PIMMS 2006 Summer Institues

Problem Solving in Mathematics
3.0 CEUs
Registration Deadline: May 26

June 26-30, 2006
Wesleyan University
Middletown

Grades 3-5

Tuition: $600

Students can solve problems. This course will provide a variety of methods to teach problem solving strategies for ALL students, whether they have difficulty reading instructions, or solving simple, multi-step, and/or application problems. Participants will experiment with flexible grouping, differentiation strategies, cooperative learning techniques and other research proven examples of teaching, to assist students in solving problems effectively. Teachers will receive up to $200 worth of materials.

Instructor: Sandra Coelho

Embedded Science Performance Tasks
0.6 CEUs
Registration Deadline: May 26

See schedule below.
Bridgeport, EASTCONN,
Middletown, Waterbury

Grades 3-8

Tuition: $100/day

Professional scientists use the Inquiry approach in their everyday work and Inquiry is the basis for embedded tasks that the state has designed for implementation in grades three and up. Each of these one-day workshops will focus on a specific task. Led by highly successful classroom teachers with strong experience in science, the full-day workshop will allow teachers not only to become comfortable with the tasks, but to apply the Inquiry process to other activities appropriate for their grade level. The sessions will also include the development of a rubric for the evaluation purposes.

Courses, Locations and Dates
Task	Middletown	Waterbury	Bridgeport	Willimantic
Soggy Paper, Grade 3	6/26	7/24	7/31	8/8
Go With the Flow, Grade 4	6/27	7/24	8/1	8/9
Catch It!, Grade 5	6/27	7/25	8/2	8/9
Dig In!, Grade 6	6/28	7/26	8/2	8/10
Feel the Beat, Grade 7	6/29	7/26	8/1	8/8
Shipping and Sliding, Grade 8	6/29	7/27	7/31	8/10

Middletown: Wesleyan University; Waterbury: Waterbury Arts Magnet School; Bridgeport: TBA; Willimantic: EASTCONN
Instructors: TBA

Using Math Games, Activities, & Manipulatives
to Teach Estimation
3.0 CEUs
Registration Deadline: May 26

July 17-21, 2006
Wesleyan University
Middletown

Grades 6-8

Tuition: $600

Research indicates that using games and involving students actively in the learning process will provide positive results. Estimation is one of the areas on both the CMT and CAPT math tests, where students have a great deal of difficulty. The ability to estimate permeates all four Strands of the CT Mathematics Frameworks, as well as, the Math CMT, and CAPT. This course will provide a variety of activities and strategies for developing estimation skills. Sharing of ideas, games, activities and manipulatives will be used to estimate numbers, weights, distances, time, area, size, congruence. Teachers will receive up to $200 worth of materials.
Instructor: Sandra Coelho

STARLAB: Portable Planetarium
2.4 CEUs
Registration Deadline: May 26

July 10-13, 2006
Wesleyan University
Middletown

Grades 3-8

Tuition: $500

STARLAB is a portable planetarium that may be borrowed by teachers to use in their schools upon successful completion of this course. This workshop will introduce teachers to activities that support the study of astronomy and related topics as well as train teachers in the set-up and use of the planetarium. The study of Astronomy provides teachers with a wonderful opportunity to integrate topics about the Earth and our solar system with mathematics, history, and language arts. Students can engage in Inquiry activities as they gather and explore information from their experiences in the STARLAB Planetarium.

Instructors: Holly Garavel, Joan Israelson

ROBOTICS+ Build Excitement in Technology and
Physical Science
2.4 CEUs
Registration Deadline: May 26

June 27-30, 2006
Applied Technology Lab
Sheridan Technology and
Communications Magnet Academy
New Haven

Grades 7-12

Tuition: $375

Teachers will gain experience with the materials and processes of Pitsco Robotics and will learn to create computer commands to control movement. They will also learn to set up and manage a robotics class with a focus on integrating mathematics, language arts, and activities to enhance students' understanding of the importance of science and technology in society. Students will enjoy exploring topics in energy & work, and forces & motion in the hands-on robotics lab. Participants will receive a Pitsco Robotics Kit.

Instructor: Susan Block Brown

Connecticut: Earth Science Classroom!
3.0 CEUs
Registration Deadline: May 26

August 7-11, 2006
Wesleyan University
and various locations
Middletown

Grades 4& up

Tuition: $700

Since Connecticut is such an excellent place to study earth science, the state will be used as our classroom. Four of the five days will consist of a morning classroom experience with the afternoon reserved for field experiences. Teachers will enhance their scientific literacy by learning about the history of earth science, geology, the age of dinosaurs, and critical habitats and species conservation. Topics will include Food Chains, Land & Water Interactions, Ecosystems, and The Changing Earth. The fifth day will focus on astronomy activities at the Van Vleck Observatory using the STARLAB Portable Planetarium, taking advantage of the "naked eye" astronomy as well as the use of Wesleyan's telescopes.

Instructors: Brendan Hanrahan & Joan Israelson

Fractions, Ratios, Proportions, Percents
3.0 CEUs
Registration Deadline: May 26

July 10-14, 2006
Wesleyan University
Middletown

Grades 3-5

Tuition: $600

How do we improve student mastery of this critical strand of the Framework? This course will focus on: 1) practices which help develop an understanding of concepts in realistic ways and (2) applying the skills in relevant content. Research shows that the use of manipulatives, active involvement, and meaningful experiences promote learning. This course will provide alternative instructional strategies to improve the learning of fractions, ratios, proportions and percents. Participants will receive up to $200 worth of materials.

Instructor: Sandra Coelho

Mastering the Mathematics CMT
3.0 CEUs
Registration Deadline: May 26

July 24-28, 2006
Wesleyan University
Middletown

Grades 3-5

Tuition: $600

What prevents students from achieving mastery in mathematics on the CMT? This course will address areas of difficulty and ways to better prepare students to learn the necessary skills and concepts needed to be more successful on the Mathematics CMTs. Participants will analyze potential problems in responding to each of the questions in the Strands or subStrands of the 4^th Generation CMT. Course participants will put together a customized plan to address areas of weakness and concern in their individual schools and classes. Participants will receive up to $200 worth of materials.

Instructor: Sandra Coelho

Using Technology to Improve CMT and CAPT
Performance in Mathematics
3.0 CEUs
Registration Deadline: May 26

July 10-14, 2006, Education Connection, Litchfield
July 17-21, 2006, EASTCONN, Willimantic
July 24-28, 2006, CES, Trumbull

Grades 6-10

Tuition: $600

The use of advanced calculators will provide teachers with new and effective strategies for strengthening mathematics concepts and applications and improving student performance in areas of student weakness on the CMT and CAPT. This Institute will explore each of the four Strands in the new Connecticut Framework with a focus on: equations, scatter plots, ratios, proportions, percents, graphing, and slope. Participants will also gain hands-on experience with the TI-Navigator^TM, the TI-SmartView^TM emulator software, and the CBR. Participants will receive instructional materials and activities that will be enhanced by the use of the TI technology. Participation in this course offers a choice of either the TI-84 Plus Silver Edition Overhead Calculator, TI-ViewScreen Panel or the TI-SmartView^TM emulator software. No previous experience with the TI-84 is required. NOTE: Graduate credit through Wesleyan University's Graduate Liberal Studies program may be available for this course. More information to be posted soon.
Instructor: Linda Apicella