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| Network Topics |
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Volunteers Needed at Ocean Sciences COSEE OCEAN, in partnership with the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), and the National COSEE Office (NCO) are seeking volunteers to help with a pilot project taking place at the Ocean Sciences 2012 meeting in Salt Lake City, February 20-24. After years of having our workshops overlap in the few hour-long slots available for outreach activities at national conferences, we are taking a new approach to interacting with ocean scientists. COSEE and ASLO, a partner in the OS meeting, will be hosting an outreach-consulting booth in the Exhibit Hall for the duration of the conference. Attendance at the 2012 meeting will be high, with over 4,000 abstracts submitted. This new approach will provide more opportunities for EPO professionals to interact with ocean scientists who are interested in starting or expanding their individual education and outreach activities.
ASLO and COSEE have arranged to have three adjacent exhibit spaces for this activity. Our plan is to have a triage desk, where researchers can begin a conversation with EPO professionals. The EPO professionals will work with the researcher to brainstorm ways they can expand their broader impacts and will help direct the researcher to resources (people, websites, etc.) they can consult with to get on the path to more effective EPO for their research. We will also have space for some demonstrations of hands-on activities, many of which will be featured in the “Best of COSEE” CD to be distributed to attendees at the registration desk.
As this is a new project, it is hard to tell how well-attended the booth will be, but when the idea was presented to the ASLO Board, there was a lot of enthusiasm around the table. If successful, it is very likely that this event will become a regular offering at ASLO conferences.
But to be a success, we need volunteers! We want to be sure that we have consistent coverage in the exhibit space. If you are planning on attending the meeting and are interested in spending a few hours at the booth interacting with researchers (and maybe finding some new partners!) or conducting demonstrations, please contact Adrienne Sponberg (COSEE OCEAN) or Liesl Hotaling.
Network-Wide Collection of Excellent Hands-On Activities COSEE OCEAN is well into the production of the "Best of COSEE Hands-on Activities" CD to be handed out to every registrant at the Ocean Sciences Meeting. All Centers have been requested to send in their best three hands-on activities for inclusion. The goal of this CD is to put high quality, easily accessible, effective and engaging Hands-On Activities into the hands of scientists, most of whom find themselves in situations where they are teaching or presenting to students, the public, or other non-science audiences and where a Hands-On Activity would be an effective tool to communicate with and engage their audience. If your Center has not sent in activities yet, or if you have more you would like to add, please send them ASAP to Bob Chen. |
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| Working Group Updates |
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 | Isaac Ginis | |
Scientist Engagement Working Group The case study for Dr. Isaac Ginis (University of Rhode Island, National COSEE Office) is in the final approval process. Work is almost complete on the case studies for Dr. Michael Castellini (University of Alaska, COSEE Alaska) and Dr. Jude Apple (Western Washington University, COSEE Pacific Partnerships). Work on the final two cases studies, for Dr. Joel Hoffman (Environmental Protection Agency, COSEE Great Lakes) and Dr. Mary Jane Perry (University of Maine, COSEE Ocean Systems), will begin this month. Please contact SEW-G Chair Jessie Kastler with questions, suggestions and comments (228-872--4269).
Web Working Group The WWG continues to work with Raytheon Web Solutions on the implementation of automated photo and video galleries to the CMS. We congratulate COSEE SouthEast on the publication of their new CMS-driven website this month! For more information, contact Annette deCharon, WWG Chair.
ENTS Sub-Group Wondering how best to get the word out about your Center’s great activities? Looking for a new way to present data in an engaging way? ENTs is here to help! The COSEE Network is invited to join our bi-weekly ENTs calls to ask any and all questions about online tools. For more information, contact one of the ENTs co-chairs Catherine Cramer and Carla Companion. |
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| COSEE at Conferences |
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2012 Ocean Sciences Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, February 20-24, 2012 The COSEE Network is planning a large presence during the upcoming Ocean Sciences Meeting. The NCO will host a booth in the exhibit area and several Centers are planning to host activities.
