Community and Authentic Experience: CIRES Earthworks Workshops

1. Community and Authentic Experience: CIRES Earthworks Workshops Tim Weston2 (ATLAS) Susan Buhr1, Lesley Smith1 (CIRES) University of Colorado, Boulder

2. Our goals for Earthworks participants • To experience authentic scientific inquiry • To become part of a like-minded community of educators and scientists • To practice new skills and think through implementation

3. What do the teachers do? • Identify a question to research • Question can be about any field-science topic • Learn field methods • Conduct project as adult learners • Build community and collaboration opportunities • Teach skills to others • Plan implementation “The Mud People” hydrology group presents their groundwater study methods

4. What do the scientists do? • Develop field methods suitable for classroom implementation. • Work with teachers in conducting a research project. • Some give evening presentations • Provide support during implementation. Dr. Joyce Gelhorn leads discussion on a burn site study.

5. Participant Deliverables For all: • Experimental Plan • Electronic copy of data and coordinates • Group presentation • Summary report • Implementation Plan: Individual For those taking three credits: • More detailed Implementation Plan • Report/outcomes by end of school year

6. Recent evaluation studies “Students spend more time inquiring into the health of local wetlands from the bottom up and the top down (bedrock to topsoil and clouds to puddles)…By looking into the whole system, students (and parents, and teacher) get a better understanding of how it all works together.” [2007 Presidential Award Winner in Science Teaching] • Interviews and Survey • Goals to learn about: • Benefits of Earthworks participation • How teaching practices changed • How other professional activities changed • Recommendations for improvement

7. Study participants • Interviews: Nine past participants and fifteen new participants • Survey: 39% response rate so far of 167 teachers from 37 states. • 51% high school, 41% middle school, 7% elementary • More females (63%) than males (37%) • Caucasian (89%), Hispanic (4%), African American (2%) • Note: Many teach in challenging contexts

8. “The Defining Feature: Extensive Work with Scientists” “Earthworks really allowed me to see how science is done in the field. It was absolutely beneficial to work with scientists and have discussions about science that happens outside of my classroom.” The ecology group discusses potential sampling schemes

9. Importance of Community “There’s really a strong sense of community at Earthworks that makes it a lot more comfortable to go back and try some of the new activities. It’s really good to know others are out there you can talk with.” Working with like-minded teachers is important to all Many reported feeling isolated because of their use of inquiry-based science.

10. Benefits of Participation

11. Changes to Teaching Practices “I learned to let the students have more control and be more active in their learning. Knowing what is a ‘good’ question that can be researchable”

12. Changes to professional activities “I’ve attended many workshops-too numerous to mention. Earthworks gave me the confidence to go for what I want…quality education for my student and ME. I also have started a Masters in Geoscience.”

13. “How likely to participate in…?”

14. Conclusions Earthworks succeeds at providing authentic science experience in a supportive community. Teachers experience gains in inquiry-based teaching practices Teachers grow as leaders Teachers increase their ability to access resources Teachers more likely to participate in technology-mediated support mechanisms.

15. 2007 Earthworks Contact: Susan Buhr susan.buhr@colorado.edu http://cires.colorado.edu/education/k12/earthworks Thanks go to NASA, EPA, U. of Colorado and CIRES for past support of Earthworks