View online supplements for In the Trenches at http://nagt.org/nagt/publications/trenches/index.html.
In This Issue
News & Announcements
- NAGT Award Winners Celebrated at GSA
- NAGT Activities and Workshops at AGU
- Volunteer to Staff the NAGT Booth at AGU
- Renew Your NAGT Membership for 2019
- Consider an End-of-Year Donation to NAGT
- Call for InTeGrate Webinar Proposals
- Just Released! Science and Engineering for Grades 6-12: Investigation and Design at the Center, a report from National Academy of Sciences
Upcoming Webinars
- InTeGrate Webinar: Supporting All Students Through Active Learning
- New Webinar Series focused on 21st Century Field Education from the Undergraduate Field Experiences Research Network (UFERN)
Deadlines
- Register now for AGU Workshops
- NAGT Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards Nomination Deadline is December 15
- Next Traveling Workshops Program Deadline is January 15
- AGI Seeking Nominations for Officers and Awards Nomination Deadline is February 1
- Nominations for AAPG Foundation Teacher of the Year Award due February 1
Section and Division Highlights
NAGT Career Hub
- NAGT Executive Director Search
- Lecturer, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida
- Lecturer, Department of Geosciences, Boise State University
- Research Assistant/Associate in Geosciences and/or Geoscience Educational Research, Concord Consortium
- Assistant Professor of Geology, Utah Valley University
- Paleontology and Historical Geology Full-Time Lecturer (non-tenure-track), Tufts University
Rock and Mineral Exchange
1. NAGT Award Winners Celebrated at GSA
Winners of the 2018 NAGT Awards were recognized during the NAGT, GSA Geoscience Education Division & CUR Luncheon and Awards Program at the Geological Society of America Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, IN, on November 4, 2018.
This year's NAGT award winners include:
The Neil Miner Award is given to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the stimulation of interest in the Earth sciences and who are outstanding teachers and was awarded to Rachel Beane, Bowdoin College.
The James Shea Award is given to an individual for exceptional contributions in the form of writing or editing of Earth science materials that are of interest to the general public and/or teachers of Earth science and was awarded to Callan Bentley, Northern Virginia Community College.
The Robert Christman Distinguished Service Award is given in recognition of individuals who have provided long, distinguished service to NAGT at the national and/or section level and was awarded to David Mogk, Montana State University-Bozeman.
The Dorothy LaLonde Stout Professional Development Awards are given in honor of Dottie Stout's outstanding work and lifelong dedication to Earth science education and were awarded to Russel Kohrs, Lord Fairfax Community College and Massanutten Regional Governor's School, Mount Jackson, VA; Jill Weaver, Valley View Junior High, Farmersville, OH; and Jill Weaver, Valley View Junior High, Farmersville, OH.
The Journal of Geoscience Education Awards recognize a reviewer and author who have made exceptional contributions to the journal. The JGE Outstanding Reviewer Award was given to Glenn Dolphin, University of Calgary The JGE Outstanding Paper Award was given to David A. McConnell, LeeAnna Chapman, C. Douglas Czajka, Jason P. Jones, Katherine D. Ryker, & Jennifer Wiggen for their paper "Instructional Utility and Learning Efficacy of Common Active Learning Strategies" (Vol. 65, No.4, pp. 604-625).
The Geoscience Education Research (GER) Division: Transformation Award recognizes awardees for their outstanding contributions to GER. Contributions may include, but are not limited to, leading capacity-building GER activities, developing collaborations that produce fruitful new lines of GER research, or providing expanded opportunities to publish GER literature. This year's award went to Julie Libarkin, Michigan State University.
The Geoscience Education Research (GER) Division: Collaboration Award honors non-GER colleagues (e.g. geophysicists, educational psychologists, education researchers, etc.) who infused the GER community with new approaches to GER. This year's award went to Tim Shipley, Temple University.
The 28 winners of the 2018 Outstanding Earth Science Teacher Awards have been announced on the NAGT website and recently highlighted in the latest issue of In the Trenches.
These awards provide the NAGT community with the opportunity to recognize colleagues and students in a tangible way that communicates respect for their outstanding efforts and lets them know the work they've put into teaching substantially contributes to our organization's mission.
Please join us in congratulating this year's NAGT award winners for their incredible efforts toward advancing Earth science education.
2. NAGT Activities and Workshops at AGU
NAGT is proud to sponsor several workshops and events as part of the AGU Fall Meeting, taking place December 10-16 in Washington, D.C. Be sure to check out the NAGT workshops and related educational sessions going on at AGU. You can see all the NAGT programming and associated sessions happening at AGU's Fall Meeting on NAGT's AGU web page.
