This site is no longer active.

Engaging Middle School Girls in Math and Science Professional development that fits your schedule Are some girls in your classes tuning out of math or science? Are you wondering why there are still so few women in math, science, or technology careers and how can you help your students get there? Do you want to learn how to effectively reach girls of color, girls who are learning English, or girls with disabilities? Have your wondered how to increase interest and achievement for all students? Are you looking for ways to exchange ideas with other math or science educators? Here's an exciting opportunity to join with middle school educators and explore ways to increase girls' interest and participation in math and science and develop equitable classrooms that support learning for both girls and boys. Our online professional development allows you to fit discussions, activities, and reflection into your busy schedule. Listen to what others who have taken the course say about it: "Whether you are a newly certified teacher or a seasoned veteran, this course will heighten your sensitivity to equity issues in the classroom." "This course provides a wonderful opportunity for educators around the country. The WEEA Equity Resource Center provides the primary information and the stucture, while classmates provide rich information based on their experiences. And the convenience of an online class makes it possible for anyone to participate, regardless of their schedule." "The content of the course was exceptional and provided a great deal of information that could be used to think more deeply about these issues on an individual basis." This course builds on the premise that math and science represent useful skills and approaches to addressing life experiences regardless of whether they lead to careers in these fields. You'll meet with colleagues online to explore ways to create classrooms that are supportive of girls' successes in math and science. Building on what teachers already know about good instructional practice, this course addresses the unique social and academic needs of girls. Through this course you'll gain new insights into how to increase the interest of middle school girls in math and science, to support their achievement so that they continue to pursue math and science courses in high school, and provide them with the foundation to pursue a variety of options at the college level. Course participants  explore unconscious biases into which individuals are socialized and that permeate instructional practice  examine hidden gender-based assumptions in the MST curriculum  examine good instructional practice that recognizes the unique needs of students who are girls of color, English Language Learners (ELL), and/or have disabilities  try resources such as tools, materials, and role models that enable teachers to be more inclusive in their representation of good math, science, and technology practices learn how to build family and community support that values girls' successes in math, science, and technology  meet and explore the subject with colleagues, share research information, reflective exercises, and lots of good discussion  If you are interested in being notified about upcoming offerings of this course, contact us at cnewson@edc.org. The course has eight class sessions.       Hands-on tutorial       Session 1: Gender in math and science classrooms       Session 2: Equitable expectations and interactions       Session 3: Equitable teaching strategies       Session 4: Counteracting bias in math and science curricula       Session 5: Equity in assessment       Session 6: Power, empowerment and competence       Session 7: Family and community support       Session 8: Final student presentations All you need to participate is access to the Internet, an e-mail address, and your commitment to girls' success in math and science. You can register as an individual, as part of a team from a school, or as part of a team from an entire district.   Start date: Tutorial starts To be announced Course length Nine weeks; comparable to a 24-hour course Course requirements (1) a minimum of 3 hours online per session; (2) post at least 3 messages per session (3) prepare and present a final project online; and (4) participate in an ongoing evaluation of the course. Professional Development Points   College Credit   For information on requirements for professional development points in your state, contact your district or state education department. Participants seeking course credit can receive 1 college credit (either undergraduate or graduate) through Antioch University for this course. To enroll for course credit, indicate at which level you wish to participate where appropriate on the registration form and include an additional $40 (per person) as part of your payment. In addition to regular course requirements, there are other specific requirements for the final project if you choose this option. Please contact us for more details. Fee $400 for individual registrations $60 per person for team registrations Includes course material Add $40 per person for College Credit Enrollment Limited to 20 with a minimum of 15 participants needed Registration deadline To be announced Please complete and submit the online registration form, and print out and mail or fax the payment form. Participants will not be officially registered until payment is received.  Engaging Middle School Girls in Math and Science is produced by the WEEA Equity Resource Center under contract with the U.S Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Women's Educational Equity Act. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Education and no official endorsement should be inferred. For more information, call us at (617) 618-2925 or e-mail us at sflansburg@edc.org ****** Registration Last name:  First name:  School address:  Mailing address (where you want to receive information):  E-mail address you will be using for the course:  Telephone number where you want to receive messages:  Grade(s)/cluster(s) in which you teach: Subject area(s) you teach:  Describe your students. Please give demographic information (percentage of girls, boys, ethnicity, socioeconomic class). Indicate which groups are doing well and which are not.  Number of years you have taught: Do you consider your school urban suburban rural   Please check those teaching/assessment strategies/tools you have used (check all that apply) cooperative learning inquiry-based science math manipulatives calculators portfolio assessments project-based learning other (please describe) Do you use computers in your classroom? yes no  If yes, for what purposes?  Will you be using a computer at school, or at home, or both to participate in this online seminar? Have you previously participated in any online discussions? yes no  If yes, what did you find useful? What difficulties or barriers did you experience?  Are you interested in taking this course for professional development credit? yes no Are you interested in taking this course for a undergraduate college credit? yes no Are you interested in taking this course for a graduate college credit? yes no Are you taking this course as part of a school team? yes (name the other members of your team) no How did you hear about this course? Thank you!