View online supplements for In the Trenches at http://nagt.org/nagt/publications/trenches/index.html.
In This Issue
News & Announcements
- Looking Ahead to the 2019 Earth Educators' Rendezvous
- GSA Submission Deadline Extended
- Seeking Leaders: Nominations Now Open for NAGT Leadership Roles
- Contribute a Memory for Randy Richardsons' Retirement Book
- New Issue of Journal of Geoscience Education
- New Book About InTeGrate: Interdisciplinary Teaching About Earth and the Environment for a Sustainable Future
- STEM Education Day Stakeholder Event
- Geo-Cultural Trip to Rome and Naples
- Early Career Workshop Celebrates 20 Years! Applications Open for the 21st Annual Workshop
- Award-Winning Extreme Event Game Teaches Risk and Resilience
Upcoming Webinars and Workshops
- A Secondary NGSS Weather Unit: Emphasizing High-Leverage Science and Literacy Practices Within Three-dimensional Learning Context on February 14
- How to Adapt EDDIE Modules to Meet Students' Needs on February 14
- A Change Cafe Webinar: Embedding Education Specialists Within Departments to Catalyze Change on February 28
- Early Career Workshop: Teaching, Research, and Managing Your Career on July 28 - August 1
Deadlines
- Webinar: A Secondary NGSS Weather Unit, Emphasizing High-Leverage Science and Literacy Practices within Three-dimensional Learning Context Application Deadline is February 12
- Webinar: How to Adapt EDDIE Modules to Meet Students' Needs Registration Deadline is February 12
- NAGT Scholarships for Field Study Applications Deadline is February 14
- GSA Submission Deadline has been Extended to February 20 at 11:59 PST
- NAGT Career Hub Submissions - Ongoing
- Eastern Section Extends OEST Award Deadline is March 1
- Foundations Newsletter Submissions are due March 2, June 1, and September 6
- Earth Educators' Rendezvous Deadlines beginning March 3
- Earth Educators' Rendezvous Marine Geology Using GEODE Morning Workshop Application Deadline is March 15
- Earth Educators' Rendezvous Data Labs: Using Ocean Observatory Initiative (OOI) Data to Engage Students in Oceanography Afternoon Workshop Application Deadline is March 15
- Early Career Faculty Workshop Application Deadline is March 24
Section and Division Highlights
NAGT Career Hub
- Geology Instructor Position, Department of Earth Sciences, The University of South Alabama
- Geosystems Instructor, Honors and Advanced Topics in Virginia
- Education Outreach Coordinator and Liaison at Colorado State University
Rock and Mineral Exchange
1. Looking Ahead to the 2019 Earth Educators' Rendezvous
Registration is open and we are now accepting abstracts and teaching demonstrations. Register by the early bird deadline (May 1) for the best rates.
A limited number of travel stipends are also available; apply by April 7. Other important deadlines are described below, including those for submitting a working group application, abstract or teaching demo, applications for application-based workshops, and more.
We're currently planning future Rendezvous. If you're interested in hosting, please submit your interest here.
2. GSA Submission Deadline Extended
In an effort to assist federal geoscientists affected by the prolonged U.S. government shutdown, The Geological Society of America is extending its deadline for submitting technical sessions and short course proposals for the 2019 Annual Meeting in Phoenix. The new due date to submit proposals is Wednesday, 20 February 2019, at 11:59 p.m. PST. GSA is committed to accommodating the full participation of furloughed scientists in whatever ways we can. If you have questions, please contact the Meetings Department at meetings@geosociety.org.
3. Seeking Leaders: Nominations Now Open for NAGT Leadership Roles
Nominations are now open for new members of the NAGT Executive Committee, including two Councilors-at-Large, and 2nd Vice President. You may nominate yourself or someone else; nominees must be members of NAGT. NAGT's mission is to "support a diverse, inclusive, and thriving community of educators and education researchers to improve teaching and learning about the Earth." To that end, we also strive for an inclusive and diverse leadership. Our open nomination process is designed to foster broad participation in NAGT's leadership and programming. Find out more about the officers and the nomination process, and submit your nomination by February 16.
