NAGTNews - Vol 14 - No 2 - February 2015

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1. NAGT needs your vote on proposed constitutional changes

NAGT's Executive Committee has proposed changes to the NAGT Constitution that require a vote from the membership. A majority of at least 20% of the membership is required to approve these amendments. Please follow the link to review and vote on the changes.

Voting will close on Friday, March 21st. We appreciate your participation.

2. Earth Educators' Rendezvous

We are excited to announce that the meeting registration is now open and the topics for morning workshops finalized. Morning workshops require registration and will be filled on a first come first served basis. Workshops are interactive with participants learning from one another and from experts in formats that build on research-based pedagogies. They provide an opportunity each day to synthesize ideas from the afternoon sessions and put them to use in your own context. These sessions feature time to work on your own introductory or upper-division course, to plan new ways to strengthen your program, or to move forward your education research agenda.

We have also sketched a potential schedule for afternoon mini-workshops. All participants registered for a particular day can choose to attend either afternoon mini-workshops or a session of contributed talks. We would like to make sure that the afternoon mini-workshops hit areas of need and interest. To that end, we invite your comment on the proposed schedule. We are envisioning that specific topics (e.g. climate change), specific pedagogical techniques (e.g. flipped classroom), and research results will be presented and discussed in the oral and poster sessions.

Lastly, we would like to encourage the use of the Rendezvous as a venue for working meetings that allow groups to move forward their collaborative project while capitalizing on the opportunity to learn from colleagues at the Rendezvous. If you are interested in running a concurrent working meeting at the Rendezvous, you can apply to receive a $20 per day discount for the members of your group and a meeting room with a projector. We must receive your application before January 15th to be considered for the working group discount.

We hope you will find the program to be engaging and flexible. More details about the plenary speakers and workshop leaders will be available in the coming weeks.

Happy New Year,

Cathy Manduca, Heather Macdonald, and Laurel Goodell
Conference Chairs

3. Impending On the Cutting Edge Application Deadlines

Several On the Cutting Edge workshops have application or registration deadlines approaching quickly. Check out the websites for more information and get those applications in!

• Student Learning About Critical Earth Issues Through the Use of Large Online Digital Data Sets - March 1
• Preparing for an Academic Career in the Geosciences - March 2
• Early Career Geoscience Faculty: Teaching, Research, and Managing Your Career - March 18

4. Scholarships for Field Study

NAGT is currently accepting applications for scholarships for field study, with the deadline for applications being February 14, 2015. Each year, NAGT and AWG make several $750 awards to undergraduate students to facilitate their study of field geoscience. These awards are 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 aspects 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 of Women Geoscientists (AWG) funds two additional awards specifically for women.

5. Renew Your Membership Today

NAGT memberships are based on a calendar-year cycle and by renewing today you ensure uninterrupted access to NAGT's member benefits including our two publications: the Journal of Geoscience Education and the In the Trenches member magazine. This January, In The Trenches will feature the theme "Teaching Climate Change." Renew today to guarantee receipt of this important and timely issue.

Through your membership, you help NAGT offer a wide array of services to our members and to the geoscience community at large. From professional development workshops, to teaching resources, to awards and more, you can learn all about the many things NAGT has to offer on the website: http://nagt.org.

You can check your membership status and renew online by going to the NAGT Membership page. Want to do help NAGT do even more? Consider a sustaining membership, donation, or a multi-year membership.

Thank you for your time and commitment to our organization. We are happy to have you as a member and hope you will continue being part of NAGT in 2015.

6. Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards

The American Geosciences Institute's Center for Geoscience and Society is collaborating with the National Association of Geoscience Teachers to host a summit on Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) at the State Level. The meeting will be April 29-May 1, 2015, at the NOAA headquarters in Silver Spring, MD. The purpose of the summit is to identify and/or devise ways in which key players in the Earth and Space Science (ESS) community can work together to help states, school systems, and teachers implement the Next Generation Science Standards and, more broadly, the principles in the Framework for K-12 Science Education. The participants in the summit will include representatives from a wide array of organizations with an interest in geoscience education, including federal and state agencies, non-profit organizations, and formal and informal science education groups.

In the coming weeks more information will be released about the Summit and the steps that will be taken to achieve its goals. Among those steps will be a series of virtual discussion opportunities that will happen in advance of the Summit, and in which anyone interested in promoting geoscience education can take part.

