2010 Professional Development
Please check the Virginia Naturally Calendar for additional training opportunities and public events.
Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens
Workshops provide the opportunity for teachers to interact with experts in varying science fields, inspire new ideas, and supplement classroom resources.
For details on workshops, registration, or any associated graduate or recertification credits check online at Teacher Training | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden or phone the registrar at 804-262-9887, ext. 322.
Environmental Education On-Line Courses Available
The Environmental Education Training Partnership (ETAPP) in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin is offering four on-line courses for students and professionals in the field of environmental education. The classes being offered are: Using the School Grounds as a Classroom
Thursday, February 11, 2010; Thursday, May 20, 2010
- Making EE Relevant for Culturally Diverse Audiences
- Leadership Development in Natural Resources: Strategic Planning and Implementation
- Fundamentals of Environmental Education
- Applied Environmental Education Program Evaluation
Project Wet Workshop
Wednesday January 13, 2010
Contact Holly Carson at holly.carson@norfolk.gov or (757) 441-1347
Water Education for Teachers provides both formal and informal educators hands - on, SOL supported materials that promote the stewardship of water resources. Participants will receive activities that can be used across the curriculum. Project WET is designed to teach students how to think, rather than what to think. Special emphasis is given to understanding the needs for water by all water users (e.g., municipalities, farmers and ranchers, power suppliers, industry, recreationists, and fish and wildlife). The program also shows that wise water management is essential to the future social and economic prosperity of our country. Project WET addresses atmospheric water, surface water, ground water, cultural and historical uses of water, and contemporary water management issues such as non-point source pollution. Professionally developed teaching aids are hands-on, self-contained, and user-friendly. The curriculum guide received is a 500-page book with lessons for K-12 science, math, social studies and language arts.
Agriculture in the Classroom: A Day in the Garden
Friday, January 15, 2010 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
For educators looking for new ideas, resources for the classroom and tips for your own instructional garden to grow strong learners, this FREE workshop is just the ticket! Instructors bring science, mathematics, and social studies together while presenting hands-on activities designed to introduce students to the importance of agriculture in Virginia. Enjoy a tour of the Garden and learn more about resources available to teachers. Workshops are provided free of charge by Agriculture in the Classroom, a nonprofit organization, www.agintheclass.org and sponsored by the Farm Bureau. Free; complimentary luncheon and refreshments included. Space is limited; the deadline for registration is January 8, 2010.
WOW!: The Wonders of Wetlands
Wednesday February 3, 2010
Contact Holly Carson at holly.carson@norfolk.gov or (757) 441-1347
WOW!: The Wonders of Wetlands is an instructional guide for educators that provides a resourceful and creative collection of wetland activities, information, and ideas. WOW! includes: over 50 hands-on multidisciplinary activities in lessonplan format, extensive background information on wetlands, ideas for student action projects, and a wetlands resource guide.
Watershed Action for Virginia's Environment Course
Wednesday February 12, 2010
Contact Cindy Duncan, Chesapeake Bay Foundation at cduncan@cbf.org or (804) 241-3178
Participants will know or be able to do the following:
1. Conduct activities from the WAVE curriculum
2. Understand the importance of the WAVE Pathway
3. Develop CC Portfolio for submission in June
What to bring:
Lunch: A bag lunch
Map of your schoolyard (A sketch or blueprint will be sufficient.)
CC Teacher Guide (if you are a current CC teacher)
Energy & Society
Wednesday March 31, 2010
Contact Holly Carson at holly.carson@norfolk.gov or (757) 441-1347
PLT's Energy & Society program kit provides formal and nonformal educators with tools and activities to help students in grades PreK-8 learn about their relationship with energy and investigate the environmental issues related to energy's role in society.
Energy & Society helps students develop critical thinking skills to make decisions about their personal energy use. In addition to hands-on activities, Energy & Society integrates music and dance to enhance the study of energy issues
This series helps educators work through the opportunities of creating a school garden or using the schoolyard as a learning landscape. Each workshop includes technical information, lesson plans, and outdoor teaching techniques to take a spring garden through a complete growing cycle. Enrollment limited to 25 participants; fee includes light snack.
- What to Plant/What to Teach
Thursday, February 11, 2010 4 – 6:30 p.m.
$20 / $10 members
Time to order seeds! Take a tour of the Children’s Garden and discuss which plants are best for the Richmond area, how to create theme gardens, and which plants are favorites for teaching. Wisconsin Fast Plants will be introduced as a classroom method to jump-start your students' gardening experience.- Completing the Garden Cycle
Thursday, May 20, 2010 4 – 6:30 p.m.
$20 / $10 members
Put your garden to bed for the summer while harvesting, composting the plant waste, and planting a cover crop. Learn how to construct a worm composter, explore the Garden's compost bin for decomposers, and investigate ways to use decomposers to teach the scientific method.