Teacher Professional Development Opportunities at UMBI

The Maryland Loaner Lab program is offered free of charge to teachers throughout the state of Maryland. In order to become elgible to use this FREE program, teachers are required participate in one of our free training programs. Participation in one of these workshops qualifies high school educators to borrow from the Maryland Loaner Lab program.The training is a 3-hour, hands-on workshop designed to allow educators to become familiar with the variety of equipment they will encounter when using the Loaner Lab Program.

Maryland Loaner Lab Training Goals

• Participants will become familiar with and understand how to use the equipment provided in the MDLL activities.
• Participants will understand the concepts, theories, and real world applications of biotechnology.
• Participants will be given an opportunity to discuss how to integrate MDLL activities into the current curriculum.

Listed below are three different options for attending a training workshop to qualify you to use the Loaner Lab. You only need to attend a training workshop once to be qualified for the program.

1. Workshops at UMBI (First Monday of every month)

Monthly training opportunities are offered at UMBI's Center for Marine Biotechnology in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. These hands-on workshops will introduce participants to the education and outreach programs at UMBI, including the Maryland Loaner Lab and SciTech programs. UMBI's education and outreach staff will guide participants through lab modules offered by the Maryland Loaner Lab. Each lab will be discussed briefly and specific techniques will be performed by participants to familiarize them with the variety of equipment they will encounter when using the MDLL. The best part of the workshop is the opportunity to cooperatively learn from and discuss with other Maryland science teachers how to integrate biotechnology into the classroom and curriculum. At the end of the workshop, teachers will be qualified to borrow any of the modules available through the Maryland Loaner Lab program.

Training sessions are offered in the evening of the first Monday of every month. You can request a later start time if necessary to accomodate later school days and travel time. You must register at least one week before desired training date.

Click here to register

2. Off- Site Teacher Training Workshops

If you can't make the Biotechnology Professional Development Teacher Workshop, request a training event at your school! We require a minimum of 10 participants in attendance. Don't have ten science teachers at your school? Reach out to neighboring schools and invite other teachers to join. To request on off-site training session, click here to fill out out request form and email to mdll@umbi.umd.edu.

3. MdBioLab Training

Through a partnership with the MdBio Foundation, Maryland teachers can receive training on board the MdBioLab. Participants with MdBioLab will learn how to use the equipment provided in the MDLL activities. The MdBioLab offers training sessions at schools throughout the state. Visit the MdBioLab website for more information on their program and how to participate in one of the training sessions aboard their mobile lab (www.mdbiolab.org).

ExPERT Fellowship for Teachers

The ExPERT program (Extending Professional Experience in Research to Teachers)is a year-long intentional learning community designed specifically for biology teachers in the Prince George's County Public School System. The purpose of the ExPERT prgoram isto examine and explore in depth conceptions of what science is, how scientific knowledge is created and the role of inqiury in science. Teachers begin the year-long experience with a 4-week summer internship in a research laboratory with a faculty mentor at University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, University of Maryland College Park, or Bowie State University. This research experience allows teachers to experience and explore the role of inquiry and the nature of science in a research laboratory setting.This research experience provides a context for reflection and discussion of a variety of topics centered around inquiy in science that teachers continue to explore during the following school year in monthly learning community meetings withtheir ExPERT teacher cohorts.Teachers who complete the ExPERT Fellowship will come away with a rich understanding of the role of inqiury in science and science education, allowing them to better model scientific practice in their classrooms for their students.

Stipends

$3,500 for participation in the in Summer Research Experience

$875 for participation in the Intentional Learning Community

Click here to request information on Summer 2010 application process

or email expert@umbi.umd.edu

This program is funded through a National Science Foundation grant in cooperation with Prince George's Public School System. As a result,only high school teachers from Prince George's County are elgible to apply for this program.

Education & Outreach | SciTech | Maryland Loaner Lab | Professional Development