West Virginia University College of Human Resources and Education’s annual Inquiry Conference unites education students and teachers to discuss the future of education and how to engage in research in the classroom.

The conference is April 20 beginning with an opening address at 8:15 a.m. at Lakeview Golf Resort and Spa. Four concurrent sessions, which include presentations by prospective, as well as practicing teachers, will take place over the course of the day.

Dr. Jeffrey Carver, assistant professor in Curriculum and Instruction, and Brad Wasserman, Benedum Five-Year Teacher Education alumnus, will give the keynote address.

Carver, who teaches science education at WVU; Wasserman is a middle school science teacher and science department co-chair in Fairfax County, Va. He graduated from the Benedum Collaborative Five-Year Teacher Education Program in 2010.

Carver and Wasserman will share their journey that started in a Secondary Science Methods class. Their collaboration grew from a class project, to NASA summer internship, to planning and conducting an action research project that is now being published in a professional education journal. In addition, Carver will discuss how to choose the best journal for publishing research and Wasserman will describe how publishing his research has affected him as a new teacher.
Research presenters include faculty from the Benedum Collaborative Professional Development Network which includes schools in Monongalia, Marion, Harrison, Preston and Taylor counties as well as fifth-year students in the Benedum Collaborative Five-Year Teacher Education Program.

Those who attend the conference will also have an opportunity to hear from a number of schools and practicing teachers who have engaged in inquiry, with the help of grants made available by the Benedum Collaborative.

“The purpose of this conference is to bring together prospective and practicing educators who will share the results of their inquiries in an effort to better understand, inform, shape and transform teaching and learning and the ways we do school,” Sharon Hayes, an assistant professor of Curriculum & Instruction/Literacy Studies said.

The event is open to anyone who has an interest in teacher research and wants to learn about the innovative practices being implemented in classrooms. For more information, contact Lisa Barnette at 304-293-2282 or lisa.barnette@mail.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

4/13/12

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CONTACT: Christie Zachary, Human Resources and Education
304-293-5703, christie.zachary@mail.wvu.edu