Professional Development to Improve the Spatial Thinking of Earth Science Teachers and Students

该项目由哥伦比亚大学拉蒙特-多尔蒂地球天文台（L-DEO）主办，正在为地球科学教师创建和测试一个专业发展计划，旨在提高地球科学学生的空间思维。 在这种情况下，“空间思维”涉及想象或操纵或从物体或现象的位置，形状，方向，轨迹或配置中提取意义。从二维空间表示（如地图、图表和剖面图）中提取洞察力，以及设想三维过程（如季节、日食和潮汐的原因），都是空间思维的例子。 在美国教育系统的传统课程中，很少评估或教授空间思维;然而，研究表明，空间思维是科学的基本技能，特别是地球科学。 纽约州地球科学教师参加了L-DEO的Earth2Class研讨会系列是该计划的共同开发者/参与者。 教师学会诊断学生的空间困难，并制定策略，以支持学生的空间思维。 重点主题已通过纽约州地球科学核心课程和相关评估的空间挑战性元素的分析选择，并反映了地球科学家在研究和实际应用中使用的思维技能。 主题包括："什么是空间思维，为什么它很重要？";"从模式中进行推断";"增加第三维：剖面图、横截面图和方框图";"比例：为什么尺寸很重要;透视和预测"。

This project, hosted at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (L-DEO) of Columbia University, is creating and testing a professional development program for Earth Science teachers targeted at improving the spatial thinking of Earth Science students. "Spatial thinking" in this context involves envisioning or manipulating or drawing meaning from the position, shape, orientation, trajectory, or configuration of objects or phenomena. Extracting insight from 2-D spatial representations, such as maps, diagrams, and profiles, and envisioning 3-D processes, such as causes of seasons, eclipses and tides, are examples of spatial thinking. Spatial thinking is rarely assessed or taught in conventional courses in the U.S. education system; however, research shows that it is an essential foundational skill for science, in general, and Earth Science, in particular. New York State Earth Science teachers participating in L-DEO's Earth2Class workshop series are co-developers/participants in the program. Teachers learn to diagnose students' spatial difficulties and develop strategies to support students' spatial thinking. Focus topics have been chosen through analysis of spatially-challenging elements of the NY State Earth Science Core Curricula and associated assessments, and reflect thinking skills used by geoscientists in research and practical applications. Topics include: "What is spatial thinking and why is it important?"; "Making inferences from patterns"; "Adding the 3rd dimension: profiles, cross-sections and block diagrams"; "Scale: why size matters; Perspective taking and projections".