If you would like to get more information about the Summit, you can sign up for notifications on the NAGT website - http://nagt.org/nagt/profdev/workshops/ngss_summit/index.html. You'll receive updates about the Summit, including about how and when the virtual discussions will take place.

7. JGE Special Issues - Climate Literacy

NAGT and the Journal of Geoscience Education recently brought you two issues of JGE devoted to the important and timely topic of Climate Literacy. Our August (62#3) and November (63#4) issues are filled with articles about Climate Literacy across the realms of precollege teacher professional development, teacher and student knowledge and alternative conceptions, undergraduate education, climate data use, public perception and innovative tools for student learning. The Climate Literacy issues of JGE, "are testimony to the imagination, commitment, and breadth of the geoscience education community, and to the support provided by institutions and agencies to further knowledge on this topic." Kristen St John - JGE editor.

8. January In the Trenches On Its Way

The January 2015 issue of In the Trenches is on its way to your mailboxes now. The theme of this month's issue is Teaching Climate Change and there is great techniques and resources for tackling this import topic with your students.

And now, in addition to the print magazine that you receive in your mailbox, members can also access the content of In the Trenches via the Online Supplement page. When you click on one of the articles in the issue, you'll be able to read all the content if you are logged in to your NAGT account.

9. New InTegrate Module Published

The InTeGrate project is pleased to announce the publication of the new Interactions between Water, Earth's Surface, and Human Activity module.

Developed by Professor Sue DeBari, Western Washington University, Professor Kyle Gray, University of Northern Iowa, and Professor Julie Monet, California State University-Chico, this two-week teaching module focuses on water and its importance to humans, both as a limited resource and in shaping Earth's surface. Students see that river systems change shape over time, are influenced by climate and by human activity, and affect human activity, for example through flooding. Students develop their understanding while working in small groups, through interaction with simplified physical models of complicated systems, with Google Earth images of stream profiles in different climates, and with real river flooding data sets. Interactions between Water, Earth's Surface, and Human Activity is a great fit for courses in Earth science, environmental science, water resources, and introductory geoscience.

Be sure to check out all of the InTeGrate-developed modules and courses.

10. Webinar: Teaching GeoEthics Across the Geoscience Curriculum

AGU/AGI Heads and Chairs Webinars: The first 2015 AGU/AGI webinar on Teaching GeoEthics Across the Geoscience Curriculum is fast approaching. Please consider registering or inviting your faculty or colleagues who are interested in learning how to integrate ethics education into the geoscience curriculum and why. Join panelists David Mogk (Montana State University) and John Geissman (University of Texas, Dallas) to explore and share your thoughts about this topic on Friday, 20 February, 2015 from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST. Click on this link to register. If you missed any of the 2014 webinars, you can view all the previous recordings.

11. EarthEd2YC is back for 2015

Earth Education Resources for Two-Year College Faculty (EarthEd2YC) is a monthly webinar series facilitated by NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Earth Science Education & Public Outreach Forum (SMD E/PO) and NAGT's Geosciences for Two-Year Colleges (Geo2YC) professional division. Part-time faculty are especially encouraged to participate and to present. EarthEd2YC brings community college faculty together to exchange classroom ideas and resources in an engaging, quick format that values your time and maximizes sharing between participants.

Each live webinar is on the first Friday of the month at 1:00pm Eastern Time (10:00am Pacific Time). Each live 20 minute presentation is followed by 10 minutes of discussion, with real time chat throughout. All resources discussed in the webinar are made available online. The webinars are recorded and made available for later viewing. NASA Earth Forum is providing a Zoom (virtual conference) room and tech support so you merely need a laptop with a decent microphone and webcam.

If you would like to be a presenter, please contact Amber Kumpf at Amber.Kumpf@muskegoncc.edu

How to Participate:

Visit http://zoom.us to download and install the app (this should take less than five minutes). A Zoom account is free. For technical help during EarthEd2YC webinars, please contact Cassie Soeffing at cassie_soeffing@strategies.org

On webinar day, go to https://zoom.us/join and enter meeting ID: 652-616-777#

Upcoming Discussions:

March 6: Special Place Project – Dean Moosavi, Rochester Community Technical College (MN)
April 3: Urban Geology - Amber Kumpf, Muskegon Community College (MI)
May 1: Climate Data in the Classroom – Sherry Oaks, Front Range Community College (CO)
June 5: Geosciences of Dwarf Planets – Suzanne Metlay, Western Governors University (UT)

12. MSI - REaCH: Reconstructing Earth's Climate History

MSI-REaCH is an advanced professional development program for geoscience faculty at minority-serving institutions that will run from June 21-27, 2015 at the Gulf Coast Repository of Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. The program aims to expand faculty knowledge of Earth's climate record and help them build scientific skills through a week of hands-on paleoclimate investigation.

