UMPI alumnus to teach hybrid education course
University of Maine at Presque Isle alumnus Michael Thibodeau — a 2013 inductee into the Massachusetts Science in Education Hall of Fame and the University’s most recent Distinguished Educator Award recipient — is returning to campus this spring to teach a new hybrid course for the College of Education. His nine-week course will run from March 3 to May 5.
EDU 363: Teaching Science in the Secondary School will be presented in an online format, but with a special hybrid twist — Michael Thibodeau will be on campus in person to provide two on-campus lab experiences on Saturaday, March 8 and Saturday, April 12. 
“After talking with Mike about his passion for preparing science educators and the fact that he is a distinguished online science educator, I realized that the science educators in The County and the state would benefit tremendously from his expertise,” said Dr. Chris Standefer, assistant chair of UMPI’s College of Professional Programs and Education. “I was pleased when he agreed to teach this hybrid class because I knew that the hands-on modeling of science education would provide the students very practical and appropriate experiences, which, in turn, would enhance their education and provide a level of professional comfort them.”
Thibodeau’s course is especially for those teaching science at the middle and high school level, placing an emphasis on the examination of curriculum projects and trends, selection and construction of teaching materials, study of selected topics in science areas, involvement in several science teaching strategies, review of research in science education, and care and use of living and non-living science materials.
While there are other online science methods for secondary education courses available, the hybrid format of EDU 363 gives the students the opportunity to be exposed to and participate in actual activities that can be done in the classroom/lab. This course is not only appropriate for pre-service students, but for state certification seekers in science as well.
Thibodeau graduated from UMPI in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. He went on to earn his master’s degree in natural science in 1970 from the University of Oklahoma. He currently teaches earth science at Lesley College and Introduction to Physical Science, Space Science, and Earth Science online. For the past two years, he has served as program director of Lesley University’s Science in Education Online Program in the School of Education.
Thibodeau was honored in 2004 with a recognition award by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, for “Outstanding Service as Master Teacher with the Pre-Service Teacher Program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.” He also is the recipient of the Tandy Technology Scholars Award for Excellence in Science Teaching, 1993-94, and received UMPI’s Distinguished Educator Award in September 2013. Most recently, in 2013, he was inducted into the Massachusetts Science in Education Hall of Fame.
For more information and class registration assistance, call Shara Gardner, UMPI professional advisor, at 768-9419 or email shara.gardner@umpi.edu.
