Teacher Training By Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski » early childhood teacher training

Video Footage Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Workshop For Early Childhood Teachers

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:40:16 +0000

These days we hear quite a bit about incorporating STEM education in K-12 classrooms. STEM explorations can and should be incorporated into the early childhood classroom. Early childhood classrooms already incorporate science, math, and simple engineering explorations. Along with the K-12 STEM teacher training workshops I conduct nation and worldwide, I’ve developed STEM teacher training workshops for early childhood teachers. The early childhood teachers have been very receptive to incorporating STEM explorations within their early childhood classrooms. Below is select video footage from a recent early childhood teacher training workshop I conducted. 75 early childhood teachers were actively engaged in conducting hands-on-minds-on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) explorations. Additionally, teachers were introduced to children’s literature that had STEM-related themes. Once again, a great group of teachers.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-B3GjmAbyY

Teacher Training: Young Nature Explorers

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 18:17:32 +0000

You can sense a slight change in the seasons in Florida during this time of year, and the teacher training workshop I presented as a featured speaker at the Daytona/ Flagler County Early Learning Coalition Discovering The Joy Conference Young Nature Explorers could not have been timed better. Approximately 45 early childhood teachers were actively engaged in exploring age-appropriate early childhood science concepts. Additionally, teachers were introduced to connecting mathematical concepts, and children’s literature as they explore outdoor and life science concepts with their early childhood students. During the teacher training workshop teachers used eye loupes and simple microscopes to explore a wide-array of specimens from nature including: leaves, seeds, rocks, animal coverings, and more. Additionally, teachers observed and touched live garden snails, earthworms, and pill bugs. Teachers also were asked to draw pictures of what they observed throughout the teacher training workshop. As the session ended teachers were invited to bring the snails, earthworms, and pill bugs back to their classrooms to share with their students. Teachers left the session motivated, energized, and ready to teach their early childhood students about nature using their schoolyard as a classroom. Another great session and group of dedicated teachers. For further reading on sharing nature with children check out the following books. All the books listed can be ordered from Amazon via this site at no extra charge.

Connecting Science Across The Curriculum Teacher Training Workshop

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:25:20 +0000

I had the pleasure of sharing my enthusiasm and knowledge of science with another great group of teachers yesterday. The director of a local VPK school arranged for me to come and present a three hour hands-on-minds-on teacher training workshop entitled “Connecting Science Across The Curriculum.” It’s beneficial when administration arranges for teacher training/ professional staff development during teacher pre-planning week. The teachers are refreshed after a long summer break, motivated, and looking for new ideas to implement within their classroom. As always my teacher training workshops are conducted in a format that blends science content with the “how to” implement within the classroom. Thus, teachers are expanding upon their existing science content knowledge as well as gaining new hands-on-minds-on explorations to implement within their classrooms. During the three hour workshop teachers were actively engaged in exploring science, mathematics, language arts, literacy, social studies, health, and the arts via an inquiry-based format. We started the morning off with a nature walk around the school campus. The emphasis was placed on nurturing the young child’s natural curiosity as well as developing observational skills in their students. It’s all about making observations and asking questions! Teachers explored life and environmental science concepts, physical and earth science concepts while being introduced to affective methods of connecting science across the curriculum. What a great workshop, and wonderful group of teachers.

Early Childhood Teachers Attend Hands-On-Minds-On Teacher Training Workshop: Teaching Science Through Pre-Primary Children’s Literature

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:16:45 +0000

Thirty-five early childhood teachers were actively engaged in exploring early childhood science concepts through pre-primary children’s literature during a early childhood teacher training workshop on a recent Saturday in June. The teachers attended a full-day hands-on-minds-on standards-based early childhood teacher training workshop conducted by Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski. The goal of this particular workshop Teaching Science Through Pre-Primary Children’s Literatureis to introduce teachers to how to incorporate children’s literature in the classroom to teach science concepts. Teachers conducted many hands-on explorations to investigate early child science concepts through pre-primary children’s literature. Additionally, teachers used a variety of scientific and mathematical tools in their explorations of a wide-array of science and mathematical concepts. Throughout the day teachers were introduced to approximately 100 children’s books written by popular children’s authors that can be used in the classroom to reinforce science concepts. Teachers explored the behavior of soap bubbles by making numerous bubble blowing contraptions. Teachers observed and touched live pill bugs, earthworms, and garden snails, and then read children’s literature that have science themes connected to exploring common invertebrates found in gardens, backyards, and school yards. Beach and sand toys were used to explore the concepts of erosion, weathering, and the rock cycle. Several children’s books that cover beach geology, erosion, weathering, and the rock cycle include:
Sand by Ellen Prager and Beach Day by Karen Roosa. Teachers also dissected a dried whelk egg case to observe how offspring resemble their parents as well as observing that all animals that are born with shells make their own shell, aside from the Hermit Crab. Teachers were introduced to numerous children’s literature books that cover animal coverings, sea shells, and marine life including: What Lives in a Shell by Weidner Zoehfeld, A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle, Seashells by The Seashore by Marianne Berkes, Is This a House for Hermit Crab? by Megan McDonald, Clam I Am by Tish Rabe, and several other children’s books. Teachers explored botanical concepts including seed and leaf types, and seed dispersal. There are many wonderful children’s books that cover botanical concepts including: Oh Say Can You Seed? by Bonnie Worth, The Tiny Seed by Eric Carole, From Seed to Pumpkin by Wendy Pfeffer, Apples by Gail Gibbons, A Dandelion’s Life by John Himmelman, The Reason For A Flower by Ruth Heller, How A Seed Grows by Helene Jordan, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, I Can Name 50 Trees by Bonnie Worth, and many others. Teachers also explored force, motion, and energy concepts by using toy cars, trucks, and ramps, related children’s literature books were also introduced. The workshop was a great success, the participants were actively engaged in the learning process throughout the entire session. At the end of the full-day session participants left the workshop with numerous models they had constructed to reinforce specific science concepts and principles, art work from their observations, a manual, and prizes won from raffles that took place throughout the session, and we all know that teachers love to “win cool stuff” to bring back to share with their students. Once again, I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to have met such a great group of dedicated and professional early childhood teachers as well as the very dedicated administrative support of the Early Childhood Coalition.

Early Childhood Educators Explore Science Concepts via Hands-On-Minds-On Explorations

Diana Wehrell-Grabowski — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 05:02:51 +0000

I wonder how many educators can say they have attended a teacher training workshop on a Friday evening? Well on Friday, January 22nd forty early childhood educators and after-care teachers from Marion County, Florida participated in a two hour hands-on-minds-on science teacher training workshop. Participants made ramps out of race car tracks and blocks to study force, motion, and energy concepts. Then it was onto exploring the natural world by observing and analyzing a wide-assortment of objects from nature. Participants were given plenty of opportunities to explore and discover on their own and in small groups, much like what should take place within all classrooms. The workshop came to a close, and as I looked around the room I knew that these teachers would go back to their classrooms eager to explore science with their students.