Transcript Effective teaching in the field

Devin Castendyk
Earth Sciences Department
State University of New York, College at Oneonta
Show-and-Tell Activity-based Field camp
Visit amazing
vistas
Inspire
Instructor talks,
waves arms,
and points to
things
Students listen
and take notes
Team work
Observations
Interpretations
Scientific
Method
Bonding
experience
Independent
Observations
Geologic tools
Interpretations
Professional
experience
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Design your own activity-based
field trip
◦ Prepare for teaching
◦ Prepare for job interviews
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Department colleagues, Chair and
Professor Emeriti
Faculty at nearby universities and colleges
Google Earth
GSA field trip guidebooks
Proceedings of the state geological
association meetings
Roadside Geology series
State geologic maps
State and National Parks
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Trip goals
Support course goals
Support departmental goals - Chair $
◦ Learning outcomes
◦ Recruitment and retention of majors
◦ Cohort development
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Support academic mission of the institution Dean, Provost, or Office of Off-Campus
Programs ($$$)
25%
Leading
25%
Preparation
25%
Safety
25%
Logistics
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Where are you going?
When are you going (weather)?
How many students (minimum/maximum)?
Will you have co-leaders/student
helpers/drivers?
How will you get there?
◦ Order vans early
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Overnight trips
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Meals (special dietary considerations)
Camping (student comfort and experience)?
Equipment
Alcohol/drug policy
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Held 6 months to one-year before a major
off-campus trip
Convey
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Preliminary itinerary
Academic expectations
Physical expectations
Equipment requirements
All expenses
Registration procedures (physical?)
Deadlines
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How many geology classes have they had?
How diverse is the group (male/female)?
How much outdoor experience have they
had?
Are they physically fit enough for your
activities?
How well does the group know each
other/work together?
Is this trip partially intended to be a bonding
experience or aid recruitment/retention?
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Egger to help and share knowledge
◦ May need to be enrolled in an independent study
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Van drivers, cooks, camp-helpers, etc.
Looks good on their transcript
Roll-models for lower-level students
Earth-Science Education Majors receive
teaching experience
Provide a liaison between faculty and
students
Decrease ratio of students to instructors
◦ Ideal 8:1 or less
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Know the hazards
◦ Van ride, cliffs, rock falls at outcrops, cars, knives and
fires in camp, water, etc.
◦ Site specific: Lyme Disease
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Know the weather
◦ Temperature and rainfall
◦ Have a back-up plan and be willing to use it
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Know the students (bring extra gear)
◦ Do they have gear: foot ware, clothing, water, sunscreen
◦ First aid, CPR, First Responder, EMT
◦ Do they agree to alcohol/drug policy
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Know your emergency plan
◦ First aid kit
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Phone (satellite?), emergency numbers, hospitals
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Emergency contact information
◦ Two phone numbers
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Health insurance company and policy number
Photocopy of insurance card
Physical? (off-campus programs)
Special health issues:
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Physical conditions
Mental conditions
Medications
Allergies
All students must be enrolled in a course
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Talk to Department Chair
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Van use policy
Drug/alcohol policy
Privacy policy (medical records)
In case of emergency, who should I call?
Discuss “what-if” scenarios for known hazards
Talk to Dean
Talk to College/University lawyer
Consider personal liability insurance
Make sure you and your students are covered
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What do you want students to learn/gain
from this experience?
◦ Academic/theoretical/applied concepts
◦ Affective domain
◦ Vocational skills
 Note taking, drawing, topographic map reading, GPS
use, measuring strikes & dips, fossil identification,
hand lens mineral ID, rock hammer use, stream
gauging, water sampling, etc.
◦ Social-bonding experience
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Geo Gear (empower students)
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Write-In-Rain notebook with mechanical pencil
Rock hammer
Sharpy
Hand lens
GPS
Compass (Brunton or Sylvan)
Calculator
Handouts
◦ Regional geology maps and topographic maps
◦ Identification guides
◦ Goals, Instructions, and Examples
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Visit locations in advance
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Visualize
Will the planned activity work?
Is there public access?
Is the outcrop visible?
What are the hazards?
Are there bathrooms?
Is there a rain shelter?
Is there a pleasant place to have lunch?
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Geologic context
◦ Keep it brief
◦ Try not to conflate too many events or processes
◦ Don’t give away all the secrets
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Give clear instructions for site activity
State the amount of time at site
State hazards and where not to go
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Take notes on what you see
◦ Landscape view
◦ Outcrop view
◦ Collect a sample and describe hand-lens view
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Draw pictures
Make measurements
◦ Waterfall retreat rate
◦ Measure beach profile and grain sizes
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Map features
◦ Glacial striations
◦ Contacts
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What is the rock type? Evidence? How did it
form?
Is there any evidence that the rocks have
been uplifted or tilted? What processes might
caused this?
What processes have eroded the landscape
and what is the evidence for these processes?
What is the order of geologic events occurred,
starting with rock formation and ending with
the present day outcrop?
What information do you want to know?
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Share observations
Share interpretations
Address questions
Wrap up
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AH-HA moment
2 things learned and one thing muddy
Write down a hypothesis
What would you do next if you had time and money
Key: Allow plenty of time
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Write a description of the trip:
◦ Where are you going?
◦ Who are the participants and how many?
◦ What are the goals?
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Brainstorm ideas on the following points:
◦ Logistics, Safety, and Preparation
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Design field activities
Design field discussion