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NAGT Celebrates Black History Month

The month of February marks Black History Month in the United States and Canada as well as other parts of the world. We would like to acknowledge and celebrate all of the Black researchers, educators, students, and practitioners in our NAGT community, the broader geoscience community, and beyond.

2022 Geoscience Field Camps: Offerings and Scholarships

Summer 2022 Geoscience Field Camp Offerings

In an effort to help students and faculty find options for Summer 2022 field camp offerings, NAGT is compiling a list of field camps of all formats. This list includes programs--whether they be online, in-person, or hybrid--that have space for additional students. Are you a field camp director with space for additional enrollment in your summer 2022 course? We invite you to add your program to the list.

Please share the field camp list with students who may be interested in participating in these programs.

Students: Apply for Field Study Scholarships Offered by NAGT and AWG

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 and in any format: face-to-face, virtual, or hybrid. 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 focus 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. Apply by February 14, 2022.

Learn more and apply

Applications for Early Career Geoscience Faculty Workshop due March 1, 2022

Applications are now being accepted for the 2022 Early Career Geoscience Faculty workshop, which is part of NAGT's On the Cutting Edge Professional Development Program. Join us for a multi-day workshop in a stimulating and resource-rich environment where you will participate in sessions on topics including effective teaching strategies, course design, establishing a research program in a new setting, working with research students, balancing professional and personal responsibilities, and time management. The Early Career Geoscience Faculty workshop is for faculty in their first three years of a tenure-track or equivalent position, with priority given to applicants entering their second or third years in their position. 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 more details.

• Date: June 20-24, 2022, with an optional virtual visit to NSF in Summer 2022
  University of Maryland, College Park, MD
• Apply by March 1, 2022

Nominations for Outstanding Earth Science Teacher Award Due March 31, 2022

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.

• Nominate by March 31, 2022
  

Register for the eighth Annual Earth Educators' Rendezvous

Registration and abstract submissions are now open for the eighth annual Earth Educators' Rendezvous, taking place in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN, from July 11-15, 2022! NAGT members receive $100 off registration.

• Check out the program
• Submit abstracts (for oral, poster, teaching demo, and Share-a-Thon sessions) by March 1
• Receive early registration discount. Register by May 3
• Sign up to receive updates on the 2022 EER

Looking for New Members to join NAGT Advocacy Committee

The NAGT advocacy committee is looking for new members. Please join us! The committee's work focuses on supporting Earth science educators of grades K-16, addressing legislation that impacts the teaching of geoscience, explaining the role of geoscience in current social issues, and writing policy statements to guide the work of NAGT. Because the work of this committee includes a wide range of issues that involve questions of diversity, inclusion, and justice, the committee is particularly interested in recruiting representatives from BIPOC communities. More information about the committee and how to get involved can be found on NAGT Advocating for Geoscience Education page on the NAGT website. You may also directly contact the Advocacy Committee chair at mike_phillips@ivcc.edu and by completing the online nomination form.

Submit to In the Trenches or read the new issue online!

In The Trenches is a feet-on-the-ground magazine written specifically for and about educators. We'd like to hear from you!

Do you do something exciting, interesting, or really effective in your classroom? We'd like to share it with all of our members. We're also interested in publishing articles on the use of drones and Arduino (and its many variations) in education. Please contact us with your ideas at inthetrenches@nagt.org

The January 2022 issue is available now. Starting with this issue, January, April, and July issues of In the Trenches will be available exclusively online. The October Issue will remain as a hard copy and will also be available online. NAGT members are welcome to download the quarterly digital issue as they become available.

Teaching with Augmented and Virtual Reality

Have you been looking for an opportunity to share visual resources (e.g. virtual field trips, online tools) with other earth educators? Please submit them through the Teaching with Augmented and Virtual Reality website. They will be available on Teach The Earth.

Introducing Geophysics for Urban and Near-Surface Applications

The IGUaNA project team introduces its first three modules for introductory-level undergraduate science courses, featuring the applications of geophysical techniques to societally-relevant, real-world problems: Measuring Depth to Bedrock for an Urban Renewal Project using Seismic Refraction; Pipes, Tree Roots or Unmarked Graves? Using Ground Penetrating Radar for Forensic Geophysics; and Evaluating the Health of an Urban Wetland using Electrical Resistivity. Modules are designed to maximize student engagement and learning through analysis of real data and clear connections to communities. Each IGUaNA module is comprised of three to five units and takes about 1-3 weeks of class time when done in its entirety. For instructors with less time available, a subset of units can be selected. Each of the course modules has been peer-reviewed, tested in undergraduate classrooms, and revised prior to publication. Published materials meet rigorous benchmarks for student-centered learning outcomes, instructional strategies, resource content, and assessment effectiveness. The development of these resources has been funded by NSF through their support of the SAGE Facility operated by IRIS, and the materials are available free of charge.

UC Museum of Paleontology: New and improved Understanding Evolution Website

The UC Museum of Paleontology has updated and expanded Understanding Evolution, their one-stop source for teaching and learning about evolution and the history of life. The site provides free access to a variety of new and classic resources, including:

• a database of lessons vetted by experienced teachers and searchable by NGSS DCIs
• approachable background information in English and Spanish in the online textbook Evo 101
• online, interactive investigations
• student-friendly news stories that connect evolutionary concepts to current events
• Digging Data activities that engage students with authentic data from diverse scientists
• a trilingual, printable comic book connecting paleontology, mass extinction, and climate change

Visit the website to check out these resources and much more!

Upcoming Journal of Geoscience Education special issue on impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on geoscience education

The Journal of Geoscience Education is soliciting manuscripts for a Special Issue on the impact of COVID-19 on geoscience education.

