"Geoheritage and Geoscience Education (K-12, undergraduate, informal)" is the seventh webinar of the America's Geoheritage Workshop II Fall Distinguished Speakers Program. To watch the recorded video of this webinar, please visit: https://vimeo.com/481734023
Speaker: Michael Wysession
Title: Geoheritage and the Future of K-12 Geoscience Education
Description: The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have revolutionized K-12 science education as a whole and geoscience education in particular. The focus on phenomenon-based learning, building student comprehension through storylines provide a great opportunity for America’s Geoheritage sites to serve as anchors for the teaching of science. The inclusion of a year’s worth of geoscience standards at a high school level provide a motivation for building this curriculum. Many opportunities for collaboration exist among geoscientists, geoeducators, and K-12 curriculum builders to bring our rich Geoheritage into the classroom.
Bio Sketch: Michael Wysession, a Professor of Geophysics at Washington University in St. Louis, is a leader in the areas of seismology research and geoscience education. He has authored or co-authored over 100 papers and reports in geophysics and science education, and over 35 textbooks ranging from grade school to graduate school. Wysession was Chair of the NSF’s Earth Science Literacy Initiative, Chair of Earth and Space Science for the National Academy of Science report A Framework for K-12 Science Education, and one of the lead architects of the new national K-12 Next Generation Science Standards. His awards include the Packard Foundation’s Science and Engineering Fellowship, the National Science Foundation Presidential Faculty Fellowship, the Innovation Award from the St. Louis Science Academy, the inaugural Ambassador Award from the American Geophysical Union, for which he is a Fellow, and the Frank Press Award from the Seismological Society of America. He is the author of four video lecture courses with the Teaching Company’s Great Courses series, watched by millions of people: How the Earth Works, The World’s Greatest Geologic Wonders, National Geographic’s Polar Explorations, and The Science of Energy: Resources and Power Explained. Wysession is also Executive Director of Washington University’s Center for Teaching and Learning, coordinating educational professional development for its faculty.
Speaker: David Mogk
Title: Geoheritage in Support of Undergraduate and Graduate Geoscience Education
Description: Geoheritage sites can support undergraduate and graduate geoscience education programs by engaging students in course field trips and class projects, extended field camps, Research Experiences for Undergraduates, and in independent study and thesis research projects. Sites that are repeatedly visited for educational purposes can develop on-line resources that include fundamental scientific information, field guides and instructional activities for use by all.
Bio Sketch: David W. Mogk is a Professor of Geology at Montana State University. He is a metamorphic petrologist by training, with research interests in the genesis and evolution of Precambrian continental crust and mid-crustal petrogenetic processes. He has worked for 25 years to promote excellence in STEM education having served as program officer in the NSF Division of Undergraduate Education, co-PI of the On the Cutting Edge program for geoscience faculty development, and served on NRC panels on Promising Practices in Undergraduate STEM Education and Discipline-Based Education Research. He is currently Chair of the U.S. National Committee for Geosciences.
Speakers: John Scannella / Patrick Leiggi / Angela Weikert
Title: The Role of Museums in Preserving and Presenting Geoheritage
Description: Museums play a critical role in preserving our geoheritage. Through active exploration and research, carefully preparing fossils, and curation and care for natural history specimens, museums expand our knowledge of the past and permit for continued study and new discoveries. Museums also work to engage the public, including students, in the wonders of the natural world, thus inspiring future generations to explore, seek to understand, and care for our geoheritage.
Bio Sketches:
John Scannella is the John R. Horner Curator of Paleontology at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana. He received a B.S. in Geology from Rutgers University and a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from Montana State University. John has conducted paleontological field work throughout Montana, with a research focus on exploring prehistoric ecosystems and deciphering the evolution and growth of dinosaurs.
Patrick Leiggi is the Director of Paleontology, Exhibits, and MOR Exhibitions at the Museum of the Rockies, Montana State University. He started his career in paleontology more than 40 years ago as Assistant Curator of Paleontology at Princeton University and arrived at the Museum of the Rockies in 1985, where he worked with dinosaur paleontologist Jack Horner in developing one of the world’s most recognized paleo-research programs.
Angela Weikert is Director of Operations, Education, & Public Programs at Museum of the Rockies. She has a Master of Science in Science Education and is a Ph.D. candidate in Education at Montana State University. During her twelve years at MOR, Ms. Weikert has increased the museum’s commitment to quality school group field trips and teacher resources through grants, research, and new materials.
We encourage all participants to complete our survey following the webinar here: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6032095/Geoheritage-and-Geoscience-Education-K-12-undergraduate-informal-November-17