National Association of Geoscience Teachers

Pacific Northwest Section Winter 2008 Newsletter

In the Winter 2008 Newsletter:

Our June 2008 Section Meeting: Yakima, WA

Yakima, 2008: Calling all Members

PNW Section Meeting,…..Yakima 2008!

Oh yes…and more!

From the President

Do you teach, or do you “facilitate learning outcomes”? That is arguably a false dichotomy. Nonetheless, if your school is like mine and wants to call itself “student-centered,” then “facilitating learning outcomes” may be how some of your key administrators describe what you do, whether or not you use that terminology yourself.

Just how widespread is the expectation that we facilitate and assess learning outcomes? Well, for colleges and universities, our national accrediting agencies expect it. For the last couple of years, led by Secretary of Education Margaret Spelling, the US Department of Education has been pressuring accrediting agencies to provide more measurements of outcomes using more widely agreed-upon standards. This practice has been likened to moving the “No Student Left Behind” act up to the college level, and has been warned against as a threat to academic freedom. Although the accrediting agencies have so far not agreed to all the “greater accountability” requests from the Bush administration, I know the agency that accredits my college places outcomes assessment very high on its list of criteria when deciding whether or not to approve us as a legitimate institution of higher education.

Another source of expectation is the National Science Foundation (NSF) which has infused much of the language in science education grant descriptions with outcomes assessment lingo. To successfully solicit a science education grant from the NSF, you must spell out what the outcomes of your educational endeavor will be, and how you will assess them.

To summarize, if college-level geoscience educators want to avoid outcomes assessment, they are going to have to stay off the radar screen of their accrediting agencies and not apply for funding from the NSF. Add to that the legislation which many of the 50 states have enacted, and the fact that many other educational support agencies, such as superintendents of public instruction and private charities, want outcomes assessment in projects they support. Those who just want to teach instead of facilitate outcomes seem to be increasingly hemmed in on all sides.

One way to consider this dichotomy is to argue that facilitating learning outcomes is simply another way of describing what our geoscience teaching group frequently discusses—ways to advance the learning of each student with hands-on learning experiences that build critical thinking skills.

On the other hand, I have tried applying some of the ideas of learning outcomes and outcomes assessment and would like to relate some positive results that have arisen in my experience. Like most college teachers, I was not trained as a teacher; I was trained as a geologist. When I started teaching, I simulated what my professors had done and taught the topics they had taught me. After taking some workshops in learning outcomes, I rethought everything I did in terms of what I wanted my students to be able to do after they were done taking a class from me. I found that some of what I had been teaching was unnecessary and when I increased the number of “practicum” assessments that took place in my classes—less show and tell and more evaluating students’ abilities to figure out a rock or field stop themselves—more levels and types of learning occurred. I have also found that having students work in groups on bigger projects helps keep them interested and stimulated, as do shared activities that prompt them to relate their own life experiences as a basis for discussion and learning.

All these things could take place, and do take place, without calling the results “learning outcomes” and without calling the progress measurements “assessment.” In my case, however, using those terms in my thinking helped me improve my classes for the sake of the students. So I am okay with outcomes assessment terminology and some of its implications. The key may be to keep in mind that many of the good things we already do as teachers can be expressed in terms of outcomes assessment lingo. It can serve us well to think and communicate in those terms.

Dr. Ralph Dawes, Wenatchee Valley College

State by State

British Columbia, Yukon, Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington

Alaska

State Councilor: Cathy Connor

· Jan 28-31, Juneau Alaska Water Resources Association conference. Visit the website for more information: www.awra.org/state/alaska/ameetings/2008am/2008am.html

· January-February, Science for Alaska Lecture Series, sponsored by University Alaska Geophysical Institute. Science for Alaska is a series of free public lectures held mid-week during January and February in Fairbanks, Anchorage and Juneau. UA scientists from around the state will present research on various topics, including Pluto, Polar Dinosaurs, Sea Ice Loss, Science Writing, and The Economics of Climate Change. For weekly dates and locations, go to: www.scienceforalaska.com

