What are MITS Professional Development Seminars? Are you seeking ways to enhance the science, technology and engineering content of your educational programs and exhibits? Could your offerings include more inquiry-based activities? Our Professional Development Seminars are designed to meet the needs of informal educators, like you. Discover ways to strengthen your STEM content knowledge and leave with the skills and tools to develop compelling, hands-on, minds-on science lessons. At our seminars, your staff and volunteers will connect with content expertise and like-minded educators. Our full-day seminars will get you thinking of unique ways to engage learners of all ages in your exhibits and programs.
Explore authentic research during morning sessions, and strengthen your skills by turning the content into engaging hands-on, minds-on activities in the afternoon. Join us for an engaging seminar series, and expand your toolkit of inquiry-based activities to enhance science education at your institution! What you’ll leave with:. Science, technology and engineering content knowledge to bolster your existing skills. Hands-on, minds-on activities to enrich your institution’s exhibits and school or public programs. Connections to school-based information and topics that teachers want to learn about This year we are offering four seminars – January 31st, February 28th and March 21st will consist of seminars in the traditional morning/afternoon format, and on April 25th we’ll be holding a special full-day session. All four seminars will provide exciting, hands-on professional development opportunities for our participants!
- Strategies and Structures for Teaching Reading and Writing. This workshop will help you understand how to find goals for your readers. Science PD Support.
- On 17 August 2017, detectors in the United States and Italy spotted gravitational waves from such an event. Seconds later, a satellite detected a gamma-ray burst, and more than 70 observatories subsequently studied the aftermath in every wavelength. This scientific bonanza (see page 1554) is Science's 2017 Breakthrough of the Year (see page 1520).
Thursday, January 31st: Making Connections with Science Carbon, Climate and Consensus Bob Chen, Professor, School for the Environment, and Director, Center for Coastal Environmental Sensing Network, UMASS Boston Understanding the global carbon cycle and the human perturbation of this cycle on the global scale is critical to understanding past, present, and future climate change. Climate change is currently causing global, regional, and local impacts to our environment, society, and infrastructure.
'Making Sense of Three-Dimensional Teaching and Learning' Workshop. 12–13, 2019; 2019 National Conference. You'll find leading resources for excellence in teaching and learning and experience growth through robust professional development. NSTA Conferences on Science Education. Attendee Resources.
We will explore some of these current and future impacts as well as where there is uncertainty. Finally, we will explore the reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. The IPCC presents the data that leads to the scientific consensus that “Warming of climate system is unequivocal” and that “Human influence on the climate system is clear”. Spacer Setting Up Seasonal Nature Journals: Getting Students of All Ages Outdoors and Curious Clare Walker Leslie, Author Historically, scientists and explorers everywhere had to keep Nature Journal records, not having the digital equipment we have today to record their observations. With a growing interest in Phenology, Citizen Science, and Climate Change concerns, it has become increasingly important for the Science community to have ongoing records of plant and animal as well as seasonal and weather shifting. Clare will present methods for recording observations, in both word and image, as well as outdoor nature observation techniques.
Clare will demonstrate how participants can use these skills in a variety of educational settings, providing a tool for place-based education. Participants will have a chance to begin their own Nature Journals, with special emphasis on how they can use them for their professional setting as well as personal pursuits.
Clare is the author of 12 books on Nature Journaling. Spacer Thursday, February 28th: Learning From Our Cities Biodiversity is Everywhere: Exploring the Ecology of Our Cities and Towns Paige Warren, Professor, Department of Environmental Conservation, UMASS Amherst Most people in the world now live in cities or suburbs and other surrounding settlements. Thus, most of us experience nature in the daily green spaces we encounter in our yards, parks, playgrounds, and in the trees along our streets. A surprising variety of wild animals and plants can be found in these urban places. Who are these creatures? What effect does urbanization have on them? And what effect does it have on us?
What can we do to improve conditions for both wildlife and people in the city? We will discuss what biodiversity is, and how the study of biodiversity can illustrate basic concepts in ecology and conservation. Biodiversity is Everywhere! Enhance Your Audience Engagement with Local Biodiversity Marie Studer, Director of Encyclopedia of Life and Learning and Education Group, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University Biodiversity is all around us!
