Paper No. 7
Presentation Time: 9:00 AM-6:00 PM

ONLINE RESOURCES FOR GEOSCIENCE INSTRUCTORS AT TWO-YEAR COLLEGES


MCDARIS, John R., Science Education Research Center, Carleton College, 1 North College St, Northfield, MN 55057, LARSEN, Krista, Science Education Resource Center, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057, BAER, Eric M.D., Geology, Highline College, MS-29-3, 2400 S 240th St, Des Moines, WA 98198, BLODGETT, Robert H., Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Austin Community College, 1212 Rio Grande Street, Austin, TX 78701-1785, HODDER, Jan, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon, PO Box 5389, Charleston, OR 97420, MACDONALD, R. Heather, Department of Geology, College of William and Mary, PO Box 8795, Williamsburg, VA 23187, KRAFT, Katrien J. van der Hoeven, Physical Science Department, Mesa Community College at Red Mountain, 7110 East McKellips Road, Mesa, AZ 85207 and MAIER, Mark, Economics, Glendale Community College, 1500 North Verdugo Road, Glendale, CA 91208, jmcdaris@carleton.edu

Two-year colleges (2YCs) play a major role in geoscience education. In the U.S., nearly half of the students who take introductory geoscience do so at a 2YC. Teaching at 2YCs presents unique opportunities and challenges to instructors, yet materials designed specifically for instructors at these institutions can be difficult to find and instructors at 2YCs often feel isolated.

To support instructors in teaching geosciences at the 2YC level, the Geoscience in Two-Year Colleges (Geo2YC) website provides integrated access to all resources on teaching geoscience at the 2YC level developed by projects hosted on SERC websites. The site points to resources developed through several projects: The Role of Two-Year Colleges in Geoscience Education and in Broadening Participation in the Geosciences, the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) Two-Year College Division (Geo2YC), Supporting Community College Faculty Across Disciplines, Supporting and Advancing Geoscience Education in Two-Year Colleges (SAGE 2YC), and On the Cutting Edge. Taken together, these projects have generated a great body of knowledge to aid 2YC educators both in teaching and collaborating with their peers:

  • essays on various aspects of life at 2YCs, descriptions of courses, and teaching activities submitted by 2YC faculty.
  • networking and professional development opportunities such as workshops and sessions at professional meetings, as well as sources of support for attending them.
  • a discussion board and email list to talk to others interested in 2YC issues.
  • guidance for new faculty looking to start their 2YC careers.
  • profiles of 2YC efforts under way in other disciplines that can serve as models including professional organizations, publications, networking opportunities, and awards.

By pulling these and other threads together, the Geo2YC website provides a synthetic view across the whole suite of projects working to support faculty and students at 2YCs and can thus be used by faculty as a “one stop shop” for information and materials about this increasingly important sector of the post-secondary education ecosystem.

http://serc.carleton.edu/geo2yc/index.html