|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| National COSEE Office |
|
| The National COSEE Network meeting will be held in San Diego May 7-9, 2012. If you have not yet registered, please contact Andrea Gingras as soon as possible. |
|
|
| Network Topics |
|
News from Sant Ocean Hall Trish Mace is the new COSEE/NMNH Ocean Science Educator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. She comes to us from the University of Oregon's Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB), where she was project director of OIMB's NSF Graduates in K-12 Education Program. She has experience developing and managing marine and coastal education programs, building and sustaining partnerships, developing curriculum and developing successful grant proposals. She has interacted with several COSEE Centers in the past and looks forward to working throughout the Network to leverage COSEE resources and expertise with those of the Smithsonian to promote ocean science education. Trish earned a B.A. in Biology from Trinity University, a dual M.A. in International and Environmental Studies from the University of Washington, and conducted additional graduate work on marine resources management at the University of California at Berkeley.
Trish has begun discussions on possible professional development collaborations, as well ways to promote online content. Now that each COSEE Center has identified a liaison to facilitate communication and idea exchange, Trish looks forward to collaborative brainstorming on ways to increase COSEE's exposure in the Ocean Hall and on the Ocean Portal.
This Ocean Day, June 8, from 1-5 PM, ocean experts are welcome to come to the Ocean Hall to interact with the public and answer all questions pertaining to the ocean – about research, activities, careers, and more. If anyone from your Center is interested and available, please have them contact Trish Mace.
Best of COSEE Hand-On Activities The Best of COSEE Hands-On Activities is now online! Thanks to contributions from across the COSEE Network, an excellent selection of over 50 proven hands-on activities have been collected. COSEE OCEAN team members have developed a user-friendly online interface and formatted the activities according to subject, grade level, duration, and Ocean Literacy principle. The result is a collection packed with a wide range of hands-on activities that scientists can select from to enhance their classroom visits. The collection is available both online and as a CD. For more information contact Bob Chen. |
|
|
| COSEE Online |
|
| COSEE Presentations New this month on COSEE.net are a few presentations from recent annual meetings and conferences. If you presented at a national convention and would like your materials posted on COSEE.net, please contact Lisa Taylor. |
|
|
| Working Group Updates |
|
 | Dr. Crystal Johnson | |
Scientist Engagement Working Group The case study of Dr. Crystal Johnson (Louisiana State University, COSEE CGOM) has been approved and is now posted online. The case studies for Dr. Michael Castellini (University of Alaska, COSEE Alaska), Dr. Jude Apple (Western Washington University, COSEE-Pacific Partnerships), and Dr. Joel Hoffman (Environmental Protection Agency, COSEE Great Lakes) are all nearing final approvals. Work on the case study for Dr. Mary Jane Perry (University of Maine, COSEE-Ocean Systems) is nearing completion. Please visit the COSEE Scientists Making an Impact website and contact Jessie Kastler with any questions or comments.
Web Working Group The WWG and RWS are currently developing an interactive globe for the home page that will allow users to locate scientists, review their research, and learn more about their collaborations with COSEE. For more information, contact Annette deCharon, WWG Chair.
ENT Sub-Group ENTS members continue to update the Online Tools Guidebook and are developing ideas for Tools That Work and the ENTS blog. For more information, contact one of the ENTS co-chairs Catherine Cramer and Carla Companion. |
|
|
| COSEE at Conferences |
|
Ocean Sciences Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, February 20-24, 2012 A full report on COSEE activities during the Ocean Sciences Meeting is posted online. COSEE Network members are welcome to post papers or posters from Ocean Sciences on COSEE.net. If interested please contact Lisa Taylor.
2012 National Science Teachers Association National Conference, Indianapolis, IN
March 29 – April 1, 2012 COSEE had a strong presence at the recent NSTA meeting. Watch for a full report coming soon.
