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In considering the essential role of partnerships and
collaborations in the revolution in Earth and space science education,
it is interesting to reflect on Earth itself as a model of
"partnerships." The concept of Earth as a dynamic system of interacting
components and processes has become the dominant model for understanding
our home planet in its full complexity. The geosphere, hydrosphere,
atmosphere and biosphere all interact in myriad ways. For example,
energy from the sun (exosphere) warms the oceans (hydrosphere) and
causes evaporation of water. Clouds and wind (atmosphere) transport
water and energy onto the continents. Mountain ranges, built by the slow
movement or Earth's tectonic plates over millions of years (geosphere),
intercept these weather systems causing rain and snow to fall. The
resulting precipitation erodes the mountains, nourishes the soil and
provides vital sustenance to numerous plant and animal species
(biosphere). As mountains rise and fall, weather patterns change and
species evolve or go extinct in response to changes in their
environment.
So too do the components of the revolution in Earth and space
science education necessarily interlink into a whole. New technologies
enable innovative teaching strategies and curricula. This, in turn,
requires teacher professional development, supported by policy reform
and monitored by new forms of assessment. Such interactions require
coordination, collaboration and partnerships on multiple levels. The
challenges are too large to be resolved by individuals and organizations
working in isolation. We all need to identify and share resources,
coordinate implementation and reform efforts, create synergies, and work
toward common goals.
As an example of an active partnership in this field, the
Coalition for Earth Science Education (CESE) is an informal group of
organizations involved in Earth and space science education. Members
include: educational organizations such the National Earth Science
Teachers Association (NESTA) and the National Association of Geoscience
Teachers (NAGT); science organizations like the American Geological
Institute (AGI), the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the National
Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR); and such federal agencies as
NASA and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). CESE was formed
when the National Science Education Standards were being developed to
provide a useful and cohesive voice to help shape the Earth and space
science component of the standards. CESE continues to meet regularly to
coordinate efforts of the member organizations and it was instrumental
in defining and shaping the National Conference on the Revolution in
Earth and Space Science Education.
Expanding from this base, the Earth and space science
education community should strengthen its ties to other fields of
science education, such as physics, chemistry and biology. Our efforts
to promote our field should be integrated within the larger effort to
promote science education reform in general. As an example of
inter-disciplinary collaboration, experts in physics, chemistry and
biology education participated in the Revolution Conference. We also
have opened conversations with the geography education community,
especially in viewing the state-based Geography Alliance program as a
role model for similar efforts for Earth and space science education.
Partnerships between Earth scientists and educators are also
essential. Such partnerships can help ensure that the Earth and space
science content and resources used in schools are accurate, up-to-date
and relevant. Scientists can benefit from such partnerships by a
stronger connection to students, teachers and the general public. Such
projects as GLOBE, Jason and River Watch engage students with scientists
in authentic research projects like monitoring environmental variables
in study sites near schools and providing the data to scientists.
Thousands of providers of informal science education and
outreach-museums, science centers, planetariums, national parks,
libraries, education television and many others-produce materials and
programs for formal K-12 Earth and space science education. They often
have access to physical materials, technology and facilities that can
help classes better reach science standards and better expose students
and their teachers to applications in the real world. They sit at the
interface between cutting-edge scholarship, the general public, and
formal education, specializing in communicating age- and
background-appropriate information about technical subjects. They can
serve an effective interface between the K-12 education community and
the scholarship coming from the research of academia and industry.
Partnerships can also produce innovative instructional
materials. Due to the long lead-time for textbook production and the
infrequency of new textbook adoption, textbook content is often outdated
by five or more years. As a result, teachers supplement student
readings and work with materials from other resources such as the
National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the Smithsonian's National
Science Resources Center, professional and scientific societies,
government agencies and articles from newspapers and journals. These
projects are typically the collaborative work of educators, scientists
and editorial staff and are often the innovators in curricular reform.
Working outside the constraints of textbook production and adoption,
they can introduce new concepts and up-to-date content in a timely
manner.
Another example of an important partnership is the National
Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Digital Library for Earth Systems
Education (DLESE). This multi-institution effort serves as a central
gathering point and clearinghouse for Web-based resources-data, lesson
plans, visualization tools, curricula, assessment materials and other
resources. Throughout this conference report, recommendations support
the use of DLESE as an existing clearinghouse.
Partnerships and Collaborations Recommendations
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At the state level, establish alliances to promote Earth and space science education reform.
States are a critical focus for educational change. States
establish curriculum frameworks, define assessment procedures, support
teacher professional development and institute other reform efforts.
