Dear Ecolog,
ESA is currently accepting applications for a fall 2008 workshop on the use of continental scale data in undergraduate education. If you are using raw data in your teaching and have used (or are strongly interested in) student-active teaching techniques, we encourage you to consider applying. We welcome applications from faculty with a broad range of backgrounds and especially encourage faculty from small undergraduate institutions and minority-serving institutions to apply. The full description of the workshop and the selection criteria are available on the ESA website: http://www.esa.org/education_diversity/neon/ If you have any questions about the workshop, my contact information is at the end of the announcement below. Jennifer Faculty Development Opportunity Continental-Scale Data in Undergraduate Education Workshop October 2-4, 2008: "Using Continental-scale Data to Teach Undergraduate Ecology." ESA is currently accepting applicants for an October 2008 workshop, "Using Continental-scale Data to Teach Undergraduate Ecology." In this pilot workshop, faculty will explore how large-volume data collected at large temporal and partial scales can be incorporated into the undergraduate curriculum. This workshop will generate recommendations to inform the development of NEON cyberinfrastructure for educational purposes. WORKSHOP PROGRAM During a 3-day workshop October 2-4, 2008, selected faculty will explore the breadth and scope of continental-scale data and reflect on its use to teach undergraduate students, both in courses and in independent research projects. Discussions will be organized around two of the grand challenges identified by NEON: climate change and land use change. Existing data on these topics drawn from sources such as the Long Term Ecological Research data sets, the Forest Inventory Analysis from the US Forest Service and/or the Land Use Analysis Package will be made available to faculty for discussion and analysis. Participants will work in breakout groups to generate recommendations on the following: 1. How can educators use raw, large-scale data to teach ecology from a continental perspective? 2. How can NEON's infrastructure support the innovative use of continental-scale data in undergraduate education? 3. What are faculty's needs, perceived obstacles, and recommendations on how to coordinate collaborative research at the undergraduate level? LOGISTICS Selected faculty will participate in two 2-hour webinars in August and September of 2008 in order to become familiar with relevant background information and to set the stage for the 3-day workshop October 2-4, 2008. Webinar 1 will take place August 19, 2-4 PM EDT and will be attended by all participants. Participants will choose to attend one of two sessions for Webinar 2: September 18, 2-4 PM EDT or September 24, 2-4 PM EDT. The two webinars and associated reading materials will introduce NEON, project expectations, and opportunities of large-scale ecology and use of large-scale datasets in education. Travel to and from the workshop, lodging, and meals during the workshop will be provided by the Ecological Society of America. Faculty teaching at small undergraduate institutions and minority-serving institutions are especially encouraged to apply. HOW TO APPLY Applications will be accepted until July 7, and applicants will be notified of acceptance decisions by mid-July. The online application form is available at: www.esa.org/education_diversity/neon/workshop_application.php For more information, please visit contact: Jennifer Riem Education Coordinator Office of Education and Diversity Programs Ecological Society of America [EMAIL PROTECTED] 202-833-8773 ext. 236
