Educator Professional Development
Courses are open to all educators and other professionals. Students enrolled in the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) Master’s degree or other students taking the courses for credit will be given priority enrollment. If there is space in the course, Washington state-approved clock hours will be available to those participants not taking the course for credit. The courses are held at Woodland Park Zoo (unless otherwise noted) and include presentations by guest speakers, tours of zoo grounds, group discussions and hands-on activities.
All but the March course are offered as part of the Advanced Inquiry Program Master's degree. The April course is presented with support from National Geographic.
Northwest Carnivores
Saturday, March 31, 2012 (8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.) at Woodland Park Zoo
Most appropriate for teachers of grades 5-12
Cost: $60 Woodland Park Zoo course fee. Fees cover zoo admission, materials, snacks and clock hours.
Clock hours: 6 clock hours will be available
Registration: Online registration opens Monday, December 5, 2011
Registration due date: Monday, March 26, 2012
This course will explore the biology and behavior of large carnivores of the Pacific Northwest (black bears, grizzly bears, cougars, coyotes and wolves). We will discover the fascinating carnivores of Washington’s diverse habitats—including sagebrush steppe, mountains, temperate forest and urban areas—and the roles they play in the various ecosystems they inhabit. Participants will also learn about the dynamics of human-carnivore relationships from past to present and current conservation efforts aimed at ensuring the survival of carnivores in the wild. Through activities and observations of animals on zoo grounds, we will discover local carnivore conservation issues and opportunities for involving students in promoting carnivore-friendly communities.
PERSPECTIVES IN ENVIRONMENT & CULTURE:
Sustaining Biodiversity
Saturday, April 28, 2012 (8:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. at Woodland Park Zoo)
and Monday, April 30, 2012 (7:00 – 9:30 p.m. for the National Geographic Live presentation “The Big Picture: Celebrating our Planet, Envisioning Our Future” with Mattias Klum and Johan Rockström at Benaroya Hall, Seattle (www.nglive.org/seattle)
Credit: 1 graduate credit
Cost: $100 Woodland Park Zoo course fee + $185 Miami University course fee covers the cost of credit and administration. Zoo fees cover zoo admission, materials, snacks and clock hours.
Clock hours: 9.5 clock hours will be available
Registration: Online registration opens Monday, December 5, 2011
Registration due dates: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 (for those taking the course for credit). Monday, April 16, 2012 (for all others)
Biodiversity—the variety of all living things, from the diversity of genes within a species, to the diversity of species around the world, to the earth’s diverse ecosystems—refers to the interconnected, living diversity that supports our planet. This course explores how scientists define and measure biodiversity, the importance of biodiversity, and human attitudes towards biodiversity. Course activities and discussions engage participants in analyzing and reflecting on past, present and future human interactions with biodiversity and pathways for responsible stewardship of biodiversity. This course looks at global biodiversity, as well as the status of biodiversity in Washington state. Course participants will come away with knowledge, skills and ideas for helping their students to develop a deeper awareness of biodiversity, appreciate its importance, and realize their role in stewarding biodiversity for future generations. Those participants taking the course for credit will complete web-based coursework from mid-April through mid-May.
GLOBAL BIOMES:
Tropical Asia
Saturday, May 19, 2012 (8:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. at Woodland Park Zoo)
Credit: 1 graduate credit
Cost: $100 Woodland Park Zoo course fee + $185 Miami University course fee covers the cost of credit and administration. Zoo fees cover zoo admission, materials, snacks and clock hours.
Clock hours: 7 clock hours will be available
Registration: Online registration opens Monday, December 5, 2011
Registration due dates: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 (for those taking the course for credit). Monday, May 14, 2012 (for all others)
The tropical forest biomes of Asia host a great diversity of wildlife, including some of the most charismatic and endangered animals on earth, such as hornbills, orangutans, elephants, sun bears and tigers. This course explores the diversity of tropical Asian forests, with a focus on the roles of these species in their forest ecosystems and current conservation efforts to ensure their continued survival. Participants will explore current conservation in tropical Asia as well as strategies for helping students to consider their consumer choices and how these choices can help ensure the persistence of the diverse wildlife and habitats of tropical Asia. Those participants taking the course for credit will complete web-based coursework from late April through late May.
EARTH EXPEDITION:
Borneo: Primate Conservation
Section I: June 13 – 23, 2012
Section II: June 24 – July 4, 2012
Join Woodland Park Zoo and Project Dragonfly at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio for an Earth Expedition to Borneo in Southeast Asia! This program is focused on primate conservation with an emphasis on building an alliance of individuals with firsthand knowledge of inquiry-driven, community-based learning for the benefit of ecological communities, student achievement, and global understanding. The course will be available for 7 graduate credits through Miami University at a substantially reduced course fee.
Foundations of Inquiry
Monday, July 16 to Friday, July 20, 2012 (8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. each day)
Credit: 3 graduate credits
Cost: $300 Woodland Park Zoo course fee + $405 Miami University course fee covers the cost of credit and administration. Zoo fees cover zoo admission, materials, snacks and clock hours.
Clock hours: 30 clock hours will be available
Registration: Online registration opens Monday, May 7, 2012
Registration due dates: Wednesday, May 30, 2012 (for those taking the course for credit). Monday, July 9, 2012 (for all others)
This course will engage participants in exploring the foundations of inquiry-based teaching and learning while gaining a new familiarity with Woodland Park Zoo as an informal science education setting. Through making observations on zoo grounds, developing comparative questions, devising investigations to answer those questions and communicating results, participants will experience the full process of inquiry and will learn how to guide this process with students. This type of first-hand, experiential learning encourages independent and critical thinking, increasing students’ awareness and concern for the local environment and its inhabitants. We will engage in activities that demonstrate the applications of inquiry in the classroom, on zoo grounds, in the schoolyard and other outdoor settings. We will discuss case studies that illustrate the use of inquiry to improve student learning and engage students as leaders in their communities. Participants will come away with information and techniques for applying inquiry in classroom and informal education settings, developing inquiry skills in students and assessing inquiry-based learning. Those participants taking the course for credit will complete web-based coursework from late June through mid-August.
Engaging Communities in Conservation Solutions
Monday, July 30 to Friday, August 3, 2012 (8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. each day)
Credit: 3 graduate credits
Cost: $300 Woodland Park Zoo course fee + $405 Miami University course fee covers the cost of credit and administration. Zoo fees cover zoo admission, materials, snacks and clock hours.
Clock hours: 30 clock hours will be available
Registration: Online registration opens Monday, May 7, 2012
Registration due date: Wednesday, May 30, 2012 (for those taking the course for credit). Monday, July 23, 2012 (for all others)
Get involved in conservation solutions in your own community and around the world! In this course participants will consider local and global conservation issues affecting wildlife, and then focus in on three major opportunities for educators and students to take action: 1) providing healthy habitat for wildlife, 2) reducing our carbon footprints to slow the impacts of global climate change and 3) making sustainable consumer choices to conserve resources and support wildlife conservation. Participants will come away with a solid understanding of current issues facing wildlife and strategies for empowering communities to generate solutions and take action. Those participants taking the course for credit will complete web-based coursework from late June through mid-August.