Single Session Workshops
Geologic Field Study of Central Park Facilitators: Rich Lebowitz and MƒA Master Teacher Carolina Castro-Skehan
sustainability, equity, and green chemistry principles as they develop the skills and knowledge to update their chemistry curricula in topics such as Le Chatelier’s
explore why we should foster classroom environments
THURSDAY, SEP 30
Principle, exothermic and endothermic reactions,
where students feel loved and valued while learning
OFFSITE
and acid-base chemistry. Bring your own goggles as
STEM. Teachers will build upon the practical examples
SCIENCE
we delve into sample lab activities and discuss how
shared to understand how they can develop their
Let’s take a trip to Central Park, an incredible outdoor
each can be updated through a green equity lens. All
own humanizing approaches to STEM teaching and
teaching laboratory, to unearth clues about New
chemistry teachers are welcome.
learning. While this course is best suited for elementary
York City’s geologic history. The goal of this outdoor
Scott Carlson is a science teacher at W. H. Maxwell Career and Technical
and middle school teachers, all teachers who want
workshop is for teachers to become familiar with the
Education High School in Brooklyn.
to understand and strengthen their culturally relevant
various outcrops, formations, and evidence of glaciation
Andrea Steele is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at East New
and responsive teaching mindsets and practices are
scattered throughout the park in order to plan their own
York Family Academy in Brooklyn.
welcome!
geologic field study or virtual field trip for their students.
Dr. Tia C. Madkins is an assistant professor of STEM Education at
During this field lab, we will experience the lab as
The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Madkins’ research focuses on
students, taking photos, collecting data, and answering
supporting PK-16 educators to engage equity-focused teaching
questions in provided lab booklets, as we walk
practices to transform STEM classrooms for minoritized learners. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Biology and master’s degree in Science
throughout the park observing geologic formations.
Education, she taught elementary and middle school students in Los
We will also use smartphone-mounted microscopes to
Angeles and Oakland, California.
observe mineral crystals found in local bedrock. The
The Higgs Mechanism and How It Shaped the Universe Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Joshua Ilany and Nathaniel Wight WEDNESDAY, DEC 15 MƒA
field evidence we explore will help students conclude
SCIENCE
that glaciers covered New York City during our last ice
You may have heard about the Higgs boson and how it
age. This workshop is intended for all Earth Science
gives mass to other particles, but did you know that the
teachers and geo-enthusiasts.
Higgs mechanism also gave us light, electromagnetism,
THURSDAY, OCT 14
Carolina Castro-Skehan is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher
and the weak force? Until the universe cooled to a paltry
ONLINE
at Comprehensive Model School Project M.S. 327 in the Bronx.
quadrillion °C, causing a symmetry of the Higgs field
INQUIRY, PRACTICE, AND LEADERSHIP
Rich Lebowitz is a science teacher at South Side Middle School in
to “spontaneously break,” none of these existed and
If you teach students who have individualized education
Rockville Centre, NY.
all other particles were massless. In this workshop, we
Gaining A Deeper Understanding of Students Through Their IEPs p Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Diana Chan
will explore the concept and examples of spontaneous
plans (IEPs), reading through their IEPs can be an intimidating task. In this workshop, we will explore the information teachers can glean from the IEP, review special education terms and acronyms, and dive into the components of the IEP by logging onto NYC DOE SESIS to view and unpack our students’ IEPs. The objective of this workshop is to assist general education teachers across all grade levels to gain a better understanding of
Green Chemistry: Elevate Student Engagement and the Environment Facilitators: Scott Carlson and MƒA Master Teacher Andrea Steele
symmetry breaking in the context of more familiar phenomena, like magnetism, before applying it to the Higgs mechanism itself. We will use graphs and mathematical analysis to discover how a Higgs-like field
THURSDAY, NOV 18
fractures at “low” temperatures into pieces – particles –
MƒA
with varying properties, and how these affect the other
SCIENCE
particles. We’ll conclude by exploring the implications of
IEPs and how to use them to best serve their students.
Do you want to sustain student engagement while also
the Higgs mechanism on the long-term stability of the
Diana Chan is an MƒA Master Teacher and mathematics teacher at
sustaining the environment? You can do both through a
universe. This workshop is best suited for teachers with
Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Queens.
pedagogical shift to green chemistry. From Silent Spring
a basic familiarity of complex numbers and fields who
to household products, ocean plastics to sneakers, join
want a deeper understanding of the Higgs boson and its
us as we contextualize chemistry through real-world
role in our understanding of the universe.
examples and culturally relevant education. In this
Joshua Ilany is an MƒA Master Teacher and science teacher at The Bronx
interactive workshop, teachers will learn how to bridge
High School of Science in the Bronx.
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MƒA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE CATALOG: FALL 2021
