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Workshop Overview

The workshop will include a combination of plenary talks, panelist presentations, discussions and time for networking and collaboration. Workshop participants will share successful strategies and materials for teaching sustainability. An important outcome from this workshop will be to identify opportunities where new curricular materials will have a major impact on integrating geosciences into the teaching of sustainability, which is part of a larger project goal to create new teaching materials. This workshop is also part of the professional development component of the InTeGrate project.

This workshop focuses on the integration of geoscience with other disciplines. Geoscience includes the solid earth, the atmosphere, hydrosphere and cryosphere and thus is a very broad discipline with many avenues for interdisciplinary exploration.

Dates

The workshop will begin in the afternoon of July 24, 2012 and will continue to the evening of July 26, 2012. Workshop participants are expected to attend the entire workshop.

Goals

The goals of this workshop are to:
  • Bring together faculty from the physical sciences, social sciences, economics and the humanities to share strategies for successful teaching of sustainability.
  • Document current courses and activities that integrate geoscience and sustainability.
  • Explore effective pedagogies for an interdisciplinary approach to teaching of sustainability.
  • Consider the role that geosciences can play in teaching sustainability, including in non-geoscience courses.
  • Identify themes where new teaching materials would facilitate teaching sustainability with a multi-discipline perspective that includes geoscience.
  • Begin developing inter-institutional teams of faculty to create new teaching materials.

Who should apply?

This workshop is designed for college faculty from all disciplines who teach sustainability or environmental topics at the undergraduate level. Ideally, workshop participants will already have experience in teaching sustainability and will be in a position to share their expertise with others. While the workshop has a geoscience element, we are especially interested in learning from expertise outside the geosciences and we encourage applicants from the physical sciences, social sciences, economics, and humanities. Moreover, we will strive to create a multi-discipline perspective representing diverse of points of view and a variety of institution types.

Application Process

The application period has closed for this workshop. Accepted applicants will be notified by May 5, 2012. Prior to the workshop, accepted applicants will be asked to fill out a registration form to confirm their attendance and to communicate their travel arrangements.

Selection Criteria

The final list of participants will be established with the goal of obtaining a breadth of experience teaching about sustainability in a variety of settings to maximize the ability to identify opportunities to integrate geoscience with other perspectives. Preference will be given to applicants who hold faculty positions at US colleges and universities and document specific interest in the integration of geoscience with other perspectives in their teaching about sustainability.

Expectations

All workshop participants are expected to:
  • Prepare in advance for the workshop via readings, writings, discussion or other activities developed by workshop leaders.
  • In advance of the workshop, submit a description of a either a course or an activity that teaches sustainability. Submissions of courses and activities will be featured in a new web-based collection devoted to the interdisciplinary teaching of sustainability.
  • In advance of the workshop, submit a one page essay about your approach to teaching sustainability in an interdisciplinary context and ideas for exploring opportunities for enhancing the integration of geoscience and sustainability. The essay should describe strategies you have used to foster interdisciplinary teaching, important factors in the design of courses or activities, pedagogic approaches you have found to be effective, or successes and challenges you have encountered. It will become part of the public website.
  • Participate fully in the entire workshop.

Expenses

There is no registration fee to attend this workshop, and the project grant (NSF DUE - 112533) covers double occupancy lodging, meals and supplies during the workshop. Participants or their institutions will need to cover the cost of travel to and from the workshop location. Workshop stipends are available to help defray travel expenses in cases of financial need. The deadline to apply for travel stipends is May 11, 2012. Late applications will not be considered.

Facilities

The workshop will be held on the campus of Carleton College in Northfield, MN. Participants will be housed in a hotel and will eat meals on campus and in town.

For more Information

Contact Cathy Manduca (cmanduca at carleton.edu) or Dave Gosselin (dgosselin2 at unl.edu).