Announcing our Third HESIT professional development project!

A third Hollins Elementary Science Institute for Teachers (HESIT) will convene June 17-30, 2010, sponsored by Hollins University and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia through an Improving Teacher Quality grant. The two week summer program will begin each day at 9:00 am in Dana Hall and end at 3:30 pm. Two field-trip days will require an extended day schedule. There will also be an academic year component: one follow-up after school meeting in late August and a final meeting in September.

The program will focus on science SOLs for grades 4-6.

Good news!
Participants will receive a $100 per day stipend
                                     ($1,100 for the 10 days and 2 half-days).

Eligibility:
Teachers in Roanoke and Salem cities, and the counties of Roanoke, Botetourt, Henry, Floyd, Franklin, Montgomery, and Craig (all in VDoE Superintendent's Region VI).

Private school teachers in the region are also eligible.

Institute themes:
Active learning and inquiry teaching —  differentiating instruction —  using the outdoors and community resources —  integrating curriculum  —  
understanding and teaching about the nature of science.

  INSTITUTE APPLICATION FORM:

             WORD DOC   OR   PDF FILE

•  Hollins University Campus MAP
  
•  LINKS
  
•  CONTACTS
  
•  2008 PARTICIPANT WORK & PROJECTS
  
•  2008 HESIT PROJECT EVALUATION     

•  PHOTOS - 2008 INSTITUTE ACTIVITIES

The Institute program includes presentations to illuminate content, workshop-type hands-on activities and investigations, and field trips.

Our text: Teaching Constructivist Science K-8  (2007, Corwin).

Institute leadership:
Michael L. Bentley, EdD, Director
Renee Godard, PhD, Co-Director, Life Science
Dan Derringer, PhD, Physical Science, Chemistry
Joseph Ametepe, PhD, Physical Science, Astronomy
Teresa Auldridge, Integrating Curriculum through Investigations

Program Overview

Project activities will assist participants in developing both teaching skills and "pedagogical content knowledge" related to implementing inquiry-oriented and differentiated instruction in their classrooms. In addition to stipends for attendance, participants will receive instructional materials and together explore some of the many community resources of Southwestern Virginia.

Our content focus will be science as specified for Grades 4-6 in the Virginia Standards of  Learning and the National Science Education Standards. This content includes the nature of science itself, inquiry processes, and key concepts in physical science, earth-space science, and life science.