See the deadline section below for workshops that are still available for registration.
Don't forget to stop by our booth (#811) for the most up-to-date information on upcoming NAGT workshops, educational resources, and teaching activities. We hope to see you there!
3. Volunteer to staff the NAGT booth at AGU
Seeking Volunteers for the NAGT Booth at AGU - We are actively soliciting NAGT members to help staff the booth during the AGU annual meeting. This is a great way to meet other NAGT members from around the country and share your excitement about geoscience education. Your commitment and enthusiasm are critical to helping bring new members on board. If you've never volunteered at the booth before, it's so easy! And there will be experienced NAGT officers and staff on-hand to offer guidance and assistance across your shift. If you have even a little time you can share to represent NAGT, please contact Amy Collette (acollette at carleton dot edu) in the Executive Director's Office and she can get you on the schedule. Remember, volunteering at the booth is also an excellent way to increase awareness of your own work and efforts--we're so proud of all that NAGT members accomplish!
4. Renew Your NAGT Membership for 2019
It's that time of year again--Fall marks the beginning of NAGT's membership renewal period! We encourage you to renew now so that you receive uninterrupted membership benefits in 2019.
NAGT is deeply thankful for everyone whose commitment to geoscience education leads them to become a member and support the work of the Association. Now is the time to start thinking about renewing your membership for 2019, which you can do easily here.
Remember that you can sign-up for automatic renewals or multi-year memberships if you want to easily continue receiving membership benefits without worrying about letting them lapse. Please also consider an added donation this year--NAGT programs and activities are more innovative, far-reaching, and effective because of your support!
What makes NAGT? The answer is simple: our valued members. Whether you're interested in promoting Earth literacy, keen on joining a community of peers, passionate about teaching the sciences, or eager to learn about new teaching tools and resources, NAGT has so much to offer. Need a reminder of the great benefits of being an NAGT member? Check out the Member Benefits webpage.
5. Consider an End-of-Year Donation to NAGT
Please consider supporting NAGT's activities and programming with an end-of-year contribution. NAGT is a membership-based organization and additional funds make possible the numerous scholarships, award-winning resources, and professional development opportunities the association offers. Even if you have signed up for automatic renewal of a multiple-year membership, you can still make a tax deductible donation to NAGT. To learn more about the many scholarships and programs you can support, visit the NAGT Donations Page. Thank you to those who have already donated!
6. Call for InTeGrate Webinar Proposals
The InTeGrate project runs an approximately bi-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 Winter/Spring 2019, 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, teaching sustainability across the curriculum, and building strong courses, departments, and programs. Leading an InTeGrate webinar offers presenters the unique opportunity to promote teaching materials and pedagogies, prominently share resources and ideas with peers, and increase involvement in InTeGrate's growing community of educators. Leading a webinar is also an excellent way to create an online-accessible, professional-quality resource related to your teaching practice that you can easily add to your portfolio or share as a representation of your pedagogy and/or work.
The InTeGrate project expects to welcome new webinars in Winter/Spring 2019, but space is limited, so don't delay if you have a webinar idea you wish to propose. 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.
7. Just Released! Science and Engineering for Grades 6-12: Investigation and Design at the Center, a report from National Academy of Sciences
Engaging students in science investigation and engineering design problems, including asking questions, collecting and analyzing data, and using evidence to better understand the natural and built world, is shown to be an effective way to help students learn.
This newly-released report from the Board on Science Education and sponsored by The Amgen Foundation and The Carnegie Corporation of New York, reviews research on science investigations and engineering design problems for middle and high school students and provides guidance for supporting teachers, administrators, professional development providers, and instructional materials creators. Anne Egger, who served in the NAGT presidential line from 2015-18, and current Editor-in-chief of JGE, was a member of the committee who wrote the report. Check out the report at: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/DBASSE/BOSE/Science-Investigations-and-Design/index.htm
1. InTeGrate Webinar--Supporting All Students Through Active Learning
On December 7 at 1pm Central time, presenters Kaatje Kraft (Whatcom Community College), Catherine Riihimaki (Princeton University), and Stefany Sit (University of Illinois at Chicago), will lead a webinar on the subject of supporting students through active learning as part of a series supporting teaching with InTeGrate principles, using InTeGrate-developed and curated materials as tools.
Participants must register for this webinar by December 5.