USA Science and Engineering Festival Walter E. Washington Convention Center Washington, D.C. April 27 - 29, 2012 Don’t miss COSEE at the largest celebration of science in the US! Explore science and engineering with 1500 free, hands-on activities and over 75 stage shows and author presentations. The two-day Expo is perfect for teens, children and their families, and anyone with a curious mind who is looking for a weekend of fun and discovery. Meet Science Celebrities, award-winning Science Authors and Nobel Prize winners from the past and present. This year COSEE will partner with the American Geophysical Union (AGU) to offer hands-on activities to festival attendees focused on the ocean and ocean/atmospheric interactions. Visit here for more information about the USASEF. |
|
|
| Resources |
|
Perpetual Ocean Animation This NASA visualization shows ocean surface currents around the world during the period from June 2005 through December 2007. The visualization does not include a narration or annotations; the goal was to use ocean flow data to create a simple, visceral experience. Watch here.
TED-Ed Many of you are familiar with TED Talks videos. The latest innovation from TED is TED-Ed, whose mission is to capture and amplify the voices of great educators around the world by pairing extraordinary educators with talented animators to produce a new library of curiosity-igniting videos. The just-launched website features new TED-Ed Originals as well as some powerful new learning tools. Sign up to receive Ted-Ed News or suggest a teacher or lesson, and the TED team will work with the educators chosen to record and animate those lessons.
New MPA Publication Links with Ocean Literacy Principles The MPA Center has created a new publication on marine protected area resources and concepts for teaching Ocean Literacy. The document melds the Ocean Literacy: Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts with resources from MPA Center that illustrate those principles. The information is intended to help educators improve ocean literacy by highlighting MPA Center resources on marine protected areas and conservation. To download the publication, click here. For more information on MPA Education, visit here.
Hurricane Webinars The Hurricanes: Science and Society webinar series introduces a range of hurricane topics, including the basics of hurricane science, advances in forecasting hurricanes, preparing for an approaching hurricane, and more. Hurricane researchers discuss their research and answer questions from participants. Past webinars are archived on the website. The next webinar, Hurricane Hazards and Impacts, will be held April 24, 2012. Details on the webinars here. |
|
|
|
|
| Center News |
COSEE NOW hosted the 3rd annual Rutgers Ocean Days for MARE educators on April 2-3. More here.
COSEE-Ocean Systems At the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) 2012 National Conference (28 Mar – 1 Apr) held in the US "heartland" city of Indianapolis, Indiana, COSEE-OS teamed up with the NASA Aquarius Education and Public Outreach Team to offer educators three very different venues in which COSEE-OS tools and processes were used to explore NASA Aquarius global sea surface salinity (SSS) datasets. Venues included a 1-hr hands-on NASA workshop, two 20-min demonstration talks at the NASA Exhibit Booth, and a 30-min presentation during the day-long COSEE session. Global salinity is an important measurement for helping scientists understand more fully the processes "at work" in ocean circulation, the global water cycle, and climate change.
Aquarius Workshop: During the NASA workshop, Phoebe Jekielek, COSEE-OS Marine Education Associate, introduced educators to Aquarius resources and provided guidance on how to incorporate them into a STEM curriculum. The workshop drew a crowd of 23 educators from around the country interested in learning how to utilize Aquarius SSS data, including four educators from American Samoa searching for accessible resources to illustrate important ocean concepts in island classrooms. Educators were directed to the Aquarius webinar series, based on scientist-constructed concept maps, that deconstruct complex ocean science, technology, and engineering concepts involved in the Aquarius mission. Throughout the workshop, educators asked questions and shared classroom experiences. In addition, educators participated in a hands-on, inquiry-based classroom activity illustrating the effects of density on stratification in the ocean (Teaching Physical Concepts in Oceanography) which lead to an open discussion of other classroom activities to illustrate similar concepts. Phoebe also introduced to the Interactive Salinity Tool in which salinity, temperature and density data sets from the World Ocean Atlas can be graphed and manipulated to encourage students to explore the variability of and physical influences on global salinity. Participants walked away with information on how to access all tools and resources from the session to utilize upon return to their home classrooms!
Download the Aquarius/SAC-D Education and Outreach Resources Brochure here (PDF, 5.22 MB).
