Are you a science teaching and learning leader in your building or your district? Do you have a desire to build the capacity of other science teachers and strengthen the science community across the state of Mississippi? If this is you, please see the following opportunity.
The Mississippi Department of Education’s Office of Secondary Education in conjunction with WestEd’s Making Sense of SCIENCE professional learning program is conducting a five-day facilitator prep academy set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 13-19, at the Jackson Public School District’s School Board Meeting Room located at 621 South State St., Jackson, MS 39201. Registration will be open from Oct. 6 – Nov. 3. Selected participants will be notified no later than Nov. 6.
The facilitation prep academy for science teacher leaders includes the Science & Engineering Practices (SEP) course focused on asking questions, modeling, argumentation, and explanation, and the Crosscutting Concept (CCC) course focused on patterns, cause and effect, and structure and function. Together, these courses offer the tools and skill base that can help to develop a cadre of future facilitators capable of providing high-quality science professional learning across the state of Mississippi and serve as a foundation for the Mississippi Science Matters Initiative.
Please note that enrollment in this academy is selective as participants will be able to facilitate this training to other science teachers across the state of Mississippi.
Each participant will receive both the Teacher Books and Facilitator Guides for both courses – Science and Engineering Practices and the Crosscutting Concept.
To participate in this facilitator prep academy, you must be willing to commit to all five days of training and have building or district-level support as neither the MDE or WestEd will be able to provide support for a substitute teacher. Additionally, please note that preference may be given to those that are active members of the Mississippi Science Teachers Association.
For more information, please see this flier. To complete a short application, please provide the information requested in the linked Google Form.
If you have further questions, feel free to contact Dr. Kevin L. Gaylor via email at kgaylor@mdek12.org or 601-359-3461.