Geoscience Education

As a glaciologist, my work is driven by mathematical and scientific principles. Yet, in either science or the community at large, understanding scientific concepts is only one component of being an effective scientist or an engaged citizen. Though I have engaged with students in a number of settings (labs, office hours, thesis advisor, and classroom time), this belief continually drives how I approach teaching and the expectations I have for my students.
Students learn the most when engaged, both personally and intellectually. While I have used a traditional lecture, I believe that this method reduces subjects to one-dimensional memorizations and fail to allow students to engage with the topic, their peers and myself. As I have gained more experience and been allowed more flexibility, my style of teaching has evolved to incorporate small-scale interactions to suit both my personality and the needs of the students I teach.
Students learn the most when engaged, both personally and intellectually. While I have used a traditional lecture, I believe that this method reduces subjects to one-dimensional memorizations and fail to allow students to engage with the topic, their peers and myself. As I have gained more experience and been allowed more flexibility, my style of teaching has evolved to incorporate small-scale interactions to suit both my personality and the needs of the students I teach.
Experience
I have been a teaching assistant for a variety of classes. Each of these classes allowed me to either spend time on instruction or have significant interactions with students.
Spring 2014 Geology in the Public Media
Lead discussion sections, taught writing skills and graded and provided feedback in multiple opinion essays
Spring 2011, 2012 Introduction to Hydrogeology
Taught Matlab programming and groundwater geology basics, graded and provided feedback on long form
homework assignments
Fall 2009 Introduction to Geology
Independently taught laboratory sections, interacted directly with students, graded and provided feedback on
labs and exams
Spring 2014 Geology in the Public Media
Lead discussion sections, taught writing skills and graded and provided feedback in multiple opinion essays
Spring 2011, 2012 Introduction to Hydrogeology
Taught Matlab programming and groundwater geology basics, graded and provided feedback on long form
homework assignments
Fall 2009 Introduction to Geology
Independently taught laboratory sections, interacted directly with students, graded and provided feedback on
labs and exams
Certificates
Certificate in First-Year Interdisciplinary Teaching, University of Texas at Austin
Outreach
Andrews, L.C. (2014), Spatiotemporal evolution of the subglacial hydrologic system beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet, Jackson School of Geosciences Technical Sessions, Austin, Texas, 4 Nov.
Andrews, L. C. (2014), Monitoring the Greenland Ice Sheet: Why and how we study its plumbing, Center for Inquiry Austin, 15 Dec.
Andrews, L. C. (2014), Physical controls on outlet glacier variability in Central Western Greenland: Fieldwork and photos from summer 2013, Austin Gem and Mineral Society, Austin, Texas, 23 Jan.
Andrews, L. C. (2013), Physical controls on outlet glacier variability in Central Western Greenland: Fieldwork and photos from summer 2013, Institute for Geophysics Brown Bag Seminar, Austin, Texas, 27 Nov.
Andrews, L. C. (2014), Monitoring the Greenland Ice Sheet: Why and how we study its plumbing, Center for Inquiry Austin, 15 Dec.
Andrews, L. C. (2014), Physical controls on outlet glacier variability in Central Western Greenland: Fieldwork and photos from summer 2013, Austin Gem and Mineral Society, Austin, Texas, 23 Jan.
Andrews, L. C. (2013), Physical controls on outlet glacier variability in Central Western Greenland: Fieldwork and photos from summer 2013, Institute for Geophysics Brown Bag Seminar, Austin, Texas, 27 Nov.
Teaching Subglacial Hydrology
Subglacial hydrology is a complex, nuanced topic, but in order to introduce subglacial hydrology to the layperson, I developed several slides that explain the basics. I often use these slides in the public talks I present.
Resources
coming soon!