Challenges and Opportunities for Using Crowd-Sourced Air Pollution Measurements for Education and Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Stanier, C. O.; Dong, C.; Janechek, N. J.; Bryngelson, N.; Schultz, P.; Heimbinder, M.

2017-12-01

As part of the CLE4R air quality education project, the University of Iowa has been working with AirBeam low-cost consumer-grade fine particulate matter (PM2.5) sensors in educational and outreach settings, both in K-12 environments and in informal settings such as science days and technology fairs. Users are attracted to the AirBeam device, in part, because of the easy creation of crowd-sourced maps of air pollution. With over 1000 AirBeam devices in use, extensive measurements are now available at aircasting.org. The AirBeam sensor is a portable, low-cost sensor which measures light scattering due to aerosols as a single bin converting the detected signal to a particle count and uses a calibration fit to estimate particle mass. The AirBeam is able to detect particle sizes of 0.5 - 2.5 µm, concentrations up to 400 µg m-3, and with a time resolution of 1 s. A corresponding Android device is used to visualize, record, and upload measured data to a community website (aircasting.org) that maps the spatial and temporal resolved data. The non-profit vendor's website constructs crowdsourced maps of air quality, environmental, and meteorological variables. As of April 1st, 2017, through the CLE4R project, 109 people had used the AirBeam sensors for educational purposes, for a total of 271 person hours. In the poster, we will explain the outreach that was done, and share best practices for education and outreach using consumer-grade PM sensors. Strengths and needed improvements to the technology for these outreach, education, and classroom uses will also be detailed. Sources of particles that can be artificially generated for educational use, including authentic smoke, spray smoke, and various dust sources will be enumerated. For use in K-12 classrooms, requirements for robust startup, operation, and ease-of-use are high. Mapping of concentrations is a desirable attribute but adds additional sources of failure to the hardware-software system used for education/outreach.

Models for Information Assurance Education and Outreach: A Report on Year 1 Implementation

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jianjun

2013-01-01

On September 22, 2012, NSF announced its decision to fund a three-year project, "Models for Information Assurance Education and Outreach" (MIAEO). In the first year of grant operation, MIAEO has invited 18 high school students, two K-12 teachers, and two CSUB student assistants to conduct research explorations in the fields of…

Photonics outreach and education through partnerships in Puerto Rico

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, Jonathan S.; Diaz, Andres; Saltares, Roger; Luciano, Sarah; Molina, Nerivette; Martinez, Smailyn; Hernandez, Alejandro; de Jesus, Johan; Rivera, Yesenia; Capeles, Antonio; Alvear, Felipe; Lopez, Jesus; Rivera, Miguel; Saurez, Rey; Trujillo, Elsa

2015-10-01

As the only photonics center in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Photonics Institute (PRPI) has developed education and outreach projects, partnering with other institutions and private companies to optimize the use of available resources. We present our experience, challenges, rewards, and results for the following projects: - Tours: K-12 students visit our facilities in a science tour including a presentation on the Arecibo Observatory (AO) and the Digital Planet Geodome. We present optics demonstrations and other information. In the first three months we hosted fifteen schools impacting over 1,400 students. - Outreach: We have newly active outreach and recruiting activities for Puerto Rico (PR) schools. - Teachers: With the PR Math-Science Partnership (MSP) Program, we have given a full-day workshop on optics and photonics experiments for 5th-12th grade teachers, and a master class at the annual MSP Congress. We have impacted over 500 teachers through these initiatives. - Continuing Education: We have given continuing education courses in addition to the MSP workshops. - General Public: We partner with museums in PR, the University of Turabo, and the AO Visitor Center to build optics exhibits, many developed by students. - Video: PRPI is promoting the 2015 International Year of Light, creating: 1. A short video with students and faculty from the Universidad Metropolitana (UMET) Schools of Communication and Business Administration; 2. A longer video with the production company Geoambiente. - Apps: Our website will include ray tracing and wave propagation applications, developed by UMET Computer Science students. - Capstone: Engineering students at the School of Engineering at Universidad del Turabo are developing laser pattern generators.

12 CFR 517.5 - Outreach.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Outreach. 517.5 Section 517.5 Banks and Banking OFFICE OF THRIFT SUPERVISION, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CONTRACTING OUTREACH PROGRAMS § 517.5 Outreach... registration of minority-, women-owned (small and large) businesses and entities owned by individuals with...

Developing an Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program for Caltech's Tectonics Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Kovalenko, L.; Jain, K.; Maloney, J.

2012-12-01

The Caltech Tectonics Observatory (TO) is an interdisciplinary center, focused on geological processes occurring at the boundaries of Earth's tectonic plates (http://www.tectonics.caltech.edu). Over the past four years, the TO has made a major effort to develop an Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program. Our goals are to (1) inspire students to learn Earth Sciences, particularly tectonic processes, (2) inform and educate the general public about science in the context of TO discoveries, and (3) provide opportunities for graduate students, postdocs, and faculty to do outreach in the local K-12 schools and community colleges. Our work toward these goals includes hosting local high school teachers and students each summer for six weeks of research experience (as part of Caltech's "Summer Research Connection"); organizing and hosting an NAGT conference aimed at Geoscience teachers at community colleges; participating in teacher training workshops (organized by the local school district); hosting tours for K-12 students from local schools as well as from China; and bringing hands-on activities into local elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. We also lead local school students and teachers on geology field trips through nearby canyons; develop education modules for undergraduate classes (as part of MARGINS program); write educational web articles on TO research (http://www.tectonics.caltech.edu/outreach/highlights/), and regularly give presentations to the general public. This year, we started providing content expertise for the development of video games to teach Earth Science, being created by GameDesk Institute. And we have just formed a scientist/educator partnership with a 6th grade teacher, to help in the school district's pilot program to incorporate new national science standards (NSTA's Next Generation Science Standards, current draft), as well as use Project-Based Learning. This presentation gives an overview of these activities.

A Library approach to establish an Educational Data Curation Framework (EDCF) that supports K-12 data science sustainability

Science.gov (United States)

Branch, B. D.; Wegner, K.; Smith, S.; Schulze, D. G.; Merwade, V.; Jung, J.; Bessenbacher, A.

2013-12-01

It has been the tradition of the libraries to support literacy. Now in the realm of Executive Order, Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information, May 9, 2013, the library has the responsibility to support geospatial data, big data, earth science data or cyber infrastructure data that may support STEM for educational pipeline stimulation. (Such information can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/09/executive-order-making-open-and-machine-readable-new-default-government-.) Provided is an Educational Data Curation Framework (EDCF) that has been initiated in Purdue research, geospatial data service engagement and outreach endeavors for future consideration and application to augment such data science and climate literacy needs of future global citizens. In addition, this endorsement of this framework by the GLOBE program may facilitate further EDCF implementations, discussion points and prototypes for libraries. In addition, the ECDF will support teacher-led, placed-based and large scale climate or earth science learning systems where such knowledge transfer of climate or earth science data is effectively transferred from higher education research of cyberinfrastructure use such as, NOAA or NASA, to K-12 teachers and school systems. The purpose of this effort is to establish best practices for sustainable K-12 data science delivery system or GLOBE-provided system (http://vis.globe.gov/GLOBE/) where libraries manage the data curation and data appropriateness as data reference experts for such digital data. Here, the Purdue University Libraries' GIS department works to support soils, LIDAR and water science data experiences to support teacher training for an EDCF development effort. Lastly, it should be noted that the interdisciplinary collaboration and demonstration of library supported outreach partners and national organizations such the GLOBE program may best foster EDCF development. This trend in data

Technical Education Outreach in Materials Science and Technology Based on NASA's Materials Research

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, James A.

2003-01-01

The grant NAG-1 -2125, Technical Education Outreach in Materials Science and Technology, based on NASA s Materials Research, involves collaborative effort among the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s Langley Research Center (NASA-LaRC), Norfolk State University (NSU), national research centers, private industry, technical societies, colleges and universities. The collaboration aims to strengthen math, science and technology education by providing outreach related to materials science and technology (MST). The goal of the project is to transfer new developments from LaRC s Center for Excellence for Structures and Materials and other NASA materials research into technical education across the nation to provide educational outreach and strengthen technical education. To achieve this goal we are employing two main strategies: 1) development of the gateway website and 2) using the National Educators Workshop: Update in Engineering Materials, Science and Technology (NEW:Updates). We have also participated in a number of national projects, presented talks at technical meetings and published articles aimed at improving k-12 technical education. Through the three years of this project the NSU team developed the successful MST-Online site and continued to upgrade and update it as our limited resources permitted. Three annual NEW:Updates conducted from 2000 though 2002 overcame the challenges presented first by the September 11,2001 terrorist attacks and the slow U.S. economy and still managed to conduct very effective workshops and expand our outreach efforts. Plans began on NEW:Update 2003 to be hosted by NASA Langley as a part of the celebration of the Centennial of Controlled Flight.

Young Researchers Engaged in Educational Outreach to Increase Polar Literacy

Science.gov (United States)

Raymond, M.; Baeseman, J.; Xavier, J.; Kaiser, B.; Vendrell-Simon, B.

2008-12-01

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) grew out of the 4th International Polar Year (IPY-4) 2007-08 and is an international and interdisciplinary organization of over 1200 undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, early faculty members, educators and others with interests in Polar Regions and the wider cryosphere from more than 40 countries. Our aims are to stimulate interdisciplinary and international research collaborations, and develop effective future leaders in polar research, education and outreach. As potentially one of the major legacies of IPY-4, APECS members have been at the forefront of increasing scientific knowledge and public interest in the polar regions, centered around global climate change, and enhancing scientific understanding, media attention, primary and secondary school (K-12) educational programs, undergraduate institutions, and public literacy campaigns. Research and Educational Outreach activities by APECS members during IPY-4 have improved both our understanding and the communication of all aspects of the Polar Regions and the importance of their broader global connections. APECS National Committees have run Polar Contests where young researchers partnered with teachers and students to develop curriculum and activities to share their research, have participated in many field based communication exchanges and are mentoring youth to pursue careers in science, and enhancing the public perception of scientists through photo, video and museum exhibits. In cooperation with the IPY Teachers Network and the IPY IPO, APECS is developing a polar education resource book that will feature education and outreach activities by young researchers, as well as provide examples of classroom activities for teachers to incorporate polar literacy into their curriculum and a How-To guide for researchers interested in conducting education and outreach. As young researchers interactively share their excitement and

Integrating local environmental research into K-12 science classrooms and the value of graduate student-educator partnerships

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, N. D.; Petrik-Finley, R.

2015-12-01

Collaboration between researchers and K-12 educators enables an invaluable exchange of teaching philosophies and educational tools. Programs that partner graduate students with K-12 educators serve the dual purpose of training future educators and providing K-12 students with unique opportunities and perspectives. The benefits of this type of partnership include providing students with enhanced educational experiences and positive student-mentor relationships, training STEM graduate students in effective teaching strategies, and providing teachers with a firsthand resource for scientific information and novel educational materials. Many high school students have had little exposure to science beyond the classroom. Frequent interactions with "real-life" scientists can help make science more approachable and is an effective strategy for promoting science as a career. Here I describe my experiences and several lessons designed as a NSK GK-12 fellow. For example, a month-long unit on biogeochemical principles was framed as a crime scene investigation of a fish kill event in Hood Canal, Washington, in which students were given additional pieces of evidence to solve the mystery as they satisfied checkpoints in their understanding of key concepts. The evidence pieces included scientific plots, maps, datasets, and laboratory exercises. A clear benefit of this investigation-style unit is that students were able to learn the material at their individual pace. This structure allowed for a streamlined integration of differentiated materials such as simplified background readings or visual learning aids for struggling students or more detailed news articles and primary literature for more advanced students. Although the NSF GK-12 program has been archived, educators and researchers should pursue new partnerships, leveraging local and state-level STEM outreach programs with the goal of increasing national exposure of the societal benefits of such synergistic activities.

Opinions on Computing Education in Korean K-12 System: Higher Education Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dae-Kyoo; Jeong, Dongwon; Lu, Lunjin; Debnath, Debatosh; Ming, Hua

2015-01-01

The need for computing education in the K-12 curriculum has grown globally. The Republic of Korea is not an exception. In response to the need, the Korean Ministry of Education has announced an outline for software-centric computing education in the K-12 system, which aims at enhancing the current computing education with software emphasis. In…

Centennial of Flight Educational Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Marianne (Technical Monitor); Miller, Susan (Technical Monitor); Vanderpool, Celia

2003-01-01

The Centennial of Flight Education Outreach project worked with community partners to disseminate NASA Education materials and the Centennial of Flight CD-ROM as a vehicle to increase national awareness of NASA's Aerospace Education products, services and programs. The Azimuth Education Foundation and the Ninety Nines, an International Women Pilots Association, Inc. were chartered to conduct education outreach to the formal and informal educational community. The Dryden Education Office supported the development of a training and information distribution program that established a national group of prepared Centennial of Flight Ambassadors, with a mission of community education outreach. These Ambassadors are members of the Ninety Nines and through the Azimuth Foundation, they assisted the AECC on the national level to promote and disseminate Centennial of Flight and other educational products. Our objectives were to explore partnership outreach growth opportunities with consortium efforts between organizations. This project directly responded to the highlights of NASA s Implementation Plan for Education. It was structured to network, involve the community, and provide a solid link to active educators and current students with NASA education information. Licensed female pilots who live and work in local communities across the nation carried the link. This partnership has been extremely gratifying to all of those Ninety-Nines involved, and they eagerly look forward to further work opportunities.

Physical Education Teacher Educator's Perceptions toward and Understanding of K-12 Online Physical Education

Science.gov (United States)

Daum, David N.; Woods, Amelia M.

2015-01-01

K-12 online physical education (OLPE) is as an educational opportunity in at least 30 states in the US (NASPE, 2006; 2010; 2012). The purpose of this study was to examine physical education teacher educators' perceptions toward and understanding of K-12 OLPE. Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory (1986) served as the theoretical framework for this…

The Engagement of Engineers in Education and Public Outreach: Beginning the Conversation

Science.gov (United States)

Grier, J.; Buxner, S.; Vezino, B.; Shipp, S. S.

2014-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are a new set of K-12 science standards that have been developed through a collaborative, state-led process. Based on the National Research Council (NRC) 'Framework for K-12 Education,' the NGSS are designed to provide all students with a coherent education possessing both robust content and rigorous practice. Within these standards is an enhanced emphasis on the intersection between science and engineering. The focus is not only on asking questions and finding answers (science) but also in identifying and designing solution to problems (engineering.) The NASA SMD (Science Mission Directorate) Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forums have been working with space scientists for many years to assist with their engagement in E/PO efforts, thus supporting the needs of previous science standards. In order to properly address the needs of NGSS, this conversation is being expanded to include engineers. Our initial efforts include a series of semi-structured interviews with a dozen engineers involved in different aspects of space science and mission development. We will present the responses from the survey and compare this information to our knowledge base about space scientists, their needs, attitudes, and understandings of E/PO. In addition to a new emphasis on engineering in the NGSS, we also consider engineering habits of mind such as systems thinking, creativity, optimism, collaboration, communication, and attention to ethical considerations as described by an NRC policy document for engineering education. Using the overall results, we will consider strategies, further ideas for investigation, and possible steps for going forward with this important aspect of including engineering in education and outreach programming.

The American nuclear Society's educational outreach programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zacha, N.J.

1994-01-01

The American Nuclear Society has an extensive program of public educational outreach in the area of nuclear science and technology. A teacher workshop program provides up to five days of hands-on experiments, lectures, field trips, and lesson plan development for grades 6-12 educators. Curriculum materials have been developed for students in grades kindergarten through grade 12. A textbook review effort provides reviews of existing textbooks as well as draft manuscripts and textbook proposals, to ensure that the information covered on nuclear science and technology is accurate and scientifically sound

Overview of the Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program of the Caltech Tectonics Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Kovalenko, L.; Jain, K.; Maloney, J.

2009-12-01

The Caltech Tectonics Observatory (TO) is an interdisciplinary center, focused on geological processes occurring at the boundaries of Earth's tectonic plates (http://www.tectonics.caltech.edu). Over the past year, the TO has made a major effort to develop an Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program. Our goals are to (1) stimulate the interest of students and the general public in Earth Sciences, particularly in the study of tectonic processes, (2) inform and educate the general public about science in the context of TO discoveries and advancements, and (3) provide opportunities for graduate students, postdocs, and faculty to do outreach in the local K-12 schools. We have hosted local high school students and teachers to provide them with research experience (as part of Caltech’s “Summer Research Connection”); participated in teacher training workshops (organized by the local school district); hosted tours for local elementary school students; and brought hands-on activities into local elementary and middle school classrooms, science clubs, and science nights. We have also led local school students and teachers on geology field trips through nearby parks. In addition, we have developed education modules for undergraduate classes (as part of MARGINS program), and have written educational web articles on TO research (http://www.tectonics.caltech.edu/outreach). The presentation will give an overview of these activities and their impact on our educational program.

24 CFR 125.301 - Education and Outreach Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Education and Outreach Initiative... FAIR HOUSING FAIR HOUSING INITIATIVES PROGRAM § 125.301 Education and Outreach Initiative. (a) The Education and Outreach Initiative provides funding for the purpose of developing, implementing, carrying out...

12 CFR 906.12 - What outreach efforts are included in this program?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What outreach efforts are included in this program? 906.12 Section 906.12 Banks and Banking FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE... Minorities, Women, or Individuals With Disabilities § 906.12 What outreach efforts are included in this...

Paired Peer Learning through Engineering Education Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Fogg-Rogers, Laura; Lewis, Fay; Edmonds, Juliet

2017-01-01

Undergraduate education incorporating active learning and vicarious experience through education outreach presents a critical opportunity to influence future engineering teaching and practice capabilities. Engineering education outreach activities have been shown to have multiple benefits; increasing interest and engagement with science and…

Overcoming Constraints of Building Successful Partnerships Incorporating STEM Research Into K-12 Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Radencic, S.; McNeal, K. S.; Pierce, D.; Hare, D.

2011-12-01

The Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education (INSPIRE) program at Mississippi State University (MSU), funded by the NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK12) program, focuses on the advancement of Earth and Space science education in K-12 classrooms. INSPIRE is currently in its second year of partnering ten graduate students from the STEM fields of Geosciences, Engineering and Chemistry at MSU with five teachers from local, rural school districts. The five year project serves to increase inquiry and technology experiences in science and math while enhancing graduate student's communication skills as they create interactive lessons linking their STEM research focus to the state and national standards covered in the classrooms. Each graduate student is responsible for the development of two lessons each month of the school year that are then published on the INSPIRE project webpage, www.gk12.msstate.edu, where they are a free resource for any K-12 classroom teacher seeking innovative activities for their classrooms. Many of the participating teachers and graduate students share activities developed with non-participating teachers, expanding INSPIRE's outreach throughout the local community. Numerous challenges were met during the formation of the program as well as throughout the first year in which the project management team worked together to find solutions ensuring that INSPIRE maintained successful partnerships for all involved. Proposed solutions of the following key components were identified by INSPIRE through the development, implementation, and continuous evaluation (internal and external) of the first year of the program as areas that can pose challenges to the construction of strong relationships between STEM research and K-12 classrooms: initializing the partnerships with the K-12 classrooms and STEM graduate fields at the university; maintaining strong partnerships; providing appropriate training and support; developing sound

Interstellar Molecules in K-12 Education

Science.gov (United States)

Kuiper, T. B. H.; Hofstadter, M. D.; Levin, S. M.; MacLaren, D.

2006-12-01

The Lewis Center for Educational Research (LCER) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) collaborate in a K-12 educational project in which students conduct observations for several research programs led by radio astronomers. The Goldstone-Apple Valley Radio Telescope (GAVRT) program provides participating teachers with curriculum elements, based on the students' observing experiences, which support national and state academic standards. The current program is based on 2.2-GHz and 8.4-GHz radiometric observations of variable sources. The research programs monitor Jupiter, Uranus, and a selected set of quasars. The telescope is a decommissioned NASA Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, California. In the next three years, a second telescope will be added. This telescope will at least operate at the above frequencies as well as 6 GHz and 12 GHz. Possibly, it will operate in a continuous band from 1.2 GHz to 14 GHz. In either case, the telescope will be able to observe at least the 6.6-GHz and 12.2-GHz methanol maser lines. The success of the GAVRT program depends critically on the participation of scientists committed to the research who have the ability and enthusiasm for interacting with K-12 students, typically through teleconferences. The scientists will initially work with the LCER staff to create curriculum elements around their observing program.

Train Like an Astronaut Educational Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, Yamil L.; Lloyd, Charles; Reeves, Katherine M.; Abadie, Laurie J.

2012-01-01

In an effort to reduce the incidence of childhood obesity, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), capitalizing on the theme of human spaceflight developed two educational outreach programs for children ages 8-12. To motivate young "fit explorers," the Train Like an Astronaut National (TLA) program and the Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut International Fitness Challenge (MX) were created. Based on the astronauts' physical training, these programs consist of activities developed by educators and experts in the areas of space life sciences and fitness. These Activities address components of physical fitness. The educational content hopes to promote students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. At the national level, in partnership with First Lady Michelle Obama's Let?s Move! Initiative, the TLA program consists of 10 physical and 2 educational activities. The program encourages families, schools, and communities to work collaboratively in order to reinforce in children and their families the importance of healthy lifestyle habits In contrast, the MX challenge is a cooperative outreach program involving numerous space agencies and other international partner institutions. During the six-week period, teams of students from around the world are challenged to improve their physical fitness and collectively accumulate points by completing 18 core activities. During the 2011 pilot year, a t otal of 137 teams and more than 4,000 students from 12 countries participated in the event. MX will be implemented within 24 countries during the 2012 challenge. It is projected that 7,000 children will "train like an astronaut".

The ATLAS Education and Outreach Group

CERN Multimedia

M. Barnett

With the unprecedented scale and duration of ATLAS and the unique possibilities to make groundbreaking discoveries in physics, ATLAS has special opportunities to communicate the importance and role of our accomplishments. We want to participate in educating the next generation of scientific and other leaders in our society by involving students of many levels in our research. The Education and Outreach Group has focused on producing informational material of various sorts - like brochures, posters, a film, animations and a public website - to assist the members of the collaboration in their contacts with students, teachers and the general public. Another aim is to facilitate the teaching of particle physics and particularly the role of the ATLAS Experiment by providing ideas and educational material. The Education and Outreach Group meets every ATLAS week, with an attendance of between 25 and 40 people. The meetings have become an interesting forum for education and outreach projects and new ideas. The comi...

Paired peer learning through engineering education outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Fogg-Rogers, Laura; Lewis, Fay; Edmonds, Juliet

2017-01-01

Undergraduate education incorporating active learning and vicarious experience through education outreach presents a critical opportunity to influence future engineering teaching and practice capabilities. Engineering education outreach activities have been shown to have multiple benefits; increasing interest and engagement with science and engineering for school children, providing teachers with expert contributions to engineering subject knowledge, and developing professional generic skills for engineers such as communication and teamwork. This pilot intervention paired 10 pre-service teachers and 11 student engineers to enact engineering outreach in primary schools, reaching 269 children. A longitudinal mixed methods design was employed to measure change in attitudes and Education Outreach Self-Efficacy in student engineers; alongside attitudes, Teaching Engineering Self-Efficacy and Engineering Subject Knowledge Confidence in pre-service teachers. Highly significant improvements were noted in the pre-service teachers' confidence and self-efficacy, while both the teachers and engineers qualitatively described benefits arising from the paired peer mentor model.

Role of Public Outreach in the University Science Mission: Publishing K-12 Curriculum, Organizing Tours, and Other Methods of Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Dittrich, T. M.

2015-12-01

Much attention has been devoted in recent years to the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education in K-12 curriculum for developing a capable workforce. Equally important is the role of the voting public in understanding STEM-related issues that impact public policy debates such as the potential impacts of climate change, hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas exploration, mining impacts on water quality, and science funding. Since voted officials have a major impact on the future of these policies, it is imperative that the general public have an understanding of the basic science behind these issues. By engaging with the public in a more fundamental way, university students can play an important role in educating the public while at the same time enhancing their communication skills and gaining valuable teaching experience. I will talk about my own experiences in (1) evaluating and publishing water chemistry and hazardous waste cleanup curriculum on the K-12 engineering platform TeachEngineering.org, (2) organizing public tours of water and energy sites (e.g., abandoned mine sites, coal power plants, wastewater treatment plants, hazardous waste treatment facilities), and (3) other outreach and communication activities including public education of environmental issues through consultations with customers of a landscaping/lawn mowing company. The main focus of this presentation will be the role that graduate students can play in engaging and educating their local community and lessons learned from community projects (Dittrich, 2014; 2012; 2011). References: Dittrich, T.M. 2014. Adventures in STEM: Lessons in water chemistry from elementary school to graduate school. Abstract ED13E-07 presented at 2014 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 15-19 Dec. Dittrich, T.M. 2012. Collaboration between environmental water chemistry students and hazardous waste treatment specialists on the University of Colorado-Boulder campus. Abstract ED53C

Web-based Tools for Educators: Outreach Activities of the Polar Radar for Ice Sheet Measurements (PRISM) Project

Science.gov (United States)

Braaten, D. A.; Holvoet, J. F.; Gogineni, S.

2003-12-01

The Radar Systems and Remote Sensing Laboratory at the University of Kansas (KU) has implemented extensive outreach activities focusing on Polar Regions as part of the Polar Radar for Ice Sheet Measurements (PRISM) project. The PRISM project is developing advanced intelligent remote sensing technology that involves radar systems, an autonomous rover, and communications systems to measure detailed ice sheet characteristics, and to determine bed conditions (frozen or wet) below active ice sheets in both Greenland and Antarctica. These measurements will provide a better understanding of the response of polar ice sheets to global climate change and the resulting impact the ice sheets will have on sea level rise. Many of the research and technological development aspects of the PRISM project, such as robotics, radar systems, climate change and exploration of harsh environments, can kindle an excitement and interest in students about science and technology. These topics form the core of our K-12 education and training outreach initiatives, which are designed to capture the imagination of young students, and prompt them to consider an educational path that will lead them to scientific or engineering careers. The K-12 PRISM outreach initiatives are being developed and implemented in a collaboration with the Advanced Learning Technology Program (ALTec) of the High Plains Regional Technology in Education Consortium (HPR*TEC). ALTec is associated with the KU School of Education, and is a well-established educational research center that develops and hosts web tools to enable teachers nationwide to network, collaborate, and share resources with other teachers. An example of an innovative and successful web interface developed by ALTec is called TrackStar. Teachers can use TrackStar over the Web to develop interactive, resource-based lessons (called tracks) on-line for their students. Once developed, tracks are added to the TrackStar database and can be accessed and modified

NASA's SMD Cross-Forum Resources for Supporting Scientist Engagement in Education and Public Outreach Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Buxner, S.; Cobabe-Ammann, E. A.; Hsu, B. C.; Sharma, M.; Peticolas, L. M.; Schwerin, T. G.; Shipp, S. S.; Smith, D.

2012-12-01

Sharing the excitement of ongoing scientific discoveries is an important aspect of scientific activity for researchers. Directly engaging scientists in education and public outreach (E/PO) activities has the benefit of directly connecting the public to those who engage in scientific activities. A shortage of training in education methods, public speaking, and working with various public audiences increases barriers to engaging scientists in these types in E/PO activities. NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Education and Public forums (astrophysics, earth science, heliophysics, and planetary science) support scientists currently involved in E/PO and who are interested in becoming involved in E/PO through a variety of avenues. Over the past three years, the forums have developed a variety of resources to help engage scientists in education and public outreach. We will showcase the following resources developed through the SMD E/PO cross-forum efforts: Professional development resources for writing NASA SMD E/PO proposals (webinars and other online tools), ongoing professional development at scientific conferences to increase scientist engagement in E/PO activities, toolkits for scientists interested in best practices in E/PO (online guides for K-12 education and public outreach), toolkits to inform scientists of science education resources developed within each scientific thematic community, EarthSpace (a community web space where instructors can find and share about teaching space and earth sciences in the undergraduate classroom, including class materials news and funding opportunities, and the latest education research, http://www.lpi.usra.edu/earthspace/), thematic resources for teaching about SMD science topics, and an online database of scientists interested in connecting with education programs. Learn more about the Forum and find resources at http://smdepo.org/.

Science Education and Public Outreach Forums (SEPOF): Providing Coordination and Support for NASA's Science Mission Directorate Education and Outreach Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Mendez, B. J.; Smith, D.; Shipp, S. S.; Schwerin, T. G.; Stockman, S. A.; Cooper, L. P.; Peticolas, L. M.

2009-12-01

NASA is working with four newly-formed Science Education and Public Outreach Forums (SEPOFs) to increase the overall coherence of the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program. SEPOFs support the astrophysics, heliophysics, planetary and Earth science divisions of NASA SMD in three core areas: * E/PO Community Engagement and Development * E/PO Product and Project Activity Analysis * Science Education and Public Outreach Forum Coordination Committee Service. SEPOFs are collaborating with NASA and external science and education and outreach communities in E/PO on multiple levels ranging from the mission and non-mission E/PO project activity managers, project activity partners, and scientists and researchers, to front line agents such as naturalists/interpreters, teachers, and higher education faculty, to high level agents such as leadership at state education offices, local schools, higher education institutions, and professional societies. The overall goal for the SEPOFs is increased awareness, knowledge, and understanding of scientists, researchers, engineers, technologists, educators, product developers, and dissemination agents of best practices, existing NASA resources, and community expertise applicable to E/PO. By coordinating and supporting the NASA E/PO Community, the NASA/SEPOF partnerships will lead to more effective, sustainable, and efficient utilization of NASA science discoveries and learning experiences.

The SERC K12 Educators Portal to Teaching Activities and Pedagogic Approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Larsen, K.; Kirk, K. B.; Manduca, C. A.; Ledley, T. S.; Schmitt, L.

2013-12-01

The Science Education Resource Center (SERC) has created a portal to information for K12 educators to provide high-quality grade level appropriate materials from a wide variety of projects and topics. These materials were compiled across the SERC site, showcasing materials that were created for, or easily adaptable to, K12 classrooms. This resource will help support implementation of Next Generation Science Standards by assisting educators in finding innovative resources to address areas of instruction that are conceptually different than previous national and state science standards. Specifically, the K12 portal assists educators in learning about approaches that address the cross-cutting nature of science concepts, increasing students quantitative reasoning and numeracy skills, incorporating technology such as GIS in the classroom, and by assisting educators of all levels of K12 instruction in using relevant and meaningful ways to teach science concepts. The K12 portal supports educators by providing access to hundreds of teaching activities covering a wide array of science topics and grade levels many of which have been rigorously reviewed for pedagogic quality and scientific accuracy. The portal also provides access to web pages that enhance teaching practices that help increase student's system thinking skills, make lectures interactive, assist instructors in conducting safe and effective indoor and outdoor labs, providing support for teaching energy and climate literacy principles, assisting educators in addressing controversial content, provide guidance in engaging students affective domain, and provides a collection of tools for making teaching relevant in 21st century classrooms including using GIS, Google Earth, videos, visualizations and simulations to model and describe scientific concepts. The portal also provides access to material for specific content and audiences by (1) Supporting AGIs 'Map your World' week to specifically highlight teaching

Harnessing Technology to Improve K-12 Education. Discussion Paper 2012-05

Science.gov (United States)

Chatterji, Aaron; Jones, Benjamin

2012-01-01

Technological progress has consistently driven remarkable advances in the U.S. economy, yet K-12 education sees little technological change compared to other sectors, even as U.S. K-12 students increasingly lag behind students in other nations. This proposal considers how we can take a signature American strength--innovation--and apply it to K-12…

CSU's MWV Observatory: A Facility for Research, Education and Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Hood, John; Carpenter, N. D.; McCarty, C. B.; Samford, J. H.; Johnson, M.; Puckett, A. W.; Williams, R. N.; Cruzen, S. T.

2014-01-01

The Mead Westvaco Observatory (MWVO), located in Columbus State University's Coca-Cola Space Science Center, is dedicated to education and research in astronomy through hands-on engagement and public participation. The MWVO has recently received funding to upgrade from a 16-inch Meade LX-200 telescope to a PlaneWave CDK 24-inch Corrected Dall-Kirkham Astrograph telescope. This and other technological upgrades will allow this observatory to stream live webcasts for astronomical events, allowing a worldwide public audience to become a part of the growing astronomical community. This poster will explain the upgrades that are currently in progress as well as the results from the current calibrations. The goal of these upgrades is to provide facilities capable of both research-class projects and widespread use in education and public outreach. We will present our initial calibration and tests of the observatory equipment, as well as its use in webcasts of astronomical events, in solar observing through the use of specialized piggy-backed telescopes, and in research into such topics as asteroids, planetary and nebula imaging. We will describe a pilot research project on asteroid orbit refinement and light curves, to be carried out by Columbus State University students. We will also outline many of the K-12 educational and public outreach activities we have designed for these facilities. Support and funding for the acquisition and installation of the new PlaneWave CDK 24 has been provided by the International Museum and Library Services via the Museums for America Award.

Education and Outreach | State, Local, and Tribal Governments | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Education & Outreach Education and Outreach With support from the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative, NREL's Solar Technical Assistance Team (STAT) develops a range of education and addressing solar market barriers. Past presentations are available for the following topics: Solar 101-This

NASA Education Activity Training (NEAT): Professional Development for Montana K-12 Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Williamson, Kathryn; McKenzie, D.; Des Jardins, A.; Key, J.; Kanode, C.; Willoughby, S.

2012-05-01

Piloted during the 2011-2012 academic year, the NASA Education Activity Training (NEAT) teacher workshop program has introduced five solar astronomy and space weather activities to over forty Montana K-12 teachers. Because many Montana schools are geographically isolated (40% of Montana students live more than 50 miles from a city) and/or serve traditionally underrepresented groups (primarily Native Americans), professional development for teachers can be costly and time consuming. However, with funding shared by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly EPO team and the Montana Space Grant Consortium, graduate student specialists are able to host the two-hour NEAT workshops on-site at the schools free of charge, and participating teachers earn two continuing education credits. Leveraging the existing catalogue of research-based NASA activities, the featured NEAT activities were chosen for their ease-of-use and applicability to Montana science standards. These include three advanced activities for older students, such as a paper plate activity for the June 5th, 2012 Transit of Venus, Kinesthetic Astronomy, and the Herschel Infrared experiment, along with two simpler activities for the younger students, such as Solar Cookies and the Electromagnetic War card game. Feedback surveys show that NEAT workshop participants were interested and engaged in the activities and planned on using the activities in their classrooms. With such positive responses, the NEAT program has been a huge success and can serve as a model for other institutions looking to increase their space public outreach and education.

K-12 Education Nonprofit Employees' Perceptions of Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining Employees

Science.gov (United States)

Byrne, Tara Marie

2013-01-01

This qualitative study explored the key reasons individuals who work in K-12 education nonprofit organizations enter the field of K-12 nonprofit education and their motivations for doing so. The purpose of this study was to find new strategies for recruiting and retaining K-12 education nonprofit employees by examining the obstacles that exist to…

Tablets in K-12 Education: Integrated Experiences and Implications

Science.gov (United States)

An, Heejung, Ed.; Alon, Sandra, Ed.; Fuentes, David, Ed.

2015-01-01

The inclusion of new and emerging technologies in the education sector has been a topic of interest to researchers, educators, and software developers alike in recent years. Utilizing the proper tools in a classroom setting is a critical factor in student success. "Tablets in K-12 Education: Integrated Experiences and Implications"…

Avenues for Scientist Involvement in Earth and Space Science Education and Public Outreach (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Peticolas, L. M.; Gross, N. A.; Hsu, B. C.; Shipp, S. S.; Buxner, S.; Schwerin, T. G.; Smith, D.; Meinke, B. K.

2013-12-01

NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Science Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forums are charged with engaging, extending, supporting, and coordinating the community of E/PO professionals and scientists involved in Earth and space science education activities. This work is undertaken to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the overall national NASA science education and outreach effort made up of individual efforts run by these education professionals. This includes facilitating scientist engagement in education and outreach. A number of resources and opportunities for involvement are available for scientists involved in - or interested in being involved in - education or outreach. The Forums provide opportunities for earth and space scientists to stay informed, communicate, collaborate, leverage existing programs and partnerships, and become more skilled education practitioners. Interested scientists can receive newsletters, participate in monthly calls, interact through an online community workspace, and attend E/PO strategic meetings. The Forums also provide professional development opportunities on a myriad of topics, from common pre-conceptions in science, to program evaluation, to delivering effective workshops. Thematic approaches, such as Earth Science Week (http://www.earthsciweek.org), and the Year of the Solar System (http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/yss) are coordinated by the Forums; through these efforts resources are presented topically, in a manner that can be easily ported into diverse learning environments. Information about the needs of audiences with which scientists interact - higher education, K-12 education, informal education, and public - are provided by SMD's Audience-Based Working Groups. Their findings and recommendations are made available to inform the activities and products of E/PO providers so they are able to better serve these audiences. Also available is a 'one-stop shop' of SMD E/PO products and resources that can be

Engineering Education in K-12 Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Spence, Anne

2013-03-01

Engineers rely on physicists as well as other scientists and mathematicians to explain the world in which we live. Engineers take this knowledge of the world and use it to create the world that never was. The teaching of physics and other sciences as well as mathematics is critical to maintaining our national workforce. Science and mathematics education are inherently different, however, from engineering education. Engineering educators seek to enable students to develop the habits of mind critical for innovation. Through understanding of the engineering design process and how it differs from the scientific method, students can apply problem and project based learning to solve the challenges facing society today. In this talk, I will discuss the elements critical to a solid K-12 engineering education that integrates science and mathematics to solve challenges throughout the world.

The National Space Science and Technology Center's Education and Public Outreach Program

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, G. N.; Denson, R. L.

2004-12-01

The objective of the National Space Science and Technology Center's (NSSTC) Education and Public Outreach program (EPO) is to support K-20 education by coalescing academic, government, and business constituents awareness, implementing best business/education practices, and providing stewardship over funds and programs that promote a symbiotic relationship among these entities, specifically in the area of K-20 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. NSSTC EPO Program's long-term objective is to showcase its effective community-based integrated stakeholder model in support of STEM education and to expand its influence across the Southeast region for scaling ultimately across the United States. The Education and Public Outreach program (EPO) is coordinated by a supporting arm of the NSSTC Administrative Council called the EPO Council (EPOC). The EPOC is funded through federal, state, and private grants, donations, and in-kind contributions. It is comprised of representatives of NSSTC Research Centers, both educators and scientists from the Alabama Space Science and Technology Alliance (SSTA) member institutions, the Alabama Space Grant Consortium and the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Education Office. Through its affiliation with MSFC and the SSTA - a consortium of Alabama's research universities that comprise the NSSTC, EPO fosters the education and development of the next generation of Alabama scientists and engineers by coordinating activities at the K-20 level in cooperation with the Alabama Department of Education, the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, and Alabama's businesses and industries. The EPO program's primary objective is to be Alabama's premiere organization in uniting academia, government, and private industry by way of providing its support to the State and Federal Departments of Education involved in systemic STEM education reform, workforce development, and innovative uses of technology. The NSSTC EPO

Outreach/education interface for Cryosphere models using the Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Larour, E. Y.; Halkides, D. J.; Romero, V.; Cheng, D. L.; Perez, G.

2014-12-01

In the past decade, great strides have been made in the development of models capable of projecting the future evolution of glaciers and the polar ice sheets in a changing climate. These models are now capable of replicating some of the trends apparent in satellite observations. However, because this field is just now maturing, very few efforts have been dedicated to adapting these capabilities to education. Technologies that have been used in outreach efforts in Atmospheric and Oceanic sciences still have not been extended to Cryospheric Science. We present a cutting-edge, technologically driven virtual laboratory, geared towards outreach and k-12 education, dedicated to the polar ice sheets on Antarctica and Greenland, and their role as major contributors to sea level rise in coming decades. VISL (Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory) relies on state-of-the art Web GL rendering of polar ice sheets, Android/iPhone and web portability using Javascript, as well as C++ simulations (back-end) based on the Ice Sheet System Model, the NASA model for simulating the evolution of polar ice sheets. Using VISL, educators and students can have an immersive experience into the world of polar ice sheets, while at the same exercising the capabilities of a state-of-the-art climate model, all of it embedded into an education experience that follows the new STEM standards for education.This work was performed at the California Institute of Technology's Jet Propulsion Laboratory under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Cryosphere Science Program.

Approaching K-12 Online Education in Pennsylvania

Science.gov (United States)

Vadell, Kathryn

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine how K-12 schools are addressing the need to accommodate online learners in Pennsylvania. It is built upon a review of literature focusing on educational legislation, the personalization of online learning and online learning solutions. The study posed 21 questions utilizing a mixed methods approach to…

Education and Professional Outreach as an Integrated Component of Science and Graduate Education

Science.gov (United States)

Staudigel, H.; Koppers, A. A.

2007-12-01

Education and Professional Outreach (EPO) is increasingly becoming a substantive and much needed activity for scientists. Significant efforts are expended to satisfy funding agency requirements, but such requirements may also develop into a mutually beneficial collaboration between scientists and K-16 educators with a minimal impact on science productivity. We focus here on two particularly high impact EPO opportunities, hosting of high school interns and the inclusion of an educational component to a graduate student's&pthesis work. We emphasize the importance of hands-on collaboration with teachers and teacher-educators, and the substantive benefits of highly leveraged customized internet-distribution. We will present two examples for how we integrated this K-12 EPO into our university-based science and education efforts, what types of products emerged from these activities, and how such products may be widely produced by any scientist and disseminated to the educational community. High school seniors offer a unique resource to university EPO because some of them can substantively contribute to the science, and they can be very effective peer-mentors for high and middle schools. Extended internships may be built easily into the schedule of many senior high school student programs, and we were able to involve such interns into a three-week seagoing expedition. The seniors were responsible for our EPO by maintaining a cruise website and video conferencing with their high school. They added substantially to the science outcome, through programming and participating in a range of shipboard science chores. Graduate theses may be augmented with an educational component that places the main theme of the thesis into an educational setting. We designed and supervised such a Master's graduate thesis with an educational component on the geochronology of hot spot volcanoes, including a high school lesson plan, enactment in the classroom and preparation of a wide range of web

Marketing University Outreach Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Ralph S., Jr., Ed.; And Others

A collection of 12 essays and model program descriptions addresses issues in the marketing of university extension, outreach, and distance education programs. They include: (1) "Marketing and University Outreach: Parallel Processes" (William I. Sauser, Jr. and others); (2) "Segmenting and Targeting the Organizational Market"…

Space Weather Outreach: Connection to STEM Standards

Science.gov (United States)

Dusenbery, P. B.

2008-12-01

Many scientists are studying the Sun-Earth system and attempting to provide timely, accurate, and reliable space environment observations and forecasts. Research programs and missions serve as an ideal focal point for creating educational content, making this an ideal time to inform the public about the importance and value of space weather research. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, the Space Science Institute (SSI) is developing a comprehensive Space Weather Outreach program to reach students, educators, and other members of the public, and share with them the exciting discoveries from this important scientific discipline. The Space Weather Outreach program has the following five components: (1) the Space Weather Center Website that includes online educational games; (2) Small Exhibits for Libraries, Shopping Malls, and Science Centers; (3) After-School Programs; (4) Professional Development Workshops for Educators, and (5) an innovative Evaluation and Education Research project. Its overarching goal is to inspire, engage, and educate a broad spectrum of the public and make strategic and innovative connections between informal and K-12 education communities. An important factor in the success of this program will be its alignment with STEM standards especially those related to science and mathematics. This presentation will describe the Space Weather Outreach program and how standards are being used in the development of each of its components.

