NAGTNews - Vol 13 - No 12 - December 2014

An archive of past NAGTNews message is available to members at http://serc.carleton.edu/mailman/listinfo/nagt.
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1. NAGT at AGU

There are lots of education sessions and activities happening at the AGU Fall Meeting next week in San Francisco. Workshops, town halls, and sessions on education topics are all important ways of being a part of the geoscience education community at these large meetings. In addition:

Seeking Volunteers for the NAGT Booth at AGU

We are actively soliciting NAGT members to help staff the booth during the AGU meeting in San Francisco. The vendors area will open at 6:00 PM on Monday, December 15 and there are opportunities to volunteer each day until the showcase closes at 1:30 PM on Friday, December 19.

This is a great way to meet other NAGT members from around the country and sharing your excitement about geoscience education 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 are going to AGU and have even a little time you can give to representing NAGT, please contact Krista Herbstrith (kherbstr@carleton.edu) in the Executive Director's Office and she can get you on the schedule.

Connect Via Social Media at AGU

Have you every learned about something fun and interesting that happened at AGU after the fact, or even after the meeting? Of course, you have. And by the same token, you've probably found something that you wish your colleagues and friends had known about but couldn't get word to them. Again this year, NAGT is going to try to make it easier to know about things that are going on all across this vast meeting by using social media. If you know of something that you think other geoscience educators should know about, just send a tweet to @nagtgeo and include the hashtag #nagtagu14. We'll be gathering all those tweets together on a page so that we can all benefit in near-real time.

2. Earth Educator's Rendezvous

Planning continues for the Earth Educator's Rendezvous next July in Boulder, CO. The Rendezvous will take place from the 13 to 17 July, 2015 and will feature a number of options for half-, 2- or 3-day workshops on a wide variety of important education topics as well as a contributed program of talks and posters and plenary sessions.

Be sure to keep an eye on the Rendezvous Website as the morning workshop program and registration materials will be posted by December 16, 2014 and also available at the NAGT booth (#2141) at AGU. Come by to learn more about this great opportunity to network with education colleagues from around the country.

3. New Fall Deadline for TA Award

NAGT announces an additional Fall Deadline for our Teaching Assistant Award of December 15th.

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 in NAGT, which includes an online subscription to the Journal of Geoscience Education and the In The Trenches quarterly magazine. Please consider nominating your Outstanding Teaching Assistant today.

4. Two Upcoming JGE Special Issues - Climate Literacy

NAGT and the Journal of Geoscience Education are bringing 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

5. Voorhees named AAAS Fellow for 2014

NAGT member David Voorhees was named as a AAAS Fellow for 2014 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dave, who is an associate professor of earth science and geology at Waubonsee Community College was elected "for a leading role in creating a national organization for geoscience faculty at two-year colleges and contributions to improving teaching and learning at two year colleges," according to his official citation. Dave was actively invoved in the creation of the Geo2YC Division within NAGT and has provided great leadership.

Congratulations, Dave!

6. Workshop/Discussion on Undergraduate Research with Students at Two-year Colleges

Undergraduate Research With Students at Two-Year Colleges
Tuesday, 15 December 2014,
12:10 PM - 1:20 PM
Moscone South: Mezzanine - 224 & 226

This lunch-time discussion (appetizers provided) will provide an opportunity to explore the variety of approaches for undergraduate research with students at two-year colleges, ranging from research in courses, internships, community-college and university collaborations to Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs designed specifically for students from two-year colleges. The session will include short presentations followed by small-group discussions focusing on opportunities, challenges, and strategies. We welcome faculty from two-year colleges and four-year colleges and universities, representatives from professional organizations, graduate students, and others who are interested in this topic.

Sponsored by SAGE 2YC, COSEE-Pacific Partnerships, and the American Geophysical Union; cosponsored by GeoCUR and NAGT Geo2YC.

