NAGTNews - Vol 14 - No 10 - October 2015

An archive of past NAGTNews message is available to members at http://serc.carleton.edu/mailman/listinfo/nagt.
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1. Still time to volunteer to assist with staffing the booth at GSA

There is still time to get your name on the list of volunteers who are helping staff the NAGT booth at GSA next month. The vendors area will open at 2:00 PM on Sunday, November 1 and there are opportunities to volunteer each day until the showcase closes at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, November 3.

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 is really 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 so newbies won't be thrown in the deep end.

If you have even a little time you can give to representing NAGT, please contact Krista Herbstrith (kherbstr at carleton.edu) in the Executive Director's Office and she can get you on the schedule.

2. NAGT Activities at GSA

There are lots of activities going on at the upcoming GSA meeting in Baltimore. You can see all the things that NAGT is involved in on the website: http://nagt.org/nagt/profdev/GSA/2015GSA/index.html. Some highlights include:

• Workshops on Teaching Controversial Issues
• A field trip to the Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory
• Bunches of topical sessions
• Running the booth (#931) in the Vendors Area (Did we mention that you can still be a booth volunteer??)
• Division Meetings at 5PM on Sunday (11/1) followed by the Geoscience Educators' Reception at 7PM
• The NAGT/GSA Ed Division/Geo-CUR Awards Luncheon at 11:30 on Tuesday (11/3)

And lots of other stuff. Check out all the activities and we hope to see and talk with you during the meeting. See you in Baltimore!

3. JGE Theme Issue Call for Papers

Interdisciplinary Teaching and Sustainability

The Journal of Geoscience Education solicits manuscripts for a special issue on sustainability. This call recognizes that living sustainably is a process that humanity is still debating and trying to define. Core ideas for philosophies, pedagogies and curricula of sustainability education are not settled but are broadly conceived as interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary or transdisciplinary. This issue will explore the perspectives, ideas and methods that arise from conversations among the geosciences and other disciplines.

Examples of those who should consider submitting a paper for this issue include:

• geoscience educators who can communicate their vision of sustainability and show how it's reflected in their teaching and courses;
• geoscientists who engage in informal education or work in the public sphere (e.g., park rangers, nonprofit groups, policy consultants) who have developed a vision of sustainability and can show how it guides their work;
• educators in non-geoscience fields who draw inspiration or knowledge from earth systems to inform their teaching.

Commentaries, Curriculum and Instruction, Theoretical and Empirical Research, and Literature Review papers are all encouraged.

Manuscript Preparation and Submission: The manuscript submission deadline is March 15, 2016. Author instructions and descriptions of paper categories go to http://nagt-jge.org/. All submitted manuscripts will need to meet manuscript guidelines and review criteria, and will be externally review.

Theme Issue Editors and Associate Editors:

Kristen St. John
Editor-in-Chief
James Madison University
jge@jmu.edu

Caitlin Callahan
Associate Editor
Grand Valley State University
callahca@gvsu.edu

Ellen Metzger
Guest Associate Editor
San Jose State University
ellen.metzger@sjsu.edu

David Blockstein
Guest Associate Editor
National Council for Science and the Environment
david@cedd.org

4. Time to Renew Your Membership for 2016

NAGT is deeply thankful for everyone whose commitment to geoscience education leads them to become a member and support what we do. It's now time to start thinking about renewing your membership for 2016 and you can do that online at http://nagt.org/nagt/membership/index.html.

Remember that you can sign up for automatic renewals or multi-year memberships if you want to make it easy to continue to receive the benefits of membership without having to worry about letting them lapse.

5. Traveling Workshops Program - Application Deadline 10/15/15

Want to strengthen your department or courses, but not sure where to start? Look no further - NAGT's Traveling Workshops Program brings national leaders in geoscience education to your campus or regional event. The Traveling Workshops Program consists of two different tracks—one for courses and one for departments. Colleges, universities, and other organizations can apply to host one or both kinds of workshop.

Building Stronger Geoscience Departments

These workshops bring two trained leaders to your institution to facilitate a working session with your department. The program focuses on lessons learned from other institutions, guides you through a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis for your department, and incorporates activities that address issues of specific interest to your department. After your application has been accepted, workshop leaders will work with you to design the exact parameters of the workshop you have in mind.

Applications

To apply to have a Traveling Workshop Program come to your department during the winter/spring of 2016, apply online by Thursday, October 15. There will be another application deadline in March for summer/fall workshops.

Please forward this opportunity to any colleagues that you feel would benefit from this program.

Thank you for your consideration of these valuable workshops! We look forward to working with you and your departments.

