MAMSE Exhibits/Vendors

There was an impressive supply of vendors and exhibitors at this year’s Michigan Association of Middle School Educators’ Annual Conference. I didn’t get a chance to visit with all of them but here’s a sampling of some of the ones that caught my eye.

Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum – Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ): The DEQ has five curriculum modules they can send to your classroom for mini-units or curriculum support (GLCE/MCF). Ecosystems, Land Use, Water Quality, Energy Resources, and Air Quality kits include a binder, a CD-ROM, extension lessons, background information for teachers, hands-on activities and experiments, MEAP style unit assessments (not useful in October), and colorful posters and worksheets. The kits incorporate both science and economic sustainability as well as the role of government in environmental decision making. If you’re interested in more information on the kits and free workshops and materials, contact the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality at: www.michigan.gov/deq-meecs. I’d even try if your school isn’t in Michigan.

Michigan Art Education Association: The MAEA holds an annual conference for art teachers and advocates for the arts in Michigan. They also sponsor an art contest for art students and are affiliated with the National Art Education Association. Through them the National Junior Art Honor Society is made available for middle school students. Students have the opportunity to participate in the Middle School State Exhibit and award winners from the Michigan Youth Arts Festival are made part of the Governor’s Traveling Show which is shown around the state for one year. For more information contact them at www.miarted.org.

The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum: This is a hands on science museum with a particular emphasis placed on physics. Students get to handle objects and see how science describes the real world. Field trips can be arranged through the museum at a cost of $5.00 per student and an additional student lab can be arranged for $3.00 more per student. There is a small fee for use of the lunchroom if your group is eating on site. An additional experience to consider in conjunction with a trip to the museum is an Amtrack trip. The museum is two blocks up and two blocks over from the train station in Ann Arbor. Outreach programs that come to the school are also available for things like parent nights and crime labs. They also maintain a distance learning program. You can reach the Ann Arbor Hands-On Science Museum at (734) 995-5439, education@aahom.org, or at www.aahom.org. This is a nice alternative to Toledo, Ohio’s COSI Science Museum which has closed their building but maintains their distance learning program.

mimio Portable Interactive Whiteboard System: The mimio company was present with a demonstration of their smartboard system. The number of templates and resources from the company is growing which makes the mimio a serious choice for teachers and principals in expanding classroom learning to the internet and reaching into the home or after school hours. If you’re interested in looking at the product wander over to www.mimio.com. You can also reach the Michigan representative at jenni.molnar@mimio.com.

Eastern Michigan University – Master of Arts in Middle Level Education: EMU has a masters program centered around NMSA’s Standards and focused on preparing teachers for the middle level classroom. No GRE or Thesis is required for the program. Fall and winter, classes are in the evenings and assignments are classroom based for incorporation into your curriculum. Cohort classes include Middle Level Theory & Practice, Issues in Middle Level Curriculum, and Effective Teaching in Middle Schools. If you’re looking at developing and enriching your teaching you should consider this program. Contact Dr. Pat Williams-Boyd at either patwilliamsboyd@aol.com or call (734) 417-9947.

I ‘d love to hear about the vendors and exhibitors you visited at the conference. Post a message and tell us!