NEW YORK STATE AND THE SECOND REVOLUTION IN EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE EDUCATION: ASSESSMENT OF KEY ISSUES AND A CALL TO ARMS

Representatives from New York, North Carolina, Texas, California, and various national organizations and agencies were convened for the NSF-funded Revolution II Workshop: “Making the Earth and Space Science Education Revolution Real” in October, 2004. These states were selected to be the first to form state-based alliances in a nationwide initiative for the improvement of Earth and Space Science Education. The central goals of Revolution II are 1) transforming Earth and Space Science content and pedagogy through emphasis on a) Earth as a system, b) use of visualization technologies and c) inquiry-based learning, and 2) expanding participation of students in Earth and Space Science Education throughout the country.

State teams at Revolution II were charged with identifying the key policy and resource issues that affect Earth and Space Science Education in their states and developing action plans to address these issues. The New York team identified three areas as meriting immediate attention. These are 1) development of a teacher-friendly curriculum resource to promote inquiry-driven instruction, 2) professional development of teachers (including preparation of pre-service teachers) and 3) increased utilization of the state’s diverse resources in informal education (e.g., museums, etc.) to support K-12 Earth and Space Science Education.

The New York team seeks additional “revolutionaries” to participate in the effort to address these and other key issues facing the state. We announce a “call to arms” to Earth and Space Science stakeholders in industry, government, professional organizations, higher education, K-12 education and informal education: Please “enlist” in the Revolution and help shape the future of Earth and Space Science Education in the Empire State. Additional information regarding the Revolution in New York State is available at http://www.bedford.k12.ny.us/flhs/science/stevek/revolution/.