Heather Petcovic

Rock, Paper, Hammer: Where do thoughts and actions count in making a geologic map? part of Rendezvous 2015:Program:Abstracts
In this study, we integrate data capturing the physical actions, spoken thoughts, and navigation paths of geologists as each makes a geologic map of a field site in the Tobacco Root Mountains, Montana, USA. Four ...

Using Mixed Methods to Explore Field Sketching: An Example from the Hat Creek Fault Zone part of Rendezvous 2015:Program:Abstracts
Sketching is a common yet powerful means of communication and visualization in the geosciences. Particularly in field settings, geoscientists sketch in order to record data, explore interpretations, and communicate ...

What spatial thinking skills are important in hydrogeology? part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2022:Program:Oral Sessions:Monday Oral Session A
Hydrogeologists integrate three-dimensional data from maps, wells, field sites, and models to understand subsurface movement of groundwater and pollutants. This work is highly spatial. While many students enter ...

"This isn't working for me. Can we do it a different way?" The Lived Experiences of Geoscience Students with Learning Disabilities part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2022:Program:Poster Sessions:Wednesday Poster Session
The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study is to better understand the lived experiences of geoscience students with learning disabilities in their undergraduate and graduate classes. Students with learning ...

Development of a Hydrogeology Concept Inventory part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2022:Program:Poster Sessions:Friday Poster Session
Concept inventories are fundamental in assessing and evaluating student knowledge and understanding across science disciplines. In the earth sciences, existing inventories measure student understanding of ...

How do College Geoscience Instructors Find Virtual Field Experiences? part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2022:Program:Poster Sessions:Friday Poster Session
Virtual Field Experiences (VFEs) are a growing supplement and gateway to traditional fieldwork in the geosciences. With VFEs becoming more accepted for use in college geoscience courses, how instructors find and ...

Pathways to Science Teaching: Engaging Preservice K-12 Science Teachers in NGSS Science and Engineering Practices part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2022:Program:Oral Sessions:Thursday Oral Session B
In order to achieve the vision of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), preservice teachers need opportunities to engage in all three dimensions of the NGSS. However, many teacher preparation programs lack ...

Geo-Needs: A Synthesized Ideal Model for Broadening Participation in the Geosciences at Two-Year and Minority-Serving Institutions part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Previous Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2016:Program:Poster Sessions:Thursday
Employment opportunities in the geosciences are rapidly expanding, yet underrepresented minorities continue to make up ~8% of the geoscience-related workforce. Our project focuses specifically on the lack of ...

A Pilot Study of Spatial Thinking for Meteorology Education part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Previous Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2016:Program:Poster Sessions:Tuesday
The important role of spatial thinking in STEM education is established, yet minimally applied to meteorology education and the study of atmospheric sciences. Weather forecasting, involving hand plotting of ...

Strength in Collaboration: Thoughts on Multi-Institution GER part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Previous Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2016:Program:Morning Workshops:GER:Idea Papers
Heather L Petcovic, Western Michigan University Nearly every GER project that I have tacked over my career has involved a multi-institutional collaboration. Sometimes this means that a group of researchers from ...

GeoNeeds: Broadening Participation in the Geosciences Workforce part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Previous Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2016:Program:Morning Workshops:GeoNeeds
This workshop is for faculty and administrators who would like to build or expand opportunities for students to engage with the geosciences (atmospheric and climate science, engineering geoscience, geology, ...

Getting Your Education Work Published part of Rendezvous 2015:Program:Mini Workshops:Ed Publishing
Success with peer-reviewed journal publications are at the heart of tenure and promotion, as well as a critically important way to share your work with others. At this workshop, we will explore differences between ...

Thinking of Administration? Welcome to the Dark Side... part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2022:Program:Round Table Discussions
What is it that academic administrators like department heads, chairs, deans, and provosts actually do? And why would anyone want these jobs? Leading an academic unit can be challenging, frustrating, and difficult. ...

Research Challenges in Geoscience Education Research part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Previous Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2017:Program:Roundtable Discussions
This discussion will explore issues in geoscience education research such as finding collaborators, starting projects, securing funding, publishing your work, and defining and sustaining your research agenda. Come ...

Successful Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining Geoscience Majors part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Previous Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2016:Program:Panel Discussions
With an aging geoscience workforce, employment opportunities in the geosciences remain robust, creating a demand for workers prepared as undergraduate majors in the geosciences. At the same time, participation of ...

Lesson Plan Experiences in Science Content Courses part of Teacher Preparation:Workshops and Activities:Workshop 2007
Earth Science for Elementary Teachers - Including Lesson Design Group Members Heather Petcovic, Earth Science for Elementary Educators II Ann Bykerk-Kauffman, Concepts in Earth and Space Sciences Elizabeth ...