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Office of Communications |
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Office of Communications |
May 27, 2009 |
Contact: Amy Batheja Communications Specialist Office: (817) 531-4480 abatheja@txwes.edu |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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OPPORTUNITY FOR TEACHERS: FREE GRADUATE COURSES IN ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Are you a teacher who is interested in building your ecology and environmental science content knowledge? Do you want to develop teaching strategies using the Fort Worth ISD Outdoor Learning Center? You can take advantage of free graduate courses offered at Texas Wesleyan through a Teacher Quality (TQ) grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Applications are due Tuesday, June 9. Content: The four graduate courses offered will last two years and focus on ecology and environmental science. The first summer intensive course will focus on learning the flora of the FWISD Outdoor Learning Center, characterizing the vegetation and initiate monitoring of plant and animal communities and environmental conditions. Subsequent courses will build on continued data collection as well as study of the flora, vegetation and ecological and environmental monitoring. Emphasis: The graduate courses will focus on building ecology and environmental science content knowledge and developing effective teaching strategies using the OLC. Each teacher will receive classroom teaching equipment and materials for teaching an integrated curriculum. Cost: Tuition is free. All expenses are covered by the grant support. Stipend: The grant provides a $300 summer stipend and provides travel and per diem support. Participation in and successful completion of this program by Fort Worth ISD personnel qualifies them for a $2,000 annual stipend for each year teachers are enrolled. Level: These graduate courses assume some previous university level preparation in science. The content focuses on concepts that underlie timely societal concerns such as: biological diversity, ecological relationships, energy and environmental change. The course provides curricular material appropriate for high school classrooms and is compatible with state and federal frameworks. Credit: The graduate courses offer a total of 6 credits/year of graduate level credit in natural science which can be applied toward a master’s degree in education. Continuing Education Credit is also awarded. Dates: The graduate courses are offered Monday-Thursday, June 15 – July 2, 2009 from 12:30-4:30 p.m.. The second course will meet on alternative Saturdays, seven times during the fall of 2009. It will begin Saturday, Sept. 5. The course will resume Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010, and will meet every other Saturday until May 2, 2010. Three teachers will have the opportunity to travel to the Mexico between Christmas and New Year's Day to visit the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve during Year 2 (2010). Deadline: Tuesday, June 9. Enrollment is limited to 15 participants. More information: TQ Biology application (online) TQ Biology application (PDF download) Questions: Dr. Bruce F. Benz 817-531-6558 Dr. R.J. Wilson 817-531-4952 rjwilson@txwes.edu Texas Wesleyan University 1201 Wesleyan Street Fort Worth, TX 76105
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