NOAO-Sponsored Special Sessions at the American Geophysical Union

Session Title: Teacher Professional Development Programs Promoting Authentic Scientific Research in the Classroom

AGU 2010 sessions

two oral sessions (ED51B & ED52A) and one poster session (ED53A).

AGU 2009 sessions

Three oral sessions (ED33D, ED42A & ED43D).

AGU 2008 sessions

One oral session (ED22A) and one poster session (ED13C).

AGU 2007 sessions

One oral session (ED21B) and one poster session (ED21A).

AGU 2006 sessions

Two oral sessions (ED11C and ED12A) and one poster session (ED13A).

AGU 2005 sessions

Two oral sessions (ED21B and ED22A) and one poster session (ED23A).

Session Description:

The two oral sessions and one poster session focused on informing scientists, educators, education researchers, evaluators and funding agency program officers on efforts to provide K-12 teachers with authentic research experiences in science and engineering. Presentations highlighted best practices for the “Teacher Research Experience” model. Presentations by those who design, facilitate, evaluate, and fund TRE programs were especially encouraged, as well as presentations by teachers and scientists who have participated in such programs.

Suggested areas for presenters to address included but were not limited to:

the transition of the educational environment into an authentic research center
how best to prepare teachers to become part of scientific research teams
the use of
- online learning in teacher professional development
- support systems for teacher researchers
- research community collaboration and
- program assessment and evaluation.
examples of the value to the scientific community of involving teachers in research
recommendations for designing and implementing research experiences that aligns with national, state, and/or local reform efforts in science education
how authentic research experiences can be used as a strategy to retain and renew the best science teachers and enhance student learning
the framework for conceptual learning in terms of the curricula and embedded research activities
the effective transfer of knowledge from the teacher/researcher to the students through implementing a research program within the classroom
how these teacher professional development programs play an essential role in science education reform and in teacher retention and renewal

Presentations on new models for long and short-term teacher research experiences were invited from the fields of space science, environmental science, atmospheric science, earth science, oceanography, etc. Scientist-teacher research teams were particularly encouraged to submit abstracts for the session. Printed and CD-based materials were brought by participants to the session to be distributed to attendees.