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View online supplements for In the Trenches at http://nagt.org/nagt/publications/trenches/index.html.

In This Issue

News & Announcements

  1. The Early Career Workshop Celebrates its 20th Year
  2. Celebrating the Impact of the OEST Awards: A Q&A With Troy Simpson
  3. Call for InTeGrate Webinar Proposals
  4. Announcing the Winner of the 2017 National Geo2YC Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award
  5. Sage Musings Milestone: The SAGE 2YC Project Blog to Publish 50th Post

Upcoming Webinars

  1. 2018 AGU/AGI Heads and Chairs Webinar Series
  2. Academic Career Paths in Geoscience Education Research webinar April 3
  3. NGSS-ESS webinar on April 12

Deadlines

  1. Abstract Deadline for Spring 2018 Virtual Poster Showcase is March 13
  2. Next Traveling Workshops Program Deadline is March 15
  3. Early Career Workshop Applications due March 16
  4. 2018 ASCN Systemic Change Institute: Apply by March 31
  5. JGE Theme Issue Call for Papers: Letters of Intent due April 1
  6. AWG Outstanding Educator Award: Nominations due April 1
  7. Spring Deadlines Associated with the 2018 Earth Educators' Rendezvous
  8. Upcoming NAGT Award Deadlines
  9. Session Proposals for AGU Fall Meeting Due April 18
  10. InTeGrate Workshops at the Goldschmidt Conference: Register by June 13
  11. NSF Program Solicitation: Improving Undergraduate STEM Education

Section and Division Highlights

NAGT Community Kudos

NAGT Career Hub

  • NSS/Geosciences and Environment and Natural Science Program/Assistant Professor of Geology
  • Department Chair–Earth and Atmospheric Sciences-University of Northern Colorado

Rock and Mineral Exchange

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1. The Workshop for Early Career Geoscience Faculty Celebrates its 20th Year

2017_early_career_workshop_1499708439804718567_456.jpg The next Workshop for Early Career Geoscience Faculty takes place July 22 to 26, 2018 (with an optional visit to the National Science Foundation on July 27) at the University of Maryland-College Park with applications due March 16. The event will mark the 20th anniversary of the Early Career Workshop. Designed for those in their first three years of a tenure-track or equivalent faculty position, the workshop creates a stimulating and resource-rich environment in which participants candidly explore topics such as effective teaching strategies, course design, establishing research programs in new settings, working with research students, setting course goals, balancing professional and personal responsibilities, healthy time management, and more. Participants will leave with practical tools, advice from veterans, and adaptable teaching activities. In addition, they will gain a support network of other early career faculty and a plan for managing their early careers as an academic.

Nearly 1,000 early career faculty members have participated in the Early Carer Workshop since its inaugural event. You can learn more about the workshop through the words of past participants by reading their feedback on this webpage. The archive of 50+ comments is visually summarized in the word cloud below.

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If you are an early career faculty member interested in attending this workshop, please remember that applications are due March 16 and space is limited, so don't wait to apply. In the words of one past participant:

"The Workshop for Early Career Geoscience 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 recommend it to everyone I know."

2. Celebrating the Impact of the OEST Awards: A Q&A With Troy Simpson

Troy Simpson Troy J. Simpson teaches at Glenn Raymond School in Watseka, IL, and won the Outstanding Earth Science Teacher (OEST) Award for the Central Section in 2016. We asked Troy a few questions to learn more about the impacts of this special award designed to celebrate the essential work of those teaching Earth science to the next generation.

1. What did winning the 2016 OEST Award for the Central Section mean to you personally?

Earning the OEST Award for the Central Section helped validate what I'm doing at Glenn Raymond School and made me more aware of the unique situation I'm in as an Earth science dedicated teacher. The award also opened doors for me to connect more readily with geoscience professionals and bring more experiences to my classes. For example, I'm helping with the upcoming K-12 Educators Workshop at GSA 2018 in Indianapolis. One of the sites we're looking at visiting is a location I take my 8th graders every year, which means I'll have a chance to share that experience with other educators, share what we're doing, and interact with educators from across the country. I've also been able to connect with geoscience researchers to see what I can do to further enhance my classes. On a side note, it's neat to see a teacher from Illinois earn the award as there is little focus on Earth science in our state.