· January-March, USFS Fireside Lecture Series at the Mendenhall Visitor Center, Juneau. This public lecture series will be held Friday evenings, January through March. Scheduled lectures include: Alaskan Volcanoes, Greenland Ice Sheet Change, and Current Research on the Mendenhall Glacier. For more information, go to:www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/districts/mendenhall/firesides.html

· March 28-30, NSF-Sponsored EDGE Symposium, Juneau, 2008. More info: www.uas.alaska.edu/envs/edge

· April Lunch & Lecture, Alaska Geological Society, Anchorage. Monthly lunch/lectures and the April Technology Conference. Visit www.alaskageology.org for details.

· Alaska Science and Engineering Fair, K-12, April 11-13^th, Anchorage. For registration and attendance details and forms, please go to www.alaskasciencefair.org. These dates are recently updated; please tell anyone you know who is planning to attend the science fair.

British Columbia

State Councilors: Brett Gilley & Mary Lou Bevier

· EdGEO Workshop, April 2008. On April 18^th an EdGEO workshop (www.edgeo.org) for science educators will be held in Coquitlam, BC. This one day workshop will cover techniques and ideas for teaching the prescribed learning outcomes of the BC grade 10 Earth Science units including: plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, geological time, fossils, minerals and the rock cycle. It also includes many resources for teachers such as posters, and rock, mineral, and fossil kits. For more information, contact Erica Williams at ewilliams@sd43.bc.ca. This workshop is sponsored by the Cordilleran Section of the Geological Association of Canada.

Idaho

State Councilor: Shawn Willsey

· 33^rd Annual Tobacco Root Field Conference in Red Lodge, Montana, July 31- Aug 3, 2008. The Tobacco Root Geological Society is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to the study of geology of the Northern Rocky Mountain Province. Deadline for papers and road logs is June 1, 2008. More information can be found at: www.trgs.org

Our People, Coming and Going and Promoting

Patty Burns, formerly of the Alaskan Geological Survey, has joined the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. She will, in addition, continue her geoscience outreach work with the MapTEACH (Mapping Technology Experiences with Alaska’s Cultural Heritage) project.

University of Idaho geology professor Dr. Judy Parrish was recently elected vice president of the Geological Society of America on July 1, 2007. She will serve one year as vice president, then as president of the society in 2008.

Congratulations to both Patty Burns and Judy Parrish on their recent news!

CALLING ALL OUTSTANDING EARTH SCIENCE EDUCATORS!

Deron Carter, Linn Benton CC

Do you know any outstanding K-12 Earth Science educators? If so, please consider nominating them for the Outstanding Earth Science Teacher Award. Nominations are due February 1^st. I consider K-12 Earth Science teachers the "heart and soul" of the geoscience education community; in many cases, they provide one of the only earth science educational experiences students receive in their education. K-12 science teachers are among the hardest workers out there (believe me, I know, since I'm married to one!), so I encourage you to recognize one.

Nomination forms are available at the OEST website (www.nagt.org/nagt/programs/oest.html). Please forward them to Deron Carter, at Linn Benton Community College, Physical Science Department, 6500 Pacific Blvd. SW, Albany, OR 97321.

