AGU Education Section News

Education Section Newsletter | November 2023 Edition

By Sunday Siomades posted 11-06-2023 10:00

  

Education Section Newsletter | November 2023 Edition

                                                                                                                                                                    

Thank You for Your Support!

Thank you to all who have donated to your section! We have met our 5% goal––meaning 5% of our primary members have donated at least $50 this year. Wow! Thank you! That opens up another $1000 from AGU to our section as long as at the end of the year we are still at that 5% donation mark. Therefore, if you have not already donated, when you renew your membership at or before the AGU23 December meeting please consider making a donation to our section. If at the end of December, 7% of our primary members donate at least $50 then our section will get an extra $2000 from AGU! We plan to use these funds to support events for student and early career educators, as well as increase the number of travel and caregiver grants next year.

It's Official––Join Our AGU23 Town Hall

Our Building Education Capacity Town Hall is scheduled for the AGU23 meeting! Please join us on Monday 11 December at 1:00 PM in Moscone Center West Level 2 Room 2004 AND online. Our Town Hall aims to create a space for scientists and educators to engage in dialog to identify areas of need to advance Earth and space science education within/across topics that span education practice and research. We see this an opportunity for our community to build collaborations and kick off idea generation around actionable items for the next year.

Mentoring 365 Live at AGU23!

AGU23 will be packed with on-site mentoring opportunities through Mentoring365 Live. As an AGU23 attendee, you will have access to mentorship with your peers in the Earth and space community. Don’t miss your opportunity to participate. Both mentors and mentees are encouraged to apply! Sign up before 12 December. Learn more and register!

Use Eos's ENGAGE Resource to Educate Students About the Geosciences

AGU’s award-winning science news magazine Eos has launched ENGAGE as a resource designed for high school and undergraduate educators to connect students to the latest geoscience research in a concise, engaging format. Join us at AGU23 for a half-day Learning Workshop (Session SCIWS25) which will walk you through curating your own list of articles and instructional resources to fit your curriculum. This workshop will focus on instructional resources for grades 6-16. Visit this link to learn more!

Please note that this event is only open to those who register for AGU23. Information on workshop fees and registering for Learning Workshops may be found here.

Image credit: Janis Shachter

Common-Sense Teaching in the 2020s

The philosophy of “ungrading” includes a variety of approaches that decenter or even remove numeric or letter scoring of student work in favor of descriptive feedback, opportunities for revision, self-assessment and reflection, and assessment toward mastery. How can this approach be successfully applied to undergraduate and graduate student courses? Explore this idea in a commentary by Katharine Johanesen and others in the Journal of Geoscience Education.

Calling All Photographers

 

We would like to feature your photos of Earth and space science on our section website! Submit your original photos with your name and a caption.  Photos can be of anything that represents Earth and space science or teaching and learning. If people are in your photo, please be sure to obtain their permission before submitting!

Submit your photos to: https://forms.gle/3Je8cZCqgc9y68Sw5. A big thank you to everyone who has already submitted!

Words of Advice

 

The 2023-2024 academic year is up and running, and we know there are many educators with a wealth of lived experiences and advice to share! The Education Section invites you to submit your tips for effective teaching and learning, advice for early career instructors, or quotes that inspire your career. We will gather these and create space for them on our section website.

Submit your teaching and learning tips, advice, and inspiration to: https://forms.gle/vQ7P9WNSYVPCYxm68. A big thank you to everyone who has already submitted!

Become an OSPA Judge for AGU23

The Outstanding Student Presentation Awards program is a terrific opportunity to both give and receive constructive feedback on student talks and posters. Two top presentations in Education sessions will receive financial awards! 

This year's judging platform will use the iPoster format, making uploading and judging much easier for everyone. Watch your AGU email carefully, as the OSPA poster submission deadline is likely to be a week earlier than non-juried posters. Students will also be able to participate as judges. Our OSPA team will be recruiting judges and providing instructions––get involved today

Gauging Interest in a Future Roundtable Discussion on Meta-Analyses, Data Management and Repositories

Meta-analyses of published studies can provide highly valuable, evidence-based information on patterns and trends in a disciplinary field of research. However, meta-analyses are difficult to conduct in part because they depend on access to study data. There are few to no meta-analyses in Earth and space science education research (i.e., geoscience education research; GER), and no dedicated discipline-specific data repository for this field.  The AGU Education Section is interested in hosting a round table or focus group discussion on needs in GER for data management (including FAIR, CARE, and open data practices) and data repositories.

If you are interested in participating in such a discussion, please complete this Interest Form: https://forms.gle/UG1jVNxKjKvVo1B57

This is an initial evaluation of interest in the topic. If there is sufficient interest, we will identify dates and times for discussion(s). Please contact Kristen St. John with questions at stjohnke@jmu.edu.

National Science Foundation Seeks to Honor STEM Educators

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) program is pleased to announce that nominations and applications for the historic 40th year of PAEMST are now open to K-6th grade teachers! PAEMST is the nation’s highest honor for teachers of STEM––Presidential Awardees receive:

·      A certificate signed by the President

·      A trip to Washington, D.C., to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities

·      A $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation

·      And the opportunity to join a community of over 5,200 award-winning teachers!

Visit paemst.nsf.gov to learn more about the program, meet previous awardees, and nominate a talented K-6 STEM teacher today! We welcome multiple nominations if you know more than one teacher deserving of this award. The 2023–24 nomination deadline is January 8, 2024, and the application deadline is February 6, 2024.

Questions? Please contact info@paemst.org or call 855-723-6780.

Geoscience Education Research (GER) Graduate Students Wanted

 

The Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of British Columbia seeks students interested in graduate study in geoscience education research. Both PhD and MSc positions are available and will be funded by teaching, research, and/or academic assistantships. 

The Geoscience Education Research lab group at UBC values creating an inclusive learning environment and applications from all qualified individuals are encouraged and welcomed.

Applications are due January 15, 2024 and applications will be considered until positions are filled. For more information or to discuss project opportunities, please contact Dr. Laura Lukes at laura.lukes@ubc.ca (please include a brief description of your research interests, a resume/CV, and a writing sample). 

Highlighted Funding Opportunity: NSF Discovery Research

The goal of the Discovery Research PreK-12 program (DRK-12) is to catalyze research and development that enhances opportunities for all preK-12 teachers’ and students’ to engage in high-quality learning experiences related to the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). If you have an idea for a product that can be used to support the success of teachers and students (e.g., curriculum, teaching and research tools, and models of collaboration), consider submitting a proposal today! Proposals are due this Wednesday, November 8, 2023.

We’ve Got Mail!

The Education Section newsletter is now accepting member-suggested submissions! Contact us at edsectionnewsletter@gmail.com with timely events, articles, or programs relating to education in the Earth and space sciences. To be considered for inclusion in the monthly newsletter, please send items before 5:00pm EST on the second Monday of the preceding month. We look forward to hearing from you!

                                                                                                                                                                    
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