2. What is one of your goals as an Earth Science teacher?

Ultimately, my goal as an Earth Science teacher is to make Earth science relevant to our students. When students can make connections they can relate to, the desire to learn and explore becomes greater. For example, our area is prone to river flooding and we recently experienced record flooding. In my classes we investigate stream processes using our observations of the local rivers, utilize stream tables to model stream dynamics, then test possible solutions to mitigate the flooding. Students relate to the material and therefore want to learn more, which pushes me further as well. I want to encourage exploration and discovery, and I hope I'm modeling that for my students in my own experiences. When students come to me with a rock they found on a family trip or share experiences they have that relate to concepts we explore in class, I know what we're doing is making an impact on their lives.

3. Why do you think honoring outstanding Earth Science teachers is important?

I believe Earth Science is often put on the back burner when it comes to our K-12 curriculum. Because of this, other content areas are featured and recognized more readily. Earth science is rarely offered to college-bound students, and without exposure to it few teachers pursue it further in college. In my discussions with college geology programs, not only are fewer teachers going into Earth science, but they are seeing fewer students go into the Earth sciences in general. I think honoring Earth science teachers helps promote and encourage more people to get involved in the Earth sciences. It also helps school administrations see the value of Earth science as a content area and realize that teaching Earth science engages nearly every discipline. I believe few people realize how much math, physics, chemistry, engineering, and biology are involved with the Earth sciences. Recognizing this will help bring Earth science to the forefront.

4. Did you have a teacher that was particularly influential in your life, and if so, in what way?

It's hard to pinpoint one specific teacher that influenced me. My father was a math teacher and life-long learning advocate. He encouraged me to be involved in professional organizations at an early level and to continue to seek opportunities to deepen my knowledge and experience, which helps to stay fresh and engaged. From a viewpoint specific to teaching Earth Science, I was greatly influenced by my geology professors at the University of Illinois. They were highly respected in their fields and made a point to make what we were doing feel relevant and meaningful. They were approachable and took time to listen to what I was thinking. They also made their classes enjoyable and something I didn't want to miss. I model the field trips I bring my students on after the trips that they led. These experiences were other instances of helping me relate to what we were learning, and I bring those examples into my class today.

5. What is one benefit you've found from being part of a community of Earth Science educators?

The biggest benefit is being able to share and bounce ideas off of others, not only in the education field but in the Earth science research fields as well. The opportunity to share and publish what we are doing in our classrooms not only provides resources to others, but helps us evaluate what we're doing, as well. There is camaraderie among Earth scientists and an eagerness to share what we're learning and doing. With few Earth science dedicated teachers in Illinois in particular, having an extended community allows me to connect with teachers and researchers in a way that otherwise wouldn't be possible.

Nominations for the Outstanding Earth Educator Award vary by Section, with the earliest deadline April 1. A listing of the deadlines and contact people for each Section is listed on the award website. Don't miss your chance to make a nomination for this year's awards. You can also nominate yourself!

3. Call for InTeGrate Webinar Proposals

Integrate_sticker.png The InTeGrate project runs an approximately weekly webinar series during the academic year. These webinars focus on topics related to using InTeGrate materials or conducting programming to forward the main InTeGrate themes. In Spring 2018, the focus will be on supporting new users of the materials, promoting learning about Earth for diverse audiences, incorporating InTeGrate themes in K-12 teacher preparation, and teaching sustainability across the curriculum. The InTeGrate program welcomes suggestions for webinars that fit these themes and expects to invite approximately four new webinars in Spring 2018 and eight new webinars in Fall 2018.

Please use this form to share your suggestions for InTeGrate webinars. You may propose a topic, suggest a presenter, or express your interest in leading a webinar.

4. Announcing the Winner of the Spring 2017 National Geo2YC Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award

Wendi Williams Each year, the Geo2YC division recognizes four quarterly honorees for their outstanding contributions to geoscience teaching at their 2-year institution, who are honored with a complimentary one-year membership to the division. From these quarterly honorees, the division votes each fall to select the National Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award recipient. This person is recognized at the annual Geological Society of America meeting and receives a $750 stipend from Pearson Publishing to use toward professional development.

