Abstract
The Paleo Exploration Project (PEP) was a University of Montana (UM) professional development program serving K-12 teachers from eastern Montana. Two cohorts of 25 teachers each completed the program. Each cohort was engaged in the training for 12-18 months. The program began with several 2-day teachers' weekend workshops during the spring semester. The following summer, teachers attended a weeklong summer research institute with middle-school-aged students. Over the next academic year, teachers took part in a final weekend workshop and developed, and in most cases implemented, their own learning activities with their students. Using a design experiment framework, we learned that teachers needed (1) additional hands-on practice with the technologies, (2) a curriculum component that was targeted more directly on scientific inquiry, and (3) more practice with project design.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Teaching Science and Investigating Environmental Issues with Geospatial Technology |
Subtitle of host publication | Designing Effective Professional Development for Teachers |
Publisher | Springer Netherlands |
Pages | 35-50 |
Number of pages | 16 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9789048139316 |
ISBN (Print) | 9789048139309 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2014 |
Keywords
- Field work
- GIS
- Google earth
- Paleontology
- Scientific inquiry