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RESOURCES FOR SCIENTISTS
IN EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH (E/PO)
Who will find these
resources useful?
• the scientist interested in involvement in K-14 education and Public
Outreach (E/PO);
• the NASA E/PO manager who is tasked with E/PO program design and providing
meaningful ways for scientists to contribute to E/PO efforts; and
• the educator interested in gaining perspective about working with scientists
in E/PO
What are these resources?*
These resources include several papers and presentations by authors who have
significant experience at the interface between the realms of scientific
research and K-12 education and public outreach (E/PO). The resources fall
into 6 Categories:
1. Making the Case for Scientist Involvement in Education and
Public Outreach
2. The Roles of Scientists in Education and Public Outreach
3. Guidance for E/PO Program and Proposal Planning
4. Guidance for E/PO Product Development
5. Professional Development Opportunities for Scientists and E/PO
Leaders in Education
6. Access to the E/PO Community
* Most of these resources were generated at the Space
Science Institute (SSI) of Boulder, Colorado. Please contact camorrow@colorado.edu with
comments or requests for further information. Please let us know whether
what we have provided has been of value and/or how we can serve you
better. (Note: Although some images and graphics may appear imperfect
on your computer monitor, all PDF files should provide a suitable printout.)
Additional resources can be found at www.scientistsineducation.org
1. Making the Case for Scientist Involvement in Education and
Public Outreach
"Space
Science" Stands for "Education": Efforts by the
NASA Office of Space Science invigorate Education and Public
Outreach by Dr. Cherilynn A. Morrow. This 1-page invited
column for the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's (ASP) Mercury magazine
(July-August 2004, Vol. 33. No. 4) gives a brief history of NASA
Space Science education. Link to the ASP web site: http://www.astrosociety.org.
Scientists’ Involvement
in Education and Public Outreach: Making the Case This is
a 30-slide presentation by Dr. Cherilynn A. Morrow that contains
advocacy statements by Bruce Alberts (President of the National
Academy of Sciences), Dan Goldin (former NASA Administrator),
and Rita Colwell (former Director of the NSF). It also includes
many other diagrams and figures drawn from several of the papers
described below. A List of Slide
Titles and Annotations for
each slide are also available. Contact camorrow@colorado.edu.
Note: A
Power Point version of this presentation is available
here.
The
Joy of Solar Physicists in Science Education by Cherilynn
A. Morrow. An invited plenary talk prepared for the 34th Meeting
of the Solar Physics Division Laurel, MD June 2003
Note: A
Power Point version of this presentation is available here.
Education & Public
Outreach for Ordinary Planetary Scientists by Heidi B. Hammel.
A presentation to the Division for Planetary Sciences by the
2002 Sagan medallist.
Note: A
Power Point version of this presentation is available
here.
Scientific Elites and Illiterates by
Dr. David L. Goodstein. A 10-page paper that makes a persuasive
case for scientist involvement in education. Goodstein
is a physics professor at CalTech. This one is for the
skeptics!
What
are the Similarities between Scientific Research and Science
Education Reform?
by Dr. Cherilynn Morrow. This 7-page paper offers a direct analogy
between the process of scientific research and a process of teaching
science that is consistent with modern science education reform.
The “Monotillation
of Traxoline” is reprinted here for your enjoyment
2. The
Roles of Scientists in Education and Public Outreach (E/PO)
The
Diversity of Roles for Scientists in K-14 Education and Public
Outreach
by Dr. Cherilynn A. Morrow. This 3-page paper includes an updated 2-D matrix
of E/PO roles for scientists. The paper raises awareness of the broad diversity
of roles scientists can play in E/PO besides giving presentations in classrooms
or other public settings.
Improving
Science Education: The Role of Scientists by Dr. Rodger Bybee
and Dr. Cherilynn Morrow. This 3-page paper was published in
the Newsletter of the Education Forum of the American Physical
Society (Fall 1998). The original matrix of E/PO roles for scientists
was published here.
The
Role of Scientist-Educator Partnerships in Improving Science
Education: by Dr. Cherilynn Morrow. This 2-page paper summarizes
the keynote talk prepared for the Fulbright Symposium on scientist-educator
partnerships that was held in conjunction with the IAU Bioastronomy
Conference at Hamilton Island, Australia in July 2002. It argues
that successful partnerships elicit complementary talents and
expertise from each partner and offer the opportunity for each
to develop additional capabilities. Good partners must endeavor
to navigate the natural challenges and cultural differences that
may arise between them in a way that is responsible to the ultimate
needs of the learners.
Profiles of Scientists Involved in Education and Public
Outreach, by Discipline :
These one-page
profiles feature scientists engaged in a diversity of
roles in education and public outreach. These scientists
serve as role models for other scientists in education. If
you have suggestions for scientists who could be profiled
contact morrow@spacescience.org.
Solar Scientists
Planetary
Scientists
Astronomers
Earth
Scientists
3. Guidance for E/PO Program Planning and
Proposal Writing
A
Framework for Planning Education and Public Outreach Activities
Associated with Scientific Research Programs by Dr. Cherilynn
A. Morrow. This 3-page paper offers a conceptual framework that
may be useful in helping to identify and organize suitable elements
of E/PO plans associated with scientific research programs and
NASA flight project proposals. It includes the 3-Bubble
Venn diagram that represents the full spectrum
of science communication.
The
Explanatory Guide to the NASA Office of Space Science Education
and Public Outreach Evaluation Criteria. This document offers
a list of indicators used by proposal review committees to determine
whether an E/PO segment has lived up to the Evaluation Criteria
NASA Office of Space Science has developed for E/PO proposal
segments of scientific research proposals. The Guide begins with
a very useful FAQ that addresses many of the questions scientists
have while preparing an E/PO proposal for NASA.
4. Guidance for E/PO Product Development
So
You Want to Make a Science Educational CD-ROM?: This document,
prepared by Dr. Stephen M. Pompea of Pompea & Associates
and Dr. Cherilynn A. Morrow, provides guidance on the process
of developing and disseminating useful and valued CD-ROMs in
support of science, math, and engineering education in classrooms,
museums, and elsewhere. Avoid your CD-ROM ending up as a drink
coaster!
Misconceptions
Scientists Often Have about the National Science Education Standards by
Cherilynn A. Morrow. This 11-page paper exposes and addresses
seven misconceptions scientists often have about the National
Research Council’s (NRC’s) National Science Education
Standards (NSES).
5. Professional
Development Opportunities for Scientists and E/PO Leaders in Education
Workshops
for Scientists and Engineers on Education and Public Outreach: This
paper, by Dr. Cherilynn Morrow and Dr. Paul Dusenbery, is based
on a talk given in a space science education session at COSPAR
2003 in Houston, TX. It describes the design, implementation,
and evaluation results of workshops, convened by the Space Science
Institute, for scientists, engineers, and E/PO leaders in education.
6. Access
to the E/PO Community
NASA/OSS
E/PO Support Organizations:
The Space Science Institute is one of several organizations charged
by NASA/OSS with building connections between the E/PO and research
communities. Follow this link to SSI's Broker/Facilitator page,
and from there to links to other E/PO Support organizations.
E/PO
Partners: An annotated list of potential E/PO partners in
various categories.