The NAGT Geo2YC Division is pleased to announce Wendi Williams as the winner of the 2017 National Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award. Wendi has contributed as an adjunct faculty member at multiple 2YC and 4YC institutions for many years. Now in her tenth year with NorthWest Arkansas Community College (2YC), Wendi has also been an adjunct with Austin Community College and North Harris College (now part of the Lone Star System in Houston). In addition to dedicating her time to bringing better, nationally-informed geoscience education to her community college students, Wendi has maintained a local and national presence through service to committees and boards (NAGT/Geo2YC, NWACC Faculty Senate, IAGD Executive Counselor, Triangle Coalition for STEM Education), participation in grants and fellowship reviews, and mentoring to fellow faculty. You can read more about Wendi, including her plans for the honorarium, here. NAGT is excited to celebrate Wendi's efforts to support and engage geoscience students at NorthWest Arkansas Community College, and to recognize her service to the greater Geo2YC community. Please join us in congratulating this outstanding adjunct faculty member.

5. Sage Musings Milestone: The SAGE 2YC Project Blog to Publish 50th Post

SAGE Musings The SAGE 2YC project: Supporting and Advancing Geoscience Education in Two-Year Colleges, launched a bi-weekly project blog, SAGE Musings, in the spring of 2016. The project will publish the 50th blog post on March 15. Blog posts are focused on supporting 2YC geoscience faculty in using evidence-based strategies to achieve the SAGE 2YC project goals, which include: support the academic success of all students, broaden participation in geoscience and STEM, facilitate students' professional pathways in STEM, and catalyze change. Although the blog posts are written for geoscience faculty at two-year colleges, most posts are relevant for any STEM faculty member.

You can read the collection of blog posts and search for postings on specific topics here. You can also sign up to receive SAGE Musings as email messages. If you have ideas for topics you would like to see addressed in future SAGE Musings, or if you would like to guest author a Musing, please send your suggestions to Carol Ormand at cormand@carleton.edu.

The SAGE 2YC project and its website are the product of awards from the National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Education.

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1. 2018 AGU/AGI Heads and Chairs Webinar Series

The American Geosciences Institute is collaborating with the American Geophysical Union's Heads and Chairs program to provide critical support for geoscience academic departments. One of the key activities of this collaboration is a monthly webinar series that is open to anyone, but which is specifically designed to address issues raised by geoscience department chairs. Topics will range from data management needs of faculty, to using e-portfolios to document student success, to implementing effective policies while teaching in the field. The next webinar in the series, Documenting Student Success Through E-Portfolios, takes place March 21 at 1PM ET. Registration should be completed using this form.

2. Academic Career Paths in Geoscience Education Research Webinar April 3

NAGT's GER division is proud to host a series of webinars that address different topics and methods in geoscience education research. The next GER webinar will take place April 3 at 1pm ET and discuss the subject of Academic Career Paths in GER.

Often an "academic career" is associated with a career doing research; however, research is only one possible component of an academic career. Academia is broadly defined as the life, community, or world of teachers, institutions, and the greater education enterprise. Thus, there are a wide variety of possible careers within academia. These include, for example: professors of practice/instructors, administrators at various levels, staffs for centers of teaching and learning, staffs at university/college museums, and faculty at other types of institutions other than R1 institutions. The goals of this webinar are for participants to be able to:

  • Describe the range of career opportunities in academia, especially those which may be different than the ones that their advisors/supervisors hold
  • Explain how their training and experience in Geoscience Education Research can be an asset to academic careers that may not necessarily be focused on GER
  • Construct mental models of pathways they might follow from their current graduate studies or early career positions to other careers in academia

Registration should be completed in advance of the webinar using this form.

