James G. MaKinster

Flexibly Adaptive Professional Development in Support of Teaching Science with Geospatial Technology

The flexibly adaptive model of professional development, developed in the GIT Ahead project, enables secondary science teachers to incorporate a variety of geospatial technology applications into wide-ranging classroom contexts. Teacher impacts were evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. Post-questionnaire responses showed significant growth in teachers’ perceived technological expertise, interest, and ability to integrate geospatial technology into their science teaching. Application of the Technical Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework to three case studies illustrates such growth. Crucial aspects of professional development in support of teaching science with geospatial technology include intensive training, ongoing support, a supportive learning community, and flexibility in terms of support provided and implementation expectations. Implications are presented for design of professional development and use of TPACK in evaluating impacts.

Teaching Science and Investigating Environmental Issues with Geospatial Technology

The emerging field of using geospatial technology to teach science and environmental education presents an excellent opportunity to discover the ways in which educators use research-grounded pedagogical commitments in combination with their practical experiences to design and implement effective teacher professional development projects. Often missing from the literature are in-depth, explicit discussions of why and how educators choose to provide certain experiences and resources for the teachers with whom they work, and the resulting outcomes. The first half of this book will enable science and environmental educators to share the nature and structure of large scale professional development projects while discussing the theoretical commitments that undergird their work. Many chapters will include temporal aspects that present the ways in which projects change over time in response to evaluative research and practical experience. In the second half of the book, faculty and others whose focus is on national and international scales will share the ways in which they are working to meet the growing needs of teachers across the globe to incorporate geospatial technology into their science teaching. These efforts reflect the ongoing conversations in science education, geography, and the geospatial industry in ways that embody the opportunities and challenges inherent to this field. This edited book will serve to define the field of teacher professional development for teaching science using geospatial technology. As such, it will identify short term and long term objectives for science, environmental, and geography educators involved in these efforts. As a result, this book will provide a framework for future projects and research in this exciting and growing field.

The Effects of the Japan Bridge Project on Third Graders' Cultural Sensitivity

Abstract This study examines the effects of the Japan BRIDGE Project, a global education program, on its third grade participants. Characterization of lessons and analysis of student interviews were used to investigate the nature of the curriculum and whether or not student participants were more culturally sensitive due to participation. Results indicate that Japan BRIDGE Project participants did become more open-minded to Japan and Japanese culture, but also became less open-minded to people from other cultures. Student participants did not demonstrate significant increases in empathy, non-ethnocentrism, or resistance to stereotyping; however, several factors are proposed to explain these findings. This study has implications for how global education programs can be designed to foster all of the dimensions of cultural sensitivity at the elementary level.

Meeting Teachers Where They Are and Helping Them Achieve Their Geospatial Goals

This chapter presents the flexibly adaptive model of teacher professional development, which was developed in the GIT Ahead project to enable secondary science teachers to incorporate a variety of geospatial applications into wide-ranging classroom contexts. Impacts on participating teachers were evaluated using project application materials, curricular resources developed and implemented by each teacher, written reflections, and questionnaires. Pre-post questionnaire responses showed significant growth in teachers’ perceived expertise, interest, and self-confidence with regard to integrating geospatial analyses into their science teaching. When viewed from the perspective of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, teachers grew in Technological Content Knowledge and in the extent to which this knowledge intersected with their pedagogical and science content knowledge as they learned new ways to apply geospatial technology in their teaching. Key aspects of professional development for the support of teaching science with geospatial technology included intensive summer training, ongoing technological and curricular support throughout the school year, promotion of a supportive learning community, and flexibility in expectations regarding the nature and focus of classroom implementation. Research is needed to create validated instruments for measuring teacher self-efficacy for teaching with geospatial technology and for measuring associated student learning outcomes.

The Nature of Teacher Knowledge Necessary for the Effective Use of Geospatial Technologies to Teach Science

Section II provides insights into the design and implementation of professional development and curricular resources for teaching science with geospatial technology. This final chapter synthesizes what has been learned about the knowledge needed for teachers to successfully implement geospatial inquiry. Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) serves as a theoretical model that reveals the interrelationships between the types of knowledge and specific pedagogical approaches that teachers use when teaching science with geospatial technology. Examples from the projects profiled in this volume are used to illustrate and define the knowledge domains of Technological Content Knowledge, Technological Pedagogical Knowledge, and TPACK. Ultimately, this chapter provides a framework for understanding teacher knowledge that project designers and researchers can use when designing and studying professional development experiences and related curricular materials.

Unraveling the Scientific, Social, Political, and Economic Dimensions of Environmental Issues Through Role-Playing Simulations

The focus of this chapter is a role-play simulation unit within a college-level interdisciplinary science elective course for preservice teachers. The simulation utilized a United States Senate Subcommittee hearing to explore the use of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) genes in corn. Over an extended time period, students explored the material in depth, which incorporated a wide variety of teaching strategies and topics of current interest in science education (simulations, role-playing, driving questions, oral presentations, technology integration, portfolios, reflection, and concept mapping). The results demonstrated that this type of learning experience can significantly impact students’ understanding of how science is applied to environmental problems. Furthermore, students developed a greater appreciation of the importance of examining the scientific, social, political, economic, and ethical dimensions of environmental issues.

Understanding the Use of Geospatial Technologies to Teach Science: TPACK as a Lens for Effective Teaching

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, or TPACK (pronounced t-pack), is a theoretical framework to examine how a specific technology creates meaningful opportunities for teaching and learning. For 3 years we engaged three cohorts of teachers in a sustained professional development project entitled GIT Ahead. GIT Ahead helped teachers identify ways to teach science using geospatial technologies. This chapter presents a case study of one GIT Ahead teacher’s use of Google Earth and ArcView software to teach students about watershed concepts and issues. TPACK provides a framework for analysis of both the types of teacher knowledge required to successfully implement technology-based science learning and the pedagogical choices necessary to achieve intended learning outcomes. In the watershed case study, Google Earth enabled students to explore a 3D representation of their local watershed, change their view or perspective as needed, and access supplementary information that helped them to interpret the landscape. Using ArcView they measured various attributes of the watershed, which required them to understand individual scientific concepts and the interrelatedness of those concepts. Ultimately, TPACK provides researchers with a knowledge framework for research on the use of geospatial technology to teach science. A productive area of future research might examine how content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technological knowledge vary among teachers using similar technologies or teaching similar concepts.

The Nature and Design of Professional Development for Using Geospatial Technologies to Teach Science

Projects described in this book identify tensions and best practices in designing professional development for teaching science with geospatial technology. The projects in Section I were federally funded, primarily through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program. These projects have common underlying requirements and emerged from the research literature. As a result, they share a number of common design characteristics, including (1) an intensive summer institute, (2) school-year workshops, (3) ongoing support throughout the academic year, and (4) use of technologies as tools for inquiry rather than as the primary focus of instruction. However, the projects do differ in disciplinary focus, geographical reach, theoretical frameworks, and evaluation approaches. For example, some include students directly while others involve only teachers. Looking across all of the highlighted projects, this final chapter summarizes insights into best practices in designing professional development in support of teaching science with geospatial technology.