Education Sessions and Activities at the 2022 AGU Fall Meeting
NAGT is pleased to sponsor a variety of geoscience education sessions planned for the Fall 2022 AGU meeting held in Chicago, IL, and online, from December 12-16, 2022.
Jumo down to: Topical Sessions | Workshops
NAGT Booth
Visit us at booth #1327 in the exhibit hall for information on upcoming workshops, educational resources, and teaching activities! The NAGT booth will be open Monday through Thursday. Interested in helping staff the NAGT booth? Volunteering provides a great opportunity to talk/distribute materials about NAGT, meet other geoscience educators, and get to know some of the NAGT staff. Contact Mitchell Bender-Awalt (mawalt@carleton.edu) if you're interested in volunteering.
NAGT-Sponsored Topical Sessions
ED002 - Advancing Community, Equity, and Inclusion in the Polar and Alpine Sciences
Mariama C Dryak, Polar Sciences Early Career Community Office, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States and Lavanya Ashokkumar, United States Association of Polar Early Career Scientists, Tucson, AZ, United States
The polar and alpine sciences encompass a diverse mix of disciplines and research areas, yet struggle to fully represent diversity of people, for both historical and contemporary reasons. Accessibility to, as well as safety and inclusivity within the polar science community are critical components for building research networks and work environments where people feel safe, valued, and productive. There have been many recent advances in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility led by new and established scientists, often on a volunteer basis. We invite abstract submissions from individuals and organizations that highlight work being done to help make the polar and alpine sciences a more welcoming, equitable and inclusive community and research that seeks to shine light on the challenges and structures that slow our progress forward.
ED004 - Arctic Education & Outreach - Effective ways of engaging diverse learners in Arctic science
Anne U Gold, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), Boulder, CO, United States,Elena B Sparrow, Univ Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, United States,Malinda Chase, Association for Interior Native Educators, Fairbanks, AK, United States andKatie Spellman, University of Alaska Fairbanks, International Arctic Research Center, Fairbanks, AK, United States
The changing polar environments have created important scientific and societal concerns in high and lower latitudes. In this session we will share effective approaches, frameworks and examples of how to promote a broad understanding and awareness of the changing Arctic and the related societal implications. The session will highlight effective strategies to inspire learners in both formal and informal learning contexts as well as communities. We also invite papers on effective ways of community engagement, co-design of educational and outreach activities, and fostering intergenerational or cross-cultural learning through Arctic Indigenous knowledge, science and observation.
Anne U Gold, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), Boulder, CO, United States,Eric Havel, Community Resources for Science, Berkeley, CA, United States,Carrie McDougall, NOAA, Boulder, CO, United States andSeth Spencer, Climate Generations, Minnesota, United States
This session will showcase successful approaches for climate and resilience education both in K-12 and in informal learning settings. Presenters will share best practices for creating a sense of empowerment and hope in students, youth, and/or community members that leads to climate action, including climate mitigation and climate adaptation. We invite abstracts about classroom instruction that inspires students' learning about climate and energy topics and community resilience against natural hazards, including a focus on supporting mental health. We also invite abstracts to share effective strategies for inspiring youth and communities in informal learning settings to learn about and engage with climate and resilience topics. Of particular interest are abstracts that describe use of social cohesion techniques, efforts to achieve equity, and cultural relevance within diverse learning communities. This session will provide insight into lessons learned from programs that use innovative and novel approaches to teaching about climate, energy and community resilience.
ED014 -Education Research in the Earth and Space Sciences: Theoretical Foundations, Methods, and Results
Kristen K St John, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, United States,Laura Lukes, University of British Columbia, Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Vancouver, BC, Canada,Julie C Libarkin, Michigan State University, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, East Lansing, MI, United States,Bridget K Mulvey, Kent State University Kent Campus, School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies, Kent, OH, United States andHeather A Fischer, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
Education research findings in Earth and space science have the potential to inform teaching and impact learning in a wide range of settings and for a broad learner population. Understanding and applying robust theoretical foundations and appropriate interdisciplinary methodologies are essential to the research process. This session is a venue for Earth and space science education researchers to share the theoretical foundations, methods, and findings of their research. It is also a venue for those new to discipline-based education research to learn more about the underpinning and practices of this interdisciplinary field of study.
ED32 -International Perspectives on Earth and Environmental Education
Simon Schneider, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Munich, Germany andTanya Furman, Pennsylvania State University, Department of Geosciences, University Park, PA, United States
In our modern world, earth and environmental science education (formal as well as informal) is taking on an increasingly important role. Children and young people need to understand the interrelationships and interactions in the Earth system if they are to make decisions relevant to the future in terms of sustainability and responsibility.
We would like to invite you to share your ideas, approaches and experiences in earth and environmental education in this session. We are particularly interested in presenting as diverse an international perspective as possible. Regionally different socio-economic and socio-cultural contexts play an important role and shape Earth and environmental education individually in each case. We would like to stimulate exchange about such different approaches and concepts.
