Professional Development
AMTA Offers workshops in: Physics 1 – Mechanics Physics – Light Physics – Mechanical Waves Physics – Electricity & Magnetism Physics – CASTLE ( Circuits) Physics [...]
What is AMTA?
Of Teachers, By Teachers, For Teachers
AMTA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created by teachers with the mission of providing professional development designed to help teachers implement Modeling InstructionTM in their classrooms. Teachers learn to help students plan and conduct data collection, analyze data, and share their findings in order to develop conceptual models that help them make sense of phenomena they observe.
Emphasis is placed on promoting classroom discussion in which the students arrive at a set of representations (a diagram, a graph and an equation) for the model they have created, then deploy the model in a series of related tasks.
This classroom dynamic is very different from the typical school culture, and requires teachers to develop skills in redirecting student questions to the group rather than simply giving the answers. To become proficient in the implementation of this pedagogy requires time and practice.
AMTA offers a number of experiences including face-to-face workshops, distance-learning courses and customized training which are aligned with NGSS Science and Engineering Practices. AMTA is a community of teachers dedicated to providing a wealth of instructional resources (curricular materials, webinars, short conferences and the ability to interact on various social media platforms) that will support teachers long after the training has been completed.
What is Modeling Instruction?
Modeling InstructionTM is a guided-inquiry approach to teaching science that organizes instruction around the handful of conceptual models that form the content core of the scientific disciplines. This method provides a framework for science instruction that approximates how scientists “do science.” Students build, test, and deploy conceptual models of physical relationships. Research has shown that students in Modeling Instruction classrooms perform significantly better on measures of conceptual knowledge than similar students in traditional science classrooms. Follow this link for more information.
What’s Happening?
Resources to Learn and Improve the Practice of Modeling Instruction
Summer 2025 Modeling Workshops
Registration Now Open!
What are your plans this summer? Make it a season of growth by joining a Modeling Instruction™ workshop! Whether you’re looking to enhance your teaching strategies or deepen your understanding of scientific concepts, these hands-on workshops provide an invaluable learning experience.
This summer, AMTA is thrilled to offer 4 distance learning workshops and a short course. All are designed to bring the Modeling pedagogy to life in an online format. Register soon, spots are limited.
Membership in the AMTA Modeling Teacher community includes: Professional Development Offerings, Community Events, Classroom-ready Teacher Resources as well as Research on Modeling Instruction.
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