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| Have access to exceptional science and education leaders? Turn your classroom into a NASA laboratory? Put yourself at the forefront of Earth system science teaching and elevate your science classroom! The Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSA) is supporting a diverse network of training teams, at educational institutions across the country, in offering a trio of exceptional online Earth System Science courses. These NASA-sponsored, state of the art professional development courses will engage you, and in turn, your students, in understanding the complex scientific terms, concepts, and sphere (hydrosphere, atmosphere,etc.) interactions of Earth system science. | |
| As part of the ESSEA network, ECSU will be offering the Earth System Science courses beginning in the Spring 2003. The course is entitled ELEM 635: Earth Science for Elementary School Teachers. For more information contact: Mr. Ervin Howard,
Program Manager Dr. Barbara Johnson,
Professor of Education Dr. William Porter,
Professor of Geoscience Dr. Linda Hayden,
Principal Investigator | |
| Experience The Scientific Process As a student in these exciting professional development courses, you'll experience the scientific process while mastering new ESS content, develop confidence in the use of technology, design new classroom activities, and become knowledgeable about new resources. And you'll do it from the comfort of your home, at a schedule that accomodates you, and while earning graduate or continuing education credit! | |
| Integrate The New Tools Of Technology Into Your Classroom The three available ESS courses (for teachers of grades K-4, 5-8, 9-12) use an innovative instructional design model. Delivered over the Internet, they feature student centered, knowledge building virtual communities, the optimal method for teachers to teach and for students to learn. The K-4 teacher's ESS course engages primary school teachers in online collaborative activities emphasizing the use of hands on activities, with the goal of laying an early foundation of ESS knowledge upon which students can build as they progress through their K-12 experiences. The ESS course for Middle School teachers implements a student centered Earth system science based classroom where participants learn from the student's point of view. Teachers participating in this course work in collaborative groups to tackle problems and information that are often completely new to them. Active participation, and reflection on learning in a student centered model, enables participants to transfer new learning techniques to their own teaching. To be offered during Fall 2000. Teachers participating in the High School ESS course will engage in a collaborative, inquiry based electronic environment, team with fellow teachers, analyse the impact of Earth events on spheres, develop Earth systems models, research Problem Based Learning (PBL) and create ESS and PBL activites to use in their classrooms. | |
| Participation Throughout this 16 week course, you will work in groups and in teams. Depending on the number of people enrolled, teams will consist of four to six participants. You will be expected to contribute to online discussion sessions "asynchronously". This is, you will be able to log on to the Internet and post your thoughts to the virtual Classroom spaces as your individual schedules permit, but by the specific assignment deadlines. Team discussions will revolve around Earth system science and Earth system science teaching practices. The course will be moderated by a facilitator. Additional support from an Earth scientist will be provided as the course progresses. After the first three weeks, this course is structured in four, three week cycles. You will study a new event (deforestation, volcanic eruption, ice shelf disintegration, hurricane) in each of the four cycles. As a participant in this course, you will play a different role during each week of the cycle. Team Assignment: Become experts in the relationship of individual spheres to an Earth event. Individual Assignment: Write in your journal Team Assignment: systhesize your knowledge of the individual spheres and the event into causal chains. Individual Assignments: Develop cooperative activities that engage your students in understanding Earth as a system through analyzing the causes and effects of an event. Write in your journal. You will have the option to complete an extra credit Local Event Study at the end of Weeks 6, 9 , 12, and 15. At the end of the four, three week cycles, you will complete an individual final project. All assignments are expected to be submitted by the posted deadlines. Instructions and deadlines for the assignments and rubrics can be accessed from Weeks 4-16 in the Outline. http://davem2.cotf.edu/essc/cintro/participation.html | |
| Course Sections This online, collaborative course is composed of four different sections: Intro, Guide, Outline and Classroom. Below are the four sections of the course with a list of what you will find in each one. | |
| Intro The Intro provides an overview of the course. It includes:
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| Guide The Guide provides you with tips to help you adjust to this online environment. The various pages include:
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| Classroom The Classroom graphically depicts the web based, collaborative environment. From this location you can access any of the virtual spaces:
All course communication, except private emails, takes place in the virtual spaces. | |
| Outline The Outline provides links to each of the 16 weeks of the course. You will need to check this area each week to get the various assignments you will complete. During Weeks 1-3 you will do orientation activities. Then in Weeks 4-15 you will participate in four, three week cycles and will complete required assignments. You will end the course after you complete the assignments in Week 16. You need to complete your assignments by midnight on Sunday, so you should always check the Course Outline at the beginning of each new week. The you can plan when you will do your work. | |
| Week 1 | Individual: Read
the Intro, Read the Guide. Do the Pre-Course Survey Team: Meet and name your team |
| Week 2 | Individual: Do a practice ESS analysis |
| Week 3 | Team: Collaborate on a practice ESS analysis. |
| Week 4 | Team: Sphere Study
Individual: Journal |
| Week 5 | Team: Event Study
Individual: Journal |
| Week 6 | Individual: Classroom Application, Journal, Cycle Reflection, Event Study |
| Week 7 | Team: Sphere Study
Individual: Journal |
| Week 8 | Team: Event Study
Individual: Journal |
| Week 9 | Individual: Classroom Application, Journal, Cycle Reflection, Local Event Study (Optional) |
| Week 10 | Team: Sphere Study
Individual: Journal |
| Week 11 | Team: Event Study
Individual: Journal |
| Week 12 | Individual: Classroom Application, Journal Cycle Reflection, Local Event Study (Optional) |
| Week 13 | Team: Sphere Study
Individual: Journal |
| Week 14 | Team: Event Study
Individual: Journal |
| Week 15 | Individual: Classroom Application, Journal Cycle Reflection, Local Event Study (Optional) |
| Week 16 | Individual: Do the Final Project, Do the post Course Survey |
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