CarboSchools teacher training project Comenius

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CarboSchools teacher training project (Comenius)

• New contract under Comenius / Socrates programme
  (EU programme for education) a result of the
  CarboSchools launching workshop in Die (France)
  march 2005
• Budget 350 k with 260 k from EU
• Coordinator University of Education Heidelberg
  (Schallies), partners CIO Groningen (Meijer),
  CNR-Ibimet Firenze (Raschi), SLU Uppsala
  (Stromgren) / CarboSchools (Saugier)
• Duration 3 years, oct.06 sept. 09

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Rationale goal

• Presently, traditional science teaching is
  ineffective to prepare students adequately for
  lifes complexity in a science and technology
  based society. Factual knowledge is not
  sufficient.
• Traditional teacher preparation programs have not
  been very effective to prepare teaching staff for
  the corresponding change in teaching methodology.
• The overall aim of the project is to identify the
  needs of science teachers to prepare them for
  teaching authentic science and for going from
  teaching activities to learning activities of
  students.
• Focus on experimenting supporting
  Teacher-Scientist Partnerships (as defined in
  Die) as a tool for teachers professional
  development

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Results expected

• A fully tested version of the  Teacher
  Scientist partnership guide 
• Teaching materials (i.e. experimental procedures,
  worksheets for students, background literature
  etc.)
• Modules for pre- in-service teacher training
• Ultimately contributing to a better training of
  school science teachers, clearly one of the keys
  to raising attractiveness of scientific studies
  careers
• My concern connecting with the broader
  CarboSchools (contributing exploiting the
  results) / starting with the kick-off meeting
  Heidelberg 12-13 January

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Collaboration with science museums IGLO

• ASTC, Association of science technology centers
  launches the  IGLO  project in the frame of IPY
  the goal is to mobilise science centers on the
  topic of climate
• ASTC invited CarboEurope/Ocean CarboSchools at
  its annual meeting IGLO workshop last month
• ECSITE, the European counterpart of ASTC would
  like CarboSchools to be part of IGLO-Europe
• The great thing for us is that science museums
  can be very powerful in reaching broad audiences
  and in facilitating the connection with schools

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ACCENT, EGU integration of European efforts

• ACCENT Training and Education develops didactic
  materials training of young scientists
• Since EGU 2006, ACCENT tries to build up a forum
  for European leaders in science education and
  outreach towards an action plan for joint future
  actions
• No concrete plans yet, but a new educational
  session at EGU 2007  Integrating Activities in
  Environmental Science Education - Approaches and
  Perspectives  call for abstracts open, please
  contribute! (convener Evi Schuepbach, U. of Berne)

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Difficult questions arise !

• Rabelais 1532 Science sans conscience nest que
  ruine de lâme ( Science without conscience is
  but ruin of the soul").
• Today with global change scientific facts and
  knowledge (understanding the problem) without
  ethics citizenship (taking part actively to the
  solution) is but ruin of the planet!
• Educational action about global change should not
  just inform, describe or explain, but also
  involve and challenge lifestyles.
• The big issue how do we go from learning science
  to actually impacting lifestyles?

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Difficult questions

• As scientists and science mediators talking to
  the public
• DO WE SAY  we are those who know so we can tell
  you what you should do to solve the problem 
• OR
•  we know a bit of whats happening, therefore we
  do our best in our own lives and work to
  contribute to the solution, and by sharing with
  you our knowledge we challenge you to also do the
  best in your lives work 
• A personal opinion science institutions who take
  seriously their moral responsibility when talking
  with schools the public are effectively
  changing their own management of resources,
  energy, waste etc. run their own environmental
  impact reduction plan.