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| Central Coordinating Office Updates |
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Evaluators' Workshop This year's Evaluators' Workshop will take place in Rhode Island on September 24-25. At least one evaluator from each Center will be present. Evaluators will come together to discuss best practices within the COSEE Network, evaluation of cross-COSEE activities, common areas of evaluation, and decide what needs to be accomplished for the Decadal Review and for the Network Evaluation. Thank you to Patricia Kwon from COSEE-West for taking the lead with developing the agenda and Chris Parsons from COSEE-Networked Ocean World for her thoughtful insights.
Best Practices Work Session Immediately following the Evaluators' Workshop, the first-ever Best Practices Work Session will be held from September 26-27, also in Rhode Island. Over 20 participants from the Network are scheduled to attend. Some objectives for the Work Session include: to identify common elements in professional development programs; to identify and discuss strategies for the challenges of engaging scientists in the professional development of educators; to develop a portfolio of examples of COSEE professional development; and to identify best practices in the successful transfer to the classroom and the production of education materials based on COSEE professional development programs.
Strategic Business Plan We have begun developing an Implementation Plan for the COSEE Strategic Business Plan (SBP) framework developed in March 2009. A group of Council and NAC members are working on this, led by Billy Spitzer along with Gail Scowcroft and Annette deCharon. The purpose of the SBP is to increase COSEE’s national impact by focusing on three goals:
· Build capacity of the National COSEE Network – for planning and evaluation; partnerships; leadership and accountability; marketing; and fundraising
· Increase propagation of effective practices, innovations and products – create, identify, promote, disseminate; and implement broadly
· Broaden COSEE’s reach – within the scientific community, among under-represented groups, and geographically (especially into the heartland)
The task of the group is to briefly review the SBP mission, vision, values and goals (incorporating feedback from the Council and NAC in May 2009; and then develop an implementation plan (3 years) and annual operating plan (2010) that will accomplish these goals. The group is holding a series of four conference calls during September and October, in order to produce a draft Annual Operating Plan (AOP) in time for review by the Council and NAC at the November meeting. The AOP will be integrated with the activities of the Working Groups and with recommendations from the NAC, NSF, etc. and will define what needs to be accomplished, when, and who will lead each task. In November 2010, we will review progress from the past year and set objectives for the next year’s plan.
National Advisory Committee Billy Spitzer writes: Here are a few brief updates on the National Advisory Committee (NAC):
1. The NAC bylaws have been updated, based on feedback from the NAC at the May 2009 meeting. The updated document is on the CFM.
2. In order to learn more about individual centers, NAC members are each “adopting” a center. Most NAC members have identified a center; George Matsumoto is contacting those who have not yet made a choice. It is the responsibility of the NAC member to contact their “adopted” center.
3. Several NAC members have become involved in working groups, including Messaging and Marketing, Evaluation, Diversity, and SBP Implementation.
4. I am currently working on a summary of the NAC recommendations from May 2009 and how we are responding to them. This will be discussed at the November Council meeting.
5. I will be working with Gordon Kingsley (NAC Chair) and Carroll Hood (NAC Vice-Chair) to plan the agenda for the NAC portion of the November Council meeting. |
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| COSEE Presence at Conferences |
Ocean Sciences Please consider submitting an abstract for the following Education and Outreach Sessions at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in Portland, OR, February 22 – 26, 2010. The sessions described below relate to activities of interest to the COSEE Network. Abstracts are due October 15.
ED04: COSEE Evaluations: What We've Learned and Implications for the Future One of the unique aspects of the COSEE program is that each center and the network has its own evaluator, a person or team continually assessing the effectiveness and impact of education strategies and activities. What have we learned since we began in 2002? During this session COSEE evaluators will present the results of a variety of studies on COSEE audiences, scientist-educator collaborations and education activities. From observations to concept mapping to models, we will showcase what we’ve learned and discuss the implications for future COSEE education strategies and evaluation efforts. For further information, please contact the session conveners: Chris Parsons, Rena Dorph, Patricia Kwon, and Mark St. John.
