FREE Opportunity: Reflecting on Practice Coaching Workshop

Birch Aquarium at Scripps and Aquarium of the Pacific will be hosting a series of professional development workshops for informal education practitioners. The workshops are focused on providing individuals (and institutions) with the skills and knowledge to develop and/or build upon reflective practices. Theses workshops in turn will build communities of practice within the Southern California region.

Participants will engage in activities that lead to introspection about their practice and draw on current research regarding learning and teaching in informal environments. Topics for reflection include the nature of science, multiple learning styles, constructing knowledge, facilitating effective conversations, and the use of objects. Workshop discussions will encourage participants to reflect upon individual, programmatic, and institutional practices.

The workshop series, created by the Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley and funded by IMLS and NSF, has been presented around the country, and by Birch and Aquarium of the Pacific, for the past two years. It has received high praise from attendees, who have adapted the workshop content to best fit the needs of their unique institutions and teams in a multitude of ways.

Participants are encouraged to come with an institutional colleague in order to work together to practice the material and prepare to bring it back to your institution.

The workshop is FREE and includes materials, food/beverage and other resources.

Learning, Constructing Knowledge, and Nature of Science
January 11, 2012; 9 AM – 4 PM

Prior Knowledge- Connecting with what learners know
January 25, 2012; 9 AM – 4 PM

Analyzing and Facilitating Learning Conversations
February 14, 2012; 9 AM – 4 PM

Objects in Teaching: Practical Applications of Research and Theory
February 23, 2012; 9 AM – 4 PM

To reserve your spot, call 858-822-1812 or email klevans@ucsd.edu by January 4th.