September 19, 2022
Slow Water movement, from “Water Always Wins”
Slow Water solutions are place-specific and community oriented. They center on water’s relationships with rocks, microbes, plants, and animals, including humans. Practitioners aim to collaborate with water rather than try to control it. — Erica Gies website
September 3, 2022
Getting Earth Science Students to Learn by Letting them Speak [guest post]
Everybody has stories to tell. Using of student-produced audio narratives in the classroom allows students to tell the stores behind the subject matter. This can then enhance learning and student engagement, while letting them have a little bit of fun along the way.
August 29, 2022
Take 5… Earth science information, by state
Preparations for teaching involve pulling together datasets, visualizations, and information that is geographically centered. For those looking for information relating to the geographic location (or U.S. state) for your campus, students may be interested in exploring these resources.
August 17, 2022
Giving students a survey on the first day? Think about what you are asking, and why
First-day survey responses can yield stepping stones to conversations and modifications with regards to our students and our courses. As instructors, we need to be mindful and thoughtful about the questions we ask, how we ask these questions, and what (if anything) we will do with those responses.
July 28, 2022
What Inclusive Instructors Do – a book from Stylus Publishing
The themes of “equity and belonging” are present throughout the book, emphasizing that instructors can design learning environments for all students to reach their potential within a welcoming space that fosters a sense of belonging.
July 15, 2022
Catalyzing Change: STEM Faculty as Change Agents
The issue describes how faculty can be change agents, supporting student success, promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, and supporting career and academic pathways.
June 28, 2022
Ocean exploration matters [World Oceans Day/National Ocean Month]
Although the spring semester is over for colleges and universities in the United States, the ocean-related celebrations during the month of June are an excellent reminder that when we do head back into the classroom, we should not just focus on the “what” about the ocean (what we know/don’t know), but why we need to know – as NOAA says, why ocean exploration matters.
May 29, 2022
Ships returning to Cape Town – H.M.S. Challenger and JOIDES Resolution
Cape Town has served as a port of call for these two scientific vessels and others, playing an important role in supporting science at sea.
May 10, 2022
Knowledge about oceans on other worlds starts with our own
the possibility of finding life in the universe has increased thanks to the ocean analog from our own planet. Samples from Expedition 390, which are collected from aa subsurface environment where basement is in contact with water, will advance our scientific knowledge and may help guide the direction for future astrobiology research as we continue to search for life in Earth’s deep ocean system and on other worlds.
April 26, 2022
The first women of scientific ocean drilling
Do you know the names Maria Cita, Elizabeth Gealy, and Catherine Nigrini? They are important women in the history of scientific ocean drilling.
Laura Guertin is a Distinguished Professor of Earth Sciences 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.