•  
  •  
 

Publication Date

2008

Abstract

The Radford University version of the Virginia Earth Science Collaborative‘s Geology of Virginia was taught during Summer 2006 and 2007, and was entitled, Geology of Virginia for Teachers (GEOL 691). A total of eighteen teachers, primarily from southside and southwestern Virginia, attended the class. The goal of the course was to provide essential knowledge and advanced skills in geology in general, and the geology of Virginia in particular. The course had a strong field emphasis, using Virginia as a natural teaching laboratory to illustrate such concepts as plate tectonics, rock interpretation, and Steno‘s Laws. Lectures and lab activities were used to guide and inform the field trips, and to provide an overall “big picture” of the time and scale of geology. Maps and materials provided in the course, plus samples and pictures collected by the teachers, created a wealth of materials that can be used in teaching. Teachers developed fmal projects that highlighted the geology of their home counties. The course featured the experimental use of “podcasts” as a way to deliver content to geographically dispersed teachers. Evaluation results show that teachers gained substantial geologic knowledge, and felt better prepared and more confident in their own teaching.

Volume

10

Issue

1

First Page

99

Last Page

113

Rights

© Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Download

Share

COinS