Principal Investigators
Kenneth H. Dunton (dunton@utmsi.utexas.edu)
Katherine K. Ellins (kellins@ig.utexas.edu)
Jay L. Banner (banner@mail.utexas.edu)
Ian W. Dalziel (ian@ig.utexas.edu)
James P. Barufaldi (jamesb@mail.utexas.edu)

UTIG’s NSF-sponsored GK-12 Program is part of a larger GK-12 program at UT Austin, involving UTIG, the Marine Science and the Environmental Science Institute.

UTIG’s GK-12 PROGRAM partners three graduate student fellows each year with six science teachers in Texas.

Teachers work alongside scientists and graduate students as part of a team, and through this interaction, are improving their scientific content knowledge, their understanding of the technology used in the geosciences, and their computer/internet skills. They gain an understanding of how research is carried out and integrate research with education through the development of curriculum learning modules that use real geoscience data.

Our GK-12 Fellows are becoming better at communicating their scientific knowledge so that it is interesting and relevant to non-scientists, strengthening their teaching skills, and gaining exposure to innovative pedagogical approaches. UTIG research scientists are learning about different pedagogical approaches from their interaction with GK-12 Fellows and teachers. The program, now at the end of year two, has naturally found its place at the center of UTIG’s K-12 E&O effort and links our different education projects together.  Moreover, the GK-12 program has added value to our other programs through the additional resources and expertise that it brings. The pre-existence of UTIG’s other E&O programs provided opportunities for the GK-12 fellows and allowed UTIG’s GK-12 program to ramp up very quickly.