ED05: Compound Interest: Research + Energy + Outreach = Career and Personal Yield The goal of this session is to inspire and empower scientists to engage in high quality broader impact activities and reach out to diverse audiences. Bringing the results of scientific research to the public is a growing opportunity and ongoing challenge. The requirement to address broader impact (NSF) created an incentive for scientists to integrate research and education at all levels, enhance the professional development of early-career researchers, and contribute to science literacy.
This session invites presentations about successful and potentially replicable broader impact activities, as well as strategies to make scientists’ engagement in educational outreach easier and more rewarding. Presentations that expand scientists’ awareness of broader impact endeavors are encouraged, as are those highlighting partnerships with formal and informal education organizations, professional societies, community-based groups, as well as print, radio, television, film and web-based initiatives and on gauging effectiveness of broader impact efforts. For further information, please contact the session conveners: Gail Scowcroft, Sharon Franks, Liesl Hotaling, and Rick G. Keil.
ED06: Ocean Literacy and Mutualism: Science organizations partnering with informal education institutions Improving ocean literacy among citizens requires a multifaceted approach. Informal science education (ISE) venues, museums, aquariums, and science centers, offer vast opportunities to reach a broad range of audiences. Americans are frequent visitors to these institutions, 3 in 5 go every year, reporting they provide trustworthy science information. And, with individuals spending as little as 9% of their lives in school, the vast majority of learning occurs outside of school. Science organizations and ISE venues can benefit from partnering. ISE professionals are experts in interpreting complex scientific ideas for the public and scientists collect data and perform cutting-edge research that can be brought to the public in near real time. However, mutually beneficial partnerships are challenging to create and maintain.
This session seeks papers that illustrate the benefits of such institutional partnerships, how these partnerships impact both institutions and attempt to improve ocean literacy, and examples from other scientific fields. For further information, please contact the session conveners: Carrie McDougall, Mary Miller, and Elizabeth Ban.
ED07: Success and Challenges in Aquatic Observing Systems Education and Outreach Ocean observing systems are being designed and deployed to support ocean science research and marine operations. The technological challenges involved in bringing these systems to full operation make interesting stories and the real-time data streams available now and in the future provide great opportunities to engage many different audiences in the excitement of exploring the coastal and open ocean and seafloor.
Our session seeks papers that illustrate: (1) the challenges that need to be overcome to bring aquatic data to novice users; (2) projects that demonstrate how educators and research scientists can and are using ocean observing data to support public literacy about the ocean; and (3) the role of cyber infrastructure for collecting and disseminating data from remote locations for use in education and outreach.
This session encourages exemplars including those from other fields (e.g. meteorology, environmental science) that model and discuss how observing systems and cyber infrastructure can meet the increasing need for ocean awareness and understanding through improved formal and informal education serving a broad range of audiences. For further information, please contact the session conveners: Janice McDonnell, James Yoder, and Elizabeth L. Rom.
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| Working Group Updates |
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Web Working Group The WWG continues to work on improvements to the Content Management System, including the ability to add partnership data, posting an image map to identify COSEE locations, and expanding upon the information currently stored in our directory. The COSEE.net home page will also be modified to show upcoming Center events, along with date and location. Please contact Annette deCharon with any comments or questions on the COSEE websites.
ENTs The Excellence in Networking Tools Sub-Working Group (ENTs), established in July, has had two telecons, out of which has come our first collaborative project, the development of a Networking Tools Matrix. The Matrix defines online networking tools' functionality, COSEE uses, benefits and drawbacks, and is designed to be used when Centers are deciding which tools are appropriate for which networking tasks. When complete, this Matrix will be distributed to the COSEE Network. For more information contact co-chairs Catherine Cramer and Carla Companion.
Slugs Ad Hoc Work Group We're getting close to completing the long-anticipated Banana Slug String Band Ocean Literacy music CD! The CD should be on the streets in early 2010. Thanks to NMEA, NOAA Office of Exploration, College of Exploration, Lawrence Hall of Science, Sue Cook and all the Centers that contributed to making it possible. Special thanks to Rosanne Fortner of COSEE-Great Lakes and Jan Hodder of COSEE-Pacific Partnerships for providing leadership on the COSEE Slugs Ad Hoc Working Group. Listen to a radio show on the Green Talk Network featuring the Slugs and COSEE-California's Craig Strang or visit the Slugs website.