A Mobile Nanoscience and Electron Microscopy Outreach Program

Science.gov (United States)

Coffey, Tonya; Kelley, Kyle

2013-03-01

We have established a mobile nanoscience laboratory outreach program in Western NC that puts scanning electron microscopy (SEM) directly in the hands of K-12 students and the general public. There has been a recent push to develop new active learning materials to educate students at all levels about nanoscience and nanotechnology. Previous projects, such as Bugscope, nanoManipulator, or SPM Live! allowed remote access to advanced microscopies. However, placing SEM directly in schools has not often been possible because the cost and steep learning curve of these technologies were prohibitive, making this project quite novel. We have developed new learning modules for a microscopy outreach experience with a tabletop SEM (Hitachi TM3000). We present here an overview of our outreach and results of the assessment of our program to date.

PROFESSIONALS BACK TO SCHOOL - AN ENGINEERING OUTREACH PROGRAMME: A CASE STUDY IN MALAYSIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BALAMURALITHARA BALAKRISHNAN

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The introduction of engineering education in K-12 classrooms opens up a number of opportunities for STEM learning to support the acquisition of knowledge and skills related to science and mathematics subjects. Several initiatives, including outreach programmes, have been carried out to promote engineering subjects and professions. To supplement the existing Malaysian curricula, an outreach programme seems a viable solution to help improve the understanding and awareness of the importance of engineering among students. In this regard, an engineering outreach program called Professionals Back to School was carried out involving a group of 40 students with the participation of several engineering practitioners. Later all the participants were interviewed to elicit feedback on the programme. The findings of the interview showed that all the participants agreed that the outreach programme was beneficial, and a majority found it to be motivational. Given these positive findings, engineering outreach programmes are highly recommended to Malaysian secondary schools to help create interest among schoolchildren in STEM education and professions.

Hobbits, Hogwarts, and the Heavens: The use of fantasy literature and film in astronomy outreach and education

Science.gov (United States)

Larsen, Kristine

2011-06-01

Due in part to recent (and ongoing) film adaptations, the fantasy series of C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia), J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter), Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials), and J.R.R. Tolkien (The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings) are being introduced to a new audience. Many astronomers and astronomy educators are unaware of the wide variety of astronomical references contained in each series, and the myriad possible uses of these works in astronomy education and outreach. This paper highlights activities which educators, planetariums, and science centers have already developed to utilise these works in their education and outreach programs.

Active Commuting among K-12 Educators: A Study Examining Walking and Biking to Work

OpenAIRE

Bopp, Melissa; Hastmann, Tanis J.; Norton, Alyssa N.

2013-01-01

Background. Walking and biking to work, active commuting (AC) is associated with many health benefits, though rates of AC remain low in the US. K-12 educators represent a significant portion of the workforce, and employee health and associated costs may have significant economic impact. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the current rates of AC and factors associated with AC among K-12 educators. Methods. A volunteer sample of K-12 educators (n = 437) was recruited to partici...

Science Educational Outreach Programs That Benefit Students and Scientists.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Greg Clark

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Both scientists and the public would benefit from improved communication of basic scientific research and from integrating scientists into education outreach, but opportunities to support these efforts are limited. We have developed two low-cost programs--"Present Your PhD Thesis to a 12-Year-Old" and "Shadow a Scientist"--that combine training in science communication with outreach to area middle schools. We assessed the outcomes of these programs and found a 2-fold benefit: scientists improve their communication skills by explaining basic science research to a general audience, and students' enthusiasm for science and their scientific knowledge are increased. Here we present details about both programs, along with our assessment of them, and discuss the feasibility of exporting these programs to other universities.

Science Educational Outreach Programs That Benefit Students and Scientists

Science.gov (United States)

Enyeart, Peter; Gracia, Brant; Wessel, Aimee; Jarmoskaite, Inga; Polioudakis, Damon; Stuart, Yoel; Gonzalez, Tony; MacKrell, Al; Rodenbusch, Stacia; Stovall, Gwendolyn M.; Beckham, Josh T.; Montgomery, Michael; Tasneem, Tania; Jones, Jack; Simmons, Sarah; Roux, Stanley

2016-01-01

Both scientists and the public would benefit from improved communication of basic scientific research and from integrating scientists into education outreach, but opportunities to support these efforts are limited. We have developed two low-cost programs—"Present Your PhD Thesis to a 12-Year-Old" and "Shadow a Scientist”—that combine training in science communication with outreach to area middle schools. We assessed the outcomes of these programs and found a 2-fold benefit: scientists improve their communication skills by explaining basic science research to a general audience, and students' enthusiasm for science and their scientific knowledge are increased. Here we present details about both programs, along with our assessment of them, and discuss the feasibility of exporting these programs to other universities. PMID:26844991

Enhancing the Impact of NASA Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach: Sharing Best Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Bartolone, Lindsay; Smith, D. A.; Astrophysics Science Education, NASA; Public Outreach Forum Team

2013-01-01

The NASA Science Education and Public Outreach Forums support the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and its education and public outreach community in enhancing the coherence, efficiency, and effectiveness of SMD-funded education and public outreach programs. As part of this effort, the four Forums (Astrophysics, Earth Science, Heliophysics, and Planetary Science) work together to coordinate resources and opportunities that enable sharing of best practices relevant to SMD-funded education and public outreach. Efforts include collaborating with SMD-funded education and public outreach programs to identify community needs for professional development; raising awareness of the existing body of best practices and educational research; and, organizing distance learning and face-to-face professional development opportunities. Topics include best practices in navigating NASA SMD education and public outreach program requirements, social media, engaging girls in science, and student misconceptions / reasoning difficulties. Opportunities to share best practices and learn from experts are extended to the broader astronomy and astrophysics community through the annual Astronomical Society of the Pacific education and public outreach conference. Evaluation of community professional development resources and opportunities is in progress.

Spacemakers: A Leadership Perspective on Curriculum and the Purpose of K-12 Educational Makerspaces

Science.gov (United States)

Harron, Jason R.; Hughes, Joan E.

2018-01-01

This qualitative research study investigated how educational makerspace leaders, whom we refer to as spacemakers, framed the purpose of the makerspace in K-12 education and how makerspaces support school curriculum. Using interviews with twelve K-12 spacemakers, the study found spacemakers were experienced, self-motivated educators. These leaders…

Education and Outreach: Advice to Young Scientists

Science.gov (United States)

Lopes, R. M. C.

2005-08-01

Carl Sagan set an example to all scientists when he encouraged us to reach out to the public and share the excitement of discovery and exploration. The prejudice that ensued did not deter Sagan and, with the passing of years, more and more scientists have followed his example. Although at present scientists at all ranks are encouraged by their institutions to do outreach, the balancing of a successful scientific career with teaching and outreach is often not an easy one. Young scientists, in particular, may worry about how their outreach efforts are viewed in the community and how they will find the time and energy for these efforts. This talk will offer suggestions on how to balance an active science research program with outreach activities, the many different ways to engage in education and public outreach, and how the rewards are truly priceless.

Pathway to STEM: Using Outreach Initiatives as a Method of Identifying, Educating and Recruiting the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz-Arias, Deedee; Zwicker, Andrew; Dominguez, Arturo; Greco, Shannon

2017-10-01

The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) uses a host of outreach initiatives to inform the general population: the Young Women's Conference, Science Bowl, Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship, My Brother's Keeper, a variety of workshops for university faculty and undergraduate students, public and scheduled lab tours, school and community interactive plasma science demonstrations. In addition to informing and educating the public about the laboratory's important work in the areas of Plasma and Fusion, these outreach initiatives, are also used as an opportunity to identify/educate/recruit the next generation of the STEM workforce. These programs provide the laboratory with the ability to: engage the next generation at different paths along their development (K-12, undergraduate, graduate, professional), at different levels of scientific content (science demonstrations, remote experiments, lectures, tours), in some instances, targeting underrepresented groups in STEM (women and minorities), and train additional STEM educators to take learned content into their own classrooms.

Evaluation Framework for NASA's Educational Outreach Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Berg, Rick; Booker, Angela; Linde, Charlotte; Preston, Connie

1999-01-01

The objective of the proposed work is to develop an evaluation framework for NASA's educational outreach efforts. We focus on public (rather than technical or scientific) dissemination efforts, specifically on Internet-based outreach sites for children.The outcome of this work is to propose both methods and criteria for evaluation, which would enable NASA to do a more analytic evaluation of its outreach efforts. The proposed framework is based on IRL's ethnographic and video-based observational methods, which allow us to analyze how these sites are actually used.

Project BioEYES: Accessible Student-Driven Science for K-12 Students and Teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Shuda, Jamie R; Butler, Valerie G; Vary, Robert; Farber, Steven A

2016-11-01

BioEYES, a nonprofit outreach program using zebrafish to excite and educate K-12 students about science and how to think and act like scientists, has been integrated into hundreds of under-resourced schools since 2002. During the week-long experiments, students raise zebrafish embryos to learn principles of development and genetics. We have analyzed 19,463 participating students' pre- and post-tests within the program to examine their learning growth and attitude changes towards science. We found that at all grade levels, BioEYES effectively increased students' content knowledge and produced favorable shifts in students' attitudes about science. These outcomes were especially pronounced in younger students. Having served over 100,000 students, we find that our method for providing student-centered experiences and developing long-term partnerships with teachers is essential for the growth and sustainability of outreach and school collaborations.

The International Heliophysical Year Education and Outreach Program

Science.gov (United States)

Rabello-Soares, M.; Morrow, C.; Thompson, B.

2006-12-01

The International Heliophysical Year (IHY) will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) and will continue its tradition of international research collaboration. The term "heliophysical" is an extension of the term "geophysical", where the Earth, Sun & Solar System are studied not as separate domains but through the universal processes governing the heliosphere. IHY represents a logical next-step, extending the studies into the heliosphere and thus including the drivers of geophysical change. The main goal of IHY Education and Outreach Program is to create more global access to exemplary resources in space and earth science education and public outreach. By taking advantage of the IHY organization with representatives in every nation and in the partnership with the United Nations Basic Space Science Initiative (UNBSSI), we aim to promote new international partnerships. Our goal is to assist in increasing the visibility and accessibility of exemplary programs and in the identification of formal or informal educational products that would be beneficial to improve the space and earth science knowledge in a given country; leaving a legacy of enhanced global access to resources and of world-wide connectivity between those engaged in education and public outreach efforts that are related to IHY science. Here we describe the IHY Education and Outreach Program, how to participate and the benefits in doing so. ~

The K-12 Educational Technology Value Chain: Apps for Kids, Tools for Teachers and Levers for Reform

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, Glenn L.; Cleary, Paul F.

2016-01-01

Historically implementing, maintaining and managing educational technology has been difficult for K-12 educational systems. Consequently, opportunities for significant advances in K-12 education have often gone unrealized. With the maturation of Internet delivered services along with K-12 institutional trends, educational technologies are poised…

Development of an Integrated Education/Training based Nuclear Outreach Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Kyongwon; Nam, Youngmi; Hwang, Ina; Lee, Jisuk; Ko, Hansuk; Lee, Taejoon

2013-01-01

The Korean nuclear community also recognizes the importance of outreach from its experience with rad waste and nuclear power programs. Accordingly, nationwide programs dealing with public information, support for local community development, and HRD are implemented continuously involving a number of organizations concerned. The Nuclear Training and Education Center (NTC) of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), with its unique function and capability as a national research organization, has needs for the enhancement of public acceptance for KAERI programs, a better contribution to the national effort, and addressing the emerging needs for international education/training on nuclear outreach. This paper presents an integrated education/training based nuclear outreach model with a set of reference program, which is developed for NTC. An integrated education/training based nuclear outreach model for NTC is developed addressing the increasing needs for public acceptance on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, in terms of supporting KAERI activities, contributing to the national nuclear outreach efforts, and promoting international education and training on nuclear outreach. The model, harmonized with the national nuclear outreach system, consists of objectives, target audiences, a set of reference program supported by infrastructure and networking, and an evaluation system. The program is further specified into sub-programs with detailed design for the respective audiences. The developed model with a reference program is characterized by its integrity in terms of encompassing the whole outreach process cycle, and setting up of a target audience based total program structure with existing and new sub-programs. Also, it intends to be sustainable by addressing future generations' needs as well as innovative in the program delivery. The model will be continuously upgraded and applied addressing respective needs of the audiences

Development of an Integrated Education/Training based Nuclear Outreach Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Kyongwon; Nam, Youngmi; Hwang, Ina; Lee, Jisuk; Ko, Hansuk; Lee, Taejoon [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-05-15

The Korean nuclear community also recognizes the importance of outreach from its experience with rad waste and nuclear power programs. Accordingly, nationwide programs dealing with public information, support for local community development, and HRD are implemented continuously involving a number of organizations concerned. The Nuclear Training and Education Center (NTC) of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), with its unique function and capability as a national research organization, has needs for the enhancement of public acceptance for KAERI programs, a better contribution to the national effort, and addressing the emerging needs for international education/training on nuclear outreach. This paper presents an integrated education/training based nuclear outreach model with a set of reference program, which is developed for NTC. An integrated education/training based nuclear outreach model for NTC is developed addressing the increasing needs for public acceptance on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, in terms of supporting KAERI activities, contributing to the national nuclear outreach efforts, and promoting international education and training on nuclear outreach. The model, harmonized with the national nuclear outreach system, consists of objectives, target audiences, a set of reference program supported by infrastructure and networking, and an evaluation system. The program is further specified into sub-programs with detailed design for the respective audiences. The developed model with a reference program is characterized by its integrity in terms of encompassing the whole outreach process cycle, and setting up of a target audience based total program structure with existing and new sub-programs. Also, it intends to be sustainable by addressing future generations' needs as well as innovative in the program delivery. The model will be continuously upgraded and applied addressing respective needs of the audiences.

A Framework for Quality K-12 Engineering Education: Research and Development

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Tamara J.; Glancy, Aran W.; Tank, Kristina M.; Kersten, Jennifer A.; Smith, Karl A.; Stohlmann, Micah S.

2014-01-01

Recent U.S. national documents have laid the foundation for highlighting the connection between science, technology, engineering and mathematics at the K-12 level. However, there is not a clear definition or a well-established tradition of what constitutes a quality engineering education at the K-12 level. The purpose of the current work has been…

Virtual Schools: The Changing Landscape of K-12 Education in the U.S.

Science.gov (United States)

Toppin, Ian N.; Toppin, Sheila M.

2016-01-01

Virtual schools are a growing phenomenon in k-12 education. School systems in almost every state in the United States offer some version of fully online or blended education. It is no longer far-fetched to conclude that if the current trend continues, virtual school enrollments will eclipse those of traditional brick-and-mortar k-12 institutions…

Florida's Opinion on K-12 Public Education Spending

Science.gov (United States)

Forster, Greg

2006-01-01

This scientifically representative poll of 1,200 Floridians finds that public opinion about K-12 public education spending is seriously misinformed. Floridians think public schools need more money, but the main reason is that they are badly mistaken about how much money the public schools actually get. Key findings of the study include: (1) Half…

Overview of nuclear education and outreach program among Malaysian school students

Science.gov (United States)

Sahar, Haizum Ruzanna; Masngut, Nasaai; Yusof, Mohd Hafizal; Ngadiron, Norzehan; Adnan, Habibah

2017-01-01

This paper gives an overview of nuclear education and outreach program conducted by Agensi Nuklear Malaysia (Nuklear Malaysia) throughout its operation and establishment. Since its foundation in 1972, Nuklear Malaysia has been the pioneer and is competent in the application of nuclear science and technology. Today, Nuklear Malaysia has ventured and eventually contributed into the development of various socio-economic sectors which include but not limited to medical, industry, manufacturing, agriculture, health, radiation safety and environment. This paper accentuates on the history of education and outreach program by Nuklear Malaysia, which include its timeline and evolution; as well as a brief on education and outreach program management, involvement of knowledge management as part of its approach and later the future of Nuklear Malaysia education and outreach program.

Exploring the Effectiveness of Online Education in K-12 Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Heafner, Tina L., Ed.; Hartshorne, Richard, Ed.; Petty, Teresa, Ed.

2015-01-01

The integration of technology in classrooms is rapidly emerging as a way to provide more educational opportunities for students. As virtual learning environments become more popular, evaluating the impact of this technology on student success is vital. "Exploring the Effectiveness of Online Education in K-12 Environments" combines…

Inspiring the Next Generation: Astronomy Catalyzes K12 STEM Education

Science.gov (United States)

Borders, Kareen; Thaller, Michelle; Winglee, Robert; Borders, Kyla

2017-06-01

K-12 educators need effective and relevant astronomy professional development. NASA's Mission Science provides innovative and accessible opportunities for K-12 teachers. Science questions involve scale and distance, including Moon/Earth scale, solar system scale, and distance of objects in the universe. Teachers can gain an understanding of basic telescopes, the history of telescopes, ground and satellite based telescopes, and models of JWST Telescope. An in-depth explanation of JWST and Spitzer telescopes gave participants background knowledge for infrared astronomy observations. During teacher training, we taught the electromagnetic spectrum through interactive stations. The stations included an overview via lecture and power point, the use of ultraviolet beads to determine ultraviolet exposure, the study of lenticulars and diagramming of infrared data, looking at visible light through diffraction glasses and diagramming the data, protocols for using astronomy based research in the classroom, and infrared thermometers to compare environmental conditions around the observatory. An overview of LIDAR physics was followed up by a simulated LIDAR mapping of the topography of Mars.We will outline specific steps for K-12 infrared astronomy professional development, provide data demonstrating the impact of the above professional development on educator understanding and classroom use, and detail future plans for additional K-12 professional development.Funding was provided by Washington STEM, NASA, and the Washington Space Grant Consortium.

Career education attitudes and practices of K-12 science educators

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Walter S.

A random sample of 400 K-12 science educators who were members of the National Science Teachers Association were surveyed regarding their attitude toward and practice of career education in their science teaching. These science teachers rejected a narrowly vocational view, favoring instead a conception of career education which included self-perception, values analysis, and vocational skills objectives. The science educators affirmed the importance of career education for a student's education, asserted career education ought to be taught in their existing science courses, and expressed a willingness to do so. Fewer than one-third of the science teachers, however, reported incorporating career education at least on a weekly basis in their science lessons. The major impediment to including more career education in science teaching was seen to be their lack of knowledge of methods and materials relevant to science career education, rather than objections from students, parents, or administrators; their unwillingness; or their evaluation of career education as unimportant. Thus, in order to improve this aspect of science teaching, science teachers need more concrete information about science career education applications.

Building Community: A 2005 Conference for Education and Public Outreach Professionals

Science.gov (United States)

Slater, T. F.; Bennett, M.; Garmany, K.

2004-12-01

In support of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's (ASP) mission to increase the understanding and appreciation of astronomy, the ASP will host an international meeting in September 14-16, 2005 in Tucson focused on building and supporting a vibrant and connected community of individuals and groups engaged in educational and public outreach (EPO) in the disciplines of astronomy, astrobiology, space, and earth science. This conference is specially designed for individuals who are bringing the excitement of astronomy to non-astronomers. This community of science communicators includes: NASA and NSF-funded EPO program managers, developers, evaluators, PIOs, and others who support outreach efforts by government agencies and commercial industries; Scientists working with or assigned to EPO programs or efforts; Individuals working in formal science education: K-14 schools/colleges and minority-serving institutions as faculty or curriculum developers; Informal educators working in widely diverse settings including science centers, planetariums, museums, parks, and youth programs; Amateur astronomers involved in or interested in engaging children and adults in the excitement of astronomy; Public outreach specialists working in observatories, visitor centers, public information offices, and in multimedia broadcasting and journalism. The conference goals are to improve the quality and increase the effective dissemination of EPO materials, products, and programs through a multi-tiered professional development conference utilizing: Visionary plenary talks; Highly interactive panel discussions; Small group workshops and clinics focused on a wide range of EPO topics including evaluation and dissemination, with separate sessions for varying experience levels; Poster and project exhibition segments; Opportunities to increase program leveraging through structured and unstructured networking sessions; and Individual program action planning sessions. There will both separate and

Perceptions of STEM-based outreach activities in secondary education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vennix, J.; den Brok, P.J.; Taconis, R.

2017-01-01

We investigated and compared the learning environment perceptions of students, teachers and guides who participated in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-based outreach activities in secondary education. In outreach activities, schools and teachers work together with companies

Educating Tomorrow's Workforce: A Report on the Semiconductor Industry's Commitment to Youth in K-12.

Science.gov (United States)

Semiconductor Industry Association, San Jose, CA.

The U.S. semiconductor industry, now the nation's largest manufacturing industry, displays its commitment to training its current workers and educating future workers by supporting educational efforts on the K-12 level. This catalog describes innovative actions by 16 Semiconductor Industry Association companies to improve education at the K-12…

12 CFR 361.6 - What outreach efforts are included in this program?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What outreach efforts are included in this program? 361.6 Section 361.6 Banks and Banking FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION REGULATIONS AND STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY MINORITY AND WOMEN OUTREACH PROGRAM CONTRACTING § 361.6 What outreach efforts...

K-12 STEM Educators and the Inclusive Classroom

OpenAIRE

Li, Songze

2016-01-01

The United States public schools promote inclusion and educational equity among diverse student populations. Considerable and growing numbers of students with categorical disabilities and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) are enrolled in regular classrooms. The systemic barriers in learning that they have could impact teacher perceptions and decisions about teaching practices as well as the teaching profession. These students have challenged K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathemat...

Exploring new possibilities of astronomy education and outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Fukushima, Kodai

2015-08-01

I investigate the influences of astronomy education and outreach activities on people in order to explore their potential benefits and contribution to society. This research is based on the astronomy education lessons I gave to 287 senior high school and junior high school students in Cambodia in November 2013. Before and after my lesson, I asked them to answer my questionnaires in Khmer, where they could also write free descriptions. Sentences in their free descriptions translated into Japanese are analyzed by means of a text mining method. By converting text data to various numbers using a text mining method, it is possible for us to do statistical analysis. I counted the number of question sentences and computed their rate with respect to the total number of sentences. The rate of question sentences in 9th and 12th grade students are 39% and 9%, respectively. This shows 9th grade students wonder why and how more frequently and appear to be more stimulated in their curiosity than 12th grade students. I counted the frequency of words in the free descriptions and examined high frequency words, to take a broad view of the characteristics of free description. The word ''world'' is the fourth highest frequency word among 369 words following the three words, ''the universe'', ''the earth'', and ''a star'', which frequently appear in the lesson in astronomy. The most sentences including the word “world” described amazement at the existence of so vast unknown world outside of what they had known until then. The frequency of sentences including the word ''world'' of 12th grade students is much higher (45%) than that (18%) of 9th grade students. A significant fraction of 12th grade students appears to have had a strong impact and changed their views of the world. It is found that my lesson and related activities inspired intellectual curiosity in many students, especially in 9th grade students. It is also found that a significant fraction of 12th grade students appear

How Vocational Psychologists Can Make a Difference in K-12 Education

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Justin C.; Shannon, Lisa

2017-01-01

In general, vocational psychologists have not been engaged in applied research that demonstrates how career interventions can improve educational problems that matter to relevant decision-makers and stakeholders. This article describes how vocational psychology can make a difference in K-12 education by embracing an interdisciplinary…

Research and Education: Planning an Effective Outreach Program in Balance with a Research Career

Science.gov (United States)

Connolly, Brian

2002-04-01

As scientific scholars and educators we are in a position to make a difference in outreach efforts to elementary and high school students as well as the general public, in addition to mentoring undergraduate and doctoral students. Outreach is a major component of the CAREER grant, the Lederman fellowship, as well as the primary focus of the Young Physicists Outreach Panel (YPOP). As recipients of these awards, and participants in YPOP, we would like to share our insights with the audience. The talk will cover the topics of YPOP, the Lederman Fellowship, and the CAREER grant. The Lederman Fellowship is awarded in recognition of Leon Lederman's legacy as an educator, where the fellows participate in educational/outreach programs of their choice. The NSF makes the CAREER awards to junion faculty. Outreach is of fundamental importance in these grants, with a 40 percent weight attached to the outreach and education component of the proposal. The speakers, a graduate student, a post-doctoral research fellow, and an Assistant Professor, will describe the educational/outreach activities they have been involved in, and discuss how outreach can be integrated into a career in physics research.

Increasing Internal Stakeholder Consensus about a University Science Center's Outreach Policies and Procedures

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Richard D.

For decades the United States has tried to increase the number of students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers. Educators and policy makers continue to seek strategies to increase the number of students in the STEM education pipeline. Public institutions of higher education are involved in this effort through education and public outreach (EPO) initiatives. Arizona State University opened its largest research facility, the new Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building IV (ISTB4) in September, 2012. As the new home of the School of Earth & Space Exploration (SESE), ISTB4 was designed to serve the school's dedication to K-12 education and public outreach. This dissertation presents a menu of ideas for revamping the EPO program for SESE. Utilizing the Delphi method, I was able to clarify which ideas would be most supported, and those that would not, by a variety of important SESE stakeholders. The study revealed that consensus exists in areas related to staffing and expansion of free programming, whereas less consensus exist in the areas of fee-based programs. The following most promising ideas for improving the SESE's EPO effort were identified and will be presented to SESE's incoming director in July, 2013: (a) hire a full-time director, theater manager, and program coordinator; (b) establish a service-learning requirement obligating undergraduate SESE majors to serve as docent support for outreach programs; (c) obligate all EPO operations to advise, assist, and contribute to the development of curricula, activities, and exhibits; (d) perform a market and cost analysis of other informational education venues offering similar programming; (3) establish a schedule of fee-based planetarium and film offerings; and (f) create an ISTB4 centric, fee-based package of programs specifically correlated to K12 education standards that can be delivered as a fieldtrip experience.

The Effectiveness of Educational Technology Applications for Enhancing Mathematics Achievement in K-12 Classrooms: A Meta-Analysis. Educator's Summary

Science.gov (United States)

Center for Research and Reform in Education, 2012

2012-01-01

This review summarizes research on the effects of technology use on mathematics achievement in K-12 classrooms. The main research questions included: (1) Do education technology applications improve mathematics achievement in K-12 classrooms as compared to traditional teaching methods without education technology?; and (2) What study and research…

Active commuting among K-12 educators: a study examining walking and biking to work.

Science.gov (United States)

Bopp, Melissa; Hastmann, Tanis J; Norton, Alyssa N

2013-01-01

Walking and biking to work, active commuting (AC) is associated with many health benefits, though rates of AC remain low in the US. K-12 educators represent a significant portion of the workforce, and employee health and associated costs may have significant economic impact. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the current rates of AC and factors associated with AC among K-12 educators. A volunteer sample of K-12 educators (n = 437) was recruited to participate in an online survey. Participants responded about AC patterns and social ecological influences on AC (individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and environmental factors). t-tests and ANOVAs examined trends in AC, and Pearson correlations examined the relationship between AC and dependent variables. Multiple regression analysis determined the relative influence of individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and environmental levels on AC. Participants actively commuted 0.51 ± 1.93 times/week. There were several individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and environmental factors significantly related to AC. The full model explained 60.8% of the variance in AC behavior. This study provides insight on the factors that determine K-12 educators mode of commute and provide some insight for employee wellness among this population.

Active Commuting among K-12 Educators: A Study Examining Walking and Biking to Work

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa Bopp

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Walking and biking to work, active commuting (AC is associated with many health benefits, though rates of AC remain low in the US. K-12 educators represent a significant portion of the workforce, and employee health and associated costs may have significant economic impact. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the current rates of AC and factors associated with AC among K-12 educators. Methods. A volunteer sample of K-12 educators ( was recruited to participate in an online survey. Participants responded about AC patterns and social ecological influences on AC (individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and environmental factors. -tests and ANOVAs examined trends in AC, and Pearson correlations examined the relationship between AC and dependent variables. Multiple regression analysis determined the relative influence of individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and environmental levels on AC. Results. Participants actively commuted times/week. There were several individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and environmental factors significantly related to AC. The full model explained 60.8% of the variance in AC behavior. Conclusions. This study provides insight on the factors that determine K-12 educators mode of commute and provide some insight for employee wellness among this population.

Curriculum Guide for Music Education, K-12. Bulletin 1978, No. 18.

Science.gov (United States)

Alabama State Dept. of Education, Montgomery.

This curriculum guide contains objectives, activities, and evaluation procedures for a K-12 music education program. It would be useful to anyone responsible for teaching music. The authors believe that music education has the dual obligation of developing the aesthetic sensitivity of all students regardless of their individual levels of musical…

General Atomics Sciences Education Foundation Outreach Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Winter, Patricia S.

1997-11-01

Scientific literacy for all students is a national goal. The General Atomics (GA) Foundation Outreach Program is committed to playing a major role in enhancing pre-college education in science, engineering and new technologies. GA has received wide recognition for its Sciences Education Program, a volunteer effort of GA employees and San Diego science teachers. GA teacher/scientist teams have developed inquiry-based education modules and associated workshops based on areas of core competency at GA: Fusion -- Energy of the Stars; Explorations in Materials Science; Portrait of an Atom; DNA Technology. [http://www.sci-ed-ga.org]. Workshops [teachers receive printed materials and laboratory kits for ``hands-on" modules] have been presented for 700+ teachers from 200+ area schools. Additional workshops include: University of Denver for Denver Public Schools; National Educators Workshop; Standard Experiments in Engineering Materials; Update '96 in Los Alamos; Newspapers in Education Workshop (LA Times); American Chemical Society Regional/National meetings, and California Science Teachers Association Conference. Other outreach includes High School Science Day, school partnerships, teacher and student mentoring and the San Diego Science Alliance [http://www.sdsa.org].

12 CFR 906.11 - Who may participate in the outreach program?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Who may participate in the outreach program? 906.11 Section 906.11 Banks and Banking FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS OPERATIONS Contractor Outreach Program for Businesses Owned by Minorities, Women...

Outreach Science Education: Evidence-Based Studies in a Gene Technology Lab

Science.gov (United States)

Scharfenberg, Franz-Josef; Bogner, Franz X.

2014-01-01

Nowadays, outreach labs are important informal learning environments in science education. After summarizing research to goals outreach labs focus on, we describe our evidence-based gene technology lab as a model of a research-driven outreach program. Evaluation-based optimizations of hands-on teaching based on cognitive load theory (additional…

12 CFR 361.3 - Who may participate in this outreach program?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Who may participate in this outreach program? 361.3 Section 361.3 Banks and Banking FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION REGULATIONS AND STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY MINORITY AND WOMEN OUTREACH PROGRAM CONTRACTING § 361.3 Who may participate in this...

Dropping Knowledge Like Frozen Pumpkins: Successful Physics Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Hook, E. A.

2011-12-01

The Society of Physics Students (SPS) is a professional organization specifically designed for college students. A main purpose of SPS is to develop college students into effective members of the physics community; one of the best ways to do this is by promoting science outreach. College students are in a prime position to engage the public in outreach to increase scientific literacy: they're easier for younger, school-age students to identify with, they can reach young adults in a unique way, and they're old enough to seriously engage the general public. SPS helps hundreds of college chapters across the country engage in outreach. One such chapter is at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN. The Rhodes College SPS chapter is active both in K12 schools and on its campus. Rhodes developed a position within its SPS structure to include an officer specifically related to handling outreach. For K12 schools this involved contacting teachers, organizing lessons, and holding training sessions for the college students preparing to teach the lessons. Rhodes SPS also focuses on campus outreach and trying to disabuse students of the notion that physics is stuffy, boring, and only for geniuses. Every fall, Rhodes SPS hosts an extremely popular annual Pumpkin Drop, as well as hosting demo shows, observatory open houses, and contests throughout the year for its students. One of the best received campus outreach programs is something called 'Stall Stories,' where SPS publishes a page flyer that goes in bathrooms around campus involving fun physics, a comic, and a list of SPS events. Rhodes SPS, like the national organization, has the goal of improving physics literacy among K12 students, college students, and the general public through effective outreach.

Exploring Arizona K-12 Virtual Educator Experiences and Perspectives Developing Collaborative Learning Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Cross, Deborah Iyron

2015-01-01

Arizona Online Instruction (AOI) provided an instructional alternative to nearly fifty thousand K-12 students in Arizona during the 2012-2013 school year. Growth in online education underscores the importance of evolving the role of the K-12 virtual teacher as the human agent (Turvey, 2008) demonstrating social learning theory (Bandura, 1977) by…

Educational Outreach at the M.I.T. Plasma Fusion Center

Science.gov (United States)

Censabella, V.

1996-11-01

Educational outreach at the MIT Plasma Fusion Center consists of volunteers working together to increase the public's knowledge of fusion and plasma-related experiments. Seeking to generate excitement about science, engineering and mathematics, the PFC holds a number of outreach activities throughout the year, such as Middle and High School Outreach Days. Outreach also includes the Mr. Magnet Program, which uses an interactive strategy to engage elementary school children. Included in this year's presentation will be a new and improved C-MOD Jr, a confinement video game which helps students to discover how computers manipulate magnetic pulses to keep a plasma confined for as long as possible. Also on display will be an educational toy created by the Cambridge Physics Outlet, a PFC spin-off company. The PFC maintains a Home Page on the World Wide Web, which can be reached at http://cmod2.pfc.mit.edu/.

Health Education Teacher Resource Handbook: A Practical Guide for K-12 Health Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahoney, Beverly Saxton, Ed.; Olsen, Larry K., Ed.

This handbook provides background information on the health curriculum, as well as current, comprehensive information on publications, standards, and special materials for K-12 health education. The manual begins with an introduction, by P. Bruce Uhrmacher, which provides an overview of the ideologies and philosophies that have affected curriculum…

Infrared Astronomy Professional Development for K-12 Educators: WISE Telescope

Science.gov (United States)

Borders, Kareen; Mendez, B. M.

2010-01-01

K-12 educators need effective and relevant astronomy professional development. WISE Telescope (Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer) and Spitzer Space Telescope Education programs provided an immersive teacher professional development workshop at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico during the summer of 2009. As many common misconceptions involve scale and distance, teachers worked with Moon/Earth scale, solar system scale, and distance of objects in the universe. Teachers built and used basic telescopes, learned about the history of telescopes, explored ground and satellite based telescopes, and explored and worked on models of WISE Telescope. An in-depth explanation of WISE and Spitzer telescopes gave participants background knowledge for infrared astronomy observations. We taught the electromagnetic spectrum through interactive stations. The stations included an overview via lecture and power point, the use of ultraviolet beads to determine ultraviolet exposure, the study of WISE lenticulars and diagramming of infrared data, listening to light by using speakers hooked up to photoreceptor cells, looking at visible light through diffraction glasses and diagramming the data, protocols for using astronomy based research in the classroom, and infrared thermometers to compare environmental conditions around the observatory. An overview of LIDAR physics was followed up by a simulated LIDAR mapping of the topography of Mars. We will outline specific steps for K-12 infrared astronomy professional development, provide data demonstrating the impact of the above professional development on educator understanding and classroom use, and detail future plans for additional K-12 professional development. Funding was provided by WISE Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, Starbucks, Arecibo Observatory, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Washington Space Grant Consortium.

Outreach to Future Hispanic Educational Leaders.

Science.gov (United States)

Serafin, Ana Gil

This paper discusses issues related to the recruitment of Hispanic-American educational leaders, focusing on the El Centro de Recursos Educativos outreach center at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, which began operation in Fall 1997. It examines the characteristics of successful programs for Hispanic recruitment and retention and the…

NASA Wavelength: A Digital Library for Earth and Space Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Schwerin, T.; Peticolas, L. M.; Bartolone, L. M.; Davey, B.; Porcello, D.

2012-12-01

The NASA Science Education and Public Outreach Forums have developed a web-based information system - NASA Wavelength - that will enable easy discovery and retrieval of thousands of resources from the NASA Earth and space science education portfolio. The beta system is being launched fall 2012 and has been developed based on best-practices in the architecture and design of Web-based information systems. The design style and philosophy emphasize simple, reusable data and services that facilitate the free-flow of data across systems. The primary audiences for NASA Wavelength are STEM educators (K-12, higher education and informal education) as well as scientists, education and public outreach professionals who work with k-12, higher education and informal education.

Leading Effective Educational Technology in K-12 School Districts: A Grounded Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Lara Gillian C.

2011-01-01

A systematic grounded theory qualitative study was conducted investigating the process of effectively leading educational technology in New Jersey public K-12 school districts. Data were collected from educational technology district leaders (whether formal or non-formal administrators) and central administrators through a semi-structured online…

Educational and Community Outreach Efforts by the United States Polar Rock Repository during the International Polar Year

Science.gov (United States)

Grunow, A.; Codispoti, J. E.

2010-12-01

The US Polar Rock Repository (USPRR) houses more than 19,000 rock samples from polar regions and these samples are made available to the scientific, educational and museum community. The USPRR has been active in promoting polar earth science to educational and community groups. During the past year, outreach efforts reached over 12,000 people. The USPRR outreach involve tours of the facility, school presentations, online laboratory exercises, working with the Columbus Metro Parks, teaching at summer camps, teaching special geology field assignments at the middle school level, as well as offering an ‘Antarctic Rock Box’ that contains representative samples of the three types of rocks, minerals, fossils, and books and activities about geology and Antarctica. The rock box activities have been designed and reviewed by educators and scientists to use as an educational supplement to the Earth Science course of study. The activities have been designed around the Academic Content Standards: k-12 Science manual published by the Ohio Department of Education to ensure that the activities and topics are focused on those mandated by the state of Ohio. The USPRR website has a Virtual Web Antarctic Expedition with many activities for Middle to High School age students. The students learn about how to plan a field season, safety techniques, how to make a remote field camp, identify what equipment is needed, learn about the different transportation choices, weather issues, understanding GPS, etc. Educational and community networks have been built in part, by directly contacting individuals at an institution and partnering with them on educational outreach. The institutions have been very interested in doing this because it brings scientists to the classroom and to the public. This type of outreach has also served as an opening for children to consider possible career choices in science that they may not have considered before. In many of the presentations, a female geologist

Education and public outreach of the Pierre Auger Observatory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia, B.; /Natl. Tech. U., San Rafael; Snow, G.

2005-08-01

The Auger collaboration's broad mission in education, outreach and public relations is coordinated in a separate task. Its goals are to encourage and support a wide range of outreach efforts that link schools and the public with the Auger scientists and the science of cosmic rays, particle physics, and associated technologies. This report focuses on recent activities and future initiatives.

Developing Smartphone Apps for Education, Outreach, Science, and Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Weatherwax, A. T.; Fitzsimmons, Z.; Czajkowski, J.; Breimer, E.; Hellman, S. B.; Hunter, S.; Dematteo, J.; Savery, T.; Melsert, K.; Sneeringer, J.

2010-12-01

The increased popularity of mobile phone apps provide scientists with a new avenue for sharing and distributing data and knowledge with colleagues, while also providing meaningful education and outreach products for consumption by the general public. Our initial development of iPhone and Android apps centered on the distribution of exciting auroral images taken at the South Pole for education and outreach purposes. These portable platforms, with limited resources when compared to computers, presented a unique set of design and implementation challenges that we will discuss in this presentation. For example, the design must account for limited memory; screen size; processing power; battery life; and potentially high data transport costs. Some of these unique requirements created an environment that enabled undergraduate and high-school students to participate in the creation of these apps. Additionally, during development it became apparent that these apps could also serve as data analysis and engineering tools. Our presentation will further discuss our plans to use apps not only for Education and Public Outreach, but for teaching, science and engineering.

Training Informal Educators Provides Leverage for Space Science Education and Public Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, J. S.; Tobola, K. W.; Betrue, R.

2004-01-01

How do we reach the public with the exciting story of Solar System Exploration? How do we encourage girls to think about careers in science, math, engineering and technology? Why should NASA scientists make an effort to reach the public and informal education settings to tell the Solar System Exploration story? These are questions that the Solar System Exploration Forum, a part of the NASA Office of Space Science Education (SSE) and Public Outreach network, has tackled over the past few years. The SSE Forum is a group of education teams and scientists who work to share the excitement of solar system exploration with colleagues, formal educators, and informal educators like museums and youth groups. One major area of the SSE Forum outreach supports the training of Girl Scouts of the USA (GS) leaders and trainers in a suite of activities that reflect NASA missions and science research. Youth groups like Girl Scouts structure their activities as informal education.

Outcomes for engineering students delivering a STEM education and outreach programme

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzallen, Noleine; Brown, Natalie Ruth

2017-11-01

University science outreach programmes are used to encourage more school students to select science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects in further education and pursue science-related careers. The benefits of science outreach programmes are often espoused from the perspective of programme participants. Little attention, however, is given to what university students delivering the programmes gain from the experience. This paper seeks to illustrate the benefits of engineering students delivering STEM outreach programmes in schools. It reports on a qualitative case study of the experiences of two STEM Education and Outreach team members from a regional university in Australia. Content analysis of interview data highlighted not only the participants' motivations and perceived benefits of being involved in the STEM programme but also revealed the skills and attributes honed throughout the experience. Involvement in the STEM outreach programme resulted in the development of social and personal responsibility generic graduate attribute skills, evidenced through their motivations to be involved, the demonstration of understanding of teaching and learning, and application of science communication skills. This study demonstrates that designing and delivering STEM outreach programmes assists in the development of skills that will be beneficial when pursuing careers in engineering in the future.

Education and Outreach Programs Offered by the Center for High Pressure Research and the Consortium for Materials Properties Research in Earth Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Richard, G. A.

2003-12-01

Major research facilities and organizations provide an effective venue for developing partnerships with educational organizations in order to offer a wide variety of educational programs, because they constitute a base where the culture of scientific investigation can flourish. The Consortium for Materials Properties Research in Earth Sciences (COMPRES) conducts education and outreach programs through the Earth Science Educational Resource Center (ESERC), in partnership with other groups that offer research and education programs. ESERC initiated its development of education programs in 1994 under the administration of the Center for High Pressure Research (CHiPR), which was funded as a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center from 1991 to 2002. Programs developed during ESERC's association with CHiPR and COMPRES have targeted a wide range of audiences, including pre-K, K-12 students and teachers, undergraduates, and graduate students. Since 1995, ESERC has offered inquiry-based programs to Project WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) students at a high school and undergraduate level. Activities have included projects that investigated earthquakes, high pressure mineral physics, and local geology. Through a practicum known as Project Java, undergraduate computer science students have developed interactive instructional tools for several of these activities. For K-12 teachers, a course on Long Island geology is offered each fall, which includes an examination of the role that processes in the Earth's interior have played in the geologic history of the region. ESERC has worked with Stony Brook's Department of Geosciences faculty to offer courses on natural hazards, computer modeling, and field geology to undergraduate students, and on computer programming for graduate students. Each summer, a four-week residential college-level environmental geology course is offered to rising tenth graders from the Brentwood, New York schools in partnership with

What Do Subject Matter Experts Have to Say about Participating in Education and Outreach?

Science.gov (United States)

Manning, Colleen; NASA's Universe of Learning Team

2018-01-01

NASA’s Universe of Learning partners wish to actively engage with Subject Matter Experts (scientists and engineers) throughout the design, development, and delivery of products, programs, and professional development. In order to ensure these engagement efforts aligned with the needs of Subject Matter Experts, the external evaluators conducted an online survey. The subject pool included the scientists and engineers employed at the partner organizations as well as other scientists and engineers affiliated with NASA’s Astrophysics missions and research programs. This presentation will describe scientists’/engineers’ interest in various types of education/outreach, their availability to participate in education/outreach, factors that would encourage their participation in education/outreach, and the preparation and support they have for participation in education/outreach.

12 CFR 361.4 - What contracts are eligible for this outreach program?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What contracts are eligible for this outreach program? 361.4 Section 361.4 Banks and Banking FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION REGULATIONS AND STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY MINORITY AND WOMEN OUTREACH PROGRAM CONTRACTING § 361.4 What contracts are...

12 CFR 361.2 - Why does the FDIC have this outreach program?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Why does the FDIC have this outreach program? 361.2 Section 361.2 Banks and Banking FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION REGULATIONS AND STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY MINORITY AND WOMEN OUTREACH PROGRAM CONTRACTING § 361.2 Why does the FDIC have this...

