T72 Successes in Professional Development of Earth Science Teachers: Courses, Workshops, Partnerships, and Professional Development Opportunities that Work I

Monday, 23 October 2006
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

GEOSCIENCE EDUCATIONAL ADVENTURES: FIELD-BASED K-12+ TEACHER EDUCATION WORKSHOPS IN NORTHERN WYOMING

Paper number: T72-7
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 9:25 AM – 9:40 AM

Authors

Abstract

GeoScience Adventures Inc., a public outreach organization comprising an instructional staff of professional geoscientists, offers teacher workshops that carry both recertification and graduate credits. These summer workshops are conducted as a series of three-day short courses that explore the geological and paleontological record of the Bighorn Basin and Big Horn Mountains. Workshop participants learn to read and interpret the geologic record of paleoenvironments, paleoclimate, ancient ecosystems, and mountain building events. In addition, new techniques and concepts are taught that can be readily adapted to various grade levels. Teachers taking the workshops for recertification credit must develop and submit a lesson-plan derived from their workshop experience. Assessment of the program based on discovery-based exercises, post-workshops evaluations, and anecdotal feedback indicate that participants substantially increase their confidence and interest in teaching earth-science concepts. The “History of Life in northern Wyoming” course will be presented as an example of one of the recent workshops offered by GeoScience Adventures.