Contact: Kay Fike Jones
Beginning this fall, Mississippi State will enable K-12 school teachers anywhere to earn a master's degree from the university through distance learning.
With courses offered via videotape, workbooks and the Internet, the Teachers in Geosciences program allows enrollment in either selected geosciences courses or the full curriculum for a graduate degree.
Director Mark Binkley said the TIG program targets teachers who wish to continue their education but are unable to interrupt their careers for any significant length of time. Two courses in the 11-course curriculum may be taken each semester, he added.
"We've set this up so participants can earn a master's degree in geoscience in two years by taking two courses a semester," he explained.
The TIG program is based on the department's successful broadcast meteorology program (for television weathercasters) and operational meteorology program (for military personnel). The programs currently enroll more than 400 off-campus students.
Binkley, a professor in the geosciences department, said the new curriculum includes courses on meteorology, physical geography, geology, oceanography, hydrology, and planetary science.
Education consultant Mike Mogil said the program "is unique in that teachers will not only receive intensive education in the sciences, but also will experience the hands-on methodology for helping their students learn."
Mogil, a Florida State University graduate, owns the Rockville, Md.-based HOW THE WEATHERWORKS, which provides educational weather services to institutions ranging from kindergartens through universities. He assisted MSU in developing the course.
"The science content will become immediately 'grade-friendly' as each course will contain a strand of educational applications that are appropriate for teachers in grades K-4, 5-8 and 9-12," Mogil said.
Videotaped lectures, course materials and learning exercises will be mailed to students at the beginning of the semester. Each tape contains 12 hours of lectures that may be used at any grade level, plus four additional hours of grade-specific lectures. Texts and workbooks may be ordered through the Mississippi State Bookstore.
Information also will be available via the Internet. The lesson plans, technical discussions, appropriate web links, and other Internet resources will enable teachers to see how the Internet technology may be incorporated into their classrooms.
"While we provide a framework of dates for completion of each section, students work at their own pace," Binkley said.
Department of geosciences faculty members will be available to assist the students by telephone, electronic mail, fax, or by Internet bulletin boards and chat rooms.
For more information, contact TIG at (601) 325-2908 or e-mail Binkley at binkley@geosci.msstate.edu. Further information may be found at the program web site www.msstate.edu/dept/geosciences/TIG.html.