4. Contribute a Memory for Randy Richardsons' Retirement Book
We are celebrating NAGT Past President, Randy Richardson's, retirement after his 40+ year career! As part of the festivities, his daughter is putting together a memory book, and we would love for those of you who knew Randy to be a part of creating the book. In this memory book, we want to include stories and memories from people like you, who have meant so much to Randy over the course of his career. To make this possible, here's what we are hoping you could share one or more of the following for inclusion in the book:
- Memories or stories about your interactions with Randy that were particularly meaningful to you
- When you met Randy, and/or when your memories/stories took place (to help us organize the book)
- A brief update about what you are up to now. Randy would love to know how you are doing
- Your email/contact info
- If you happen to have any photos to share, please send those along as well.
Please use this form to share your memories.
5. New Issue of Journal of Geoscience Education
The February issue of the Journal of Geoscience Education (Volume 67, Issue 1) is coming soon! Look for curriculum and instruction articles about systems thinking, learning about economic geology in South Africa, and using inquiry in Oman. Research papers cover learning progressions in plate tectonics, graduate teaching assistant training, and scaffolds for developing scientific skills. To access the journal through your membership, go to the NAGT Member Login and click on Journal Access.
Would you like to receive alerts when new articles and issues are available online? Go to the JGE website and click on New content alerts. Sign in with your email (or register for free if you don't have an account with Taylor & Francis) and you'll be the first to know.
6. New Book About InTeGrate: Interdisciplinary Teaching About Earth and the Environment for a Sustainable Future
Editors: David C. Gosselin, Anne E. Egger, and J. John Taber
A new book published by Springer Nature as part of the Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences Book Series presents the outcomes of the InTeGrate project, a community effort funded by the National Science Foundation to improve Earth literacy and build a workforce prepared to tackle environmental and resource issues. The InTeGrate community is built around the shared goal of supporting interdisciplinary learning about Earth across the undergraduate curriculum, focusing on the grand challenges facing society and the important role that the geosciences lay in addressing these grand challenges. The chapters in this book explicitly illustrate the intimate relationship between geoscience and sustainability that is often opaque to students. The authors of these chapters are faculty members, administrators, program directors, and researchers from institutions across the country who have collectively envisioned, implemented, and evaluated effective change in their classrooms, programs, institutions, and beyond. This book provides guidance to anyone interested in implementing change – on scales ranging from a single course to an entire program – by infusing sustainability across the curriculum, broadening access to Earth and environmental sciences, and assessing the impacts of those changes.
Click here for more information or to order.
7. STEM Education Day Stakeholder Event
Join the Board on Science Education on February 12th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST in Washington, DC for a public event to discuss the recent reports English Learners in STEM. Subject covered will be Transforming Classrooms, Schools, and Lives and Science and Engineering from Grades 6-12: Investigation and Design at the Center. Register for morning or afternoon sessions, or both.
8. Geo-Cultural Trip to Rome and Naples
May 19 through June 3. This fascinating two-week expedition is an initiative of the J. J. Nagera Program, dedicated to the dissemination of Earth Sciences and the training of teachers. The program is part of the activities of the IBEBA, Institute of Basic, Applied and Environmental Geosciences of Buenos Aires, which belongs to the University of Buenos Aires and the CONICET, and is located at the Department of Geology of the Faculty of Sciences. Click here for more information.
9. Early Career Workshop Celebrates 20 Years! Applications Open for the 21st Annual Workshop
The Early Career Workshop: Teaching, Research, and Managing Your Career celebrates its 20th anniversary! This year's workshop will take place on July 28-August 1 (with optional trip to NSF on August 2) at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD. The application deadline is March 24. This workshop is offered annually by the NAGT On the Cutting Edge professional development program for geoscience faculty with support from the National Science Foundation, Geological Society of America and American Geophysical Union. The Early Career Workshop is designed for those in their first three years of a tenure-track or equivalent faculty position, and will enhance and enrich your teaching experience by providing effective teaching strategies, insider tips on course design, student management strategies, a support network, and so much more.
Participants must have a full-time faculty position at a two-year or four-year college or university at the time of the workshop, and must be in their first three years of full-time teaching or starting a full-time position in the Fall. Click here to apply.
10. Award-Winning "Extreme Event" Game Teaches Risk and Resilience
Extreme Event is an award-winning in-person role-playing game that gives participants a taste of what it takes to build community resilience in the face of disaster. Players work together to make decisions and solve problems during an engaging, fast-faced disaster simulation. Developed by the National Academy of Sciences' Koshland Science Museum (now LabX) in collaboration with the ResilientAmerica Roundtable, Extreme Event's content draws on recommendations from the seminal National Research Council report Disaster Resilience: A National Imperative and has been reviewed by experts and staff of the National Academies. For more information, click here, or contact Keri Stoever at kstoever@nas.edu.