2. New Webinar Series focused on 21st Century Field Education from the Undergraduate Field Experiences Research Network (UFERN)
The Undergraduate Field Experiences Research Network (UFERN) is pleased to announce a new webinar series focused on 21st century field education. The webinar series will bring expertise to our discussions and thinking that support the goal of UFERN by moving field learning experiences into the 21st century.
For additional information about upcoming webinars or to register for the email list, visit http://ufern.net/. Recordings from previous webinars are also provided.
1. Register now for Workshops at AGU
The following AGU workshops are still open for registration:
Engaging Environmental Justice in Geoscience Courses
Monday, December 10, 4:00-6:00pm
Led by Sarah Fortner, Richard Gragg, Robert Rohbaugh and Cathy Manduca: Many of the topics we teach in undergraduate geoscience courses address issues where environmental justice is an important challenge. Engaging the relationship between geoscience and environmental justice can strengthen students' interest in geoscience and build their ability to work on complex societal issues in their geoscience careers. This workshop will focus on two strategies for incorporating environmental justice in undergraduate courses: case studies and service learning, as well as provide a discussion of the challenges of incorporating social issues in our courses. Read more...
Bringing Geoscience Practices into the Classroom: Developing students' skills
Tuesday, December 11, 9:00am-12:00pm
Led by Anne Egger and Laura Rademacher: The ways in which geoscientists think and learn about the Earth are skills we want students to gain in our geoscience courses along with content knowledge. This workshop will focus on enhancing your teaching to engage students at all levels, from introductory to advanced, in developing the critical skills of geoscience: learning from observation, thinking across temporal and spatial scales, and working with complex systems. Read more...
Measuring Water Resources with GPS, Gravity, and Traditional Methods: Undergraduate Teaching ModuleTuesday, December 11, 4:00-6:00pm
Led by Bruce Douglas and Beth Pratt-Sitaula: Using GPS and gravity data sets in undergraduate courses can be challenging, as few prepared resources are available. Many instructors may only be partially familiar with the wider range of data sets and methods. This short course gives instructors hands-on experience with a curricular module that feature GPS/GNSS and gravity data alongside more traditional water measurement methods such a snow pillow stations and ground water wells. The module features the societal applications of geoscience while challenging them to develop quantitative skills relevant to scientific data analysis. Appropriate for courses such as hydrogeology, hydrology, earth system science, environmental science, and introductory geoscience for majors. The short course also provides structured time for discussion and planning implementation into undergraduate courses. Space is limited. $40 stipend for participants who complete the course. Registration deadline December 4, 2018. Intended for faculty, post-docs, and graduate students. Read more...
Strategies for Responding to Hostile Work Climates
Wednesday, December 12, 4:00-6:00pm
The workshop will convene leaders and educational professionals working at city/sub-national scales to ensure Americans can reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks with a special focus on Washington D.C. and the region as a case study to explore (with transferable ideas/concepts/actions to other locales), and invite all who are interested in contributing to and learning from this discussion. This workshop is possible through a partnership of Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy, NOAA Climate Program Office, Alliance for Climate Education, The Wild Center, Association for Science and Technology Centers, and the Climate Literacy & Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN), and with support from AGU.
Sustaining Cities Climate Action Social Innovations Through Education, Civic Engagement and Workforce Development
Thursday, December 13, 1:00-500pm
This interactive session will describe academic practices and institutional structures that allow for harassment, bullying and other hostile behaviors to persist, discuss initiatives to address harassment as research misconduct, and provide training in personal intervention strategies to protect and support targets of harassment. As a result of this session, participants will be able to identify: (1) different ways in which sexual and other types of harassment and bullying can manifest in research environments; (2) strategies for bystander intervention, and (3) resources to share with their home departments for cultural change. Led by members of the ADVANCEGeo Team with support from the Earth Science Women's Network, Association of Women Geoscientists, and AGU.
2. NAGT Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards Nomination Deadline is December 15
NAGT recognizes outstanding teaching assistants in geoscience education with up to 30 awards annually. Both undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants are eligible for the award. Award winners receive a one year membership to NAGT, which includes an online subscription to the Journal of Geoscience Education and our In The Trenches quarterly magazine. The yearly membership starts January 1st of the upcoming year.
The undergraduate student awards are the gift of Thomas Hendrix, Grand Valley State University. Tom was the recipient of the 1994 Neil Miner award and he also served as President of NAGT as editor of the Journal of Geoscience Education. The graduate student awards are funded by NAGT.
3. Next Traveling Workshops Program Deadline is January 15
The NAGT 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.