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| Webinars |
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Webinar on Science Communication On September 30, 1 pm US EDT, the Ecosystem Based Management Tools Network will offer a webinar - Overview of Science Communication Tools – by Bill Dennison and Tim Carruthers of the University of Maryland. The Integration and Application Network (IAN) produces a variety of communication products including newsletters, posters, books, reports, brochures, and conceptual diagrams. These products synthesize scientific findings using effective science communication techniques.
This webinar will give an overview of the scientific communication products that IAN produces with a focus on conceptual diagrams and conceptual diagramming tools. Conceptual diagrams or “thought drawings” depict essential attributes of the system and can evolve to capture increased understanding of the system. They can help clarify thinking and avoid ambiguity, provide a communication interface that combines current scientific understanding with community priorities and environmental values, and identify gaps and priorities.
IAN provides a variety of resources, examples, tools and tutorials available along with a symbol library of over 1500 custom symbols to help you produce your own conceptual diagrams. Learn more. Web conferencing information about this tool demonstration will be sent out via the EBM Tools Network mailing list a few weeks before the webinar. |
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| Network Announcements |
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COSEE Contributes Science Activities for Ocean Literacy Science Activities journal is a source of experiments, explorations, projects and curriculum ideas for today’s classroom science teacher. The journal published a special issue on Ocean Literacy for Fall 2009. (The cover stars Rosanne Fortner's grandson cavorting in the surf!) Many COSEE contacts and colleagues contributed to the issue, and more excellent ocean education activities are scheduled for later issues too! COSEE-Great Lakes Director Rosanne Fortner was guest editor for the special issue. Here is how the lesson plans address the seven Ocean Literacy Essential Principles:
#1 The earth has one big ocean with many features. Sailing toward understanding surface currents: a science and geography integration activity for upper-elementary children. Laura Eiditis and Sandra Rutherford, from a NOAA Environmental Literacy project.
#2 The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of the Earth. Island Formation: Constructing a Coral Island. Heather Austin and Amelia Edd, NSF-GK12 at the University of Oregon’s Institute of Marine Biology
#3 The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate. How is coastal temperature influenced by the Great Lakes and the Ocean? Rosanne Fortner, COSEE-Great Lakes, and Victor J. Mayer, Professor Emeritus, The Ohio State University
#4 The ocean makes Earth habitable. Learning about coastal trends: what is the story with seagrass and how does it affect me? Kelly Ksiazek and eight others from COSEE-Coastal Trends
#5 The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems. Crawl into inquiry-based learning: Hermit crabs. Maya Wolf of Oregon’s Institute of Marine Biology and Alix Laferriere, from South Slough NERR
#6 The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected. Recipe for hypoxia: Playing the Dead Zone Game. Jessica Kastler, COSEE-Central Gulf of Mexico
#7 The ocean is largely unexplored. Use of Ocean Exploration Learning Shapes [geometric solids] to reinforce student inquiry. Paula Keener-Chavis, NOAA Ocean Exploration Program and COSEE Council member, and Mel Goodwin, NOAAHarmony Project
Science Activities [ISSN 0036-8121] is a popular journal in teacher libraries. Copies of this issue are available from some COSEE staff and from the publisher: Heldref Publications, Subscription Offices, PO Box 830350, Birmingham, AL 35283-0350 [or contact Rosanne Fortner to request a copy].
COSEE Goes International with COSEE-China Planning A COSEE-China Planning Workshop has been funded by NSF International Planning Grants and Workshops. The two-day workshop in Beijing, tentatively scheduled for March, 2010, will bring together ocean scientists, students, COSEE representatives, and government officials to discuss the potential for establishing a COSEE-China project. This workshop will be followed by visits to Xiamen University and Qingdao Ocean University. If successful, a COSEE-China could result, and would join the US COSEE Network in supporting ocean science education internationally.
COSEE network members have the opportunity to participate in this seminal workshop in Beijing. Five students/post docs, one ocean scientist, one COSEE PI, one K-12 teacher, and one education specialist from the COSEE network will be invited to participate in this workshop. Stay tuned for the application, which will come out in September and willbe due December 4, 2009.
