Teacher Center Institutes

Over five hundred K—8 educators attended UFT Teacher Center institutes in July. Offered in collaboration with the New York State Education Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, the institutes were each eight sessions, and took place 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. Educators received either new teacher professional development hours or “P” credit.

English Language Arts Creating the Resources’ topics included standards, lesson structure, Learning Experiences (units of study), understanding literacy, and assessment.

Thinking Mathematics included real world activities that make math skills meaningful, the difference between knowing an answer and understanding a concept, collaborative strategies that work best in mathematics and handson activities.

Watch upcoming issues of Highlights, the New York Teacher and visit your Teacher Center in person or online at www.ufttc.org for flyers and coupons for 2001-2002 Teacher Center conferences and events.


Teacher Center Online:
www.ufttc.org

Visit Teacher Center online to read and or download copies of publications such as Tips, Special Edition, Flipbooks and past issues of this newsletter. Go to www.ufttc.org and click on “Publications.” Also online, find information and application coupons for upcoming Teacher Center conferences, the locations of the nearest Teacher Center, search engines, links to other sites and more. Also currently on the site is information about “Helping Students Appreciate and Respect Differences: Resources for Educators to Help Students Cope with Our National Crisis,” the resource guide that was compiled by Teacher Center and distributed by the UFT after our national tragedy on September 11, 2001.


Science, Science, Everywhere…
It’s All Right Here

Discover an online cornucopia of multilevel science resources at your fingertips when you visit Columbia University’s Summer Research Program for Science Teachers that each year, awards research fellowships to middle and high school science teachers.

Any time is a good one to explore www.scienceteacherprogram. org. Click on “Lesson Plans” to browse through or download any of the 150 lesson and action plans, linked to the New York State Learning Standards, and created by teachers. Select “Web Resources” and find “K-12 Science Education Web Sites” and “Science and Other Museums on the Web.” Other categories to explore are “Schools on the Web,” “Grant Writing,” “Science and Medical” and “Scientific Work Experience Programs” (SWEPs). These are for students and teachers. One example: Project STIR (www.stir.org) has transferred over 112,000 items of equipment and supplies from 57 companies to 178 schools in the metropolitan area since September 1992. Another, at Rockefeller University, www.rockefeller.edu, details that university’s special fellowships, courses and programs for science teachers.

When one experienced middle-school science educator reviewed www.scienceteacherprogram.org, he gazed happily at the screen and said, “It’s all right here,” and then, “Yes!” He was already downloading a find: He had clicked on “Lesson Plans,” and using “density” as the term for his search, found a lesson plan, “How can we measure the volume of liquids?” by Spiridoula Moulinos a summer research fellowship recipient and teacher at William C. Bryant HS. (Fellowship application information for the Science Teacher Program is also available on the Web site.)

TEACHER CENTER CONFERENCES
DECEMBER 2001 - FEBRUARY 2002
For K-12 Educators:


DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
Sunday, December 2, 2001
(Register by November 20)


CONNECT THE DOTS:
INSTRUCTION, STUDENTS AND THE NEW YORK STATE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS
Saturday, December 15, 2001
(Register by December 7)


STRATEGIES THAT WORK:
ENGAGING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS FOR SUCCESS
Saturday, January 12, 2002
(Register by December 27)


FOCUS ON READING AND MATH INSTRUCTION,
SEMINAR IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
Sunday, January 13, 2002
(Register by January 5)


HALL OF SCIENCE SATURDAY
at the Hall of Science,
Flushing Meadows in Corona Park, NY Saturday, February 9, 2002
(Register by February 2)


Conferences, except for Hall of Science Saturday, take place at the United Federation of Teachers, 260 Park Ave. South, 2nd floor, from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm.

Continental breakfast is served. Participants receive classroom resource ideas and new teacher professional development hours. To Register: Obtain forms at your Teacher Center or online at: www.ufttc.org.