Application deadlines for the 2019-2020 academic year:
- January 15, 2019 (for Summer 2019 Workshops)
- March 15, 2019 (for Fall 2019 Workshops)
- October 15, 2019 (for Spring 2020 Workshops)
4. AGI Seeking Nominations for Officers and Awards
AGI (American Geosciences Institute), of which NAGT is a member society, had its first Call for 2019 Nominations at last month's Member Society Council meeting in Salt Lake City. AGI is looking to expand its pool of candidates for AGI officers and awards for the 2019 nominations cycle. The strength of the Federation is dependent on having participation from Member Societies in the form of nominations from within their membership to serve on AGI's Executive Committee or receive AGI awards. More information about submitting nominations prior to the February 1 deadline is available here.5. Nominations for AAPG Foundation Teacher of the Year Award due February 1
The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Foundation Teacher of the Year award is part of AAPG Foundation's Excellence in Teaching Awards program. The TOTY award is funded and given annually by the AAPG Foundation to a deserving K-12 Earth science teacher within the United States who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the field of geoscience education. The award includes a commemorative plaque, an expense paid trip to the next AAPG Annual Convention & Exhibition in San Antonio, and a $6,000 monetary award. The deadline for this application cycle is Feb. 1, 2019.
Eastern Section
- Save the Date for the 2019 Eastern Section Meeting in Martinsburg, West Virginia, hosted by Blue Ridge Community and Technical Collage on Thursday to Saturday, June 6-8 2019.
Geo2YC Division
- Deadlines for future Foundations issues:
- Friday, December 8
- Friday, March 2
- Submit your stories, experiences, experiments, photos, awards, etc. to the editor sukismaglik@gmail.com any time prior to each deadline.
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!
Kudos to:
The winner of the 2018 John and Mary Lou Pojeta Service Award is Dr. Eugenie Scott, the former Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE). NAGT is a member of NCSE, which is a non-profit membership organization of scientists, teachers, and others who work to improve the teaching of science as a way of knowing, as well as teaching evolution and climate change. Dr. Scott is a popular lecturer and is often called upon by the media to explain science and evolution to the general public. She is the author of Evolution vs Creationism: An Introduction, co-editor of Not in Our Classrooms: Why Intelligent Design Is Wrong for Our Schools, and has published many journal articles. She has been recognized with awards by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Science Board, the Geological Society of America, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Association of Biology, and Scientific American, with honorary degrees from many institutions.
NAGT Executive Director Search
Read a Letter from Cathy Manduca, Executive Director of NAGT
NAGT is seeking a qualified person to serve as the Association's Executive Director to begin August 2019.
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. NAGT represents the collective voice of K-12 teachers, college and university faculty, and informal educators in museums and science centers who share a vision to build geoscience expertise and an Earth-literate society through high-quality education. We seek an exceptional Executive Director to build on past successes and to provide strategic leadership to guide NAGT toward new opportunities for growth.To learn more about the position and instructions to apply, visit this website.
Lecturer: Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida
The Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Florida (geology.ufl.edu) invites applications for a Lecturer in Geosciences. This is a full-time, nine-month, non-tenure-accruing faculty position as Lecturer with an anticipated start date of August 16, 2019.
Lecturer: Department of Geosciences, Boise State University
The Department of Geosciences at Boise State University invites applications for a permanent full-time Lectureship to begin summer, 2019. Our geoscience lecturers are responsible for delivery of critical lower-division courses (including labs) in geology, geography, and earth system science, and development and delivery of geosciences courses of broad interdisciplinary interest to the greater university community.
Research Assistant/Associate in Geosciences and/or Geoscience Education Research, Concord Consortium
The Concord Consortium (https://concord.org), a nonprofit research and development organization dedicated to transforming STEM education through technology, is looking for a Research Assistant or Research Associate, depending upon qualifications of the applicant. The applicant is expected to be either a geoscientist with geoscience education experience, or specialized in science education with strong geoscience expertise.
Assistant Professor of Geology, Utah Valley University
The Department of Earth Science at Utah Valley University (UVU) invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor position in geology, to begin August 2019. In our broad search of talented candidates, we seek a committed educator with expertise in geoscience education, a proven record of effective pedagogy, and a passion for teaching lower-division Earth science courses.
Paleontology and Historical Geology Full-Time Lecturer (non-tenure-track), Tufts University
Tufts University invites applications for a full-time lecturer in the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences to begin September 1st 2019. This position is for a 1-year initial contract with possibility of continued renewal of multiyear contracts, and it is included in the union for full-time lecturers (Service Employees International Union).
Need help getting the word out about your position opening, event, or field trip? Submit your posting to the new 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.
