COMMUNITY COLLEGE EARTH SCIENCE INSTRUCTORS AS TEAM LEADERS IN K-12 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP ON ACTIVE PACIFIC NW GEOLOGY AND HAZARDS

Compared to any other level of the US education system, community college Earth science instructors provide the best combination of geographic distribution and knowledge of geology and geophysics. As such they are potentially valuable partners for K-12 teachers learning about local geology and geologic hazards. Teachers on the Leading Edge (TOTLE), an NSF EarthScope funded program, is employing a new approach to K-12 teacher professional development by partnering university geologists, CC Earth science instructors, and master teachers to deliver place-based professional development workshops for middle school teachers. During the week-long summer workshops (2008 Oregon; 2009-2010 Washington) the 35 teacher participants explore the active geology and hazards of the region through field work and classroom time. The program is intense and demanding and in order to combat confusion and promote the development of learning communities, five community college instructors serve essential roles as team leaders of ~7 teachers from their region. They mentor the teachers in small group settings, model guided inquiry on field trips, and endeavor to promote a community which will continue past the end of the summer workshop. Experience to date suggests that the teams were overall successful in promoting teacher comfort and involvement in the workshop with limiting factors being personality conflicts and vastly different curricular needs. Post workshop team continuation is most limited by time availability. Continuation is enhanced by particularly positive personality meshes, close physical proximity of teammates, and conducting post workshop team field trips.