We are looking forward to our 6th HESIT program. We begin the Summer Institute June 17 in Room 209 of Dana Science Building. Our program will focus on the  Science Standards of Learning for Grades 4, 5, and 6. The Elementary Science Institute for Teachers (HESIT) is funded by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) through a federal NCLB Improving Teacher Quality grant. The summer portion of our professional development program concludes June 28, 2013 and will be followed by two fall half-day seminars in August and September. Our partnering school divisions in Superintendent's Region VI include Roanoke, Salem, and Martinsville cities, and Roanoke, Botetourt, Floyd, Franklin, Montgomery, Henry, and Craig counties.

Participating teachers  receive  texts, teaching supplies and materials, stipends of $100/day ($1,100 total), and up to 80 continuing education points (or, optional, 3 semester hours graduate credit for EDUC 550 at 40% reduced tuition)

• 2013 schedule
  
  
•  LINKS to relevant websites
  
  
•  CONTACT US
  
  
•  Articles and teaching RESOURCES
  
  
• Hollins University Campus MAP
•  Science SOLs for Grades 4 to 6 (2010)  

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   PREVIOUS HOLLINS PROGRAMS

• PHOTOS of 2012 Project activities
  
  
• 2012 PROJECT EVALUATION 
  
  
• PHOTOS of 2011 INSTITUTE ACTIVITIES


•  2011 PARTICIPANT PROJECTS

•  2011 PROJECT EVALUATION   


•  PHOTOS of 2010 INSTITUTE ACTIVITIES
  

•  2010 PARTICIPANT PROJECTS

•  2010 PROJECT EVALUATION  
  
  
•  PHOTOS - 2008 INSTITUTE ACTIVITIES
  

•  2008 PARTICIPANT PROJECTS
•  2008 HESIT PROJECT EVALUATION   

The Institute program includes presentations to illuminate content, workshop-type hands-on activities and investigations on field trips. Institute sessions will be provided by Hollins University faculty and by educators and scientists from the Blue Ridge Soil and Conservation District, Mill Mountain Zoo, the Science Museum of Western Virginia, Virginia Tech's Geosciences Outreach, and the Virginia Museum of Natural History.  

Texts: Teaching Constructivist Science K-8  (2007) & The Educator's Field Guide (2011

Institute leadership:

Michael L. Bentley, EdD, Director
Renee Godard, PhD, Co-Director, Life Science
Dan Derringer, PhD, Physical Science
Matthew Fleenor, PhD, Earth & Space Science
Teresa Auldridge, National FOSS Consultant, Integrating Curriculum through Investigations

Program Overview

Institute themes include active learning strategies and inquiry teaching, differentiating instruction, using the outdoors and community resources, integrating curriculum, and teaching about the nature of science.

Project activities will give participants opportunities todevelop both instructional strategies and skills and "pedagogical content knowledge" related to implementing inquiry and differentiated instruction in the elementary classroom. Together we will explore hands-on teaching and some of the many resources for teaching science in Southwestern Virginia.

Our content focus is on Grade 4-6 science as specified in the 2010 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, earth-space, and life science.