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300
teachers will descend on Bartlett High School on August 9 &
10 to attend a nationally-acclaimed Teacher to Teacher Workshop,
co-sponsored by the National Park Service and the U.S. Department
of Education.
One of 20 workshops
held in the U.S. this year, this will be the only workshop held
in Alaska. The Anchorage venue was selected when the National Park
Service, Alaska Region stepped forward and offered to co-host this
important professional development opportunity. The scheduling is
particularly timely, as the sessions will recharge teachers' batteries
as they ease from summer into the new school year.
"Educational
is a key aspect of the National Park Service mission," stated
NPS Alaska Regional Director Marcia Blaszak. "We felt this
was an opportunity we should seize, because we want to convey the
wealth of resource material and media available for teachers to
use in subjects such as history, math, science and social studies,
and language arts. Our National Park Service education specialists
and researchers from Alaska--along with our partner organizations--have
a wealth of experience and valuable teaching tools to help bring
national parks and other public resources into the classroom. Students
are the future stewards of these public lands and having information
available to them about their role in enjoying and protecting these
areas is essential. As much as we would like to reach every student
directly, we know that is unrealistic. We rely a great deal on teachers
to use weave this content into the curriculum. This workshop will
provide some of the tools to help them achieve that."
"This is
an exciting opportunity to partner with organizations and agencies
here, as well as with the U.S. Department of Education. We have
been delighted with the warm welcome and support from Bartlett Principal
Dan Gallego and his staff," Blaszak added.
National Park
Service educators along with researchers and educators from partner
organizations including the Alaska SeaLife Center,
U. S.Geological Survey, Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, Alaska
Natural History Association, and University of Alaska will share
with teachers the wealth of educational resources available in national
parks and other public lands to enrich the classroom experience.
Sessions with
national park content will include "Flippers and Flukes: Activities
to Enhance Your Unit on Marine Mammals," "Shattered Fragments
and Broken Mirrors: Helping Students Connect With History,"
"Blue Ice Basics: Understanding Glaciers" and " Hike!:
A Journey of Science, Snow and Sled Dogs at Denali National Park."
Sessions presented
by USGS Alaska Science Center scientists include, "ESI Alaska:
Volcano Eruption Scene Investigations," “Polar Bear Studies
in Alaska.” The Alaska Volcano Observatory will also offer
a series of field trips to visit their Operations Center at the
Science Center. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute
will present, “Bridging the Gap: Elementary Teachers and Young
Scientists."
Master teachers
from the Lower 48 will present core sessions that cover a wide spectrum
of both the theory and practice of education.
Experience Your
America
--END--
Privacy & Disclaimer
Author:Jane
Ahernl
Last modified on: April 18, 2003
www.nps.gov/akso
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