Transformational Learning 2022-2023
Elizabeth Green’s experiences as a teacher and mother prompt her to pursue doctoral degree from Montana State
A combination of personal and professional experiences led Elizabeth Green to pursue a doctoral degree from Montana State University’s College of Education, Health and Human Development.
As an elementary school teacher for five years in Georgia, she developed a keen understanding of the importance of literacy and became familiar with some of the barriers that can make literacy challenging for young learners.
Montana State hosts 70 junior high and high school teams at annual Montana Science Olympiad
A total of 70 teams competed, including 34 Division B teams, which are made up of students in sixth through ninth grades, and 36 Division C teams, which are composed of students in grades nine through 12. MSU has hosted the state's Science Olympiad since 1985.
About 200 students, faculty and staff from departments across campus put on the tournament, which spread across 14 buildings on campus. The Olympiad is organized by MSU's Science Math Resource Center housed in the College of Education, Health and Human Development.
Online workshop for teachers on March 22 features Montana State mathematical modeler Bree Cummins
A workshop featuring a Montana State University mathematical modeler will be hosted online at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 22. The workshop is part of a series that connects Montana K-12 teachers to MSU resources and is offered for free as one of the MSU Science Math Resource Center’s online professional development opportunities for educators.
Educators invited to apply for workshop in Yellowstone about implementing curriculum on buffalo
Educators from across the United States are invited to apply to participate in a weeklong workshop focused on implementing curriculum about the history and revitalization of buffalo. The residential program will be held near Gardiner outside Yellowstone National Park.
The new Buffalo Nations Landmarks program is a collaboration between Fort Peck Community College, Montana State University and Missoula-based Ecology Project International. The program recognizes the importance of revitalizing relationships between the Indigenous peoples and nations who relied on the buffalo as their primary source of food and products, the American bison, and the lands within and surrounding Yellowstone National Park, according to its website.
Montana State to host free math contest for middle schoolers Jan. 23
The American Mathematics Competition 8 contest, hosted by the MSU College of Education, Health and Human Development’s Science Math Resource Center, is part of the American Mathematics Competition series developed by the Mathematical Association of America. The event is designed to help middle school students develop skills in analytical thinking and mathematics that can assist in future careers. Students apply classroom skills to solve unique problems in a low-stress, friendly environment.
‘My heart is in the classroom:’ Kalani Madrona discovers passion for education during transformative years at Montana State
Kalani Madrona says that when he walks across the stage Friday in Montana State University’s Brick Breeden Fieldhouse during fall commencement, he’ll become the first person in his family to earn a college degree. He’ll have marked this accomplishment while working full-time, taking more than a full-time class load, and filling the role of parent to both his younger brother and younger cousin. He’ll have successfully earned his degree while contending with ADHD and dyslexia, which both were undiagnosed until his sophomore year of college. And he’ll have done it while earning the respect of MSU’s professors, advisers and administrators, as well as the fifth grade students and fifth grade teacher with whom he worked as a student teacher.
Montana State education students to give presentation about experiences teaching in rural Montana communities
Montana State University students who recently completed a teaching experience in rural Montana communities will give a presentation at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, in Inspiration Hall on the MSU campus. The presentation is free and open to the public.
At the event, students from the Department of Education in MSU’s College of Education, Health and Human Development will discuss their experiences teaching in Denton, Grass Range, Hobson, Lewistown and Moore as part of a rural practicum.
Montana State seeks elementary teachers for six-week paid summer STEM experience
Montana State University is recruiting elementary school teachers for a summer program that offers hands-on research experiences and fresh ideas for bringing science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, into their classrooms. Teachers will also gain skills in developing curriculums that combine STEM with Montana’s Indian Education for All mandate.
“Our goal is to provide teachers with an authentic research experience that they can take back to their classrooms and inspire the next generation of engineers and other STEM professionals, especially among students who might not otherwise think of (these fields) as a career option," said project leader Paul Gannon, professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering in MSU's Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering.
Montana Science Olympiad state tournament set for March 8 at MSU; presentation for coaches is Nov. 29
The Montana Science Olympiad state tournament is scheduled for Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at Montana State University. Registration is now open for middle and high school teams.
MSU’s Science Math Resource Center, which is part of the College of Education, Health and Human Development and runs the annual statewide competition, will host an online presentation from 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, for new and returning coaches. The presentation will include benefits and logistics of starting a team, how scoring works and events for the upcoming season, plus a few tips from past coaches on recruiting and preparation. The presentation is free, but registration is required. A recording will be available for those who aren’t able to attend.
Montana State to host mathematics competitions for high school students Nov. 10 and 16
High school students can register for free mathematics contests set for 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, and 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16. Both will be held at Montana State University.
The American Mathematics Competition 10/12 contests, hosted by the MSU College of Education, Health and Human Development's Science Math Resource Center, are part of the American Mathematics Competition series developed by the Mathematical Association of America. The series provides an opportunity for students to develop positive attitudes toward analytical thinking and mathematics that can assist in future careers. Students apply classroom skills to unique problem-solving challenges in a competitive atmosphere.
Nov. 2 virtual workshop for teachers features Montana State engineer who studies insect flight
The latest installment in a workshop series that connects Montana K-12 teachers to Montana State University researchers will be hosted online at 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2. The free workshop is one of the MSU Science Math Resource Center’s online professional development opportunities for educators.
The presentation is part of the MSU Research in Action monthly series that highlights the work of MSU researchers so that K-12 teachers may incorporate their cutting-edge research into their classrooms.
Montana State workshops that connect teachers to STEM research begin Sept. 22
A workshop series that connects Montana K-12 teachers to Montana State University researchers will begin on Sept. 22. The workshops are free and part of the MSU Science Math Resource Center’s series of online professional development opportunities for educators.
The Sept. 22 workshop features Emily Dieter, a postdoctoral researcher who works in MSU professor Joan Broderick’s lab to understand how methanogens use pyrite as a nutrient source. Dieter previously worked at Children’s Medical Research Institute in Sydney, Australia, where she investigated alternative drug targets for a pediatric sarcoma.
Patt and Terry Payne give $6 million to Montana State University for LIFE Scholars and Montana’s Own programs
A $6 million gift from Patt and Terry Payne is helping fund a Montana State University program that provides pathways to higher education for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as a new MSU program that supports Montana students in their junior and senior years at the university. Terry Payne is the founder and longtime chairman of PayneWest Insurance, a Marsh McLennan Agency company.
“We are deeply humbled by and grateful to the Paynes for their belief in and generous support of the LIFE Scholars and Montana’s Own programs at Montana State University,” said MSU President Waded Cruzado. “The Paynes’ gift will create new opportunities for young Montanans that will benefit them, and the rest of the state, for years to come.”
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