Transportation Engineering Education and Outreach Program Designed for the Collegiate Level. Final Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuhn, Beverly T.

The Transportation Engineering Education and Outreach Program was organized to develop and disseminate educational and outreach materials that would encourage students in colleges, universities, and technical schools to select transportation as a career path and to attract more students into transportation graduate programs. The research…

Partnering to Enhance Planetary Science Education and Public Outreach Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Dalton, H.; Shipp, S. S.; Shupla, C. B.; Shaner, A. J.; LaConte, K.

2015-12-01

The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) in Houston, Texas utilizes many partners to support its multi-faceted Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program. The poster will share what we have learned about successful partnerships. One portion of the program is focused on providing training and NASA content and resources to K-12 educators. Teacher workshops are performed in several locations per year, including LPI and the Harris County Department of Education, as well as across the country in cooperation with other programs and NASA Planetary Science missions. To serve the public, LPI holds several public events per year called Sky Fest, featuring activities for children, telescopes for night sky viewing, and a short scientist lecture. For Sky Fest, LPI partners with the NASA Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society; they provide the telescopes and interact with members of the public as they are viewing celestial objects. International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN) is held annually and involves the same aspects as Sky Fest, but also includes partners from Johnson Space Center's Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science group, who provide Apollo samples for the event. Another audience that LPI E/PO serves is the NASA Planetary Science E/PO community. Partnering efforts for the E/PO community include providing subject matter experts for professional development workshops and webinars, connections to groups that work with diverse and underserved audiences, and avenues to collaborate with groups such as the National Park Service and the Afterschool Alliance. Additional information about LPI's E/PO programs can be found at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education. View a list of LPI E/PO's partners here: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/partners/.

Program Spotlight: National Outreach Network's Community Health Educators

Science.gov (United States)

National Outreach Network of Community Health Educators located at Community Network Program Centers, Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity, and NCI-designated cancer centers help patients and their families receive survivorship support.

Best Practices in NASA's Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Hasan, H.; Smith, D.

2015-11-01

NASA's Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program has partnered scientists and educators since its inception almost twenty years ago, leading to authentic STEM experiences and products widely used by the education and outreach community. We present examples of best practices and representative projects. Keys to success include effective use of unique mission science/technology, attention to audience needs, coordination of effort, robust partnerships and publicly accessible repositories of EPO products. Projects are broadly targeted towards audiences in formal education, informal education, and community engagement. All NASA programs are evaluated for quality and impact. New technology is incorporated to engage young students being raised in the digital age. All projects focus on conveying the excitement of scientific discoveries from NASA's Astrophysics missions, advancing scientific literacy, and engaging students in science and technology careers.

Strategies for Engaging NASA Earth Scientists in K-12 Education and Public Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Meeson, Blanche W.; Gabrys, Robert E.

2001-01-01

Engagement of the Earth Science research community in formal education at the kindergarten through high school level and in various aspects of informal education and in professional development of practitioners in related fields has been and continues to be a challenge. A range of approaches is being used and new ones are constantly being tried. Fundamental to our strategies is an understanding of the priorities, skills, academic experiences, motivation, rewards and work experiences of most scientists. It is within this context that efforts to engage a scientist in education efforts are attempted. A key strategy is to limit our requests to activities where the scientist's contribution of time and expertise can have the most impact. Don't waste the scientist's time! Time is one of their most prized resources, it is extremely valuable to you, and to them, we treat their time like a treasured resource. The clearer a scientist's role, their unique contribution and the finite nature of their effort, the more likely they are to participate. It is critical that commitments made to scientists are kept. If they want and can do more, great! Don't expect or assume more will be forthcoming. Another approach that we use is to create periodic venues that, among other things, serve to identify individuals who have an interest or inclination to con , tribute to education efforts. Once identified we strive to determine their interests so that we can make the best match between their interests and the needs of the education program or efforts. In this way, we try to make the best use of their time while engaging them in efforts which will be personally rewarding, and will further the overall education objectives. In addition, we try to make it easier for scientists to participate by providing focused training, such as development of their interviewing skills, and exposure to key concepts, knowledge and skills which are well known among educators but are not common knowledge among

The Education and Outreach Project of ATLAS - A New Participant in Physics Education

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnett, R. Michael; Johansson, K. Erik

2006-01-01

The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN has a substantial collaborative Education and Outreach project. This article describes its activities and how it promotes physics to students around the world. With the extraordinary possibility to make groundbreaking discoveries, the ATLAS Experiment [1] at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN can play an important role in promoting contemporary physics at school. For many years ATLAS has had a substantial collaborative Education and Outreach (E and O) project in which physicists from various parts of the world take part. When the experiment begins in 2007, students from around the world will be analyzing data using cutting-edge technology. The unprecedented collision energies of the Large Hadron Collider allow ATLAS to decode the 'events' that unfold after the head-on collisions of protons (Fig. 1). The scientific results from these events will reveal much about the basic nature of matter, energy, space, and time. Students and others will be excited as they try to find events that may be signs for dark matter, extra dimensions of space, mini-black holes, string theory, and other fundamental discoveries. Science education and outreach and the promotion of awareness and appreciation of physics research have become important tasks for the research community and should be recognized as a natural and logical part of science research and as an important link between research and society. To be successful these activities have to be done in a systematic and professional way. Leading scientists together with multimedia experts can form a powerful team with teachers and educators in disseminating physics information to school and universities. The ATLAS collaboration has fully recognized the importance of education and outreach. The ATLAS E and O project can be a model for today's large science experiments in promoting science at schools and universities

The Education and Outreach Project of ATLAS - A New Participant inPhysics Education

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barnett, R. Michael; Johansson, K. Erik

2006-04-15

The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN has a substantial collaborative Education and Outreach project. This article describes its activities and how it promotes physics to students around the world. With the extraordinary possibility to make groundbreaking discoveries, the ATLAS Experiment [1] at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN can play an important role in promoting contemporary physics at school. For many years ATLAS has had a substantial collaborative Education and Outreach (E&O) project in which physicists from various parts of the world take part. When the experiment begins in 2007, students from around the world will be analyzing data using cutting-edge technology. The unprecedented collision energies of the Large Hadron Collider allow ATLAS to decode the 'events' that unfold after the head-on collisions of protons (Fig. 1). The scientific results from these events will reveal much about the basic nature of matter, energy, space, and time. Students and others will be excited as they try to find events that may be signs for dark matter, extra dimensions of space, mini-black holes, string theory, and other fundamental discoveries. Science education and outreach and the promotion of awareness and appreciation of physics research have become important tasks for the research community and should be recognized as a natural and logical part of science research and as an important link between research and society. To be successful these activities have to be done in a systematic and professional way. Leading scientists together with multimedia experts can form a powerful team with teachers and educators in disseminating physics information to school and universities. The ATLAS collaboration has fully recognized the importance of education and outreach. The ATLAS E&O project can be a model for today's large science experiments in promoting science at schools and universities.

Are K-12 Learners Motivated in Physical Education? A Meta-Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Senlin; Chen, Ang; Zhu, Xihe

2012-01-01

Previous studies devoted to K-12 learner motivation in physical education share a general assumption that students may lack motivation. This meta-analytic study examined published original studies (n = 79) to determine students' motivation level and the association between motivation and outcomes. Original means of motivation measures were…

AGU education and public outreach programs: Empowering future Earth and space scientists

Science.gov (United States)

Adamec, Bethany; Asher, Pranoti

2011-10-01

The staff and leadership of AGU are committed to fostering excellence in Earth and space science education. While AGU's Strategic Plan does not specifically highlight primary or secondary education among its objectives, outreach in this area plays a significant role in developing and nurturing the next generation of Earth and space scientists. Several educational goals along with specific strategies will help AGU meet its goal related to workforce or talent pool development. Particular emphasis is being placed on building partnerships and collaborations that will increase the effectiveness of AGU's outreach efforts related to education.

The UMR reactor outreach program for expanded educational utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freeman, D.; Bolon, A.

1992-01-01

In recent years, the University of Missouri-Rolla Reactor (UMRR) facility has been under intense financial scrutiny by the university administration; primarily due to ever-tightening budgets and declines in nuclear engineering (NE) enrollment. In response to criticisms of low utilization, the reactor staff has developed and implemented a dynamic outreach program designed to significantly increase the educational role of the facility on campus. The outreach program is based on the principle that the potential to provide service to the UMR community is far in excess of the present level of service. The program is designed to identify and inform potential users of how their courses or programs can be augmented through use of the reactor facility. The net effect of the outreach program is greater campus communication and awareness of the unique capabilities as applied to each discipline. A natural product of the outreach program should be increased research

Promoting Strategic STEM Education Outreach Programming Using a Systems-Based STEM-EO Model

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Annmarie R.

2015-01-01

In this paper a STEM Education Outreach (STEM-EO) Model for promoting strategic university outreach programming at Penn State University to the benefit of university, school district and community stakeholders is described. The model considers STEM-EO as a complex system involving overarching learning goals addressed within four outreach domains…

Alliance for Sequestration Training, Outreach, Research & Education

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olson, Hilary [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Inst. for Geophysics Jackson School of Geosciences

2013-12-31

The Sequestration Training, Outreach, Research and Education (STORE) Alliance at The University of Texas at Austin completed its activity under Department of Energy Funding (DE-FE0002254) on September 1, 2013. The program began as a partnership between the Institute for Geophysics, the Bureau of Economic Geology and the Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering Department at UT. The initial vision of the program was to promote better understanding of CO₂ utilization and storage science and engineering technology through programs and opportunities centered on training, outreach, research and technology transfer, and education. With over 8,000 hrs of formal training and education (and almost 4,500 of those hours awarded as continuing education credits) to almost 1,100 people, STORE programs and activities have provided benefits to the Carbon Storage Program of the Department of Energy by helping to build a skilled workforce for the future CCS and larger energy industry, and fostering scientific public literacy needed to continue the U.S. leadership position in climate change mitigation and energy technologies and application. Now in sustaining mode, the program is housed at the Center for Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, and benefits from partnerships with the Gulf Coast Carbon Center, TOPCORP and other programs at the university receiving industry funding.

Public Science Education and Outreach as a Modality for Teaching Science Communication Skills to Undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Arion, Douglas; OConnell, Christine; Lowenthal, James; Hickox, Ryan C.; Lyons, Daniel

2018-01-01

The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University is working with Carthage College, Dartmouth College, and Smith College, in partnership with the Appalachian Mountain Club, to develop and disseminate curriculum to incorporate science communication education into undergraduate science programs. The public science education and outreach program operating since 2012 as a partnership between Carthage and the Appalachian Mountain Club is being used as the testbed for evaluating the training methods. This talk will review the processes that have been developed and the results from the first cohort of students trained in these methods and tested during the summer 2017 education and outreach efforts, which reached some 12,000 members of the public. A variety of evaluation and assessment tools were utilized, including surveys of public participants and video recording of the interactions of the students with the public. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under grant number 1625316.

Planning a New Education and Outreach Program Based on Past Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Prescott, W. H.; Eriksson, S. C.

2004-12-01

In 2004, UNAVCO, a geodetic research consortium, celebrated its 20th birthday and hired its first Education and Outreach Coordinator. UNAVCO has informally reached out to various constituents such as geodetic researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, and K-12 teachers through web-based mapping tools, short courses, and one-to-one training on research equipment. A strategically planned and implemented Education and Outreach Program will, by definition, depend on the organization's leadership and on the experience of the people leading such a program. Based on 39 years of combined experience, here are some lessons-learned that will inform UNAVCO's efforts. E & O should focus on what is special and unique to our organization. UNAVCO supports high precision, GPS, geodetic research as its primary mission. Define our audience. UNAVCO serves the research scientists at the member institutions. Do we have a broader goal of helping in the education of undergraduates? Is our work relevant in middle and secondary school? Include the audience in planning what we will do. A two-way dialogue to determine the most effective education and outreach products must balance what scientists think the audience needs and having the audience learn about a subject to help in making decisions. Involve the scientists and decision-makers in the process to develop ownership. Having people `buy in' from the beginning is important for participation, advocacy, and finding long term resources. Decide on quality and quantity. Is it important to serve large numbers of people? Would a small program that focuses on a few individuals over a long period of time serve the organization's goals better? What do we need from an E & O program? Being explicit about what an organization needs from E & O helps define what activities it will do. Does UNAVCO need visibility with members? Does the membership need help with `broader impacts'? Does UNAVCO see itself serving its members or being a `good citizen

Virginia Bioinformatics Institute to expand cyberinfrastructure education and outreach project

OpenAIRE

Whyte, Barry James

2008-01-01

The National Science Foundation has awarded the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech $918,000 to expand its education and outreach program in Cyberinfrastructure - Training, Education, Advancement and Mentoring, commonly known as the CI-TEAM.

Outreach and educational activities in Russia

Science.gov (United States)

Gritsevich, M.; Kartashova, A.

2012-09-01

We present an overview of the major internal as well as international meetings and events held in Russia and dedicated to the integration, development and expanding of knowledge in Planetary Research. The report is complemented by the Europlanet activities in Russia over the last year, achieved goals and lessons learned. Additionally, we highlight current problems and possible future improvements to the present educational and outreach techniques.

12 CFR 906.10 - Why does the Finance Board have this outreach program?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Why does the Finance Board have this outreach program? 906.10 Section 906.10 Banks and Banking FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE... Minorities, Women, or Individuals With Disabilities § 906.10 Why does the Finance Board have this outreach...

Partnering to Enhance Planetary Science Education and Public Outreach Program

Science.gov (United States)

Dalton, Heather; Shipp, Stephanie; Shupla, Christine; Shaner, Andrew; LaConte, Keliann

2015-11-01

The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) in Houston, Texas utilizes many partners to support its multi-faceted Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program. The poster will share what we have learned about successful partnerships. One portion of the program is focused on providing training and NASA content and resources to K-12 educators. Teacher workshops are performed in several locations per year, including LPI and the Harris County Department of Education, as well as across the country in cooperation with other programs and NASA Planetary Science missions.To serve the public, LPI holds several public events per year called Sky Fest, featuring activities for children, telescopes for night sky viewing, and a short scientist lecture. For Sky Fest, LPI partners with the NASA Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society; they provide the telescopes and interact with members of the public as they are viewing celestial objects. International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN) is held annually and involves the same aspects as Sky Fest, but also includes partners from Johnson Space Center’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science group, who provide Apollo samples for the event.Another audience that LPI E/PO serves is the NASA Planetary Science E/PO community. Partnering efforts for the E/PO community include providing subject matter experts for professional development workshops and webinars, connections to groups that work with diverse and underserved audiences, and avenues to collaborate with groups such as the National Park Service and the Afterschool Alliance.Additional information about LPI’s E/PO programs can be found at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education. View a list of LPI E/PO’s partners here: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/partners/.

Mobile Apps for Reflection in Learning: A Design Research in K-12 Education

Science.gov (United States)

Leinonen, Teemu; Keune, Anna; Veermans, Marjaana; Toikkanen, Tarmo

2016-01-01

This study takes a design-based research approach to explore how applications designed for mobile devices could support reflection in learning in K-12 education. Use of mobile devices is increasing in schools. Most of the educational apps support single-person use of interactive learning materials, simulations and learning games. Apps designed to…

Education and outreach using the falcon telescope network

Science.gov (United States)

Gresham, Kimberlee C.; Palma, Christopher; Polsgrove, Daniel E.; Chun, Francis K.; Della-Rose, Devin J.; Tippets, Roger D.

2016-12-01

The Falcon Telescope Network (FTN) is a global network of small aperture telescopes developed by the Center for Space Situational Awareness Research in the Department of Physics at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). Consisting of commercially available equipment, the FTN is a collaborative effort between USAFA and other educational institutions ranging from two- and four-year colleges to major research universities. USAFA provides the equipment (e.g. telescope, mount, camera, filter wheel, dome, weather station, computers and storage devices) while the educational partners provide the building and infrastructure to support an observatory. The user base includes USAFA along with K-12 and higher education faculty and students. The diversity of the users implies a wide variety of observing interests, and thus the FTN collects images on diverse objects, including satellites, galactic and extragalactic objects, and objects popular for education and public outreach. The raw imagery, all in the public domain, will be accessible to FTN partners and will be archived at USAFA. Currently, there are five Falcon telescopes installed, two in Colorado and one each in Pennsylvania, Chile, and Australia. These five telescopes are in various stages of operational capability but all are remotely operable via a remote desktop application. The FTN team has conducted STEM First Light Projects for three of the U.S. observatories, soliciting proposals from middle and high school students and teachers that suggest and then become what is observed as official STEM first-light objects. Students and teachers learn how to write and submit a proposal as well as how telescopes operate and take data, while university-level students at the U.S. Air Force Academy and The Pennsylvania State University learn how to evaluate proposals and provide feedback to the middle and high school students and teachers. In this paper, we present the current status of the FTN, details of and lessons

A Tale of Two scientists and their Involvement in Education & Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

McDonnell, J.

2004-12-01

Many scientists, when faced with developing an education and outreach plan for their research proposals, are unclear on what kinds of impacts they can have on broader non scientist audiences. Many scientists feel their only options are to develop a website or invite a teacher to get involved in their sampling or research cruises. Scientists, who are constrained by time and resources, are not aware of the range of education and outreach options available to them and of the great value their involvement can bring to the public. In an recent survey at the National Science Foundation sponsored ORION conference (January 2004), respondents stated that the greatest public benefits to having scientists involved in public education are (1) that they can present the benefits and relevance of research (26%), (2) focus awareness on environmental issues (26%), (3) serve as models for teachers and motivators for children (25%) and (4) increase public understanding, awareness and appreciation of science (about 22%). As a member of the Mid-Atlantic Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (MACOSEE), the Institute of Marine & Coastal Sciences (IMCS) at Rutgers University is dedicated to helping scientists and educators realize the benefits of working together to advance ocean discovery and make known the vital role of the ocean in our lives. A website called "Scientist Connection" (www.macosee.net) was developed to help busy scientists choose a role in education and outreach that will make the most of their talent and time. The goal of the web site is to help scientists produce a worthwhile education project that complements and enriches their research. In this session, the author will present two case studies that demonstrate very different but effective approaches to scientist's involvement in education and outreach projects. In the first case, we will chronicle how a team of biologists and oceanographers in the Rutgers University, Coastal Ocean Observation Laboratory (or

Education and public outreach in astronomy and beyond

Science.gov (United States)

Cominsky, Lynn R.

2018-01-01

Education and public outreach has evolved from being part of a scientist's duties into a distinct career path that is well-suited for astronomers. The ideal professional in this field has strong communication skills coupled with a broad research background.

Effective Engineering Outreach through an Undergraduate Mentoring Team and Module Database

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Colin; Butterfield, Anthony E.

2014-01-01

The rising need for engineers has led to increased interest in community outreach in engineering departments nationwide. We present a sustainable outreach model involving trained undergraduate mentors to build ties with K-12 teachers and students. An associated online module database of chemical engineering demonstrations, available to educators…

Science and students: Yucca Mountain project's education outreach program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gil, A.V.; Larkin, E.L.; Reilly, B.; Austin, P.

1992-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is very concerned about the lack of understanding of basic science. Increasingly, critical decisions regarding the use of energy, technology, and the environment are being made. A well-educated and science-literate public is vital to the success of these decisions. Science education and school instruction are integral parts of the DOE's public outreach program on the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project (YMP). Project staff and scientists speak to elementary, junior high, high school, and university students, accepting all speaking invitations. The objectives of this outreach program include the following: (1) educating Nevada students about the concept of a high-level nuclear waste repository; (2) increasing awareness of energy and environmental issues; (3) helping students understand basic concepts of earth science and geology in relation to siting a potential repository; and (4) giving students information about careers in science and engineering

Impact of educational outreach intervention on enhancing health care providers' knowledge about statin therapy prescribing in Malaysian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Science.gov (United States)

Elnaem, Mohamed Hassan; Nik Mohamed, Mohamad Haniki; Zaman Huri, Hasniza; Azarisman, Shah M

2018-03-06

Previous research reported underutilization of statin therapy among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Improving health care providers' awareness and understanding of the benefits and risks of statin treatment could be of assistance in optimizing the statin prescribing process. This study aimed to assess health care providers' knowledge related to statin therapy and the impact of educational outreach intervention based on the perceived knowledge. This was a cross-sectional study based on educational outreach intervention targeting physicians and pharmacists in 1 major tertiary hospital in the state of Pahang, Malaysia. Participants responded to a 12-item, validated questionnaire both prior to and after the outreach educational program. Two sessions were conducted separately for 2 cohorts of pharmacists and physicians. The knowledge scores prior to and after the educational intervention were calculated and compared using a paired-samples t-test. The response rate to both pre-and post-educational outreach questionnaires was 91% (40/44). Prior to the intervention, around 84% (n37) of the participants decided to initiate statin therapy for both pre-assessment clinical case scenarios; however, only 27% (n12) could state the clinical benefits of statin therapy. Forty-five percent (n20) could state the drug to drug interactions, and 52.3% (n23) could identify the statin therapy that can be given at any time day/evening. The educational outreach program increased participants' knowledge scores of 1.450 (95% CI, 0.918 to 1.982) point, P health care providers' knowledge and beliefs about statin therapy. This type of intervention is considered effective for short-term knowledge enhancement. Further research is needed to test the long-term efficacy of such intervention. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Innovation in NASA's Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Hasan, H.; Smith, D.

2014-07-01

New technology and media are being rapidly incorporated in NASA's Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach (EPO) portfolio. In addition to web pages that provide basic information on missions and links to educational sites, missions have developed Facebook and Twitter followers. Recent highlights are presented about the innovative techniques used in presenting NASA science to the public, educators and students, together with representative examples. The immense treasure trove of electronic NASA EPO material is available to the public.

The Nautilus Exploration Program: Utilizing Live Ocean Exploration as a Platform for STEM Education and Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Fundis, A.; Cook, M.; Sutton, K.; Garson, S.; Poulton, S.; Munro, S.

2016-02-01

By sparking interest in scientific inquiry and engineering design at a young age through exposure to ocean exploration and innovative technologies, and building on that interest throughout students' educational careers, the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) aims to motivate more students to be lifelong learners and pursue careers in STEM fields. Utilizing research conducted aboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus, the ship's associated technologies, and shore-based facilities at the University of Rhode Island — including the Graduate School of Oceanography and the Inner Space Center — we guide students to early career professionals through a series of educational programs focused on STEM disciplines and vocational skills. OET also raises public awareness of ocean exploration and research through a growing online presence, live streaming video, and interactions with the team aboard the ship 24 hours a day via the Nautilus Live website (www.nautiluslive.org). Annually, our outreach efforts bring research launched from Nautilus to tens of millions worldwide and allow the public, students, and scientists to participate in expeditions virtually from shore. We share the Nautilus Exploration Program's strategies, successes, and lessons learned for a variety of our education and outreach efforts including: 1) enabling global audiences access to live ocean exploration online and via social media; 2) engaging onshore audiences in live and interactive conversations with scientists and engineers on board; 3) engaging young K-12 learners in current oceanographic research via newly developed lessons and curricula; 4) onshore and offshore professional development opportunities for formal and informal educators; 5) programs and authentic research opportunities for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students onshore and aboard Nautilus; and 6) collaborative opportunities for early career and seasoned researchers to participate virtually in telepresence-enabled, interdisciplinary

Particle Physics Outreach to Secondary Education

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bardeen, Marjorie G.; Johansson, K. Erik; Young, M. Jean

2011-01-01

This review summarizes exemplary secondary education and outreach programs of the particle physics community. We examine programs from the following areas: research experiences, high-energy physics data for students, informal learning for students, instructional resources, and professional development. We report findings about these programs' impact on students and teachers and provide suggestions for practices that create effective programs from those findings. We also include some methods for assessing programs.

Particle Physics Outreach to Secondary Education

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bardeen, Marjorie G.; /Fermilab; Johansson, K.Erik; /Stockholm U.; Young, M.Jean

2011-11-21

This review summarizes exemplary secondary education and outreach programs of the particle physics community. We examine programs from the following areas: research experiences, high-energy physics data for students, informal learning for students, instructional resources, and professional development. We report findings about these programs' impact on students and teachers and provide suggestions for practices that create effective programs from those findings. We also include some methods for assessing programs.

Muggles, Meteoritic Armor, and Menelmacar: Using Fantasy Series in Astronomy Education and Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Larsen, K.; Bednarski, M.

2008-11-01

Due in part to recent (and ongoing) film adaptations, the fantasy series of C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia), J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter), Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials), and J.R.R. Tolkien (The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings) are being introduced to a new audience of young (and not so young) readers. Many astronomers and astronomy educators are unaware of the wide variety of astronomical references contained in each series. The first portion of this workshop will introduce participants to these references, and highlight activities which educators, planetariums, and science centers have already developed to utilize these works in their education and outreach programs. In the second segment of the workshop, participants will develop ideas for activities and materials relevant to their individual circumstances, including standards-based education materials.

The Development of a Conceptual Framework for New K-12 Science Education Standards (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, T.

2010-12-01

The National Academy of Sciences has created a committee of 18 National Academy of Science and Engineering members, academic scientists, cognitive and learning scientists, and educators, educational policymakers and researchers to develop a framework to guide new K-12 science education standards. The committee began its work in January, 2010, released a draft of the framework in July, 2010, and intends to have the final framework in the first quarter of 2011. The committee was helped in early phases of the work by consultant design teams. The framework is designed to help realize a vision for science and engineering education in which all students actively engage in science and engineering practices in order to deepen their understanding of core ideas in science over multiple years of school. These three dimensions - core disciplinary ideas, science and engineering practices, and cross-cutting elements - must blend together to build an exciting, relevant, and forward looking science education. The framework will be used as a base for development of next generation K-12 science education standards.

NASA Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach: The Impact of the Space Telescope Science Institute Office of Public Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Denise Anne; Jirdeh, Hussein; Eisenhamer, Bonnie; Villard, Ray; Green, Joel David

2015-08-01

As the science operations center for the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope, the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) is uniquely positioned to captivate the imagination and inspire learners of all ages in humanity’s quest to understand fundamental questions about our universe and our place in it. This presentation will provide an overview of the impact of the STScI’s Office of Public Outreach’s efforts to engage students, educators, and the public in exploring the universe through audience-based news, education, and outreach programs.At the heart of our programs lies a tight coupling of scientific, education, and communications expertise. By partnering scientists and educators, we assure current, accurate science content and education products and programs that are classroom-ready and held to the highest pedagogical standards. Likewise, news and outreach programs accurately convey cutting-edge science and technology in a way that is attuned to audience needs. The combination of Hubble’s scientific capabilities, majestic imagery, and our deep commitment to create effective programs to share Hubble science with the education community and the public, has enabled the STScI Office of Public Outreach programs to engage 6 million students and ½ million educators per year, and 24 million online viewers per year. Hubble press releases generate approximately 5,000 online news articles per year with an average circulation of 125 million potential readers per press release news story. We will also share how best practices and lessons learned from this long-lived program are already being applied to engage a new generation of explorers in the science and technology of the James Webb Space Telescope.

Cryosphere Science Outreach using the Ice Sheet System Model and a Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, D. L. C.; Halkides, D. J.; Larour, E. Y.

2015-12-01

Understanding the role of Cryosphere Science within the larger context of Sea Level Rise is both a technical and educational challenge that needs to be addressed if the public at large is to trulyunderstand the implications and consequences of Climate Change. Within this context, we propose a new approach in which scientific tools are used directly inside a mobile/website platform geared towards Education/Outreach. Here, we apply this approach by using the Ice Sheet System Model, a state of the art Cryosphere model developed at NASA, and integrated within a Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory, with the goal is to outreach Cryospherescience to K-12 and College level students. The approach mixes laboratory experiments, interactive classes/lessons on a website, and a simplified interface to a full-fledged instance of ISSM to validate the classes/lessons. This novel approach leverages new insights from the Outreach/Educational community and the interest of new generations in web based technologies and simulation tools, all of it delivered in a seamlessly integrated web platform. This work was performed at the California Institute of Technology's Jet Propulsion Laboratory undera contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Cryosphere Science Program.

K-12 Local Network (LAN) Design Guide

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Horton, Cody

1998-01-01

...) educators preparing to design and implement LANs in K-12 schools and libraries. Data was collected during the implementation of LANs in K-12 schools of the Monterey Peninsula Uniform School District (MPUSD...

NAGC Pre-K-Grade 12 Gifted Education Programming Standards: A Guide to Planning and Implementing High-Quality Services

Science.gov (United States)

Johnsen, Susan K., Ed.

2012-01-01

The new Pre-K-Grade 12 Gifted Education Programming Standards should be part of every school district's repertoire of standards to ensure that the learning needs of advanced students are being met. "NAGC Pre-K-Grade 12 Gifted Education Programming Standards: A Guide to Planning and Implementing High-Quality Services" details six standards that…

Education and Public Outreach for the PICASSO-CENA Satellite-Based Research Mission: K-12 Students Use Sun Photometers to Assist Scientists in Validating Atmospheric Data

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, D. Q.

2001-05-01

Hampton University, a historically black university, is leading the Education and Public Outreach (EPO) portion of the PICASSO-CENA satellite-based research mission. Currently scheduled for launch in 2004, PICASSO-CENA will use LIDAR (LIght Detection and Ranging), to study earth's atmosphere. The PICASSO-CENA Outreach program works with scientists, teachers, and students to better understand the effects of clouds and aerosols on earth's atmosphere. This program actively involves students nationwide in NASA research by having them obtain sun photometer measurements from their schools and homes for comparison with data collected by the PICASSO-CENA mission. Students collect data from their classroom ground observations and report the data via the Internet. Scientists will use the data from the PICASSO-CENA research and the student ground-truthing observations to improve predications about climatic change. The two-band passive remote sensing sun photometer is designed for student use as a stand alone instrument to study atmospheric turbidity or in conjunction with satellite data to provide ground-truthing. The instrument will collect measurements of column optical depth from the ground level. These measurements will not only give the students an appreciation for atmospheric turbidity, but will also provide quantitative correlative information to the PICASSO-CENA mission on ground-level optical depth. Student data obtained in this manner will be sufficiently accurate for scientists to use as ground truthing. Thus, students will have the opportunity to be involved with a NASA satellite-based research mission.

Education, Outreach, and Diversity Partnerships and Science Education Resources From the Center for Multi-scale Modeling of Atmospheric Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, S. Q.; Randall, D.; Denning, S.; Jones, B.; Russell, R.; Gardiner, L.; Hatheway, B.; Johnson, R. M.; Drossman, H.; Pandya, R.; Swartz, D.; Lanting, J.; Pitot, L.

2007-12-01

The need for improving the representation of cloud processes in climate models has been one of the most important limitations of the reliability of climate-change simulations. The new National Science Foundation- funded Center for Multi-scale Modeling of Atmospheric Processes (CMMAP) at Colorado State University (CSU) is a major research program addressing this problem over the next five years through a revolutionary new approach to representing cloud processes on their native scales, including the cloud-scale interactions among the many physical and chemical processes that are active in cloud systems. At the end of its first year, CMMAP has established effective partnerships between scientists, students, and teachers to meet its goals to: (1) provide first-rate graduate education in atmospheric science; (2) recruit diverse undergraduates into graduate education and careers in climate science; and (3) develop, evaluate, and disseminate educational resources designed to inform K-12 students, teachers, and the general public about the nature of the climate system, global climate change, and career opportunities in climate science. This presentation will describe the partners, our challenges and successes, and measures of achievement involved in the integrated suite of programs launched in the first year. They include: (1) a new high school Colorado Climate Conference drawing prestigious climate scientists to speak to students, (2) a summer Weather and Climate Workshop at CSU and the National Center for Atmospheric Research introducing K-12 teachers to Earth system science and a rich toolkit of teaching materials, (3) a program from CSU's Little Shop of Physics reaching 50 schools and 20,000 K-12 students through the new "It's Up In the Air" program, (4) expanded content, imagery, and interactives on clouds, weather, climate, and modeling for students, teachers, and the public on The Windows to the Universe web site at University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Globalizing Space and Earth Science - the International Heliophysical Year Education and Outreach Program

Science.gov (United States)

Rabello-Soares, M. C.; Morrow, C.; Thompson, B. J.

2006-08-01

The International Heliophysical Year (IHY) in 2007 & 2008 will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) and, following its tradition of international research collaboration, will focus on the cross-disciplinary studies of universal processes in the heliosphere. The main goal of IHY Education and Outreach Program is to create more global access to exemplary resources in space and earth science education and public outreach. By taking advantage of the IHY organization with representatives in every nation and in the partnership with the United Nations Basic Space Science Initiative (UNBSSI), we aim to promote new international partnerships. Our goal is to assist in increasing the visibility and accessibility of exemplary programs and in the identification of formal or informal educational products that would be beneficial to improve the space and earth science knowledge in a given country; leaving a legacy of enhanced global access to resources and of world-wide connectivity between those engaged in education and public outreach efforts that are related to IHY science. Here we describe how to participate in the IHY Education and Outreach Program and the benefits in doing so. Emphasis will be given to the role played by developing countries; not only in selecting useful resources and helping in their translation and adaptation, but also in providing different approaches and techniques in teaching.

K-12 educational outcomes of immigrant youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Crosnoe, Robert; Turley, Ruth N López

2011-01-01

The children from immigrant families in the United States make up a historically diverse population, and they are demonstrating just as much diversity in their experiences in the K-12 educational system. Robert Crosnoe and Ruth López Turley summarize these K-12 patterns, paying special attention to differences in academic functioning across segments of the immigrant population defined by generational status, race and ethnicity, and national origin. A good deal of evidence points to an immigrant advantage in multiple indicators of academic progress, meaning that many youths from immigrant families outperform their peers in school. This apparent advantage is often referred to as the immigrant paradox, in that it occurs despite higher-than-average rates of social and economic disadvantages in this population as a whole. The immigrant paradox, however, is more pronounced among the children of Asian and African immigrants than other groups, and it is stronger for boys than for girls. Furthermore, evidence for the paradox is far more consistent in secondary school than in elementary school. Indeed, school readiness appears to be one area of potential risk for children from immigrant families, especially those of Mexican origin. For many groups, including those from Latin America, any evidence of the immigrant paradox usually emerges after researchers control for family socioeconomic circumstances and youths' English language skills. For others, including those from Asian countries, it is at least partially explained by the tendency for more socioeconomically advantaged residents of those regions to leave their home country for the United States. Bilingualism and strong family ties help to explain immigrant advantages in schooling; school, community, and other contextual disadvantages may suppress these advantages or lead to immigrant risks. Crosnoe and Turley also discuss several policy efforts targeting young people from immigrant families, especially those of Latin

Addressing the NETS*S in K-12 Classrooms: Implications for Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Niederhauser, Dale S.; Lindstrom, Denise L.; Strobel, Johannes

2007-01-01

The National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS*S) were developed to provide guidelines for effective and meaningful technology use with K-12 students. In the present study we used the NETS*S as a framework to analyze ways that teachers integrated instructional technology use and provided opportunities for their students to…

Promoting seismology education and research via the IRIS Education and Public Outreach Program

Science.gov (United States)

Taber, J. J.; Bravo, T. K.; Dorr, P. M.; Hubenthal, M.; Johnson, J. A.; McQuillan, P.; Sumy, D. F.; Welti, R.

2015-12-01

The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology's Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program is committed to advancing awareness and understanding of seismology and geophysics, while inspiring careers in the Earth sciences. To achieve this mission, IRIS EPO combines content and research expertise of consortium membership with educational and outreach expertise of IRIS staff to create a portfolio of programs, products, and services that target a range of audiences, including grades 6-12 students and teachers, undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and the general public. IRIS also partners with UNAVCO and other organizations in support of EarthScope where the facilities are well-suited for sustained engagement of multiple audiences. Examples of research-related EPO products and services include the following resources. Tools developed in collaboration with IRIS Data Services provide public and educational access to data, and to a suite of data products. Teachers can stream seismic data from educational or research sensors into their classroom, and the Active Earth Monitor display, designed for visitor centers, universities and small museums, provides views of recent data along with animations that explain seismology concepts, and stories about recent research. Teachable Moment slide sets, created in collaboration with the University of Portland within 24 hours of major earthquakes, provide interpreted USGS tectonic maps and summaries, animations, visualizations, and other event-specific information so educators can explore newsworthy earthquakes with their students. Intro undergraduate classroom activities have been designed to introduce students to some grand challenges in seismological research, while our Research Experiences for Undergraduates program pairs students with seismology researchers throughout the Consortium and provides the opportunity for the students to present their research at a national meeting. EPO activities are evaluated via a

Where the Wild Microbes Are: Education and Outreach on Sub-Seafloor Microbes

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, S. K.; Kurtz, K.; Orcutt, B.; Strong, L.; Collins, J.; Feagan, A.

2014-12-01

Sub-seafloor microbiology has the power to spark the imaginations of children, students and the general public with its mysterious nature, cutting-edge research, and connections to the search for extraterrestrial life. These factors have been utilized to create a number of educational and outreach products to bring subsurface microbes to non-scientist audiences in creative and innovative ways. The Adopt a Microbe curriculum for middle school students provides hands-on activities and investigations for students to learn about microbes and the on-going research about them, and provides opportunities to connect with active expeditions. A new series of videos engages non-scientists with stories about research expeditions and the scientists themselves. A poster and associated activities explore the nature of science using a microbiologist and her research as examples. A new e-book for young children will engage them with age-appropriate text and illustrations. These projects are multidisciplinary, involve science and engineering practices, are available to all audiences and provide examples of high level and meaningful partnerships between scientists and educators and the kinds of products that can result. Subseafloor microbiology projects such as these, aimed at K-12 students and the general public, have the potential to entice the interest of the next generation of microbe scientists and increase general awareness of this important science.

Environmental Education and K-12 Student Outcomes: A Review and Analysis of Research

Science.gov (United States)

Ardoin, Nicole M.; Bowers, Alison W.; Roth, Noelle Wyman; Holthuis, Nicole

2018-01-01

Many practitioners and researchers describe academic and environmental benefits of environmental education for kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) students. To consider the empirical underpinnings of those program descriptions, we systematically analyzed the peer-reviewed literature (1994-2013), focusing on outcomes of environmental…

Optical aurora detectors: using natural optics to motivate education and outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Joseph A.; Way, Jesse M.; Pust, Nathan J.; Nugent, Paul W.; Coate, Hans; Balster, Daniel

2009-06-01

Natural optical phenomena enjoy a level of interest sufficiently high among a wide array of people to provide ideal education and outreach opportunities. The aurora promotes particularly high interest, perhaps because of its relative rarity in the areas of the world where most people live. A project is being conducted at Montana State University to use common interest and curiosity about auroras to motivate learning and outreach through the design and deployment of optical sensor systems that detect the presence of an auroral display and send cell phone messages to alert interested people. Project participants learn about the physics and optics of the aurora, basic principles of optical system design, radiometric calculations and calibrations, electro-optical detectors, electronics, embedded computer systems, and computer software. The project is moving into a stage where it will provide greatly expanded outreach and education opportunities as optical aurora detector kits are created and disbursed to colleges around our region.

A Modern Explorer's Journey - using events for innovative multipurpose educational outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Lilja Bye, Bente

2014-05-01

Earth observations are important across the specter of geo-sciences. The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is coordinating efforts to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems, or GEOSS. The lack of dedicated funding to support specific Science &Technology activities in support of GEOSS is one of the most important obstacles to engaging the Science &Technology communities in its implementation. Finding resources to outreach and capacity building is likewise a challenge. The continuation of GEO and GEOSS rely on political support which again is influenced by public opinions. The GEO Ministerial Summit in 2014 was an event that both needed visibility and represented an opportunity to mobilize the GEO community in producing outreach and educational material. Through the combined resources from two of GEO tasks in the GEO work plan, a multipurpose educational outreach project was planned and executed. This project addressed the following issues: How can the GEO community mobilize resources for its work plan projects in the Societal Benefit Area Water? How can we produce more educational and capacity building material? How can the GEO community support the GEO secretariat related to public relations (material and otherwise) Based on activities described in the GEO work plan, a showcase video and online campaign consisting on a series of webinars were developed and produced. The video and webinars were linked through a common reference: the water cycle. Various aspects of the water cycle ranging from general to more technical and scientific education were covered in the webinars, while the video called A Modern Explorer's Journey focused on story telling with a more emotional appeal. The video was presented to the Ministers at the GEO Ministerial Summit and distributed widely to the GEO community and through social media and articles (as embedded YouTube and more). A discussion of challenges and successes of this event-based educational outreach project will be

Standards Based Design: Teaching K-12 Educators to Build Quality Online Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Quiroz, René E.; Ritter, Nicola L.; Li, Yun; Newton, Rhonda C.; Palkar, Trupti

2016-01-01

The number of online courses, programs, and schools are growing exponentially in K-12 education. Given the unique nature of online courses and the distinct skills necessary to create a quality online course, it is essential that effective professional development be provided for teachers designing online courses. Online courses need to be of the…

Benefits and Pitfalls: Simple Guidelines for the Use of Social Networking Tools in K-12 Education

Science.gov (United States)

Huffman, Stephanie

2013-01-01

The article will outline a framework for the use of social networking tools in K-12 education framed around four thought provoking questions: 1) what are the benefits and pitfalls of using social networking tools in P-12 education, 2) how do we plan effectively for the use of social networking tool, 3) what role does professional development play…

K--12 science educator perception of instructing students with learning disabilities in the regular classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Holliday-Cashwell, Janet Rose

2000-10-01

Selected K--12 public school science educators in 14 eastern North Carolina counties were surveyed to examine their perceptions of their undergraduate preparation programs with regard to instructing students with learning disabilities in the regular classroom. A quantitative study, this research examined science educator preparedness in instructing students with learning disabilities by evaluating educator perception in regard to mainstrearned and inclusive educational settings. Specifically, two null hypotheses were tested. Null hypothesis I stated a significant difference does not exist between selected North Carolina K--12 science educators' perceptions of their undergraduate teacher education preparation programs and their perceptions of their abilities to instruct students needing accommodations on behalf of their learning disabilities in mainstrearned or inclusive settings. Participants' responses to perception as well as value statements regarding opinions, adaptations, and undergraduate training with respect to mainstreaming and inclusion were evaluated through t-test analyses of 22 Likert-scale items. Null hypothesis 1 was not accepted because a statistically significant difference did exist between the educators' perceptions of their undergraduate training and their perceived abilities to instruct students with learning disabilities in mainstreamed or inclusive settings. Null hypothesis 2 stated a significant difference does not exist between selected North Carolina K--12 science educators' attained educational level; grade level currently taught, supervised or chaired; and years of experience in teaching science, supervising science education, and/or chairing science departments in selected North Carolina public schools and their opinions of their undergraduate teacher education program with regard to instructing students with learning disabilities in mainstreamed or inclusive educational settings. Null hypothesis 2 was evaluated through an analysis of

Helping Scientists Become Effective Partners in Education and Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Laursen, Sandra L.; Smith, Lesley K.

2009-01-01

How does a scientist find herself standing before a group of lively third-graders? She may be personally motivated-seeking to improve public understanding of scientific issues and the nature of science, or to see her own children receive a good science education-or perhaps she simply enjoys this kind of work [Andrews et al., 2005; Kim and Fortner, 2008]. In addition to internal motivating factors, federal funding agencies have begun to encourage scientists to participate in education and outreach (E/O) related to their research, through NASA program requirements for such activities (see ``Implementing the Office of Space Science Education/Public Outreach Strategy,'' at http://spacescience.nasa.gov/admin/pubs/edu/imp_plan.htm) and the U.S. National Science Foundation's increased emphasis on ``broader impacts'' in merit review of research proposals (see http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2003/nsf032/bicexamples.pdf). Universities, laboratories, and large collaboratives have responded by developing E/O programs that include interaction between students, teachers, and the public in schools; after-school and summer programs; and work through science centers, planetaria, aquaria, and museums.