Learning about, and connecting with, our local biodiversity is important no matter if we live in urban settings, suburban environments or rural landscapes. You will learn about interactive ways to engage your audiences from both informal and formal settings in learning about native and invasive organisms, rare and threatened species and the everyday life around us. EOL Biodiversity Cards and the iNaturalist observation platform can be easily customized for any location and project. Learn how you can use this tool and resources in your institution for both student and adult audiences. This will be interactive session where all participants will use the EOL Biodiversity Card Maker, make some observations using the iNaturalist app and learn about the 2019 City Nature Challenge, which welcomes participation from everyone, everywhere. Thursday, March 21st: Science Story Tellers New England the Origins of American Environmentalism Chad Montrie, Professor, College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, UMASS Lowell While many people recognize New England as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, few know that it also is where the first stirrings of environmental awareness happened.
Starting in the early 19th-century, manufacturing transformed the landscape and introduced new environmental hazards. In response, a public health movement was born, states passed laws to control pollution, and scientists pioneered methods for protecting people from water-and-airborne pathogens. We will explore that history through the lives of Henry Ingersoll Bowditch, the first head of the Massachusetts State Board of Health, and Ellen Swallow Richards, the first woman to teach at MIT. Together, they laid the groundwork for establishing the Lawrence Experiment Station, where work that dramatically impacts the health of millions still takes place. Integrating STEM and the Humanities: A Role Playing Game Kris Boudreau, Paris Fletcher Distinguished Professor, Department of Humanities and Arts, Worcester Polytechnic Institute Discover and participate in a role-playing game designed by WPI students and faculty that simulates a “wicked problem” from 19th-century Worcester, MA.
Participants will learn about STEM-humanities integration and will test out a role-playing game that gives equal weight to science, engineering, and the humanities (history, theatre, philosophy, literature). We will spend some time on student learning outcomes and different assignments designed to teach information literacy, problem definition, negotiations, urban history, and engineering. Participants will receive access to the game for use in their institutions. Thursday, April 25th: Science On the Brain (Full Day Seminar).
Photo by Chris Schneider Photography Minds On Brains: Making the Connection Robert Payo, Teacher Professional Development Coordinator, Denver Museum of Nature & Science Whether you’re working children or adults, making connections between how the brain works to research-based strategies for teaching can be a helpful tool in planning your next lesson, activity or professional development experience. Starting with a brief overview of brain function, we’ll explore topics that include working memory and retention, the importance of movement, and other strategies that help to support learning. We’ll take on these subjects, reflecting on our own practice and personal experiences, as well as research that supports and affirms good teaching practices through the lens of brain and cognitive research.
Come join the fun of discovering more about how our brains work and function and be inspired by how you can apply this in your teaching and programming development. Spacer Dates:January 31, February 28, March 21, April 25 Time:9:30 am – 3:30 pm Location: Higgins University Center, Clark University, Worcester, MA Cost: $45 per seminar; $125 for any 3 seminars; $160 for all 4 seminars A buffet-style lunch is included. Certificates of participation are available for each seminar.
PDPs are available to those who have attended 2 or more seminar dates. Please bring a laptop or tablet with you if possible.
Stanislaw Grzybowski, Ph.D. Our host for the Partial Discharge Workshop is Dr. Stanislaw Grzybowski (SM' 1970, F'1999, LF'2002) was born in Poland. He received the M. Degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of Warsaw in 1956 and 1964, respectively. In 1984 he obtained the Dr. Habilitated) degree from the Technical University of Wroclaw, Poland.
In 1956 he joined the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the Technical University of Poznan, Poland. From 1958 to 1981, he was the Head of the High Voltage and Electrical Material Division and served as Vice-Dean of Electrical Engineering Faculty in 1969. From 1975 through 1977 he was a Visiting Professor at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, and the University of South Carolina. He also served as a Visiting Scientific Advisor to Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, Cuernavaca, Mexico.
Grzybowski joined Mississippi State University in 1987 where he is Professor and Director of the High Voltage Laboratory at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His main research interests are in the aresa of high voltage engineering. He conducted study on electrical strength, dielectric degradation and aging processes in polymer insutation such as cables, insulators, and magnet wires, and has also performed research on lightning protection of power systems, ships, aerostats, and other objects. Grzybowski is the author/co-author of three books in high voltage engineering, three problems books on HV Engineering for students, and has presented his research results in over 70 papers published in IEEE Transactions and other refereed journals. Over 200 of his research papers have been published in Proceedings of International and National Conferences. Wojciech Koltunowicz Dr.hab.
