EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE EDUCATION ALLIANCE ESSEA

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EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE EDUCATION ALLIANCE (ESSEA)
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
(IGES) Arlington, VA
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Topics

• ESSEA 2000-2005
• NSF ESSEA 2006-2009

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ESSEA 2000-2005

• K-12 online teacher professional development
  program operating through a network of
  20 colleges and universities
• Based on a trio of courses developed by NASA
  Classroom of the Future, Wheeling Jesuit
  University
• NASA funded IGES and NASA COTF/WJU to build a
  national ESSEA program

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ESSEA Institutions 2000-2005
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ESSEA 2000-05 Courses

• Three graduate courses
• Teachers of K-4, 5-8, 9-12
• Guiding Principles
• Model inquiry (Problem-Based Learning) for
  university faculty and K-12 teachers
• Earth system science
• NASA resources
• 16 weeks, 3 graduate credits (semester or CEUs)

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ESSEA 2000-05 Courses

• Shared Design Elements
• Reflection Journals
• Collaborative groups
• Individual and team assignments
• Asynchronous discussion
• 16-week Sequence
• Weeks 1-3 Introduction
• Weeks 4-15 3-week cycles
• Week 16 Final project (individual)
• Develop classroom applications

• Unique Elements
• Elementary teacher action research component
  teachers research essential questions related to
  air, land, water, life
• Middle School teachers jigsaw between expert
  and event groups
• Middle and high school course scenarios
  Greenland Ice Sheets, Coral Reefs, Hurricane
  Dennis, Global Warming, Brazilian Deforestation,
  Ozone Hole, Mt. Pinatubo, Yellowstone Fires)

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ESSEA 2000-05 Results

• Over 1,700 teachers from 42 states
• Almost 40 of teachers from Minority Serving
  Institutions
• Approx. 75 K-12 teachers
• Approx. 25 pre-service
• Significant impact on teachers content
  knowledge, attitudes and practices
• Pre- and post-course surveys, follow-up surveys,
  and case studies
• Sustainability beyond NASA funding
• 17 continue to offer courses, or have developed
  new courses/modules using ESSEA as model

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NSF GEO-Teach Program

• Improve the quality of geoscience instruction -
  primarily middle and high school
• Provide teachers with easy access to high-quality
  curricular materials and current science
• Implement pre-service teacher training and
  in-service professional development programs
  designed to enhance students' understanding of
  and appreciation for the importance of the
  geosciences

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NSF ESSEA 2006-2009

• Update Existing Courses
• Incorporate new resources/datasets
• Pre-service version of courses
• New Course - Teacher Action Research
• Increase number of participating institutions to
  40
• 26 Partners
• 14 Associates

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NSF ESSEA Team

• IGES Bob Myers, PI and Theresa Schwerin, Co-I
• Technology for Learning Hilarie Davis, Project
  Evaluator
• Senior Advisors Geoscientists and Educators

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ESSEA Senior Advisors

• Geoscientists
• Kevin Czajkowski - University of Toledo -
  atmospheric science, remote sensing
• Rob Pockalney - University of Rhode Island -
  oceanography
• Gene Rankey - University of Miami, RSMAS -
  coastal geology, remote sensing
• Bill Slattery - Wright State University -
  geology
• Michael Witew - Seattle Pacific University,
  meteorology and physics
• Educators
• Jim Botti - retired educator - part of team that
  created original ESSEA courses
• Neal Grandgenett, University of NE-Lincoln -
  science and math education
• Cheryl Manning - middle school and high school
  educator
• Gary Popiolowski - middle school educator, has
  taken ESSEA course
• Teresa Hislop - high school Earth system science
  educator
• have taught ESSEA courses

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Request for Proposals

• Notice of Intent to Propose March 19
• Proposals Due April 18
• Awards Announced June 1
• ESSEA Summer Conference Aug 6-8

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ESSEA Partners

• Ongoing program in geoscience teacher education
• Offer ESSEA courses at least four times, between
  Summer 07 and Fall 09 (start no later than Jan
  08)
• Provide college-level credits for courses
• Participate in the annual ESSEA conference
• Collaborate in ESSEA outreach
• Participate in overall program evaluation and
  provide evaluation data
• Share lessons and activities developed by their
  teachers

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ESSEA Partners

• Additional Requirements for ESSEA teams from
  2000-2005 (at least 2 of the following)
• Develop and contribute at least two new Earth
  system science modules annually
• Serve as a mentor to a new ESSEA institution.
• Serve as instructors/facilitators at the summer
  ESSEA conference
• Conduct research studies
• Submit at least one paper on their ESSEA research
  results and/or experience for publication to a
  professional journal

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Partner Benefits

• Funding 40,000
• Travel support to attend the annual ESSEA
  conference
• Access to continuing professional development and
  technical support
• Access to the ESSEA network updates
• Participation in ESSEA web seminars and
  teleconferences, which will provide ongoing
  professional development and opportunities to
  interact with other ESSEA Partners on current
  topics in geoscience and/or education

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ESSEA Associates

• Organizations involved in geoscience teacher
  education and/or professional development
• Mutual benefit from their association with ESSEA
• Provide evaluation data on use of ESSEA courses

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Associate Benefits

• Access to the ESSEA courses/updates
• Training in running the courses
• Participation at annual meetings
• Access to ESSEA network

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Next Steps

• Recruit and select new ESSEA institutions
• Revising/updating courses, testing Teacher Action
  Research Course - ready by this summer
• Planning for summer conference

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For more information
Visit www.strategies.org/essea Contact
essea_at_strategies.org