FINESSE: Faculty Institute for NASA Earth and Space Science Education

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FINESSEFaculty Institute for NASA Earth and
Space Science Education

• Helping to better prepare future teachers to
  teach Earth and Space Science

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Who Are We?

• FINESS Institutes are being implemented by a team
  of Earth and space science education specialists,
  including
• Christine Shupla, Education Specialist , Lunar
  and Planetary Institute
• Stephanie Slater, Assistant Professor, Cognition
  in Astronomy, Physics, and Earth sciences
  Research (CAPER) Team, University of Wyoming
• Timothy F. Slater, Excellence in Higher Education
  Endowed Professor, Cognition in Astronomy,
  Physics, and Earth sciences Research (CAPER)
  Team, University of Wyoming
• William Waller, Senior Lecturer of Astronomy,
  Department of Physics and Astronomy, Tufts
  University
• Others
• Team member Greg Schultz, Education/Outreach
  Scientist and Teacher Educator, UC-Berkeley,
  Center for Science Education
• Evaluator Janelle Bailey, Science Education
  Professor and Researcher, University of Nevada,
  Las Vegas
• Speaker Bruce Ward, Harvard-Smithsonian Center
  for Astrophysics

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And Who Are You?

• Included in folders are participants lists
• Weve sent out an email with your goals for this
  institute (summarized but not complete here)
• new effective pedagogies/ methods / techniques /
  astronomy education research to improve student
  learning.
• new methods of fostering love of science in
  pre-service students.
• meet and learn from earth and space science
  instructors responsible for teaching pre-service
  teachers at other institutions. possible
  collaborations
• learn how to overcome challenges in teaching
• resources for K-12 science teachers, including
  activities, information and references
• learn more about planetary space science
• learn more about the common misconceptions
• Please introduce yourself briefly

Best Practice Tip Know Your Audience
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Why Are We Here?
There is room for improving the Earth and space
science preparation of future teachers. Our team
has researched the current needs of future
teachers and of their faculty and is offering
this institute to help meet those needs.

• The Commission believes that the greatest impact
  will come from expanding programs to train
  teachers of science, mathematics, and technology.
  Future efforts should include in-service active
  teachers and pre-service teachers, i.e., those
  who are still in training in university and
  college programs. Such efforts should focus on
  providing engaging, state-of-the-art content
  aligned with existing national science and
  technology education standards, and emphasize
  approaches that allow students to experience
  first hand the thrill of discovery and
  innovation.
• Report of the Presidents Commission on
  Implementation of United States Space Exploration
  Policy, 2004
• ..Americas students must improve their
  performance in mathematics and science if they
  are to succeed in todays world and if the United
  States is to stay competitive in an integrated
  global economy. ..the most direct route to
  improving mathematics and science achievements
  for all students is better mathematics and
  science teaching..
• Before Its Too Late A Report to the Nation from
  the National Commission on Mathematics and
  Science Teaching for the 21st Century, 2000

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To Begin.Some Essential Questions

• 1) How can pre service teachers be engaged in
  authentic inquiry activities using genuine Earth
  and space data?
• Sub questions
• Why use inquiry what pedagogical advantages does
  inquiry based instruction provide?
• What are the challenges to implementing inquiry
  based science instruction?
• How can conceptual understanding, gained through
  inquiry instruction, be assessed?
• What is necessary for me to implement inquiry
  instruction using Earth and space science data?
• 2) How do we know what we know about our solar
  system?

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Connections and Links

• In order to address these questions, we will be
  exploring
• Best practices in science education, primarily
  though explicit modeling
• Identifying and addressing misconceptions
• Activities that can be used to conduct authentic
  inquiry with Earth and space science data
• The role, variety, and nature of inquiry
• The challenges of implementing inquiry
• Sources and qualities of useful NASA data for
  inquiry
• Other NASA educational resources, and what makes
  a good, useful resource
• Assessment tools
• Planning on implementing new methods and
  activities within your classes, and
• Network Planning for the Community