SUMMER FIELD INTERN PROGRAM FOR A TEACHER/STUDENT PAIR

During the summer of 2004, a K-12 teacher and her former student, now a rising junior geology major, were asked to work as summer interns for a West Virginia Geological Survey field mapping team. This presentation discusses the interactions that occurred between the teacher, her former student, and the field geologists. In doing so, it is revealed how one teacher’s need for sustained challenges became viewed as a rationale for one student to pursue a career in geology. Sustaining the teacher’s interest in geology was accomplished through her participation in a RockCamp capstone event. In 2002, under the supervision of geologists from the West Virginia Geological Survey, a group of eight RockCamp participants took advantage of an opportunity to engage in a field mapping experience. Each had a history of recurrent participation in the decade-old RockCamp Program. Their situated learning experience allowed them to acquire a more personal and a more classroom applicable appreciation of the gathering, assessment, and use of geologic field data. The final step of their event was the independent construction of a localized geologic map. Although sustained commitment is time-consuming and limits the number of effectively served and active participants, a dedication to such a professional development philosophy is reflective of a pedagogical decision to emphasize quality over quantity. In this case, the result of a sustained K-12 professional development experience was the production of a new geology major.