Fourteen Years of Education and Public Outreach for the Swift Gamma-ray Burst Explorer Mission

OpenAIRE

Cominsky, Lynn; McLin, Kevin; Simonnet, Aurore; Team, the Swift E/PO

2014-01-01

The Sonoma State University (SSU) Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) group leads the Swift Education and Public Outreach program. For Swift, we have previously implemented broad efforts that have contributed to NASA's Science Mission Directorate E/PO portfolio across many outcome areas. Our current focus is on highly-leveraged and demonstrably successful activities, including the wide-reaching Astrophysics Educator Ambassador program, and our popular websites: Epo's Chronicles and the Gamma...

Efficacy of the World Wide Web in K-12 environmental education

Science.gov (United States)

York, Kimberly Jane

1998-11-01

Despite support by teachers, students, and the American public in general, environmental education is not a priority in U.S. schools. Teachers face many barriers to integrating environmental education into K--12 curricula. The focus of this research is teachers' lack of access to environmental education resources. New educational reforms combined with emerging mass communication technologies such as the Internet and World Wide Web present new opportunities for the infusion of environmental content into the curriculum. New technologies can connect teachers and students to a wealth of resources previously unavailable to them. However, significant barriers to using technologies exist that must be overcome to make this promise a reality. Web-based environmental education is a new field and research is urgently needed. If teachers are to use the Web meaningfully in their classrooms, it is essential that their attitudes and perceptions about using this new technology be brought to light. Therefore, this exploratory research investigates teachers' attitudes toward using the Web to share environmental education resources. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to investigate this problem. Two surveys were conducted---self-administered mail survey and a Web-based online survey---to elicit teachers perceptions and comments about environmental education and the Web. Preliminary statistical procedures including frequencies, percentages and correlational measures were performed to interpret the data. In-depth interviews and participant-observation methods were used during an extended environmental education curriculum development project with two practicing teachers to gain insights into the process of creating curricula and placing it online. Findings from the both the mail survey and the Web-based survey suggest that teachers are interested in environmental education---97% of respondents for each survey agreed that environmental education should be taught in K

Meeting Classroom Needs: Designing Space Physics Educational Outreach for Science Education Standards

Science.gov (United States)

Urquhart, M. L.; Hairston, M.

2008-12-01

As with all NASA missions, the Coupled Ion Neutral Dynamics Investigation (CINDI) is required to have an education and public outreach program (E/PO). Through our partnership between the University of Texas at Dallas William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences and Department of Science/Mathematics Education, the decision was made early on to design our educational outreach around the needs of teachers. In the era of high-stakes testing and No Child Left Behind, materials that do not meet the content and process standards teachers must teach cannot be expected to be integrated into classroom instruction. Science standards, both state and National, were the fundamental drivers behind the designs of our curricular materials, professional development opportunities for teachers, our target grade levels, and even our popular informal educational resource, the "Cindi in Space" comic book. The National Science Education Standards include much more than content standards, and our E/PO program was designed with this knowledge in mind as well. In our presentation we will describe how we came to our approach for CINDI E/PO, and how we have been successful in our efforts to have CINDI materials and key concepts make the transition into middle school classrooms. We will also present on our newest materials and high school physics students and professional development for their teachers.

Twelve Years of Education and Public Outreach with the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope

Science.gov (United States)

Cominsky, Lynn R.; McLin, K. M.; Simonnet, A.; Fermi E/PO Team

2013-04-01

During the past twelve years, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has supported a wide range of Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) activities, targeting K-14 students and the general public. The purpose of the Fermi E/PO program is to increase student and public understanding of the science of the high-energy Universe, through inspiring, engaging and educational activities linked to the mission’s science objectives. The E/PO program has additional more general goals, including increasing the diversity of students in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) pipeline, and increasing public awareness and understanding of Fermi science and technology. Fermi's multi-faceted E/PO program includes elements in each major outcome category: ● Higher Education: Fermi E/PO promotes STEM careers through the use of NASA data including research experiences for students and teachers (Global Telescope Network), education through STEM curriculum development projects (Cosmology curriculum) and through enrichment activities (Large Area Telescope simulator). ● Elementary and Secondary education: Fermi E/PO links the science objectives of the Fermi mission to well-tested, customer-focused and NASA-approved standards-aligned classroom materials (Black Hole Resources, Active Galaxy Education Unit and Pop-up book, TOPS guides, Supernova Education Unit). These materials have been distributed through (Educator Ambassador and on-line) teacher training workshops and through programs involving under-represented students (after-school clubs and Astro 4 Girls). ● Informal education and public outreach: Fermi E/PO engages the public in sharing the experience of exploration and discovery through high-leverage multi-media experiences (Black Holes planetarium and PBS NOVA shows), through popular websites (Gamma-ray Burst Skymap, Epo's Chronicles), social media (Facebook, MySpace), interactive web-based activities (Space Mysteries, Einstein@Home) and activities by

Particle Physics Outreach

CERN Document Server

Goldfarb, Steven; The ATLAS collaboration

2018-01-01

Outreach activities by the LHC experiments are reported. The importance of public support for the LHC programme is highlighted, and possibilities for scientists to be actively involved in outreach and educational programmes are presented.

K-12 Technology Accessibility: The Message from State Governments

Science.gov (United States)

Shaheen, Natalie L.; Lazar, Jonathan

2018-01-01

This study examined state education technology plans and technology accessibility statutes to attempt to answer the question--is K-12 instructional technology accessibility discussed in state-level technology accessibility statutes and education technology plans across the 50 United States? When a K-12 school district is planning the construction…

Education and Outreach Programs at the Reagan Library.

Science.gov (United States)

Cumming, Gregory G.

This exploration of the need and potential for education and outreach programs at the Reagan Library begins by examining factors that make the Reagan library unique, i.e., its proximity to Los Angeles and a small town setting, closeness to the Nixon Library and birthplace, and Ronald Reagan's popularity. It is noted that, since the Reagan Library…

12 CFR 361.1 - Why do minority- and women-owned businesses need this outreach regulation?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Why do minority- and women-owned businesses....1 Why do minority- and women-owned businesses need this outreach regulation? The purpose of the FDIC Minority and Women Outreach Program (MWOP) is to ensure that minority- and women-owned businesses (MWOBs...

12 CFR 906.13 - How does the Finance Board oversee and monitor the outreach program?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false How does the Finance Board oversee and monitor the outreach program? 906.13 Section 906.13 Banks and Banking FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS OPERATIONS Contractor Outreach Program for Businesses Owned by Minorities, Women, or Individuals...

Outreach Programmes for Education and Training: Contributions from the International Cartographic Association

Science.gov (United States)

Cartwright, W. E.; Fairbairn, D.

2012-07-01

Organisations like the International Cartographic Association champion programmes that develop and deliver education and training to cartographers and geospatial scientists, globally. This can be in the form of traditional university and training college programmes, short courses for professional and technical members of mapping agencies and as outreach initiatives to transfer knowledge about the discipline and its contemporary practices. Through its international community, the ICA undertakes the transfer of knowledge about cartography and GI Science by publishing books and special editions of journals and running workshops. Colleagues from the ICA community conduct these workshops on a volunteer basis, generally with the support of the national member organisation of ICA or the national mapping body. For example, the ICA promotes the generation of extensive publications, generally through its Commissions and Working Groups. The publications include books, journals and the ICA Newsletter. Outreach activities are especially pertinent to up skill colleagues from developing countries. Specialist programmes can be offered for professional and 'everyday' map users (from adults to children). The ICA can assist with its current programmes, designed to embrace professional and non-professional cartographers alike. This paper will address how education and outreach programmes can be supported by international associations, by offering programmes independently, or in partnership with sister associations and national and regional organisations and societies. As well, the paper will address the need to deliver education and outreach programmes not to just the professional international community, but also to map users and citizen map publishers.

"It's worth our time": a model of culturally and linguistically supportive professional development for K-12 STEM educators

Science.gov (United States)

Charity Hudley, Anne H.; Mallinson, Christine

2017-09-01

Professional development on issues of language and culture is often separate from professional development on issues related to STEM education, resulting in linguistic and cultural gaps in K-12 STEM pedagogy and practice. To address this issue, we have designed a model of professional development in which we work with educators to build cultural and linguistic competence and to disseminate information about how educators view the relevance of language, communication, and culture to STEM teaching and learning. We describe the design and facilitation of our model of culturally and linguistically responsive professional development, grounded in theories of multicultural education and culturally supportive teaching, through professional development workshops to 60 K-12 STEM educators from schools in Maryland and Virginia that serve African American students. Participants noted that culturally and linguistically responsive approaches had yet to permeate their K-12 STEM settings, which they identified as a critical challenge to effectively teaching and engaging African-American students. Based on pre-surveys, workshops were tailored to participants' stated needs for information on literacy (e.g., disciplinary literacies and discipline-specific jargon), cultural conflict and mismatch (e.g., student-teacher miscommunication), and linguistic bias in student assessment (e.g., test design). Educators shared feedback via post-workshop surveys, and a subset of 28 participants completed in-depth interviews and a focus group. Results indicate the need for further implementation of professional development such as ours that address linguistic and cultural issues, tailored for K-12 STEM educators. Although participants in this study enumerated several challenges to meeting this need, they also identified opportunities for collaborative solutions that draw upon teacher expertise and are integrated with curricula across content areas.

Assessing the Impact of Peer Educator Outreach on the Likelihood and Acceleration of Clinic Utilization among Sex Workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnamurthy, Parthasarathy; Hui, Sam K; Shivkumar, Narayanan; Gowda, Chandrasekhar; Pushpalatha, R

2016-01-01

Peer-led outreach is a critical element of HIV and STI-reduction interventions aimed at sex workers. We study the association between peer-led outreach to sex workers and the time to utilize health facilities for timely STI syndromic-detection and treatment. Using data on the timing of peer-outreach interventions and clinic visits, we utilize an Extended Cox model to assess whether peer educator outreach intensity is associated with accelerated clinic utilization among sex workers. Our data comes from 2705 female sex workers registered into Pragati, a women-in-sex-work outreach program, and followed from 2008 through 2012. We analyze this data using an Extended Cox model with the density of peer educator visits in a 30-day rolling window as the key predictor, while controlling for the sex workers' age, client volume, location of sex work, and education level. The principal outcome of interest is the timing of the first voluntary clinic utilization. More frequent peer visit is associated with earlier first clinic visit (HR: 1.83, 95% CI, 1.75-1.91, p educator outreach. Peer outreach density is associated with increased likelihood of-and shortened duration to-clinic utilization among female sex workers, suggesting potential staff resourcing implications. Given the observational nature of our study, however, these findings should be interpreted as an association rather than as a causal relationship.

Impact Through Outreach and Education with Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Heward, A.; Barrosa, M.; Miller, S.

2015-10-01

Since 2005, Europlanet has provided a framework to bring together Europe's fragmented planetary science community. The project has evolved through a number of phases into a self-sustaining membership organization. Now, Europlanet is launching a new Research Infrastructure (RI) funded through the European Commission's Horizon 2020 programme that, for the next four years, will provide support, services, access to facilities, new research tools and a virtual planetary observatory. Europlanet 2020 RI's Impact Through Outreach and Education (IOE) activities aim to ensure that the work of Europlanet and the community it supports is known, understood and used by stakeholders, and that their inputs are taken into account by the project. We will engage citizens, policy makers and potential industrial partners across Europe with planetary science and the opportunities that it provides for innovation, inspiration and job creation. We will reach out to educators and students, both directly and through partner networks, to provide an interactive showcase of Europlanet's activities e.g through live link-ups with scientists participating in planetary analogue field trips, educational video "shorts" and through using real planetary data from the virtual observatory in comparative planetology educational activities. We will support outreach providers within the planetary science community (e.g. schools liaison officers, press officers, social media managers and scientists active in communicating their work) through meetings and best practice workshops, communication training sessions, an annual prize for public engagement and a seed-funding scheme for outreach activities. We will use traditional and social media channels to communicate newsworthy results and activities to diverse audiences not just in Europe but also around the globe.

HTA educational outreach program and change the equation participation

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, Robert

2013-05-01

In this presentation, Hitachi High Technologies America (HTA) introduces its Educational Outreach Program and explains it's involvement with Change The Equation (CTEq), a nonprofit, nonpartisan, CEO-led initiative that is mobilizing the business community to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning in the United States.

Impact of Guided Notes on Achievement in K-12 and Special Education Students

Science.gov (United States)

Larwin, Karen H.; Dawson, Daniel; Erickson, Matthew; Larwin, David A.

2012-01-01

The common practice of using of guided notes in the K-12 and special education classroom is not fully appreciated or understood. In an effort to add to the existing research about this phenomenon, the current investigation expands on previously published research and one previously published meta-analysis that examined the impact of guided notes…

Perceptions of Educational Barriers Affecting the Academic Achievement of Latino K-12 Students

Science.gov (United States)

Becerra, David

2012-01-01

This study examined different factors affecting the perceptions of barriers in academic achievement of Latino K-12 students. The study used data from 1,508 participants who identified themselves as being of Hispanic or Latino heritage in the 2004 National Survey of Latinos: Education, compiled by the Pew Hispanic Center between August 7 and…

Get Involved in Education and Public Outreach! The Science Mission Directorate Science E/PO Forums Are Here to Help

Science.gov (United States)

Shipp, S. S.; Buxner, S.; Schwerin, T. G.; Hsu, B. C.; Peticolas, L. M.; Smith, D.; Meinke, B. K.

2013-12-01

NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forums help to engage, extend, support, and coordinate the efforts of the community of E/PO professionals and scientists involved in Earth and space science education activities. This work is undertaken to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the overall national NASA science education and outreach effort made up of individual efforts run by these education professionals. This includes facilitating scientist engagement in education and outreach. The Forums have been developing toolkits and pathways to support planetary, Earth, astrophysics, and heliophysics scientists who are - or who are interested in becoming - involved in E/PO. These tools include: 1) Pathways to learn about SMD and E/PO community announcements and opportunities, share news about E/PO programs, let the E/PO community know you are interested in becoming involved, and discover education programs needing scientist input and/or support. These pathways include weekly e-news, the SMD E/PO online community workspace, monthly community calls, conferences and meetings of opportunity. 2) Portals to help you find out what education resources already exist, obtain resources to share with students of all levels - from K-12 to graduate students, - and disseminate your materials. These include E/PO samplers and toolkits (sampling of resources selected for scientists who work with students, teachers, and the public), the one-stop shop of reviewed resources from the NASA Earth and space science education portfolio NASAWavelength.org, and the online clearinghouse of Earth and space science higher education materials EarthSpace (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/earthspace). 3) Connections to education specialists who can help you design and implement meaningful E/PO programs - small to large. Education specialists can help you understand what research says about how people learn and effective practices for achieving your goals, place your

LSST: Education and Public Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Amanda; Herrold, Ardis; LSST Education and Public Outreach Team

2018-01-01

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will conduct a 10-year wide, fast, and deep survey of the night sky starting in 2022. LSST Education and Public Outreach (EPO) will enable public access to a subset of LSST data so anyone can explore the universe and be part of the discovery process. LSST EPO aims to facilitate a pathway from entry-level exploration of astronomical imagery to more sophisticated interaction with LSST data using tools similar to what professional astronomers use. To deliver data to the public, LSST EPO is creating an online Portal to serve as the main hub to EPO activities. The Portal will host an interactive Skyviewer, access to LSST data for educators and the public through online Jupyter notebooks, original multimedia for informal science centers and planetariums, and feature citizen science projects that use LSST data. LSST EPO will engage with the Chilean community through Spanish-language components of the Portal and will partner with organizations serving underrepresented groups in STEM.

The Efforts of the American Geophysical Union Space Physics and Aeronomy Section Education and Public Outreach Committee to Use NASA Research in Education and Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Bering, E. A., III; Dusenbery, P.; Gross, N. A.; Johnson, R.; Lopez, R. E.; Lysak, R. L.; Moldwin, M.; Morrow, C. A.; Nichols-Yehling, M.; Peticolas, L. M.; Reiff, P. H.; Scherrer, D. K.; Thieman, J.; Wawro, M.; Wood, E. L.

2017-12-01

The American Geophysical Union Space Physics and Aeronomy Section Education and Public Outreach Committee (AGU SPA-EPO Committee) was established in 1990 to foster the growth of a culture of outreach and community engagement within the SPA Section of the AGU. The SPA was the first AGU Section to establish an EPO Committee. The Committee has initiated several key Section EPO programs that have grown to become Union programs. NASA sponsored research is central to the mission of the SPE-EPO. Programs highlighting NASA research include the Student Paper Competition, Exploration Station, a precursor to the GIFT workshops, the Student mixer, and more. The Committee played a key role in coordinating the AGU's outreach activities relating to the International Heliophysical Year in 2007-2008. This paper will review the triumphs, the failures, and the lessons learned about recruiting colleagues to join with us from the last quarter century of effort.

Educational outreach to general practitioners reduces children's asthma symptoms: a cluster randomised controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sladden Michael

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Childhood asthma is common in Cape Town, a province of South Africa, but is underdiagnosed by general practitioners. Medications are often prescribed inappropriately, and care is episodic. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of educational outreach to general practitioners on asthma symptoms of children in their practice. Methods This is a cluster randomised trial with general practices as the unit of intervention, randomisation, and analysis. The setting is Mitchells Plain (population 300,000, a dormitory town near Cape Town. Solo general practitioners, without nurse support, operate from storefront practices. Caregiver-reported symptom data were collected for 318 eligible children (2 to 17 years with moderate to severe asthma, who were attending general practitioners in Mitchells Plain. One year post-intervention follow-up data were collected for 271 (85% of these children in all 43 practices. Practices randomised to intervention (21 received two 30-minute educational outreach visits by a trained pharmacist who left materials describing key interventions to improve asthma care. Intervention and control practices received the national childhood asthma guideline. Asthma severity was measured in a parent-completed survey administered through schools using a symptom frequency and severity scale. We compared intervention and control group children on the change in score from pre-to one-year post-intervention. Results Symptom scores declined an additional 0.84 points in the intervention vs. control group (on a nine-point scale. p = 0.03. For every 12 children with asthma exposed to a doctor allocated to the intervention, one extra child will have substantially reduced symptoms. Conclusion Educational outreach was accepted by general practitioners and was effective. It could be applied to other health care quality problems in this setting.

Infusing Multicultural Education into the Curriculum: Preparing Pre-Service Teachers to Address Homophobia in K-12 Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Joseph R.

2015-01-01

This article discusses the role multicultural education can play in addressing homophobia in K-12 schools. The author explores the lack of multiculturalism courses in undergraduate teacher education programs. To address the lack of multiculturalism courses, three instructional activities are offered that faculty in teacher education programs can…

Recovery Act - An Interdisciplinary Program for Education and Outreach in Transportation Electrification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, Carl [Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States); Bohmann, Leonard [Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States); Naber, Jeffrey [Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States); Beard, John [Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States); Passerello, Chris [Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States); Worm, Jeremy [Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States); Chen, Bo [Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States); Allen, Jeffrey [Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States); Weaver, Wayne [Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States); Hackney, Stephen [Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States); Keith, Jason [Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States); Meldrum, Jay [Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States); Mork, Bruce [Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States)

2013-01-30

industry, K-12 outreach, and public education. In 2012 the Mobile Lab participated in 22 outreach events, locally, throughout Michigan, and including events in Washington DC, Illinois, and Wisconsin. The Mobile Lab is a hit wherever it goes. In 2013 we will partner with the US Army TARDEC and be featured in their Green Warrior Convoy, a ten city tour starting in Detroit and finishing in Washington DC.

The Elephant in the (Class)Room: Parental Perceptions of LGBTQ-Inclusivity in K-12 Educational Contexts

Science.gov (United States)

Ullman, Jacqueline; Ferfolja, Tania

2016-01-01

While little is known about parental beliefs and desires regarding LGBTQ-inclusive education, assumptions about these appear to justify teachers', curriculum writers' and policy makers' silences regarding sexuality and gender diversity in the K-12 classroom. Thus, in order to better inform educators' practices, this paper presents an analysis of…

National Sexuality Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K-12. A Special Publication of the Journal of School Health. Special Report

Science.gov (United States)

American School Health Association (NJ1), 2012

2012-01-01

The goal of this paper, "National Sexuality Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K-12," is to provide clear, consistent and straightforward guidance on the "essential minimum, core content" for sexuality education that is developmentally and age-appropriate for students in grades K-12. The development of these standards is a result of an…

Laboratory Safety Guide for Arkansas K-12 Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Arkansas State Dept. of Education, Little Rock.

This document presents laboratory safety rules for Arkansas K-12 schools which were developed by the Arkansas Science Teachers Association (ASTA) and the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). Contents include: (1) "Laboratory Safety Guide for Arkansas K-12 Schools"; (2) "Safety Considerations"; (3) "Safety Standards for Science Laboratories";…

Fermilab Education: Physicists

Science.gov (United States)

Search Education and Outreach: Resources and Opportunties for Fermilab employees and Users A variety of resources and opportunities are available for physicists interested in education and outreach (For general Data (6–12) Physical Science/Physics Instructional Resources (K–12) US Particle Physics Education and

Resources for Education and Outreach Activities discussion session

CERN Document Server

Barney, David; The ATLAS collaboration; Bourdarios, Claire; Kobel, Michael; Kourkoumelis, Christine; Melo, Ivan; Rangel-Smith, Camila; Alexopoulos, Angelos

2015-01-01

Over the past few years a variety of resources have been developed, by individuals and groups, to support Education & Outreach activities in particle physics. Following short (five-minute) presentations by six speakers, a discussion session allowed the audience to go further in depth in activities they found particularly interesting. This paper presents brief overviews from each of the six speakers, followed by a summary of the ensuing discussion

The Education and Outreach Program of ATLAS

CERN Multimedia

Barnett, M.

2006-01-01

The ATLAS Education and Outreach (E&O) program began in 1997, but the advent of LHC has placed a new urgency in our efforts. Even a year away, we can feel the approaching impact of starting an experiment that could make revolutionary discoveries. The public and teachers are beginning to turn their attention our way, and the newsmedia are showing growing interest in ATLAS. When datataking begins, the interest will peak, and the demands on us are likely to be substantial. The collaboration is responding to this challenge in a number of ways. ATLAS management has begun consultation with experts. The official budget for the E&O group has been growing as have the contributions of many ATLAS institutions. The number of collaboration members joining these efforts has grown, and their time and effort is increasing. We are in ongoing consultation with the CERN Public Affairs Office, as well as the other LHC experiments and the European Particle Physics Outreach Group. The E&O group has expanded the scope...

Curricular Value and Instructional Needs for Infusing Engineering Design into K-12 Technology Education

OpenAIRE

Gattie, David K.; Wicklein, Robert C.

2007-01-01

An overarching objective of Technology Education in the U.S. is to improve technological literacy among K-12 students (DeVore, 1964; Savage and Sterry, 1990; International Technology Education Association, 1996, 2000, 2003). This is addressed in part through a focus on end-product technology and the use and importance of various technologies in society (Savage and Sterry, 1990). While such a focus is certainly necessary, it may not be sufficient if the objective is to infuse engineering into ...

In-house training, formal education and public outreach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willis, Y.A.

1992-01-01

This paper assumes that a stronger national commitment to public education on nuclear energy and, most particularly radioactive waste management, it needed to overcome public resistance to nuclear projects. Effective public education must become the superordinate goal uniting industry, government, professional societies, national laboratories and the educational community. Since instruction is labor intensive, we must search for more cost effective ways of achieving results. Therefore, this paper proposes: Collaborative training and educational strategies involving as many of the stakeholders as possible; and Innovative tools to improve the credibility, quality and cost effectiveness of education. This win-win approach can reduce the collective expenditures through cost-sharing, as well as the sharing of resources and products. It can close gaps in both in-house training and formal education. Finally, in public outreach, the joint approach addresses the politics of sponsorship by providing checks and balances, and thus improving credibility and public acceptance

Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning, 2016

Science.gov (United States)

Gemin, Butch; Pape, Larry

2017-01-01

"Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning 2016" marks the thirteenth consecutive year Evergreen has published its annual research of the K-12 education online learning market. The thirteen years of researching, writing and publishing this report represents a time of remarkable change. There has been a constant presence that has become the…

Qatar's K-12 Education Reform Has Achieved Success in Its Early Years. Research Brief

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Judy

2009-01-01

To evaluate progress made in the first years of Qatar's implementation of K-12 education reform, RAND analyzed data from school-level observations, national surveys, and national student assessments. The study found that students in the new, Independent schools were performing better than those in Ministry schools, and there was greater student…

Development of a Virtual Technology Coach to Support Technology Integration for K-12 Educators

Science.gov (United States)

Sugar, William; van Tryon, Patricia J. Slagter

2014-01-01

In an effort to develop a virtual technology coach for K-12 educators, this article analyzed survey results from sixty teachers with regards to specific resources that a technology coach could provide within a virtual environment. A virtual technology coach was proposed as a possible solution to provide continual professional development for…

A Correlational Analysis of Strategic Information Systems Planning in K-12 Public Educational Organizations

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Christopher J.

2012-01-01

Three decades of research has indicated that strategic information systems planning is a vital component to business success. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship strategic information systems planning and financial commitment has within the K-12 public education sector. Data for this study was obtained from top management of…

Avenues for Scientist Involvement in Planetary Science Education and Public Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Shipp, S. S.; Buxner, S.; Cobabe-Ammann, E. A.; Dalton, H.; Bleacher, L.; Scalice, D.

2012-12-01

The Planetary Science Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forum is charged by NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) with engaging, extending, and supporting the community of E/PO professionals and scientists involved in planetary science education activities in order to help them more effectively and efficiently share NASA science with all learners. A number of resources and opportunities for involvement are available for planetary scientists involved in - or interested in being involved in - E/PO. The Forum provides opportunities for community members to stay informed, communicate, collaborate, leverage existing programs and partnerships, and become more skilled education practitioners. Interested planetary scientists can receive newsletters, participate in monthly calls, interact through an online community workspace, and attend annual E/PO community meetings and meetings of opportunity at science and education conferences. The Forum also provides professional development opportunities on a myriad of topics, from common pre-conceptions in planetary science to program evaluation, to delivering effective workshops. Thematic approaches, such as the Year of the Solar System (http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/yss), are coordinated by the Forum; through these efforts resources are presented topically, in a manner that can be easily ported into diverse learning environments. Information about the needs of audiences with which scientists interact - higher education, K-12 education, informal education, and public - currently is being researched by SMD's Audience-Based Working Groups. Their findings and recommendations will be made available to inform the activities and products of E/PO providers so they are able to better serve these audiences. Also in production is a "one-stop-shop" of SMD E/PO products and resources that can be used in conjunction with E/PO activities. Further supporting higher-education efforts, the Forum coordinates a network of planetary science

A Review of Computer Science Resources for Learning and Teaching with K-12 Computing Curricula: An Australian Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Falkner, Katrina; Vivian, Rebecca

2015-01-01

To support teachers to implement Computer Science curricula into classrooms from the very first year of school, teachers, schools and organisations seek quality curriculum resources to support implementation and teacher professional development. Until now, many Computer Science resources and outreach initiatives have targeted K-12 school-age…

Involvement of scientists in the NASA Office of Space Science education and public outreach program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beck-Winchatz, Bernhard

2005-01-01

Since the mid-1990's NASA's Office of Space Science (OSS) has embarked on an astronomy and space science education and public outreach (E/PO) program. Its goals are to share the excitement of space science discoveries with the public, and to enhance the quality of science, mathematics and technology education, particularly at the precollege level. A key feature of the OSS program is the direct involvement of space scientists. The majority of the funding for E/PO is allocated to flight missions, which spend 1%-2% of their total budget on E/PO, and to individual research grants. This paper presents an overview of the program's goals, objectives, philosophy, and infrastructure

OUTREACH

CERN Multimedia

Dave Barney

Planning for a new CMS exhibition centre, next to the CMS Centre (Meyrin), is progressing well. The two rooms that form the exhibition will be divided into an "outreach" room and an "education" room, with the main target audience for both rooms being high school students (about 80% of all visitors to CERN). A global scenario for the exhibition has been developed by the CMS Outreach team in close collaboration with Juliette Davenne (who produced the ATLAS exhibition centre). The aim is to start civil engineering work in the summer and to have the centre operational in early 2010. Preliminary plans for a second exhibition site, at point 5, are also evolving, though on a longer timescale. Recently it has become clear that there are many models of the CMS detector in various institutes around Europe and the world. If you know of such a model please let the outreach team know by dropping us a line at cms.outreach@cern.ch Indeed any ideas for exhibits and hands-on interactive de...

Assessing the Impact of Peer Educator Outreach on the Likelihood and Acceleration of Clinic Utilization among Sex Workers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parthasarathy Krishnamurthy

Full Text Available Peer-led outreach is a critical element of HIV and STI-reduction interventions aimed at sex workers. We study the association between peer-led outreach to sex workers and the time to utilize health facilities for timely STI syndromic-detection and treatment. Using data on the timing of peer-outreach interventions and clinic visits, we utilize an Extended Cox model to assess whether peer educator outreach intensity is associated with accelerated clinic utilization among sex workers.Our data comes from 2705 female sex workers registered into Pragati, a women-in-sex-work outreach program, and followed from 2008 through 2012. We analyze this data using an Extended Cox model with the density of peer educator visits in a 30-day rolling window as the key predictor, while controlling for the sex workers' age, client volume, location of sex work, and education level. The principal outcome of interest is the timing of the first voluntary clinic utilization.More frequent peer visit is associated with earlier first clinic visit (HR: 1.83, 95% CI, 1.75-1.91, p < .001. In addition, 18% of all syndrome-based STI detected come from clinic visits in which the sex worker reports no symptoms, underscoring the importance of inducing clinic visits in the detection of STI. Additional models to test the robustness of these findings indicate consistent beneficial effect of peer educator outreach.Peer outreach density is associated with increased likelihood of-and shortened duration to-clinic utilization among female sex workers, suggesting potential staff resourcing implications. Given the observational nature of our study, however, these findings should be interpreted as an association rather than as a causal relationship.

Tech-Savvy Science Education? Understanding Teacher Pedagogical Practices for Integrating Technology in K-12 Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Hechter, Richard; Vermette, Laurie Anne

2014-01-01

This paper examines the technology integration practices of Manitoban K-12 inservice science educators based on the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content knowledge (TPACK) framework. Science teachers (n = 433) completed a 10-item online survey regarding pedagogical beliefs about technology integration, types of technology used, and how often…

Community-Driven Support in the Hydrologic Sciences through Data, Education and Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, E.

2015-12-01

The Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI) is a non-profit funded by the National Science Foundation to support water science research and education. As outlined in the CUAHSI Education and Outreach Strategy, our objectives are: 1) helping the member institutions communicate water science; 2) cross-disciplinary water education; 3) dissemination of research; 4) place-based water education using data services; and 5) broadening participation. Through the CUAHSI Water Data Center, online tools and resources are available to discover, download, and analyze multiple time-series water datasets across various parameters. CUAHSI supports novel graduate student research through the Pathfinder Fellowship program which has enhanced the interdisciplinary breadth of early-career research. Public outreach through the Let's Talk About Water film symposium and cyberseminar programs have proven effective in distributing research, leading to more recent development of virtual training workshops. By refining and building upon CUAHSI's existing programs, new training opportunities, collaborative projects, and community-building activities for the hydrologic sciences have come to fruition, such as the recent National Flood Interoperability Experiment with the NOAA's National Water Center.

Using Scientific Visualizations to Enhance Scientific Thinking In K-12 Geoscience Education

Science.gov (United States)

Robeck, E.

2016-12-01

The same scientific visualizations, animations, and images that are powerful tools for geoscientists can serve an important role in K-12 geoscience education by encouraging students to communicate in ways that help them develop habits of thought that are similar to those used by scientists. Resources such as those created by NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS), which are intended to inform researchers and the public about NASA missions, can be used in classrooms to promote thoughtful, engaged learning. Instructional materials that make use of those visualizations have been developed and are being used in K-12 classrooms in ways that demonstrate the vitality of the geosciences. For example, the Center for Geoscience and Society at the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) helped to develop a publication that outlines an inquiry-based approach to introducing students to the interpretation of scientific visualizations, even when they have had little to no prior experience with such media. To facilitate these uses, the SVS team worked with Center staff and others to adapt the visualizations, primarily by removing most of the labels and annotations. Engaging with these visually compelling resources serves as an invitation for students to ask questions, interpret data, draw conclusions, and make use of other processes that are key components of scientific thought. This presentation will share specific resources for K-12 teaching (all of which are available online, from NASA, and/or from AGI), as well as the instructional principles that they incorporate.

One Model for Scientist Involvement in K-12 Education: Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic Program

Science.gov (United States)

Meese, D.; Shipp, S. S.; Porter, M.; Bruccoli, A.

2002-12-01

Scientists involved in the NSF-funded Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic (TEA) Program integrate a K-12 science teacher into their polar field project. Objectives of the program include: having the science teacher immersed in the experience of research; 2) through the teacher, leveraging the research experience to better inform teaching practices; and 3) sharing the experience with the broader educational and general community. The scientist - or qualified team member - stays involved with the teacher throughout the program as a mentor. Preparation of the teacher involves a week-long orientation presented by the TEA Program, and a two week pre-expedition visit at the scientist's institution. Orientation acquaints teachers with program expectations, logistical information, and an overview of polar science. While at the scientist's institution, the teacher meets the team, prepares for the field, and strengthens content knowledge. In the field, the teacher is a team member and educational liaison, responding to questions from students and colleagues by e-mail, and posting electronic journals describing the research experience. Upon return, the teachers work closely with colleagues to bring the experience of research into classrooms through creation of activities, design of longer-term student investigations, and presentations at scientific, educational, and community meetings. Interaction with the scientific team continues with a visit by the scientist to the teacher's classrooms, collaboration on presentations at scientific meetings, and consultation on classroom activities. In some cases, the teacher may participate in future expeditions. The involvement by scientists in mentor relationships, such as those of the TEA Program, is critical to improving science education. Many teachers of science have not had the opportunity to participate in field research, which offers valuable first-hand experience about the nature of science, as well as about specific

Technology-Related Strategies Used by Educational Leaders to Increase Prosocial Behavior in K-12 Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Beers, Jason Ronald

2017-01-01

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify technology-related strategies used by educational leaders to increase prosocial behavior in K-12 schools. Information and communication technology (ICT) is developing at a rapid rate and is becoming more ubiquitous among students. Discovering and understanding common technology-related strategies…

Dialectical dividends: fostering hybridity of new pedagogical practices and partnerships in science education and outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Martins Gomes, Diogo; McCauley, Veronica

2016-09-01

Science literacy has become socially and economically very important. European countries stress that science graduates are fundamental for economic growth. Nevertheless, there is a declining student participation in science. In response, there has been a call to change the way science is taught in schools, which focuses on inquiry methods rooted in constructivism. Universities and other organisations have responded by developing outreach programmes to improve student engagement in science. Given this context, there is a necessity for research to ascertain if this new relationship between outreach and education is worthwhile. This study examines and compares primary teachers and outreach practitioners understanding and perceptions of constructivist science pedagogy, in an effort to understand the potential of a teacher-outreach partnership. For this, qualitative and quantitative methods were employed, taking a dialectic pragmatic stance. Contradicting the recurrent view, teachers and outreach providers revealed favourable views in relation to constructivism, despite recognising barriers to its implementation. These results support a partnership between teachers and outreach practitioners and the realisation of the hybrid role of each participant. The results also reveal an important dynamic in outreach access to schools. Specifically, the outreach connected teachers acted as gatekeepers by negotiating access into their colleagues classrooms.

USE OF SECOND LIFE IN K-12 AND HIGHER EDUCATION: A Review of Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris INMAN

2011-08-01

Full Text Available This study reviewed empirical research conducted in Second Life by educators since Second Life’s launch in 2003. The study’s purpose was to identify how Second Life is being used in both K-12 and higher education. The methodology, findings, and recommendations of 27 research studies were analyzed. Researchers identified potential problems when using Second Life in education, including issues with the Second Life software and hardware requirements, a steep learning curve, and the possibility of students becoming exposed to distractions or inappropriate content. Researchers discussed potential uses of Second Life including role-play, game and simulation creation, implementation within distance education programs, and the ability to encourage student-centered learning activities. Analysis also revealed several recommendations for educators intending to use Second Life.

Perceptions of Professional and Educational Skills Learning Opportunities Made Available through K-12 Robotics Programming

Science.gov (United States)

Bakke, Christine K.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine whether participation in robotics provides opportunities for educational and professional skill development, significant enough to merit the recommendation of robotics courses as a part of mainstream curriculum offerings in K-12 schools. This non-experimental, mixed methods study examined current junior high…

Music Educator Vacancies in Faith-Based K-12 Schools in the United States: 2013-2014

Science.gov (United States)

Hash, Phillip M.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze and summarize characteristics of music educator vacancies in faith-based K-12 schools in the United States for the 2013-2014 academic year. Data extracted from placement notices and supplemental sources included demographic information, job responsibilities, and employment requirements for 153 listings in…

An analysis of United States K-12 stem education versus STEM workforce at the dawn of the digital revolution

Science.gov (United States)

Cataldo, Franca

The world is at the dawn of a third industrial revolution, the digital revolution, that brings great changes the world over. Today, computing devices, the Internet, and the World Wide Web are vital technology tools that affect every aspect of everyday life and success. While computing technologies offer enormous benefits, there are equally enormous safety and security risks that have been growing exponentially since they became widely available to the public in 1994. Cybercriminals are increasingly implementing sophisticated and serious hack attacks and breaches upon our nation's government, financial institutions, organizations, communities, and private citizens. There is a great need for computer scientists to carry America's innovation and economic growth forward and for cybersecurity professionals to keep our nation safe from criminal hacking. In this digital age, computer science and cybersecurity are essential foundational ingredients of technological innovation, economic growth, and cybersecurity that span all industries. Yet, America's K-12 education institutions are not teaching the computer science and cybersecurity skills required to produce a technologically-savvy 21st century workforce. Education is the key to preparing students to enter the workforce and, therefore, American K-12 STEM education must be reformed to accommodate the teachings required in the digital age. Keywords: Cybersecurity Education, Cybersecurity Education Initiatives, Computer Science Education, Computer Science Education Initiatives, 21 st Century K-12 STEM Education Reform, 21st Century Digital Literacies, High-Tech Innovative Problem-Solving Skills, 21st Century Digital Workforce, Standardized Testing, Foreign Language and Culture Studies, Utica College, Professor Chris Riddell.

Augmenting Research, Education, and Outreach with Client-Side Web Programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Abriata, Luciano A; Rodrigues, João P G L M; Salathé, Marcel; Patiny, Luc

2018-05-01

The evolution of computing and web technologies over the past decade has enabled the development of fully fledged scientific applications that run directly on web browsers. Powered by JavaScript, the lingua franca of web programming, these 'web apps' are starting to revolutionize and democratize scientific research, education, and outreach. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Engaging Scientists in NASA Education and Public Outreach: Tools for Scientist Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Buxner, Sanlyn; Meinke, B. K.; Hsu, B.; Shupla, C.; Grier, J. A.; E/PO Community, SMD

2014-01-01

The NASA Science Education and Public Outreach Forums support the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and its education and public outreach (E/PO) community through a coordinated effort to enhance the coherence and efficiency of SMD-funded E/PO programs. The Forums foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. We present tools and resources to support astronomers’ engagement in E/PO efforts. Among the tools designed specifically for scientists are a series of one-page E/PO-engagement Tips and Tricks guides, a sampler of electromagnetic-spectrum-related activities, and NASA SMD Scientist Speaker’s Bureau (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/speaker). Scientists can also locate resources for interacting with diverse audiences through a number of online clearinghouses, including: NASA Wavelength, a digital collection of peer-reviewed Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels (http://nasawavelength.org), and EarthSpace (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/earthspace), a community website where faculty can find and share teaching resources for the undergraduate Earth and space sciences classroom. Learn more about the opportunities to become involved in E/PO and to share your science with students, educators, and the general public at http://smdepo.org.

Collaboration and Near-Peer Mentoring as a Platform for Sustainable Science Education Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Pluth, Michael D.; Boettcher, Shannon W.; Nazin, George V.; Greenaway, Ann L.; Hartle, Matthew D.

2015-01-01

Decreased funding for middle and high school education has resulted in reduced classroom time, which, when coupled with an increased focus on standardized testing, has decreased the exposure of many middle school students to hands-on science education. To help address these challenges, we developed an integrated outreach program, spanning grades…

State-of-the-art Hydrology Education: Development of Windows-based and Web-based Interactive Teaching-Learning Software

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, X.

2011-12-01

This study, funded by the NSF CAREER program, focuses on developing new methods to quantify microtopography-controlled overland flow processes and integrating the cutting-edge hydrologic research with all-level education and outreach activities. To achieve the educational goal, an interactive teaching-learning software package has been developed. This software, with enhanced visualization capabilities, integrates the new modeling techniques, computer-guided learning processes, and education-oriented tools in a user-friendly interface. Both Windows-based and web-based versions have been developed. The software is specially designed for three major user levels: elementary level (Level 1: K-12 and outreach education), medium level (Level 2: undergraduate education), and advanced level (Level 3: graduate education). Depending on the levels, users are guided to different educational systems. Each system consists of a series of mini "libraries" featured with movies, pictures, and documentation that cover fundamental theories, varying scale experiments, and computer modeling of overland flow generation, surface runoff, and infiltration processes. Testing and practical use of this educational software in undergraduate and graduate teaching demonstrate its effectiveness to promote students' learning and interest in hydrologic sciences. This educational software also has been used as a hydrologic demonstration tool for K-12 students and Native American students through the Nurturing American Tribal Undergraduate Research Education (NATURE) program and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) outreach activities.

K-12 Mathematics and the Web

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Glazer, Evan

2005-01-01

The Web offers numerous learning resources and opportunities for K-12 mathematics education. This paper discusses those resources and opportunities. Discussion includes (a) asynchronous and synchronous communication tools, (b) the use of data sets to make connections between mathematics concepts and real-world applications, and (c) interactive…

The National Climate Assessment: A Treasure Trove for Education, Communications and Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

McCaffrey, M.; Berbeco, M.; Connolly, R.; Niepold, F., III; Poppleton, K. L. I.; Cloyd, E.; Ledley, T. S.

2014-12-01

Required by Congress under the Global Change Act of 1990 to inform the nation on the findings of current climate research, the Third U.S. National Climate Assessment (NCA), released in May 2014, is a rich resource for climate change education, communications and outreach (ECO). Using a website design with mobile applications in mind, NCA takes advantage of mobile learning technology which is revolutionizing how, when and where learning occurs. In an effort to maximize the "teachable moments" inherent in the assessment, a community of experts from the National Center for Science Education and the CLEAN Network, working under the auspices of the National Climate Assessment Network (NCAnet) Education Affinity Group, have developed a series of NCA Learning Pathways that match key NCA messages and resources with reviewed educational materials and trusted online information sources, thereby adding pedagogical depth to the assessment. The NCA Learning Pathways, which focus on the regional chapters of the report, are designed make climate change science more local, human, relevant and, if properly framed by educators and communicators, hopeful for learners. This paper touches on the challenges and opportunities of infusing climate education, communications and outreach into curriculum and society, and details the development and content of NCA Learning Pathways, which are available online through NOAA's Climate.gov website: http://www.climate.gov/teaching

Bringing Terra Science to the People: 10 years of education and public outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Riebeek, H.; Chambers, L. H.; Yuen, K.; Herring, D.

