HR: 17:21h
AN: ED34A-06    [Abstracts]
TI: A Model for Teacher Professional Development Using Mapping Technologies to Foster Authentic Research in Earth/Environmental Sciences
AU: Hagevik, R
EM: rahagevi@ncat.edu
AF: North Carolina A & T State University, Barnes Hall 1601 East Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27411 United States
AU: * Watson, M
EM: triassic02@aol.com
AF: North Carolina State University, 502 Poe Hall Campus Box 7801, Raleigh, NC 27695-7801 United States
AB: Within the framework of the 5-Step Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Leadership Model, developed by Stubbs, Devine and Hagevik, this study addressed the effectiveness using new mapping technologies to provide authentic research experiences for teachers in Earth/Environmental Science. The 5-Step Model is cumulative, with each step increasing in complexity, taking the participant from learning a base of computer skills and earth/environmental science concepts all the way to independently conducting field research. Through a problem-solving approach, teachers build upon their own understandings and share them with their students. Online learning, support systems, research scientist collaboration, and direct pedagogical instruction are the essential components of this program. For example, in the second step of the model, teachers and students use the online Mapping Our School Site (MOSS)c curriculum and CITYgreenc GIS to investigate their school campuses. A support system of Teacher Leaders, scientists, and community collaborators has been established through electronic communications and site visits. Scientific content and pedagogy is infused into the steps of this model in the direct teaching of spatial thinking skills to the teachers and strategies on how to transfer these skills to their students. The success of this approach results in teacher expertise and a new found confidence in conducting authentic scientific research using new mapping technologies. This study confirmed that a significant number of teachers proceeded to implement authentic student research using mapping technologies to teach earth/environmental science in their classrooms up to two years after completing the professional development.
UR: http://www.ncsu.edu/scilink/studysite
DE: 0805 Elementary and secondary education
DE: 0825 Teaching methods
DE: 0830 Teacher training
DE: 0850 Geoscience education research
DE: 0910 Data processing
SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting