MiSTEM Regional Division 13

Professional Learning

Are you looking to expand your knowledge in teaching STEM in the classroom? The MiSTEM Network can help! We curate opportunities and bring them to the northwestern lower Michigan region as educators express interest. Below are opportunities and resources worth exploring as you embark to continue your learning.

 

 

We partner with North Ed for our workshop registration process. The platform used is Unified Talent. It’s free. It does require an account that uses your school email account. Please see below for directions on how to create an account.

Events

REMC Professional Learning Courses

REMC believes in empowering teachers to create high-quality, engaging instructional environments when they have access to the necessary skills, tools, and rich sources of information. They provide educators with free instructor-led courses and events with the opportunity to earn free SCECHs.

The REMC Courses are a place where you can take courses “just to learn” or complete the course and assignments and earn SCECH credits.  All courses are facilitated by Michigan educators. 

Time Commitment: Each course session lasts for three (3) weeks and requires 10 hours of time to complete the work.  This work includes participating in two, one (1) hour webinars OR listening to the pre-recorded webinar plus eight (8) hours for the reading, participation in discussion boards, and written reflection. More info to come.

 
Cost: At NO Cost and open to Michigan school personnel.
 
Where: Online
 

Registration Deadline September 7th. Through the support of REMC SAVE’s vendor partners, all courses are FREE and there are no SCECH fees. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn, connect, collaborate and grow with REMC courses.

Engineering is Elementary

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Teacher Benefits: $50 Stipend, Dinner, Access to most EiE kits and materials, 4 SCECHs

 

Cost: At NO Cost to NWL Educators

 

When: Thursday, October 12, 5:00-7:00 pm

 

Location: Online

Engineering is Elementary is a hands-on literacy based approach to engineering in the elementary classroom. Join us for an Engineering Design Challenge in Water Filtration that you could take back to your classroom. We will explore the engineering design process and how it connects to NGSS. 

 

We strongly encourage you to also sign up for the EiE Career Connection on October 12th at the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Traverse City for some more hands-on learning and some real-world connections.

 

  1. Better understanding and use of experiential learning with engineering practices
  2. Build on educators’ supports, knowledge, and experience of engineering practices
  3. Connect with employers around engineering careers and apply engineering career concepts with students.

Hands-on Healthcare for Counselors and Educators

Teacher Benefits:

  • Breakfast Provided if come early for the NMC counselor breakfast (separate registration for breakfast)
  • Access to post-secondary education professionals healthcare employees
  • 2 SCECHs (career or general)

Cost: At NO Cost to NWL Educators

 

When: Wednesday, September 27, 9:30-11:30 am

 

Location: NMC

Hands On Healthcare is a career and college readiness event designed to help counselors and teachers better understand the tasks and careers related to healthcare jobs. This session is an opportunity for counselors and educators to learn about these opportunities and discuss how they can share this knowlege with students. 

 

During this unique experience, counselors and educators will get a taste of what it is like to put sealants on teeth, help deliver a baby (simulation), set up and use some surgical tools, test breathing capability, learn more about anatomy, and learn how to fix a piece of medical equipment.

 

Participants will:

  1. Better understand and share healthcare opportunities with students 
  2. Connect with employers and post secondary educators in these fields 
  3. Leave with more information and resources for learning and sharing with students

EIE: Career Connection

Teacher Benefits: $50 Stipend, Dinner, Access to most EiE kits and materials, 2 SCECHs (career or general)

 

Cost: At NO Cost to NWL Educators

 

When: Wednesday, October 4th, 5:00-7:00 pm

 

Location: Traverse City Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, 400 Boardman Avenue, Traverse City, MI 49684

Engineering is Elementary is a hands-on literacy based approach to engineering in the elementary classroom. Join us for an Engineering Design Challenge that you could take back to your classroom. Learn more about career pathways in wastewater treatment and testing. Discuss with other educators how you can support the future problem solvers in your classrooms. 

 

  1. Better understand and use of experiential learning with engineering practices
  2. Build on educators’ supports, knowledge, and experience of engineering practices 
  3. Connect with employers around engineering careers and apply engineering career concepts with students.

