TeacherTECH Science and Technology Summer 2010 Workshops

All TeacherTECH workshops are open to Elementary School, Middle School, High School, College and Adult Education Educators and Administrators. All workshops are offered through the San Diego Supercomputer Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

Conference of New Teachers in Genomics
Tuesday - Friday, July 6 - 9, 2010, 8:30am - 3:00pm
This introductory hands-on four-day workshop is a must for any educator who wants to explore genomics through the use of biotechnology and genomics activities for the classroom. The workshop timeline will take participants from the initial extraction of DNA, through the Central Dogma of biology, ending with protein structure analysis. Introduced will be basic techniques for DNA extraction, DNA sequencing and proteomics studies. Additional hands-on lab sessions will include PCR, DNA Contigs, gene cloning, protein purification, and protein crystallization. Complimenting the program will be an introduction to BLAST, iDNA and other interactive, protein visualization software programs available for educators. Interspersed in this comprehensive educator training will be a field trip to an area research institute. The workshop will cover all aspects of DNA structure and analysis including:

• DNA Extractions
  

• PCR

• Gel Electrophoresis

• DNA Sequencing Simulation

• CONTIG Assembling

• Purification and Crystallization

Facilitated by Judi Heitz, Grossmont Unified School District, Susan Moerder, Francis Parker School and Essy Levy, Education Curriculum Specialist, Bio-Rad, Inc.
Course fee: $95.00

Modeling Instruction in High School Physics: An Introduction
Monday - Wednesday, July 12 – 14, 2010, 8:30am - 3:00pm
Modeling Instruction in High School Physics is grounded on the thesis that scientific activity is centered on modeling: the construction, validation, and application of conceptual models to understand and organize the physical world. In this three-day, eighteen-hour introductory workshop, teachers learn to:

• organize course content around a small set of basic models as the content core of physics;

• engage students collaboratively in making and using models to describe, explain, predict, design, and control physical phenomena;

• involve students in using computers as scientific tools for collecting, organizing, analyzing, visualizing, and modeling real data;

• provide students with basic conceptual tools for modeling physical objects and processes, especially mathematical, graphical, and diagrammatic representations;

• show how scientific knowledge is validated by engaging students in evaluating scientific models through comparison with empirical data;

• assess student understanding in more meaningful ways and experiment with more authentic means of assessment;

• improve continuously and update instruction with new software, curriculum materials and insights from educational research;
  

• work collaboratively in action research teams to mutually improve their teaching practice.

Modeling Instruction in Physics was designated in 2000 by the U.S. Department of Education as one of the seven best K-12 educational technology programs out of 134 programs evaluated. CLICK HERE to visit the Modeling Physics website for more information about the program.

Presented by Bill Doerge La Jolla Country Day School
Course fee: $95.00

Introduction to Adobe Photoshop and the World of Digital Art
Monday - Friday, July 26 - 30, 2010, 9:00am – 1:30pm (half day)
Get ready for a week of digital art and design that will change the way you look at popular arts and media. Workshop instructor Scott Flanders is a freelance illustrator and artist specializing in entertainment art and media including commercial illustration, comic books and conceptual design for film and video games, Scott brings an exciting and contemporary professional approach to digital art and a deep knowledge rooted in the fundamentals of fine art training that will leave participants inspired to stretch their creative muscles and push the boundaries of visual expression. Participants will be exposed to many of the basic techniques and common tools used by professional digital artists/designers as synthesized through the digital medium, Adobe Photoshop. At the end of this exciting intensive workshop, participants can expect to have generated their very own original works of art and design and will be well on their way to developing their computer skills with an enhanced working knowledge of digital art creation software.
Presented by Scott Flanders, Scott Flanders Art
Course fee: $95.00

Three to five quarter units of professional development credit is offered for each of these workshops through UCSD Extension.

CLICK HERE for complete workshop information and to download an application.

For questions, please contact Ange Mason at 858 534-5064 or amason@ucsd.edu.