The Western New York region of the NYSMTP provides professional learning opportunities for all WNY teachers as part of our outreach program. CTLE credit vouchers are available upon request.

Participants have said...

“I am so thankful for the time the instructor put into this course and her willingness to share her knowledge! I have not attended a coding PD as amazing as this, ever!”

“The presenters are masters of content and pedagogy.”

“I love the energy that is cultivated among educational peers as we learn from each other with shared practices and resources.”

 

Upcoming Professional Development

Contact Sarah Ptak at ptaks01@buffalostate.edu with any questions or concerns regarding event registration

NYSMTP WNYPTA Workshop Series: March 1st 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, March 1; 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

WNYPTA March 1st Meeting RSVP

NYSMTP WNYPTA Flyer

Problem Solving Through Games
Erin McClure & Adam Eschborn
 
Participants will come prepared to teach the group a game and lead a pedagogical and content driven discussion from the book "Math Games with Bad Drawings" by Ben Orlin. After multiple rounds of learning and discussing games, participants will work to create a course outline/curriculum map for an elective math course offered at the high school level. There will be an optional path for teachers not looking to formulate a class but instead share games/resources as non-curricular tasks or math night activities.
 
6-12 grade math teachers, math club/family night facilitators of any level are welcome! Our goal is to make connections and adaptations to the presented game across all levels of math! The book states "a 10-year old can enjoy most games".
 
Location: Buffalo State University SAMC 259
Date: Saturday, March 8; 9:00am-1:00pm
 
This event has a capacity of 30 people
 

NYSMTP WNYPTA Workshop Series: March 22nd

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, March 22nd; 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

WNYPTA March 22nd RSVP

NYSMTP WNYPTA Flyer

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

Dr. Bettina Love @ Buffalo State

Dr. Love actively contributes to the mission of nurturing and empowering educators and parents committed to combating injustice within their educational institutions and communities. Renowned as a highly sought-after public speaker, Dr. Love covers a wide range of compelling topics in her engagements, including abolitionist teaching, anti-racism, Hip Hop education, Black girlhood, queer youth, educational reparations, and the use of art-based education to foster youth civic engagement.
 
Location: Buffalo State University Student Union Social Hall
Date: March 28th, 2025; 4:00 - 5:00 pm
 

Dr. Bettina Love Registration

Dr. Bettina Love Flyer

Mathematical Landscapes in Practice: Pedagogical Moves to Create a Learning Community in Grades K-8 (Multiplication & Division)
Denea Czapla & 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.  
 
May'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 multiplication and division throughout grades K-8. Sessions will feature mathematical models and tools for thinking, including 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 SAMC (room TBA)
Dates: Tuesdays & Thursdays, May 20th, May 22nd, May 27th, & May 29th; 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
 
This event has a capacity of 40 people
 
 

STEM Activities Minicourse: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
Christina O'Malley

This 4-day workshop for teachers is designed to provide you with hands-on experience in a variety of STEM activities. Teachers will walk away with fresh, classroom-ready ideas to inspire the next generation of problem-solvers!

  • Day 1: Engineering & Problem-Solving: Egg Drop with Microbit
  • Day 2: Nerdy Derby & Forces of Motion
  • Day 3: Building Structures
  • Day 4: Circuits, Soldering, & Robots

Location: Buffalo State SAMC (room TBA)
Dates: Tuesdays & Thursdays, May 20th, May 22nd, May 27th, & May 29th; 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

This event has a capacity of 24 people

STEM Activities Minicourse Registration

STEM Activities Minicourse Flyer