This workshop represents a partnership between the COSEE Network, UMassBoston (Bob Chen, Professor and Principal Investigator), the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao (Xuchen Wang, Senior Scientist and Co-Principal Investigator), Xiamen University (Minhan Dai, Director, State Key Lab of Marine Environmental Science) and China Ocean University, Qingdao (Huiwang Gao, Dean, College of Marine Environmental Science).
For more information please contact Bob Chen or XuChen Wang. |
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| Center News |
COSEE-Alaska COSEE-Alaska is one of the sponsors of the Alaska Marine Science Symposium, January 18-22, 2010. Scientists from Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, the nation, and beyond will gather in Anchorage for a free three-day symposium to inform each other about their research in the marine ecosystems of the Arctic, the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. Support from many sponsors allows registration to remain free of charge for attendees. Visit the Symposium website for updates and further information.
COSEE-West Last year a team of sixth-graders used what they learned through a COSEE-West workshop to win a trip to Catalina Island. Read their story.
COSEE-Ocean Systems Job Openings COSEE-OS announces two full-time job openings:
Research Associate
The Marine Education and Outreach Program, School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine Darling Marine Center announces an opening for a full-time Research Associate. The purpose of the position is to provide professional support to a marine education and outreach program with particular focus on social networking audiences. The position will apply online collaboration methodology to improve the regional and national programs of the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE). Initial appointment is for one year, with annual reappointment dependent upon external grant funding and performance. The primary location of the position is at the University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center in Walpole, Maine.
Marine Education Associate
The Marine Education and Outreach Program, School of Marine Sciences, Darling Marine Center (Walpole, ME) announces an opening for a Full-Time Marine Education Associate. The purpose of the position is to provide professional support to a marine education and outreach program. The position will apply educational research and nationally recognized standards to develop curriculum and pedagogical strategies to deliver marine science content to K-12, college-level, and public audiences. Initial appointment is for one year, with annual reappointment dependent upon external grant funding and performance. The primary location of the position is at the University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center in Walpole, Maine.
Full job descriptions are available online. For more information contact Annette deCharon.
COSEE-Ocean Systems Publications The August 25, 2009 issue of Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union includes Online Tools Help Get Scientists and Educators on the Same Page. Contributed by COSEE-OS staff, the article addresses COSEE-OS's research and development of concept mapping techniques and related multimedia software. These tools, developed over the past 3 years, help scientists see and graphically display relationships among the concepts in their field, and help them communicate those concepts clearly and logically to educators and other scientists.
Written by COSEE-OS scientists and educators, Teaching Physical Concepts in Oceanography: An Inquiry Based Approach is now available in hardcopy and online. Tested in University of Maine semester courses and summer workshops, this supplement to Oceanography magazine focuses on educational approaches to help engage students in learning and offers a collection of hands-on/minds-on activities for teaching physical concepts that are fundamental in oceanography.
COSEE-West invites you to visit their Facebook page.
COSEE-New England Dell, Inc. recently announced a major new partnership with Whyville.to bring to market a netbook designed for children ages 8 -14. COSEE-New England contributed to Whyville through the support of the WhOI portion of the Whyville site. Branded by Nickelodeon, the new netbook will be available exclusively through Dell.com and Walmart this fall. Read the press release.
COSEE-Ocean Learning Systems In early August COSEE-OLC enjoyed a great evening of learning, sharing and networking with over 140 marine naturalist volunteers/leaders, scientists and educators coming together at the Seattle Aquarium to Celebrate Summer and Ocean Science Education. The program opened with the opportunity to view featured scientific posters and talk with the ocean, marine and learning scientists responsible for the research. The poster session was followed by dinner and time to network and make new connections. The featured speaker, Hugh Shipman, a geologist from WA State Department of Ecology gave a thorough presentation on Puget Sound geology and the potential impacts of climate change.