1. A Secondary NGSS Weather Unit: Emphasizing High-Leverage Science and Literacy Practices within Three-dimensional Learning Context, February 14
This webinar, hosted by Jeff Thomas, Central Connecticut State University, will explore one-of-seven earth science units for middle school teachers, which focuses on NGSS Disciplinary Core Idea MS ESS2.D, Weather and Climate. This unit, titled "When Air Masses Collide," addresses how air masses are complex weather phenomena and how understanding the dynamics of them can help us predict the weather.
During the webinar, most core instructional and assessment activities from the unit will be shared. An emphasis will be given to the high-leverage science practices such as modeling, argumentation, and science explanation, including the pedagogical strategies that accompany these practices. In addition, we will highlight the literacy practices to support all learners that were seamlessly integrated as part of instructional and assessment practices throughout the unit. Registration deadline is February 12. Learn more about and register for this webinar here.
2. How to Adapt EDDIE Modules to Meet Students' Needs, February 14
This webinar will focus on how to adapt existing EDDIE modules to meet your specific course objectives. Jen Klug, Fairfield University, will share her experience and that of her colleagues in reducing the level of difficulty for entry level non-science major classes and adding extra activities for upper-level courses. In addition, she will discuss her experiences taking materials written by others and adapting them to her specific course environment. The webinar will focus on Jen's experience with the Lake Mixing, Lake Ice Phenology, Lake Modeling, and Nutrient Loading modules but the content will be applicable to all modules. Registration deadline is February 12. Learn more about and register for this webinar here.
3. Embedding Education Specialists Within Departments to Catalyze Change, February 28
Join authors Stephanie Chasteen and Warren Code as they discuss the messages from their new (free, open-source) Science Education Initiative Handbook on how to effectively use discipline-based education specialists to facilitate change within departments. We will discuss who makes a good educational expert, what their role can be within a department, how to train and support them, and engaging faculty and departments in change. Read or download the SEI Handbook for free.
This webinar is designed for program organizers, administrators, and departmental leaders who are trying to support educational change within or across departments. The goals for the webinar are to prepare participants to:
- Identify potential educational experts who can act as change agents within their departments
- Identify productive roles and mechanisms for training and supporting these change agents
- Consider effective strategies for engaging faculty and departments in the work of course transformation
4. 21st Annual Early Career Workshop, July 28 - August 1
The Early Career Workshop: Teaching, Research, and Managing Your Career will take place on July 28-August 1 (with optional trip to NSF on August 2) at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD. Offered annually by the NAGT On the Cutting Edge professional development program for geoscience faculty with support from the National Science Foundation, Geological Society of America and American Geophysical Union, the Early Career Workshop is designed for those in their first three years of a tenure-track or equivalent faculty position.
Past participants give high praise for this workshop:
"The workshop for early career faculty was hands down the most useful and impactful experience I have had in starting my faculty career. It has helped me implement new and effective teaching tools, time management tools, and student management/advising strategies, and has helped me find a network of colleagues that I can turn to for support."
"I attended the Workshop for Early Career Geoscience Faculty in my 2nd year as an assistant professor in an interdisciplinary department with a balanced teaching and research mission. Being in the same room as other early career faculty who had a wide spectrum of academic responsibilities related to the breakdown of teaching-research-service helped me better understand how my academic niche fit in with academia in general, and helped me identify gaps in our educational system that I continue to work on even now."
"The Workshop for Early Career Geoscience Faculty was an amazing and eye-opening experience, and it plugged me into a network that has been incredibly supportive as I have grown in this profession."
"The Early Career workshop helped me start my faculty job off on the right foot and maximize my time and energy. I learned so much and loved the format and supportive environment."
Participants must have a full-time faculty position at a two-year or four-year college or a university at the time of the workshop and must be in their first three years of full-time teaching or starting a full-time position in the Fall. See the overview page for details.
Applications are due by March 24. Learn more about and apply for this workshop here.
1. A Secondary NGSS Weather Unit, Emphasizing High-Leverage Science and Literacy Practices within Three-dimensional Learning Context Application Deadline is February 12
Registration for this webinar closes on February 12.