COSEE-convened Sessions- COSEE: Using Evaluation to Measure the Impacts of Education/Outreach; Patricia Kwon (COSEE West), Andrea Anderson (COSEE OLC), Diana Payne (COSEE TEK), Shawn Rowe (COSEE PP)
- Using Data from Autonomous Vehicles and Drifters to Support Education and Outreach; Janice McDonnell, Jim Yoder (COSEE NOW)
- Science Communication Courses: Giving the Next Generation of Scientists a Voice; Craig Strang, Eric Simms (COSEE CA), Janice McDonnell (COSEE NOW)
- International Education and Outreach Activities; Adrienne Sponberg, Bob Chen, (COSEE OCEAN), Melissa Ryan (COSEE TEK)
- Improved Broader Impacts = Enhanced Scientific Impacts; Gail Scowcroft (COSEE NCO), Liesl Hotaling (COSEE NOW, NCO)
Other activities in the planning stages are a series of luncheons, a pre-conference workshop for early career scientists, and a drop-in center on the exhibit floor where interested scientists can meet with COSEE staff to discuss personalized broader impacts strategies.
2012 National Science Teachers Association National Conference, Indianapolis, IN
March 29 – April 1, 2012- Strand One: Mapping Our Way to Success Through the New Core Standards
- Strand Two: Pathways to a Sustainable Planet
- Strand Three: Merging Inquiry, Creativity, and Innovation Through STEM
- Strand Four: Traveling New Instructional Roads Through Technology
Although NSTA has not completed the selection process, the COSEE Network submitted 10 proposals for concurrent sessions and one proposal for a short course. Determination of sessions should be complete shortly.
National Marine Educators Association Conference, Anchorage, Alaska, June 24-28, 2012 The Call for Proposals for the 2012 National Marine Educators Conference, North to Alaska's Seas: a confluence of science and culture, is now open until February 17, 2012. The conference, which will take place in Anchorage, Alaska, during June 24-28, 2012, will bring together formal and informal educators, scientists, students, and resource managers to share ideas about the world of water. Conference sponsors this year are the Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators (NAME) and COSEE Alaska. Conference themes include Science and Art, Science and Culture (to include the integration of traditional knowledge and western science), Science and Technology, and Large Marine Ecosystem Science and Education. Click here for conference information or to download the Call for Proposals.
2013 National Science Teachers Association National Conference, San Antonio, TX, April 11- 14, 2013 - Strand 1: Next Generation Assessments: Effectively Measuring Student Learning
- Strand 2: Next Generation Elementary Science: Building the Foundation
- Strand 3: Next Generation Special Populations: Improving Science Instruction to Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners
- Strand 4: Next Generation Technology: Putting the “T” in STEM
Proposals are due April 15, 2012. Follow this link to submit a proposal. |
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| Center News |
COSEE Alaska is hosting the 2012 National Marine Educators Association Conference, June 24-28, 2012, Anchorage, Alaska. For details visit here.
COSEE OCEAN The Milton (MA) school district is piloting the first two units of the Ocean Science Sequence across their fifth grades. A dozen science teachers are presenting the curriculum in their classrooms. All materials are also translated into French in this bilingual district. COSEE OCEAN Team members are working on two resources to be presented at Ocean Sciences: the Best of COSEE Hands-On Activities CD, and Make Your Own Video: A simple guide to communicating your research efficiently.
COSEE Ocean Learning Communities On November 3-4 COSEE OLC partnered with Washington Sea Grant and NANOOS (Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems ) to host its second Boat Based Education Citizen Science Workshop at the University of Washington. The two-day workshop began with presentations by Drs. Julie Keister and Robin Kodner, both UW Oceanography scientists who study plankton and are interested in citizen involvement with their research. The remainder of the day was spent out on Puget Sound on a cruise hosted by Ocean Inquiry Project to learn more about the plankton research and data collection protocols.
Day two included plankton-related curriculum development and modification that included sharing among the participants about plankton related activities they already do as part of their boat-based programming or ways to add to it. Discussions were intentionally structured to fit within a public participatory framework so organizations were positioned to think of themselves as long-term partners working with ocean scientists.
The 26 participants and organizers left the workshop with excitement and enthusiasm for engaging in authentic science. Plans are currently under development for ongoing collaboration, opportunities for continued dialogue and future meetings that will expand partnerships with these groups and ocean scientists.
