NOAA's Education Program Review and Critique (2010) / Chapter Skim
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3 The Education Portfolio and Effective Practices
3 The Education Portfolio and Effective Practices
Pages 51-74
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From page 51... ...
In general, the plan provides a very high-level description of how education programs are managed and their goals, topics to be addressed in reaching their goals, the outcomes related to the goals, and strategies for reaching the outcomes. In this chapter we describe how education is managed and funded at NOAA, critique the strategic plan, and summarize effective education practices that can guide the implementation of the strategic plan.
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From page 52... ...
The EC chair is the director of the Office of Education, the vice chair is the deputy director, and the executive secretariat is the Office of Education. The principal members of the EC are as follows: • Director, Educational Partnership Program, Office of Education • National education coordinator, Office of the National Marine Sanctuaries, NOS • Education program leader, National Sea Grant Program, OAR • National education coordinator, National Estuarine Research Reserve Program, NOS • National education coordinator, Ocean Exploration Program, OAR • National education coordinator, NOAA Corals Protection and Conservation Program • Climate education coordinator, Climate Program Office, OAR • Education and Teacher at Sea program manager, NMFS • OAR (at large)
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From page 53... ...
. In contrast, the education coordinators from the line and program offices on the EC work with their education program staff across the country to implement education activities, which are based on the scientific, exploration, and stewardship activities of the line and program offices.
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From page 54... ...
This blending of support within reserves means that education staff answer not only to NOAA but also to the state. For example, at Elkhorn Slough National Estuary Research Reserve in California, the education coordinator is funded primarily by the California Department of Fish and Game, and the coordinator answers to the reserve manager, who is also funded by the Department of Fish and Game.
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From page 55... ...
In addition, some programs support education activities but do not report a separate education budget category (e.g., the cooperative institutes)
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From page 56... ...
Each institution has developed education and outreach activities with its funds, yet the education and outreach budgets of each of the Sea Grant colleges were not readily available. Furthermore, the cost share and matching funds that some NOAA education programs receive from other agencies, organizations, and institutions -- including the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, and the Bay-Watershed Education and Training Program -- make it difficult to decipher NOAA's investment in the education programs it supports.
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From page 57... ...
editable vectors EDUCATION STRATEGIC PLAN The 2009-2029 education strategic plan, which updates the 2004 education strategic plan, was developed to create greater coherence and cohesion across the agency's education portfolio.3 NOAA's 2009-2029 education strategic plan updates the 2004 education strategic plan. Under the mandate of the America COMPETES Act, NOAA must revise its education plan every five years.
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From page 58... ...
Environmental literacy is defined in the plan as "a fundamental understanding of the systems of the natural world, the relationships and interactions between the living and non-living environment, and the ability to understand and utilize scientific evidence to make informed decisions regarding environmental issues." NOAA believes that an environmentally literate public is critical to achieve its mission goals related to steward ship, resource management, and preparation for and response to severe weather. Goal : Workforce Development: A future workforce, reflecting the diver sity of the Nation, skilled in science, technology, engineering, mathemat ics, and other disciplines critical to NOAA's mission.
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From page 59... ...
Three topics are highlighted as integral to accomplishing these outcomes: workforce development for students, educators, researchers, and managers; support for NOAA mission-critical disciplines (not just science) ; and support for underrepresented populations in sciences related to NOAA's mission.
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From page 60... ...
One positive and critical aspect of the 2009 plan is the brief summary of the agency's desired role in the national landscape of ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, weather, and climate science education. In the partnership and collaboration section, NOAA states that it is the leading science and service agency in ocean and atmospheric science, and thus it has the responsibility to increase its role as a coordinator and collaborator in these areas of science education.
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From page 61... ...
Diversity and broadening participation are central in the workforce development outcomes, but they are only tangentially mentioned as one aspect of the engaging audience's outcome under the environmental literacy goal. An outcome focused on reaching out to underserved populations in the environmental literacy goal should be included to address the national need to expand understanding of and interest in the science and stewardship issues related to NOAA's mission among K-12 students, adults, and the public.
