Date

Session Announcement and Call for Papers
Teacher Professional Development Programs Promoting Authentic Scientific
Research in the Classroom
American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting
10-14 December 2007
San Francisco, California

Abstract Submission Deadline: 6 September 2007

For further information, please go to:
http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm07/?content=search&show=detail&sessid=546


Papers are invited for Session ED13: "Teacher Professional Development
Programs Promoting Authentic Scientific Research in the Classroom" being
convened at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting on 10-14
December 2007 in San Francisco, California.

Session Description:
This session will focus on scientists, educators, education researchers,
evaluators, and funding agency program officers providing K-12 teachers
with authentic research experiences in science and engineering.
Presentations should highlight best practices for the Teacher Research
Experience (TRE) model. Presentations by those who design, facilitate,
evaluate, and fund TRE programs, as well as presentations by teachers
and scientists who have participated in such programs, are especially
encouraged.

Suggested areas for presentations may include but are not limited to:
- the enhanced transfer of knowledge from teacher/researcher to students
through implementing a research program within the classroom;
- how teacher professional development programs play an essential role
in science education reform and teacher retention and renewal;
- examples of effective programs and techniques for assessing TRE
programs;
- the transformation of the educational environment into an authentic
research center;
- how best to prepare teachers to become part of scientific research
teams;
- the use of online learning in teacher professional development,
support systems for teacher researchers, research community
collaboration, and program assessment and evaluation;
- examples of the value to the scientific community of involving
teachers in research;
- recommendations for designing and implementing research experiences
that align with national, state, and/or local reform efforts in science
education; and
- the framework for conceptual learning in terms of the curricula and
embedded research activities.

Presentations on new or ongoing successful models for long- and
short-term teacher research experiences are invited from the fields of
space science, environmental science, atmospheric science, Earth
science, oceanography, etc. Scientist-teacher research teams are
particularly encouraged to submit abstracts for the session. Printed and
CD-based materials may be brought by participants to the session to be
distributed to attendees.

Conveners:
Constance E. Walker
National Optical Astronomy Observatory
E-mail: cwalker [at] noao.edu

Steven K. Croft
National Optical Astronomy Observatory
E-mail: scroft [at] noao.edu

Gail Scowcroft
University of Rhode Island
E-mail: gailscow [at] gso.uri.edu

Further information and abstract submission procedures are available at:
http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm07/

Information on oral and poster education sessions from the 2005 and 2006
AGU Fall Meetings is available at:
http://www.noao.edu/education/agu/