Advanced Topics in Middle School Modeling

Date: Wednesdays from 7:00 pm (EST) to 10:00 pm (EST)

Duration: 5 weeks – February 24 to March 24, 2021

Costs: $250 for current AMTA members; $325 for non-members (with membership renewal applied)

Graduate Level Credits: 1 credit from the University of the Pacific will be available for $79.

Course Description:

Advanced Topics in Middle School Modeling is a 5-week distance learning course for teachers who have already taken any Modeling workshop, thus bringing together a group of participants who are familiar with the pedagogy and have experience implementing Modeling in the classroom. The course will address how to support teachers continuing to implement Modeling in their own classrooms. Main topics will include student-to-student discourse, assessing students’ conceptual learning, and leading engaging lessons that build models through storylines. This course will show how Modeling is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and 3-Dimensional Learning. Participants will also be given the opportunity to learn and incorporate claim, evidence, reasoning into their science teaching repertoire. Finally, the course will focus on giving participants a more in-depth understanding of the Middle School Modeling resources and provide assistance “Modelizing” their own activities.

Meet Our Instructors:

George Nelson began his teaching career in 2009 where he taught 8th grade science for four years in Arizona, before relocating back to his hometown in Crystal Lake, IL. He still continues teaching 8th grade science to this day. George became acquainted with Modeling Instruction from the 3rd MNS program at Arizona State University under the leadership of Colleen Megowan–Romanowicz. He also attended the Chemistry I and Mechanics Workshops in the summer of 2014. Since first being exposed to Modeling Instruction, it has had a profound impact on his classroom. George said, “Seeing students doing and talking science every day in my classroom as a community makes my career gratifying and rewarding.” George currently serves on the AMTA board as the President-Elect.

Karle Delo began teaching since 2010 in central Michigan. With experience teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th grade over the last 10 years, Karle has taught many subjects and electives at the Middle School level. The majority of Karle’s experience has been teaching 8th Grade Science. With a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology from Michigan State University, Karle has always had a passion for elevating student engagement and teacher efficiency through technology. Karle is starting her first year as Instructional Coach and Technology Integrationist at Ovid-Elsie Area Schools. Karle took her first modeling workshop back in 2015 at a Middle School Modeling workshop in Muskegon, MI. Since then Karle has been using modeling in her own 8th grade science classroom and has seen a transformation in quality discussions, depth of knowledge, and student ownership of learning. As an instructional coach, she hopes to introduce some aspects of Modeling to other content areas.

Karle facilitated the first virtual Middle School Modeling Workshop this past summer. With her background in technology and Modeling, she provided teachers with examples of how tech tools can support Modeling in a virtual, hybrid, or socially distanced face-to-face environment.

For any questions, please contact Wendy Hehemann at wendy@modelinginstruction.org