Aquarius Booth: Christy Herren, COSEE-OS Research Associate, had a unique opportunity at the NASA Exhibit Booth to showcase Aquarius datasets and visualizations on a high definition monitor hooked up to high-speed internet connection, and talk in-depth in an informal atmosphere with educators from across the US. Educators shared how they could use Aquarius materials/content with their students in the classroom, and had a chance to try out the new Aquarius Interactive Globe and online concept mapping tool (CLIMB).
COSEE Session In the COSEE session, Christy presented a talk titled NASA Aquarius New Global Salinity Data: Spicing up STEM in the Classroom. She shared stories, datasets and materials from the Aquarius mission emphasizing "the entire package" that Aquarius has to offer educators and students, including defined student outcomes and archived webinars of Aquarius scientists talking about their research on land, sea and in space. Throughout the conference, Phoebe and Christy found ample one-on-one interaction time with interested educators - a condition that sets the stage for true collaboration in the future!
View Christy's PPT presentation and accompanying animations here.
COSEE TEK An environmental science teacher and her students at Waterford High School in Waterford, CT are currently participating in a COSEE-TEK citizen science project to monitor waterborne pesticides and marine invertebrate communities in the Niantic Bay area, Long Island Sound, and throughout the U.S. More information here.
COSEE-West is offering the Ocean Observing Systems: Summer Teacher Institute, a free 5-day workshop for middle and high school teachers, Monday, July 30 – Friday, August 3, 2012. More information here. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Announcements |
|
Summer Scholars Program for Undergrads Oregon Sea Grant seeks undergrads for a Summer Scholars program to prepare students for grad school and careers in marine science policy, management, or outreach. This ten-week program places students from around the US with federal, state, or local agencies providing experience under the mentorship of professionals. Seeking students with a variety of interests including marine science, ecology, zoology, environmental science, journalism, education, political science, or economics. More information here.
 | Photo: Sara Duncan/Oregon Sea Grant |
Citizen Science for Kids Needs Ocean Science Activities The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is putting together a book on citizen science for kids to be published by NSTA Press. This is a perfect opportunity to make sure that ocean science activities are included. The deadline for submission is May 15, 2012. More information here.
Articles for General Issues of Current The editors of Current: The Journal of Marine Education seek articles for upcoming general issues on topics related to marine education. The deadline for submission is July 1, 2012. Contact Lisa Tooker. Download guidelines.
MATE International ROV Competition The MATE (Marine Advanced Technology Education) Center coordinates an international student Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV) competition and a network of 19 regional ROV contests. The competitions connect students and educators with employers and working professionals from marine industries, highlight marine-related career opportunities, and promote the development of technical, problem solving, critical thinking, and teamwork skills. This year’s competition theme focuses on World War II shipwrecks and the role that ROVs play in assessing and addressing the potential environmental threat of any fuel oil that they may still contain. Details here.
Ocean Education Partnership Grants The NOAA Office of Education Ocean Education Partnership Grants are for projects designed to expand or develop professional development and other capacity-building activities for informal science educators and volunteers. A successful project will utilize the resources of multiple institutions which include at least three non-profit U.S. aquariums. Collaborative teams should involve applicants from multiple U.S. states and are strongly encouraged to include at least one aquarium that has not previously received a grant from NOAA’s Office of Education. There is special interest in collaborative teams that include aquariums representing a wide range of annual operating budgets, total visitorship numbers, and/or physical sizes. The deadline for applications is May 7, 2012. See the website for details; click on funding. |
|
|
|
|
Contribute to CNN! Send news and announcements of interest to the COSEE Network community to the editor, Catherine Cramer.
|
|
|
|
|
| COSEE Centers and Council Representatives |
|
| COSEE Alaska (Robin Dublin, COSEE Alaska) |
| COSEE California (Craig Strang, UC Berkeley) |
| COSEE Florida (Edwin Massey, Indian River State College) |
| COSEE Island Earth (Judy Lemus, Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology) |
| 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) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