To be eligible, institutions must be on one of the following U.S. Department of Education lists:

• Historically Black Colleges and Universities
• Hispanic Serving Institutions
• Tribal Colleges and Universities
• Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions

Other accredited post-secondary institutions that can document a minority enrollment of at least 25% are also eligible.

Upon workshop completion, participants will be expected to:

• Integrate workshop paleoclimate curriculum into new or existing geoscience courses
• Begin or expand paleoceanography, paleoclimate and/or marine science research opportunities for undergraduate students
• Present their curriculum or research outcomes at a professional meeting

All costs will be covered for the summer workshop. Housing expenses and a $500 stipend will be provided for the follow-up meeting.

To apply, contact Elizabeth Mills at the AMS Education Program to learn more and receive an application.

13. Science in the Classroom Teacher Workshop

February 27-28, 2015

AAAS Building
1200 New York Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20005

You are invited to participate in a teacher workshop for high school science teachers focused around Science in the Classroom, an educational resource designed to teach the process of science through reading academic publications.

It is critical to receive the input of teachers in order to refine and improve Science in the Classroom so that it continues to be a useful education resource. We will also be providing teachers with an overview of the website which highlights connections to NGSS. Teachers will also be provided with a stipend for their time spent at the workshop.

Please Register online in you are interested in participating.

14. Applications for the 2015 SENCER Summer Institute Now Open

The SENCER Summer Institutes have been the cornerstone of the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement's faculty development and community-building strategy. Held annually at a different host college or university, the SENCER Summer Institutes offer intensive, residential learning opportunities for educators, academic leaders, community partners, and students. The 2015 SENCER Summer Institute (SSI) will be held at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute from July 30 - August 3, 2015.

The program for this year's Institute will include a rich mix of all-Institute plenary sessions, workshops on effective pedagogies, examples of successful campus and community applications, and opportunities to meet formal and informal educators, administrators, students, and others from across the country interested in contributing to a civically engaged society and the improvement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

As is our custom, we will program sessions directly responsive to the particular needs identified by those selected to attend. We invite you to use the SSI 2015 application forms to tell us the ideas and suggestions you have for the Institute.

A short paper which outlines the goals, purposes, themes, details and application process for SSI 2015 is available.

More general information about SSI 2015 is available here.

The application deadline for SSI 2015 is March 13, 2015. Applicants will be notified about their acceptance status on March 27, 2015. If you think you might have an issue with meeting the deadline, please contact Kyle Simmons, NCSCE's Faculty Development Events Coordinator at kyle.simmons@ncsce.net, or call him at (202) 276-2343. Applications are available here.

AWG Outstanding Educator Award

The Association of Women Geoscientists established the Outstanding Educator Award in 1988 to honor well-established college or university teachers who have played a significant role in the education and support of women geoscientists both within and outside the classroom. Examples of support include encouraging women to enter and continue in a geoscience career, providing opportunities for field and laboratory experience, and serving as a positive role model. In addition, awardees are selected on the basis of their contributions as professionals, involvement with professional societies or groups, and/or participation in science education programs in their community.

The deadline for nominations is April 1. Nominations must include a current vitae and at least six letters of recommendation from professional colleagues, former students, and current students. 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 (kelsey.bitting@ku.edu).

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Rock and Mineral Exchange

• Available: Rock specimens for trade
• Desired: Ig/Met Hand Samples Wanted

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Two-Year Visiting Position in Paleontology/Sedimentary Geology - Cornell College

Posted: Jan 5 2015
Cornell College, a private undergraduate liberal arts college founded in 1853 in Mount Vernon, Iowa, invites applications for a two-year visiting assistant professor in paleontology/sedimentology in its Department of Geology beginning in the fall of 2015.

Semester Position in Paleoclimatology - Cornell College

Posted: Jan 5 2015
Cornell College, a private undergraduate liberal arts college founded in 1853 in Mount Vernon, Iowa, invites applications for the Anderson Natural Science Lectureship, a semester-long sabbatical replacement position in its Department of Geology for the fall of 2015.

Assistant Professor of Geology - University of Mississippi

Posted: Oct 30 2014
The Department of Geology and Geological Engineering at the University of Mississippi invites applications and nominations for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of assistant professor.