Hence, there should be a nationally coordinated program of state-based
alliances for Earth and space science education reform. The alliances
should include a broad range of stakeholders, such as state departments
of education, scientists, teachers, businesses, professional societies,
informal education organizations, and government agencies like NASA, the
USGS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Using a model that has been well established by the geography education
community's Geographic Alliances program, such state-based alliances
should serve as catalyzing forces for reform in each state.
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At the national level, encourage organizations and
businesses to join the Coalition for Earth Science Education (CESE) and
support coordinated reform efforts.
CESE is an informal coalition of education and scientific
organizations involved in Earth and space science education. With its
eight-year history and diverse membership, it has emerged as the de
facto coordinating coalition through its yearly meetings. This role
should be acknowledged and used to build synergy and coordinate
communication among its members. Other organizations should be
encouraged to join. However, members attending CESE meetings have
vocally expressed their opinion that CESE should not have the goal of
becoming an institution in itself with staff, funding or operational
responsibilities. There are other organizations that fulfill this role.
Rather, meeting attendees have maintained that CESE as an independent
entity is ideally situated to help coordinate and encourage efforts by
its member organizations through regularly scheduled meetings and
communications.
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The professional Earth and space science teaching
associations should explore unification and collaborations with other
science and education groups.
The NAGT, NESTA and the National Marine Educators Association
(NMEA) are three of the primary organizations of Earth and space
science teachers. While they have developed somewhat different areas of
focus, in reality there is far more that is in common. They should
explore unification and work with astronomy and atmospheric science
education groups to present a unified front for reforming Earth and
space science education and supporting the member teachers. In addition,
Earth and space science educators should build strong collaborations
with biology, chemistry, physics, geography and other disciplines to
support science education reform across the curriculum, at all grade
levels.
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Promote partnerships for initiatives in teacher preparation, professional development and ongoing classroom support.
Teacher training and support is one of the most important
aspects of school reform. As detailed in the Professional Development
section of this report, efforts in this regard need to include
scientists, educators, colleges, universities and others actively
involved in working with teachers. It is critical that education
departments, Earth and space science departments and other science
departments work together closely in pre-service teacher education
programs to ensure that students receive both the pedagogy and the
science necessary to carry forth the revolution.
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Promote partnerships among scientists, teachers, and students-especially in authentic research partnerships.
Earth and space science offers a wide range of opportunities
for scientists to work with teachers and students. In the GLOBE program,
for example, students worldwide collect environmental measurements that
scientists use in their research. NASA's summer programs and others
enable teachers and high-school students to do field research with
scientists during school vacations. Such partnerships in authentic
research offer powerful opportunities for student learning, teacher
professional development and science research.
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Encourage partnerships among publishers, curriculum
developers, educators and scientists to infuse new approaches and
resources into traditional Earth and space science programs.
Earth and space science teachers typically use textbooks as the central
resource in their classrooms. Developers of innovative curricula and new
technologies should be encouraged to collaborate with textbook
publishers to infuse new materials and methods into the textbooks and
support the use of these resources by large numbers of teachers.
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Encourage partnerships between college and university
departments and professional societies to support acceptance of Earth
and space science courses as laboratory science for college admission.
Scientific societies, such as AGU and the Geological Society
of America, and professional associations like NESTA, NAGT, and NMEA are
the membership organizations to which many college and university
faculty belong. These groups should collaborate with their memberships
to ensure that high-school Earth and space science courses are
acceptable for college admission credit. Such an effort would
acknowledge the value of high-school Earth and space science courses and
increase the number of students selecting them. Guidance counselors
should be informed of progress in this regard so that they can be active
allies in promoting student participation in Earth and space science
courses.
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Encourage partnerships among community-based
organizations, science museums, scientists and educators to: support
Earth and space science education outside of traditional school
environments; enrich in-school education; and create synergies at the
interface of informal and formal education.
Science museums, community organizations and public media
offer outlets for education that foster self-driven learning motivated
out of personal interest and curiosity. These settings reach the general
public, students and their teachers, community groups and many others.
Collaborations drawing on the multifarious strengths of this diverse set
of educators and audiences promise to reach more people in innovative
ways. Active scientific and education researchers should play a key role
in these partnerships, particularly in maintaining and translating the
latest scholarship. Because this is the primary channel through which
adults come into contact with science, and through which school-age
children can choose their own areas of science learning, such
partnerships offers a mechanism for creating and maintaining a
science-literate citizenry. An educated and interested public is among
the best means for achieving reform in Earth and space science
education.
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Encourage partnerships for parental involvement
Parents are crucial to the success of education reform.
Partnerships should inform parents about reform efforts and support
their involvement. Parents can hold school administrators responsible
for curricula that provide their children with the best educational
practices and content. Publishers, curriculum developers and teachers
should develop activities that enable parents and students to work
together on Earth and space science education in the home and make it
part of home learning culture.
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