Professional Development for Middle School and High School Educators on Climate and Global Change and Modeling in the Geosciences at NCAR

The Office of Education and Outreach (EO) at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) builds upon UCAR's expertise in professional development by designing and implementing workshops that support K-12 and undergraduate educators. These workshops focus on improving knowledge of the atmospheric and related sciences, facility with computer technology, and proficiency in addressing pedagogical issues.

A series of geoscience educators' workshops for middle and high school teachers were held in the summers of 2002-2005, concentrating on climate and global change and modeling in the geosciences. The workshops included presentations by leaders in scientific research, instruction in appropriate technologies, standards-based activities, field trips, project work, and discussions about pedagogy, educational standards, and classroom implementation. The workshops were very well received by participants, and continuing contact with participants documents that this workshop experience has had significant impact on their classroom teaching in these subject areas.

Applications for the workshops far exceeded available space, suggesting a need for an approach that could reach a broader audience than can be accomodated solely through in-person workshops in Boulder. We are therefore working to develop on-line curricula for educators which bring the resources developed for these workshops into a format that can be shared over the web through a series of online courses that address the climate system and modeling in the geosciences.