2. How to Adapt EDDIE Modules to Meet Students' Needs Registration Deadline is February 12
Registration deadline is February 12. Learn more about and register for this webinar here.
3. NAGT Scholarships for Field Study Applications Deadline is February 14
Each year, NAGT makes several $750 awards to undergraduate students to facilitate their study of field geoscience. These awards, previously given to students who attend a traditional summer field camp, are now available for students attending field-based courses at any time of year. The intent of the awards is to support students' participation in intensive field courses in any aspect of geoscience (including geophysics, soil science, hydrology, etc.) that focuses on students practicing skills of field observation, data collection, analysis and synthesis. Awardees are selected based on the importance of the field experience in meeting their educational and career goals, the quality of the field aspects of the course, and the importance of the financial award in allowing them to participate in the program. In addition, the committee endeavors to select awardees that expand the diversity of people studying geosciences in the field and a collaboration with the Association for Women Geoscientists (AWG) funds two additional awards specifically for women. Applications are due by February 14th.
4. GSA Submission Deadline has been Extended to February 20 at 11:59 PST
The Geological Society of America is extending its deadline for submitting technical sessions and short course proposals for the 2019 Annual Meeting in Phoenix. The new due date is Wednesday, 20 February 2019, at 11:59 p.m. PST.
5. NAGT Career Hub Submissions - Ongoing
We welcome advertisements of geoscience education related job openings, postdoctoral positions, internships, assistantships, and undergraduate research opportunities that might be of interest to the wider NAGT community. Distribution of these postings include posting the ad on the NAGT Career Hub webpage, distribution via the NAGT Facebook page, inclusion in the monthly NAGTNews email newsletter to members. The cost of posting a job opening or a postdoctoral position to the Career Hub is $75 per month (multiple months can be purchased at one time). Payment must be received before these postings will be published. It is free to post an internship, assistantship, and undergraduate research opportunity to the Career Hub. You can use this form to submit a posting for the Career Hub.
6. Eastern Section Extends OEST Award Deadline is March 1
Outstanding Earth Science Teacher (OEST) awards are given for "exceptional contributions to the stimulation of interest in the Earth Sciences at the pre-college level." Any teacher or other K-12 educator who covers a significant amount of earth science content with their students is eligible. Ten national finalists are selected, one from each NAGT regional section. Some sections also recognize state winners. Individuals may apply themselves or nominate a colleague for the award. Make a nomination here by March 1.
7. Foundations Newsletter Submissions are Due March 2, June 1, and September 6
Please submit your stories, experiences, experiments, photos, awards, etc. to the editor sukismaglik@gmail.com any time prior to each deadline. The nextFoundations Newsletter submission deadline is Friday, March 2.
8. Earth Educators' Rendezvous Deadlines
We hope you can join us in Nashville for this year's Earth Educators' Rendezvous! Please keep the following deadlines in mind as you plan your event:
- Hosting a working group application deadline: March 3
- Abstract/teaching demo submissions due: March 3
- Data Labs: Using Ocean Observatory Initiative (OOI) Data to Engage Students in Oceanography afternoon workshop application due: March 15
- Marine Geology Using GEODE morning workshop application due: March 15
- Travel Stipend applications due: April 7
- Review Camp and NGSS Tagging Camp Applications due: May 1
- Late Poster/Share-a-Thon Submissions due: May 1
Learn more about the Rendezvous.
9. Earth Educators' Rendezvous Marine Geology Using GEODE Morning Workshop Application Deadline is March 15
Applications are welcome to participate in the Marine Geology Using GEODE Workshop morning workshop at this year's Earth Educators' Rendezvous in Nashville. Participants will be introduced to the resources and will also have the opportunity during the workshop to co-develop short exercises to accompany these resources for in-class or lab use. This workshop is by application only and limited stipends are available to accepted participants. Applications are due by March 15, 2019.
10. Earth Educators' Rendezvous Data Labs: Using Ocean Observatory Initiative (OOI) Data to Engage Students in Oceanography Workshop Application Deadline is March 15
Applications are welcome to participate in the two-day Data Labs Using Ocean Observatory Initiative Data afternoon workshop at this year's Earth Educators' Rendezvous in Nashville. Participants will explore ways to effectively teach with data, share effective practices, and brainstorm ideas for how to integrate OOI data into introductory oceanography and Earth and environmental science courses. This workshop is by application only and stipends are available to accepted participants. Applications are due by March 15, 2019.
