Upcoming Professional Development
Contact Sarah Ptak at ptaks01@buffalostate.edu with any questions or concerns regarding event registration
REGISTRATION CLOSED: Mathematical Landscapes in Practice: Pedagogical Moves to Create a Learning Community in Grades K-8 Minicourse (Number Sense, Addition & Subtraction)
Denea Czapla & Rachael Burke
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.
Location: Buffalo State University, SAMC 259
Dates: January 14, 16, 21, & 23; 5:00 - 8:00 pm
This event has a capacity of 40 people
Mathematical Landscapes in Practice Flyer
Buffalo & Chautauqua Math Collaboratives (BMC & CMC) January Meeting Dates
See the flyers below for dates and locations of this year's BMC and CMC meetings and click the link to register for January's meeting dates.
BMC Flyer BMC January Registration
CMC Flyer CMC January Registration
NYSMTP WNYPTA Workshop Series: January 2025 Meeting
The NYSMTP Western New York Physics Teacher Alliance (WNYPTA) is an active community of physics and physical science teachers in the Buffalo Niagara Region. We are teachers sharing ideas, learning together, and creating a professional community of physics and physical science teachers. All meetings are open to physics, physical science, and other interested teachers – free of charge. Upon request CTLE credit for three hours of professional development will be issued to all attendees.
Location: Buffalo State University, SAMC 357
Date: Saturday, January 25; 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
MfA Speaker Series Workshops
See the flyer linked below for specific courses offered this year.
The MƒA Equity Webinars Series invites nationally recognized educators to share ideas that support equity within STEM. Following an interactive presentation by the speaker, Master Teachers have the opportunity to discuss how these ideas might be applied in their own school environments in small groups.
The MƒA Thursday Think Speaker Series brings accomplished speakers who dive into cutting-edge topics in STEM education to MƒA. These talks, held once a month throughout the school year, invite MƒA teachers and the general public to learn and engage with these thought leaders and professionals in mathematics, science, and education.
Upcoming Workshops:
- Thursday, January 30 / Eliminating "Forever Chemicals" From the World's Water
MfA Speaker Series Flyer & Registration Link
NYSMTP WNYPTA Workshop Series: February 2025 Meeting
The NYSMTP Western New York Physics Teacher Alliance (WNYPTA) is an active community of physics and physical science teachers in the Buffalo Niagara Region. We are teachers sharing ideas, learning together, and creating a professional community of physics and physical science teachers. All meetings are open to physics, physical science, and other interested teachers – free of charge. Upon request CTLE credit for three hours of professional development will be issued to all attendees.
Location: Buffalo State University, SAMC 357
Date: Saturday, February 22; 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Creating with Canva Workshop
Mary Howard
In this hands-on mini-course, educators will explore Canva’s versatile design tools to create engaging instructional materials for their classrooms. Participants will learn to design worksheets, presentations, posters, and student resources as well as discovering time-saving templates. Perfect for teachers of all levels, this session will empower you to enhance your classroom with professional-looking, creative content.
Location: Buffalo State University SAMC (room TBA)
Date: Saturday, March 8; 9:00-11:00 am
This event has a capacity of 30 people
Creating with Canva Workshop Registration
Creating with Canva Workshop Flyer (coming soon)
- Restoring Local Waterways
- Eating Local Fish/Buffalo River Restoration
- The Power of Data!
- Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper Teaching Resources
Location: Buffalo State University & Various Field Locations (More information TBA)
Dates: March 20, 5 - 7 pm; March 27, 5 - 7 pm; March 29, 9 am - 3 pm; April 3, 5 - 7 pm
This event has a capacity of 30 people
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper Minicourse Registration
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper Minicourse Flyer
The Science of Learning & Motivated Behavior II
Dr. Gehan Senthinathan
Teachers will meet in person to discuss relevant pedagogical strategies to support the neuroscience of learning, then implement these strategies in their classrooms in between each meeting. Teachers will collaborate to build connections between modules and discuss the implementations of each strategy in their classroom. Prior attendance of the first Neuroscience minicourse by Dr. Senthinathan is not required to participate.
Location: SUNY Buffalo State SAMC (room TBA)
Dates: March 24, 5 - 7 pm; March 31, 5 - 7 pm; April 7, 5 - 7 pm; April 10, 5 - 7 pm (virtual)
This event has a capacity of 40 people
The Science of Learning II Registration
The Science of Learning II Flyer (coming soon)
GIS in the Classroom Minicourse
Mary Perrelli, Buffalo State Geosciences Dept.
Spatial thinking, facilitated by Geographic Information Systems (GIS), is an essential skill for STEM education. This workshop introduces educators to the ESRI Education Bundle, a powerful resource available to K-12 schools. Participants will explore GeoInquiries™—brief, standards-based inquiry activities designed to teach map-based content aligned with commonly used textbooks. These activities are accessible even without the ESRI Education Bundle. The workshop will also provide hands-on training in using ArcGIS Online applications such as Survey123 and Story Maps, enabling educators to create engaging, interactive content for their classrooms. Educators are encouraged to access and join their school’s ArcGIS Online site, a topic that will be covered in the first session.
A highlight of the workshop will be a guest session with Joseph Kerski, Education Manager at ESRI. On the final day, he will share insights into teaching spatial thinking across various disciplines, including geography, environmental science, sociology, business, mathematics, and language arts. Joseph Kerski is a renowned geographer with a passion for integrating GIS in education. With experience visiting over 350 schools and 400 universities worldwide, he has conducted countless professional development sessions for educators. An active content creator, Joseph has produced over 6,200 videos, 1,000 lessons, and 1,000 blog essays, and authored 12 books. Learn more about his work here
Join us to discover how GIS can transform your teaching and empower students to think spatially!
Location: Buffalo State University, SAMC (Room TBA)
Dates: March 27, 5 - 7:30pm; April 3, 5 - 7:30pm; April 10, 5 - 7:30pm
This event has a capacity of 30 people
GIS in the Classroom Registration
GIS in the Classroom Minicourse Flyer (coming soon)
Dr. Bettina Love @ Buffalo State
Date: March 28th, 2025; 4:00 - 5:00 pm