3. NGSS-ESS Webinar on April 12

On April 12 at 3pm CT, NAGT and AGI will host an NGSS webinar featuring two different presentations:

Explore plate tectonics through GPS data

Most students are leveraging geodesy every day through GPS technology embedded in commonly used devices: smartphones, cars, health trackers, computers, and many other devices. This familiarity with the technology provides an opportunity to segue from a familiar navigational experience of a GPS-enhanced mapping application to the scientific applications recorded by permanently installed high-precision GPS and other geodetic techniques. In collaboration with master teachers and college faculty, UNAVCO, an NSF-funded non-profit university-governed consortium, has developed a suite of free learning materials featuring high-resolution GPS data and three-dimensionally aligned to NGSS. In this session we will explore data-rich plate tectonics lessons as a theme of discovery.

Presenter: Shelley Olds, Science Education Specialist, UNAVCO

High-Adventure Science: Argumentation and modeling in Earth Science using free online modules

Science is not (all) about facts. There are unknown questions to be answered, unknown discoveries to be made. So, how do we engage students with those unknowns and have them explore the sources of scientific uncertainty? To prepare students to weigh arguments and make informed decisions, we need instruction that promotes coherent understanding of data, as well as the factors that influence how certain we can be of the data. The Concord Consortium's High-Adventure Science project has created six investigations for middle and high school students that focus on current, compelling, unanswered scientific questions.

Each free online five-day investigation incorporates interactive dynamic computer models and real-world data. Students use computational models to quickly explore the behavior of Earth's complex systems and develop uncertainty-infused scientific arguments. Students make claims based on evidence from the models, compare their results to real-world data, justify their claims, and describe what influenced their confidence in their claims.

This presentation will focus on how students' content and scientific argumentation skills are changed through the process of teaching students how to think explicitly about certainty with respect to data and the use of interactive models. Especially in frontier science, such as climate change research, or fresh water availability where claims can be disputed and changes arise as new evidence is produced, this level of critical thinking is a key skill for students to develop.

Presenter: Amy Pallant, Concord Consortium, Senior Research Scientist

The registration deadline for this webinar is April 10.

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Deadlines

1. Abstract Deadline for Spring 2018 Virtual Poster Showcase is March 13

Spring-2018-Global.png The Spring 2018 Virtual Poster Showcase (VPS) is now open for registration and abstract submissions. Both graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to participate. VPS is a great opportunity for students to boost career potential, build a resume, and receive critical feedback without the need to travel. For more information, please visit the program website The abstract submission deadline is March 13.

2. Next Traveling Workshops Program Deadline is March 15

twp_program.png The Traveling Workshops Program (TWP) brings national leaders in geoscience education to your campus or regional event. Designed for departments, institutions, or groups of institutions with shared interests, TWP offers workshops on strengthening cross-campus environmental and sustainability programs as well as supporting the success of all students. The TWP is a part of NAGT's integrated Workshop Program.

Application deadlines for the 2017-2018 academic year:

  • March 15, 2018 (for Fall 2018 Workshops)
  • October 15, 2018 (for Spring 2019 Workshops)
  • January 15, 2019 (for Summer 2019 Workshops)

3. Early Career Workshop Applications due March 16

early_career_15166524031246162251.png The 2018 Early Career Geoscience Faculty Workshop: Teaching, Research, and Managing Your Career takes place July 22-26 (with an optional trip to NSF on Friday, July 27) at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD.

Do you have new faculty in your department just starting out in their academic career? Consider recommending this important multi-day workshop, where they 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.

Applications for this workshop are due March 16.

4. 2018 ASCN Systemic Change Institute Workshop: Apply by March 31

ASCN The 2018 ASCN Systemic Change Institute is designed to support campus change agents in using institutional change strategies to advance STEM change projects to greater scale and sustainability. Campus teams will bring existing projects, envisioned or started, that they need help bringing to scale or longer-term sustainability. Campus teams may be struggling with leadership turnover, lack of resources or infrastructure, team dynamics, shifting project goals and priorities, or other challenges. Institute participants will learn about the national context and drivers for change, theories and frameworks of change and the logistics of managing change projects to advance them to scale and sustainability. The Systemic Change Institute is a year-long commitment from ASCN to support teams, and a commitment by teams to work with mentors toward achieving project goals. Institute participants will be mentored throughout the year by STEM leaders, researchers, and change agents who have experience with reform projects. The institute kicks off with a two-day workshop that takes place in Philadelphia, July 18 - 20, 2018. Virtual progress meetings will also be scheduled throughout the following year, and mentors will make one site visit to each team's institution.

