July 21, 2014
Free, Week-long Lab Gives Educators Fun Lessons for the Classroom
South Texas teachers are headed to summer camp. Yes, teachers. About 30 middle and high school teachers will visit St. Mary’s University in late July to get an interactive look at fun, new ways to engage their students during the school year.
These educators will be on campus July 28-Aug. 1 for a free ASM Materials Camp for Teachers, featuring science, chemistry, physics, math and technology lab experiments. This is just the second time one of the engineering and science society‘s camps has been held in San Antonio.
“This was best workshop that I have attended and will have the most impact on my students’ learning of any professional development that I have had,” said Hondo High School teacher Logan Shaw, who attended the camp last summer at St. Mary’s. “The Masters Teachers were phenomenal, and they energized us during every moment of this camp.”
Master teachers from ASM (formerly called the American Society for Metals), along with special guest instructors and speakers, will show these teachers how to make core science principles more relevant to students through simple, inexpensive experiments. Labs with metals, ceramics, polymers and composites reveal these materials’ applications in everyday life. The participants will also take a field trip to Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) laboratories as part of this week-long program.
In the end, the camp benefits students, who absorb the value of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and are encouraged to pursue careers in those fields.
“I am delighted to continue our collaboration with ASM International, the United States Air Force and the National Defense Education Program, as well as local partners Lackland Air Force Base, the ASM Alamo Chapter and SwRI,” said Winston Erevelles, Ph.D., Dean of the St. Mary’s School of Science, Engineering and Technology. “St. Mary’s is excited to welcome back teachers from our region. The ideas and concepts that they will learn here can be taken back and implemented in their classrooms and programs.”
Since 2002, thousands of high school teachers have attended ASM Materials Camps, held during the summer at universities, community colleges and high schools in the United States and Canada. Educators receive four Continuing Education Units for attending and have the option to receive graduate level credits. They also acquire the curriculum and supplies for their own classroom. Lunch and snacks are provided.
Applications and camp schedule may be found at www.asmfoundation.org or by contacting Jeane Deatherage, Administrator of Foundation Programs, by email or 800-336-5152, ext. 5533.