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.
March 16, 2021
She speaks for Presidents, and Planet Earth… Amanda Gorman and World Poetry Day
The United Nations declared March 21 as World Poetry Day to “recognize the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind.” Amanda Gorman, known for her Inauguration poem, has also written and recited poetry for Planet Earth.
March 1, 2021
What’s really behind impostor syndrome
What is impostor syndrome really about? Typically defined as the result of being treated like an impostor by people you deal with every day – but this misdiagnosis doesn’t clearly address the impact of individuals facing systemic bias and toxic work environments.
February 25, 2021
Pronouns in the classroom… to ask, or not to ask, and how to ask
In our efforts to create an inclusive classroom by asking students for their gender pronouns, are we instead creating a situation and setting that makes them feel excluded?
February 18, 2021
Ten Years of [email protected]
One special part of [email protected] 2020 were the messages of thanks to the science community for the past, present, and future of our work – such a collection of inspiring messages from leaders in the earth and space sciences
January 26, 2021
Teaching tips for the Second Gentleman
Second Gentleman Emhoff, you are going to be exhausted (yes, from teaching) – but you’ll also find it one of the most rewarding opportunities in your lifetime. Allow us at AGU to serve as your gravity assist that you can pay forward to your students!
January 14, 2021
My journey with AGU’s Voices for Science program
The training, the mentoring, the community… all are key components of the AGU Voices for Science advocacy program that allow you to succeed in sharing science and making a difference
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.