To learn more about the workshop program and goals, visit the ASCN Systemic Change Institute website. The deadline to apply for the workshop is March 31.

5. JGE Theme Issue Call for Papers: Submit Letters of Intent by April 1

JGE In an upcoming edition centered on New Developments in Diversity and Inclusiveness in Geosciences, the Journal of Geoscience Education (JGE) will explore issues on pipeline development, recruitment and retention, graduate education and special topics such as minority serving institutions and non-traditional opportunities in both case studies and broad research investigations.

Potential authors should send an email "letter of intent" to agates@rutgers.edu by April 1, 2018 indicating the type and topic of their intended paper. This allows the theme editors to gauge the interest and extent of the special issue and to identify any overlap in submission topics. If overlap exists, editors may suggest ways for authors to either combine efforts or constrain topics more narrowly. The manuscript submission deadline is August 31, 2018. Manuscripts as well as submissions of cover art for JGE should be submitted using the journal's new submission website. All submitted manuscripts should meet author guidelines and JGE review criteria. All submissions will be externally reviewed.

For more information, including the objective of the issue, background to the theme, the types of papers solicited for the issue, and instructions for manuscript preparation and submission, please see the full announcement regarding this call for papers.

6. AWG Outstanding Educator Award: Nominations due April 1

download.jpeg The Association for Women Geoscientists established the Outstanding Educator Award in 1988 to honor well-established women college or university teachers who have played a significant role in the education and support of geoscientists within and beyond the classroom, in advancing the persistence of females and underrepresented minorities in geoscience careers, and in raising the profile of the geosciences by teaching to and for the broadest audience of students.

The deadline for nominations is April 1. The committee will review nominations for women educators with at least 20 years of service to the international geoscience community who have made outstanding contributions in at least two of the three categories of mentoring, instruction and curriculum, and outreach. Nominations must include a current vitae and at least six letters of recommendation from professional colleagues, former students, and current students (male or female). Nomination materials are encouraged to directly address the review criteria (available online at http://awg.org/images/awards/AWG_Outstanding_Educator_Award_U.pdf). Compile all documents in one pdf file and email your nomination as an attachment to Chair of the AWG Outstanding Educator Award selection committee Dr. Kelsey Bitting at kbitting.awg@gmail.com.

7. Spring Deadlines Associated with the 2018 Earth Educators' Rendezvous

Scholarships The 2018 Earth Educators' Rendezvous will take place July 16-20 at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Approaching deadlines include:

Sign up to receive Rendezvous updates to be the first to know when additional news and information becomes available.

8. Upcoming NAGT Award Deadlines

Awards NAGT's 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. The selection of award winners is conducted at the Section level and each Section sets its own deadline for nomination. A listing of the deadlines and contact people for each Section is listed on the award website. Check out your Section's deadline and submit your nominations via the website. Remember, you can also nominate yourself!

In honor of Dottie Stout's outstanding work and lifelong dedication to Earth science education, NAGT awards Dorothy Lalonde Stout Professional Development Grants that support Earth science professional development in three categories: Community College Faculty, Community College Student, and K-12 Educator. The deadline for applications, which include a proposal describing how applicants will use the award to support their professional growth, is April 15.

The Robert Christman Distinguished Service Award was established to recognize individuals who have provided long, distinguished service to NAGT at the national and/or section level. Nominations are accepted on an ongoing basis.

9. Session Proposals for AGU Fall Meeting Due April 18

AGU The American Geophysical Union's 2018 Fall Meeting will also mark AGU's Centennial celebration. The two events will celebrate the past, present, and future of the Earth and space sciences, and will demonstrate how our science is strong, vibrant, global, and essential in many ways to society. The theme of the meeting is "What science stands for." 2018 Fall Meeting session proposals are now open, with sessions that tie to the meeting theme or AGU's Centennial being especially welcome. Proposals can be a traditional oral or poster session, panel discussion, short talk, or in the new format of an eLightning session. The session proposal deadline is April 18.