2009-12-01

The default image on Apple's iPhone is a blue, white, green and tan globe: the Blue Marble. The iconic image was produced using Terra data as part of the mission's education and public outreach efforts. As far-reaching and innovative as Terra science has been over the past decade, Terra education and public outreach efforts have been equally successful. This talk will provide an overview of Terra's crosscutting education and public outreach projects, which have reached into educational facilities—classrooms, museums, and science centers, across the Internet, and into everyday life. The Earth Observatory web site was the first web site designed for the public that told the unified story of what we can learn about our planet from all space-based platforms. Initially conceived as part of Terra mission outreach in 1999, the web site has won five Webby awards, the highest recognition a web site can receive. The Visible Earth image gallery is a catalogue of NASA Earth imagery that receives more than one million page views per month. The NEO (NASA Earth Observations) web site and WMS (web mapping service) tool serves global data sets to museums and science centers across the world. Terra educational products, including the My NASA Data web service and the Students' Cloud Observations Online (S'COOL) project, bring Terra data into the classroom. Both projects target multiple grade levels, ranging from elementary school to graduate school. S'COOL uses student observations of clouds to help validate Terra data. Students and their parents have puzzled over weekly "Where on Earth" geography quizzes published on line. Perhaps the most difficult group to reach is the large segment of the public that does not seek out science information online or in a science museum or classroom. To reach these people, EarthSky produced a series of podcasts and radio broadcasts that brought Terra science to more than 30 million people in 2009. Terra imagery, including the Blue Marble, have

Optics outreach activities with elementary school kids from public education in Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Viera-González, P.; Sánchez-Guerrero, G.; Ruiz-Mendoza, J.; Cárdenas-Ortiz, G.; Ceballos-Herrera, D.; Selvas-Aguilar, R.

2014-09-01

This work shows the results obtained from the "O4K" Project supported by International Society for Optics and Photonis (SPIE) and the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL) through its SPIE Student Chapter and the Dr. Juan Carlos Ruiz-Mendoza, outreach coordinator of the Facultad de Ciencias Fisico Matematicas of the UANL. Undergraduate and graduate students designed Optics representative activities using easy-access materials that allow the interaction of children with optics over the exploration, observation and experimentation, taking as premise that the best way to learn Science is the interaction with it. Several activities were realized through the 2011-2013 events with 1,600 kids with ages from 10 to 12; the results were analyzed using surveys. One of the principal conclusions is that in most of the cases the children changed their opinions about Sciences in a positive way.

Scientists: Get Involved in Planetary Science Education and Public Outreach! Here’s How!

Science.gov (United States)

Buxner, Sanlyn; Dalton, H.; Shipp, S.; CoBabe-Ammann, E.; Scalice, D.; Bleacher, L.; Wessen, A.

2013-10-01

The Planetary Science Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forum is a team of educators, scientists, and outreach professionals funded by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) that supports SMD scientists currently involved in E/PO - or interested in becoming involved in E/PO efforts - to find ways to do so through a variety of avenues. There are many current and future opportunities and resources for scientists to become engaged in E/PO. The Forum provides tools for responding to NASA SMD E/PO funding opportunities (webinars and online proposal guides), a one-page Tips and Tricks guide for scientists to engage in education and public outreach, and a sampler of activities organized by thematic topic and NASA’s Big Questions in planetary science. Scientists can also locate resources for interacting with diverse audiences through a number of online clearinghouses, including: NASA Wavelength, a digital collection of peer-reviewed Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels (http://nasawavelength.org); the Year of the Solar System website (http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/yss), a presentation of thematic resources that includes background information, missions, the latest in planetary science news, and educational products, for use in the classroom and out, for teaching about the solar system organized by topic - volcanism, ice, astrobiology, etc.; and EarthSpace (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/earthspace), a community website where faculty can find and share resources and information about teaching Earth and space sciences in the undergraduate classroom, including class materials, news, funding opportunities, and the latest education research. Also recently developed, the NASA SMD Scientist Speaker’s Bureau (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/speaker) offers an online portal to connect scientists interested in getting involved in E/PO projects - giving public talks, classroom visits, and virtual connections - with audiences. Learn more about the

From the field to classrooms: Scientists and educators collaborating to develop K-12 lessons on arctic carbon cycling and climate change that align with Next Generation Science Standards, and informal outreach programs that bring authentic data to informal audiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Brinker, R.; Cory, R. M.

2014-12-01

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) calls for students across grade levels to understand climate change and its impacts. To achieve this goal, the NSF-sponsored PolarTREC program paired an educator with scientists studying carbon cycling in the Arctic. The data collection and fieldwork performed by the team will form the basis of hands-on science learning in the classroom and will be incorporated into informal outreach sessions in the community. Over a 16-day period, the educator was stationed at Toolik Field Station in the High Arctic. (Toolik is run by the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Institute of Arctic Biology.) She participated in a project that analyzed the effects of sunlight and microbial content on carbon production in Artic watersheds. Data collected will be used to introduce the following NGSS standards into the middle-school science curriculum: 1) Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence. 2) Develop a model to explain cycling of water. 3) Develop and use a model to describe phenomena. 4) Analyze and interpret data. 5) A change in one system causes and effect in other systems. Lessons can be telescoped to meet the needs of classrooms in higher or lower grades. Through these activities, students will learn strategies to model an aspect of carbon cycling, interpret authentic scientific data collected in the field, and conduct geoscience research on carbon cycling. Community outreach sessions are also an effective method to introduce and discuss the importance of geoscience education. Informal discussions of firsthand experience gained during fieldwork can help communicate to a lay audience the biological, physical, and chemical aspects of the arctic carbon cycle and the impacts of climate change on these features. Outreach methods will also include novel use of online tools to directly connect audiences with scientists in an effective and time-efficient manner.

How to Implement Rigorous Computer Science Education in K-12 Schools? Some Answers and Many Questions

Science.gov (United States)

Hubwieser, Peter; Armoni, Michal; Giannakos, Michail N.

2015-01-01

Aiming to collect various concepts, approaches, and strategies for improving computer science education in K-12 schools, we edited this second special issue of the "ACM TOCE" journal. Our intention was to collect a set of case studies from different countries that would describe all relevant aspects of specific implementations of…

Use of Prezi Software to Support and Expand Extension Outreach and Education

Science.gov (United States)

Elnakib, Sara

2018-01-01

Working with innovative technologies helps Extension professionals promote, enhance, and expand outreach. Innovative software, for example, can support educators in creating presentations that better accommodate various types of learners and appeal to new audiences. This article highlights one such technology: Prezi. Prezi is a free software…

Enriching K-12 Science and Mathematics Education Using LEGOs

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Keeshan; Igel, Irina; Poveda, Ronald; Kapila, Vikram; Iskander, Magued

2012-01-01

This paper presents a series of illustrative LEGO Mindstorms-based science and math activities, developed under an NSF GK-12 Fellows project, for elementary, middle, and high school grades. The activities, developed by engineering and science graduate Fellows in partnership with K-12 teachers, are grade appropriate, address pertinent learning…

Teaching and Learning about Complex Systems in K-12 Science Education: A Review of Empirical Studies 1995-2015

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Susan A.; Goh, Sao-Ee; Park, Miyoung

2018-01-01

The study of complex systems has been highlighted in recent science education policy in the United States and has been the subject of important real-world scientific investigation. Because of this, research on complex systems in K-12 science education has shown a marked increase over the past two decades. In this systematic review, we analyzed 75…

Cool Science Explains a Warming World: Using Ice Core Science to Bridge the Gap Between Researchers and the K-12 Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Huffman, L. T.

2017-12-01

Changing ice has urgent implications for people around the world. The Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) provides scientific leadership and oversight of ice coring and drilling activities funded by the US National Science Foundation and also has goals to enhance education and communication of current research information. In a time when misinformation is rampant and climate change science is suspect, it is essential that students receive accurate scientific information and engage in learning activities that model complex ideas through engaging and age appropriate ways, while also learning to validate and recognize reliable sources. The IDPO Education and Outreach (EO) office works to create resources, activities and professional development that bridge the gap between ice core science research and educators and their students. Ice core science is on the cutting edge of new discoveries about climate change and understanding better the past to predict the future. Hands-on inquiry activities based on ice core data allow teachers to lead their students to new discoveries about climate secrets hidden deep in the ice. Capitalizing on the inherent interest in the extremes of the Polar Regions, IDPO materials engage students in activities aligned with NGSS standards. Ice drilling technologies make an ideal platform for intertwining engineering concepts and practices with science research to meet the SEP (Science and Engineering Practices) in the NGSS. This session will highlight how the IDPO EO office has built a community of ice core scientists willing to take part in education and outreach projects and events and share some of the resources available to K-12 educators. We will highlight some of the successes and lessons learned as we continually evolve our work toward more effective science education and communication highlighting ice core and climate change science.

Perceptions and Experiences of K-12 Educational Leaders in Response to the 27 April 2011 Tornadoes

Science.gov (United States)

Bishop, William E.; Fifolt, Matthew; Peters, Gary B.; Gurley, D. Keith; Collins, Loucrecia

2015-01-01

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to capture first-hand accounts of K-12 educational leaders whose school districts were directly affected by the deadly 27 April 2011 tornadoes in rural Alabama, USA. This study was framed by the literature base of leadership; specifically crisis leadership and resilience theory. Findings are organised…

A Review of Research on Content-Based Foreign/Second Language Education in US K-12 Contexts

Science.gov (United States)

Tedick, Diane J.; Wesely, Pamela M.

2015-01-01

This review of the extant research literature focuses on research about content-based language instruction (CBI) programmes in K-12 foreign/second language education in the USA. The review emphasises studies on one-way language immersion (OWI) and two-way language immersion (TWI) programmes, which are school-based and subject matter-driven. OWI…

The Green Pages: Environmental Education Activities K-12.

Science.gov (United States)

Clearing, 1990

1990-01-01

Presented are 37 environmental science activities for students in grades K-12. Topics include water pollution, glaciers, protective coloration, shapes in nature, environmental impacts, recycling, creative writing, litter, shapes found in nature, color, rain cycle, waste management, plastics, energy, pH, landfills, runoff, watersheds,…

Pregnancy and Village Outreach Tibet: a descriptive report of a community- and home-based maternal-newborn outreach program in rural Tibet.

Science.gov (United States)

Dickerson, Ty; Crookston, Benjamin; Simonsen, Sara E; Sheng, Xiaoming; Samen, Arlene; Nkoy, Flory

2010-01-01

The Pregnancy and Village Outreach Tibet (PAVOT) program, a model for community- and home-based maternal-newborn outreach in rural Tibet, is presented. This article describes PAVOT, including the history, structure, content, and activities of the program, as well as selected program outcome measures and demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and pregnancy outcomes of women who recently participated in the program. The PAVOT program was developed to provide health-related services to pregnant rural Tibetan women at risk of having an unattended home birth. The program involves training local healthcare workers and laypersons to outreach pregnant women and family members. Outreach includes basic maternal-newborn health education and simple obstetric and neonatal life-saving skills training. In addition, the program distributes safe and clean birth kits, newborn hats, blankets, and maternal micronutrient supplements (eg, prenatal vitamins and minerals). More than 980 pregnant women received outreach during the study period. More than 92% of outreach recipients reported receiving safe pregnancy and birth education, clean birthing and uterine massage skills instruction, and clean umbilical cord care training. Nearly 80% reported basic newborn resuscitation skills training. Finally, nearly 100% of outreach recipients received maternal micronutrient supplements and safe and clean birth kits. The PAVOT program is a model program that has been proven to successfully provide outreach to rural-living Tibetans by delivering maternal-newborn health education, skills training, and resources to the home.

NASA's Swift Education and Public Outreach Program

Science.gov (United States)

Cominsky, L. R.; Graves, T.; Plait, P.; Silva, S.; Simonnet, A.

2004-08-01

Few astronomical objects excite students more than big explosions and black holes. Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) are both: powerful explosions that signal the births of black holes. NASA's Swift satellite mission, set for launch in Fall 2004, will detect hundreds of black holes over its two-year nominal mission timeline. The NASA Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) group at Sonoma State University is leading the Swift E/PO effort, using the Swift mission to engage students in science and math learning. We have partnered with the Lawrence Hall of Science to create a ``Great Explorations in Math and Science" guide entitled ``Invisible Universe: from Radio Waves to Gamma Rays," which uses GRBs to introduce students to the electromagnetic spectrum and the scale of energies in the Universe. We have also created new standards-based activities for grades 9-12 using GRBs: one activity puts the students in the place of astronomers 20 years ago, trying to sort out various types of stellar explosions that create high-energy radiation. Another mimics the use of the Interplanetary Network to let students figure out the direction to a GRB. Post-launch materials will include magazine articles about Swift and GRBs, and live updates of GRB information to the Swift E/PO website that will excite and inspire students to learn more about space science.

77 FR 21067 - Funding Opportunity Title: Risk Management Education and Outreach Partnerships Program

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-09

..., crop insurance, marketing contracts, and other existing and emerging risk management tools.'' For the... Management or other similar topics. Legal: Legal and Succession Planning or other similar topics; Marketing... Management Education and Outreach Partnerships Program Announcement Type: Announcement of Availability of...

Cycle for Science: An informal outreach program connecting K-12 students with renewable energy and physics through miniature 3D-printed, solar-powered bicycles

Science.gov (United States)

Woods-Robinson, R.; Case, E.

2017-12-01

Engaging communities with renewable energy is key to fighting climate change. Cycle for Science, an innovative STEM outreach organization, has reached more than 3,000 K-12 students across the United States by bringing early-career female scientists into classrooms to teach basic physics and solar energy engineering through hands-on, DIY science activities. We designed a fleet of miniature, 3D-printed, solar-powered bicycles called "Sol Cycles" to use as teaching tools. Traveling by bicycle, Cycle for Science has brought them to rural and urban communities across the U.S. in two major efforts so far: one traversing the country (2015), and one through central California (2017). The program involves (1) introducing the scientists and why they value science, (2) running a skit to demonstrate how electrons and photons interact inside the solar panel, (3) assembling the Sol Cycles, (4) taking students outdoors to test the effects of variables (e.g. light intensity) on the Sol Cycles' movement, (5) and debriefing about the importance of renewable energy. In addition to physics and solar energy, the lessons teach the scientific process, provide tactile engagement with science, and introduce a platform to engage students with climate change impacts. By cycling to classrooms, we provide positive examples of low-impact transportation and a unique avenue for discussing climate action. It was important that this program extend beyond the trips, so the lesson and Sol Cycle design are open source to encourage teachers and students to play, change and improve the design, as well as incorporate new exercises (e.g. could you power the bicycle by wind?). Additionally, it has been permanently added to the XRaise Lending Library at Cornell University, so teachers across the world can implement the lesson. By sharing our project at AGU, we aim to connect with other scientists, educators, and concerned citizens about how to continue to bring renewable energy lessons into classrooms.

Engaging Historically Black Colleges and Universities through Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education and Community Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

EPA’s STEM Outreach Program in RTP began in 2004, with the aim of supporting EPA’s mission of protecting human health and the environment by increasing awareness, providing education, and inspiring the public, especially K-12 students.

Developing Partnerships between Higher Education Faculty, K-12 Science Teachers, and School Administrators via MSP initiatives: The RITES Model

Science.gov (United States)

Caulkins, J. L.; Kortz, K. M.; Murray, D. P.

2011-12-01

The Rhode Island Technology Enhanced Science Project (RITES) is a NSF-funded Math and Science Partnership (MSP) project that seeks to improve science education. RITES is, at its core, a unique partnership that fosters relationships between middle and high school science teachers, district and school administrators, higher education (HE) faculty members, and science education researchers. Their common goal is to enhance scientific inquiry, increase classroom technology usage, and improve state level science test scores. In one of the more visible examples of this partnership, middle and high school science teachers work closely with HE science faculty partners to design and teach professional development (PD) workshops. The PD sessions focus on technology-enhanced scientific investigations (e.g. use of probes, online simulations, etc.), exemplify inquiry-based instruction, and relate expert content knowledge. Teachers from these sessions express substantial satisfaction in the program, report increased comfort levels in teaching the presented materials (both via post-workshop surveys), and show significant gains in content knowledge (via pre-post assessments). Other benefits to this kind of partnership, in which K-12 and HE teachers are considered equals, include: 1) K-12 teachers are empowered through interactions with HE faculty and other science teachers in the state; 2) HE instructors become more informed not only about good pedagogical practices, but also practical aspects of teaching science such as engaging students; and 3) the PD sessions tend to be much stronger than ones designed and presented solely by HE scientists, for while HE instructors provide content expertise, K-12 teachers provide expertise in K-12 classroom practice and implementation. Lastly, the partnership is mutually beneficial for the partners involved because both sides learn practical ways to teach science and inquiry at different levels. In addition to HE faculty and K-12 science teacher

Engineering design skills coverage in K-12 engineering program curriculum materials in the USA

Science.gov (United States)

Chabalengula, Vivien M.; Mumba, Frackson

2017-11-01

The current K-12 Science Education framework and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in the United States emphasise the integration of engineering design in science instruction to promote scientific literacy and engineering design skills among students. As such, many engineering education programmes have developed curriculum materials that are being used in K-12 settings. However, little is known about the nature and extent to which engineering design skills outlined in NGSS are addressed in these K-12 engineering education programme curriculum materials. We analysed nine K-12 engineering education programmes for the nature and extent of engineering design skills coverage. Results show that developing possible solutions and actual designing of prototypes were the highly covered engineering design skills; specification of clear goals, criteria, and constraints received medium coverage; defining and identifying an engineering problem; optimising the design solution; and demonstrating how a prototype works, and making iterations to improve designs were lowly covered. These trends were similar across grade levels and across discipline-specific curriculum materials. These results have implications on engineering design-integrated science teaching and learning in K-12 settings.

Integrating EarthScope Research and Education on a National Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Hall-Wallace, M. K.; Boyd, T.; Richard, G.; Ellins, K.; Meertens, C.; Semken, S.; Taber, J.; Benthien, M.; Wald, L.; Marvinney, R.

2002-12-01

EarthScope's education and outreach mission is to ensure the EarthScope experiment creates as its legacy a public more knowledgeable and understanding of the scientific and societal contributions made by the EarthScope experiment and Earth science. It will fulfill this commitment by developing and disseminating products that utilize the data, models, technology and discoveries of EarthScope and that support existing education and outreach programs. EarthScope EON will carry out educational activities ranging from research experiences for students in grades K-16 to professional development for technical professionals and educators in both formal (e.g. K-20 classrooms) and informal (e.g. museums and parks) venues. It will also provide a wide range of outreach activities from organizing town halls or other local meetings in advance of an instrument deployment, to developing radio, print and video materials that inform the public about the EarthScope experiment and discoveries. The EarthScope Education and Outreach Network (EON) will be facilitated and coordinated through a national center; however, the bulk of the effort will be distributed among local EON alliances of various sizes designed to respond quickly and to meet the specific needs in a region. This allows EarthScope EON to provide customized services that engage culturally, economically and geographically diverse audiences at the national and local scales. The network will be built through national and local partnerships with existing science education and outreach programs at colleges, universities, research facilities and professional societies within the EarthScope community as well as relevant programs at museums and parks, state geologic surveys and emergency management agencies, and K-12 schools. These partnerships will allow EON to use existing resources, networks and expertise to gear up quickly and efficiently. As EON develops, it will reciprocate by contributing new resources and expertise to the

French language space science educational outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Schofield, I.; Masongsong, E. V.; Connors, M. G.

2015-12-01

Athabasca University's AUTUMNX ground-based magnetometer array to measure and report geomagnetic conditions in eastern Canada is located in the heart of French speaking Canada. Through the course of the project, we have had the privilege to partner with schools, universities, astronomy clubs and government agencies across Quebec, all of which operate primarily in French. To acknowledge and serve the needs of our research partners, we have endeavored to produce educational and outreach (EPO) material adapted for francophone audiences with the help of UCLA's department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences (EPSS). Not only will this provide greater understanding and appreciation of the geospace environment unique to Quebec and surrounding regions, it strengthens our ties with our francophone, first nations (native Americans) and Inuit partners, trailblazing new paths of research collaboration and inspiring future generations of researchers.

Handbook of Research on Science Education and University Outreach as a Tool for Regional Development

Science.gov (United States)

Narasimharao, B. Pandu, Ed.; Wright, Elizabeth, Ed.; Prasad, Shashidhara, Ed.; Joshi, Meghana, Ed.

2017-01-01

Higher education institutions play a vital role in their surrounding communities. Besides providing a space for enhanced learning opportunities, universities can utilize their resources for social and economic interests. The "Handbook of Research on Science Education and University Outreach as a Tool for Regional Development" is a…

Fermilab Education Office - Volunteer

Science.gov (United States)

Search Opportunities for Education and Outreach for Employees and Users Fermilab employees, users, and contribute and let us know. If you have ideas for education and outreach that are not listed here, email presents the Director's Award for exceptional support to Fermilab's K–12 Education programs. Visit schools

Cure4Kids for Kids: school-based cancer education outreach.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Kirk Villalobos, Aubrey; Quintana, Yuri; Ribeiro, Raul C

2012-01-01

In 2006, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital created Cure4Kids for Kids, a school-based outreach program. The objectives of this community education program are to teach about cancer and healthy lifestyles and to inspire an interest in science and health-related careers. A multidisciplinary team of St. Jude and outside experts developed and pilot tested age-appropriate educational materials and activities with 4th grade students. Eight schools and more than 800 children have participated in the program since 2006. Teachers and students have demonstrated a very positive response to the program for it being both fun and educational. Cure4Kids for Kids resources have been collected into a teacher's kit and are now freely available online at www.cure4kids.org/kids.

Solar System Samples for Research, Education, and Public Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, J.; Luckey, M.; McInturff, B.; Kascak, A.; Tobola, K.; Galindo, C.; Allen, C.

2011-01-01

In the next two years, during the NASA Year of the Solar System, spacecraft from NASA and our international partners will; encounter a comet, orbit asteroid 4 Vesta, continue to explore Mars with rovers, and launch robotic explorers to the Moon and Mars. We have pieces of all these worlds in our laboratories, and their continued study provides incredibly valuable "ground truth" to complement space exploration missions. Extensive information about these unique materials, as well as actual lunar samples and meteorites, are available for display and education. The Johnson Space Center (JSC) has the unique responsibility to curate NASA's extraterrestrial samples from past and future missions. Curation includes documentation, preservation, preparation, and distribution of samples for research, education, and public outreach.

Extending the Pathway: Building on a National Science Foundation Workforce Development Project for Underserved k-12 Students

Science.gov (United States)

Slattery, W.; Smith, T.

2014-12-01

With new career openings in the geosciences expected and a large number of presently employed geoscientists retiring in the next decade there is a critical need for a new cadre of geoscientists to fill these positions. A project funded by the National Science Foundation titled K-12 Students, Teachers, Parents, Administrators and Higher Education Faculty: Partners Helping Rural Disadvantaged Students Stay on the Pathway to a Geoscience Career involving Wright State University and the Ripley, Lewis, Union, Huntington k-12 school district in Appalachian Ohio took led to dozens of seventh and eighth grade students traveling to Sandy Hook, New Jersey for a one week field experience to study oceanography with staff of the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium. Teachers, parent chaperones, administrators and university faculty accompanied the students in the field. Teachers worked alongside their students in targeted professional development during the weeklong field experience. During the two academic years of the project, both middle school and high school teachers received professional development in Earth system science so that all students, not just those that were on the summer field experience could receive enhanced science learning. All ninth grade high school students were given the opportunity to take a high school/college dual credit Earth system science course. Community outreach provided widespread knowledge of the project and interest among parents to have their children participate. In addition, ninth grade students raised money themselves to fund a trip to the International Field Studies Forfar Field Station on Andros Island, Bahamas to study a tropical aquatic system. Students who before this project had never traveled outside of Ohio are currently discussing ways that they can continue on the pathway to a geoscience career by applying for internships for the summer between their junior and senior years. These are positive steps towards taking charge of their

A Vision in Aeronautics: The K-12 Wind Tunnel Project

Science.gov (United States)

1997-01-01

A Vision in Aeronautics, a project within the NASA Lewis Research Center's Information Infrastructure Technologies and Applications (IITA) K-12 Program, employs small-scale, subsonic wind tunnels to inspire students to explore the world of aeronautics and computers. Recently, two educational K-12 wind tunnels were built in the Cleveland area. During the 1995-1996 school year, preliminary testing occurred in both tunnels.

Celebrating a history of excellence : the Federal Aviation Administration and Space Education Outreach Program.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Building on 75 years of experience, the FAAs : aviation and space education outreach : program is earning an A+ for encouraging elementary, : secondary, and even college students to study math, : science, technology, engineering, and a host of : o...

Selling the Great American Eclipse: An Education and Public Outreach Retrospective

Science.gov (United States)

Nordgren, T.

2017-12-01

The August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse was the single largest public scientific outreach event of the last several decades. The astronomical community, from organizations like to the American Astronomical Society, to government agencies such as NASA, to the nation-wide amateur astronomy community all worked to raise awareness of this unique event that would be visible to every single inhabitant of the United States. This outreach, like the event itself, was unique in requiring education on not just the science of the event, but the societal nature as well. This included such variety of subjects as: 1) eye safety for millions of individuals, 2) the importance of traveling to totality, 3) transportation issues over mass travel to regions in totality, 3) lodging, food, and logistics information for communities in totality, 4) governmental emergency response, and much more. I interview a number of communities, city managers, event planners, and national park rangers after the eclipse to identify what were the most important education and outreach information they received leading up to the event to assess what we in the astronomical community did that was most effective and what could have been done better in retrospect. In particular, I look at the use of the solar eclipse "travel poster" campaign I designed for event organizers, chambers of commerce, universities, and national and state parks in the four years leading up to the eclipse. How were they used and were they effective in raising the public's awareness of community events across the country? The lessons learned will be important for planning for the next eclipse that touches the U.S. in less than seven years from now on April 8, 2024.

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) - the First Educational Outreach Program on ISS

Science.gov (United States)

Conley, C. L.; Bauer, F. H.; Brown, D.; White, R.

2002-01-01

More than 40 missions over five years will be required to assemble the International Space Station in orbit. The astronauts and cosmonauts will work hard on these missions, but they plan to take some time off for educational activities with schools. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station represents the first Educational Outreach program that is flying on ISS. NASA's Division of Education is a major supporter and sponsor of this student outreach activity on the International Space Station. This meets NASA's educational mission objective: "To inspire the next generation of explorers...as only NASA can." As the International Space Station takes its place in the heavens, the amateur radio community is doing its part by helping to enrich the experience of those visiting and living on the station as well as the students on Earth. Through ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station), students on Earth have a once in a lifetime opportunity--to talk to the crew on-board ISS. Using amateur radio equipment set up in their classroom, students get a first-hand feel of what it is like to live and work in space. Each school gets a 10 minute question and answer interview with the on-orbit crew using a ground station located in their classroom or through a remote ground station. The ARISS opportunity has proven itself as a tremendous educational boon to teachers and students. Through ARISS, students learn about orbit dynamics, Doppler shift, radio communications, and working with the press. Since its first flight in 1983, amateur radio has flown on more than two-dozen space shuttle missions. Dozens of astronauts have used the predecessor program called SAREX (The Space Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment) to talk to thousands of kids in school and to their families on Earth while they were in orbit. The primary goals of the ARISS program are fourfold: 1) educational outreach through crew contacts with schools, 2) random contacts with the amateur radio public, 3

The Effect of Participation in Professional Development on Perceived Change in Teaching Practice by Minnesota K-12 Physical Education Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Sertich, Sally Krause

2013-01-01

This study used a conceptual framework of professional development theory to identify characteristics of effective learning activities specific to 259 Minnesota K-12 public school physical education and developmental adapted physical education (PE/DAPE) teachers during 2012-2013. Study results confirmed that as PE/DAPE teacher participation in…

Fostering Environmental Literacy For A Changing Earth: Interactive and Participatory Outreach Programs at Biosphere 2

Science.gov (United States)

Pavao-Zuckerman, M.; Huxman, T.; Morehouse, B.

2008-12-01

Earth system and ecological sustainability problems are complex outcomes of biological, physical, social, and economic interactions. A common goal of outreach and education programs is to foster a scientifically literate community that possesses the knowledge to contribute to environmental policies and decision making. Uncertainty and variability that is both inherent in Earth system and ecological sciences can confound such goals of improved ecological literacy. Public programs provide an opportunity to engage lay-persons in the scientific method, allowing them to experience science in action and confront these uncertainties face-on. We begin with a definition of scientific literacy that expands its conceptualization of science beyond just a collection of facts and concepts to one that views science as a process to aid understanding of natural phenomena. A process-based scientific literacy allows the public, teachers, and students to assimilate new information, evaluate climate research, and to ultimately make decisions that are informed by science. The Biosphere 2 facility (B2) is uniquely suited for such outreach programs because it allows linking Earth system and ecological science research activities in a large scale controlled environment setting with outreach and education opportunities. A primary outreach goal is to demonstrate science in action to an audience that ranges from K-12 groups to retired citizens. Here we discuss approaches to outreach programs that focus on soil-water-atmosphere-plant interactions and their roles in the impacts and causes of global environmental change. We describe a suite of programs designed to vary the amount of participation a visitor has with the science process (from passive learning to data collection to helping design experiments) to test the hypothesis that active learning fosters increased scientific literacy and the creation of science advocates. We argue that a revised framing of the scientific method with a more

The Intersection of NASA Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach and Higher Education: A Special Interest Group Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, M.; Smith, D.; Schultz, G.; Bianchi, L.; Blair, W.

2011-09-01

This paper presents highlights from a group discussion on how the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) education and public outreach (EPO) community could better support undergraduate astronomy education through EPO products and resources - current and future - targeted at the college level. The discussion was organized by the SMD Astrophysics EPO Forum through a Special Interest Group Meeting at the 2010 ASP Annual Meeting in Boulder. Our session took advantage of the simultaneous presence of EPO professionals and the Cosmos in the Classroom participants to seek out diverse perspectives on and experiences in higher education.

Evolving Perspectives on Astronomy Education and Public Outreach in Hawai'i

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Ka'iu; Slater, T.; Hamilton, J.; Takata, V.

2012-01-01

For the last several decades, well meaning astronomers and educators have worked diligently to provide astronomy education experiences to Native Hawaiians and visitors across all the islands. Much of the early education and public outreach (EPO) work was based on a philosophical perspective based on the notion of, "if we just make them aware of how wonderful astronomy is, then everyone will naturally support the development of astronomy in the islands.” In support of this goal, numerous teacher workshops were delivered and the first generation of the Maunakea Observatories Visitors’ Center was developed and funded. These projects were most frequently developed using Mainland thinking, in a Mainland style, with a Mainland agenda. Consequently, these efforts often failed to create even moderate impacts, whether in educational settings, or in terms of public outreach. In recent years, our understanding of effective EPO has evolved. This evolution has led to a shift in the locus of control, from the Mainland to the Islands; and in content, from "astronomy only” to "astronomy as part of the whole.” We have come to understand that successfully transformative EPO requires intertwining astronomy with teaching about culture, language and context. In response, the `Imiloa Astronomy Center was expanded to convolve historical and modern astronomy with Hawaiian culture and language. Moreover, the most successful astronomy EPO programs in the islands have been redesigned to reflect meaningful collaborations of schools, businesses, and the larger community that situate astronomy as part of a larger educational work of honoring the traditions of the past while simultaneously transforming the future. This evolution in thinking may serve as a model for the astronomy community's interaction with other regional communities.

Engaging Scientists in Meaningful E/PO: How the NASA SMD E/PO Community Addresses Informal Educators' Preferences for PD and Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Bartolone, Lindsay; Nelson, Andi; Smith, Denise A.; NASA SMD Astrophysics E/PO Community

2015-01-01

The NASA Astrophysics Science Education and Public Outreach Forum (SEPOF) coordinates the work of NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Astrophysics EPO projects. These teams work together to capitalize on the cutting-edge discoveries of NASA Astrophysics missions to support educators in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and to enable youth to engage in doing STEM inside and outside of school. The Astrophysics Forum assists scientists and educators with becoming involved in SMD E/PO, which is uniquely poised to foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise, and makes SMD E/PO resources and expertise accessible to the science and education communities. Informal educators participated in a recent nationally-distributed survey from the NASA SMD SEPOF Informal Education Working Group. The results show the preferences of staff from museums, parks, public libraries, community/afterschool centers, and others with regard to professional development and material resources. The results of the survey will be presented during this session.In addition, we present opportunities for the astronomy community to participate in collaborations supporting the NASA SMD efforts in K-12 Formal Education, Informal Science Education, and Outreach. These efforts focus on enhancing instruction, as well as youth and public engagement, in STEM via use of research-based best practices, collaborations with libraries, partnerships with local and national organizations, and remote engagement of audiences. The Forums' efforts for the Formal, Informal Science Education and Outreach communities include a literature review, appraisal of informal educators' needs, coordination of audience-based NASA resources and opportunities, professional development, plus support with the Next Generation Science Standards. Learn how to join in our collaborative efforts to support the K-12 Formal Education community and to reach the informal

STEREO-IMPACT Education and Public Outreach: Sharing STEREO Science

Science.gov (United States)

Craig, N.; Peticolas, L. M.; Mendez, B. J.

2005-12-01

The Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) is scheduled for launch in Spring 2006. STEREO will study the Sun with two spacecrafts in orbit around it and on either side of Earth. The primary science goal is to understand the nature and consequences of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). Despite their importance, scientists don't fully understand the origin and evolution of CMEs, nor their structure or extent in interplanetary space. STEREO's unique 3-D images of the structure of CMEs will enable scientists to determine their fundamental nature and origin. We will discuss the Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program for the In-situ Measurement of Particles And CME Transients (IMPACT) suite of instruments aboard the two crafts and give examples of upcoming activities, including NASA's Sun-Earth day events, which are scheduled to coincide with a total solar eclipse in March. This event offers a good opportunity to engage the public in STEREO science, because an eclipse allows one to see the solar corona from where CMEs erupt. STEREO's connection to space weather lends itself to close partnerships with the Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum (SECEF), The Exploratorium, and UC Berkeley's Center for New Music and Audio Technologies to develop informal science programs for science centers, museum visitors, and the public in general. We will also discuss our teacher workshops locally in California and also at annual conferences such as those of the National Science Teachers Association. Such workshops often focus on magnetism and its connection to CMEs and Earth's magnetic field, leading to the questions STEREO scientists hope to answer. The importance of partnerships and coordination in working in an instrument E/PO program that is part of a bigger NASA mission with many instrument suites and many PIs will be emphasized. The Education and Outreach Porgram is funded by NASA's SMD.

MASE: a Great Opportunity for Outreach to the Rural Communities in Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Campos, X.; Rodríguez, L. E.; Espejo, L.; Greene, F.; Reyes, T. A.; Solano, E. A.; Iglesias, A.; Clayton, R. W.

2006-12-01

The MesoAmerican Subduction Experiment (MASE) deployed 100 seismic stations across Mexico between Acapulco and Tampico, passing through Mexico City at the midpoint. Deploying the instruments at a secure site was an important issue, schools are nearly ideal in this respect. Consequently, 54 MASE stations are situated in schools that range from the K-12 through the University level. This presented a golden opportunity to outreach to rural communities, since the students come from small towns around the school and can spread the word to their home towns. Given the constant earthquake activity in Mexico and its history of destruction, the societal responsibility of UNAM, it is crucial to educate people in understanding a phenomenon that affects their daily lives and to prepare them to deal with it. One challenge in achieving this commitment is the diversity of level of knowledge of earthquakes. We address this by giving out different examples and utilizing didactic material adequate to the level, together with a series of talks, posters, handouts, etc., that cover topics from the Earth structure through the purpose of MASE. The program is being carried out by undergraduate students from the School of Engineering at UNAM, the program also provides an invaluable outreach experience to them. From this experience, we conclude that large-scale experiments like this should be accompanied by a committed outreach program given the large number of people that would be touched by it.

Educational outreach and collaborative care enhances physician's perceived knowledge about Developmental Coordination Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaines, Robin; Missiuna, Cheryl; Egan, Mary; McLean, Jennifer

2008-01-24

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental condition that affects 5-6% of children. When not recognized and properly managed during the child's development, DCD can lead to academic failure, mental health problems and poor physical fitness. Physicians, working in collaboration with rehabilitation professionals, are in an excellent position to recognize and manage DCD. This study was designed to determine the feasibility and impact of an educational outreach and collaborative care model to improve chronic disease management of children with DCD. The intervention included educational outreach and collaborative care for children with suspected DCD. Physicians were educated by and worked with rehabilitation professionals from February 2005 to April 2006. Mixed methods evaluation approach documented the process and impact of the intervention. Physicians: 750 primary care physicians from one major urban area and outlying regions were invited to participate; 147 physicians enrolled in the project. Children: 125 children were identified and referred with suspected DCD. The main outcome was improvement in knowledge and perceived skill of physicians concerning their ability to screen, diagnose and manage DCD. At baseline 91.1% of physicians were unaware of the diagnosis of DCD, and only 1.6% could diagnose condition. Post-intervention, 91% of participating physicians reported greater knowledge about DCD and 29.2% were able to diagnose DCD compared to 0.5% of non-participating physicians. 100% of physicians who participated in collaborative care indicated they would continue to use the project materials and resources and 59.4% reported they would recommend or share the materials with medical colleagues. In addition, 17.6% of physicians not formally enrolled in the project reported an increase in knowledge of DCD. Physicians receiving educational outreach visits significantly improved their knowledge about DCD and their ability to identify and

Assessing the Impact of a Statewide STEM Investment on K-12, Higher Education, and Business/Community STEM Awareness over Time

Science.gov (United States)

Sondergeld, Toni A.; Johnson, Carla C.; Walten, Janet B.

2016-01-01

Despite monetary and educational investments in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) being at record high levels, little attention has been devoted to generating a common understanding of STEM. In addition, working with business, K-12 schools, and/or institutions of higher education to establish a grassroots effort to help…

Utah's Mobile Earth Science Outreach Vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Schoessow, F. S.; Christian, L.

2016-12-01

Students at Utah State University's College of Natural Resources have engineered the first mobile Earth Science outreach platform capable of delivering high-tech and interactive solar-powered educational resources to the traditionally-underserved, remote communities of rural Utah. By retrofitting and modifying an industrial box-truck, this project effectively created a highly mobile and energy independent "school in a box" which seeks to help change the way that Earth science is communicated, eliminate traditional barriers, and increase science accessibility - both physically and conceptually. The project's education platform is focused on developing a more effective, sustainable, and engaging platform for presenting Earth science outreach curricula to community members of all ages in an engaging fashion. Furthermore, this project affords university students the opportunity to demonstrate innovative science communication techniques, translating vital university research into educational outreach operations aimed at doing real, measurable good for local communities.

Nucleosynthesis outreach slides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lippuner, Jonas [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-11-03

The purpose of this report is to explain s- and r-process nucleosynthesis to the general public at outreach events, specifically in a Planetarium show at the Pajarito Environmental Education Center in Los Alamos.

Outreach and Education in the Life Sciences A Case Study of the U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weller, Richard E.; Burbank, Roberta L.; Mahy, Heidi A.

2010-03-15

This project was intended to assess the impact of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Agency (DOE/NNSA) -sponsored education and outreach activities on the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) in DOE national laboratories. Key activities focused on a series of pilot education and outreach workshops conducted at ten national laboratories. These workshops were designed to increase awareness of the BWC, familiarize scientists with dual-use concerns related to biological research, and promote the concept of individual responsibility and accountability

Energy Retrofit for Aging K-12 Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

3D/International, Houston, TX.

Successfully retrofitting aging K-12 schools using energy conservation measures (ECM) that can improve the physical plant and reduce energy consumption are explored. Topics explore how certain ECM measures can benefit educational facilities, why retrofitting begun sooner rather than later is important, how to finance the retrofit program, and the…

Teacher Perception of Barriers and Benefits in K-12 Technology Usage

Science.gov (United States)

Carver, Lin B.

2016-01-01

This study explores K-12 teachers' perceptions of the benefits and barriers to technology integration by either teachers or students in K-12 instruction. The sample was composed of 68 students enrolled in online classes in the graduate studies in education department of a small private liberal arts institution in the southeast. Data was collected…

Educational Technology: A Review of the Integration, Resources, and Effectiveness of Technology in K-12 Classrooms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adolph Delgado

2015-09-01

Full Text Available There is no questioning that the way people live, interact, communicate, and conduct business is undergoing a profound, rapid change. This change is often referred to as the “digital revolution,” which is the advancement of technology from analog, electronic and mechanical tools to the digital tools available today. Moreover, technology has begun to change education, affecting how students acquire the skill sets needed to prepare for college and a career and how educators integrate digital technological instructional strategies to teach. Numerous studies have been published discussing the barriers of integrating technology, the estimated amount of investment that is needed in order to fully support educational technology, and, of course, the effectiveness of technology in the classroom. As such, this article presents a critical review of the transitions that technology integration has made over the years; the amount of resources and funding that has been allocated to immerse school with technology; and the conflicting results presented on effectiveness of using is technology in education. Through synthesis of selected themes, we found a plethora of technological instructional strategies being used to integrate technology into K-12 classrooms. Also, though there have been large investments made to integrate technology into K-12 classrooms to equip students with the skills needed to prepare for college and a career, the practical use of this investment has not been impressive. Lastly, several meta-analyses showed promising results of effectiveness of technology in the classroom. However, several inherent methodological and study design issues dampen the amount of variance that technology accounts for.

H2O: A Hampton University-Hampton School District Outreach Program

Science.gov (United States)

Gueye, Paul; Young, William

2011-04-01

For many years, Hampton University (HU, Hampton, VA) has been collaborating with local schools of the Hampton City School District (HCS) in various areas that foster science education. This partnership between an HBCU and a local school district has been extended to a new level through a novel K-12 initiative:Hampton University-Hampton School District Outreach (H2O) program. This effort will target 9 schools out of the 34 schools from HCS, involve a total of 25 graduate students (5/year), 25 junior and senior undergraduate students (5/year) and 102 teachers (3/school). Faculty and students from seven STEM fields at HU will contribute by reaching out to Departments offering MS and PhD degrees in these areas. In addition to providing teaching experience to students, H2O will infuse research within the classrooms and offer a teacher professional development program, G5-12 students will present some research conducted throughout the year at a dedicated conference at HU and at the National Society of Black Physicists annual meeting, and a dedicated 2-day workshop in the fall with K-12 educators will provide a platform to share some outcomes of H2O. This program has reached out to several societies (NSBP, NSHP, APS, AAPT and AAPM) as a vehicle for teacher professional training, along with including an international component with Canada, France and Senegal. A review of recent collaborations and outcomes from this partnership will be provided and the status of the H2O program will be presented.

State of Global Pediatric Neurosurgery Outreach: Survey by the International Education Subcommittee

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Matthew C.; Rocque, Brandon G.; Singhal, Ash; Ridder, Tom; Pattisapu, Jogi V.; Johnston, James M.

2017-01-01

Object Neurosurgical services are increasingly recognized as essential components of surgical care worldwide. Degree of interest among neurosurgeons regarding international work, and barriers to involvement in global neurosurgical outreach, are largely unexplored. We distributed a survey to members of the AANS/CNS Joint Section on Pediatric Neurosurgery to assess the state of global outreach among its members and identify barriers to involvement. Methods An internet-based questionnaire was developed by the International Education Subcommittee of the AANS/CNS Joint Section on Pediatric Neurosurgery, and distributed to pediatric neurosurgeons via the AANS/CNS Joint Section email contact list. Participants were surveyed on involvement in global neurosurgical outreach, geographic location, nature of participation, and barriers to further involvement. Results A 35.3% response rate was obtained, with 116 respondents completed the survey. 61% performed or taught neurosurgery in a developing country, 49% traveling at least annually. Africa was the most common region (54%), followed by South America (30%), through 29 separate organizing entities. Hydrocephalus was the most commonly treated condition (88%), followed by spinal dysraphism (74%) and tumor (68%). Most respondents obtained follow-up through communication from local surgeons (77%). 71% believed the international experience improved their practice, and 74% were very or extremely interested in working elsewhere. Interference with current practice (61%), cost (44%), and difficulty identifying international partners (43%) were the most commonly cited barriers to participation. Conclusion Any coordinated effort to expand global neurosurgical capacity begins with appreciation for the current state of outreach efforts. Increasing participation in global outreach will require addressing both real and perceived barriers to involvement. Creation and curation of a centralized online database of ongoing projects to facilitate

NSF GK-12 Fellows as Mentors for K-12 Teachers Participating in Field Research Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Ellins, K.; Perry, E.

