STEM

Vernier Offers Summer Institutes on Data Collection Technology

• By Michael Hart
• 05/07/15

Vernier Software & Technology will offer 19 Summer Institute workshops over the next few months to help science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) teachers integrate probeware and data-collection technology into their curricula. Led by training specialists, the workshops will allow science teachers to use Vernier technology in classroom-ready experiments that they can take back to their students.

As examples, physics teachers will be able to collect position, velocity and acceleration data with a motion detector in the "Cart on a Ramp" experiment while chemistry teachers can use a colorimeter to determine the concentration of a nickel sulfate solution in the "Beer's Law" lab. Meanwhile, biology teachers can learn how to measure concentrations of carbon dioxide during cell respiration with a CO₂ gas sensor and earth science teachers may explore classroom applications for a GPS sensor.

The six-hour one-day and 12-hour two-day institutes are intended to meet the needs of teachers from a wide variety of grade levels and STEM disciplines. Students have the option of earning two credit hours through the Portland State University Center for Science Education.

"Our institutes provide educators of all experience levels with a great opportunity to continue their professional learning over the summer," said David Vernier, co-founder of Vernier and a former physics teacher.

One-day institutes will be held at a variety of locations throughout the United States beginning June 22 in Houston and wrapping up in Seattle August 8. Five two-day sessions will be held in July at Vernier's headquarters office in Beaverton, OR.

The one-day $99 registration fee includes training, lunch, lab handouts and a lab manual.

Registration fee for the two-day institutes is $199 and includes more in-depth study on a specific science subject.

Vernier provides software and scientific data-collection technology for STEM classrooms.