Preparing for an Academic Career

Conveners: Lisa Gilbert, Williams College, Sue Ebanks, Savannah State University, Lynsey LeMay, Thomas Nelson Community College, Catherine Riihimaki, Princeton University, and Gary Weissmann, University of New Mexico-Main Campus

Monday, July 16 - Wednesday, July 18 | 8:30am-11:30am | Burge Student Union Forum C/D

This workshop is designed specifically for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and others who are interested in pursuing academic careers in the geosciences. Workshop leaders will provide guidance and information that will help participants to be stronger candidates for academic positions and to succeed in academic jobs. Session topics focus on becoming both a successful teacher and researcher.

Teaching Online

Conveners: Adrianne Leinbach, Wake Technical Community College and Bridget James, San Francisco State University

Monday, July 16 - Wednesday, July 18 | 8:30am-11:30am | Ritchie 366

This workshop is geared toward those already teaching online but will also benefit those just starting with online instruction. Workshop leaders have a combined total of 30 years of teaching online. Collaborations will include sharing best practices in setting up online courses, improving student interaction, and converting active learning techniques used in traditional classroom settings. Examples of different technologies that improve the online learning experience will also be shared. Participants will also be asked to share an activity that they currently use in their online lecture or laboratory course (or one you want to bring over from your traditional course). Time will be allotted each day to share these activities along with discussion and reflection. All participants should leave with new ideas or activities to be incorporated in their classes.

Advancing Transdisciplinary Dialogue in Geoscience Education Research

Conveners: Cory Forbes, University of Nebraska at Lincoln and Caitlin Callahan, Grand Valley State University

Sunday, July 16 - Wednesday, July 19 | 8:30am-11:30am Mon-Wed | Ritchie 368

Over the past several years, the GER community has been engaged in a systematic effort to identify ambitious goals for geoscience education research that will be achievable within ten years and will have significant impact on K-16 geoscience education teaching and learning. This effort has been spearheaded by a series of NSF-funded workshops at the first three Earth Educator Rendezvous meetings: in 2015, Synthesizing Geoscience Education Research; in 2016, Geoscience Education Research Community Planning; and in 2017, Geoscience Education Research Grand Challenges and Strategies. A significant result from these workshop is a framework of grand challenges, defined as priority research questions, in ten different themes of geoscience education research as well as strategies to address those questions. A second result from the previous EER workshop is a community-built website designed to support geoscience education research.

As a new chapter in this effort, the intent of this workshop is to create a space for dialogue across communities with GER interests. We will build on past workshops by focusing especially on one of the themes, research on teaching about Earth in the context of societal problems. In this workshop, we will explore ways in which this theme intersects with and supports other identified themes in the framework. To address the goal of building dialogue across communities, we will also incorporate explicit discussions about 1) the ways that addressing different identified grand challenges could contribute to ongoing educational research questions outside of the geosciences, and 2) how future Earth Educators' Rendezvous meetings might be used to help move research on the grand challenges forward.

Introduction to Small Unmanned Aerial Systems ("drones") and Associated Applications in STEM Explorations

Convener: Gregory Baker, University of Kansas Main Campus

Monday, July 16 - Wednesday, July 18 | 8:30am-11:30am | Ritchie 164

This workshop is designed for unexperienced or novice users of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS; "drones"). No prior experience is required. Although topics covered may be insufficiently advanced for intermediate- to expert-sUAS users, they are nevertheless highly encouraged to participate and share their knowledge & experience during group work. Topics covered will include sUAS hardware & software basics, current USA rules & regulations, and case studies in state-of-the-art applications including orthomosaic & structure-from-motion (SfM) techniques. Working groups will be used throughout the workshop to develop potential STEM exercises.

Teaching for Quantitative Literacy in Undergraduate Geoscience Courses

Convener: Jennifer Wenner, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Monday, July 16 - Wednesday, July 18 | 8:30am-11:30am | Lindley 118

Participants will work in small groups to integrate quantitative literacy into a pre-existing geoscience course (both introductory and upper-level courses are appropriate). Groups will consider appropriate quantitative topics for their course and explore best practices for incorporating them into their courses. Each participant will leave with a modified syllabus and a set of activities/practices that infuse quantitative literacy into appropriate courses.

