Initial Publication Date: April 14, 2011

In the Trenches - April 2011

Volume 1, Number 2

In This Issue

On the Cover:

Rock-Solid Schooling: Teaching Teachers in the Field - Jackie Huntoon and Chris Wojick (Michigan Technological University)
Earth Space II Field Experience Reinforces High School Lessons - Eric Ruckert (West Noble High School, Ligonier, IN)
TECHNOLOGY TALKS: Podcasts Amplify Learning in the Field - Lawrence Rudd (Nevada State College)
TWO-YEAR COLLEGES INSIGHTS: On the Road to Expanded Horizons - Pete Berquist (Thomas Nelson Community College, Hampton, VA) and Callan Bentley (Northern Virginia Community College, Annadale, VA)
G-Camp Offers Big Ideas, Hands-On Lessons to Teachers, Grades 4-12 - John R. Giardino, Carolyn, Schroeder, John D. Vitek, Keven R. Gamache, Adam A. Lee (Texas A&M University), and Mary Giardino (Sam Houston Elementary School, Bryan, TX)
BOOK REVIEW: Stories in Stone by David B. Williams - Mike Taber (Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO)

Online Supplements

Web Features
News and Advertisements

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Rock-Solid Schooling: Teaching Teachers in the Field

Teachers investigate the origin of Double O arch in Arches National Park. Details

Jackie Huntoon and Chris Wojick of Michigan Tech describe their institution's two-week field camp experience for in-service Earth science teachers which began in 1999. The course focuses on helping the teachers focus on the process of doing science and building knowledge and skills sequentially.

Geology of Utah's National parks - Field Camp Website
Pictures from the 2006 course offering
Movies and virtual reality of sites visited during the course
Professional Development information about the course
Information about the Michigan Tech Master of Science Program for teachers

TECHNOLOGY TALKS: Podcasts Amplify Learning in the Field

Show caption

The use of podcasts to deliver lectures both prior to and during field experiences has been a positive experience for author Lawrence Rudd of Nevada State College in Henderson, Nevada.

Toroweap Overlook podcasts
Audacity, a free digital audio editing and recording software

TWO-YEAR COLLEGES INSIGHTS: On the Road to Expanded Horizons

Students who participate in Berquist and Bentley's two-week field course through the geology of Montana produce a web-based final report based on their research beforehand and the detailed field notes they take during the experience. These reports are meant to demonstrate how the students have developed in terms of critical thinking skills, their ability to work in groups, and solve problems. Examples include:

G-Camp Offers Big Ideas, Hands-On Lessons to Teachers, Grades 4-12

Determining flow in the San Miguel River Details

The authors describe how a focus on "big ideas" can help develop the skills of Earth science teachers and begin to address a critical shortage of geoscientists in the workforce.

BOOK REVIEW: Stories in Stone: Travels Through Urban Geology by David B. Williams

In search of more information on urban geology? Check out the resources at http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/urban/index.html

Web Features

NAGT, its members, and its sponsored projects have been engaged in other activities to help improve teaching in the field in geoscience classes.

Teach the Earth SiteGuide: Teaching in the Field
Teach the Earth is the portal to a large collection of teaching activities and pedagogical materials related to geoscience that have been developed by several dozen projects. SiteGuides are a way of seeing materials on a particular topic regardless of which project developed them. Each Site Guide tackles a particular topic of interest to educators and highlights relevant resources. The Teaching in the Field SiteGuide provides links to field guides and activities, as well as resources and information for teaching effectively in the field.

Field Activities
This link provides access to a growing collection of almost 500 teaching activities for field settings submitted by educators from around the country teaching at many levels. You can share activities that you use in class via a form on the NAGT website. Some of the available activities include:

Assembling a Geologic History - Mary Savina, Carleton College
Using Field Lab Write-ups to Develop Observational and Critical Thinking Skills - Kim Hannula, Fort Lewis College
Quantifying Groundwater Baseflow and Improving Math Skills through a Stream-Discharge Exercise - James Reichard, Georgia Southern University
West Texas Field Trip: Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns, Big Bend - Neil Haywood and Kevin Hefferean,
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Roadside and Engineering Geology of Auke Bay, Juneau Alaska - Cathy Connor, University Alaska Southeast

NAGT Teaching in the Field
This part of the NAGT website aims to promote models for effective educational field trips to geoscientists and provide an archive of field guides furthering the ability of K-12 teachers, faculty, community groups, and others to lead scientifically accurate, pedagogically effective field trips.

Montana-Yellowstone Geologic Field Guide Database
The Montana-Yellowstone Geologic Field Guide Database is a pilot project for making the field guide literature more accessible and useful to geoscience educators, students, and researchers. Despite the importance of published field guides and road logs, most of the publications of this type are part of a "gray literature" that is not widely distributed or even still available. Faculty can use the searchable database to discover field guides, road logs, and research results for areas around Montana and Yellowstone National Park as well as teaching activities linked to particular field areas.

News and Advertisements View Website News Releases

Community Advertisements:

Freelance Writer Editor/Science
Postdoctoral Research and Teaching Associate, Maine Center for Research in STEM Education (RiSE Center) at the University of Maine

Award Deadlines

NAGT Dorothy Lalonde Stout Professional Development Grants- April 15 (K12 Teachers, Two-Year College faculty and Students)
In honor of Dorothy "Dottie" Stout's outstanding work and lifelong dedication to Earth Science Education, NAGT awards grants to faculty and students at 2 year colleges and K-12 teachers in support of participation in Earth science classes or workshops, attendance at professional scientific or science education meetings, participation in Earth science field trips, and purchase of Earth science materials for classroom use.
AFCEA STEM Teachers Scholarship - May 1
GeoCUR Undergraduate Research Mentor Award - May 15
AAAS Leadership in Science Education Prize for High School Teachers - May 27
NAGT Outstanding TA Award - June 15

Professional Development

Developing Yourself as a Teacher: Teaching Philosophies, Teaching Styles, and Teaching Statements - April 22
On the Cutting Edge: Pursuing an Academic Career Webinar Series

Sections

Southwest Section Meeting and Field Trip: Durango Colorado, May 20-22
North Central Section Meeting and Field Trip: Sinks Canyon Area, Lander, Wyoming, July 20-22
Share curriculum ideas with other geoscience educators in the peaceful setting of Sinks Canyon. Followed by an optional, two-day field trip. Contact Suki Smaglik (ssmaglik@cwc.edu) for details and watch the North Central Section Website for more details as they become available.

Grant Opportunities

Other News

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