7. Future of Undergraduate Education Town Hall at AGU

15 December 2014, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Moscone West - Room 2004

The National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored Summit on the Future of Undergraduate Geoscience Education in January 2014 made major progress toward developing a collective community vision for the geosciences, with a focus on: 1) curriculum content, competencies, and skills; 2) pedagogy and use of technology; and 3) broadening participation and retention of underrepresented groups and preparation of K-12 science teachers. The town hall ( This site may be offline. ) seeks to continue this process by further disseminating the Summit results, broadening the discussion to include more Heads/Chairs, other administrators, and educators from research universities and 2- and 4-year colleges, and working towards implementation of the results.

8. Consider Making a Year-end Donation to NAGT

As you make decisions about year-end charitable donations, please consider donating to NAGT. Out organization has special funds for our field camp scholarships, professional development fund and more. Donations can be made through the NAGT website's secure website or by contacting the Executive Director's office.

We appreciate everything you do to support NAGT and we look forward to continuing to work together in the new year.

9. Dynamic Mars: A Virtual, Interactive Professional Opportunity for College and University Faculty

This online professional development opportunity for faculty and undergraduate instructors will provide resources for infusing Mars content and NASA discoveries in your courses - focused on introductory-level earth-science and geology courses and applicable to geomorphology, hydrology, astronomy, planetary science, astronomy, and more.

This NASA-supported webinar opportunity consists of four, LIVE, one-hour virtual sessions:

Dates: January 13, 15, 20, and 22, 2015 (Tuesdays and Thursdays)
Time: 9-10 pm EST (8-9pm CST, 7-8 pm MST, 6-7 pm PST)

Each hour will include an overview of some aspect of Mars geology and introduce specific resources, programs, and teaching activities that you can use in your existing classes (e.g., spanning topics of rivers, deltas, groundwater, wind, extremophiles). Each session will be interactive and include time for questions.

Topics will include: Introduction to the rocky planet Mars, exploring Martian landscapes, evidence of water on Mars, and mysteries regarding life on Mars, NASA missions to Mars.

Project leaders/presenters:

Marjorie Chan, Professor, Department of Geology & Geophysics, University of Utah
Glen Schuster, Project Director, Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project, U.S. Satellite Laboratory

Registration deadline: December 19, 2014

http://www.us-satellite.net/dynamicmars/

10. AGI Accepting Applications for 2014 Award for Excellence in Earth Science Teaching

Alexandria, VA - The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is accepting applications for the Edward C. Roy Award for Excellence in Earth Science Teaching. Given annually, this award is presented to one full-time K-8 teacher in the U.S. or U.K. whose excellence and innovation in the classroom elevates students' understanding of the Earth and its many processes.

The winner of the Edward C. Roy Award will receive a cash prize and an additional travel grant to attend the National Science Teachers Association Annual Conference in Chicago in March 2015. To be eligible, applications must be postmarked by January 10, 2015.

The Edward C. Roy Award is given in honor of Dr. Edward C. Roy Jr., a strong and dedicated supporter of Earth science education. A past president of AGI and former chair of the AGI Education Advisory Committee, Roy was a lifelong supporter of teachers and students of all ages.

For more information on requirements, application procedures and deadlines, please visit http://www.americangeosciences.org/education/awards/roy.

11. Survey for Summit on the Future of Geoscience Education

Geoscience research and undergraduate education have and are undergoing a transformation – it is time for us as a geoscience community to take a critical look at what we want our students to know and be able to do when they graduate and how best to accomplish this important task. The 2014 NSF-sponsored Summit on the Future of Undergraduate Geoscience Education (see below) made major progress towards developing a collective community vision for undergraduate geoscience education (Summary Report). Please help us continue this process by providing your views through an online Survey and by participating in a Town Meeting or Hall this fall. Your perspective is important so that we can further refine, evaluate and assess ongoing efforts to implement this developing vision.

We will hold a Town Hall at the Fall AGU meeting (Monday, December 15 2014 from 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM, Moscone West, 2004) to give you more opportunities to discuss these issues.