2005-12-01

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) recognizes the value of providing educational opportunities to K-12 teachers who play a critical role in shaping the minds of young people who are the future of our science. To that end, UTIG established the "Texas Teachers in the Field" program in 2000 to formalize the participation of K-12 teachers in field programs that included UTIG scientists. In 2002, "Texas Teachers in the Field" evolved through UTIG's involvement in a University of Texas at Austin GK-12 project led by the Environmental Sciences Institute, which enabled UTIG to partner a subset of GK-12 Fellows with teachers participating in geophysical field programs. During the three years of the GK-12 project, UTIG successfully partnered four GK-12 Fellows with five K-12 teachers. The Fellows served as mentors to the teachers, as liaisons between UTIG scientists leading field programs and teachers and their students, and as resources in science, mathematics, and technology instruction. Specifically, Fellows prepared teachers and their students for the field investigations, supervised the design of individual Teacher Research Experience (TRE) projects, and helped teachers to develop standards-aligned curriculum resources related to the field program for use in their own classrooms, as well as broader distribution. Although all but one TRE occurred during the school year, Texas school districts and principals were willing to release teachers to participate because the experience and destinations were so extraordinary (i.e., a land-based program in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina; and research cruises to the Southeast Caribbean Sea and Hess Deep in the Pacific Ocean) and carried opportunities to work with scientists from around the world. This exceptional collaboration of GK-12 Fellows, K-12 teachers and research scientists enriches K-12 student learning and promotes greater enthusiasm for science. The level of mentoring, preparation and follow-up provided

Prioritization of K-12 World Language Education in the United States: State Requirements for High School Graduation

Science.gov (United States)

O'Rourke, Polly; Zhou, Qian; Rottman, Isaac

2016-01-01

In view of the importance of increasing multilingualism in the United States, the current study examined state policy for high school graduation requirements in the 50 states and the District of Columbia as an index of the way in which the study of world language is positioned and prioritized in K--12 education. Only seven states require the study…

"It's Worth Our Time": A Model of Culturally and Linguistically Supportive Professional Development for K-12 STEM Educators

Science.gov (United States)

Hudley, Anne H. Charity; Mallinson, Christine

2017-01-01

Professional development on issues of language and culture is often separate from professional development on issues related to STEM education, resulting in linguistic and cultural gaps in K-12 STEM pedagogy and practice. To address this issue, we have designed a model of professional development in which we work with educators to build cultural…

Schooling Teachers, Schooling Ourselves: Insights and Reflections from Teaching K-12 Teachers How to Use Hip-Hop to Educate Students

Science.gov (United States)

Irby, Decoteau J.; Hall, H. Bernard; Hill, Marc L.

2013-01-01

Hip-hop-based education (HHBE) research analyzes how hip-hop culture is used to produce favorable educational outcomes. Despite its richness, the work reveals little about how to prepare practicing K-12 teachers to use HHBE toward the critical ends reflected in extant HHBE literature. In this article, we challenge many tacit assumptions of HHBE…

C-MORE Science Kits: Putting Technology in the Hands of K-12 Teachers and Students

Science.gov (United States)

Achilles, K.; Weersing, K.; Daniels, C.; Puniwai, N.; Matsuzaki, J.; Bruno, B. C.

2008-12-01

The Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE) is a NSF Science and Technology Center based at the University of Hawaii. The C-MORE education and outreach program offers a variety of resources and professional development opportunities for science educators, including online resources, participation in oceanography research cruises, teacher-training workshops, mini-grants to incorporate microbial oceanography-related content and activities into their classroom and, most recently, C- MORE science kits. C-MORE science kits provide hands-on classroom, field, and laboratory activities related to microbial oceanography for K-12 students. Each kit comes with complete materials and instructions, and is available free of charge to Hawaii's public school teachers. Several kits are available nationwide. C-MORE science kits cover a range of topics and technologies and are targeted at various grade levels. Here is a sampling of some available kits: 1) Marine Murder Mystery: The Case of the Missing Zooxanthellae. Students learn about the effect of climate change and other environmental threats on coral reef destruction through a murder-mystery experience. Participants also learn how to use DNA to identify a suspect. Grades levels: 3-8. 2) Statistical sampling. Students learn basic statistics through an exercise in random sampling, with applications to microbial oceanography. The laptops provided with this kit enable students to enter, analyze, and graph their data using EXCEL. Grades levels: 6-12. 3) Chlorophyll Lab. A research-quality fluorometer is used to measure the chlorophyll content in marine and freshwater systems. This enables students to compare biomass concentrations in samples collected from various locations. Grades levels: 9-12. 4) Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD). Students predict how certain variables (e.g., temperature, pressure, chlorophyll, oxygen) vary with depth. A CTD, attached to a laptop computer, is deployed into deep water

Clear Resin Casting of Arthropods of Medical Importance for Use in Educational and Outreach Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Bejcek, Justin R; Curtis-Robles, Rachel; Riley, Michael; Brundage, Adrienne; Hamer, Gabriel L

2018-01-01

Abstract Arthropod-related morbidity and mortality represent a major threat to human and animal health. An important component of reducing vector-borne diseases and injuries is training the next generation of medical entomologists and educating the public in proper identification of arthropods of medical importance. One challenge of student training and public outreach is achieving a safe mounting technique that allows observation of morphological characteristics, while minimizing damage to specimens that are often difficult to replace. Although resin-embedded specimens are available from commercial retailers, there is a need for a published protocol that allows entomologists to economically create high-quality resin-embedded arthropods for use in teaching and outreach activities. We developed a detailed protocol using readily obtained equipment and supplies for creating resin-embedded arthropods of many species for use in teaching and outreach activities. PMID:29718496

International Space Education Outreach: Taking Exploration to the Global Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Dreschel, T. W.; Lichtenberger, L. A.; Chetirkin, P. V.; Garner, L. C.; Barfus, J. R.; Nazarenko, V. I.

2005-01-01

With the development of the International Space Station and the need for international collaboration for returning to the moon and developing a mission to Mars, NASA has embarked on developing international educational programs related to space exploration. In addition, with the explosion of educational technology, linking students on a global basis is more easily accomplished. This technology is bringing national and international issues into the classroom, including global environmental issues, the global marketplace, and global collaboration in space. We present the successes and lessons learned concerning international educational and public outreach programs that we have been involved in for NASA as well as the importance of sustaining these international peer collaborative programs for the future generations. These programs will undoubtedly be critical in enhancing the classroom environment and will affect the achievements in and attitudes towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Evaluation of Harmful Algal Bloom Outreach Activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Weisman

2007-12-01

Full Text Available With an apparent increase of harmful algal blooms (HABs worldwide,healthcare providers, public health personnel and coastal managers are struggling toprovide scientifically-based appropriately-targeted HAB outreach and education. Since1998, the Florida Poison Information Center-Miami, with its 24 hour/365 day/year freeAquatic Toxins Hotline (1-888-232-8635 available in several languages, has received over 25,000 HAB-related calls. As part of HAB surveillance, all possible cases of HAB-relatedillness among callers are reported to the Florida Health Department. This pilot studyevaluated an automated call processing menu system that allows callers to access bilingualHAB information, and to speak directly with a trained Poison Information Specialist. Themajority (68% of callers reported satisfaction with the information, and many provided specific suggestions for improvement. This pilot study, the first known evaluation of use and satisfaction with HAB educational outreach materials, demonstrated that the automated system provided useful HAB-related information for the majority of callers, and decreased the routine informational call workload for the Poison Information Specialists, allowing them to focus on callers needing immediate assistance and their healthcare providers. These results will lead to improvement of this valuable HAB outreach, education and surveillance tool. Formal evaluation is recommended for future HAB outreach and educational materials.

Opportunities for Space Science Education Using Current and Future Solar System Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Matiella Novak, M.; Beisser, K.; Butler, L.; Turney, D.

2010-12-01

The Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) office in The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) Space Department strives to excite and inspire the next generation of explorers by creating interactive education experiences. Since 1959, APL engineers and scientists have designed, built, and launched 61 spacecraft and over 150 instruments involved in space science. With the vast array of current and future Solar System exploration missions available, endless opportunities exist for education programs to incorporate the real-world science of these missions. APL currently has numerous education and outreach programs tailored for K-12 formal and informal education, higher education, and general outreach communities. Current programs focus on Solar System exploration missions such as the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), Miniature Radio Frequency (Mini-RF) Moon explorer, the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP), New Horizons mission to Pluto, and the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) Satellite, to name a few. Education and outreach programs focusing on K-12 formal education include visits to classrooms, summer programs for middle school students, and teacher workshops. APL hosts a Girl Power event and a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Day each year. Education and outreach specialists hold teacher workshops throughout the year to train educators in using NASA spacecraft science in their lesson plans. High school students from around the U.S. are able to engage in NASA spacecraft science directly by participating in the Mars Exploration Student Data Teams (MESDT) and the Student Principal Investigator Programs. An effort is also made to generate excitement for future missions by focusing on what mysteries will be solved. Higher education programs are used to recruit and train the next generation of scientists and engineers. The NASA/APL Summer Internship Program offers a

CloudSat Education Network: Partnerships for Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

TeBockhorst, D.

2014-12-01

CloudSat Education Network (CEN): Partnerships to improve the understanding of clouds in formal and informal settings. Since The CloudSat satellite launched in 2006 the Formal and Informal education programs for the mission have been focused on bringing an understanding about the mission science and the importance of clouds, climate & weather science. This has been done by creating and strengthening partnership and collaboration within scientific and educational communities around the country and the world. Because CloudSat was formally recognized as a Earth System Science Pathfinder campaign with the GLOBE program, the CEN developed a set of field protocols for student observations that augmented the GLOBE atmosphere protocols when there was a satellite overpass. This shared process between GLOBE & CloudSat resulted in the training & creation of CEN schools that are both GLOBE schools and CloudSat schools, and also produced three GLOBE partnerships that specialize in cloud science education and outreach. In addition, the CEN has developed productive relationships with other NASA missions and EPO teams. Specifically, in collaboration with the NASA CERES mission projects S'Cool and MyNASAData, we have co-presented at NSTA conferences and with schools participating in a NASA EPOESS-funded formal education project. This collaborative work has been a very real benefit to a wide variety of audiences needing to strengthen their understanding of clouds and their roles in the earth system, and we hope will serve as a model to future missions looking to involve the public in mission science.

Increasing the Roles and Significance of Teachers in Policymaking for K-12 Engineering Education: Proceedings of a Convocation

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, Steve

2017-01-01

Engineering is a small but growing part of K-12 education. Curricula that use the principles and practices of engineering are providing opportunities for elementary, middle, and high school students to design solutions to problems of immediate practical and societal importance. Professional development programs are showing teachers how to use…

K-12 Marketplace Sees Major Flow of Venture Capital

Science.gov (United States)

Ash, Katie

2012-01-01

The flow of venture capital into the K-12 education market has exploded over the past year, reaching its highest transaction values in a decade in 2011, industry observers say. They attribute that rise to such factors as a heightened interest in educational technology; the decreasing cost of electronic devices such as tablet computers, laptops,…

Farzana's Journey: A Children's Book for Research-based, Educational Outreach in Remote Communities of Bangladesh

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, C.; Hornberger, G. M.; Machado, M.

2017-12-01

Academics are encouraged to integrate their environmental research with education and societal outreach, but the methods of doing so can be transient and insubstantial. Here, we use a children's book to create a sustainable relationship with vulnerable communities in Bangladesh. Farzana's Journey is a children's book based on current multidisciplinary Vanderbilt University research on the coupling and coevolution of the physical and human systems in coastal Bangladesh. Written, illustrated, and freely distributed in the Bengali-language, the book is a place-based tool to teach rural Bangladesh communities about the natural world and disseminate our scientific findings. The narrative follows a young girl, Farzana, who must walk a long distance to fetch her family's water. Her usual journey develops into an adventure as she meets a variety of animal characters, who relay a story about her ever-changing environment and the subsequent human adaptation. After exploring environmental topics, such as geomorphology, water availability, and climate, Farzana appreciates the uniqueness of her local environment and the adaptations of her ancestors and future generations. Through the development and distribution of the book, we encouraged dialogue, collaboration, and public outreach with scientists, artists, and students concerned with enhancing educational and social opportunity in rural communities. We also ensure a tangible tie through the book itself after the culmination of the research project. The book achieves the primary goal of sparking children's curiosity in the local environment, while also demonstrating an effective means for sustainable educational outreach with impoverished, remote communities.

ANDRILL Education and Public Outreach: A Legacy of the IPY

Science.gov (United States)

Rack, F. R.; Huffman, L. T.; Reed, J.; Harwood, D. M.; Berg, M.; Diamond, J.; Fox, A.; Dahlman, L. E.; Levy, R. H.

2009-12-01

ANDRILL field projects during the IPY included the McMurdo Ice Shelf (MIS) and Southern McMurdo Sound (SMS) drilling projects, and the Mackay Sea Valley (MSV) and Offshore New Harbor (ONH) seismic surveys. ANDRILL's international network of scientists, engineers, students and educators work together to convey an understanding of geoscience research and the process of science to non-technical audiences. ANDRILL education and public outreach (EPO) program goals are to: (1) promote environmental and polar science literacy for all audiences; (2) develop and disseminate engaging resources for formal and informal education; (3) develop and nurture a network of polar science educators; (4) spark the curiosity of students and the general public; (5) encourage students to pursue careers in science; (6) challenge misconceptions about scientific research; (7) provide professional development opportunities for educators; and, (8) encourage inquiry teaching in science education. During the IPY, ANDRILL established partnerships with several IPY projects to enhance science literacy and promote the IPY in formal and informal education and outreach venues. ANDRILL-led initiatives include the ARISE (ANDRILL Research Immersion for Science Educators) Program, Project Iceberg, the FLEXHIBIT (FLEXible exHIBIT; in partnership with Antarctica’s Climate Secrets/IPY Engaging Antarctica), and the Project Circle. ANDRILL partnerships developed with several museums and school districts for teacher professional development workshops and a variety of public events. A polar learning community was created from the ARISE participants and their many contacts, the Project Circle participants, and interested educators who contacted ANDRILL. EPO activities are continuing in the post-IPY period with additional funding. The ARISE program has been successful in building a team of educators and a network of international collaborations across grade levels and cultures. The ANDRILL website has expanded to

NASA IceBridge and PolarTREC - Education and Outreach Partnership

Science.gov (United States)

Bartholow, S.; Warburton, J.; Beck, J.; Woods, J. E.

2015-12-01

PolarTREC-Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating, a teacher professional development program, began with the International Polar Year in 2004 and continues today in the United States. PolarTREC has worked specifically with OIB for 3 years and looking forward to ongoing collaboration. PolarTREC brings U.S. K­12 educators and polar researchers together through an innovative teacher research experience model. Participating teachers spend 3-6 weeks in the field with research teams conducting surveys and collecting data on various aspects of polar science. During their experience, teachers become research team members filling a variety of roles on the team. They also fulfill a unique role of public outreach officer, conducting live presentations about their field site and research as well as journaling, answering questions, and posting photos. Working with OIB has opened up the nature of science for the participating teachers. In developing the long-term relationship with OIB teams, teachers can now share (1) the diversity of training, backgrounds, and interests of OIB scientists, (2) identify the linkages between Greenlandic culture and community and cryospheric science and evidence of climate change, (3) network with Danish and Greenlandic educators on the mission (4) gain access to the full spectrum of a science project - development, implementation, analysis, networking, and dissemination of information. All aspects help these teachers become champions of NASA science and educational leaders in their communities. Evaluation data shows that PolarTREC has clearly achieved it goals with the OIB partnership and suggests that linking teachers and researchers can have the potential to transform the nature of science education. By giving teachers the content knowledge, pedagogical tools, confidence, understanding of science in the broader society, and experiences with scientific inquiry, participating teachers are using authentic scientific research in their

Dance in K through 12 Basic Education: adequacy of contemporary practices in dance teaching

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Josiane Gisela Franken

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This article focuses on dance teaching in K-12 basic education from a reflection about the relevant adoption of elements from post 1950’s artistic movement on dancing creative processes in a dialogue with authors as Hassan (1985, Silva (2005, and Rengel (2008. On this perspective, changes on dance teaching and learning practical attitudes are considered, resulting from postmodern dance transformations, such as: the reformulation of body concept, the conception of dance as a democratic, collective, and creative process and the progressively narrowed bounds between school artistic approaches and art forms developed outside of the school environment

Renewable Microgrid STEM Education & Colonias Outreach Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2015-04-01

To provide Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) outreach and education to secondary students to encourage them to select science and engineering as a career by providing an engineering-based problem-solving experience involving renewable energy systems such as photovoltaic (PV) panels or wind turbines. All public and private schools, community colleges, and vocational training programs would be eligible for participation. The Power Microgrids High School Engineering Experience used renewable energy systems (PV and wind) to provide a design capstone experience to secondary students. The objective for each student team was to design a microgrid for the student’s school using renewable energy sources under cost, schedule, performance, and risk constraints. The students then implemented their designs in a laboratory environment to evaluate the completeness of the proposed design, which is a unique experience even for undergraduate college students. This application-based program was marketed to secondary schools in the 28th Congressional District through the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) Regional Service Centers. Upon application, TEES identified regionally available engineers to act as mentors and supervisors for the projects. Existing curriculum was modified to include microgrid and additional renewable technologies and was made available to the schools.

Innovating science communication: the structure supporting ATLAS Education & Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Goldfarb, Steven; Marcelloni, Claudia; Shaw, Kate; ATLAS Experiment

2016-04-01

The ATLAS Education & Outreach project has, over the years, developed a strong reputation for supporting innovation. Animated event displays, musical CDs, 3d movies, 3-storey murals, photo books, data sonifications, multi-media art installations, pub slams, masterclasses, documentaries, pop-up books, LEGO® models, and virtual visits are among the many diverse methods being exploited to communicate to the world the goals and accomplishments of the ATLAS Experiment at CERN. This variety of creativity and innovation does not pop out of a vacuum. It requires underlying motivation by the collaboration to communicate with the public; freedom and encouragement to do so in a creative manner; and a support structure for developing, implementing and promoting these activities. The ATLAS Outreach project has built this support structure on a well-defined communication plan, high-quality content, and effective delivery platforms. Most importantly, implementation of the program has been based on the effective engagement of the participating institutes and other key partners, not only to leverage modest human resources and funding, but also to take advantage of the rich imagination and inspiration of a diverse, global human collaboration. We present our current plan, on-going activities, and a few more fun innovations for the future.

NASA SMD Science Education and Public Outreach Forums: A Five-Year Retrospective

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Denise A.; Peticolas, Laura; Schwerin, Theresa; Shipp, Stephanie

2014-06-01

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) created four competitively awarded Science Education and Public Outreach Forums (Astrophysics, Heliophysics, Planetary Science, Earth Science) in 2009. The objective is to enhance the overall coherence of SMD education and public outreach (E/PO), leading to more effective, efficient, and sustainable use of SMD science discoveries and learning experiences. We summarize progress and next steps towards achieving this goal with examples drawn from Astrophysics and cross-Forum efforts. Over the past five years, the Forums have enabled leaders of individual SMD mission and grant-funded E/PO programs to work together to place individual science discoveries and learning resources into context for audiences, conveying the big picture of scientific discovery based on audience needs. Forum-organized collaborations and partnerships extend the impact of individual programs to new audiences and provide resources and opportunities for educators to engage their audiences in NASA science. Similarly, Forum resources support scientists and faculty in utilizing SMD E/PO resources. Through Forum activities, mission E/PO teams and grantees have worked together to define common goals and provide unified professional development for educators (NASA’s Multiwavelength Universe); build partnerships with libraries to engage underserved/underrepresented audiences (NASA Science4Girls and Their Families); strengthen use of best practices; provide thematic, audience-based entry points to SMD learning experiences; support scientists in participating in E/PO; and, convey the impact of the SMD E/PO program. The Forums have created a single online digital library (NASA Wavelength, http://nasawavelength.org) that hosts all peer-reviewed SMD-funded education materials and worked with the SMD E/PO community to compile E/PO program metrics (http://nasamissionepometrics.org/). External evaluation shows the Forums are meeting their objectives. Specific examples

The Windows to the Universe Project: Using the Internet to Support K-12 Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Gardiner, L.; Johnson, R.; Bergman, J.; Russell, R.; Genyuk, J.; La Grave, M.

2003-12-01

The World Wide Web can be a powerful tool for reaching the public as well as students and teachers around the world, supporting both formal and informal science education. The Windows to the Universe Project, initiated in 1995, provides a case study of approaches for the use of the web to support earth and space science education and literacy efforts. Through the use of innovative approaches such as easy to use design, multi-level content, and science concepts presented in a broader background context that includes connections to culture and the humanities, Windows to the Universe is an accessible format for individuals of various ages and learning styles. A large global audience regularly uses the web site to learn about earth and space science as well as related humanities content such as myths from around the world. User surveys show that the site has over 4 millions users per year, 65 percent of which are K-12 teachers and students. Approximately 46 percent of users access the site once per week or more. Recently, we have had the opportunity to expand our efforts while we continue to update existing content based on new scientific findings and events. Earth science content on Windows to the Universe is currently growing with a new geology section and development efforts are underway to expand our space weather content with a new curriculum. Educational games allow users to learn about space in a playful context, and an online journaling tool further integrates literacy into the learning experience. In addition, we are currently translating the entire Windows to the Universe web site into Spanish. We have included educators in the project as co-designers from its inception, and by aggressively utilizing and providing professional development opportunities for teachers, the web site is now used in thousands of classrooms around the world. In the past year we have continued to support K-12 educators by adding to our suite of classroom activities and leading

Educational Research in the United States: A Survey of Pre-K-12 Teachers' Perceptions Regarding the Purpose, Conceptions, Use, Impact, and Dissemination

Science.gov (United States)

Mahoney, Shawn

2013-01-01

The purpose of this survey study was to collect data from pre-K-12 educators in the U.S. regarding their perceptions of the purpose, conceptions, use, impact, and results of educational research. The survey tool was based on existing questionnaires and case studies in the literature, as well as newly developed items. 3,908 educators in a database…

Public Outreach and Educational Experiences in Mexico and Latin American communities in California

Science.gov (United States)

Andres De Leo-Winkler, Mario; Canalizo, Gabriela; Pichardo, Barbara; Arias, Brenda

2015-08-01

I have created and applied diverse methods in public outreach at National Autonomous Univerisity of Mexico (UNAM) since 2001.A student-led volunteer astronomical club has been created, the biggest in Mexico. We serve over 10,000 people per year. We have created public outreach activities for the general audience: archeo-astronomical outings, scientific movie debates, conferences, courses, public telescope viewings. We have also worked with juvenile delinquents to offer them scientific opportunities when released from jail.I've also created and worked the social media for the Institute of Astronomy UNAM, which is currently the biggest social media site on astronomy in Spanish in the world. I've created and organized a mass photo exhibition (over 1 million people served) for the Institute of Astronomy, UNAM which was citizen-funded through an online platform, the first of its kind in the country. Together with my colleages, we created workshops on astronomy for children with the Mexican's government funding.I've participated in several radio and television programs/capsules designed to bring astronomy to the general audience, one in particular ("Astrophysics for Dummies") was very successful in nation-wide Mexican radio.I am currently applying all experiences to develop a new public outreach project on astronomy for the University of California - Riverside and its on-campus and surrounding Latin American communities. We are offering new workshops for blind and deaf children. We want to integrate the Latino community to our outreach activities and offer science in their language in a simple and entertaining fashion. We have also successfully applied astrophotography as a course which brings social-science and arts undergraduate students into natural sciences.Sharing experiences, success and failure stories will help new and experienced educators and public outreach professionals learn and better from past experiences.

Climate Change Education Today in K-12: What's Happening in the Earth and Space Science Classroom?

Science.gov (United States)

Holzer, M. A.; National Earth Science Teachers Association

2011-12-01

Climate change is a highly interdisciplinary topic, involving not only multiple fields of science, but also social science and the humanities. There are many aspects of climate change science that make it particularly well-suited for exploration in the K-12 setting, including opportunities to explore the unifying processes of science such as complex systems, models, observations, change and evolution. Furthermore, this field of science offers the opportunity to observe the nature of science in action - including how scientists develop and improve their understanding through research and debate. Finally, climate change is inherently highly relevant to students - indeed, students today will need to deal with the consequences of the climate change. The science of climate change is clearly present in current science education standards, both at the National level as well as in the majority of states. Nonetheless, a significant number of teachers across the country report difficulties addressing climate change in the classroom. The National Earth Science Teachers Association has conducted several surveys of Earth and space science educators across the country over the past several years on a number of issues, including their needs and concerns, including their experience of external influences on what they teach. While the number of teachers that report external pressures to not teach climate change science are in the minority (and less than the pressure to not teach evolution and related topics), our results suggest that this pressure against climate change science in the K-12 classroom has grown over the past several years. Some teachers report being threatened by parents, being encouraged by administrators to not teach the subject, and a belief that the "two sides" of climate change should be taught. Survey results indicate that teachers in religious or politically-conservative districts are more likely to report difficulties in teaching about climate change than in

Education, outreach, and inclusive engagement: Towards integrated indicators of successful program outcomes in participatory science.

Science.gov (United States)

Haywood, Benjamin K; Besley, John C

2014-01-01

The use and utility of science in society is often influenced by the structure, legitimacy, and efficacy of the scientific research process. Public participation in scientific research (PPSR) is a growing field of practice aimed at enhancing both public knowledge and understanding of science (education outreach) and the efficacy and responsiveness of scientific research, practice, and policy (participatory engagement). However, PPSR objectives focused on "education outreach" and "participatory engagement" have each emerged from diverse theoretical traditions that maintain distinct indicators of success used for program development and evaluation. Although areas of intersection and overlap among these two traditions exist in theory and practice, a set of comprehensive standards has yet to coalesce that supports the key principles of both traditions in an assimilated fashion. To fill this void, a comprehensive indicators framework is proposed with the goal of promoting a more integrative and synergistic PPSR program development and assessment process.

NCCR Chemical Biology: Interdisciplinary Research Excellence, Outreach, Education, and New Tools for Switzerland.

Science.gov (United States)

Sturzenegger, Susi; Johnsson, Kai; Riezman, Howard

2011-01-01

Funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation to promote cutting edge research as well as the advancement of young researchers and women, technology transfer, outreach and education, the NCCR (Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research) Chemical Biology is co-led by Howard Riezman, University of Geneva and Kai Johnsson, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).

Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS) 2010 Education and Public Outreach (EPO)

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Heather L.

2013-10-01

The Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, Directorate Integration Office conducts analog field test activities, such as Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS), to validate exploration system architecture concepts and conduct technology demonstrations. Education and Public Outreach (EPO) activities have been a part of DRATS missions in the past to engage students, educators, and the general public in analog activities. However, in 2010, for the first time, EPO was elevated as a principal task for the mission and metrics were collected for all EPO activities. EPO activities were planned well in advance of the mission, with emphasis on creating a multitude of activities to attract students of all ages. Web-based and social media interaction between August 31 and September 14, 2010 resulted in 62,260 DRATS Flickr views; 10,906 views of DRATS videos on YouTube; 1,483 new DRATS Twitter followers; and a 111% increase in DRATS Facebook fan interactions. Over 7,000 outreach participants were directly involved in the DRATS 2010 analog mission via student visitations at both the integrated dry-runs prior to the field mission and during the field mission; by participating in live, interactive webcasts and virtual events; and online voting to determine a traverse site as part of the NASA initiative for Participatory Exploration (PE).

Outreach: Key to Sustainable Nuclear Knowledge Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segovia, V.

2016-01-01

Full text: With the numerous nuclear power plants being built globally and the prospects for many more, the challenge of the timely availability of a well-prepared, qualified, knowledgeable workforce is a key element in the “critical path” to commissioning these plants. All of these individuals will need quality education and training that is rooted in safety and established in experience. In addition, because many of these new plants are typically being built in developing countries, education, training, recruiting and retaining operations staff can be a significant challenge. Attracting sources of qualified employees for these nuclear power plants in local communities is paramount which implies a strong focus on the science and math education outreach programmes at all levels. This paper will highlight the Nuclear Power Institute’s integration of human resource development outreach strategies, education and training systems, and international cooperation to demonstrate how working in particular with the education sector can not only create interest in future careers in nuclear technology and capture valuable knowledge, but can also build community based support for nuclear power programmes with an emphasis of developing competent workers through education and training, mentoring and apprenticeships. Outreach has also become an important element of all nuclear knowledge management endeavours. (author

Improving science literacy and education through space life sciences

Science.gov (United States)

MacLeish, M. Y.; Moreno, N. P.; Tharp, B. Z.; Denton, J. J.; Jessup, G.; Clipper, M. C.

2001-01-01

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) encourages open involvement by scientists and the public at large in the Institute's activities. Through its Education and Public Outreach Program, the Institute is supporting national efforts to improve Kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) and undergraduate education and to communicate knowledge generated by space life science research to lay audiences. Three academic institution Baylor College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine and Texas A&M University are designing, producing, field-testing, and disseminating a comprehensive array of programs and products to achieve this goal. The objectives of the NSBRI Education and Public Outreach program are to: promote systemic change in elementary and secondary science education; attract undergraduate students--especially those from underrepresented groups--to careers in space life sciences, engineering and technology-based fields; increase scientific literacy; and to develop public and private sector partnerships that enhance and expand NSBRI efforts to reach students and families. c 2001. Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nebraska Earth Science Education Network: Enhancing the NASA, University, and Pre-College Science Teacher Connection with Electronic Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Gosselin, David C.

1997-01-01

The primary goals of this project were to: 1. Promote and enhance K-12 earth science education; and enhance the access to and exchange of information through the use of digital networks in K-12 institutions. We have achieved these two goals. Through the efforts of many individuals at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), Nebraska Earth Science Education Network (NESEN) has become a viable and beneficial interdisciplinary outreach program for K-12 educators in Nebraska. Over the last three years, the NASA grant has provided personnel and equipment to maintain, expand and develop NESEN into a program that is recognized by its membership as a valuable source of information and expertise in earth systems science. Because NASA funding provided a framework upon which to build, other external sources of funding have become available to support NESEN programs.

Secrets of the Sediments: Using ANDRILL's Scientific Adventure on Ice to Transfer Climate Change Science to K-12 Audiences

Science.gov (United States)

Huffman, L. T.; Dahlman, L.; Frisch-Gleason, R.; Harwood, D.; Pound, K.; Rack, F.; Riesselman, C.; Trummel, E.; Tuzzi, E.; Winter, D.

2008-12-01

Antarctica's harsh environment and the compelling story of living and working there, provides the backdrop for hooking the interest of young learners on science research and the nature of science. By using the adventure stories of today's researcher-explorers, teachers accompanying the ANDRILL team have taken the technical science of drilling rock cores to understand the history of climate change and the advance and retreat of the Antarctic ice sheet, and translated it for non-technical audiences from K-12 school children, to adult community groups. In order to understand the important issues surrounding global climate change, members of the public need access to accurate and relevant information, high quality educational materials, and a variety of learning opportunities in different learning environments. By taking lessons learned from early virtual polar adventure learning expeditions like Will Steger's Trans-Antarctic Expedition, coupled with educators-in-the-field programs like TEA (Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic), ARMADA and Polar Trec, ANDRILL's Education and Outreach Program has evolved into successful and far-reaching integrated education projects including 1) the ARISE (ANDRILL Research Immersion for Science Educators) Program, 2) Climate Change Student Summits, 3) the development of Flexhibit (flexible exhibit) teaching resources, 4) virtual online learning communities, and 5) partnering young researchers with teachers and classrooms. Formal evaluations indicate lasting interest in science studies on the part of students and an increase in teachers' scientific background knowledge.

Promoting Diversity Through Polar Interdisciplinary Coordinated Education (Polar ICE)

Science.gov (United States)

McDonnell, J. D.; Hotaling, L. A.; Garza, C.; Van Dyk, P. B.; Hunter-thomson, K. I.; Middendorf, J.; Daniel, A.; Matsumoto, G. I.; Schofield, O.

2017-12-01

Polar Interdisciplinary Coordinated Education (ICE) is an education and outreach program designed to provide public access to the Antarctic and Arctic regions through polar data and interactions with the scientists. The program provides multi-faceted science communication training for early career scientists that consist of a face-to face workshop and opportunities to apply these skills. The key components of the scientist training workshop include cultural competency training, deconstructing/decoding science for non-expert audiences, the art of telling science stories, and networking with members of the education and outreach community and reflecting on communication skills. Scientists partner with educators to provide professional development for K-12 educators and support for student research symposia. Polar ICE has initiated a Polar Literacy initiative that provides both a grounding in big ideas in polar science and science communication training designed to underscore the importance of the Polar Regions to the public while promoting interdisciplinary collaborations between scientists and educators. Our ultimate objective is to promote STEM identity through professional development of scientists and educators while developing career awareness of STEM pathways in Polar science.

STEM professional volunteers in K-12 competition programs: Educator practices and impact on pedagogy

Science.gov (United States)

Zintgraff, Alfred Clifton

This mixed methods dissertation study explored how secondary school educators in specific K-12 competition programs recruited and deployed STEM professional volunteers. The study explored which practices were viewed as most important, and how practices related to constructivist pedagogy, all from the viewpoint of educators. The non-positivist approach sought new knowledge without pursuing generalized results. Review of the literature uncovered extensive anecdotal information about current practices, and suggested that large investments are made in engaging volunteers. One National Science Foundation-sponsored study was identified, and its recommendations for a sustained research agenda were advanced. Three study phases were performed, one to explore practices and operationalize definitions, a second to rate practice's importance and their relation to pedagogy, and a third to seek explanations. Educators preferred recruiting local, meaning recruiting parents and former students, versus from industry or other employers. Most educators preferred volunteers with mentoring skills, and placing them in direct contact with students, versus deploying volunteers to help with behind-the-scenes tasks supporting the educator. Relationships were identified between the highest-rated practices and constructivism in programs. In STEM professional volunteers, educators see affordances, in the same way a classroom tool opens affordances. A model is proposed which shows educators considering practicality, pedagogy, knowledge and skills, and rapport when accessing the affordances opened by STEM professional volunteers. Benefits are maximized when programs align with strong industry clusters in the community.

Space-Hotel Early Bird - An Educational and Public Outreach Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Amekrane, R.; Holze, C.

2002-01-01

education and public outreach can be combined and how a cooperation among an association, the industry and academia can work successfully. Representatives of the DGLR and the academia developed a method to spread space related knowledge in a short time to a motivated working group. The project was a great success in the sense to involve other disciplines in space related topics by interdisciplinary work and in the sense of public and educational outreach. With more than 2.3 million contacts the DGLR e.V. promoted space and the vision of living (in) space to the public. The task of the paper is mainly to describe the approach and the experience made related to the organization, lectures, financing and outreach efforts in respect to similar future international outreach activities, which are planned for the 54th International Astronautical Congress in Bremen/Germany. www.spacehotel.org

Cataclysms and Catastrophes: A Case Study of Improving K-12 Science Education Through a University Partnership

Science.gov (United States)

Fennell, T.; Ellins, K. K.; Morris, M.; Christeson, G.

2003-12-01

The K-12 science teacher is always seeking ways of improving and updating their curriculum by integrating the latest research into their most effective classroom activities. However, the daily demands of delivering instruction to large numbers of students coupled with the rapid advances in some fields of science can often overwhelm this effort. The NSF-sponsored Cataclysms and Catastrophes curriculum, developed by scientists from the The University of Texas at Austin Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) and Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG), middle and high school teachers, and UT graduate students (NSF GK-12 fellows) working together through the GK-12 program, is a textbook example of how universities can facilitate this quest, benefiting education at both K-12 and university levels. In 1992, "The Great K-T Extinction Debate" was developed as an activity in the Planet Earth class at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy of Austin as an interdisciplinary approach to science. Taking advantage of the media attention generated by the impact scenario for the K-T extinction, the activity consists of students participating in a simulated senate hearing on the potential causes of the K-T extinction and their implications for society today. This activity not only exposes students to the wide range of science involved in understanding mass extinctions, but also to the social, political and economic implications when this science is brought into the public arena and the corresponding use of data in decision making and disaster preparedness. While "The Great K-T Extinction Debate" was always a popular and effective activity with students, it was in desperate need of updating to keep pace with the evolving scientific debate over the cause of the K-T extinction and the growing body of impact evidence discovered over the past decade. By adding two inquiry-based learning activities that use real geophysical data collected by scientists studying the buried Chicxulub feature as a

Geoscience Education and Public Outreach AND CRITERION 2: MAKING A BROADER IMPACT

Science.gov (United States)

Marlino, M.; Scotchmoor, J. G.

2005-12-01

The geosciences influence our daily lives and yet often go unnoticed by the general public. From the moment we listen to the weather report and fill-up our cars for the daily commute, until we return to our homes constructed from natural resources, we rely on years of scientific research. The challenge facing the geosciences is to make explicit to the public not only the criticality of the research whose benefits they enjoy, but also to actively engage them as partners in the research effort, by providing them with sufficient understanding of the scientific enterprise so that they become thoughtful and proactive when making decisions in the polling booth. Today, there is broad recognition within the science and policy community that communication needs to be more effective, more visible, and that the public communication of the scientific enterprise is critical not only to its taxpayer support, but also to maintenance of a skilled workforce and the standard of living expected by many Americans. In 1997, the National Science Board took the first critical step in creating a cultural change in the scientific community by requiring explicit consideration of the broader impacts of research in every research proposal. The so-called Criterion 2 has catalyzed a dramatic shift in expectations within the geoscience community and an incentive for finding ways to encourage the science research community to select education and public outreach as a venue for responding to Criterion 2. In response, a workshop organized by the University of California Museum of Paleontology and the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) was held on the Berkeley campus May 11-13, 2005. The Geoscience EPO Workshop purposefully narrowed its focus to that of education and public outreach. This workshop was based on the premise that there are proven models and best practices for effective outreach strategies that need to be identified and shared with research scientists. Workshop

Involving Practicing Scientists in K-12 Science Teacher Professional Development

Science.gov (United States)

Bertram, K. B.

2011-12-01

The Science Teacher Education Program (STEP) offered a unique framework for creating professional development courses focused on Arctic research from 2006-2009. Under the STEP framework, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) training was delivered by teams of practicing Arctic researchers in partnership with master teachers with 20+ years experience teaching STEM content in K-12 classrooms. Courses based on the framework were offered to educators across Alaska. STEP offered in-person summer-intensive institutes and follow-on audio-conferenced field-test courses during the academic year, supplemented by online scientist mentorship for teachers. During STEP courses, teams of scientists offered in-depth STEM content instruction at the graduate level for teachers of all grade levels. STEP graduate-level training culminated in the translation of information and data learned from Arctic scientists into standard-aligned lessons designed for immediate use in K-12 classrooms. This presentation will focus on research that explored the question: To what degree was scientist involvement beneficial to teacher training and to what degree was STEP scientist involvement beneficial to scientist instructors? Data sources reveal consistently high levels of ongoing (4 year) scientist and teacher participation; high STEM content learning outcomes for teachers; high STEM content learning outcomes for students; high ratings of STEP courses by scientists and teachers; and a discussion of the reasons scientists indicate they benefited from STEP involvement. Analyses of open-ended comments by teachers and scientists support and clarify these findings. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze teacher and scientist qualitative feedback. Comments were coded and patterns analyzed in three databases. The vast majority of teacher open-ended comments indicate that STEP involvement improved K-12 STEM classroom instruction, and the vast majority of scientist open-ended comments

Fostering Outreach, Education and Exploration of the Moon Using the Lunar Mapping & Modeling Portal

Science.gov (United States)

Dodge, K.; Law, E.; Malhotra, S.; Chang, G.; Kim, R. M.; Bui, B.; Sadaqathullah, S.; Day, B. H.

2014-12-01

The Lunar Mapping and Modeling Portal (LMMP)[1], is a web-based Portal and a suite of interactive visualization and analysis tools for users to access mapped lunar data products (including image mosaics, digital elevation models, etc.) from past and current lunar missions (e.g., Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Apollo, etc.). Originally designed as a mission planning tool for the Constellation Program, LMMP has grown into a generalized suite of tools facilitating a wide range of activities in support of lunar exploration including public outreach, education, lunar mission planning and scientific research. LMMP fosters outreach, education, and exploration of the Moon by educators, students, amateur astronomers, and the general public. These efforts are enhanced by Moon Tours, LMMP's mobile application, which makes LMMP's information accessible to people of all ages, putting opportunities for real lunar exploration in the palms of their hands. Our talk will include an overview of LMMP and a demonstration of its technologies (web portals, mobile apps), to show how it serves NASA data as commodities for use by advanced visualization facilities (e.g., planetariums) and how it contributes to improving teaching and learning, increasing scientific literacy of the general public, and enriching STEM efforts. References:[1] http://www.lmmp.nasa.gov

A phenomenological case study concerning science teacher educators' beliefs and teaching practices about culturally relevant pedagogy and preparing K-12 science teachers to engage African American students in K-12 science

Science.gov (United States)

Underwood, Janice Bell

Due to the rising diversity in today's schools, science teacher educators (STEs) suggest that K-12 teachers must be uniquely prepared to engage these students in science classrooms. Yet, in light of the increasing white-black science achievement gap, it is unclear how STEs prepare preservice teachers to engage diverse students, and African Americans in particular. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to find out how STEs prepare preservice teachers to engage African American students in K-12 science. Thus, using the culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) framework, this phenomenological case study explored beliefs about culturally relevant science teaching and the influence of reported beliefs and experiences related to race on STEs' teaching practices. In the first phase, STE's in a mid-Atlantic state were invited to participate in an electronic survey. In the second phase, four participants, who were identified as exemplars, were selected from the survey to participate in three semi-structured interviews. The data revealed that STEs were more familiar with culturally responsive pedagogy (CResP) in the context of their post-secondary classrooms as opposed to CRP. Further, most of the participants in part one and two described modeling conventional ways they prepare their preservice teachers to engage K-12 students, who represent all types of diversity, without singling out any specific race. Lastly, many of the STEs' in this study reported formative experiences related to race and beliefs in various manifestations of racism have impacted their teaching beliefs and practices. The findings of this study suggest STEs do not have a genuine understanding of the differences between CRP and CResP and by in large embrace CResP principles. Secondly, in regards to preparing preservice teachers to engage African American students in science, the participants in this study seemed to articulate the need for ideological change, but were unable to demonstrate pedagogical changes

Lesson Plan Prototype for International Space Station's Interactive Video Education Events

Science.gov (United States)

Zigon, Thomas

1999-01-01

The outreach and education components of the International Space Station Program are creating a number of materials, programs, and activities that educate and inform various groups as to the implementation and purposes of the International Space Station. One of the strategies for disseminating this information to K-12 students involves an electronic class room using state of the art video conferencing technology. K-12 classrooms are able to visit the JSC, via an electronic field trip. Students interact with outreach personnel as they are taken on a tour of ISS mockups. Currently these events can be generally characterized as: Being limited to a one shot events, providing only one opportunity for students to view the ISS mockups; Using a "one to many" mode of communications; Using a transmissive, lecture based method of presenting information; Having student interactions limited to Q&A during the live event; Making limited use of media; and Lacking any formal, performance based, demonstration of learning on the part of students. My project involved developing interactive lessons for K-12 students (specifically 7th grade) that will reflect a 2nd generation design for electronic field trips. The goal of this design will be to create electronic field trips that will: Conform to national education standards; More fully utilize existing information resources; Integrate media into field trip presentations; Make support media accessible to both presenters and students; Challenge students to actively participate in field trip related activities; and Provide students with opportunities to demonstrate learning

K-12 Teacher Perceptions Regarding the Flipped Classroom Model for Teaching and Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Gough, Evan; DeJong, David; Grundmeyer, Trent; Baron, Mark

2017-01-01

A great deal of evidence can be cited from higher education literature on the effectiveness of the flipped classroom; however, very little research was discovered on the flipped classroom at the K-12 level. This study examined K-12 teachers' perceptions regarding the flipped classroom and differences in teachers' perceptions based on grade level…

Education for a Green and Resilient Economy: An Educator Framework for Teaching Climate and Energy Literacy for K-12 Teachers Across the Curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Niepold, F., III; Ledley, T. S.; Lockwood, J.; Youngman, E.; Manning, C. L. B.; Sullivan, S. M.