11. Early Career Faculty Workshop Application Deadline is March 24
The Early Career Workshop: Teaching, Research, and Managing Your Career will take place on July 28-August 1 (with optional trip to NSF on August 2) at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD. The application deadline is March 24. This workshop is offered annually by the NAGT On the Cutting Edge professional development program for geoscience faculty with support from the National Science Foundation, Geological Society of America and American Geophysical Union. The Early Career Workshop is designed for those in their first three years of a tenure-track or equivalent faculty position, and will enhance and enrich your teaching experience by providing effective teaching strategies, insider tips on course design, student management strategies, a support network, and so much more.
Participants must have a full-time faculty position at a two-year or four-year college or university at the time of the workshop, and must be in their first three years of full-time teaching or starting a full-time position in the Fall. Learn more about and apply for this workshop here. Applications are due by March 24.
Eastern Section
- Save the Date! The 2019 Eastern Section Meeting in Martinsburg, West Virginia will be on June 6-8, 2019, and will be hosted by Blue Ridge Community and Technical College.
Midcontinent Section
- The Midcontinent Section invites NAGT members to volunteer a few hours at the NAGT Booth at GSA-SC-NC-RM joint sectional meeting from Sunday March 24 to Wednesday March 27th in Manhattan, KS. The signup spreadsheet is available here. Click here for more information.
- Midcontinent NAGT is hosting a social at GSA-SC-NC-RM joint sectional meeting. Please Join us on Monday, 25 March at 7 p.m. in The Antler room at Blue Moose Bar and Grill in Manhattan, KS An Evening with Midcontinent NAGT Members and Officers. All are welcome! For questions regarding the event, please contact Section president, Aida Farough (afarough@ksu.edu). If you or your organization is interested in sponsoring appetizers for the Social, please support us through this GoFundme campaign. and contact afarough@ksu.edu for sponsorship details.
Geoscience Education Research Division
- Did you miss the GER methods and theoretical frameworks session at GSA 2018? Just want to check out some of the notes? Many of the presentations have been graciously shared by the authors.
- The nomination period for the two GER awards has opened! Do you know of someone who deserves the Collaboration Award or Transformation Award?
- Are you interested in taking a leadership role in GER and want to learn more? This year, the GER division will be seeking nominations for a new Vice President, Treasurer and Graduate Student Liaison. If you are interested in one of these positions, please reach out to the person currently in that position with questions. The Graduate Student Liaison is a new position; please reach out to current President Katherine Ryker with questions about that position.
Geo2YC Division
- Submission deadline for the next Foundations issue is Friday, March 2. Email Editor Suki Smaglik at sukismaglik@gmail.com with your stories, experiences, experiments, photos and awards. Submit submissions prior to each Friday deadline: March 2, June 1, and September 6.
Do you have good news related to your geoscience education work that you would like to share with your NAGT Community? Would you like to call attention to a paper, presentation, or resource you developed or helped develop to share with your fellow Earth educators? Submit to NAGT's Community Kudos!
Geology Instructor Position, Department of Earth Sciences, The University of South Alabama
The University of South Alabama Earth Sciences Department invites applications for a full-time, 12-month, non-tenure-track faculty Instructor position, starting August 15, 2019. Candidates with outstanding geology teaching credentials are particularly encouraged to apply.
Geosystems Instructor, Honors and Advanced Topics in Virginia
Full time, K-12 Teaching position at highly specialized public STEM magnet school in Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia. Geosystems is the required 12th grade capstone course that serves to wrap up all prior Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Calculus coursework.
Education Outreach Coordinator and Liaison at Colorado State University
Colorado State University has and opening for an Education Outreach Coordinator and Liaison who will serve as the primary liaison to the National Western Center focusing on program expansion and awareness while enhancing the relationship between CSU, the HEOC and the NWC. The coordinator will assist with furthering the mission of the NWC by developing and coordinating K-16 education and interactive learning opportunities for families from a diversity of backgrounds.
Need help getting the word out about your position opening, event, or field trip? Submit your posting to the NAGT Career Hub!
Available Samples
Desired Specimens
Are you looking for new specimens for your collection? Do you have extra samples to share with colleagues? Post in the Rock and Mineral Exchange.
