TSEC Continues Yearly Innovative Educator Workshops to Develop Middle TN STEM Educators

TSIN and the Middle TN STEM Innovation Hub, hosted at TSEC, continued their long-standing collaboration to bring exciting professional development credit opportunities to educators all over the mid-state through the annual Innovative Educator Workshop series. The day-long workshops offer catered lunch, mileage reimbursement, and small stipends alongside the expert knowledge offered by local educators. These speakers, leaders in their fields, guide middle TN k-12 teachers through many different challenges they may face, from school STEM designations to implementing experiential learning.

Innovative Educator Workshop: Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL): The Fundamentals

TSIN and the Middle TN STEM Innovation Hub kicked off the workshop series this summer on June 14th by hosting the first of three Innovative Educator Workshops at MTSU’s Science Building. The workshop featured Dr. Amy Phelps, a professor of chemistry at MTSU, who discussed the structure and implementation of the student-centered learning method, POGIL. Dr. Phelps sees POGIL as a means to help teachers formalize their efforts to engage students more fully in the learning process. In her workshop, participants engaged in POGIL-based learning, explored how POGIL activities are structured, discussed group formation, and wrestled with challenges of implementation related to bringing POGIL to a classroom.

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Innovative Educator Workshop: Incorporating Biotechnology in the Classroom

On June 16th, 2022, the workshop, Incorporating Biotechnology in the Classroom was facilitated at Oakland High School by Melissa Bunch. Melissa Bunch has been an educator for 26 years and currently teaches Biotechnology at Oakland High School in Murfreesboro, TN. Teachers traveled from all over the mid-state to hear Mrs. Bunch share her expertise and to discover ways to introduce their classrooms to exciting biotechnologies. They discussed the incorporation of biotechnology into curriculum as well as how to start a biotechnology program at their school.

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Innovative Educator Workshop: The Journey of STEM and STEAM Designation

As interest in STEM/STEAM designated schools rises, TSIN and the Middle TN STEM Innovation Hub recognize the need for guidance in undertaking this esteemed designation. The third Innovative Educator Workshop, The Journey of STEM and STEAM Designation, was held on June 23rd, 2022 to help address this need. Lea Bartch, Coordinator of Science and Social Studies for Murfreesboro City Schools, conducted the workshop at MTSU and discussed the process of STEM/STEAM designation, how to get started, and how to move forward from any step in the process. Mrs. Bartch, who has assisted TSIN with the designation process for three years, shared her insider expertise on the process and how participants could navigate common challenges.