MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF K-12 TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE GEOSCIENCES: ONE STATE’S ANSWER AND POTENTIAL MODEL FOR THE NATION

Geoscience teachers in K-12 schools are drawn from students who generally have not taken high school Earth science, often graduating as licensed teachers with few if any college geoscience courses. Thus much K-12 Earth science content is taught by teachers working outside their field with few geoscience colleagues for support. Addressing this situation requires professional development opportunities geared to the entire K-12 spectrum. How can this be achieved? Who has the expertise to develop such programs? Who will financially underwrite the effort? Who will coordinate and manage such programs sustainably? This poster explores the answers to these questions using the Minnesota Mineral Education Workshop (MMEW) model.

MMEW is an annual 3-day summer workshop for K-12 in-service teaches offered at various geologically diverse locations. 2 days focus on field trips to important geological outcrops, mines, processing and reclamation facilities specific to the region. 1 day offers teachers a selection of 75-minute short courses on topics commonly covered in K-12 Earth science. Participants receive a resource box with a field trip guide, DVD’s, books, hand samples, maps and tools for classroom use. MMEW relies on master teachers, academic, government and industry geologists to develop short courses and field trips. Presenters receive limited travel support but volunteer their time and expertise. Most funds for the workshop infrastructure are donated by private sector companies such that a teacher can attend the workshop for ~ $100 beyond the cost to travel to the workshop site. Access to mining sites is a critical form of support provided by industry.

The longevity of the workshop arises from a committee of volunteers drawn from academia, government and industry who use their particular expertise and connections to raise the funds, recruit the subject experts, local workshop hosts and industrial partners and ultimately implement the workshop. Over 21 years MMEW has provided ~1500 participants high quality professional development directly relevant to their local geology without relying on federal or state funding suggesting a sustainable model that can be replicated in other locations where academia, industry, and local government agencies are prepared to work with K-12 schools to meet their needs.