Teacher conference at AWC Saturday

Local teachers will have the opportunity to participate in a free professional development conference on Saturday geared toward integrating science and educational technology strategies into K-12 curriculum.

Thanks to federal funding from the CREST (Culturally Responsive ESL Special-education Training) grant project, the Northern Arizona University-Yuma Education Department is hosting an event to aid teachers with their day-to-day instruction.

The conference is open to the first 300 instructors that register and it will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Arizona Western College Theater building on the college's main campus, 2020 S. Ave. 8E. Those attending will be awarded 4.5 continuing education units for attending in the conference.

“Teachers are going to have an opportunity to participate in the various sessions and come away with lots of strategies. The focus is to help all learners especially those who are not English dominate,” said Dr. Russell Prust, project director and education chairman at NAU-Yuma.

Dr. Gerry Madrazo, a nationally-known expert in K-12 curriculum, will present science curriculum strategies that help English language learners to be successful, as he has a background in science education, English as a second language and multicultural education. He has been a science teacher, director of instruction, assistant superintendent, executive director of the University of North Carolina Mathematics and Science Education Network, and professor of education at UNC-Chapel Hill. He has also been president of the North Carolina Science Teachers Association and president of that state's Science Leadership Association.

Dr. Shadow Armfield, a NAU Educational Technology faculty member and consultant, will also present tips for both elementary and secondary teachers on how to integrate technology into K-12 curriculum.

AWC and NAU-Yuma faculty will be attending a similar conference.

For more information contact Elizabeth Ketterer at elizabeth.ketterer@nau.edu or to register contact her at 317-6063.

Sarah Womer can be reached at swomer@yumasun.com or 539-6858. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSSarahWomer or on Twitter at @YSSarahWomer.