Lab-Aids Institute: 2010 SEPUP Academy: Classroom Emphasis

SEPUP Academy Join science educators from across the country to improve your use of materials from the Science Education for Public Understanding Program (SEPUP). The program includes presentations and workshops led by senior staff from SEPUP and LAB-AIDS. After completing a foundation sequence of core content, you may choose elective sessions to design a custom professional development plan tailored to your needs. The Academy is designed for teachers who want to improve their classroom effectiveness and for administrators seeking to take leadership and develop their local capacity for the SEPUP program.

Program Focus	Location	Dates
LEADERSHIP EMPHASIS	Charleston, SC	6/21/2010 - 6/25/2010
CLASSROOM EMPHASIS	Silverthorne, CO	7/26/2010 - 7/30/2010

CLASSROOM EMPHASIS
Silverthorne, Colorado (arrive July 26, depart July 30)

Location:

La Quinta In and Suites
560 Silverthorne Ln
Silverthorne, CO 80498
(800) 531-5900

The hotel can be found just over the western side of the continental divide (altitude 9600 ft.) near the winter ski areas of Keystone and Arapahoe Basin. Breckenridge and Vail are just a short 20-minute car ride away. The hotel is a favorite of winter skiers and features a fitness center, indoor pool, and Old Chicago Restaurant adjacent to the property. If you tire of hiking, biking, and other outdoor sports on your free time, there is outlet shopping nearby.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Required Courses:

Using Issues to Teach Science
This session will use existing and planned SEPUP materials to explore the uses of societal and environmental issues in middle level and high school science teaching. The session will cover the goals for teaching with issues, how to adapt curriculum to become more issue-oriented, and the evolution of SEPUP instructional design.

Assessing Student Performance in SEPUP
This session will offer an in-depth look at SEPUP’s nationally acclaimed assessment system, a system that is both practical and research-proven. Topics include an in-depth look at the elements of SEPUP assessment, including tasks, variables, rubrics, blueprints, and student work exemplars. Participants will moderate several samples of student work.

Support for Literacy in SEPUP
This session will explore SEPUP’s strategies for supporting reading comprehension, written and oral language, and media literacy.

Inquiry in SEPUP
What’s the difference between open and guided inquiry? What are the essential elements of inquiry? How does SEPUP support inquiry? What support can we find in the National Science Education Standards? These and related topics will be investigated in this hands-on session.

Electives:

Using Technology in SEPUP
Hands-on workshops will introduce technology tools used in SEPUP, including the SEPUP simulations and website.

Research in SEPUP
Participants will review research in SEPUP, with a focus on ongoing efforts to examine what students know and are able to do as a result of SEPUP use. Interested participants may also select an overview of using action research strategies in the SEPUP classroom.

Writing to Learn in SEPUP
This section will explore effective techniques for writing in the SEPUP classroom, including the use of science notebooks, pre-and post-writing strategies, and reflective writing prompts.

Taking Leadership for SEPUP
Topics include working with LAB-AIDS as a certified trainer, writing for national science teacher journals, or presenting at local or national workshops in a non commercial role.

Click here to download a registration form

Click here to download a program agenda from last year

COSTS
The tuition for the 2010 Silverthorne program is $1,695. Prices are based on single room occupancy. If you don’t mind sharing a room, you can save $300. You can also save $100 if you register by May 1st.

Prices include

All seminar materials and equipment

Hotel (arrival June 21, departure June 25)
Round trip shuttle transportation from Denver International Airport to Silverthorne.
All breakfasts, lunches and all but one dinner

Prices do not include airfare. There is an additional charge for college credit, if desired.
To register, call us at 800 381-8003. You can pay by credit card or we can bill your school district. If paying by check, make it payable to: LAB-AIDS Inc.17 Colt Court, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779.

REVIEWS

"Background info about the history and development was very interesting. Staff was excellent, friendly and knowledgeable, and interested in my questions. The sessions were informative and pacing was well thought out."

--Stephanie Finn, Buffalo NY, 2007 ACADEMY participant

"The SEPUP Academy was a great experience. By collaborating with other SEPUP colleagues, I gained a better understanding of how to integrate SEPUP into my classroom. More importantly, working with classroom teachers helped me to improve my training techniques. By talking to teachers in the Academy workshops, I gained valuable insight as to what teachers need from training sessions. I really enjoyed it!"

-- Donna Parker, Columbus OH, 2009 ACADEMY participant

"…Thanks for a wonderful program…I am excited about next year and accomplishing even more with the Lab-Aids Issues and Earth Science…. The icing on an already wonderful year was that I had the highest science scores in the school…One last thing, several of my students nominated me for a local award through a TV station called "My Teacher is Tops". And yes I totally attribute the nomination to the SEPUP kit! The students said I made science fun and exciting, but it was LAB-AIDS all the way!!"

--Kelly Roche, Macon GA, SEPUP Teacher and 2009 ACADEMY participant