Changing the Climate of your Climate Change Lessons

Conveners: Laura Hollister and Ryan Hollister, Turlock High School

Monday, July 16 - Wednesday, July 18 | 8:30am-11:30am | Lindley 123

A phenomena-based, active learning experience for K-12 & intro level college instructors who teach climate change as part of their curriculum. Experience how to make cutting-edge climate data come to life in the classroom while also being given ample time for metacognition to make sense of the science.

Universal Design in Earth Education: Approaches to access and accommodation for a more inclusive STEM experience

Conveners: Wendi Williams, Northwest Arkansas Community College, Christopher Atchison, University of Cincinnati-Main Campus, Ivan Carabajal, University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

Thursday, July 19 - Friday, July 20 | 8:30am-11:30am | Ritchie 164

This two-day morning professional development is for current and future K- Higher Education integrated STEM faculty on behalf of the International Association for Geoscience Diversity (http://www.theIAGD.org). This year's expanded format builds upon the 2017 mini-workshop by providing new resources, more in-depth treatment of strategies, and peer-mentored practice toward implementing inclusive educational design. From classroom to field experience design and management, this session will provide suggestions to modifying pedagogical "ways of doing" to reinforce increasing the diversity of student experiences using Universal Design in our STEM environments. Participants in this workshop will: Learn about common barriers to access and inclusion within STEM education; be introduced to the principles of Universal / Inclusive Design for Learning (UDL/IDL); and explore accommodations for both physical and non-apparent disabilities.

Google Earth for Onsite and Distance Education (GEODE)

Conveners: Bill Richards, North Idaho College and Callan Bentley, Northern Virginia Community College

Thursday, July 19 - Friday, July 20 | 8:30am-11:30am | Burge Student Union Forum C/D

This workshop will introduce participants to plate-tectonic reconstructions, digital planets, the fold analysis challenge, EarthQuiz, "Reasons for the Seasons, A Grand Tour of the Ocean Basins," and virtual samples and outcrops (construction, access, and utilization in virtual field experiences) via GigaPan and 3D models. Participants should bring their laptops or other digital devices to the workshop. GEODE is offering a $600 stipend to enrolled participants who participate in both days of the workshop.

Using Conceptual Frameworks of Earth Systems to Frame Future Directions in Systems Thinking Research

Conveners: Hannah Scherer, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Lisa Gilbert, Williams College

Thursday, July 19 - Friday, July 20 | 8:30am-11:30am | Ritchie 366

Systems thinking is a fundamental geocompetency and developing student conceptualization of the Earth as a system is key to issues facing society. Additionally, systems thinking is a major topic for geoscience education research (GER), an endeavor that has engaged many members of the community for some time. This workshop will explore and build upon findings from a recent synthesis of work on systems thinking in the context of Earth systems (Scherer, et al., 2017 ), which identified four conceptual frameworks: Earth systems perspective, Earth systems thinking skills, complexity sciences, and authentic complex Earth and environmental systems. These frameworks provide a starting point for operationalizing systems thinking both in research studies and in classrooms; they will inform discussions that draw on participants' experience and expertise. Participants will leave the workshop with new strategies for how to identify and describe student systems thinking abilities in the context of classroom instruction and geoscience education research studies.

Introduction to Course Design Using InTeGrate Materials

Convener: Tara Holmberg, Northwestern Connecticut Community College

Thursday, July 19 - Friday, July 20 | 8:30am-11:30am | Lindley 307

Participants will explore InTeGrate Modules as they develop or redesign their course, using principles of backward design and best practices. Educators will work together to develop their materials and leave with a working course outline ready to be implemented in the classroom! All educators are welcome; early-career faculty and graduate students are especially encouraged to attend. Please bring a laptop to this workshop.

Communicating Science to the General Public

Conveners: Beth Bartel, UNAVCO and Wendy Bohon, IRIS Consortium

Thursday, July 19 - Friday, July 20 | 8:30am-11:30am | Ritchie 368

Effective communication skills enable practitioners to engage non-experts, inform public opinion and policymakers, inspire the next generation of scientists and voters, and improve our own research process. This workshop takes a hands-on approach to learning the tricks of science communication, focusing on science communication as a conversation. The skills practiced can be applied to all channels of communication, from a public lecture to a social media feed. You will leave this workshop with personal goals for public outreach as well as ideas for incorporating communications training into your geoscience curriculum.

Developing Student Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Leadership Capacity to Address Wicked Problems

Conveners: Dave Gosselin, University of Nebraska at Lincoln and Deana Pennington, University of Texas at El Paso

Due to low enrollment, this workshop is now being offered as a roundtable discussion on Tuesday afternoon.