10. InTeGrate Workshops at the Goldschmidt Conference: Register by June 13

Goldschmidt The 2018 Goldschmidt Conference takes place August 12-17 in Boston, during which time InTeGrate will host two associated workshops on the subject of Engaging Students in Understanding the Earth System as it Intertwines with Key Societal Issues. The first workshop, taking place Tuesday, August 14, is designed for K-8 teachers. More information about the workshop, including the program and instructions for completing registration by the deadline of June 13, can be found here. The second workshop, taking place Thursday, August 16, is designed for high school teachers. The workshop program and information about completing the registration by the deadline of June 13 can be found here. Space is limited for both workshops, so please do not delay in registering if you are interested in participating.

11. NSF Program Solicitation: Improving Undergraduate STEM Education

NSF Through the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) initiative, the agency continues to make a substantial commitment to the highest caliber undergraduate STEM education through a Foundation-wide framework of investments. The IUSE: EHR program is a core NSF undergraduate STEM education program that seeks to improve the effectiveness of undergraduate STEM education for both majors and non-majors. The program is open to application from all institutions of higher education and associated organizations seeking support for projects that have the potential to improve student learning in STEM through development of new curricular materials and methods of instruction, and development of new assessment tools to measure student learning. In addition to innovative work at the frontier of STEM education, this program also encourages replications of research studies at different types of institutions and with different student bodies to produce deeper knowledge about the effectiveness and transferability of findings. To learn more about this opportunity, including the requirements for submitting a proposal, read the full announcement. Beginning in FY 2018, there will be no single date deadlines for Exploration and Design proposals, which may be submitted any time from October 1, 2017 onward. Please note, however, that proposals received after May 1 will be held over to the subsequent financial year for possible award (for example, awards will be made in FY 19 for proposals received after May 1, 2018).

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Eastern Section

  • The Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Student Research Symposium (SRS) for the GLOBE Program will be held in Buffalo, NY May 4-5, 2018. Teachers and their students from across this region will share their research with their peers and guests. If you are interested in helping support these efforts, there is an opportunity for NAGT Eastern Section members to help serve as mentors to these teachers and their students or help in offering expertise as a reviewer. If you are interested in helping you can contact GLOBE directly (www.globe.gov) or contact the Northeast lead Dr. Michael Jabot (jabot@fredonia.edu).
  • Save the Date: The 2018 annual meeting of the NAGT Eastern Section will take place in Millersville, PA, June 7-9. More details are available online at the Eastern Section website.

MidContinent Section

  • The newly revitalized MidContinent Section is managing the NAGT booth at South Central GSA in Little Rock on March 12-13, 2018, and they are in need of volunteers to help in the booth. For more information about volunteering, please contact Brendan Hanger (brendan.hanger@okstate.edu).
  • The deadline for submitting nominations of the Outstanding Earth Science Teacher Award for the MidContinent section has changed from March 31 to May 15. Remember, you can also nominate yourself!

Pacific Northwest Section

  • The Pacific Northwest Section's Annual Conference will take place June 27–29, 2018 and is scheduled to take place in the Portland, Oregon area. Initial plans call for a conference on Wednesday with field trips on Thursday and Friday. Stay tuned for details as they develop.

Southeastern Section

  • The 2018 National Science Teachers Association meeting will take place in downtown Atlanta on March 15-18, 2018. The theme of the meeting is "Science on My Mind," and highlighted conference strands will include 1) Focusing on Evidence of 3D Learning, 2) Imagining Science as the Foundation for STEM, 3) Reflecting on Access for All Students, and 4) Comprehending the Role of Literacy in Science. For those located in Georgia, this is an exciting local opportunity to convene with 10,000+ fellow educators passionate about science.
  • The annual SENAGT business meeting and social will be held during the southeastern section meeting of GSA. The meeting will be on Thursday, April 12, 2018 at 12:00pm at the Downtown Grill & Brewery in Knoxville, TN (424 South Gay Street). Please come have your voice heard and enjoy some good company.