Things to keep in mind:

  • Wear closed-toed shoes while at the Wastewater Treatment plant.
  • Space is limited. Sign up ASAP

ISEA: (MEECS) Ecosystems and Biodiversity

Who: Educators looking to grow classroom connections to the environment

 

Grades: Upper Elementary through High School

 

Cost: At NO Cost to NWL Educators

 

When: Oct 17, 5-7 p.m. and Oct 24, 5-7 p.m. Both nights are required to complete the workshop.

 

Location: TBD

Explore ways to connect hands-on and outdoor inquiry activities into your ecosystems, biodiversity, and life science curriculum, or learn ways to integrate environmental education into your ELA, social studies, or math classes with the Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Supports (MEECS) Ecosystems and Biodiversity lessons. MEECS is aligned to MS science standards and incorporates locally-relevant examples of global phenomena. Lessons invite you to view and catalog your schoolyard ecosystem, explore what makes Michigan (and your county) special, and discuss hot Michigan topics like windmills, light pollution, and forest fires. The inclusion of current State of Michigan reports and local weather data expose students to authentic science and career opportunities, and provide opportunities to scale lessons for high school-aged learners, while gamification and open-ended inquiry make the lessons accessible for upper elementary. 

 

Many activities can be run indoors or out and are natural extensions of common classroom experiments. Bring your curiosity and enthusiasm to this workshop with Trisha Smrecak from Inland Seas Education Association, an outdoor educator with over a decade of experience teaching folks of all ages. Educators from all grade levels will take away indoor and outdoor activities that you can incorporate into your class, as well as most of the materials needed to run them. 

Computer Science Professional Learning Network

Computer Science (CS) is a foundational skill that every student needs to have knowledge about. It is a great way to teach critical thinking, problem-solving, sequencing, and communication skills. Come connect with local educators on how they incorporate it into the classroom. It’s not as tough or scary as it sounds. Reach out to Drea Weiner, aweiner@northwested.org if you’d like to join.

 

When: 2023-2024 dates coming soon

 

Location: Contact Drea Weiner

 

Cost: At NO COST to Northwestern Lower MiSTEM Network Educators, the MiSTEM Network Advisory Council Grant is funding this endeavor.

ArcGIS Educator Accounts

Build interactive web maps with ArcGIS Online, Esri’s web-based mapping software. Gain new perspectives and enhanced details as you interact with data, zoom in, and search on the map. Use smart, data-driven mapping styles and intuitive analysis tools to gain location intelligence. Work effectively across your organization by collaboratively building and using maps. Share your insights with specific people or the entire world. Reach out to Drea Weiner, if you would like to have an account.

 

Cost: At NO Cost for Educators

Sleeping Bear Dunes: Teacher-Ranger-Teachers

The nationwide Teacher-Ranger-Teacher (TRT) program is a unique professional development opportunity for educators to gain hands-on experience during the summer working side by side with park interpreters, researchers, law enforcement rangers, resource managers, maintenance rangers, and other specialists.
 
If selected, you will receive training, gain knowledge and experience, and work at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore for eight weeks between June and August. Then, take your experiences back to the classroom to share with your students. Benefits:
  • $3,000 stipend
  • 3 Graduate credits from the University of Colorado, Denver (CU Denver).
  • Professional development providing a wide range of new knowledge and skills through working with park staff and partners
  • Gain access to an extensive array of teaching resources and tools to enhance classroom curriculum in multiple content areas
  • Begin or extend a personal and professional connection with national parks
  • Housing in the park (if needed). Government housing is in, or near, Empire, MI, and is shared with one or more seasonal staff members.

Sturgeon in the Classroom Info Session

Educators and Administrators interested in incorporating Sturgeon into your school communities – The Grand Traverse Band  has Nme Teachings designed for middle school and up to 9th grade science in their Niigaandiwin Education Department. Teachers can experience sturgeon rearing with their students. Little Traverse Bay Band curriculum developers to learn about the ins and outs of raising sturgeon in a school setting. Reach out to Dorothy Perry and Amanda Weinert for more information.
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