl.edu/nmssi.

Again, please complete course registration and the fellowship application by May 18 for consideration for the $400 fellowship. Visit our website http://scimath.unl.edu/nmssi for our complete course catalog for this summer as well as steps on how to enroll and apply for tuition assistance. Contact Lindsay Augustyn at laugustyn2@unl.edu with questions.

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NMSSI SCIENCE COURSES:

CHEM 898: Matter Matters: Chemistry, Society & Popular Culture (Class # 3385)
June 4-8, 2012 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

The goal of this course is to generate enthusiasm for chemistry among young people. The course will explore many ways to increase the appreciation of chemistry among both science-interested and non-science-interested students. One focus will be chemistry as an intellectual enterprise that is deeply embedded in our society, with references and imagery from popular culture. A few low-cost, safe, and effective laboratory exercises will be introduced. Instructor: Mark Griep, Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

GEOS 898: Methods in Geoscience Field Instruction (Class # 7617)
June 8-23, 2012 (June 8, meet on campus, June 9 depart at 8 a.m., June 23 return by 5 p.m.)

A 15-day, inquiry-based geology field course in which participants will enhance their inquiry skills and experience learning (and camping) in the great outdoors across Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. The primary aim of this course is to improve educators’ ability to teach inquiry, gain knowledge and understanding of geoscience, and to demonstrate effective teaching methods for 6-12 learning environments. Participants will discover, observe and study a variety of natural phenomena, focusing on Earth processes and geological history. Enrollment is limited to 12. Instructor: David Harwood, Dept. of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

GEOS 898: Geology of North America (Class # 8022)
July 9-13 and 16-20, 2012 (1 p.m. to 5 p.m.)

This course will discuss how the geology of the North American continent contains classic examples of nearly every geologic process that has acted to form the crust of the Earth (e.g. the San Andreas Fault, Yellowstone National Park, Nebraska Sandhills) and will explore the processes of plate tectonics and the way that the surface of the Earth (and life thereon) has evolved throughout geologic time. Instructor: Cara Burberry, Dept. of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

GEOS 898: Exploring the Geology of our Solar System (Class # 8868)
June 18-22 and 25-29, 2012 (8 a.m. to noon)

The goal of this course is to offer a broad overview of planetary science to improve educators’ knowledge and understanding of the processes which shape the surfaces of the terrestrial bodies in our solar system. This course is designed to take you beyond the typical classroom lecture and book approach to highlight educational tools and inquiry based teaching methods that can be integrated into the K-12 learning environment. Instructor: Mindi Searls, Dept. of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

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Be a life-long learner.
Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education

More details at: http://go.unl.edu/zsk
 

NMSSI Benefits and How to Enroll

NMSSI GEOS 898 with Dr. David HarwoodFor all NMSSI courses, Nebraska teachers automatically qualify for a fellowship equal to 20 percent of the cost of in-state tuition and the $50 fee for graduate school admission is waived. Additional fellowships are available on a competitive basis. Lunch is also provided. Continue reading…

More details at: http://go.unl.edu/boa
 
Originally published May 7, 2012 - Submit an Item