January 2006 - Vol. 3, Issue 1         All issues index         Submit newsletter content          DLESE home

Contents

Resource of Interest: DLESE K-12 email list with Tom McGuire, Moderator

Educators! The K-12 email list (k12@dlese.org) invites you to join in discussions on a wide range of issues related to Earth science education. Tom McGuire (pictured exploring natural rock tracks) shares resources and information on upcoming events of interest to the group. Recent postings include information on an award-winning critical thinking resource In Search of the Edge as well as more lighthearted fare such as the Rock Cycle Song (to the tune, Row Your Boat). You are invited to join the K12 email list (select Subscribe and then K-12 from the list). This is a great opportunity to share ideas and resources, and to discuss important contemporary issues with your peers.

Professional development opportunity—Earthquakes: A One-Day Workshop for Teachers

A one-day workshop for teachers in grades 5-12 on earthquakes will be held in conjunction with the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) convention this spring, in Anaheim, California. Teachers will learn about earthquakes, seismology and plate tectonics with visiting seismologists, participate in hands-on activities that easily transfer to the classroom, and obtain free materials, maps, curriculum guides, and books. Partial travel support is provided to cover the cost of an extra day at NSTA. This workshop takes place April 5, 2006, and is being offered by the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Consortium with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

DLESE Data Services Workshop 2006

The 2006 DLESE Data Services Workshop will be held May 15-17, 2006 at the Westward Look Resort in Tucson, Arizona. The workshop provides an opportunity for data providers, analysis tool developers, scientists, curriculum developers, and educators to interact with one another in a variety of sessions, all working toward the goal of facilitating the use of data in education. Scientists, educational materials developers, and educators who work with data in the Earth and environmental sciences are invited to identify themselves and register to participate. The complexity of data and analysis tools we have identified make this workshop most appropriate for college and high school educators.

The workshop includes keynote presentations, hands-on lab sessions (Tool Time) and a poster session with the theme Success Stories: Using Data in Education. Attendees will be grouped into teams that include the full range of roles represented at the meeting. Team members will work together to develop an educational module, drawing upon the expertise of individuals in each role on the team. This practical exercise enables team members to learn from each other about the needs, practices, and expectations of the other groups. Lodging, lunches, and breaks will be provided for accepted registrants. A limited amount of funding is available for airfare and ground transportation stipends; these will be awarded as necessary to ensure that all roles will be represented at the meeting. Go to the DLESE Data Services Workshop 2006 site to learn more and find out how to register your interest in attending. Questions may be directed to Tamara Ledley via email (tamara_ledley@terc.edu).

Good read: DLESE Community Review System article in DLib Magazine

An article about the DLESE Community Review System's Instructor's Individualized Report Service has recently been published on-line by D-Lib Magazine, titled The Digital Library for Earth System Education Provides Individualized Reports for Teachers on the Effectiveness of Educational Resources in their Own Classrooms. Authors Kim Kastens and Neil Holzman of Columbia University's Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) extend an invitation to Geosciences or Environmental Sciences teachers, or to those who teach pre- or in-service science teachers, to participate in using the Instructor's Individualized Report Service. Information and registration materials may be found at the following URLs: http://crs.dlese.org/iir/Invitation_G.pdf (Geosciences) and http://crs.dlese.org/iir/Invitation_E.pdf (Environmental sciences). For more information, contact Neil Holzman (nholzman@ldeo.columbia.edu).

DLESE Teaching Boxes and Web Services featured at AMS Annual Meeting

DLESE Program Center instructional designer and usability expert Lynne Davis will present a short paper at the American Meteorological Society (AMS) annual meeting in Atlanta, taking place January 29 - Februay 2. Titled DLESE Teaching Boxes and Web Services: A Learning Context for Using Data in the Classroom, her presentation focuses on using DLESE tools and services to improve the use of data in the classroom. Three implementations of DLESE as a classroom resource for using data are presented: www.dlese.org, DLESE Teaching Boxes, and the DLESE Web (Search) Services. The DLESE site can be used directly to find a selection of appropriate resources for classroom use. DLESE Teaching Boxes couch DLESE resources within a rich context of learning. Each Teaching Box is a free, online set of lessons created by teachers and scientists, incorporating grade level-appropriate scientific concepts, online educational resources, and data tools that encourage inquiry-based learning. Each Teaching Box also features cohesive narration that helps teachers use discovery-based methods to bridge the gap between discrete web resources and real learning. Davis also presents DLESE Web (Search) Services as an approach to enable access to DLESE resource information in any online learning environment. This paper will be presented at 3:30 PM as part of Joint Session 4: Tools to Enhance Weather and Climate Data Use in the Classroom (Joint with the 15th Symposium on Education and 22nd Conference on Interactive Information Processing Systems), Tuesday, January 31, 1:45 - 5:30 PM, A402.