KCOEC Summer  Graduate Course

This summer the KCOEC is again offering a graduate course for teachers, “Biodiversity.”   Three graduate credits are available through the University of St. Francis for $450; participants are not required to take the class for credit. 

This 5-day course for elementary and middle school classroom teachers offers a variety of hands-on experiences in both science and social science disciplines.  The course seeks to provide teachers with valuable information and experience to equip them to teach students in accordance with Next Generation Science Standards and Illinois Social Science Standards.  This process will address classroom concerns such as post-Covid education needs and changing curriculum requirements.  Each day will focus on a different topic of study.  Teachers will be introduced to current trends and research, and they will be encouraged to network with one another as they prepare lessons for use in their own classrooms.

As an experiential learning course, participants will be actively engaged in physical activity to include biking, hiking and outdoor exploration in woodlands, wetlands, farm fields, and canyons.   Indoor classroom sessions will include power point presentations, group discussions, and writing assignments.  The outdoor classroom will include field trips to locations which exemplify Illinois biodiversity and utilize guest speakers.  Class participants are expected to network with one another to share ideas and provide feedback as new lesson ideas are generated.  Journal entries and research reviews will be written independently.  Guest presenters will be utilized for the natural history lessons and on the field trips.

For more information, call the KCOEC at (630) 273-5467 or email at doberbroeckling@roe24.org