Gibraltar Island, OH Classroom teachers and informal educators across the Great Lakes region have a chance this summer to spend a week (or more) at Stone Lab, Ohio State’s Island Campus on Lake Erie, earning graduate credit or hours toward their Highly Qualified Teacher certification, networking with other education professionals, and meeting scientists who work at the forefront of Lake Erie research. Stone Lab provides hands-on, inquiry-based learning that is specifically tailored to let educators apply the lessons directly to their classroom or informal education settings.
“These are unique workshops”? says Ohio Sea Grant Educator Lyndsey Manzo. “They are truly immersive experiences that merge content and pedagogy. Interacting with researchers, learning by doing, refining data collection skills, talking with colleagues about strategies for integrating Great Lakes science into your curriculum — there is more learning and networking in one week than you can get in a year of professional development.”?
Manzo, a high school science teacher herself, is part of the teaching team for “Great Lakes Education? a class focusing on bringing Great Lakes literacy to teachers’ classrooms. Students will travel to three Lake Erie islands while learning the interdisciplinary aspects of Great Lakes science, and creating engaging lesson plans that can integrate a wide variety of subjects. Ten $500 scholarships are available for educators in this specific class; contact the Stone Lab office for more information.
“Geologic Setting of Lake Erie? consists of a week-long van trip along the southern shore of Lake Erie, examining the geological features of Ohio and the Lake Erie basin. “Principles of Oceanography for Educators? will use samples from a research vessel and a number of field trips to help teachers develop an understanding of the global ocean and how to illustrate ocean principles in the classroom.
Educators are also welcome to apply for any of the other classes offered at Stone Lab this summer — a full list is available at stonelab.osu.edu/courses. Most classes can be taken for credit or as non-credit workshops for contact hours, but some courses will give preference to for-credit students before accepting workshop students. Contact the Stone Lab office with questions about a specific class. Scholarships are available for teachers taking for-credit courses; complete application information, including deadlines, is available at stonelab.osu.edu/costs/aid.
Located on the 6.5-acre Gibraltar Island in Put-in-Bay harbor, Stone Laboratory is Ohio State University’s Island Campus on Lake Erie and the education and research facility of the Ohio Sea Grant College Program. Established in 1895, Stone Lab is the oldest freshwater biological field station in the United States and the center of Ohio State University’s teaching and research on Lake Erie. Stone Lab offers 25 college-credit science courses each summer for undergraduate and graduate students, advanced high school students, and educators. For information on Stone Laboratory, visit stonelab.osu.edu.
Contact
Arleen Pineda, Stone Lab Columbus Office, 614.292.8949, stonelab@osu.edu