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.
Region 13 ISD Resources
Charlevoix Emmet ISD
Northwest Education Services
Regional Educational Materials Center
Events
REMC Professional Learning Courses
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.
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.
September 11: Applying Google Apps in Chrome
September 11: Digital Tools For Classroom Collaboration
September 11: Engaging Students in a Personalized Classroom
September 11: Exploring Formative Assessment Tools
September 11: Fostering the 4Cs with Literacy and Technology Integration
September 11: Game-based Learning to Build Student Understanding & Engagement
September 11: Helping Struggling Readers
September 11: Integrating Technology Into Your K5 Classroom
Engineering is Elementary
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.
- Better understanding and use of experiential learning with engineering practices
- Build on educators’ supports, knowledge, and experience of engineering practices
- 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:
- Better understand and share healthcare opportunities with students
- Connect with employers and post secondary educators in these fields
- 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.
- Better understand and use of experiential learning with engineering practices
- Build on educators’ supports, knowledge, and experience of engineering practices
- 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
- $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.