Opportunities
Professional development
English teachers spring conference
The Minnesota Council of Teachers of English will hold its spring conference in person April 28-29 in Duluth.
The conference will be a time to reflect, learn and be in community with other English, literacy and language arts teachers and will feature keynotes from University of Minnesota professor Timothy Lensmire; poet, organizer and educator Tish Jones; Carleton College professor Deborah Appleman; and award-winning author Kao Kalia Yang.
Find more information on the conference and how to register at www.mcte.org/events/spring-conference.
New science standards workshops
Educators who will now be teaching earth science under the new state standards are invited to participate in professional development on the new benchmarks and teaching strategies.
ESTEP is a fast paced, one week, bootcamp style, regional workshop that focuses on geology and hydrology and what educators will need to start making the shift to science sense-making with their students. Summer workshops will take place June 28-July 1 at Minnesota State University, Mankato and July 25-29 at Minnesota State University, Moorhead.
Find out more about the programs and how to register at www.mnsta.org/cgi/page.cgi/ESTEP_for_Secondary_Teachers.html.
Free Holocaust studies seminar
“Honoring Resilience: Learning From the Holocaust and the Dakota Exile” will be held July 10-16 at Saint Cloud State University.
Sponsored by The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights, with additional support provided by Mt. Zion Temple, the Jewish Community Relations Council, and the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Education at SCSU, the seminar itself is free of charge to participants. Attendees will explore lessons and activities for teaching about the Holocaust and Minnesota’s Dakota exile through personal testimonies and place-based experiences, including day trips to Mount Zion Temple and Dakota sites such as Oheyawahi (near Pilot Knob).
Participants will receive copies of relevant texts, other resources, and 65 continuing education units. Attendees will also be eligible to apply for classroom mini grants of up to $1,000 following completion of the seminar.
Most meals and transportation to day trip sites will be provided. Low-cost dorm housing will be available for those traveling from further distances who need overnight accommodations.
For further information, email merrymeltz@gmail.com. To apply, go to www.toli.us/satellite-program/st-paul.
Summer science institutes
Hamline University is offering two free summer institutes for teachers of science.
The three-day WaterWorks Institute allows teachers to enrich their water-related curricula by learning from experts on how safe drinking water is produced while experiencing a host of water resources and activities for the classroom.
For detailed information and online application, please visit https://www.hamline.edu/academics/college-schools/education/continuing-studies.
The three-day River Institute is aimed at third- through eighth-grade teachers looking to engage students in STEM disciplines through experiential, inquiry-based investigations at local watersheds.
For more information on the River Institute, go to https://www.hamline.edu/academics/college-schools/education/continuing-studies.
