Initial Publication Date: May 12, 2021

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Design your own professional development experience

Looking for ways to improve your teaching, support students, address classroom challenges, or collaborate with colleagues? The July 12-16 Earth Educators' Rendezvous is the perfect venue to gain knowledge, learn from experts, and engage with the Earth science education community. Build a program that fits your interests and needs from the suite of workshops, roundtables, plenaries, presentations, and other events at the Rendezvous.

Want an opportunity to share your expertise? There is still time to share your research and teaching at the Rendezvous. Submit a poster session abstract or a Share-a-Thon proposal for consideration by Tuesday, May 18, 2021.

Interactive Workshops

Choose from a wide variety of interactive workshops, with participants learning from experts and from one another in formats that utilize research-backed pedagogies. Workshops include:

  • Preparing for Student Creation of Virtual Contexts for Exploring Geoscience Environments
    This workshop will familiarize participants with a framework and several practices developed to guide learners in the creation of virtual contexts for environmental and geoscience explorations that interweave natural and cultural elements of the place under study for increased relevance and interest to students.
  • Adapting Lessons for Your Classroom
    Many fantastic lesson plans and course materials are now available from SERC, NASA, IRIS, and a variety of other institutions. This workshop will provide you with suggestions and strategies for modifying these existing lesson plans to align with your existing learning objectives and fit your course context.
  • Student Mental Health and Well-Being
    By supporting student mental health and well-being, faculty and researchers can facilitate higher student retention and persistence to graduation as well as impact students' overall ability to successfully pursue their academic, personal and career goals. This workshop is designed to equip participants to better understand and support students around mental health concerns.

Explore the full range of multi-day workshops and one-day afternoon workshops. Space is limited in morning workshops, so register soon to hold your spot!

Engaging Discussions

Participate in Rendezvous offerings designed to engage participants in discussions with the Earth Science education community:

  • Roundtable discussions - small-group discussions including discipline-specific topics (climate change, planetary science, and more), innovative classroom tools and techniques, and discussion of teaching challenges across all the geosciences, from K-12 to higher education.
  • Plenaries - hear from distinguished speakers, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe and Dr. Gillian Roehrig, as they discuss important issues related to climate change, effective ways to communicate climate science, and culturally relevant STEM teaching.
  • Featured Stories in Diversity - The debut of the NAGT Diversity Stories is an opportunity to view and reflect on a collection of lived experiences and lessons learned from within our community relating to the broad themes of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Interact with a diverse panel of contributors and experts, as we discuss the implications of how these experiences impact our personal and professional lives and actions for moving forward.

Innovative Teaching and Research

The Rendezvous Contributed Program offers multiple opportunities for sharing your work and learning from other Earth educators. Anyone registered for at least one day of the Rendezvous is invited to attend the plenaries and the contributed program.

  • Oral presentations - standard oral sessions with time for questions.
  • Poster sessions - lightning talks, panel discussions, and opportunities for small-group discussion.
  • Teaching demonstrations - presentations that guide participants through successful course activities that result in "take-homes" for attendees to use in their own teaching.
  • Share-a-thon - lightning talks and small group discussion with a focus on teaching activities.

There is still time to share your research, teaching ideas, and expertise at the Rendezvous! Submit a poster session abstract or a Share-a-Thon proposal for consideration by Tuesday, May 18, 2021.