Wojciech Koltunowicz works for OMICRON electronics GmbH, focusing on monitoring of HV equipment. From 1987 to 2007 he was with CESI, Italy, where he was mainly involved in testing and diagnostics of HV equipment.
From 1984-1987, he was with Institute of Power in Poland, as a research scientist in the High Voltage Department. He received the M.S., PhD and Dr.hab, degrees in electrical engineering from the Warsaw University of Technology in 1980, 1985 and 2004, respectively. He is a member of IEC TC 42 WG 14 'High Voltage Test Techniques: Measurement of Partial Discharges by Electromagnetic and Acousic Methods' and member of different working groups of CIGRE Study Committee D1 'Materials and Emerging Test Techniques.' In particular, he is a Secretary of: WG D1.25 'Application Guide for PD Detection in GIS using UHF or Acoustic Method,' TF D1.03.09 'Risk Assessment of Defects in GIS by PD Diagnostics' and Secretary of Advisory Group D1.03 'Insulating Gases'. He is a member of two other working groups in CIGRE SC D1: WG D1.28 'Optimized Gas-insulated Systems by Advanced Dielectric Coatings and Functionally Graded Materials' and WG D1.37 'Maintenance and Evaluation of Measuring Procedures for Conventional and Unconventional Partial Discharge Testing.' He is author of several scientific papers.
Caspar Steineke Caspar Steineke is currently Systems Architect with OMICRON. His passion for instrumentation design led to his co-founding of of mtronix Precision Measuring Instruments, which was acquired by OMICRON electronics in 2006. Given his prior background in instrumentation for dielectrics research at the Berlin University of Techology, his work at mtronix included system for measuring power factor/tan delta, a line of partial discharge (PD) measuring systems, various high-frequency, real-time image processing systems and a major scientific payload for the International Space Station (ISS). Caspar was involved in every design and application aspect of OMICRON's PD measuring systems.
His main concern is with simplifying the sometimes complex science of measuring PD. Burkhard Daniel Burkhard 'Burk' Daniel is Principal Software Architect with OMICRON's Core Components and Infrastructure Development Group. He is the developer of the MPD Software and various other applications that are found in OMICRON products.
Educated as a Computer Engineer at the Technical University of Berlin with a stint at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Burk joined what was then mtronix in 2002 and has worked on Partial Discharge and tan-delta measurement equipment ever since. Apart from being involved in the development of the MPD range of products, Burk has also trained engineers in its use, provided expert advice to users worldwide, and has helped install MPD-based systems on a variety of assets around the globe.
Alexander Kraetge Dr. Alexandre Kraetge studied High Voltage and Power Engineering at the Technical University of Berlin. In 2006 he was awarded his PhD from the Berlin University of Technology.
His thesis topic was 'Diagnosis of the Short Circuit Performance of Power Transformers.' Since 2006 Alex has worked in product management at OMICRON electronics GmbH, responsible for FRA and PD equipment, and is currently High Voltage Asset Diagnostics Manager.
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He is a member of CIGRE, IEC, IEEE, DKE, and is active in numerous working groups. Paul Winter Paul Winter is an Application Engineer for and is responsible for the MPD series of partial discharge test equipment throughout the Americas region.
He previously worked for over 20 years as an Application Engineer for a high voltage test equipment manufacturer such as insulations, power transformers, and high voltage cables. During this time he gained a great deal of knowledge in measurement and analysis of partial discharges. Paul is a member of IEEE.
Tom Prevost Thomas Prevost is a Primary Manager at who worked for 25 years for Weidmann Electrical Technologies, as Vice-President of Technology. Earlier in his career Tom worked at Tampa Electric Company as an engineer in distribution and production. Tom received his BSEE from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and is a Senior Member of IEEE and Vice-Chair of the P2030 'Smart Grid' working group. He is also Past-Chair of the IEEE PES Transformers Committee and is a member-at-large of the IEEE PES Board of Governors.
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Tom is also active in ASTM committee D27 on Insulating Fluids and IEC TC10 on Insulating Fluids.