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Colorado State University's Center for Science, Mathematics,
and Technology Education (CSMATE) in cooperation with TERC and with
support from the
National Science Foundation (NSF) convened a workshop from June 21-24,
2001 in Snowmass, Colorado to define a common vision for Earth and space
science education in grades K-12 during the next decade. An advisory
committee met in April 2000 at NSF and several times via email during
the subsequent year to develop the goals and agenda for the workshop and
to identify workshop participants. We recognized that to have a
positive and sustainable impact on K-12 Earth and space science
education, this effort would need to take a systemic, collaborative and
long-term approach to reform. Consequently, while about half of the
participants selected were K-16 educators, scientists, business leaders,
and administrators in the Earth and space sciences, the other half were
from physics, chemistry, biology, geography, mathematics and policy
areas. Represented organizations included National Science Teachers
Association, American Association for the Advancement of Science,
Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, American Chemical Society,
American Institute of Physics, National Association of Geoscience
Teachers, and National Earth Science Teachers Association. Government
agencies included the National Science Foundation, NASA and United
States Geological Survey.
In taking a systemic approach to reform, eight areas of broad
interest were identified to focus workshop discussions and report
recommendations. These areas were:
- Policy and Systemic Reform
- Curriculum and Instructional Materials
- Technology
- Assessment
- Professional Development
- Partnerships and Collaborations
- Equity and Diversity
- Informal Education and Outreach.
Working groups in each of these areas were formed based on the
expertise of the participants and with the goal of seeking broad
representation of grade levels, disciplines and demographics. Prior to
the workshop, each working group was asked to address key questions
concerning the current status of their topic area with respect to Earth
and space science education. At the workshop, each working group met
several times in small group sessions to develop reports and
recommendations for the future. Plenary sessions set the stage for the
work to be done, calibrate participants on the current state of Earth
and space science education, develop a common vision for the future of
Earth and space science education, allow for the sharing of information
and ideas between groups, and to summarize the recommendations of each
group. Following the workshop, the working group facilitators and a
small number of other participants worked with the conveners to draft
the initial sections for this report.
The Blueprint for Change report resulting from this workshop
is the first collective response from the Earth and space science
education community to the National Science Education Standards, the
Benchmarks for Science Literacy, and new State Science Education
Standards. We hope that teachers, administrators, policy-makers and
parents use this report as a resource and guide to Earth and space
science education reform efforts in classrooms, school districts and
communities across the country. This report is also intended to be an
invitation to other disciplines to support collaborative, large-scale
education reform efforts in science, geography, language arts and
technology.
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