This project will offer a program of professional development to scientists who are engaged with K-12 education. By focusing on scientific inquiry in the classroom, it will help scientists understand how to apply their deep knowledge of the scientific process to their education and outreach activities. The goals of the project are 1) to increase the involvement and effectiveness of scientists participating in K-12 education, 2) to draw scientists into additional professional development experiences that will further enhance their ability to contribute to education, and 3) to identify the knowledge, motivations, and needs of scientists working with K-12 education, and to understand how they respond to and act upon professional development opportunities in education. The goals will be met by 1) a workshop that will travel to several geoscience professional society meetings, 2) providing materials and doing follow-up with participating scientists, 3) a web-based collection of annotated resources, and 4) an evaluation-with-research study of the readiness, response, and needs of this community for professional development.
