ONE TEACHER'S TALE OF 50+ YEARS OF INVOLVEMENT IN NSF GEOSCIENCE TEACHER EDUCATION INITIATIVES AT MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Michigan Technological University has a long and successful tradition of coupling its spectacular geological setting with a dedicated faculty and staff in efforts to improve geoscience education. Beginning with a National Science Foundation Summer Institute in 1960 and culminating in MiTEP (Michigan Teacher Excellence Program, a NSF-funded Math-Science Partnership) now in midcourse, the presenter will focus on many facets of planning, implementation, and evaluation of several successful MTU Geoscience Education programs funded by NSF. Featuring personal accounts and reminiscences of involvement (beginning in 1960) as an attendee, teacher participant, evaluator, pedagogy consultant, and finally as a graduate student contributing to the planning of NSF-funded professional development activities at Michigan Technological University, the presenter will discuss how a consideration of prior program designs has led to a synthesis of successful strategies employed in MiTEP, including:

-Addressing teachers’ needs based upon pre-assessments in the planning and implementation of high-quality professional development activities

-The employment of extensive and varied field-based learning experiences in expanding teachers’ content knowledge

-The importance of pedagogy in stimulating improvement in course content

-Place-based design

-Sustainability of lessons learned through sharing methods (such as lesson study, professional learning communities, and participation in conferences conducted by professional organizations)

-Incorporation of resources and initiatives from state and federal agencies and organizations into the design and implementation plan (e.g. ESLP Big Ideas, state and federal academic standards, EarthComm)

-Evaluation of program effectiveness and implementation of corrections and/or enhancements based upon critical evaluative feedback

-Communication of lessons learned