NASA / NIA Pre-Service Teachers Conference

Nortel LearniT is proud to have been a part of the NASA /NIA 12th Annual National Pre-Service Teachers Conference.  The event was another spectacular program to prepare pre-service educators to adopt and enhance 21st century teaching techniques. The theme for this years event was Making a Difference: Creating Pathways to Inspire the Next Generation of Explorers. The conference was held February 15-17, 2007 at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, Alexandria, VA.

The NASA Langley Pre-Service Teacher Program (PSTP) is a partnership between the Langley Office of Education, the National Institute of Aerospace, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The aim of the program is to provide pre-service teachers and faculty members opportunities, using technology, to enhance their knowledge and skill in teaching mathematics and science at the elementary and middle school levels.

The partnership has resulted in a series of annual Pre-Service Teacher Conferences (PSTC) and Pre-Service Teacher Institutes (PSTI). The Pre-Service Teacher Conference is held each spring and hosts several hundred prospective elementary and middle school teachers from selected Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and some majority institutions. Students and faculty are exposed to invigorating general sessions and hands-on workshops. The PSTC includes a Career Fair, where students have the opportunity to explore public school systems and graduate schools from across the country and meet with recruiters.

The Pre-Service Teacher Institute (PSTI) was developed to provide more in-depth experiences for pre-service teachers. Pre-service teachers representing over 104 colleges and universities spend a dynamic and engaging time in an intensive summer institute where they are exposed to problem-based learning, mathematics, and science enrichment activities. Pre-service teachers are able to interface with NASA personnel and tour Langley's facilities, while learning to incorporate NASA's cutting-edge research into lesson plans for elementary and middle school students. The institute culminates with the pre-service teachers developing and teaching a problem-based learning lesson to children from local schools.

The Pre-Service Teacher Conference and the Pre-Service Teacher Institutes are made possible through the generous funding from the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, Minority University Research and Education Division, NASA Headquarters. Nortel LearniT will be providing technology training and infrastructure for the February conference.