2015-12-01

The U.S. is embarking on a major transition to a green and resilient economy, a monumental change requiring all sectors and segments of the population to pull together. Transforming our nation's economic, energy, and environmental systems to in this way will require a sustained level of expertise, innovation, and cooperative effort unseen since the 1940s to meet the challenges involved. Education can - and must - help people understand the true connections, the linkages and interdependencies, between the environment, our energy sources and the economy which underpin and form the very foundation of the concept of a green and resilient economy. To produce such a literate future workforce and citizenry, the United States will need to make major new investments in our educational systems. Teachers across the nation are helping to increase science-based understanding and awareness of current and future climate change, enhancing climate and energy literacy in K-12 classrooms, on college and university campuses. There has been tremendous progress to date, but there is still more work to be done. The new academic standards in mathematics and science (the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)) represent a sea change from the nation's previous sets of standards. Addressing these standards in the currently over 40 percent of the nation's classrooms that have adopted or adapted the NGSS will demand that we prepare new and current teachers, who can effectively address the interdisciplinary nature of climate change and societal responses. To address this opportunity and need a collaboration between NOAA, TERC and CIRES has been established to develop an Educator Framework for Teaching Climate and Energy Literacy for K-12 teachers across the curriculum based on the NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas. This collaboration is developing an effective way to frame the use of

78 FR 47419 - Requirements for the OSHA Training Institute Education Centers Program and the OSHA Outreach...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-05

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Occupational Safety and Health Administration [Docket No. OSHA-2009-0022] Requirements for the OSHA Training Institute Education Centers Program and the OSHA Outreach Training Program...) Requirements AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor. ACTION...

Attributable effects from information and outreach programs: Net to gross, NEBs, and beyond

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freeman, David Juri; Skumatz, Lisa A. [Skumatz Economic Research Associates, Inc. (SERA) (United States)

2007-07-01

Education, outreach, advertising, and training programs provide particular difficulties in evaluation, as they focus on modifying behaviors and purchases rather than directly installing measures. This paper summarizes the results of a literature review of more than 80 studies evaluating strengths and weaknesses of evaluation work on outreach and education programs. Then, the paper presents the results of several applications of advanced evaluation techniques that are being applied to outreach, education, and training programs. This paper provides the results from detailed net-to-gross (NTG) and non-energy benefits (NEB) evaluations of outreach, training, and education programs, including:A training and education geared toward commercial architects and engineers; Two similar programs geared toward residential builders and remodelers; Residential appliance-related education and outreach programs (Energy Star); and An information-based university program.We provide information from detailed evaluations of the share of energy savings and attributable effects that are due to the program's efforts (net-to-gross ratio), and the non-energy benefits (NEBs) recognized by participants. These results augment the usual evaluation studies, and provide insights that can guide informational, outreach, and training programs to maximize their effectiveness. The attribution and NEB results provide a fuller picture of the benefits from the program, support more sophisticated benefit-cost analysis, provide direction for maximizing program 'bang for the buck', and help support program decision-making and marketing.

Assessing the Long-Term Impacts of Water Quality Outreach and Education Efforts on Agricultural Landowners

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson-Smith, Douglas B.; McEvoy, Jamie P.

2011-01-01

We assess the long-term effectiveness of outreach and education efforts associated with a water quality improvement project in a watershed located in northern Utah, USA. Conducted 15 years after the original project began, our research examines the lasting impacts of different extension activities on landowners' motivations to participate and…

Commentary: Outreach, Engagement, and the Changing Culture of the University--1998

Science.gov (United States)

Byrne, John V.

2016-01-01

In this commentary, author John Byrne reflects on his 1998 "Journal of Public Service & Outreach" article, "Outreach, Engagement, and the Changing Culture of the University" reprinted in this 20th anniversary issue of "Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement." Byrne's 1998 article was a call to modify…

Floating Classroom Outreach as an Introduction to Ocean Studies

Science.gov (United States)

McFadden, M.

2016-02-01

Many children and young adults living within only one hour of the coast never have the opportunity to explore a beach or go out on a boat because of financial challenges or lack of transportation.These types of experiences are the spark that helped many ocean scientists become fascinated with the ocean and later pursue a career related to the ocean. This presentation will discuss a variety of outreach projects and the efficacy of each. Projects vary in age, complexity and cost. These projects include a Beach Clean-Up open to students and their families at a community college organized by a campus volunteer group with a focus on social issues, a Marine Biology and Physical Oceanography class joint floating classroom trip open to college students to introduce non-STEM students to marine science in an exciting setting, and an education outreach trip for 8-12 years old children from the Boys and Girls Club in Newport, RI in collaboration with The International SeaKeepers Society, a non-profit that facilitates ocean research and education by working closely with the yachting community. Emphasis on environmental education in the U.S. has grown considerably over recent years, and the development of unique and innovative approaches to hands-on marine science education are needed to excite students to explore the marine environment and care about environmental stewardship.

The landscape of PreK-12 engineering online resources for teachers: global trends

OpenAIRE

Bagiati, Aikaterini; Evangelou, Demetra; Magana, Alejandra; Kaloustian, Garene; Zhu, Jiabin; Yoon, So Yoon

2014-01-01

Background: The newly formed discipline of engineering education is addressing the need to (a) enhance STEM education for precollege students and (b) identify optimum ways to introduce engineering content starting, perhaps, from the early ages. Introducing engineering at the Prekindergarten through 12th grade (PreK-12) education level requires significant changes in teacher preparation and support. It highlights the need for developing developmentally appropriate content knowledge and ped...

The Role of the Modern Planetarium as an Effective Tool in Astronomy Education and Public Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Albin, Edward F.

2016-01-01

As the planetarium approaches its 100th anniversary, today's planetarium educator must reflect on the role of such technology in contemporary astronomy education and outreach. The projection planetarium saw "first light" in 1923 at the Carl Zeiss factory in Jena, Germany. During the 20th century, the concept of a star projector beneath a dome flourished as an extraordinary device for the teaching of astronomy. The evolution of digital technology over the past twenty years has dramatically changed the perception / utilization of the planetarium. The vast majority of modern star theaters have shifted entirely to fulldome digital projection systems, abandoning the once ubiquitous electromechanical star projector altogether. These systems have evolved into ultra-high resolution theaters, capable of projecting imagery, videos, and any web-based media onto the dome. Such capability has rendered the planetarium as a multi-disciplinary tool, broadening its educational appeal to a wide variety of fields -- including life sciences, the humanities, and even entertainment venues. However, we suggest that what is at the heart of the planetarium appeal is having a theater adept at projecting a beautiful / accurate star-field. To this end, our facility chose to keep / maintain its aging Zeiss V star projector while adding fulldome digital capability. Such a hybrid approach provides an excellent compromise between presenting state of the art multimedia while at the same time maintaining the ability to render a stunning night sky. In addition, our facility maintains two portable StarLab planetariums for outreach purposes, one unit with a classic electromechanical star projector and the other having a relatively inexpensive fulldome projection system. With a combination of these technologies, it is possible for the planetarium to be an effective tool for astronomical education / outreach well into the 21st century.

Plickers: A Formative Assessment Tool for K-12 and PETE Professionals

Science.gov (United States)

Krause, Jennifer M.; O'Neil, Kason; Dauenhauer, Brian

2017-01-01

Classroom response systems have become popular in K-12 and higher education settings in recent years in order to gauge student learning. The physical education environment is unique in that it is difficult to manage the technology associated with these systems, and therefore, student assessment can be cumbersome. A free classroom response system…

Battling Obesity in K-12 Learners from an Exercise Physiology Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Rattigan, Peter; Biren, Greg

2007-01-01

Physical education practitioners and programs have the opportunity and obligation to help children become physically educated, healthy, and active adults. This article discusses the battle against obesity in K-12 learners from an exercise physiology perspective and focuses on the fact that practitioners have all the tools they need to battle this…

Mobile and Web Game Development: Using Videogames as an Educational and Outreach Tool

Science.gov (United States)

Jaime, Fernando I.

2012-01-01

Few tools reach out to capture the imagination and interests of children like video games do. As such, the development of educational applications that foster young minds' interest in science and technology become of the utmost importance. To this end, I spent my summer internship developing outreach and educational applications in conjunction with JPL's Space Place team. This small, but dedicated, team of people manages three NASA websites that focus on presenting science and technology information in such a manner that young children can understand it and develop an interest in the subjects. Besides the websites, with their plethora of educational content presented through hands-on activities, games and informative articles, the team also creates and coordinates the distribution of printed material to museums, astronomy clubs and a huge network of educators.

The use of Global Positioning System units and ArcGIS Online to engage K-12 Students in Research Being Done in their Local Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Butcher, C. E.; Sparrow, E. B.; Clucas, T.

2015-12-01

Incorporating K-12 students in scientific research processes and opportunities in their communities is a great way to bridge the gap between research and education and to start building science research capacity at an early age. One goal of the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Alaska Adapting to Changing Environments project is to engage the local community in the research as well as to share results with the people. By giving K-12 students Global Positioning System (GPS) units, and allowing them to collect and map their own data, they are being exposed to some of the research methods being used by scientists in the Alaska ACE project. This hands-on, minds-on method has been successfully used in formal education settings such as a Junior High School classroom in Nuiqsut, Alaska as well as in informal education settings such as summer camps in Barrow, Alaska and Kenai, Alaska. The students progress from mapping by hand to collecting location data with their GPS units and cameras, and imputing this information into ArcGIS Online to create map products. The data collected were from sites ranging from important places in the community to sites visited during summer camps, with students reflecting on data and site significance. Collecting data, using technology, and creating map products contribute to science skills and practices students need to conduct research of their own and to understand research being done around them. The goal of this education outreach implementation is to bring students closer to the research, understand the process of science, and have the students continue to collect data and contribute to research in their communities. Support provided for this work from the Alaska EPSCoR NSF Award #OIA-1208927 and the state of Alaska is gratefully acknowledged.

A review of Computer Science resources for learning and teaching with K-12 computing curricula: an Australian case study

Science.gov (United States)

Falkner, Katrina; Vivian, Rebecca

2015-10-01

To support teachers to implement Computer Science curricula into classrooms from the very first year of school, teachers, schools and organisations seek quality curriculum resources to support implementation and teacher professional development. Until now, many Computer Science resources and outreach initiatives have targeted K-12 school-age children, with the intention to engage children and increase interest, rather than to formally teach concepts and skills. What is the educational quality of existing Computer Science resources and to what extent are they suitable for classroom learning and teaching? In this paper, an assessment framework is presented to evaluate the quality of online Computer Science resources. Further, a semi-systematic review of available online Computer Science resources was conducted to evaluate resources available for classroom learning and teaching and to identify gaps in resource availability, using the Australian curriculum as a case study analysis. The findings reveal a predominance of quality resources, however, a number of critical gaps were identified. This paper provides recommendations and guidance for the development of new and supplementary resources and future research.

Transforming K-12 Rural Education through Blended Learning: Teacher Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Kellerer, Paula; Kellerer, Eric; Werth, Eric; Werth, Lori; Montgomery, Danielle; Clyde, Rozella; Cozart, Joe; Creach, Laura; Hibbard, Laura; LaFrance, Jason; Rupp, Nadine; Walker, Niki; Carter, Theresa; Kennedy, Kathryn

2014-01-01

A qualitative study exploring rural teacher perspectives on the impact of blended learning on students and teachers was conducted in Idaho during the Fall of 2013. Researchers from Northwest Nazarene University's DOCEO Center in partnership with Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA) and the International Association for K-12 Online Learning…

Applying the Quadratic Usage Framework to Research on K-12 STEM Digital Learning Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Luetkemeyer, Jennifer R.

2016-01-01

Numerous policymakers have called for K-12 educators to increase their effectiveness by transforming science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning and teaching with digital resources and tools. In this study we outline the significance of studying pressing issues related to use of digital resources in the K-12 environment and…

It's not that Education and Outreach is an afterthought, it's just the last thing I do before I submit my proposal

Science.gov (United States)

Helling, H. E.

2004-12-01

We've all seen the extensive reports about slipping public science literacy and the overwhelming need to improve the bridge between the science and education communities. By comparison, this is a report from the trenches. They'll be no federal acronyms (other than to recognize NSF for support), just some tried and proven tips, extracted from the Ocean Institute's Center for Cooperation in Research and Education, that Earth scientists can employ to more effectively meet broader impact objectives. We'll share some key lessons that have emerged from an NSF-funded informal science education project Sea Floor Science. Choose Good Partners. Finding capable and competent partners that share some benefit from your recent findings (these include some you'd expect like K-12 school districts, informal science organizations and a few you wouldn't, like art museums, libraries and Boy Scouts) is a great way to leverage your work, save you time and money. We'll share some successful examples. Be Prepared to Simplify your Work for Lay Audiences. We've learned how much scientists loathe this necessary part of the process. Our exhibition on Slopes, Slides and Tsunamis became FIRST about investigations in instability and THEN scaffolded into increasing competency in content, skills, science processes and attitudes toward science. We'll show you how to be smart without being condescending, how to simplify without compromising integrity. In the End it's about Efficiency. There are emerging translation models that will help you convert your work into something that can help K-12 students meet new rigorous science standards. We'll share our `efficiency' model with you. Involve Your Graduate Students. We'll argue that communication is a necessary part of their training and an efficient way to translate your science. (Besides, it's either them or you). Don't Undersell the Budget. Good outreach is scalable. Pick your comfort range and recognize that money invested in broader impact does not

Internal Revolutions: Auto-Ethnography as a Method for Faculty Who Prepare K-12 Educators and Leaders at Hispanic Serving Institutions

Science.gov (United States)

Aguilar, Israel

2017-01-01

This article reinforces the use of research for faculty who prepare K-12 educators and leaders for social justice. The author conceptualizes auto-ethnography as a form of professional development and maintains that faculty must first experience an internal revolution before they can expect to model it, especially in a Hispanic Serving Institution…

Engaging the Public Through an Interactive Astronomy Outreach Program

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Kristen

2018-01-01

The growing technology sector of the U.S. economy in an increasingly complex world has made it more important than ever for students to gather information, think critically, and solve problems. These skills are often acquired through the study of STEM disciplines. In an effort to inspire students and the public in the Charlotte, NC area to take an interest in STEM related fields, the Physics Department at Davidson College has recently developed an interactive astronomy community engagement program. This program is comprised of off-campus events that bring STEM programming to K-12 children, on-campus public star parties, and a day-long astronomy fair called Davidson Space Day. This presentation will illustrate the implementation of each of these components of our outreach program, present an evaluation of their success, and describe future goals and lessons learned thus far. This outreach program was made possible through funding from the NC Space Grant Consortium.

Convalescence care for seniors of lower Manhattan: an interdisciplinary outreach, rehabilitation, and education model.

Science.gov (United States)

Moroz, Alex; Schoeb, Veronika; Fan, Grace; Vitale, Kenneth; Lee, Mathew

2004-03-01

The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of an interdisciplinary geriatric outreach, rehabilitation, and education program for seniors. Community-dwelling Chinese seniors in lower Manhattan were recruited through outreach activities (17 educational workshops, three community health fairs, media interviews) and community physician referrals to offer rehabilitation services. The instrument administered at entry and exit included questions about pain intensity, quality of life, activities of daily living (ADLs), and an assessment of a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic barriers to life participation. The sample included 70 seniors (53 women) with a mean age of 70.5 +/- 7.48 years (range 60-93 years old) of whom 86% were Cantonese-speaking Chinese. The barriers-to-life participation assessment revealed cultural, communication, transportation, and physical environmental barriers as well as insufficient financial resources. Thirty-four patients who completed the program showed a significant improvement in quality of life. Patients' reports reflected a high degree of satisfaction with the program. Interdisciplinary team-oriented patient care, including a physiatrist, social worker, and rehabilitation staff, may result in good outcomes and high patient satisfaction in ambulatory community seniors.

GIS in the K-12 Classroom: Research Agenda from EDGIS '96

OpenAIRE

National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis; National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE); Technical Education Research Centers (TERC)

1996-01-01

This meeting of education researchers and teachers immediately followed the November 1996 Annual Meeting of the National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) in Santa Barbara, California. Participants explored the issues facing the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the K-12 classroom and developed a research agenda related to Pedagogy Issues, Curriculum Issues, Software Issues, and Cognitive Issues.

Space Scientists in Education and Public Outreach: A Summary of NASA Resources for Effective Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Grier, Jennifer A.; Buxner, Sanlyn; Schneider, Nick; Meinke, Bonnie; Shipp, Stephanie

2015-11-01

The NASA Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forums developed and provided resources for scientists through a five-year cooperative agreement. Through this work, the Fourms have supported scientists who are involved in E/PO and who wish to become involved. Forums have conducted interviews, facilitated education oral and poster sessions, provided ‘Help Desks’ for more information, curated activities, as well as produced guides, pamphlets, and tips sheets. Our interviews with over 30 planetary scientists allowed us to identify needs and target gaps in resources, ensuring we could provide scientists with effective support and products. Interviews were conducted in collaboration with the AAS Division of Planetary Sciences, with the goal of better understanding scientists’ requirements, barriers, attitudes, and perception of education and outreach work. We collected information about how scientists were engaged in E/PO activities (or not), what support they did or did not have, what resources they used in their efforts, and what resources they would like to have to support and improve their E/PO engagement. The Forums have convened and/or supported E/PO oral and poster sessions at a variety of annual meetings. These sessions allowed scientists to network, share lessons learned, and become aware of new resources and products. These meetings included the DPS, AAS, LPSC, AGU, ASP, IAU, and more. ‘Help Desks’ were offered to allow scientists the chance to have extended one-on-one conversations with E/PO providers in order to share their programs, and learn how to become involved. These have been particularly popular with early career scientists looking to extend their E/PO efforts. A host of education activities developed by the space science community have been archived at the NASA site “Wavelength” (nasawavelength.org). Special lists have been curated to allow scientists to easily target those activities that fit their particular needs, from engineering to

Zero Energy Schools: Designing for the Future: Zero Energy Ready K-12 Schools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torcellini, Paul A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-09-29

Designing, building, and operating zero energy ready K-12 schools provides benefits for districts, students, and teachers. Optimizing energy efficiency is important in any building, but it's particularly important in K-12 schools. Many U.S. school districts struggle for funding, and improving a school building's energy efficiency can free up operational funds that may then be available for educational and other purposes.

Visualizing Time Projection Chamber Data for Education and Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Crosby, Jacob

2017-09-01

The widespread availability of portable computers in the form of smartphones provides a unique opportunity to introduce scientific concepts to a broad audience, for the purpose of education, or for the purpose of sharing exciting developments and research. Unity, a free game development platform, has been used to develop a program to visualize 3-D events from a Time Projection Chamber (TPC). The program can be presented as a Virtual Reality (VR) application on a smartphone, which can serve as a standalone demonstration for interested individuals, or as a resource for educators. An interactive experience to watch nuclear events unfold demonstrates the principles of particle detection with a TPC, as well as providing information about the particles present. Different kinds of reactions can be showcased. The current state of tools within this program for outreach and educational purposes will be highlighted and presented in this poster, along with key design concerns and optimizations necessary for running an interactive VR app. The events highlighted in this program are from the S πRIT TPC, but the program can be applied to other 3-D detectors. This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Grant Nos. DE-SC0014530, DE-NA0002923 and US NSF under Grant No. PHY-1565546.

Science Communication versus Science Education: The Graduate Student Scientist as a K-12 Classroom Resource

Science.gov (United States)

Strauss, Jeff; Shope, Richard E., III; Terebey, Susan

2005-01-01

Science literacy is a major goal of science educational reform (NRC, 1996; AAAS, 1998; NCLB Act, 2001). Some believe that teaching science only requires pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Others believe doing science requires knowledge of the methodologies of scientific inquiry (NRC, 1996). With these two mindsets, the challenge for science educators is to create models that bring the two together. The common ground between those who teach science and those who do science is science communication, an interactive process that galvanizes dialogue among scientists, teachers, and learners in a rich ambience of mutual respect and a common, inclusive language of discourse . The dialogue between science and non-science is reflected in the polarization that separates those who do science and those who teach science, especially as it plays out everyday in the science classroom. You may be thinking, why is this important? It is vital because, although not all science learners become scientists, all K-12 students are expected to acquire science literacy, especially with the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Students are expected to acquire the ability to follow the discourse of science as well as connect the world of science to the context of their everyday life if they plan on moving to the next grade level, and in some states, to graduate from high school. This paper posits that science communication is highly effective in providing the missing link for K-12 students cognition in science and their attainment of science literacy. This paper will focus on the "Science For Our Schools" (SFOS) model implemented at California State Univetsity, Los Angeles (CSULA) as a project of the National Science Foundation s GK-12 program, (NSF 2001) which has been a huge success in bridging the gap between those who "know" science and those who "teach" science. The SFOS model makes clear the distinctions that identify science, science communication, science

Astronomy Outreach Activites through the University of California, Irvine

Science.gov (United States)

Thornton, Carol E.; Smecker-Hane, T.

2006-06-01

We discuss our efforts to bring astronomy to local schools and classrooms through the UCI Astronomy Outreach program. This is part of a faculty-led outreach program entitled Outreach in Astronomy & Astrophysics with the UCI Observatory, funded by an NSF FOCUS grant to the University of California, Irvine. We primarily schedule visits with K-12 teachers in the Compton, Newport/Mesa and Santa Ana Unified School Districts, but often see scout troops and classes from other nearby schools. Often these schools don’t have the funding needed to bring their students to us, so we take small, portable telescopes to the schools, for both day and night visits, to give the students a chance to not only see a telescope, but to use one as well. For the schools that can find transportation to bring their students to campus, we include a tour of our observatory dome housing a 24-inch telescope used for outreach events and undergraduate research. In addition, we give interactive lectures and demonstrations to involve the students and get them excited about careers in science and science in general. We find that we help stimulate discussions before and after our visits, which can often help start or end a unit of astronomy within the schools’ curricula. We show feedback from teachers we have visited including the strengths of the program and suggestions/improvements for the future. For more information, see http://www.physics.uci.edu/%7Eobservat/tour_program.htmlFunding provided by NSF grant EHR-0227202 (PI: Ronald Stern).

Public Interaction and Educational Outreach on the Yucca Mountain Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benson, A.; Riding, Y.

2002-01-01

In July 2002, the U.S. Congress approved Yucca Mountain in Nevada as the nation's first long-term geologic repository site for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. This major milestone for the country's high-level radioactive waste disposal program comes after more than twenty years of scientific study and intense public interaction and outreach. This paper describes public interaction and outreach challenges faced by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Yucca Mountain Project in the past and what additional communication strategies may be instituted following the July 2002 approval by the U.S. Congress to develop the site as the nation's first long-term geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. The DOE public involvement activities were driven by two federal regulations--the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) of 1982, as amended. The NEPA required that DOE hold public hearings at key points in the development of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and the NWPA required the agency to conduct public hearings in the vicinity of the site prior to making a recommendation regarding the site's suitability. The NWPA also provided a roadmap for how DOE would interact with affected units of government, which include the state of Nevada and the counties surrounding the site. Because the Department anticipated and later received much public interest in this high-profile project, the agency decided to go beyond regulatory-required public involvement activities and created a broad-based program that implemented far-reaching public interaction and outreach tactics. Over the last two decades, DOE informed, educated, and engaged a myriad of interested local, national, and international parties using various traditional and innovative approaches. The Yucca Mountain Project's intensive public affairs initiatives were instrumental in involving the public, which in turn resulted in

The Effectiveness of Educational Technology Applications for Enhancing Mathematics Achievement in K-12 Classrooms: A Meta-Analysis. Best Evidence Encyclopedia (BEE)

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Alan C. K.; Slavin, Robert E.

2011-01-01

The use of educational technology in K-12 classrooms has been gaining tremendous momentum across the country since the 1990s. Many school districts have been investing heavily in various types of technology, such as computers, mobile devices, internet access, and interactive whiteboards. Almost all public schools have access to the internet and…

UNAVCO's Education and Community Engagement Program: Evaluating Five years of Geoscience Education and Community Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Charlevoix, D. J.; Dutilly, E.

2017-12-01

In 2013, UNAVCO, a facility co-sponsored by the NSF and NASA, received a five-year award from the NSF: Geodesy Advancing Geosciences and EarthScope (GAGE). Under GAGE, UNAVCO's Education and Community Engagement (ECE) program conducts outreach and education activities, in essence broader impacts for the scientific community and public. One major challenge of this evaluation was the breadth and depth of the dozens of projects conducted by the ECE program under the GAGE award. To efficiently solve this problem of a large-scale program evaluation, we adopted a deliberative democratic (DD) approach that afforded UNAVCO ECE staff a prominent voice in the process. The evaluator directed staff members to chose the projects they wished to highlight as case studies of their finest broader impacts work. The DD approach prizes inclusion, dialogue, and deliberation. The evaluator invited ECE staff to articulate qualities of great programs and develop a case study of their most valuable broader impacts work. To anchor the staff's opinion in more objectivity than opinion, the evaluator asked each staff member to articulate exemplary qualities of their chosen project, discuss how these qualities fit their case study, and helped staff to develop data collection systems that lead to an evidence-based argument in support of their project's unique value. The results of this evaluation show that the individual ECE work areas specialized in certain kinds of projects. However, when viewed at the aggregate level, ECE projects spanned almost the entire gamut of NSF broader impacts categories. Longitudinal analyses show that since the beginning of the GAGE award, many projects grew in impact from year 1 to year 5. While roughly half of the ECE projects were prior work projects, by year five at least 33% of projects were newly developed under GAGE. All selected case studies exemplified how education and outreach work can be productively tied to UNAVCO's core mission of promoting geodesy.

The University of Delaware Carlson International Polar Year Events: Collaborative and Educational Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, F. E.; Bryant, T.; Wellington, P.; Dooley, J.; Bird, M.

2008-12-01

efforts on behalf of the University among public funding agencies, private foundations, and prominent Delaware corporations. The Carlson project includes public lectures and receptions, interdisciplinary seminars, films, art exhibitions, and other events to promote knowledge about the polar regions. The series is co-sponsored by the UD Center for International Studies, the UD Office of the Provost, all of UD's seven Colleges, and the American Geographical Society. The University's Office of Communications and Marketing is involved in all events through a wide variety of media. Educational outreach is achieved through the University's Academy of Lifelong Learning, the State of Delaware's Department of Education, and K-12 curricular efforts coordinated by a teacher with extensive field experience in Antarctica.

Comparing Academic Library Spending with Public Libraries, Public K-12 Schools, Higher Education Public Institutions, and Public Hospitals between 1998-2008

Science.gov (United States)

Regazzi, John J.

2012-01-01

This study compares the overall spending trends and patterns of growth of Academic Libraries with Public Libraries, K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and hospitals in the period of 1998 to 2008. Academic Libraries, while showing a growth of 13% over inflation for the period, far underperformed the growth of the other public institutions…

Three Dimensional Spherical Display Systems and McIDAS: Tools for Science, Education and Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Kohrs, R.; Mooney, M. E.

2010-12-01

phenomena. Audience feedback fuels the collaborative efforts of outreach specialists and computer programmers which provides continuous evolution of the 3D displays and McIDAS. This iterative presentation strategy is proving to be beneficial to our outreach program as seen by the success of our workshops, educational lectures and temporary exhibits at high visibility venues such as Madison Children’s Museum, the Milwaukee Public Museum and EAA AirVenture Museum. 3D Spherical Display System and McIDAS-V depiction of Hurricane Wilma

The role of entomology in environmental and science education: Comparing outreach methods for their impact on student and teacher content knowledge and motivation

Science.gov (United States)

Weeks, Faith J.

Outreach programming can be an important way for local students and teachers to be exposed to new fields while enhancing classroom learning. University-based outreach programs are offered throughout the country, including most entomology departments as few individuals learn about insects in school and these programs can be excellent sources of entomological education, as well as models to teach environmental and science education. Each department utilizes different instructional delivery methods for teaching about insects, which may impact the way in which students and teachers understand the insect concepts presented. To determine the impact of using entomology to enhance science and environmental education, this study used a series of university-based entomology outreach programs to compare three of the most common delivery methods for their effect on teacher and student content knowledge and motivation, specifically student interest in entomology and teacher self-efficacy. Twenty fifth grade classrooms were assessed over the course of one school year. The results show that teacher knowledge significantly increased when teachers were unfamiliar with the content and when trained by an expert, and teacher self-efficacy did not decrease when asked about teaching with insects. For students, content knowledge increased for each lesson regardless of treatment, suggesting that outreach program providers should focus on working with local schools to integrate their field into the classroom through the delivery methods best suited to the needs of the university, teachers, and students. The lessons also had an impact on student interest in science and environmental education, with an overall finding that student interest increases when using insects in the classroom.

Virtual Knowledge Production within a Physician Educational Outreach Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruce Carleton

2011-03-01

Full Text Available This paper describe the impacts and lessons learned of using conferencing technologies to support knowledge production activities within an academic detailing group. A three year case study was conducted in which 20 Canadian health professionals collaborated on developing educational outreach materials for family physicians. The groups communicated in face-to-face, teleconferencing, and web-conferencing environments. Data was collected over three years (2004-2007 and consisted of structured interviews, meeting transcripts, and observation notes. The analysis consisted of detailed reviews and comparisons of the data from the various sources. The results revealed several key findings on the on the impacts of conferencing technologies on knowledge production activities of academic detailers. The study found that: 1 The rigid communication structures of web-conferencing forced group members to introduce other tools for communication 2 Group discussions were perceived to be more conducive in face-to-face meetings and least conducive teleconferencing meetings; 3 Web-conferencing had an impact on information sharing; 4 Web-conferencing forces group interaction “within the text”. The study demonstrates the impacts and lessons learned of academic detailing groups collaborating at a distance to produce physician education materials. The results can be used as the bases for future research and as a practical guide for collaborative academic detailing groups working within a virtual collaborative and educational environment.

Makerspaces: The Next Iteration for Educational Technology in K-12 Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Strycker, Jesse

2015-01-01

With the continually growing number of computers and mobile devices available in K-12 schools, the need is dwindling for dedicated computer labs and media centers. Some schools are starting to repurpose those facilities into different kinds of exploratory learning environments known as "makerspaces". This article discusses this next…

Building Pipelines for Information: Developing Partnerships Between Scientists, Educators, and Community Groups to Learn More About Hydraulic Fracturing in Colorado

Science.gov (United States)

Hafich, K. A.; Hannigan, M.; Martens, W.; McDonald, J. E.; Knight, D.; Gardiner, L. S.; Collier, A. M.; Fletcher, H.; Polmear, M.

2015-12-01

Hydraulic fracturing is a highly contentious issue, and trusted sources of information about the impacts and benefits are difficult to find. Scientific research is making strides to catch up with rapidly expanding unconventional oil and gas development, in part, to meet the need for information for policy, regulation, and public interest. A leader in hydraulic fracturing research, the AirWaterGas Sustainability Research Network is a multi-institution, multi-disciplinary team of researchers working to understand the environmental, economic, and social tradeoffs of oil and gas development. AirWaterGas recently restructured and implemented our education and outreach program around a partnership with the CU-Boulder Office for Outreach and Engagement that leverages existing campus infrastructure, networks, and expertise to disseminate research results and engage the public. The education and outreach team is working with formal and informal K-12 educators through several programs: a yearlong teacher professional development program, a rural classroom air quality monitoring program, and a community partnership grant program. Each program brings together scientists and educators in different environments such as the classroom, online learning, in-person workshops, and community lectures. We will present best practices for developing and implementing a viable outreach and education program through building and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships that bridge the gap between scientists and the public.

Science Outreach and the Religious Public: The Source Makes All the Difference

Science.gov (United States)

Davidson, G. R.; Hill, C.; Wolgemuth, K.

2017-12-01

Public resistance to well established scientific understanding has been a persistent problem in the US. Decades of improved educational materials, upgraded K-12 standards, and several successful court battles to curb anti-science influences did little to change the percentage of Americans resistant to even considering the evidence for subjects such as evolution or ancient Earth history. Research in the social sciences suggests that one reason has been a failure to recognize the importance of the source of information. Studies have documented that people are more receptive to challenging viewpoints when the advocate (the source) is recognized as a member of their own group or "tribe." The personal worldview or group-identity of an expert can determine how willing an audience is to consider the argument, much more so than the expert's scientific credentials. For a religious audience, this means that the quality of educational materials and the strength of an argument may be irrelevant if delivered by someone known to be dismissive of fundamental religious beliefs. In contrast, significant inroads have been realized with the religious public when scientists of faith have taken a pro-science message to members of their own religious affiliations. Encouraging stories are coming from outreach efforts of organizations and programs such as BioLogos, American Scientific Affiliation, Solid Rock Lectures, and AAAS Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion. Secular scientists interested in outreach can benefit greatly by keeping a short list of resources (blogs, books, speakers) by religious scientists advocating for the legitimacy of modern science, or by directly teaming with scientists of faith. A recent example from our own efforts includes an 11 author book, The Grand Canyon, Monument to an Ancient Earth, aimed primarily at the Christian public to explain why Noah's flood does not explain the planet's complex geology. Eight authors are Christians and three are not.

Education and public outreach at the Carl Sagan Solar Observatory of the University of Sonora

Science.gov (United States)

Saucedo-Morales Julio; Loera-González, Pablo

2013-05-01

We discuss the importance of small solar observatories for EPO (Education and Public Outreach), mentioning why they are relevant and what kind of equipment and software require. We stress the fact that technological advances have made them affordable and that they should be widely available. This work is a result of our experience with one: The Carl Sagan Solar Observatory (CSSO). We briefly describe its status and the solar data obtained daily with students participation. We present examples of the data obtained in the visible, Ca II and two in Hα. Data which is widely used for education. Finally we talk about the capability for remote operation as an open invitation for collaboration in educational and scientific projects.

Development of Problem Sets for K-12 and Engineering on Pharmaceutical Particulate Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Savelski, Mariano J.; Slater, C. Stewart; Del Vecchio, Christopher A.; Kosteleski, Adrian J.; Wilson, Sarah A.

2010-01-01

Educational problem sets have been developed on structured organic particulate systems (SOPS) used in pharmaceutical technology. The sets present topics such as particle properties and powder flow and can be integrated into K-12 and college-level curricula. The materials educate students in specific areas of pharmaceutical particulate processing,…

Education and Outreach Opportunities in New Astronomical Facilities

Science.gov (United States)

Mould, J. R.; Pompea, S.

2002-12-01

Astronomy presents extraordinary opportunities for engaging young people in science from an early age. The National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), supported by the National Science Foundation, leverages the attraction of astronomy with a suite of formal and informal education programs that engage our scientists and education and public outreach professionals in effective, strategic programs that capitalize on NOAO's role as a leader in science and in the design of new astronomical facilities. The core of the science education group at NOAO in Tucson consists of a group of Ph.D.-level scientists with experience in educational program management, curriculum and instructional materials development, teacher/scientist partnerships, and teacher professional development. This core group of scientist/educators hybrids has a strong background in earth and space science education as well as experience in working with and teaching about the technology that has enabled new astronomical discoveries. NOAO has a vigorous public affairs/media program and a history of effectively working locally, regionally, and nationally with the media, schools, science centers, and, planetaria. In particular, NOAO has created successful programs exploring how research data and tools can be used most effectively in the classroom. For example, the Teacher Leaders in Research Based Science Education explores how teachers can most effectively integrate astronomical research on novae, active galactic nuclei, and the Sun into classroom-based investigations. With immersive summer workshops at Kitt Peak National Observatory and the National Solar Observatory at Sacramento Peak, teachers learn research and instrumentation skills and how to encourage and maintain research activities in their classrooms. Some of the new facilities proposed in the recent decadal plan, Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium (National Academy Press), can provide extended opportunities for incorporating

Assessment Strategies for Implementing Ngss in K12 Earth System Science Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

McAuliffe, C.

2016-12-01

Several science education researchers have led assessment efforts that provide strategies particularly useful for evaluating the threedimensional learning that is central to NGSS (DeBarger, A. H., Penuel, W. R., Harris, C. J., Kennedy, C. K., 2016; Knight, A. M. & McNeill, K. L., 2015; McNeill, K. L., KatshSinger, R. & Pelletier, P., 2015; McNeill K.L., et.al., 2015; McNeill, K.L., & Krajcik, J.S., 2011; Penuel, W., 2016). One of the basic premises of these researchers is that, "Assessment is a practice of argument from evidence based on what students say, do, and write" and that "the classroom is the richest place to gather evidence of what students know (Penuel, W., 2016). The implementation of the NGSS in Earth System Science provides a unique opportunity for geoscience education researchers to study student learning and contribute to the development of this research as well as for geoscience educators to apply these approaches and strategies in their own work with K12 inservice and preservice educators. DeBarger, A. H., Penuel, W. R., Harris, C. J., Kennedy, C. K. (2016). Building an Assessment Argument to Design and Use Next Generation Science Assessments in Efficacy Studies of Curriculum Interventions. American†Journal†of†Evaluation†37(2) 174192Æ Knight, A. M. & McNeill, K. L. (2015). Comparing students' individual written and collaborative oral socioscientific arguments. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education.10(5), 23647. McNeill, K. L., KatshSinger, R. & Pelletier, P. (2015). Assessing science practices-Moving your class along a continuum. Science Scope. McNeill, K.L., & Krajcik, J.S. (2011). Supporting Grade 5-8 Students in Constructing Explanations in Science: The Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning Framework for Talk and Writing. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson. Penuel, W. (2016). Classroom Assessment Strategies for NGSS Earth and Space Sciences. Implementing†the†NGSS†Webinar†Series, February 11, 2016.

The ATS Web Page Provides "Tool Boxes" for: Access Opportunities, Performance, Interfaces, Volume, Environments, "Wish List" Entry and Educational Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

1999-01-01

This viewgraph presentation gives an overview of the Access to Space website, including information on the 'tool boxes' available on the website for access opportunities, performance, interfaces, volume, environments, 'wish list' entry, and educational outreach.

From Laboratories to Classrooms: Involving Scientists in Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

DeVore, E. K.

2001-12-01

Scientists play a key role in science education: the adventure of making new discoveries excites and motivates students. Yet, American science education test scores lag behind those of other industrial countries, and the call for better science, math and technology education is widespread. Thus, improving American science, math and technological literacy is a major educational goal for the NSF and NASA. Today, funding for research often carries a requirement that the scientist be actively involved in education and public outreach (E/PO) to enhance the science literacy of students, teachers and citizens. How can scientists contribute effectively to E/PO? What roles can scientists take in E/PO? And, how can this be balanced with research requirements and timelines? This talk will focus on these questions, with examples drawn from the author's projects that involve scientists in working with K-12 teacher professional development and with K-12 curriculum development and implementation. Experiences and strategies for teacher professional development in the research environment will be discussed in the context of NASA's airborne astronomy education and outreach projects: the Flight Opportunities for Science Teacher EnRichment project and the future Airborne Ambassadors Program for NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). Effective partnerships with scientists as content experts in the development of new classroom materials will be described with examples from the SETI Institute's Life in the Universe curriculum series for grades 3-9, and Voyages Through Time, an integrated high school science course. The author and the SETI Institute wish to acknowledge funding as well as scientific and technical support from the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Hewlett Packard Company, the Foundation for Microbiology, and the Combined Federated Charities.

Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education (INSPIRE) Brining STEM Research to 7th-12th Grade Science and Math Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Radencic, S.; McNeal, K. S.; Pierce, D.

2012-12-01

The Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education (INSPIRE) program at Mississippi State University (MSU), funded by the NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK12) program, focuses on the advancement of Earth and Space science education in K-12 classrooms. INSPIRE currently in its third year of partnering ten graduate students each year from the STEM fields of Geosciences, Engineering, Physics and Chemistry at MSU with five teachers from local, rural school districts. The five year project serves to enhance graduate student's communication skills as they create interactive lessons linking their STEM research focus to the state and national standards covered in science and math classrooms for grades 7-12 through inquiry experiences. Each graduate student is responsible for the development of two lessons each month of the school year that include an aspect of their STEM research, including the technologies that they may utilize to conduct their STEM research. The plans are then published on the INSPIRE project webpage, www.gk12.msstate.edu, where they are a free resource for any K-12 classroom teacher seeking innovative activities for their classrooms and total over 300 lesson activities to date. Many of the participating teachers and graduate students share activities developed with non-participating teachers, expanding INSPIRE's outreach of incorporating STEM research into activities for K-12 students throughout the local community. Examples of STEM research connections to classroom topics related to earth and ocean science include activities using GPS with GIS for triangulation and measurement of area in geometry; biogeochemical response to oil spills compared to organism digestive system; hydrogeology water quality monitoring and GIS images used as a determinant for habitat suitability in area water; interactions of acids and bases in the Earth's environments and surfaces; and the importance of electrical circuitry in an electrode used in

The Engaged Microbiologist: Bringing the Microbiological Sciences to the K-12 Community.

Science.gov (United States)

Westenberg, David J

2016-03-01

Exposing K-12 students to cutting edge science that impacts their daily lives can bring classroom lessons to life. Citizen-science projects are an excellent way to bring high-level science to the classroom and help satisfy one of the cornerstone concepts of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), "engaging in practices that scientists and engineers actually use." This can be a daunting task for teachers who may lack the background or resources to integrate these projects into the classroom. This is where scientific societies such as the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) can play a critical role. ASM encourages its members to engage with the K-12 community by providing networking opportunities and resources for ASM members and K-12 teachers to work together to bring microbiology into the classroom. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education.

I Love My Sun: An Educational Space Weather Outreach Tool for Children and Senior People

Science.gov (United States)

Tulunay, Yurdanur; Tulunay, Ersin

2014-05-01

In the present day society, there is a vital need for setting up education and outreach activities in the Space Weather field for creating a healthy environment for the proper development of Space Weather markets along with the fundamental and applied research activities. It is important to educate children about the important role that the Sun has in their lives. This presentation gives an educational outreach tool entitled "I Love My Sun" that has been developed for school children in the approximate age group 7 through 11 years. Its main objective is to make children aware of space weather, the Sun, Sun-Earth relations and how they, the children, are part of this global picture. Children are given a lecture about the Sun; this is preceded and followed by the children drawing a picture of the Sun. The activity was initiated by Y. Tulunay in Ankara, Turkey as national project in the context of the 50th anniversary of Space Age and IHY activities. Since then it has been extended into a spatial (Europe) and temporal dimensions. A metric has been developed to facilitate an objective evaluation of the outcomes of the Events. In this presentation, the background behind the "I Love My Sun" initiative is given and it is described how to perform an "I Love My Sun" event. Impressions and main results from the case studies are given. As a new extension, preliminary examples are also given concerning senior people.

Polaris Undergraduates Connecting With K-12 Students Though Story Telling-Learning About Climate Change Using Web-Mapping Based Investigations

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, J. H.; Natali, S.; Schade, J. D.; Fiske, G. J.; Linder, C.; Ramos, E.; Weber, L. R.; Kuhn, M. A.

