Upcoming Professional Development

Contact Thea Keppel at keppeltm01@buffalostate.edu with any questions or concerns regarding event registration

Buffalo Math Collaborative
Dr. Kara Imm

A professional learning community of K- 9 teachers and leaders, across grand bands, schools, and districts who come together to:

  • Design learning experiences for kids, study them in real time, and reflect on what and how mathematical learning is happening
  • Deepen the mathematical pedagogical content knowledge needed for teaching (our own mathematics + how children make sense of mathematics)
  • Share ideas in a space designed to build on teachers’ love of kids and math (#lovekidslovemath)
  • Provide a model for empowering our students mathematically through cognitively demanding tasks and routines that feature equitable access and that foster student agency, ownership, and identity. 
BMC meeting locations:
  • Willow Ridge Elementary
  • Union East Elementary
  • Maryvale Middle School
  • Amherst Middle School
  • Sweet Home Middle School
  • Cleveland Hill Middle School
Dates: Weeks of 10/27, 1/26, 3/16, and 5/18
 

Buffalo Math Collaborative Flyer

Chautauqua Math Collaborative
Dr. Kara Imm

A professional learning community of teachers and leaders, across grade bands, schools, and districts who come together to:

  • Design learning experiences for kids, study them in real time, and reflect on what and how mathematical learning is happening
  • Deepen the mathematical pedagogical content knowledge needed for teaching (our own mathematics + how children make sense of mathematics)
  • Share ideas in a space designed to build on teachers’ love of kids and math (#lovekidslovemath)
  • Provide a model for empowering our students mathematically through cognitively demanding tasks and routines that feature equitable access and  foster student agency, ownership, and identity. 
Location: Falconer Central School District
Dates: Thursdays, October 30th, January 29th, March 19th, and May 21st

Chautauqua Math Collaborative Flyer

Happy Classroom Workshop
Facilitated by Ariana Ausiano

The science is there - happiness and success go hand in hand, but our classrooms and public schools generally do not prioritize student happiness. How can teachers make their classrooms feel less like a prison and more like a safe place where happiness is allowed?  Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. Evidence shows that happy people are more productive, more creative, and better problem solvers than their unhappy peers. We can apply this information to helping schools become a better place to be for all... a place students are excited to be and where their minds can flourish because their hearts are happy. Come along and explore the importance of happiness, the neuroscience behind emotion, learning and memory and walk away ready to implement more joyful practices into your teaching and daily life.
 

Date: Saturday, November 22nd, 9am-12pm 
Location: Buffalo State University, SAMC 266

Happy Classroom Workshop Registration

Happy Classroom Workshop Flyer

Authentic Science Inquiry for Every Learner Workshop
Facilitated by Pamela Patterson

Research Isn’t Just for Scientists! Are you interested in bringing place-based, community-connected, hands-on/minds-on research into your classroom? Look no further! Over the past decade, Citizen Science has exploded, offering countless opportunities for students to participate in authentic scientific research—right from school. In this interactive session, we’ll explore a model classroom where every lab experience—from September to June—contributes to real-world science. You’ll discover a variety of online Citizen Science platforms and leave with ready-to-use resources, classroom ideas, and cross-curricular connections (yes, even math!). From kindergarten to high school, educators at every level can empower students to become true scientists in their own communities.
 

Date: Saturday, November 22nd, 9am-11am 
Location: Buffalo State University, SAMC 257

Authentic Science Inquiry Workshop Registration

Authentic Science Inquiry Workshop Flyer

Mathematical Landscapes in Practice: Number Sense, Addition & Subtraction - Pedagogical Moves to Create a Learning Community in Grades K-8 
Denea Czapla and Rachael Burke

The Western Region of the New York State Master Teacher Program is excited to offer an extension of our mathematical landscapes of learning series that focuses on the pedagogical moves teachers make to nurture a community of mathematicians across the elementary and middle school grades. The mathematical content will be situated within Cathy Fosnot’s landscape of learning framework and will explore the coherent development of topics along the K – 8 spectrum. Video case studies across the grade levels of classroom practice will be analyzed and discussed using the TRU Framework, from Dr. Alan Shoenfeld at the University of California, Berkeley. These video cases provide opportunities for participants to share their grade level expertise and to enhance our understanding of the content connections across the landscape.

January’s sessions will highlight building a welcoming math community for learners to take risks, gain confidence, and take charge of their learning with a focus on the landscape of number sense, addition and subtraction throughout grades K-8. Sessions will feature mathematical models and tools for thinking, including number bonds, number lines, Building Thinking Classroom principles, number strings, and more. Real world contexts and situations will be used as we consider how to best develop students’ conceptual understanding, mathematical identity, and a supportive, nurturing classroom community.

Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, January 13th, 15th, 20th, and 22nd; 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Location: Buffalo State University, Science & Math Complex

Mathematical Landscapes Registration

Mathematical Landscapes Flyer

Science Content Minicourse: Electricity and Energy

In this course you will explore the science ideas of electricity and energy using a storyline that is aligned with the NYSSLS Standards. You will learn about electric circuits and how energy is transformed. You will participate in investigations that parallel the activities in the NYSED Light it Up required investigation.  We will make observations that provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents. The science practices of investigations and arguing from evidence will be foremost as you defend your ideas about electric current based on evidence.  
 

Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, January 13th, 15th, 20th, and 22nd; 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Location: Buffalo State University, Science & Math Complex

Science Content Minicourse Registration

Science Content Minicourse Flyer

Preparing for NYSSLS Assessments and Required Investigations

As teachers begin to shift their instructional practice to meet the NYS Science Learning Standards, an important focus should also be on assessing student achievement of those standards. This workshop will provide teachers and administrators with insight into best practices for 9-12 classroom- level assessment as well as updates on state-level assessments.

Participants will explore the newly released Chemistry & Physics Investigations designed to provide multiple measures of student performance throughout the 9-12 grade band. Participants will also collaborate to determine best practices for implementing the investigations.

Date: Saturday, January 17th, 9am-2pm 
Location: Buffalo State University, SAMC 259

NYSSLS Workshop Registration

NYSSLS Workshop Flyer

Past Professional Development for WNY Master Teachers

See our database of past professional development offered to WNY Master Teachers