July 13, 2021
NASEM report – Call to Action for Science Education: Building Opportunity for the Future
“Scientific thinking and understanding are essential for all people navigating the world, not just for scientists and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals.”
June 25, 2021
Employer views on higher education – takeaways from the 2021 AAC&U report
Although our discipline provides excellent data from employers through the AGI Workforce documents and the recently-released Vision and Change in the Geosciences: The Future of Undergraduate Geoscience Education report, it is important to also step back and take a wider view. Not all of our students will enter geoscience careers or stay within them – workforce preparation for our students needs to take into consideration what employers outside the geosciences identify as areas that will help our students succeed, no matter which career they pursue.
June 4, 2021
Take 5… grading for equity
The book “Grading for Equity” shares three pillars for equitable grading – accuracy, bias-resistant, and motivational. But we also need to make sure our classroom practices and assessments are also designed through an equitable lens.
May 26, 2021
Geology Bites – a podcast with researchers sharing earth and space science
As we look to help students build a science identity and recognize the accomplishments of our colleagues, the Geology Bites podcast is a great addition to our toolkit for celebrating science and scientists.
May 25, 2021
#QuiltYourScience for AGU 2021 and beyond
What is your science journey: unlocking Earth’s secrets? exploring the heights of our atmosphere to the depths of our ocean? or teaching others about the wonders of our universe? We invite quilters of all ages and skill levels to join us in December 2021 for a virtual celebration of quilts that celebrate the earth and space sciences. Create a mini quilt or a square illustrating your work in and/or passion for earth and space science research, communication or education.
May 16, 2021
Documenting geoscience career paths with the Earth Science Resources video series
I strongly believe showcasing different career opportunities to students will help increase diversity in geoscience because “get a job” often takes precedent over “follow my passion” when you are a first-generation college student. But I want students to know they can have both! — Dr. Cindy Bergeron, creator/producer of Earth Science Resources [quote via email]
April 10, 2021
Making a first impression with your syllabus
From semester to semester, syllabi are dynamic, living documents. Although many institutions push for a syllabus to be a listing of university rules and policies, even going so far as to use the wording that the syllabus is a “contract”, there is language and approaches we can select to use for the syllabus to be more inviting, to be more inclusive, and to make an even better first impression for students beginning their semester/quarter journey with us.
April 6, 2021
Take 5… open educational resources
Making resources freely available to students has its benefits – but there are also costs. Are the technologies used for these OERs accessible on mobile devices and/or require high-speed access, special browser plug-ins, etc.? Are faculty compensated for preparing the OER, for maintaining/updating the OER? How are current events and societal challenges making it into OER – or are they? The research shows there are clear benefits to students using OER and not having to purchase textbooks – but let’s look at the entire OER system to make sure it is accessible, fair, and sustainable for not only students but faculty as well.
April 5, 2021
Impacts of the pandemic on women in academic SEM (NASEM Report)
“The future almost certainly holds additional, unforeseen disruptions that will test the principles and resilience of institutions of higher education. It also almost certainly requires the contributions of STEMM, which can be fully realized only if the well-being of women in these fields does not significantly suffer from the COVID-19 pandemic and other disruptions.”
March 24, 2021
Project Drawdown brings us Climate Solutions 101
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe famously has told us that the most important we can do to fight climate change is to talk about it. Project Drawdown has come through with the educational materials and resources to help us do just this.
Laura Guertin is a Professor of Earth Science at Penn State Brandywine in Media, PA. Her research focuses on how technology can enhance teaching and student learning in introductory-level geoscience courses for non-science majors. Her blog focuses on geoscience education/outreach, science communication, and technology tools in the classroom, online, and in the field.