In the Trenches – An NAGT publication in the works

David Steer (University of Akron), Future Editor - In the Trenches

The purpose of this column is to inform you of a new publication in the works at NAGT and invite you to contribute content to this endeavor. This ~16 page hard copy and digital publication is designed to provide a forum for geosciences education dialog targeting educators in the classroom. The NAGT Executive Committee decided to initiate this service in response to feedback from our members that indicated desire for such an outlet. It will provide a venue for you to inform NAGT members about your best teaching ideas, resources or other special topics relevant to our profession that do not lend themselves to more research-focused journals. The idea is to provide a more informal outlet of your ideas and experiences that can inform the larger community.

While the overall format will vary from issue-to-issue, each volume will include a variety of articles, columns and reviews. Each edition will include a color cover photo highlighting an education experience, resource or situation. Every issue will have a short lead article (around 2000 words) that is reviewed by the editor and one or more members of the Executive Committee. That lead article will be of broad interest to a major segment of our membership. Initially, we intend to invite authors to submit their work, but eventually we intend to solicit the lead article using an article-proposal system where you submit a short description of your work before preparing an entire publication. We anticipate including several sidebar columns. Some sidebars may span several issues, others may stand alone. Examples could include classroom-ready K-12 resources, teaching in large classes, using research data in the classroom or assessment strategies. We also expect to include reviews and other material of general interest. For instance, reviews of textbooks, software or datasets, biographies of leading scientists, learning communities in geosciences departments, or financial models for field camp. Other short items could include descriptions of active-learning lab activities with links to the resources needed or more lighthearted material such as classroom quips or member musings. Where possible, we will include quick news bits that highlight upcoming events in regional sections, NAGT business items, networking and mentoring opportunities or advertising relevant to teachers in the classroom. Our goal is to provide a useful, but more casual resource that will serve your needs and become a favorite publication on your routine reading list.

Tell us about suggestions for articles or potential contributors.