ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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New! Professional Development for Informal Educators!

   The Paleontological Research Institution, in conjunction with the Earth
System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA) will be offering a new and
innovative course in Earth system science education professional
development.  Funded by NASA and NSF, ESSEA has a successful history of
providing quality, inquiry-based Earth science education professional
development for K-12 teachers; this new course will give informal
educators access to, as well as the opportunity to participate in, the
ESSEA program of professional development.

   This one credit unit course will be conducted entirely online, and
although registration is required through State University of New York
at Oneonta, there will be no fee to take the course.

   “Global Climate Change and Informal Earth System Science” is an online
graduate course designed to provide professional development for the
informal Earth system science education community.  The first module,
“Global Climate Change”, defines the topic and discusses recent
scientific study on global climate change.  The second module, “Earth
System Science in Your Backyard” provides the tools for creating
in-house, inquiry-based Earth science education products focusing on
the participants’ existing collections, exhibits, programming, and/or
local geology.

    The final project for the course will require the staff member to, at
their respective organizations, design or update programming, an
exhibit, etc. that reflects course content.  Upon successful
completion of the course, the staff member's employing venue will
receive a mini-grant for $500 for each staff person who takes and
completes the course, to be used toward implementation of his/her
project (which may include salary for the staff person(s)).  We
encourage venues to have multiple staff members take the course
(maximum of 4).

  Employing institutions of graduates from the course will be invited to
partner with PRI to offer the ESSEA K-12 teacher professional
development courses to local teachers, offering free registration for
the three unit professional development course.  The courses will be
taught by staff of PRI, with graduates given the opportunities to act as
“visiting scientist” in the course.  This will give graduates the
opportunity to see the process of course instruction for the ESSEA K-12
programs, enhance the relationship between informal and formal
educators, and introduce local formal educators to the ESSEA courses.

      The first offering of the class will start on 24 October, 2007.  For
more information, and registration details, please email Carlyn
Buckler:  [log in to unmask]
For further information on the ESSEA K-12 professional development, see: 
http://essea.strategies.org "



Carlyn S. Buckler, Ph.D.
Paleontological Research Institution
Museum of the Earth
1259 Trumansburg Road, Ithaca, NY 14850
Ph: (607) 273-6623 ext. 25
InformalEarthScience.org
[log in to unmask]

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