The Nature and Design of Professional Development for Using Geospatial Technologies to Teach Science

Projects described in this book identify tensions and best practices in designing professional development for teaching science with geospatial technology. The projects in Section I were federally funded, primarily through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program. These projects have common underlying requirements and emerged from the research literature. As a result, they share a number of common design characteristics, including (1) an intensive summer institute, (2) school-year workshops, (3) ongoing support throughout the academic year, and (4) use of technologies as tools for inquiry rather than as the primary focus of instruction. However, the projects do differ in disciplinary focus, geographical reach, theoretical frameworks, and evaluation approaches. For example, some include students directly while others involve only teachers. Looking across all of the highlighted projects, this final chapter summarizes insights into best practices in designing professional development in support of teaching science with geospatial technology.

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