Workshop Overview and Logistics

NOTE: This workshop took place in 2004.

Format and goals

Plenary sessions: Participants will discuss general issues such as three-dimensional visualization, incorporating writing into structural geology courses, and the place of structural geology in the curriculum. We will also explore the links between structural geology and other geoscience disciplines that can help students more clearly see the relevance of structural geology to their courses of study.
Keynote address: This workshop will build on the workshop Teaching Geoscience with Visualizations: Using Images, Animations, and Models Effectively (On the Cutting Edge, spring 2004). Our structural geology workshop will kick off with a keynote address on spatial perception research by a cognitive scientist.
Demonstration sessions: Participants will share strategies for actively engaging students in the classroom and for providing effective and innovative lab experiences.
Field trips: Two one-day, mid-workshop field trips will allow us to explore how field observations can be integrated into and complement the other components of a structural geology course.
Working groups: All participants will be part of working groups whose task will be to develop plans for collecting and creating new materials in key thematic areas, in areas that are not currently incorporated in most structural geology courses, and in areas that link structural geology to other courses that our students take.
Teaching materials collection: Participants will contribute to development of a Structural Geology Teaching Materials Collection similar to the Petrology Teaching Materials Collection and will participate after the workshop in follow-up activities designed to develop and/or test new materials for teaching structural geology.
Listserv: A listserv for workshop participants will promote discussion before and after the workshop.

Dates

The first workshop event will take place at 7 pm on Saturday, June 26, and the last at dinner on Friday, July 2. Participants must attend all sessions. Field trips will take place Monday, June 28 and Wednesday, June 30.

Travel

The workshop will be held at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. Participants must make their own way to Northampton in time for the first workshop event at 7 pm on Saturday, June 26. Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Connecticut is about 40 miles south of Northampton.

To get from the airport to Northampton, participants may choose to rent a car at the airport or to take a limo. For the latter, reservations must be made in advance with Valley Transporter (1-800-872-8752 or visit the Valley Transporter web site. Limo fare is about $40 one way. Shortly before the workshop, we will provide everyone with a list of flights and arrivals of all participants so that those who are interested can contact one another to share rides.

Cost

The workshop itself is free. NSF Grant DUE-0127310 will provide funding for the operational costs of the workshop plus room, board, and workshop materials. Participants or their home institutions must provide transportation to and from the workshop. We will be able to offer small travel stipends to participants from institutions unable to cover travel costs. The deadline for application for travel stipends is May 24

Facilities

Smith College is a beautiful residential campus located in the delightful town of Northampton, Massachusetts. Workshop sessions will take place on campus. Workshop participants will be housed in single rooms in the dormitories and will eat meals on campus.

Further Information

Contact Barbara Tewksbury (btewksbu@hamilton.edu)