Month: October 2024

Fall 2024 UConn ECE Economics Workshop

On Wednesday, October 23rd, UConn Early College Experience hosted a professional development workshop for certified ECE Economics teachers, under the guidance of Dr. Natalia Smirnova, our ECE Faculty Coordinator for Economics. This workshop was held on the UConn Storrs Campus, and instructors spent the morning sharing some exciting student success stories (congratulations to Cheshire High School for placing 3rd in their Future Business Leaders of America competition!) and some in-class activities that have worked well in their respective ECE classrooms. Several guest speakers joined us, including Ariel Slonim, curriculum designer for Marginal Revolution University, a nonprofit dedicated to providing everyone and everyone with a “world-class economic education”, and Mary Claire Peate, a Senior Economic Education Specialist from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Thank you to all who joined us for an enriching experience!

Please visit the UConn Economics Website for additional information regarding this event: Linked HERE!

UConn Economics Courses offered through Early College Experience.

Fall 2024 UConn ECE Music Workshop

On Monday, October 21st, UConn Early College Experience hosted a professional development workshop for certified ECE Music teachers, under the guidance of Shannon McAlister, our ECE Faculty Coordinator for Music. Instructors convened on the UConn Storrs campus, and spent the morning sharing stories from their own classrooms and teaching philosophies, followed by a guest lecture from visiting UConn professor Dr. Elizabeth Sallinger.  Dr Sallinger’s research interests are focused around orchestration and storytelling in musical theatre, and she treated our instructors to an informative lecture entitled, “Facing the Future: Exploring Education in Popular Music.” Goals for the day included disseminating resources for instructors to utilize in their classrooms, and providing opportunities to compare and discuss classroom experiences, allowing instructors to learn with and from one another.

Thank you to all who joined us for an enriching experience!

 

UConn Music Courses offered through Early College Experience.

Fall 2024 UConn ECE Marine Sciences Workshop

On Friday, October 18th, UConn Early College Experience hosted a professional development workshop for certified ECE Marine Sciences teachers, under the guidance of Professor Claudia Koerting, our ECE Faculty Coordinator for Marine Sciences. Instructors connected via a hybrid modality; some joined us in-person on the UConn Avery Point campus, while others participated virtually. The morning consisted of updates regarding “what’s new” in the UConn Marine Sciences program, followed by some discussions of ECE course syllabi and university technologies and resources. Professor Craig Tobias, director for the CT National Estuarine Research Reserve (CTNERR) then provided some updates surrounding his research, and included information regarding teacher resources available through the Reserve. The Reserve includes 50,000 acres of land in and around Long Island Sound, Fishers Island Sound, the Thames River and the Connecticut River; the Reserves program works to preserve the land around their many sites, and provides education, training, and research opportunities, working with the rich biodiversity of the area to accomplish these goals.

Before lunch, instructors received a brief presentation on how to obtain funding (from ECE and other sources) to support their students’ learning in and out of the classroom. The final hybrid session delved into UConn’s current research activity surrounding “the relationship between offshore wind farms and marine life”. Finally, in-person attendees were treated to a tour of the Avery Point campus’s research facilities, and a trip to nearby Bluff Point led by Professor Tobias.

 

Thank you to all who joined us for an enriching experience!

 

UConn Marine Sciences Courses offered through Early College Experience.

Fall 2024 UConn ECE LMS Training

On Thursday, October 17th, UConn Early College Experience hosted a virtual professional development training for certified ECE Library Media Specialists. The group connected via Webex and enjoyed discussions led by several representatives from the UConn Library. Student Success & Engagement Librarian Anna Twiddy kicked things off with a presentation on the library’s electronic resources, which was then followed by a thorough explanation of the library website and all of its search functions, courtesy of Electronic Resources Librarian Kristina Edwards. Ery Caswell, another Student Success & Engagement librarian, then offered an informative introduction into the Interlibrary Services available to ECE students and instructors. Terry Palacios, an Associate in Interlibrary Services, then provided an overview of using Google Scholar with UConn Library credentials. Finally, Roslyn Kohlbrecher, a Pharmacy Librarian, offered some useful tips regarding the use of AI as a research partner.

