Professional Development

NESTA links you to a variety of professional development opportunities that offer support to the Earth and Space Science teacher by enriching their content knowledge and supporting best practices in the Earth and Space sciences. We highlight NESTA members professional development opportunities, professional development opportunities offered by other organizations, and archived professional development opportunities.

Some of the professional development opportunities highlighted here include full-time course work and others can be accomplished online or during summer programs. Some of these opportunities include full or partial scholarships. Monitor this link for new and exciting opportunities in professional development and be sure to add professional development opportunities of interest to your MyNESTA calendar. To access MyNESTA, you need to be a member of NESTA. If you are not already a member of NESTA, join today!

If you have a professional development opportunity that you would like to have listed here, please post the opportunity.

Professional Development Opportunities

NSTA Awards and Recognitions
http://www.nsta.org/about/awards.aspx

NSTA has issued its Call-for-Entries for the 2015–2016 Awards Program
The annual NSTA Awards and Recognition Program recognizes exceptional and innovative science educators created in 1973. The NSTA Awards and Recognition were created to raise awareness and exposure of the outstanding work being done in the science education field.

All entries must be received by 11:59 PM EST on 11/30/2015, via online submission with the exception of the Shell Science Teaching Award whose deadline is 11/18/2015. Entry fees are free.

Teacher Friendly Guides to Earth Science of the US
geology.teacherfriendlyguide.org

Teacher friendly guides to the Earth Science of the United States is a website published by the Paleontological Research Institution. The site breaks up the US into different regions around the country. Each region contains information specific to that region of the country. Information included covers topics such as: geologic history, rocks, fossils, mineral resources, soil, climate, and more. The authors also include a How to Use This Guide section.

Ocean Literacy (online)
https://oceanclassrooms.com

Free online Oceans Literacy course.
This course will help you understand seven essential principles that explain fundamental concepts about the ocean.

GEOTRACES 4-part web seminar
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/geotraces

This free 4-part web seminar series starts on April 30, 2015 and runs through May 12, 2015. The series focuses on the ocean's trace elements and what they can tell us about geochemical processes, the carbon cycle, and climate. Nine scientists will share their work with the participants. The link will take you to the registration page.

Teachers in Geosciences (Mississippi State University)
http://www.distance.msstate.edu/geosciences/

Both undergraduate and graduate programs are available.

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Resources for Professional Development

NOAA Ocean Explorer Online Professional Development
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/development/online_development.html

These online courses provide in-depth studies into specific ocean science content through the context of ocean exploration. Past courses are archived. They are all free, but do require registration to access the course materials.

PBS Teachers Professional Development
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/stem/professionaldevelopment/

Explore best practices for teaching global climate change (GCC) to middle- and high-school students with these free, self-paced modules for teachers. Each module includes STEM resources that will increase teacher’s knowledge of climate change concepts and can be used directly with students.

USGS Online Lectures
http://education.usgs.gov/lectures.html

This is a collection of selected videotaped lectures that were given at USGS facilities. Teachers can view these lectures to increase their science background knowledge. In addition, all of these lectures should be suitable for viewing by the general public and upper level students (grades 8 through university). Most videos are in MP4 format and are 60-90 minutes long (60 minute lecture plus question/answer).

Earth Exploration Toolbook
http://serc.carleton.edu/eet/index.html

The Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET) is a collection of online Earth system science activities. Each activity, or chapter, introduces one or more scientific data sets and analysis tools that enable users to explore some aspect of the Earth system.Within the context of a case study, each chapter guides users through a step-by-step process in which they access data and use analysis tools to explore real issues and questions in Earth system science. In the course of completing a chapter, users produce and analyze maps, graphs, images, or other data products. The ultimate goal of each activity is to build users' skills and confidence so they can use data to conduct their own investigations of the Earth system.

Eyes in the Sky 2 Online Course
http://serc.carleton.edu/eyesinthesky2/GITcourse/index.html

This twelve week online course prepares high school science teachers to use NASA data and visualizations along with other geospatial information technologies while investigating both global and local environmental issues. Participants locate, access, and analyze a variety of Earth science datasets.


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Earth and Space Science Today


Now you can easily access information on topics that highlight our active Earth. Learn all about the latest earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, severe weather, wildfires, tides and currents, droughts, a calendar of solar and lunar eclipses, and daily streamflow information.