The COVID-19 crisis is a major event likely to result in lasting changes to geoscience teaching, outreach, and administration. For geoscience education researchers who were collecting data or began collecting data when the crisis began, the crisis provided the opportunity to observe the impact of a major event on behavior in the educational environment. Much of what happened during the 2020-2022 phase of the crisis involved the abrupt movement of many education and outreach endeavors onto virtual platforms. Has this shift impacted student learning outcomes, including opening or closing learning gaps? In what ways have faculty and students changed their use of digital technologies, and which of these changes are likely to be permanent? Have departments/programs created structural changes that are likely to persist, and what impact will these changes have on the long-term health of the programs, especially in the context of equity and inclusion? We welcome submissions from educators and education researchers whose projects overlap with the COVID-19 crisis or who began new projects in response to the crisis. Submission deadline is August 5, 2022.

• Submit by August 5, 2022

Congratulating NAGT Members

Congratulations to NAGT Executive Director Anne Egger and NAGT members Mary Savina and Laura Guertin for their accomplishments!

Anne Egger - NAGT Executive Director
Recently elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The citation is "For outstanding innovation in geoscience education, and for distinguished leadership on national initiatives to build research-based resources and professional development opportunities for geoscience and STEM education." Read more about the 2021 AAAS Fellow announcement and find the full list of names online.

Mary Savina - NAGT Member
Recently elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The citation is "For outstanding innovation in geoscience education, and for distinguished leadership on national initiatives to build research-based resources and professional development opportunities for geoscience and STEM education." Read more about the 2021 AAAS Fellow announcement and find the full list of names online.

Laura Guertin - NAGT Member
Recently promoted to the rank of Distinguished Professor of Earth Sciences at Penn State Brandywine. She is the first female and first STEM faculty member in the history of her campus to attain this rank. As a science quilter, she recently showcased her Stitching Hope for the Louisiana Coast quilt collection at the AGU Fall Meeting, and she is co-organizer of the Stitch Your Science 2022 initiative.

Nominate your colleagues for NAGT Awards!

• Outstanding Earth Science Teacher Award (OEST) for exceptional contributions to the stimulation of interest in the Earth Sciences at the pre-college level.
  • Nominations are due by March 31st
• The Excellence in JEDI Award (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion)
  • Nominations are due by April 15th
• The Neil Miner Award for exceptional contributions to the stimulation of interest in the Earth sciences
  • Nominations are due by April 15th
• The James Shea Award for exceptional contributions in writing or editing of Earth science materials
  • Nominations are due by April 15th
• The Robert Christman Distinguished Service Award for service to the Association at the national and/or section level
  • Nominations are on a rolling basis
• Dorothy LaLonde Stout Professional Development Awards
  • Nominations are due by April 15th

Geo2YC Division Faculty Development Awards

The Geo2YC Division wants to support members' efforts to promote geoscience education. Two Faculty Development awards are available to Geo2YC members: (1) Mini grants up to $500 to support an activity (workshop, field trip, etc.), which benefits faculty from multiple institutions, and (2) travel grants of $100 to help an individual attend a professional development activity.

• Apply by April 15, 2022

Nominate an Outstanding Adjunct 2YC Faculty today!

The Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award (OAFA) is an opportunity to showcase the efforts of you or one of your adjunct colleagues who is doing great work in geoscience education. Nominations are accepted on a rolling basis. See the information page for more details about the award.

• Nominate

Do you have good news related to your geoscience education work that you would like to share with the NAGT community? Submit to NAGT's Community Kudos!

The NAGT webinar series is free and we encourage you to invite your colleagues to attend. Check out the webinar schedule.

AGU Bridge Program Student Application is now open

The AGU Bridge Program, part of the Inclusive Graduate Education Network, is an effort to increase the participation of students from historically marginalized communities in geoscience graduate programs. The AGU Bridge program provides students an alternative pathway to graduate school admission by giving them access to a common application system. As a professional member in the geosciences, we hope that you will support this effort to by encouraging eligible students to apply from your own departments or research groups within or outside of your institution.

Submitted applications will be circulated to our AGU Bridge Partners that have committed to adopting and practicing inclusive and equity-centered practices in their departments. The student application can be accessed by visiting the AGU Bridge Program website.
Students are encouraged to complete their application by March 31, 2022.

• Apply by March 31, 2022

NAGT Scholarships for Field Study Application due February 14, 2022

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 and in any format: face-to-face, virtual, or hybrid. 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 focus 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.

• Apply by February 14, 2022

Teacher Education (TED) Division

• TED Earth Sciences Methods Forum will meet on Wednesday, 23 Feb at 3:00 pm PT/6:00 pm ET.
  • Scott Brande will discuss the principles of eLearning and other advanced techniques for undergraduate education.
  • Please add this link to your calendar; plan on 45-60 minutes
• Serve as a TED Officer - TED Executive Committee positions are opening for:
  • Vice President
  • Media Director
• Committee positions are also available on a variety of topics. TED Committees include:
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Conferences and NAGT Sections
  • Teacher Leader Standards Award Development
• For questions, contact Suzanne Metlay (suzanne.metlay@wgu.edu)

Post to the TED Division Facebook Page

Members are invited to post time-critical information on the TED Division Facebook page.

Assistant Professor of Instruction, University of Texas, Arlington

Geography Professor, College of the Sequoias

Visiting Assistant Professor - Sedimentation, Stratigraphy and Structural Geology, Boise State University

Geology Lecturer, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Paleontology Lecturer, University of Arizona

Professor of Practice in Earth & Environmental Sciences, Tulane University

Submit an opportunity to the NAGT Career Hub

Available Samples

• Crystal Models available
• Ophiolite, Tertiary sedimentary, misc metamorphic

Desired Specimens

• Deformation Microstructures

Post in the Rock and Mineral Exchange.