Initial Publication Date: May 20, 2019
Workshop Synthesis
The final session of the workshop asked partcipants to summarize their closing thoughts about the workshop topics, including what they have learned and how they can support one another. The list below represents a synthesis of some of the common themes regarding supporting the success of ALL students in the earth and environmental sciences.
What have we learned?
- Strategies for effective pedagogy (active learning, community-based learning, etc.) are shared across participants and disciplines.
- Intentionality when applying these strategies is critical.
- Building a student science identity is crucial for the success of ALL students.
- Using images and models of scientists from diverse backgrounds is important.
- There are many passionate and dedicated people doing this work.
- Growing and strengthening the community supports all of us.
- Strengthening the inclusivity of our courses and programs can be challenging.
- How to we assess our progress? More resources on how will help these efforts.
- Our efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the earth and environmental sciences must also include graduate students (not only undergraduate students).
- How do we apply what we have learned to them and our graduate programs?
- Codes of conduct are important documents for departments, programs, and courses. It is particularly important that this information is communicated to students and faculty.
- Cultural upbringing may influence how we learn things and interact with others while doing so. It is important to consider this context diversity when teaching and communicating
- It is important to diversify techniques and strategies in the classroom to ensure students with different contexts can thrive.
- What strategies can we use to apply these to earth and environmental science classrooms?
- Be cognizant of how we are designing accommodations for our students to ensure that learning outcomes are shared by all students.
- This includes providing resources for and awareness of different career pathways
How can we support each other?
- Share resources with the workshop participant group and broader community.
- Use the workshop email list
- Refer to notes in the program and private workspaces
- Take advantage of resources on the Teach the Earth website and consider contributing your own
- Communicate your successes and celebrate those of others
- Consider reconvening at a future meeting or conference and share what we have achieved
- Keep an eye out for the AGU Fall Meeting Equity and Inclusion events flyer
- Attend the Earth Educators' Rendezvous