SCIENTISTS IN THE K-12 CLASSROOM: THE NMSU GK-12 EXPERIENCE

Collaborations between geoscience professionals and K-12 classes come in all shapes and sizes, but can be frustrating or disappointing because of different goals and expectations among stakeholders. Geoscience professionals often interact with K-12 classes in order to provide authentic scientific experiences. However, many teachers are now reacting to requirements of federal No Child Left Behind regulations and are thus focused on teaching the topics listed in the state standard and benchmarks. In addition, the scientific training for many K-8 teachers is gained through lower-level university science courses, providing only an introduction to the scientific process and thus an inadequate foundation for teaching science.

The GK-12 (Graduate-K-12) program, funded by the National Science Foundation, forged collaboration between New Mexico State University science departments and middle school science teachers in southern New Mexico; it enhanced the education of graduate and middle school students while providing professional development for teachers and faculty. In the program, science graduate students partnered with a middle school science teachers for an academic year to develop and teach inquiry-based, interdisciplinary science lessons.

This project yielded three important concepts that apply to many collaborations between geoscience professionals and K-12 teachers. First, teachers prefer a long-term relationship to a one-day visit from a scientist. The long-term relationship allows teachers to learn how science works; short-term relationships teach teachers more science facts. Second, the K-12 and university cultures are very different. Time spent in understanding how the classroom operates, from discipline rules to the values that guide decisions, is an investment in effectiveness. Finally, state science education standards and benchmarks control what is taught in the public K-12 classroom. Because of this, geoscience professionals will have a greater impact in the K-12 arena if their collaborations are designed around state standards. A thorough understanding of the standards (see state education web sites) greatly enhances the speed at which collaboration develops as well as its long-term effectiveness.