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Education & Public Outreach ContactEducation and Public Outreach
AGU's education programs capitalize on the intrinsic allure of the Earth and space sciences, and their fundamental relevance to daily life. Through education- and career-focused events at annual AGU meetings, professional development workshops for teachers, special programs for pre-college and post-secondary students, awards for science educators, and printed and electronic resources, AGU offers an array of opportunities that expose students, teachers, and life-long learners to the freshest, most accurate scientific knowledge and the excitement of discovery.
While AGU's Strategic Plan does not specifically highlight primary/secondary education among its objectives, outreach in this area plays a significant role in developing and nurturing the next generation of Earth and space scientists. Each of the following goals, along with specific strategies will help AGU meet its goal related to workforce or "talent pool" development. Particular emphasis is being placed on building partnerships and collaborations that will increase the effectiveness of AGU’s outreach efforts related to education.
Goals
- Strengthen professional development of K-12 teachers of Earth and space science.
- Contribute to strengthening Earth and Space sciences departments and undergraduate teaching at the college and university level.
- Provide opportunities for interested AGU members to participate in outreach activities and programs.
- Support national STEM education initiatives (along with AGU Public Affairs).
- Strengthen the numbers and diversity of the Earth and space science workforce
Read more about our activities in this Eos article [pdf].
Save the Date: NRC Webinar on the Science Framework Feb. 21
Last summer the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies released A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas, which describes a vision for science education and three dimensions critical to that vision. In a webinar scheduled for Tuesday, February 21, 2012, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST, a National Academies' panel will explore the framework and dimensions — especially the scientific and engineering practices — and discuss how they can be integrated into the education of new teachers and professional development for current teachers.
Presenters:
- Brian Reiser, member of the committee that developed the framework, and professor of learning sciences, School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University
- Heidi Schweingruber, co-director of the project to develop the framework, and deputy director, Board on Science Education, National Research Council
- Deb Smith, member of the committee that developed the framework, and assistant professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Pennsylvania State University
Thursday, February 2, 2012: The Future of Education
Join a distinguished group of thought leaders as they explore how improvements in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education can generate greater workforce readiness in the United States.
Beginning with a video presentation, and followed by an online chat, The Future of Science Education: STEM and Workforce Readiness will both examine the broad set of issues facing STEM education and hone in on project-based learning models. From transforming graduation rates across the board to fostering engagement and interest in STEM subjects, project-based learning is proving its unique value.
Read speaker bios and register for the event here.
National Governors Association Issues Key Report on STEM Education
In December the National Governors Association released a 44-page report that they hope governors nationwide will use to shape STEM education in their state. From Building a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education Agenda:
- Adopt rigorous math and science standards and improved assessments;
- Place and retain more qualified teachers in the classroom;
- Provide more rigorous preparation for STEM students;
- Use informal learning to expand math and science beyond the classroom;
- Enhance the quality and supply of STEM teachers; and
- Establish goals for postsecondary institutions to meet STEM job needs
Although many simultaneous actions are needed to grow participation and outcomes in STEM education, this report focuses on six key steps that states are or should be taking across the entire K–postsecondary education continuum:
In addition to pinpointing strengths and weaknesses, the report also provides concrete examples of model programs in a number of areas, including STEM schools, informal programs, teacher training, and career pathways.
Communicating Science — A National Education and Public Outreach Conference
Organized by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in association with the American Geophysical Union, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory and other conference partners to be announced.
Tucson, Arizona Aug. 4–8, 2012
Please save the dates to your calendar and plan to join us for this national conference on how we can best engage our audiences in science education and public outreach in the 21st century.
The meeting welcomes education and public outreach perspectives from astronomy and space science, earth and biological sciences, and other scientific disciplines as well as journalism, media and other communication endeavors, with a particular focus on effective communication of science and scientific ideas. There will be professional development sessions, hands-on workshops, special interest group meetings, talks, panels, poster papers, tours, and lots of time for networking with those doing the same kind of work in education and communication as you do.
For more information and to sign up for updates, visit http://www.astrosociety.org/events/meeting.html.
STEM Education Web site Launches
Learn who does what in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education via the new STEMConnector™ Web site. The site, of which AGU is a sponsor, is a searchable online connection to more than 3,500 profiles of major U.S.-based STEM education organizations, programs, and projects in 47 disciplines.
Spotlight on Two Year Colleges:Geo2YC Becomes First NAGT Division
Geo2YC, a group of National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) members interested in two-year college (2YC) education, became the first special interest division of the Association on July 23. Creation of the Division was a recommendation of a June 2010 NAGT/NSF-sponsored workshop “The Role of Two-Year Colleges in Geoscience Education and in Broadening Participation in the Geosciences: A Planning Workshop.” Workshop participants, and other interested 2YC geoscience faculty, petitioned the NAGT Executive Committee last April to create the new Division. A recent change in the NAGT Bylaws allows members to petition the Executive Committee to create a special interest division. Read more...
A note on NAGT's July 25, 2011 webinar regarding the recently released Framework for K-12 Science Education and its role in geoscience education
AGU member and leader of the Earth and Space Science Framework design team Michael Wysession gave a presentation on the process of developing the framework (released by NAS this week) and how science standards will ultimately be developed by Achieve, Inc. in 2012. In sum, the Framework will provide a mechanism for the construction of the standards. His key message (and the focus of the Framework) was that science students need to learn about practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas rather than a large number of individual facts.
The last science standards were released in 1995, and a large amount of research on student learning has been done since then. The new standards will be shorter but deeper in content, involve more focus on processes and the integration among science disciplines, and highlight human-related content. They will also provide recommendations for evaluating student learning that focuses on knowledge-in-use rather than regurgitation of facts.
The role of AGU
Wysession specifically called upon AGU and other professional geoscience societies to review and comment on draft standards to be produced by Achieve. These documents will be available here. The Framework is available here.
The science standards will align with the Common Core Math and English Standards. However, adoption by states will be voluntary. Additionally, Race to the Top states won’t be required to adopt the science standards in the way that they adopted math and English standards. Thus, there will be a large amount of room for public affairs work in publicizing the importance of adopting high quality, research-based standards.
National Earth Science Teachers Association Special Alert
In order to better serve Earth and space science teachers, we have prepared an anonymous survey to gather information about your Earth and space science education needs and concerns, your satisfaction with our services (if you are a member), and your ideas about how we can serve you better. Please take a moment to complete this survey at your earliest convenience. You may receive notice about this survey from a variety of sources, but please be sure to only complete the survey once! Thanks so much for your time and effort!
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