The relationships established in the Summer Immersion Project between high school and university faculty, content mentors, students, and curriculum specialists and ECOlogic staff will be cultivated by the ESSCC testbed in order to continue professional development. Faculty will maintain connections to sources of expertise in specializations related to student project themes and, thereby reduce classroom isolation. The testbed will serve as a collegial experimentation environment supporting the establishment and structuring of collaborations. The ESSCC testbed will enhance curriculum development by simplifying the coordination of curriculum planning, the sharing of new ideas and materials, and the process of gathering faculty responses to new proposals and materials and incorporating their responses into the curriculum revision process. Involvement in the testbed will also enable faculty and students to interact with their peers in other schools and with experts in all areas of society.
We will also seek to incorporate accredited Internet telecourses, delivered via the classroom scientific computing facilities or via the home facilities of faculty and staff, directly into the ESS community curriculum, as deemed appropriate. In Year 3, the community will develop its own telecourse, a faculty enhancement course delivered over the network, which will complement the Summer Immersion Project. Once refined, this telecourse will en able experienced faculty to support their colleagues in their own teaching initiatives.
The Earth System Science Community Curriculum Testbed
keeler@jacks.gsfc.nasa.gov