COSEE-Central Gulf of Mexico In the Fall of 2009, COSEE: CGOM co-PIs will each host a two-day workshop in Fort Pierce, FL and Niceville, FL for informal and formal educators, media professionals, and scientists. Up to 40 participants will be engaged in these workshops. The Mississippi and Florida workshops will both feature the annual Summer Institute in 2010. The six-day Face to Face component will be held in June, 2010, in both locations concurrently. The Mississippi Institute will be held in Ocean Springs, MS and the Florida Summer Institute will be in Cedar Key, FL. Working in three-person teams (two teachers and one scientist), participants will share enhanced scientific content and pedagogical skills.
COSEE-Networked Ocean World Listen to the latest installment of the COSEE-NOW podcast series Ocean Gazing. Read the latest in the collection of Stories from Ocean Observing Systems. Read the COSEE-NOW blog. |
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| COSEE Network Calendar |
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September 2009
COSEE-West Lecture, Seeding a Cooler Climate with Ocean Winds, Waves, and Clouds, September 9, by
Dr. Charlie Zender, Dept. Earth System Science, UC Irvine Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach CA
COSEE-CGOM Informal Education Workshop, September 11-13, Indian River Lagoon, Ft. Pierce, FL
COSEE-West, Lecture, Sustainable Seafood: Good for Your Health and Good for the Planet, September 24, by Andrew Gruel, Dave Anderson, and a Panel of Experts, Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach CA
October 2009
COSEE-Ocean Systems Educator-Scientist Collaborative Workshop, October 9-10, University of Connecticut Avery Point Campus
COSEE-Great Lakes Lake Erie Teachers Workshop, October 14, Tifft Nature Preserve |
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| Resources and Announcements |
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Conference on Best Practices in ESD Fulbright Japan is pleased to announce a conference to be held in Portland, Oregon during the period November 1-6, 2009 on the theme Best Practices in ESD (Education for Sustainable Development). The conference will be the inaugural event for a new Japan-U.S. ESD Teacher Exchange Program administered by Fulbright Japan. ESD is “a vision of education that seeks to balance human and economic well-being with cultural traditions and respect for the earth’s natural resources,” according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Designed to bring together innovative teachers from Japan and the United States, representing K-12 schools in each country with focused ESD-oriented projects or programs, the bi-nationally fully-funded conference will entail presentations, workshops, and site visits to Portland area ESD-focused schools. For more information on the Japan-U.S. ESD Teacher Exchange Program please contact Ms. Susan Gundersen at 1-888-527-2636. To access the online application visit online. Applications for the Conference on Best Practices in ESD must be completed online and submitted no later than September 14, 2009.
Ocean Policy Taskforce Requests Public Comments The Federal Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force is requesting input on its activities from interested parties. The Task Force asks that comments focus on any of the five key issues identified in the June 12 Presidential memorandum: a national ocean policy, a framework for policy coordination, implementation strategies, marine spatial planning, and emerging issues on ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes policy. Submit your comments.
A Diversity of Geoscientists The unique community of Woods Hole research and education institutions collaborate to foster a more diverse workforce in the fields of ocean and environmental science. Read the article in the WHOI publication Oceanus to find out how this new Woods Hole program encourages underrepresented groups. |
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Contribute to CNN! Send news and announcements of interest to the COSEE Network community to the editor, Catherine Cramer.
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| COSEE Centers and Council Representatives |
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| COSEE-Alaska (Nora Deans, North Pacific Research Board) |
| COSEE-California (Craig Strang, UC Berkeley) |
| COSEE-Central Gulf of Mexico (Sharon Walker, Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium) |
| COSEE-Coastal Trends (Laura Murray, U of Maryland Center for Environmental Science) |
| COSEE-Great Lakes (Rosanne Fortner, Ohio State University) |
| COSEE-Networked Ocean World World (Janice McDonnell, Rutgers University) |
| COSEE-New England (Billy Spitzer, New England Aquarium) |
| COSEE-Ocean Learning Communities (Phil Bell, University of Washington) |
| COSEE-Ocean Systems (Annette deCharon, Darling Marine Center, University of Maine) |
| COSEE-Pacific Partnerships (Jan Hodder, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology) |
| COSEE-SouthEast (Lundie Spence, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium) |
| COSEE-West (Linda Duguay, University of Southern California) |
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