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Shenandoah Valley Environmental Education AllianceAnnouncements |
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Mary Baldwin College Environment-Based Learning Courses Summer 2010
June 28 - July 2 Math in the Garden (ED617) Learn to use the garden and local environment to teach math skills to students in grades K-8. This course will cover math concepts from basic operations to geometry and data analysis. Discussions will include the use of existing gardens to teach mathematical concepts, the building of gardens as an application of math skills in everyday life, and the use of garden design to aid explanation and practice of mathematical ideas. Learn to use “manipulatives” such as plant trays, seeds, and flowers to help students develop an understanding of number operations. Course will include field trips to gardens and natural areas for implementation practice. Course Instructor: Dr. Verne Leininger, MBC Adjunct Professor, Math.
July 12 - 16 The Intersection of Life and Land (IN634) This course is designed as a model of the environment-based learning process. Students will participate in an investigation of a local environmental issue, focusing on the integrated relationship of environment to people and culture. Students will explore area history, related books/literature/articles, basic ecological/scientific principles (including math), and cultural connections to conduct a detailed investigation of the issue. Participants will explore issues of land use (i.e. land development, farming) to the impacts on the watershed and water quality (i.e. environment, culture, economy, etc.). The course will involve field trips for cultural and scientific investigations. The course will also include strategies to help K-12 students identify local problems and develop plans for problem solving/implementation. Course Instructor: Dr. Tamra Willis, MBC Assistant Professor, Graduate Teacher Education.
August 2 - 6 Natural Research: Using the Environment for Student-Driven Investigations (ED618) The natural environment presents an excellent setting for student development of scientific investigations. This course will provide upper elementary, middle, and high school educators the skills needed to work with students as they design and perform their own science experiments related to the local environment. Educators will participate in watershed-based field investigations, develop experiments, collect and analyze data, and present results and conclusions. Teachers will plan curriculum for effective “environment-based learning” instruction by implementing strategies and techniques presented in class. The course will address learning standards in the natural sciences. Course Instructor: Dr. Michael Pelton, MBC Adjunct Professor, Wildlife Science. Graduate Credit: Each course extends beyond the week, on-line, and provides 3 hours of graduate credit from MBC. The courses may apply toward the M.Ed. degree (EBL) through MBC. Tuition is discounted by grants for some of the courses. A $50 non-refundable registration fee is required. Courses will be held in Staunton and at various field-experience locations. Housing options are available.
For more information or to register, go to: www.mbc.edu/ebl or contact Dr. Tamra Willis, Graduate Teacher Education Program, Mary Baldwin College. 540-887-7135
Training on Virginia’s new Healthy Waters Initiative which will include instruction in the Healthy Water, Healthy People curriculum will be held on Tuesday, June 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at DEQ’s Central Office in Richmond, Virginia. More information about this professional development opportunity can be found in the attached flyer. Also, please share and forward this announcement through your networks as appropriate. Please register with David Ruble by June 22 so adequate supplies may be purchased for the workshop. This workshop is sponsored by the Department of Conservation & Recreation and the Department of Environmental Quality. Thank you,
Email:
David Ruble
Virginia Office of Environmental Education
February 17, 2010
January 26, 2010
January 12, 2010 Please mark your calendars for our annual business meeting- to be held on Monday Feb. 8, 2010 (3:30pm-5:30pm) at the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton. We will ask each of you to share important events from the past year and activities you have planned for the upcoming seasons. We will have a share table so everyone can review pictures, brochures, handouts, slide shows (on your own laptop), etc. during the social time of the meeting- so please bring things to share. During the meeting, will discuss ways to better utilize our website for the benefit of all and possible funding/grant ventures to pursue during this time of economic difficulty. Please bring funding ideas to share with the rest of the group and ideas for working together to share limited resources.
Remember, the whole point of
our Alliance is to meet and talk- to network! Please
mark your calendars now.
Important announcement: The Virginia Office of Environmental Education requests that members of our regional EE network (SVEEA) complete the short survey listed here. The information will help them become better informed of training needs and stewardship opportunities across the Commonwealth for EE providers. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/V8VCYBG
Also:
The
Wildlife Center of Virginia is currently advertising for an
environmental educator to start in the spring. A job
description is posted on their website– if you know of
anyone who might be interested, perhaps you could pass it
on.
We hope
to see all of you on the 8th of Feb. for our meeting.
Environmentally Yours. Tamra Willis and Betty Gatewood
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