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From page 62... ...
First, there is no mechanism to bring the local education staff from different programs together to share effective practices across education programs. The plan mentions the need for internal coordination to support education activities; however, the coordination being discussed is at the EC level.
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From page 63... ...
NOAA's mission, developing stewardship behaviors, structuring informal learning environments, supporting teacher professional development, and reaching underserved populations. There is also a body of literature related to aspects of workforce needs that are highlighted under the workforce goal in the strategic education plan, including developing accurate workforce needs assessments and factors in supporting workforce development that can inform future workforce development programs.
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From page 64... ...
These attributes include but are not limited to the extreme (both large and small) spatial scale of important processes, the interrelated reliance on models and representations rather than actual target phenomena in hands-on activities, the centrality of systems thinking and emergent phenomena, and the importance of nonexperimental modes of inquiry.
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From page 65... ...
Finally, a knowledgeable facilitator is critical; someone needs to be available to offer students' intellectual support and guidance as they need it. Systems thinking and understanding emergent properties are important parts of developing an understanding of the sciences related to NOAA's mission as well as promoting stewardship of the resources that NOAA protects.
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From page 66... ...
NOAA's environmental education programs need to promote these factors if they are going to lead to stewardship behaviors. Education activities
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From page 67... ...
and literacy principles they currently consider, to improve their current programs and develop new programs. BOX 3.3 North American Association for Environmental Education Guidelines for Initial Preparation of Environmental Educators Theme 1: Environmental Literacy • Questioning and analysis skills • Knowledge of environmental processes and systems • Skills for understanding and addressing environmental issues • Personal and civic responsibility Theme 2: Foundations of Environmental Education • Fundamental characteristics and goals of environmental education • How environmental education is implemented • Evolution of the field Theme 3: Professional Responsibilities of the Environmental Educator • Exemplary environmental education practice • Emphasis on education, not advocacy • Ongoing learning and professional development Theme 4: Planning and Implementing Environmental Education Programs • Knowledge of learners • Knowledge of instructional methodologies • Planning for instruction • Knowledge of environmental education materials and resources • Technologies that assist learning • Settings for instruction • Curriculum planning Theme 5: Fostering Learning • A climate for learning about and exploring the environment • An inclusive and collaborative learning environment • Flexible and responsive instruction Theme 6: Assessment and Evaluation • Learner outcomes • Assessment that is part of instruction • Improving instruction SOURCE: North American Association for Environmental Education (2004)
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From page 68... ...
. A number of effective practices in developing informal environments for science learning can be employed by NOAA as it implements the strategic plan:
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From page 69... ...
. Teacher Professional Development Some NOAA education programs provide time, support, and materials for teacher professional development.
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From page 70... ...
Two promising insights into how to better support science learning among people from nondominant backgrounds are that learning environments should be developed and implemented with the interests and concerns of community and cultural groups in mind (e.g., project goals should be mutually determined by educators and the communities and cultural groups they serve) and in ways that expressly draw on participants' cultural practices, including everyday language, linguistic practices, and common cultural experiences (National Research Council, 2009)
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From page 71... ...
Workforce Development Programs Developing Accurate Workforce Needs Assessments As a first step in addressing the workforce goals, NOAA needs a sense of the current and future workforce needs related to its mission. In general, the discussion of U.S.
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From page 72... ...
Important factors in higher education programs that NOAA can employ to address workforce needs are research experience, mentoring, career development, and funding. Research experiences that include laboratory and field experiences, research seminars and workshops, and opportunities to make research presentations and teach science have been cited as critical to undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students (Gilligan et al., 2007; National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine, 2000; National Research Council, 2005)
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From page 73... ...
Thus, workforce development programs that support higher education research laboratory and field experiences should include training for student mentors. In addition, career development opportunities are an important aspect of undergraduate and graduate education programs (National Research Council, 2005)
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From page 74... ...
appear in Box 3.4. BOX 3.4 Guidance for Developing Successful Postdoctoral Programs In order to enhance the postdoctoral experience, advisers, institutions, funding organizations, and disciplinary societies should 1.
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