2014-12-01

The Polaris Project is a unique undergraduate education, research, and outreach initiative that examines global climate change in the Siberian Arctic. The program focuses on permafrost and carbon processes in the boreal and tundra ecosystems of the Kolyma Watershed, the largest watershed underlain by continuous permafrost. Each summer, a diverse group of undergraduate students and faculty mentors spends one month living on the Kolyma River, developing independent projects that engage the students directly in the biogeosciences through authentic scientific research experiences in remote field sites. In all cases the student projects contribute to the overall goal of the Polaris Project to investigate the transport and transformations of carbon and nutrients as they move among terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and the atmosphere. Through the use of online interactive ArcGIS maps the students share their experiences and learning, while posing questions in a format that can be used to engage K-12 learners in the classroom. By embedding information; including databases, photographs and video, informational text, and geospatial data; into user-friendly maps the Polaris Project students will "tell the story" of studying climate change in the Siberian tundra in a way that allows the users to explore climate science through inquiry and web-map based investigation. Through performance expectation topics including Weather and Climate, Interactions, Earth's Systems, and Human impacts, this investigation uses consideration of the vast amounts of ancient organic matter locked up in permafrost in the region, and concerns about the fate of this ancient organic carbon as temperatures warm and permafrost thaws, to make K-12 climate change connections with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Public Interaction and Educational Outreach on the Yucca Mountain Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A. Benson; Y. Riding

2002-11-14

In July 2002, the U.S. Congress approved Yucca Mountain in Nevada as the nation's first long-term geologic repository site for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. This major milestone for the country's high-level radioactive waste disposal program comes after more than twenty years of scientific study and intense public interaction and outreach. This paper describes public interaction and outreach challenges faced by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Yucca Mountain Project in the past and what additional communication strategies may be instituted following the July 2002 approval by the U.S. Congress to develop the site as the nation's first long-term geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. The DOE public involvement activities were driven by two federal regulations--the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) of 1982, as amended. The NEPA required that DOE hold public hearings at key points in the development of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and the NWPA required the agency to conduct public hearings in the vicinity of the site prior to making a recommendation regarding the site's suitability. The NWPA also provided a roadmap for how DOE would interact with affected units of government, which include the state of Nevada and the counties surrounding the site. Because the Department anticipated and later received much public interest in this high-profile project, the agency decided to go beyond regulatory-required public involvement activities and created a broad-based program that implemented far-reaching public interaction and outreach tactics. Over the last two decades, DOE informed, educated, and engaged a myriad of interested local, national, and international parties using various traditional and innovative approaches. The Yucca Mountain Project's intensive public affairs initiatives were instrumental in involving the public

Engineering Design Skills Coverage in K-12 Engineering Program Curriculum Materials in the USA

Science.gov (United States)

Chabalengula, Vivien M.; Mumba, Frackson

2017-01-01

The current "K-12 Science Education framework" and "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) in the United States emphasise the integration of engineering design in science instruction to promote scientific literacy and engineering design skills among students. As such, many engineering education programmes have developed…

Females and STEM: Determining the K-12 Experiences that Influenced Women to Pursue STEM Fields

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, Anne Marie

In the United States, careers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are increasing yet there are not enough trained personnel to meet this demand. In addition, of those that seek to pursue STEM fields in the United States, only 26% are female. In order to increase the number of women seeking STEM based bachelor's degrees, K-12 education must provide a foundation that prepares students for entry into these fields. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine the perceived K-12 experiences that influenced females to pursue a STEM field. Twelve college juniors or seniors seeking a degree in Biology, Mathematics, or Physics were interviewed concerning their K-12 experiences. These interviews were analyzed and six themes emerged. Teacher passion and classroom characteristics such as incorporating challenging activities played a significant role in the females' decisions to enter STEM fields. Extra-curricular activities such as volunteer and mentor opportunities and the females' need to benefit others also influenced females in their career choice. Both the formal (within the school) and informal (outside of the traditional classroom) pipeline opportunities that these students encountered helped develop a sense of self-efficacy in science and mathematics; this self-efficacy enabled them to persist in pursuing these career fields. Several participants cited barriers that they encountered in K-12 education, but these barriers were primarily internal as they struggled with overcoming self-imposed obstacles in learning and being competitive in the mathematics and science classrooms. The experiences from these female students can be used by K-12 educators to prepare and encourage current female students to enter STEM occupations.

Barriers in the Physics Pipeline from K-12 to Tenure

Science.gov (United States)

Kilburn, Micha

2016-09-01

The lack of diversity in physics is a known problem, and yet efforts to change our demographics have only had minor effects during the last decade. I will explain some of the hidden barriers that dissuade underrepresented minorities in becoming physicists using a framework borrowed from sociology, Maslow's hierarchy of needs. I will draw from current research at the undergraduate to faculty levels over a variety of STEM fields that are also addressing a lack of diversity. I will also provide analysis from the Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics Center for the Evolution of Elements (JINA-CEE) outreach programs to understand the likelihood of current K-12 students in becoming physicists. Specifically, I will present results from the pre-surveys from our Art 2 Science Camps (ages 8-14) about their attitudes towards science as well as results from analysis of teacher recommendations for our high school summer program. I will conclude with a positive outlook describing the pipeline created by JINA-CEE to retain students from middle school through college. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. PHY-1430152 (JINA Center for the Evolution of the Elements).

Impact of National Physical Activity and Health Guidelines and Documents on Research on Teaching K-12 Physical Education in U.S.A.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Weidong; Xiang, Ping; Gao, Zan; Shen, Bo; Yin, Zhihua; Kong, Qingtao

2016-01-01

Purpose: This study examined the impact of published national physical activity (PA) and health guidelines, documents, and initiatives on the evolution of research on teaching K-12 physical education (PE) in U.S.A. from 1996 to October 2013. Methods: A total of 262 peer-reviewed, data-based journal articles meeting our inclusion and exclusion…

An Interdisciplinary Outreach Model of African American Recruitment for Alzheimer's Disease Research

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Monique M.; Meisel, Marie M.; Williams, James; Morris, John C.

2011-01-01

Purpose: The African American Outreach Satellite (Satellite) provides educational outreach to facilitate African American recruitment for longitudinal studies at the Washington University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC). This descriptive article characterizes the Satellite's recruitment methods, plan for community engagement, results of…

"Flipping" educational technology professional development for K-12 educators

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, Daniel

As the demand for more effective professional development increases in K-12 schools, trainers must adjust their training methods to meet the needs of their teacher learners. Just as lecture-heavy, teacher-centered instruction only meet the learning needs of a small minority of students, "sit and get" professional development rarely results in the teachers gaining the skills and confidence necessary to use technology effectively in their instruction. To resolve the frustrations of teachers related to ineffective professional development, a "Flipped PD" training model was developed based on the learning needs of adult learners, the integration of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK), learning activities, and the Flipped Classroom concept. Under this model, training shifts from a passive, trainer-centered format, to an active, learner-centered format where teachers learn to use technology in their classrooms by first focusing on pedagogical issues, then choosing the options that work best for addressing those issues in their unique situation, and completing "learn-by-doing" projects. Those who participate in "Flipped PD" style trainings tend to have more confidence upon completion that they can use the tools they were trained on in their teaching, as well as believe that the PD was engaging and a good use of their time.

Soak Up the Rain Customizable Outreach Tools

Science.gov (United States)

Get customizable Soak Up the Rain business card, posters, & a banner that can be downloaded & copied for use by citizens, municipalities, watershed & planning organizations & others in their stormwater/green infrastructure education & outreach efforts.

Enhancing the Impact of NASA Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach: Using Real NASA Data in the Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Lawton, Brandon L.; Smith, D. A.; SMD Astrophysics E/PO Community, NASA

2013-01-01

The NASA Science Education and Public Outreach Forums support the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and its education and public outreach (E/PO) community in enhancing the coherence, efficiency, and effectiveness of SMD-funded E/PO programs. As a part of this effort, the Astrophysics Forum is coordinating a collaborative project among the NASA SMD astrophysics missions and E/PO programs to create a broader impact for the use of real NASA data in classrooms. Among NASA's major education goals is the training of students in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines. The use of real data, from some of the most sophisticated observatories in the world, provide educators an authentic opportunity to teach students basic science process skills, inquiry, and real-world applications of the STEM subjects. The goal of this NASA SMD astrophysics community collaboration is to find a way to maximize the reach of existing real data products produced by E/PO professionals working with NASA E/PO grants and missions in ways that enhance the teaching of the STEM subjects. We present an initial result of our collaboration: defining levels of basic science process skills that lie at the heart of authentic scientific research and national education standards (AAAS Benchmarks) and examples of NASA data products that align with those levels. Our results are the beginning of a larger goal of utilizing the new NASA education resource catalog, NASA Wavelength, for the creation of progressions that tie NASA education resources together. We aim to create an informational sampler that illustrates how an educator can use the NASA Wavelength resource catalog to connect NASA real-data resources that meet the educational goals of their class.

Canadian Geoscience Education Network (CGEN): Fostering Excellence in Earth Science Education and Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

Haidl, F. M.; Vodden, C.; Bates, J. L.; Morgan, A. V.

2009-05-01

CGEN, the outreach arm of the Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences, is a network of more than 270 individuals from all over Canada who work to promote geoscience education and public awareness of science. CGEN's priorities are threefold: to improve the quality of Earth science education delivered in our primary and secondary schools; to raise public awareness about the Earth sciences and their impact on everyday life; and to encourage student interest in the Earth sciences as a career option. These priorities are supported by CGEN's six core programs: 1) The national EdGEO program (www.edgeo.org), initiated in the 1970s, supports Earth science workshops for teachers. These workshops, organized by teams of local educators and geoscientists, provide teachers with "enhanced knowledge, classroom resources and increased confidence" to more effectively teach Earth science. In 2008, a record 521 teachers attended 14 EdGEO workshops. 2) EarthNet (www.earthnet-geonet.ca) is a virtual resource centre that provides support for teachers and for geoscientists involved in education and outreach. In 2008, EarthNet received a $11,500 grant from Encana Corporation to develop energy-related content. 3) The new Careers in Earth Science website (www.earthsciencescanada.com/careers), launched in October 2008, enhances CGEN's capacity to encourage students to pursue a career in the Earth sciences. This project exemplifies the value of collaboration with other organizations. Seven groups provided financial support for the project and many other organizations and individuals contributed in-kind support. 4) Geoscape Canada and Waterscape Canada, programs led by the Geological Survey of Canada, communicate practical Earth science information to teachers, students, and other members of communities across Canada through a series of electronic and hard-copy posters and other resources. Many of the resources created from 1998 to 2007 are available online (www.geoscape.nrcan.gc.ca). A northern

Nuclear Science Outreach in the World Year of Physics

Science.gov (United States)

McMahan, Margaret

2006-04-01

The ability of scientists to articulate the importance and value of their research has become increasingly important in the present climate of declining budgets, and this is most critical in the field of nuclear science ,where researchers must fight an uphill battle against negative public perception. Yet nuclear science encompasses important technical and societal issues that should be of primary interest to informed citizens, and the need for scientists trained in nuclear techniques are important for many applications in nuclear medicine, national security and future energy sources. The NSAC Education Subcommittee Report [1] identified the need for a nationally coordinated effort in nuclear science outreach, naming as its first recommendation that `the highest priority for new investment in education be the creation by the DOE and NSF of a Center for Nuclear Science Outreach'. This talk will review the present status of public outreach in nuclear science and highlight some specific efforts that have taken place during the World Year of Physics. [1] Education in Nuclear Science: A Status Report and Recommendations for the Beginning of the 21^st Century, A Report of the DOE/NSF Nuclear Science Advisory Committee Subcommittee on Education, November 2004, http://www.sc.doe.gov/henp/np/nsac/docs/NSACCReducationreportfinal.pdf.

Eliminating the OUCH in OUtreaCH

Science.gov (United States)

Karsten, J. L.; Manduca, C. A.

2004-12-01

``I'm a scientist who knows how to conduct research, not an expert in teaching pre-college students!'' is a common complaint within the scientific community in response to recent funding agency mandates that research proposals explicitly address education, public outreach or other broader impacts. Yet, these new requirements address several important goals - fostering public support for research funding in the Earth and Space sciences, recruiting the next generation of talented geoscientists in the face of declining student enrollments, and educating the citizenry for informed decision making and advocacy, chief among them. Further, the phrase ``broader impacts'' is not meant to be synonymous with outreach to pre-college students and teachers - agency program managers actually encourage many different types of activity for meeting these obligations. AGU and its Committee on Education and Human Resources (CEHR) are committed to offering an array of programs that facilitate our members' ability to meet these new education, outreach, and broader impacts criteria in support of the research enterprise. CEHR has an on-going need for scientists willing to speak about their research in Geophysical Information for Teacher (GIFT) Workshops, sponsored lectures at annual and regional conventions of the National Science Teachers Association, special symposia for minority high school students attending annual AGU meetings, and career planning workshops for students and early career investigators. More extensive involvement as meeting mentors for minority undergraduate and graduate students is available through AGU's partnership with the new MSPHDS initiative (A. Pyrtle, P.I.). A new AGU outreach web site now under development will make available scientist biographies and abstracts derived from recent scientific articles originally published in AGU journals, which have been rewritten for a public audience. This resource is expected to serve as an important vehicle for AGU members

Organizational Policies and Programs to Reduce Job Stress and Risk of Workplace Violence Among K-12 Education Staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Landsbergis, Paul; Zoeckler, Jeanette; Kashem, Zerin; Rivera, Bianca; Alexander, Darryl; Bahruth, Amy

2018-02-01

We examine strategies, programs, and policies that educators have developed to reduce work stressors and thus health risks. First, we review twenty-seven empirical studies and review papers on organizational programs and policies in K-12 education published from 1990 to 2015 and find some evidence that mentoring, induction, and Peer Assistance and Review programs can increase support, skill development, decision-making authority, and perhaps job security, for teachers-and thus have the potential to reduce job stressors. Second, we describe efforts to reduce workplace violence in Oregon, especially in special education, including legislation, collective bargaining, research, and public awareness. We conclude that to reduce workplace violence, adequate resources are needed for staffing, training, equipment, injury/assault reporting, and investigation. Third, we discuss collective bargaining initiatives that led to mentoring and Peer Assistance and Review and state legislation on prevention of bullying and harassment of school staff. Finally, we present a research agenda on these issues.

Education and public outreach at the Carl Sagan Solar Observatory of the University of Sonora

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julio Saucedo-Morales

2013-05-01

Full Text Available We discuss the importance of small solar observatories for EPO (Education and Public Outreach, mentioning why they are relevant and what kind of equipment and software require. We stress the fact that technological advances have made them affordable and that they should be widely available. This work is a result of our experience with one: The Carl Sagan Solar Observatory (CSSO. We briefly describe its status and the solar data obtained daily with students participation. We present examples of the data obtained in the visible, Ca II and two in Hα. Data which is widely used for education. Finally we talk about the capability for remote operation as an open invitation for collaboration in educational and scientific projects.

The ConocoPhillips Center for a Sustainable WE2ST (Water-Energy Education, Science, and Technology): Lessons Learned from an Innovative Research-Education-Outreach Center at Colorado School of Mines

Science.gov (United States)

Hogue, T. S.; Blaine, A. C.; Martin, A. C.

2016-12-01

The ConocoPhillips Center for a Sustainable WE2ST (Water-Energy Education, Science, and Technology) is a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation. WE2ST began as a partnership between ConocoPhillips (foundation gift) and the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) with the goal of fostering solutions to water-energy challenges via education, research and outreach. The WE2ST center is a training ground for the next generation of water-energy-social scientists and engineers and is a natural fit for CSM, which is known for its expertise in water resources, water treatment technologies, petroleum engineering, geosciences, and hydrology. WE2ST has nine contributing faculty researchers that combine to create a web of expertise on sustainable energy and water resources. This research benefits unconventional energy producers, water-reliant stakeholders and the general public. Areas of focus for research include water sources (quality and quantity), integrated water-energy solution viability and risk, and social-corporate responsibility. The WE2ST Center currently provides annual support for 8-9 Graduate Fellows and 13 Undergraduate Scholars. Top-tier graduate students are recruited nationally and funded similar to an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF). Undergraduate Scholars are also recruited from across the CSM campus to gain experience in faculty laboratories and on research teams. All WE2ST students receive extensive professional skills training, leadership development, communication skills training, networking opportunities in the water-energy industries, and outreach opportunities in the community. The corner stone of the WE2ST Center is a focus on communication with the public. Both in social science research teams and in general interactions with the public, WE2ST seeks to be "an honest broker" amidst a very passionate and complex topic. WE2ST research is communicated by presentations at technical conferences, talking with people at public gatherings

A Pilot Astronomy Outreach Project in Bangladesh

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Dipen; Mridha, Shahjahan; Afroz, Maqsuda

2015-08-01

In its strategic planning for the "Astronomy for Development Project," the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has ecognized, among other important missions, the role of astronomy in understanding the far-reaching possibilities for promoting global tolerance and citizenship. Furthermore, astronomy is deemed inspirational for careers in science and technology. The "Pilot Astronomy Outreach Project in Bangladesh"--the first of its kind in the country--aspires to fulfill these missions. As Bangladesh lacks resources to promote astronomy education in universities and schools, the role of disseminating astronomy education to the greater community falls on citizen science organizations. One such group, Anushandhitshu Chokro (AChokro) Science Organization, has been carrying out a successful public outreach program since 1975. Among its documented public events, AChokro organized a total solar eclipse campaign in Bangladesh in 2009, at which 15,000 people were assembled in a single open venue for the eclipse observation. The organization has actively pursued astronomy outreach to dispel public misconceptions about astronomical phenomena and to promote science. AChokro is currently working to build an observatory and Science Outreach Center around a recently-acquired 14-inch Scmidt-Cassegrain telescope and a soon-to-be-acquired new 16-inch reflector, all funded by private donations. The telescopes will be fitted with photometers, spectrometers, and digital and CCD cameras to pursue observations that would include sun spot and solar magnetic fields, planetary surfaces, asteroid search, variable stars and supernovae. The Center will be integrated with schools, colleges, and community groups for regular observation and small-scale research. Special educational and observing sessions for adults will also be organized. Updates on the development of the Center, which is expected to be functioning by the end of 2015, will be shared and feedback invited on the fostering of

Community outreach and education: key components of the Salix consortium's willow biomass project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volk, T.A.; Edick, S.; Brown, S.; Downing, M.

1999-01-01

This project facilitates the commercialization of willow biomass crops as a locally grown source of renewable energy. The challenge is to simultaneously optimize production and utilization technology, develop farmer interest and crop acreage, and establish stable and reliable markets. The participation of farmers and landowners, businesses, and local and regional governments in the process is essential for success. A three-phased approach elicits this participation: focused outreach and education, active involvement of potential producers of willow biomass crops, and the development of a user-friendly economic and business model that can be used by a variety of stakeholders. Barriers to commercialization have been identified, such as misconceptions about the production system and crop, assurances of a stable and reliable market for the material, and indications that the equipment and infrastructure to grow and process willow biomass crops are in place. Outreach efforts have specifically addressed these issues. As a result target audiences' responses have changed from passive observation to inquiries and suggestions for active participation. This shift represents a significant step towards the goal of making willow biomass crops a viable source of locally produced fuel. (author)

Keeping Pace with K-12 Digital Learning: An Annual Review of Policy and Practice. Eleventh Edition

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, John; Pape, Larry; Murin, Amy; Gemin, Butch; Vashaw, Lauren

2014-01-01

"Keeping Pace with K-12 Digital Learning" (2014) is the 11th in a series of annual reports that began in 2004 that examine the status of K-12 online education across the country. The report provides an overview of the latest policies, practices, and trends affecting online learning programs across all 50 states. It summarizes that at a…

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12: Books Published in 2015

Science.gov (United States)

Science and Children, 2016

2016-01-01

Science teachers and mentors continue to be challenged to meet the high expectations of "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" and the "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS"). Indeed the "Framework" urges to help learners "[build] progressively more sophisticated explanations of natural…

NCRP Program Area Committee 7: Radiation Education, Risk Communication, Outreach, and Policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, S M; Locke, P A

2016-02-01

Recognizing the central importance of effective communication, education, and policy across all of the domains of radiation safety and radiation protection, the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) established a new committee in 2013. Program Area Committee 7 (PAC 7) was created to develop projects and provide guidance on "Radiation Education, Risk Communication, Outreach, and Policy." After identifying individuals with relevant expertise who were willing to serve, the Committee held its inaugural meeting in 2014. In 2015, the Committee increased its membership and began carrying out an expanded program of activities. One area of activity has involved providing input and feedback on risk communication issues to NCRP and other agencies. Another area of work has involved liaising with other NCRP committees (e.g., Council Committee 1 and PAC 3) to help incorporate psychosocial and risk communication issues into projects. Future efforts of NCRP's newest PAC are expected to include the development of authoritative reports and commentaries dealing with critical issues and challenges in radiation risk communication, education, and policy.

Analyzing the Watershed Dynamics project as an example of successful science and education partnerships

Science.gov (United States)

Buzby, C. K.; Jona, K.

2009-12-01

The Watershed Dynamics project is a partnership between Northwestern University, the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science (CUAHSI), and the GLOBE Program (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment). The goal of the project is to develop inquiry-based educational materials that use authentic scientific data and analysis techniques to teach students about the watershed. The relationship between Northwestern, CUAHSI, and GLOBE allows each partner to contribute to the development of the project in the area of their expertise. Science researchers from CUAHSI share science content knowledge and data access through the development of their Hydrologic Information System (HIS). Curriculum developers at Northwestern write inquiry-based curriculum using GIS technology to access and analyze live data. The GLOBE Program is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science education program that provides teacher training opportunities to a network of teachers around the world. This partnership allows each partner to bring their area of expertise to the project and make the best use of one another's resources. The Watershed Dynamics project can serve as a model for future partnerships between the science and education communities. The Office of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education Partnerships (OSEP) at Northwestern is a service organization that supports Northwestern researchers in developing proposals and implementing research projects that incorporate K-12 educational components, particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). OSEP assists faculty with the development of sound plans for education and outreach that reflect current research on learning and educational reform and provides expertise in STEM education materials development, learning technologies, and professional development for K-12 teachers and facilitators in informal education institutions

The Preparation of Teacher Candidates for K-12 Online Learning Environments: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Nicole V.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine how teacher education programs may better prepare teacher candidates to teach in K-12 online learning environments. The primary research question addressed was: What specific knowledge, skills, and dispositions should teacher education programs include in their curriculum to better prepare teacher…

Outreach Education Modules on Space Sciences in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, I.-Te; Tiger Liu, Jann-Yeng; Chen, Chao-Yen

2013-04-01

The Ionospheric Radio Science Laboratory (IRSL) at Institute of Space Science, National Central University in Taiwan has been conducting a program for public outreach educations on space science by giving lectures, organizing camps, touring exhibits, and experiencing hand-on experiments to elementary school, high school, and college students as well as general public since 1991. The program began with a topic of traveling/living in space, and was followed by space environment, space mission, and space weather monitoring, etc. and a series of course module and experiment (i.e. experiencing activity) module was carried out. For past decadal, the course modules have been developed to cover the space environment of the Sun, interplanetary space, and geospace, as well as the space technology of the rocket, satellite, space shuttle (plane), space station, living in space, observing the Earth from space, and weather observation. Each course module highlights the current status and latest new finding as well as discusses 1-3 key/core issues/concepts and equip with 2-3 activity/experiment modules to make students more easily to understand the topics/issues. Meanwhile, scientific camps are given to lead students a better understanding and interesting on space science. Currently, a visualized image projecting system, Dagik Earth, is developed to demonstrate the scientific results on a sphere together with the course modules. This system will dramatically improve the educational skill and increase interests of participators.

Community Involvement - Outreach / Development

OpenAIRE

2004-01-01

Tonya Aiken: Horse Program Success. Kyle Cecil: Natural Resources and the Extension Educator. Karol Dyson: Building Strong Communities through Empowerment. Lisa Dennis: "Food Smart". Theresa M. Ferrari: Community Service Experiences & 4-H Teens. t. Stacey Harper: Connecting the Youth with the Community. Joseph G. Hiller: Extension Work in Indian Country. Alice P. Kersey: Outreach to the NR Community. Carla M. Sousa: Learning from Latino Community Efforts.

Coffee Shops, Classrooms and Conversations: public engagement and outreach in a large interdisciplinary research Hub

Science.gov (United States)

Holden, Jennifer A.

2014-05-01

Public engagement and outreach activities are increasingly using specialist staff for co-ordination, training and support for researchers, they are also becoming expected for large investments. Here, the experience of public engagement and outreach a large, interdisciplinary Research Hub is described. dot.rural, based at the University of Aberdeen UK, is a £11.8 million Research Councils UK Rural Digital Economy Hub, funded as part of the RCUK Digital Economy Theme (2009-2015). Digital Economy research aims to realise the transformational impact of digital technologies on aspects of the environment, community life, cultural experiences, future society, and the economy. The dot.rural Hub involves 92 researchers from 12 different disciplines, including Geography, Hydrology and Ecology. Public Engagement and Outreach is embedded in the dot.rural Digital Economy Hub via an Outreach Officer. Alongside this position, public engagement and outreach activities are compulsory part of PhD student contracts. Public Engagement and Outreach activities at the dot.rural Hub involve individuals and groups in both formal and informal settings organised by dot.rural and other organisations. Activities in the realms of Education, Public Engagement, Traditional and Social Media are determined by a set of Underlying Principles designed for the Hub by the Outreach Officer. The underlying Engagement and Outreach principles match funding agency requirements and expectations alongside researcher demands and the user-led nature of Digital Economy Research. All activities include researchers alongside the Outreach Officer are research informed and embedded into specific projects that form the Hub. Successful public engagement activities have included participation in Café Scientifique series, workshops in primary and secondary schools, and online activities such as I'm a Scientist Get Me Out of Here. From how to engage 8 year olds with making hydrographs more understandable to members of

Monitoring and evaluating astronomy outreach programmes: Challenges and solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Chapman

2015-05-01

Full Text Available A number of tools exist to guide the monitoring and evaluation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM education and outreach programmes. Fewer tools exist for evaluating astronomy outreach programmes. In this paper we try to overcome this limitation by presenting a monitoring and evaluation framework developed for the International Astronomical Union's Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD. The mandate of the OAD is to stimulate sustainable development at an international level and to expand astronomy education and outreach globally. The broad assumptions of this programme are that astronomy has the potential to contribute to human development by means of the transferable nature of its science discoveries, as well as its potential to activate feelings of wonderment, inspiration and awareness of the universe. As a result, the programme potentially embodies a far broader mix of outcomes than conventionally considered in STEM evaluation approaches. Towards this aim, we operationalise our monitoring and evaluation approach by first outlining programme theories for three key OAD programmes: a programme for universities and research, another one for schools, and one for public outreach. We then identify outcomes, indicators and measures for each one of these programmes. We conclude with suggestions for evaluating the global impact of astronomy for development.

Assessing Models of Public Understanding In ELSI Outreach Materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bruce V. Lewenstein, Ph.D.; Dominique Brossard, Ph.D.

2006-03-01

Advances in the science of genetics have implications for individuals and society, and have to be taken into account at the policy level. Studies of ethical, legal and social issues related to genomic research have therefore been integrated in the Human Genome Project (HGP) since the earliest days of the project. Since 1990, three to five percent of the HGP annual budget has been devoted to such studies, under the umbrella of the Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) Programs of the National Human Genome Research Institute of the National Institute of Health, and of the Office of Biological and Environmental Research of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The DOE-ELSI budget has been used to fund a variety of projects that have aimed at ?promoting education and help guide the conduct of genetic research and the development of related medical and public policies? (HGP, 2003). As part of the educational component, a significant portion of DOE-ELSI funds have been dedicated to public outreach projects, with the underlying goal of promoting public awareness and ultimately public discussion of ethical, legal, and social issues surrounding availability of genetic information (Drell, 2002). The essential assumption behind these projects is that greater access to information will lead to more knowledge about ethical, legal and social issues, which in turn will lead to enhanced ability on the part of individuals and communities to deal with these issues when they encounter them. Over the same period of time, new concepts of ?public understanding of science? have emerged in the theoretical realm, moving from a ?deficit? or linear dissemination of popularization, to models stressing lay-knowledge, public engagement and public participation in science policy-making (Lewenstein, 2003). The present project uses the base of DOE-funded ELSI educational project to explore the ways that information about a new and emerging area of science that is intertwined with public

Planning the Future of U.S. Particle Physics (Snowmass 2013): Chapter 10: Communication, Education, and Outreach

OpenAIRE

Bardeen, M.; Cronin-Hennessy, D.; Barnett, R. M.; Bhat, P.; Cecire, K.; Cranmer, K.; Jordan, T.; Karliner, I.; Lykken, J.; Norris, P.; White, H.; Yurkewicz, K.

2014-01-01

These reports present the results of the 2013 Community Summer Study of the APS Division of Particles and Fields ("Snowmass 2013") on the future program of particle physics in the U.S. Chapter 10, on Communication, Education, and Outreach, discusses the resources and issues for the communication of information about particle physics to teachers and students, to scientists in other fields, to policy makers, and to the general public.

From Research Scientist to Public Outreach: A Personal Journey

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, R.

2004-12-01

Over the past six years I have made the transition from research oceanographer to an educator and public outreach specialist. The transition has been rewarding but difficult. On the way I had to learn the vocabulary and concepts of education (e.g. authentic assessment), effective web-page styles, and the difference between science and education--they are very different. I also met many enthusiastic and caring teachers who greatly eased my transition to educator. Some lessons learned. First, partner with experts. Successful outreach is a team effort. I was luck to have the opportunity to work closely with a great professor of education, Robert James, a wonderful middle-school teacher and Presidential Awardee, Margaret Hammer, and talented students, Jon Reisch and Don Johnson, from our School of ArchitectureAƒAøAøâ_sA¬Aøâ_zAøs Visualization Laboratory, who combined art and technology. Second, if you are a scientist, realize that scientists are too critical. We look for the one right answer, and for the flaws in data and theory. Educators look for the many ways to present ideas, all equally valid, and they value the worth of all students. AƒAøAøâ_sA¬A.â_oSo radical are the differences between the worlds of science and human affairs that their demands are sometimes in conflict.AƒAøAøâ_sA¬A_A¿A 1/2 -Philander: Our Affair With El Nino, p.5. Second, the web is a very efficient way of reaching many people. Thus, web skills are essential. Third, I am learning to be humble. There is much I need to learn. The skills necessary to be a successful research scientist are not sufficient for being a successful educator. Fourth, assess, assess, and assess. DonAƒAøAøâ_sA¬Aøâ_zAøt assume that what you create serves its purpose. Get feedback from educators, students, and scientists of all levels of experience.

Education and Public Outreach for NASA's EPOXI Mission.

Science.gov (United States)

McFadden, Lucy-Ann A.; Crow, C. A.; Behne, J.; Brown, R. N.; Counley, J.; Livengood, T. A.; Ristvey, J. D.; Warner, E. M.

2009-09-01

NASA's EPOXI mission is reusing the Deep Impact (DI) flyby spacecraft to study comets and extra-solar planets around other stars. During the Extrasolar Planetary Observations and Characterization (EPOCh) phase of the mission extrasolar planets transiting their parent stars were observed to gain further knowledge and understanding of planetary systems. Observations of Earth also allowed for characterization of Earth as an extrasolar planet. A movie of a lunar transit of the Earth created from EPOCh images and links to existing planet finding activities from other NASA missions are available on the EPOXI website. The Deep Impact Extended Investigation (DIXI) continues the Deep Impact theme of investigating comet properties and formation by observing comet Hartley 2 in November 2010. The EPOXI Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program is both creating new materials and updating and modifying existing Deep Impact materials based on DI mission results. Comparing Comets is a new educational activity under development that will guide students in conducting analyses of comet surface features similar to those the DIXI scientists will perform after observing comet Hartley 2. A new story designed to stimulate student creativity was developed in alignment with national educational standards. EPOXI E/PO also funded Family Science Night (FSN), a program bringing together students, families, and educators for an evening at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. FSN events include time for families to explore the museum, a presentation by a space scientist, and an astronomy themed IMAX film. Nine events were held during the 2008-2009 school year with a total attendance of 3,145 (attendance since inception reached 44,732). Half of attendance is reserved for schools with high percentages of underrepresented minorities. EPOXI additionally offers a bi-monthly newsletter to keep the public, teachers, and space enthusiasts updated on current mission activities. For more

One-to-One Technology in K-12 Classrooms: A Review of the Literature from 2004 through 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Harper, Ben; Milman, Natalie B.

2016-01-01

This literature review examined empirical research conducted between 2004 and 2014 regarding 1:1 technologies in K-12 educational settings. Our overarching research question was: What does research tell us about 1:1 technology in K-12 classrooms? We used the constant-comparative method to analyze, code, and induce themes from 46 relevant articles.…

Outreach is Serious Fun!

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Larsen, W.

2005-01-01

This paper outlines the planning and effort that goes into a successful, inexpensive outreach project. Since 1996, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has had an educational exhibit booth and has also presented workshops on renewable energy at the two-week-long National Western Stock Show held each January in Denver, Colorado. In our exhibit booth and workshops, farmers, ranchers, and homeowners learn how solar, wind, and biomass energy systems can provide economical electricity for the agricultural community. We show how this outreach has grown to include the presentation of renewable energy exhibits at events in South Dakota and Illinois at the request of the Deputy Secretary for Energy of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and our support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Kansas and Nebraska on the issuance of the 2004 Farm Bill.

Outreach to Inspire Girls in Geology: A Recipe for Success (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Kekelis, L.

2010-12-01

to overcome them. Participants will receive a copy of our role model outreach guide and CD toolkit, Get Involved. Make a Difference, developed by the Techbridge team. This guide includes practical tips and suggestions as well as successful case studies in outreach to K-12. These materials include sample icebreakers and hands-on activities, biographies of students and role models, questions to facilitate conversations between role models and students, scavenger hunts for tours, suggested schedule and timeline, evaluations, tips for success, and more.

Science, mathematics and technology education in the US: a perspective from the "frontlines of the classroom to national policy"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. A. Pertzborn

2005-01-01

Full Text Available In the past decade significant emphasis has been placed on increasing the involvement and influence of the professional scientific community in America's K-12 classrooms. The origins of this thrust have arisen from a variety of real and perceived crises occurring in America's K-12 classrooms. Projections for the nation's future workforce needs indicate an increased demand for science and technically literate workers, while fewer of the nation's students are pursuing advanced degrees in these academic areas of expertise. In an effort to address these issues and to impact the overall understanding and quality of science, math and technology education, several of the federal agencies have increasingly included a percentage of research funding devoted to the objective of improving the quality of kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12, see Table 1 formal education and informal public outreach. To this end, NASA's Space Science Enterprise in particular has demonstrated a successful implementation approach and has been a national leader in forging strong partnerships with the education community to address these concerns.

Spaceflight-relevant stem education and outreach: Social goals and priorities

Science.gov (United States)

Caldwell, Barrett S.

2015-07-01

This paper is based on a presentation and conference proceedings paper given at the 65th International Astronautical Congress. The paper addresses concerns in education and public outreach (EPO) in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The author serves as a Director of a US statewide NASA-funded Space Grant Consortium, with responsibilities to coordinate funding for undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships, and program awards. Space Grant is a national NASA network of STEM EPO programs including over 1000 higher education, outreach center, science museum, local government, and corporate partners. As a Space Grant Director, the author interacts with a variety of levels of STEM literacy and sophistication among members of the public. A number of interactions highlight the need for STEM EPO leaders to speak directly to a variety of social goals and priorities. Spaceflight is largely seen as an appealing and potentially desirable STEM application. However, members of the public are often unclear and ill-informed regarding relative expense, relative benefit, and relative breadth of domains of expertise that are relevant to the spaceflight enterprise. In response (and resulting in further disconnects between STEM specialists and the public), focused STEM professionals frequently over-emphasize their own technical specialty and its priority in general because of its importance to that professional. These potential divides in the attempt to share and connect STEM related goals and priorities are discussed as an elaboration of invitations to discuss spacefaring in "futures forum" contexts. Spaceflight can be seen as addressing a combination of "actualization" and "aspirational" goals at social and societal levels. Maslow's hierarchy of needs distinguishes between "basic needs" and "actualization" as a higher-order need. Another aspect of spaceflight is aspirational-it speaks to hopes and desires for levels of flexibility and capability at the

Revival of the "Sun Festival": An educational and outreach project

Science.gov (United States)

Montabone, Luca

2016-10-01

In ancient times, past civilisations used to celebrate both the winter and summer solstices, which represented key moments in the periodical cycle of seasons and agricultural activities. In 1904, the French astronomer Camille Flammarion, the engineer Gustave Eiffel, the science writer Wilfrid de Fonvielle and the Spanish astronomer Josep Comas i Solà decided to celebrate the summer solstice with a festival of science, art and astronomical observations opened to the public at the Eiffel tower in Paris. For ten consecutive years (1904-1914) on the day of the summer solstice, the "Sun Festival" (Fête du Soleil in French) included scientific and technological lectures and demostrations, celestial observations, music, poetry, danse, cinema, etc. This celebration was interrupted by the First World War, just to resume in Barcelona, Spain, between 1915 and 1937, and in Marseille, France, in the 1930s. It was the founders' dream to extend this celebration to all cities in France and elsewhere.It is only during the International Year of Astronomy in 2009, to our knowledge, that the "Sun Festival" was given another chance in France, thanks to the joint effort of several scientific and cultural centers (Centres de Culture Scientifique, Technique et Industrielle, CCSTI) and the timely support of the European Space Agency (ESA). In this occasion again, the festival was characterized by the combination of science, art and technological innovation around a common denominator: our Sun!We have recently revived the idea of celebrating the summer solstice with a "Sun Festival" dedicated to scientific education and outreach about our star and related topics. This project started last year in Aix-les-Bains, France, with the "Sun and Light Festival" (2015 was the International Year of Light), attended by about 100 people. This year's second edition was in Le Bourget-du-Lac, France. Following the COP21 event, the specific theme was the "Sun and Climate Festival", and we had about 250

Publicising chemistry in a multicultural society through chemistry outreach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joyce D. Sewry

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Given the emphasis in Higher Education on community engagement in South Africa and the importance of international collaboration, we discuss a joint approach to chemistry outreach in two countries on two continents with widely differing target school audiences. We describe the history of the partnership between the chemistry departments at Rhodes University and the University of Bristol and provide an outline of the chemistry content of their outreach initiatives, the modes of delivery, the advantages to both departments and their students for involvement in various levels of outreach, the challenges they still face and additional opportunities that such work facilitated. The lecture demonstration ‘A Pollutant’s Tale’ was presented to thousands of learners all over the world, including learners at resource-deprived schools in South Africa. Challenges to extend outreach activities in South Africa include long travelling distances, as well as a lack of facilities (such as school halls and electricity at schools. Outreach activities not only impacted on the target audience of young learners, they also impacted upon the postgraduate and other chemistry students taking part in these initiatives. This collaboration strengthened both institutions and their outreach work and may also lead to chemistry research collaborations between the academics involved.

K-12 Schools: The Effect of Public School Choices on Marine Families’ Co-Location Decisions

Science.gov (United States)

2017-03-01

3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE K-12 SCHOOLS: THE EFFECT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICES ON MARINE FAMILIES’ CO...be educated ? One theory regarding decision-making in general is the rational choice theory . This approach to explaining the process of making...NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited. K-12 SCHOOLS

Perceptions of Participating K-12 Educational Leaders' Experiences and Decisions Regarding the Crisis Caused by the April 27, 2011 Tornadoes in Rural Alabama

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Bishop, William E., Jr.

2013-01-01

April 27, 2011, will be remembered by many as a catastrophic day and event in Alabama, and specifically by K-12 educational leaders. Natural disasters like tornadoes have a significant impact on leaders, on their decision making and, obviously, on the survival of many of their victims. The possibility and threat of a major crisis caused by natural…

Results from an Evaluation of the Georgia Colorectal Cancer Control Program's Community Education and Outreach Events, 2013.

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Woodruff, Rebecca C; Hermstad, April; Honeycutt, Sally; Brown, Melody; Kegler, Michelle C

2017-06-01

Although public health practitioners commonly use community education and outreach events to promote cancer screening, the effectiveness of this strategy remains unclear. This study evaluated 23 outreach events, conducted as part of the Georgia Colorectal Cancer Control Program. Of the estimated 1778 individuals who attended these events, those ages 50-75 were eligible to participate in a telephone survey 3 months after attending an event. Surveys measured colorectal cancer (CRC) risk status, CRC screening history at the time of the event, seeking or obtaining CRC screening at 3-month follow-up, and participants' knowledge of their CRC screening status. Of the 335 individuals contacted for this evaluation, 185 completed the survey. Eighty participants (43.2 %) were at elevated risk for CRC and 99 participants (53.5 %) were at average risk. Of the 99 average-risk participants, the majority (n = 69) were not due for CRC screening at the time they attended an event because they had previously received screening within the recommended time intervals. Thirty average-risk participants were due for CRC screening, either because they had never been screened before (n = 19) or because they were due for rescreening (n = 11). Approximately half of these 30 participants who were due for screening either sought (n = 6, 20.0 %) or obtained screening (n = 8, 26.7 %) 3 months following the event. Community education and outreach events may play an important role in motivating participants to seek or obtain CRC screening, but unless priority audiences are identified and recruited, events may attract people who are already compliant with CRC screening.

Empowered Intersectionality among Black Female K-12 Leaders: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study

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McNeal, Carla

2017-01-01

Black female school leaders remain underrepresented as educational leaders in the K-12 context as marginalizing factors persist in the field. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Black female school leaders through the lens of intersectionality. For this research study, intersectionality…

Education and Outreach in the Life Sciences: Qualitative Analysis Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burbank, Roberta L.; John, Lisa; Mahy, Heidi A.; Rose, Shyanika W.; Weller, Richard E.; Nelson-Wally, Anjanette

2008-10-01

The DOE's National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) asked Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to consider the role of individual scientists in upholding safety and security. The views of scientists were identified as being a critical component of this policy process. Therefore, scientists, managers, and representatives of Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) at the national labs were invited to participate in a brief survey and a set of focus groups. In addition, three focus groups were conducted with scientists, managers, and IBC representatives to discuss some of the questions related to education, outreach, and codes of conduct in further detail and gather additional input on biosecurity and dual-use awareness at the laboratories. The overall purpose of this process was to identify concerns related to these topics and to gather suggestions for creating an environment where both the scientific enterprise and national security are enhanced.

The Influence of Lean on K-12 District Management: A Case Study

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Brown, Beverly

2011-01-01

For decades, policymakers and educators have focused on public school equity and adequacy, while paying little attention to efficiency. This qualitative single case study was designed to capture explicit information about Lean management, operations, and culture in a K-12 Michigan school district engaged in Lean training and implementation for a…

After 60 Years, Do the Arguments for K-12 Vouchers Still Hold?

Science.gov (United States)

Laitsch, Dan

2016-01-01

In 1955, Milton Friedman authored a foundational paper proposing a shift in funding and governance mechanisms for public K-12 schools, suggesting that parents be awarded tuition vouchers that they could use to pay for private sector education services for their children, rather than relying on government provided neighborhood schools. Friedman…

Learning with Teachers; A Scientist's Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Czajkowski, K. P.

2004-12-01

Over the past six years, as an Assistant Professor and now as an Associate Professor, I have engaged in educational outreach activities with K-12 teachers and their students. In this presentation I will talk about the successes and failures that I have had as a scientist engaged in K-12 educational outreach, including teaching the Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA) distance learning course, teaching inquiry-based science to pre-service teachers through the NASA Opportunities for Visionary Academics (NOVA) program, GLOBE, school visits, and research projects with teachers and students. I will reflect on the potential impact this has had on my career, negative and positive. I will present ways that I have been able to engage in educational outreach while remaining a productive scientist, publishing research papers, etc. Obtaining grant funding to support a team of educational experts to assist me perform outreach has been critical to my groups success. However, reporting for small educational grants from state agencies can often be overwhelming. The bottom line is that I find working with teachers and students rewarding and believe that it is a critical part of me being a scientist. Through the process of working with teachers I have learned pedagogy that has helped me be a better teacher in the university classroom.