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It's an old truism that kids are the ones who take to the Web (or computers or VCRs), and their parents are the ones who play catch-up. If that's the case, what about teachers, who have to stay ahead of the kids? If you're a teacher, this article is for you. Today the Web has lots of enticing and helpful resources.
What about lesson plans and classroom techniques? There must be an endless demand for these, because there sure is an endless supply. But the best sites combine the input of three groups: experienced teachers, research scientists, and the educators who create and administer standards.
There are some ready examples where one of these groups is missing. Consider the enormous collection of Web-based lessons created by kids and teachers at the ThinkQuest philanthropy. Without scientists involved, the quality ranges from excellent to abysmal, like the muddled and unreadable essays about evolution. The materials created by "Tomorrow's Teachers" are more sound; still I consider the whole site suspect (but write me if you've found a favorite there).
But the Kentucky Earth Science Education Network does things right. The pearl of its Web site is the page on educational standards, where every significant concept in the National Science Education Standards is linked to resources for every age level. Go there. Its quality will convince you more than anything I can say.
What about places to talk with other teachers? Try a listserv group. These are one of the unsung treasures of the Internet, e-mail discussion groups that in the right hands can become a pillar of your professional life. They're easy to join, and easy to leave if one doesn't work for you. Many people I know belong to several listservs. The Virtual CoffeeRoom is one I'd try if I were an Earth-science teacher at any level.
What about higher-level materials, like formal studies of education methods? The Electronic Journal of Science Education might be what you want. It's peer-reviewed and has been online since 1996, the Mesozoic Era of the Web. It has a listserv too.
The Institute for Learning Technologies, a project in Columbia University, covers this same ground and more. It also sponsors hands-on computer work in New York City classrooms to keep the theorizing right-side up.
And what about learning more real Earth science first-hand? There is no better cure for burnout than to take some time off to sharpen your intellectual tools. One example is the Denver Earth Science Project, which not only prepares broad "modules" of curricular material but takes the time to train teachers in their use. It mostly serves the Denver area, but you don't have to live there to go there.
But maybe you yearn for something more special than an out-of-town seminar. How about a few weeks in Antarctica, or the high seas? The Armada Project sends teachers out on polar and oceanic research projects every year. They report their experiences on the Armada Web site for the benefit of fellow teachers and your students. Maybe you can be one of the next crop of master teachers off on a real scientific adventure.
These resources are the merest smattering of what's out there. See more in the Teachers' Resources list.