GeoVentures Hawaii, August 2008

Dr. Jenny Thomson, Eastern Washington University

Announce to your geology students! GeoVentures Hawaii 2008- Geology on an Active Hot Spot, Big Island, HI- A Geological Society of America-sponsored field trip, Aug.1-10, 2008, designed especially for students! Instructors are Dr. Jennifer Thomson (Eastern Washington University) and Dr. Bart Martin (Ohio Wesleyan University). This eight-day field course (excluding two travel days) on the Big Island of Hawaii will serve to introduce students to plate tectonics, hot spot volcanism and the geologic features and hazards associated with living on an active volcano. We will discuss volcanic edifices, eruption styles, magma evolution, and see features such as various types of lava flows, lava lakes, lava tubes, fault scarps, rifts, craters and calderas and active lava flows. The learning sites are located on the Big Island of Hawaii primarily within the boundaries of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Sites to visit may include, but are not limited to: Kilauea Caldera, Thurston Lava Tubes, Crater Rim Drive, Halema’uma’u, Chain of Craters Road, Steaming Bluffs and Sulphur Banks, Devastation Trail, Kilauea Iki, Mauna Ulu and Pu’u Huluhulu, Pu’u Loa Petroglyphs, Ka'u Desert, Mauna Iki, South Point, Green Sand beach, Lava Tree State Park, Kalapana. A trip to the Mauna Kea KECK observatory is also included. Space is limited to 20 participants. Please check www.geosociety.org/GeoVentures for information as it becomes available.

Study the geology of the Jurassic Coast in southwest England

Dr. Davies-Vollum, University of Washington

England is the undisputed birthplace of geology with a rich history of geological discovery dating back to the 19^th Century. The geological exposures along the Dorset and east Devon coast have been particularly important for the development of the science; it is here that the first paleontologists gained insight into ancient life on earth and that early cartographers undertook some of the first geological mapping. The remarkably exposed geology of this part of England and its contribution to science was recently recognized when it was designated as a UN World Heritage Site. The Jurassic Coastline, as the site has come to be known, is named for its spectacular rock and fossil record of the Jurassic period, a time when dinosaurs ruled the earth and the super-continent of Pangaea dominated the earth’s geography. With its rich historical and cultural connections to the natural world this locale also represents a unique opportunity to study the broader social contexts of the geological sciences.

The course involves three days of pre-trip “immersion” classes at the University of Washington (Tacoma) campus, two weeks in England (August 1^st-14^th) and a follow up symposium at UWT in early September. The approximate cost for travel, accommodation, entrance fees and course fees for 12 credits is $3,000 (air fare is additional). Students can earn 12 upper division credits for the course and prerequisites are not required. Application forms will be available from the UWT International Programs Office (www.tacoma.washington.edu/travel). An initial deposit of $300 is due upon acceptance into the course.

Further information, contact Professor Siân Davies-Vollum (phone (253) 692-4624; email ksdavies@washington.edu). Further information about this course is available on the web page created for the course by students who took the class in 2006: http://courses.washington.edu/uwtgeo06/

Announcing UBC Lecturer Position

Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative

Brett Gilley, University of British Columbia

The Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences (EOS) at the University of British Columbia invites applications for Lecturer for the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative (CWSEI), an ongoing five-year initiative to reshape science education (www.cwsei.ubc.ca). The appointment will be for one year initially and may be renewable for up to three years.

We seek an individual to join an existing team in revising EOS courses to emphasize objective-based teaching, learning and assessment.

Responsibilities include working with EOS faculty and CWSEI staff to: (1) develop learning goals, assessments, and pedagogy for specific courses, (2) administer and evaluate assessments of student learning and of student attitudes toward science, (3) supervise and guide development and testing of teaching and learning materials, including web-based learning resources, and

(4) contribute to EOS curriculum development and to research efforts in pedagogy.

Candidates must have (1) a Masters degree or higher (PhD preferred) in Earth, Ocean, or Atmospheric Sciences, (2) undergraduate teaching experience, (3) excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills, and (4) a strong personal commitment to science education. English fluency is also required. Experience in educational materials or curriculum development, on-line teaching, project management, and familiarity with current pedagogical research will be considered assets. Candidates with background in oceanography or atmospheric science are particularly encouraged to apply.

Applicants should submit a CV, statement of teaching philosophy, and the names and complete contact information (including phone, fax and e-mail) of three references to: Dr. Sara Harris, Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, The University of British Columbia, 6339 Stores Road, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4, email: WiemanLecturers@eos.ubc.ca. Review of applications will begin on February 10, 2008, and will continue until the position is filled.

UBC hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. We encourage all qualified persons to apply; however, Canadians and Permanent Residents of Canada will be given priority. The position is subject to final budgetary approval. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.