6. October In the Trenches

The October 2015 issue of In the Trenches is out and should arrive in your mailboxes soon. This month's issue features articles on

• Journeying to the Center of the Earth Using iPads and Smart Phones
• Science, Journalism Undergraduates Join Forces to Boost Public Understanding of Water Quality Issues
• NAGT, GSA, and CUR Education Division Awards for 2015
• First Annual Earth Educators Rendezvous

The Online Supplement for this issue is available on the NAGT website.

7. InTeGrate Webinar Series 2015-16

InTeGrate is excited to announce its professional development webinar program for the 2015-2016 academic year. This series of webinars is designed for members of the InTeGrate community interested in building, using or adapting InTeGrate materials. While some webinars are geared toward materials developers, as they have been in years past, we are refocusing the series toward implementation and opening these webinars to anyone interested in attending. Webinar goals for participants are to learn about techniques that promote student engagement, gain insights about how to incorporate these practices into teaching, and explore specific activities that can readily be adapted for use in your classroom. You can register for one or more; each event is limited to 50 participants. I apologize in advance for duplicate postings.

https://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/workshops/index.html

The webinar program includes one-hour webinars on the following topics:

Adapting InTeGrate Materials to Best Effect: (Anne Egger, Central Washington University)
Tuesday, Oct 13, 2015 10:00 am PST | 11:00 am MST | 12:00 pm CST | 1:00 pm EST
REGISTRATION DEADLINE - October 12.

Developing Systems Thinking: (Hannah Scherer, Virginia Tech)
Friday, October 23, 2015 9:00 am PST | 10:00 am MST | 11:00 am CST | 12:00 pm EST

The Pathway to Systemic Change: (Judith Ramaley, Portland State University)
Thursday, November 12, 2015 9:00 am PST | 10:00 am MST | 11:00 am CST | 12:00 pm EST

Learning to Learn: Incorporating metacognition into the classroom: (Karl Wirth, Macalester College)
Tuesday, Nov 17, 2015 9:00 am PST | 10:00 am MST | 11:00 am CST | 12:00 pm EST

Dealing with Copyright: (Sean Fox, Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College)
Friday, December 4, 2015 9:00 am PST | 10:00 am MST | 11:00 am CST | 12:00 pm EST

Getting Ready to Pilot: (Monica Bruckner, Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College)
Thursday, January 7, 2015 9:00 am PST | 10:00 am MST | 11:00 am CST | 12:00 pm EST

Tentative, Spring 2016:

• Adopting InTeGrate Materials
• Adapting InTeGrate Materials to Best Effect (also offered in October 2015)

This series will involve an online web presentation via Adobe Connect web conference software with questions and discussion. We ask that you register for each event by the day before the event in order to help us in planning. You may register for one or more webinars and each event is limited to 50 participants.

Also, check out the InTeGrate program schedule to see other workshops and webinars. InTeGrate is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education and is sponsored by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers.

http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/workshops/index.html

Please help publicize these opportunities by forwarding this email to colleagues.

8. AGU Webinar on Geoscience Workforce and the Future of Undergraduate Education

The AGU Heads and Chairs program and the American Geosciences Institute is pleased to be offering a free webinar on Geoscience Workforce and the Future of Undergraduate Education. Leading this month's webinar is Sharon Mosher, Dean of the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin. She will be discussing the results of the Geoscience Employers Workshop, including survey results on skills and competencies. This month's webinar is a perfect follow-on from last month's discussion about competencies approaches in building a robust geoscience workforce.

Please consider registering yourself or invite any of your faculty or colleagues who are interested in learning more about this topic.

We invite you to join us on Friday, October 9, 2015 from 1:00 P.M. - 2:00 P.M. EDT.

Register for free for the webinar at:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4742014794396450049

To view recordings of past AGU/AGI Heads and Chairs webinars, please visit: http://www.americangeosciences.org/workforce/aguagi-heads-and-chairs-webinars

Even if you cannot attend the webinar, but want to be informed about the recording, please register and we will notify you as soon as the recording is available.

9. Abstract Submission for AGU Virtual Poster Showcases #2 (for Undergraduate Students) and #3 (for Graduate Students) Are Now Open

Encourage students to build their presentation skills and get feedback on their science by participating. This new opportunity allows undergraduate and graduate students to share their research with the Earth and space science community virtually, eliminating the need to travel. The deadline for abstract submissions is 12 October.

Students not only get valuable feedback on their science but also gain experience in reviewing the research of other students. This affordable and accessible option is ideal for students and can help build their academic résumés. View timelines and learn more.

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