Geotimes - September 2002 - From the Editor

Geotimes

From the Editor

Welcome to the third annual geoscience education issue. Every September, Geotimes devotes its pages to the stories of earth science educators and to discussions in both the education and earth science community to make sure our children learn about the planet. The work described in this year’s geoscience education issue underscores the systemic nature of science education reform. That is, reform only happens when change comes from all parts of the system: teacher development, curriculum changes, teaching methods, content and contributions from the community.

More importantly, the stories in this year’s education issue exemplify how geoscientists from all walks of life have positively affected the educational system.

In our first feature, Robert Ridky provides an important historical perspective on earth science education. He challenges us to rethink our approaches to meeting the growing demand for earth science teachers. Teacher professional development programs, which aim to increase teachers’ knowledge not only of teaching methods but also of content, help teachers to enact curriculum reform. But we need to do more. Ridky says that with federal attention on improving education, university geoscience faculty have an unprecedented opportunity to contribute to K-12 earth science education. Universities can create new programs that will develop a greater number of certified earth science teachers.

This issue includes two stories about changing the secondary earth science system, one from North Carolina and one from Texas. Mary Watson of the North Carolina Geological Survey and Bill Tucci of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction describe how industry geoscientists, university faculty, K-12 educators and others worked together to resurrect earth science in the high school curriculum. Their story, which emphasizes the critical role that people from the aggregates industry played in revising the state curriculum requirements for high school, underscores the benefits of getting involved in systemic reform.

We also feature an important update on efforts to improve the earth science education system in Texas. Ed Roy reports on the work of the Earth Science Taskforce that he chairs and that will advise the state’s school board. Recent decisions by the school board all but eliminated earth science from that state’s high school curriculum. Earth scientists in the state mobilized to change this decision. The result was the taskforce, which is charged with investigating and suggesting ways to include earth science in the curriculum of Texas schools.

These two stories demonstrate that changing the education system begins with a willingness to get involved and is sustained through vision and perseverance. Its reward and impact — an earth science literate citizenry — are worth the effort. North Carolina is now one of only two states in the country requiring an earth science course for high school graduation. You can help make your state another.

As we learned in North Carolina, industry can play an important role in changing the system. In this month’s Geoscience Education column, we also learn about Adopt-A-School partnerships that have transformed the education experience for elementary school students and their teachers in Tuscaloosa, Ala. P.E. LaMoreaux and Associates (PELA), an environmental consulting firm based there, joined with Merrill Lynch to partner with an elementary school. PELA staff take an active role in the partnership, visiting classrooms, leading field trips, and sponsoring awards for students and teachers.

Earth scientists are a part of the science education system. Boundless opportunities exist for all of us to apply our interest, energy and enthusiasm for geoscience toward the goal of improving earth science education. Your efforts will strengthen our precollege earth science education system, improve our teacher preparation system and increase the public’s understanding of the role of earth science in our daily lives.

I wish you all well in perturbing the system.

Michael Smith
Guest editor
Director of Education for the American Geological Institute

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