GER Division

  • In 2017, GER Division highlights included:
    • Hosting two networking events at the 2017 Earth Educators' Rendezvous, complete with coffee, bagels, and even an early morning run for those so inclined!
    • Hosting a 2017 GSA session with Kristen St. John in conjunction with the November 2017 special issue of JGE: T113: Geoscience Education Research: Implications for Undergraduate Geoscience Teaching and Learning (orals and posters)
    • Sponsoring an invited talk from Erin Dolan, the Editor in Chief for CBE-Life Sciences Education, at GSA to help make connections across DBER
    • Hosting an "Introduction to GER Methods" workshop by Julie Sexton
  • The GER Division continues to promote and represent members by:
    • Producing monthly newsletters (the GER Exchange) with grant and job opportunities and a featured article
    • Highlighting members doing great work with featured researcher spotlights (this month, get to know what drives Chris Atchison, and see who he's interested in having as collaborators)
    • Know a researcher worth spotlighting, have an article worth reading, or an opportunity worth sharing? Submit to the GER Exchange using this queue. Self nominations are welcomed.
  • If you are submitting a GER-themed session proposal for GSA 2019 and would like the GER Division to sponsor and help promote your session, please contact Katherine Ryker (kryker@seoe.sc.edu)
  • GER has lots of exciting projects in the work, and is always looking for members to help prioritize and promote these projects! If you are interested in serving on the Communications or Long Range Planning Committees, please email Katherine Ryker (kryker@seoe.sc.edu).
  • Upcoming GER events and opportunities:
    • GER will host networking events at the 2018 Earth Educators' Rendezvous, coordinated with 2YC and TED
    • A webinar on the different career options in GER will take place Tuesday, April 3rd at 1pm ET. Registration is now open here.
    • GER is hosting a 2018 GSA Session: T84. Making Sense of Methodologies and Theoretical Frameworks in Geoscience Education Research. We look forward to reading your abstracts!
  • Check out the latest edition of the GER Exchange for even more division highlights

Geo2YC Division

  • On Wednesday, July 18 the Geo2YC Division will host a happy hour reception at the Earth Educators' Rendezvous in Lawrence, Kansas. Watch the Rendezvous program page for details including the location.

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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!

A. Gold, P. Pendergast, C. Ormand, D. Budd, J. Stempien, K. Mueller, K. Kravitz have published a new study in Geosphere: Spatial skills in undergraduate students-Influence of gender, motivation, academic training, and childhood play. This study assessed spatial reasoning skills in 345 introductory geology and upper-level structural geology students, with results showing that spatial skills are positively correlated with standardized test scores, motivation for learning, STEM major declaration, and number of science courses taken. The analysis also indicates that the cumulative, informal training of childhood play has the ability to increase spatial reasoning. Spatial skill scores were significantly higher among students who played action, construction, or sports video games in childhood. Male and female students displayed significant differences in spatial skills, however gender disparities were fully mediated after adjusting for a variety of academic factors and whether students frequently played with construction-based toys. This indicates that gender differences are experiential rather than biological in origin, and that formal training opportunities for spatial reasoning could increase the potential pool of students who successfully enter STEM careers, including the geosciences, especially among women.

NAGTrivia

NAGT Career Hub

NSS Geosciences and Environment and Natural Science Program/Assistant Professor of Geology

Posted: Feb 13 2018

California State University, Los Angeles seeks Assistant Professor of Geology, joint appointment with the Department of Geosciences and Environment and with the Natural Science Program.

Department Chair-Earth and Atmospheric Sciences-University of Northern Colorado

Posted: Feb 9 2018

Earth and Atmospheric Sciences seeks a visionary Chair to work collaboratively with the department's faculty and provide leadership in the development and oversight of instructional programs, research, and service commitments in the department. The Chair assumes responsibility for administration, budgetary coordination, faculty/staff hiring and evaluations, professional development, community advancement, and facilitating the acquisition of external funds through grants and contracts.

Need help getting the word out about your position opening, event, or field trip? Submit your posting to the new NAGT Career Hub!

Rock and Mineral Exchange

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.

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