We visit the Arizona Science Center frequently but I just recently learned about their free workshops for early childhood educators. The monthly workshop classes fill quickly because of the great learning opportunity for teachers and educators. The unique experiences provide the opportunity for educators to play with new materials and learn how to introduce them in the classroom. Discussions are centered around how children develop scientific thinking through engineering play and making connections to real-world problems. The two hour workshops give educators an environment to discuss classroom initiatives and instructional strategies with their peers.
The Arizona Science Center has great resources for Preschool Science including monthly classes for children too. Most workshops are held in the basement of the Science Center and provide the perfect space for hands on learning.
Eric Butcher, the Early Childhood Learning and Engagement Specialist, lead the workshop for educators. He is extremely engaging and asked questions through out the lecture portion. He used examples from his classroom experiences as a preschool teacher and had great visuals in his presentation.
We were given plenty of hands on opportunities. A focus of the workshop is educators experiencing art materials and learning how to incorporate them in the classroom. We had access to different materials with the simple task of creating an open ended art project.
With so many early childhood educators in the room, it was fun to see the differences in our creations.
Eric discussed how sometimes an “oops” is the beginning to an amazing art project. He completed the learning portion of class by reading a childrens book about art.
Before the workshop ended Eric randomly selected winners for several giveaways. Classroom supplies are great giveaways in a room full of teachers!
I had so much fun learning how to use art materials in the classroom to develop science thinking with Eric and plan to attend future workshops at the Arizona Science Center.
To learn more about the Arizona Science Center, connect with them on Facebook and Twitter. The classes for early childhood educators are currently full but new classes with open enrollment will soon be added to the fall calendar. Regularly check the Events and Workshops calendar for updates. The classes are offered for free thanks to a grant from Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
The Arizona Science Center offers free membership, courtesy of APS, to Arizona educators. Simply visit the Member Zone in the lobby with your school or district identification (paycheck is acceptable) or your home school affidavit. Participants will receive a complimentary single person membership to the center. Additionally educators can receive a $20 discount when they upgrade their educator membership.
Disclosure: I was invited to attend monthly workshops at the Arizona Science Center. All opinions are my own.