Virtual Professional Development

JOIN us in a series of virtual professional development sessions for educators. Gather helpful resources for teaching our lessons to your students online!

For Who? K-12 Educators

When? Schedule varies. See list of upcoming 2021 sessions below. Sessions are added on demand, so be sure to check back!

Where? Zoom Meeting - Link available in our calendar here and on each offered session below. 

OSU Precollege Programs offers a series of FREE virtual professional development and learning experiences for K-12 educators. A series of virtual lessons will provide college connections and cover STEM content based on curricular materials developed by Precollege Programs in collaboration with researchers and partners. 

As a response to targeted COVID-19 pandemic initiatives, our professional development series aligns with the Oregon Department of Education’s new 20-21 Comprehensive Distance Learning Guidance. 

2021 Virtual Professional Development Series

LaCuKnoS: Cumulative knowledge building in science
  • When: January 19th, 4pm PST
  • Grade Level: All SMILE Teachers
  • Overview: This is the third in a series of five sessions on LaCuKnoS (Language, Culture, Knowledge of Science) series: Scientific understanding comes from seeing connections among different ideas and explaining the nature of those connections. In this workshop we will consider how to support all students in building integrated knowledge structures that are aligned with the norms of science. When students have opportunities to see relationships between science ideas and to build social relationships though science, they learn to communicate and connect evidence-based explanations of natural phenomena and human designed activities.
Letters from the field: a unique opportunity to bring hands-on experiences and wildlife science research into your classroom
  • When: January 20th, 4pm PST
  • Grade Level: Middle and High School SMILE teachers
  • Overview: Desert bighorn sheep inhabit the arid Mojave Desert of southern California. These sheep’s ability to adapt and survive in this extreme environment has inspired wildlife scientists for centuries, and thus presents a unique lens for better understanding evolution, genetics, physiology, and disease and parasite transmission. In this PD, we will present an opportunity for educators to join researchers in the field as they observe, track, and collect data on bighorn sheep. By participating you will gain first-hand experiences on wildlife research and data collection in the field – PLUS you will be compensated to help us develop curriculum based on our research.
Radish Seed Dose Response presented by OSU's TEAM Tox
  • When: February 23rd, 4pm PST
  • Grade Level: Middle and High School teachers
  • Overview: The Radish See Dose Response lesson materials were originally sent out to middle and high school teachers last November.  It is an adaptation of older toxicology lesson reimagined by TEAM Tox, a group of OSU Toxicology graduate students interested in outreach.  In this lesson your students are able look at the toxicity to radish seeds of different substances and then create a dose response curve.  The lesson has been designed to be delivered in virtual, hybrid, and in-person teaching formats.  Don't miss this wonderful overview of the lesson, resources, and how you can use this exciting lesson with your SMILE students or in your classroom.  

    Watch Lesson Videos

Middle School Materials:

High School Materials:

Genetics Bingo

  • When: April 28th, 4pm PST
  • Grade Level: Upper Elementary and Middle School Teachers
  • Overview: Engage your students in a fun bingo game based on genetic traits in this activity. This professional development workshop features Genetics Bingo, an extension activity, and information about additional SMILE genetics activities that you can use in your classroom.

Background Presentation (Powerpoint or PDF)

Activity Presentation (Powerpoint or PDF)

Lesson Plan (PDF)