The summit brought together a broad spectrum of the undergraduate geoscience education community, ~200 educators from R1 research universities with undergraduate programs, four-year private and state colleges (4YC), and 2-year community colleges (2YC) from across the country, as well as representatives from industry and professional geoscience societies. The summit focused on three main topics:

• What content, competencies, and skills do undergraduates need to be successful in graduate school and the future workforce?
• What are the best ways of teaching and using technology to enhance student learning?
• How can we broaden participation and retention of underrepresented groups and prepare K-12 science teachers to build a robust, diverse and informed future geoscience workforce

For more information, including links to the Summary Report and Survey, go to: http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/events/future-of-geoscience-undergraduate-education/

• An AGU/AGI Heads and Chairs webinar summarizing the summit outcomes is available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmCYaATD4eo
• All parts of the Summit (Keynote presentations, panel and entire group discussions – see Schedule/Agenda) can be viewed at: Webcast Archive.

We need to create a community vision for undergraduate geoscience education and successfully implement it, which takes all our combined efforts. I encourage you to read our initial report, express your views on the survey and in Town Halls, and most importantly encourage changes in departments across the country.

Thanks in advance for your help,

Sharon Mosher
Chair Organizing Committee, University of Texas at Austin

12. Resources & an Award for Those Teaching Astronomy

New or Updated Resource Guides for Astronomy Educators

New resource guides in the Unheard Voices series, "The Astronomy of Many Cultures" and "Women in Astronomy" can be found at: http://multiverse.ssl.berkeley.edu/Learning-Resources/Educator-Resource-Guides

An updated guide to science fiction stories with reasonable astronomy and physics (organized by science topic) is now available at: http://www.astrosociety.org/scifi

Astronomy Talks on YouTube

New talks by noted astronomers in the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series can be found on their YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/SVAstronomyLectures/

Recent lectures include: Caleb Scharf (Columbia) on "The Copernicus Complex;" Michael Bicay (NASA) on "A Decade of Spitzer Space Telescope Results;" Chung-Pei Ma (U of California, Berkeley) on "Monster Black Holes;" Roger Romani (Stanford) on "Black Widow Pulsars; " and Alex Filippenko (Berkeley) on "Exploding Stars, New Planets, and the Crisis at the Lick Observatory."

Audio-only Podcasts that can be played on many different devices are also available at: https://www.astrosociety.org/education/past-silicon-valley-astronomy-lectures/

ASP Invites Nominations for the Emmons Award for College Astronomy Teaching

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific is now accepting nominations for the 2015 Emmons Award for outstanding contributions to the teaching of college-level introductory astronomy. Please see: https://astrosociety.org/who-we-are/awards/richard-h-emmons-award.html for more information. Nomination materials are due by Feb. 15, 2015.

13. UNAVCO Geo-LAUNCHPAD Internships

The UNAVCO Geo-LAUNCHPAD program provides students from groups underrepresented in geosciences the opportunity to develop research-ready skills by working on a collaborative research-support project located and managed at an NSF facility, UNAVCO, with the overarching goal of increasing the number and diversity of undergraduate geoscience majors.

Geo-LAUNCHPAD helps interns develop research-ready skills through work on a collaborative research support project at UNAVCO in Boulder, Colorado under the mentorship of a UNAVCO project manager. A Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) focused on participating in particular aspects of the research process is an ideal way for students early in their academic career to engage in research. Interns work collaboratively to support a science community research project that is mentored by a UNAVCO project manager. This work is complemented by other development activities including a weekly communications workshop, a weekend field trip to the University of Colorado Mountain Research Station, and activities including other summer interns.

The 2015 Program will run June 8 through July 31 and applications are due by February 10, 2015.

14. NE GSA Session: Innovative and Multidisciplinary approaches to Geoscience Education

We would like to draw your attention to the following theme session at the 2015 Northeast GSA Section Meeting in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.

T29- Innovative and Multidisciplinary approaches to Geoscience Education

Conveners: Jennifer Hanselman and Jennifer Sliko

Abstract submissions are invited that highlight novel and unique pedagogical practices in geoscience courses. We invite contributions that include techniques promoting a deeper understanding of geoscience concepts. These techniques may vary in geoscience content, format (online or traditional), and audience.

Abstract submission deadline: 11:59 PM, Central Time, 9 December 2014 Details at: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2015NE/cfp.epl

Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions.

Jen and Jenn
jls1093@psu.edu
jhanselman@westfield.ma.edu

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Rock and Mineral Exchange Posts

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