Ariel D Anbar,A Joseph John Tamerand Chris Mead, (1)Arizona State University, School of Earth and Space Exploration and School of Molecular Sciences, Tempe, AZ, United States(2)Arizona State University, Center for Education Through Exploration, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Tempe, AZ, United States
Digital tools and platforms increasingly empower educators to become creators, not just consumers, of sophisticated learning resources and experiences that rival or exceed those produced by publishers and other institutions. These resources and experiences can broaden access to high quality Earth and Space science (ESS) learning, as well as enable educators who are historically under-represented or marginalized to create learning experiences that are compelling and effective for a broader new generation of learners. Open-source technologies, open-education resources, and the open science movement are accelerating this transformation toward decentralized design. These experiences may feature advanced media, place-based virtualization, adaptive tutoring, and other approaches that promote best practices, such as enhanced engagement, interaction, and learner agency. This session welcomes contributions from ESS educators and other content creators who develop or make use of open resources and/or technologies, especially in service of diverse audiences.
Brandon Jones, Lina C Patino, Dena Smith, Aisha R. Morris, Elizabeth Lynch Rom and NSF GEO Education and Diversity Team, (1)National Science Foundation, Directorate for Geosciences, Arlington, VA, United States(2)National Science Foundation, GEO/OCE, Arlington, VA, United States
The Earth and space sciences (ESS) are natural areas for collaborative research and holistic learning experiences. However, existing cultural issues and traditional training approaches are inadequate to support the current ESS workforce needs. There must be intentional stretching beyond trans- or inter-disciplinary work, which often leads to traditional modes of evaluation, tracking, gate keeping, etc., to non-disciplinary ideation, which allows open space for full innovation and equitable inclusion of adequate expertise, evaluation and knowing. New, relational approaches will be key for advancing science and the training of individuals who can "walk" in multiple worlds to achieve both science and societal outcomes.
The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Directorate for Geosciences' (GEO) Education and Diversity (ED) portfolio desires to support high-quality ESS learning and research conducted in inclusive environments by well-trained accountable researchers and learners. GEO ED activates this mission by amplifying the voices and highlighting the ideas of well-trained accountable researchers and learners throughout the community. Providing a platform for these leaders and incentivizing their initiatives can set expectations of inclusive practices across all ESS. This session will highlight impactful GEO ED supported projects that have confronted ESS research and education challenges and demonstrated the necessary strategic and coordinated change that will help foster necessary research and learning reforms in the ESS enterprise.
ED53 -Understanding and Enhancing Science Identity As a Strategy to Broaden Participation In STEM
Alicia Christensen, University of Colorado Boulder, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), Boulder, CO, United States, Michael Hubenthal, IRIS Consortium, Washington, DC, United States and Susan Roberta Mello Rowe, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
STEM fields, and especially the geosciences, are working to make their disciplines more inclusive across a spectrum of characteristics including race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, etc. In order for this diversity of learners to engage and persist in the sciences, research indicates that they need to feel welcome working in an environment that is free of microaggressions, engage with culturally responsive curriculum, have confidence in their abilities, view themselves as true scientists, feel a part of the science community, experience good mentorship and feel that others (family, friends, colleagues) view them as scientists. These are all factors that contribute to learners' scientific identities and sense of belonging. We invite abstract submissions highlighting efforts to document and/or measure identity constructs, outline frameworks and theories to understand identity in science, as well as submissions from projects developing targeted interventions to enhance students' sense of belonging in STEM, self-efficacy in science, and ultimately persistence in STEM using identity lenses. Such projects might occur across a range of venues including K-12, informal learning, and higher-education, and include the development of science identity throughout research experience programs.
NAGT-Sponsored Workshops
Workshops will be posted here when available.
Workshop for Heads and Chairs of Earth and Space Sciences Departments
Sunday, 11 December 2022
This one-day workshop provides an opportunity for heads and chairs of Earth and Space Science departments to discuss issues and strategies for building a strong department, meet other heads and chairs, and learn more about current issues.
Teaching Quantitative Reasoning Using Data: Project EDDIE Workshop - AGU
Wednesday, December 7, 2022, 12-3pm CT
Online, via Zoom / Register through AGU
Utilizing quantitative skills and reasoning is critical in addressing real-world environmental problems. The use of real data can both illustrate the evidence-based thinking behind these environmental problems and their solutions as well as be a 'hook' to capture students' interest. In particular, large, long-term data sets provide an opportunity to engage students with environmental challenges through open-ended exploration and data interpretation. This half-day virtual workshop will use Project EDDIE (Environmental Data-Driven Inquiry and Exploration) materials to address what it takes to be ready to teach quantitative reasoning with data in your course including: consideration of how to fit quantitative reasoning experiences into a syllabus, generating learning goals, best practices for working with large datasets in the classroom, and setting the context in a class so students are primed to be successful. We will also explore how your learning outcomes can be met using Project EDDIE teaching modules. Participants will leave with ideas for how they can implement modules in the classroom in the form of a personal action/implementation plan.