Earth2class: what research scientists can share with classroom teachers

Earth2Class: What Research Scientists Can Share with Classroom Teachers

“Earth2Class” is a unique science/math/technology learning resource that brings together research scientists and classroom teachers to enhance knowledge and skills of both. Based at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, this program has expanded greatly from earlier versions described at the 9th Symposium on Education through development of a supporting Internet site, www.earth2class.org, and use of teleconferencing technologies to allow participants far from the LDEO campus to participate in the workshops. Two accompanying presentations describe more about these aspects of the project. This presentation describes what the cooperating scientists share with teachers.

In the winter and spring of 2000, ten LDEO staffers provided seven workshops for teachers. These were part of three-hour Saturday morning programs made available to classroom educators in two ways: “live” at the Palisades NY campus of LDEO, and through teleconferencing to teachers about 200 miles (320 km) away through the North Hudson Electronic Educational Empowerment Project, based at Adirondack Community College.

Educational technology specialists from the Institute of Learning technologies of Teachers College, Columbia University provided support for teleconferencing and development of www.earth2class.org. Before each session, they discussed with the research scientists proposed content for the workshop, then worked to develop appropriate power point or html display materials, as well as other resources available for teachers using the web site.

Dr. Michael J. Passow, an AMS Maury Project Peer Trainer, provided background information and classroom-ready activities during the rest of the workshops. Participants at both sites were able to interact with the scientists, asking questions and utilizing web sites and CDs provided for the project by NASA's JPL, the Ocean Drilling Project, and other sources. The teachers were also able to work though several of the AMS Education Program teacher training modules created for Project ATMOSPHERE and the Maury Project.

Themes of this year’s workshops and accompanying AMS teacher-training modules were:

Workshop 1 (Jan. 15): "Predicting Natural Disasters" with Dr. Arthur Lerner-Lam; "Hazardous Weather".

Workshop 2 (Feb. 5): "El Nino, La Nina, and the North Atlantic Oscillation" with Dr. Martin Visbeck; "El Nino: The Atmosphere-Ocean Connection".

Workshop 3 (Mar. 4): "Winds, Currents, and Cores" with Dr. Donna Witter and Curator Rusty Lotti Bond; "Wind-Driven Circulation" and "Density-Driven Circulation."

Workshop 4 (Apr. 1): "Climate Changes Over Various Time Scales" with Dr. Joseph Ortiz; "Tides".

Workshop 5 (Apr. 29): "Studying the Sea Floors and Sea Surface from Space" with Dr. Christopher Small; "Measuring Sea Level".

Workshop 6 (May 13): "EarthView Explorer (part 1)" with Drs. O. Roger Anderson, Raymond Sambrotto, and John Armbruster.

Workshop 7 (Jun. 3): "EarthView Explorer (part 2)" with Drs. O. Roger Anderson, Raymond Sambrotto, and John Armbruster.

"Earth2class" continues to provide an excellent example of ways for research institutions to work with classroom educators and schools of education to enhance science achievement. Plans for future expansion of "Earth2class" will also be included in the presentation.