Many important resources were shared! If you were unable to join us, we are happy to report that all information will be available on the ECE LibGuide (linked HERE) very soon.

 

Thank you to all who joined us for an enriching experience!

 

UConn Library services offered through Early College Experience.

Fall 2024 UConn ECE Chinese Workshop

On Friday, October 18th, UConn Early College Experience hosted a virtual professional development workshop for certified ECE Chinese teachers, under the guidance of Professor Chunsheng Yang, our ECE Faculty Coordinator for Chinese. Instructors connected via Webex and enjoyed a discussion on program development from Ms. Chunmei Guan of Logan High School in Indiana. Later on, Professor Zhiying Qian joined us from Florida State University, and led a fascinating talk about the emerging relationship between AI and Chinese language teaching.

Thank you to all who joined us for an enriching experience!

 

UConn Chinese Courses offered through Early College Experience.

Fall 2024 UConn ECE Biology Workshop

On Tuesday, October 15th, UConn Early College Experience hosted a professional development workshop for certified ECE Biology teachers, under the guidance of Professor Thomas Abbott, our ECE Faculty Coordinator for Biology. Instructors convened on the UConn Storrs Campus and enjoyed an invigorating field walk through campus, and the surrounding forests. 

Thank you to all who joined us for an enriching experience!

 

UConn Biology Courses offered through Early College Experience.

Fall 2024 UConn ECE Environmental Science (NRE) Workshop

On Tuesday, October 15th, UConn Early College Experience hosted a professional development workshop for certified ECE Environmental Science (NRE) teachers, under the guidance of Professor Morty Ortega, our ECE Faculty Coordinator for NRE. This was an exciting opportunity for our NRE community to meet offsite, at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) in New Haven, CT. Instructors were treated to several informative talks, beginning with a discussion on integrated tick management research at the CAES led by wildlife biologist Dr. Scott Williams. Entomologist Dr. Megan Linske then delivered a fascinating lecture entitled “Diversity and Disease: Assessing Backyards for Tick Bite Prevention and Awareness”, all before lunch! The afternoon concluded with a final talk by entomologist Dr. Kelsey Fisher, which discussed Monarch butterfly biology and conservation needs. 

And, fun fact! Both Dr. Williams and Dr. Linske received their Ph.D.s from the University of Connecticut.

Thank you to all who joined us for an enriching experience!

 

UConn Natural Resources and the Environment (NRE) Courses offered through Early College Experience.

Fall 2024 UConn ECE CE (Engineering) Workshop

On Tuesday, October 8th, UConn Early College Experience hosted a professional development workshop for certified ECE Engineering teachers, under the guidance of Professor Sarira Motaref, our ECE Faculty Coordinator for Engineering. The event included a variety of enrichment opportunities, including a discussion on Neuroinclusive teaching strategies, and an opportunity to engage with the teaching resources that UConn makes available to its ECE instructors. Instructors were also given the chance to interact with representatives from UConn’s undergraduate chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), all before lunch! The afternoon was devoted to presentations from our own ECE Engineering instructors, who were given the chance to share strategies and student work from their own classrooms. 

Thank you to all who joined us for an enriching experience!

 

UConn Civil Engineering Courses offered through Early College Experience.

Fall 2024 UConn ECE HIST 1300 (Medieval Studies) Workshop

On Friday, October 4th, UConn Early College Experience hosted a professional development workshop for certified ECE Medieval Studies teachers, under the guidance of Professor Thomas Maulucci, our ECE Faculty Coordinator for Medieval Studies. The event focused on the Mali Empire in Western Africa, and tasked attendees with discussing their own personal connections to the continent of Africa, as well as engaging with a variety of resources (maps, articles, video, historical documents, etc.) to enhance understanding.

Thank you to all who joined us for an enriching afternoon!

 

UConn History Courses offered through Early College Experience.