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 11-13th, 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 18th 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
·
33rd
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 1st.
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 19th 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 1st-14th) 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.
Pacific
Northwest NAGT
Annual Meeting, Yakima,
WA, June 17-20th
Yakima
Valley Community College in Yakima, WA
will be the venue for our section conference during the third week
of June. Yakima is located on Washington’s semi-arid eastern side. While we may not be lushly verdant like Washington’s west side
(interpret—we aren’t wet 2/3 of the year), we do have our own unique
attractions, namely the geologic kind. Yakima is bounded by several uniquely distinct geologic
provinces: to the west, the south-central Cascades, including Mt. Rainier,
dominate the skyline. To the east (and
north and south), the numerous flows of Columbia River Basalt which build the
Columbia Plateau are uplifted in the Yakima Fold and Thrust Belt. The Columbia Plateau landscape gives testimony
to the catastrophic Pleistocene floods that later inundated Eastern
Washington, ripping out enormous pieces of real estate and leaving
behind flood features on a massive scale.
The Yakima
Valley is also renowned
for producing world-class wines, and is ranked among the top wine regions in
the world.
Field Trips
On Tuesday, June 17th, Dr. Steve Reidel of Washington State
University will lead
participants on a hard rock exploration of the Columbia River Basalts and the
Yakima Fold Belt. This all-day
trip will explore the flood lavas (~2 miles thick in the Yakima area!) that created the Columbia
Plateau and their subsequent uplift along the thrusted folds of the Yakima Fold
Belt. The Columbia River basalts and the
Yakima fold
belt comprise a great example of a planetary wrinkle ridges, an important
geologic feature found on the terrestrial planets and our moon. The active and
lengthy Olympic - Wallowa lineament roughly bisects the province and, along
with the other folds of the fold belt, form a seismic hazard not only for local
residents, but also for the nearby Hanford Nuclear Reservation, currently the
Department of Energy’s largest storage facility for nuclear waste.
On
Wednesday, June 18th, we will host another all-day field
trip, this time heading west into the south-central Cascades. Pat Pringle
of Centralia College,
Centralia, WA, (and
others to be announced) will showcase the tectonic and volcanic
history of the White Pass and Bumping Lake
areas on our way to Mount Rainier National Park. The
Mount Rainier area has splendid scenery, but we will also
be focusing on the complex geology in this area, including the abundant
evidence of 
past volcanism, the potential of future volcanic
activity, the recent flood damage that destroyed large portions of the
tourist-developed portions of the park, and the rapidly retreating glaciers
that crown Rainier’s 14,410 foot peak.
Friday, June 20th, will be the final day of the
conference and the final field trip. Dr.
Alan Busacca, emeritus professor in WSU’s department of Crop and Soil
Sciences and owner of Vinitas Vineyard Consultants, and Dave Norman, Deputy State Geologist, will lead us on a day trip to
explore the terroir of the Yakima
Valley. Participants will
experience the contrasting physical characteristics of the region’s wine
appellations, as a function of soil differences that reflect the underlying
geology and climatic differences. Yes,
wine tasting is included, and yes, we’ll have the chauffeured tour bus!
Talks, Posters & Workshops
Thursday, June 19th will be a day of classroom education. The morning will be devoted to talks. We invite you to submit an abstract! At noon we will break for lunch, followed by a
poster session and additional talks. The
latter portion of the afternoon will be devoted to workshops. Topics may
include: 1) Computer-based Labs & Exercises for Earth Science; and 2)
Methodologies for Teaching Climate Change.
An open discussion concerning the challenges of teaching global warming in
a geoscience classroom was originally broached at the 2007 annual meeting in Portland. Audience response was vigorous, and took the
discussion in unexpected directions.
This strong response has generated a Global Warming Part II discussion
at the 2008 YVCC event. Workshops may
include individual presentations and open discussion sessions. The meeting day
will be followed by a banquet, held at the Yakima Arboretum.
Abstracts
for talks, posters and workshop sessions may be submitted at any time. Registration
begins March 20th. Meeting
costs will be posted on the meeting website as soon as they are available.
Online registration, abstract/poster submittal forms and more in-depth
information can also be found at the meeting website: www.nagt.org/nagt/organization/northwest/meetings.html
A
form for submitting an abstract can also be found on the last page of this newsletter. If you prefer to mail in registration
materials, look for a form attached to the spring newsletter. For more information, please call or email Cassandra Strickland (509-542-4871; cstrickland@yvcc.edu)
or David Huycke (509) 574-4817; dhuycke@yvcc.edu).
2008-a2009- a
Where Will We Meet in 2010?
Ron Metzger, Southwestern Oregon CC
Now
that the New Year is almost a week old (Editor’s
note: at time submitted) and winter term classes start mere hours from now,
I better put a few words to paper for the next section newsletter. If it’s 2008….then we must be thinking about
2010, which, it turns out, is a good thing.
Elsewhere in this newsletter you will see that the June 2008 Yakima section meeting arrangements
are nearly complete.
2009…drum
roll please…is on tap for Vancouver, BC…thanks to Brett Gilley and trust me,
you won’t regret it. Keep an eye out for
some preliminary details regarding field trips and dates in the near future. So, those of you from the lower 48: apply now for those passports…. or whatever
else we’ll need a year from now for border crossings.
This leads me to think of 2010. We are slowly but surely planning section
meetings a little farther out on the horizon, and it’s not to early to consider
hosting in 2010. So, be it Idaho, eastern Oregon
or a location that hasn’t made the radar yet, if you are interested in hosting
in 2010, drop me a line at rmetzger@socc.edu. I’m looking forward to seeing you in Yakima in few months.
Fall 2007 Alaskan Meeting Re-Cap
Dr. Cathy Connor, University of Alaska
SE, Juneau
To catch up on Fall 2007 meetings, please visit the following links:
OCTOBER, 2007
Successful Math and Science Teachers conference in Anchorage, featuring the introduction
of geoscience-linked GIS education in secondary science classrooms. www.aksta.org/conference.html
Alaska GeoScience Education Presentations and posters were
featured at the Geological Society of America annual meeting, Denver, Colorado. www.uas.alaska.edu/envs/edge
DECEMBER 2007
From the American Geophysical Union, San Francisco: www.robfatland.net/seamonster
GSA Cordilleran/Rocky Mountain
Sections Joint Meeting, March 19-21
The Cordilleran
Section of the Geological Society of America will be in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This year’s meeting will be a joint event with the Rocky Mountain Section. The early registration deadline is February 18th. Sessions that may be of special interest to
our NAGT members include the following symposia (session # & title):
7. Geology
in the K-12 Curriculum.
8. Importance of
Outdoor Education to Earth Sciences.
9. New Developments in Earth Science Education.
For more information,
visit: www.geosociety.org/sectdiv/cord/08mtg