COSEE OLC participated for the third year in the Seattle Aquarium’s Family Science Weekend (November 11-13) and coordinated with the University of Washington School of Oceanography scientists and students to host three activity tables. UW scientists from Oceanography and the Applied Physics Lab provided opportunities for visitors to build and test out Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs) in addition to giving a demonstration in the 250,000-gallon Window on Washington Waters exhibit on the applications of ROVs. UW Oceanography graduate students ran the ever-popular Great Plankton Race and an activity on ocean acidification; and undergraduate UW students, along with marine volunteers, assisted COSEE OLC with build-your-own Cartesian diver and wave-in-a-bottle activities to help illustrate ocean principles. Click here to learn more about the scientist involvement (filmed by UW TV). The event was a great success enjoyed by thousands of aquarium guests.
| |  | | Aquarius' first map of global ocean salinity [Image: NASA/GSFC/JPL-Caltech] |
COSEE Ocean Systems In January, COSEE-OS will host a two-part webinar series on the Aquarius/SAC-D Satellite and the science behind what it takes to measure salinity in the world's oceans. NASA scientists Gary Lagerloef, David Levine, and Yi Chao will discuss the complexities of getting accurate salinity measurements from space, and will share the most recent data collected by the satellite. The concept map based webinars will also provide participants with a rich collection of educational resources relating to Aquarius, salinity and technology. For more information, check out the events page on COSEE-OS.
COSEE Pacific Partnerships COSEE Pacific Partnerships and the COSIA Educators Network are sponsoring a COSIA Instructors Training Workshop, January 11-13, 2012 at the McMenamins Edgefield in Troutdale, OR. The 2.5-day workshop prepares scientists and science educators who are interested in teaching the Communicating Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences (COSIA) course at their institutions. Details are available on the COSEE PP website or contact Coral Gehrke for more information. Apply online here.
COSEE SouthEast has a new website!
COSEE TEK Over 30 educators and scientists met for a two-day Teacher Ocean Technology Institute (TOTI) at Project Oceanology and University of Connecticut-Avery Point on November 11-12, 2011. Educators from Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida and Michigan worked together to learn about various ocean technologies and educational resources in development. More details here. |
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| Tools That Work |
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| Tools That Work: BatchGeo BatchGeo is an interactive map making tool based around tabular data (tables and spreadsheets). It accepts addresses, intersections, cities, states, and postal codes for production of Google maps that show location data. COSEE Ocean Systems uses BatchGeo to illustrate Broader Impacts such as locations of events and the distribution of scientists, graduate students, and educators involved in COSEE-OS activities. COSEE SouthEast has used BatchGeo to display their SEPORTS and staff locations. |
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| Resources |
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Giving Better Slide Presentations Slide design can make a big difference in how well audiences understand your message. Michael Alley, Associate Professor of Engineering Communication at Penn State University and the author of three textbooks, summarizes recent findings in audience-based research and discusses how managers can use the assertion-evidence structure for communicating complex concepts. Dr. Alley also talks about the connection between the assertion-evidence structure and the TED.com slide style, which is effective for communicating less complex concepts. Watch the video here.
World Ocean Observatory and Google Ocean The World Ocean Observatory is pleased to announce a new partnership with Google Ocean, the software portal that allows you to visit all corners and depths of the globe. For more information, visit here.
NSTA Radio NSTA is introducing the new NSTA Radio on the BAM Radio Network. BAM Radio is the largest education radio network in the world, and NSTA is the newest Network Partner. Tune in to the NSTA Radio on the BAM Network here.
What’s Happening to All the Science Majors? A New York Times article explores why up to 40 percent of college students planning to major in science and technology - and 60 percent of premed majors - are switching to other subjects or not getting any degree. Read Why Science Majors Change Their Minds (It’s Just So Darn Hard). |
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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 (Robin Dublin, COSEE Alaska) |
| COSEE California (Craig Strang, UC Berkeley) |
| COSEE Central Gulf of Mexico (Sharon Walker, Institute for Marine Mammal Studies) |
| COSEE Coastal Trends (Laura Murray, U of Maryland Center for Environmental Science) |
| COSEE Florida (Edwin Massey, Indian River State College) |
| COSEE Great Lakes (Rosanne Fortner, Ohio State University) |
| COSEE Networked Ocean World World (Janice McDonnell, Rutgers University) |
| COSEE OCEAN (Bob Chen, University of Massachusetts) |
| 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 TEK (Ivar Babb, University of Connecticut) |
| COSEE West (Linda Duguay, University of Southern California) |
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