Stars and STEM Stories
GLOBE Costa Rica Documents Hydrology Training With Film
The GLOBE Program in Costa Rica works to promote the development of scientific thinking through research projects that use science to investigate environmental problems related to water. To put these goals into practice, the National Program of Education and Informatics MEP-FOD (Ministry of Education and Omar Dengo Foundation) recently hosted a GLOBE Hydrology workshop for teachers in Sarapiquí. GLOBE Country Coordinator Mr. Roberto Quiros said,"This is the only way the students will have the possibility to investigate and form a critical and educated opinion about the uses of watersheds in their communities and to recognize and preserve water as one of the most important resources for sustaining life on the planet."
Mr. Efrain Lopez, GLOBE Master Trainer and Producer of Academic Cognition, Creativity and Digital Media Area, of the Omar Dengo Foundation, worked with teachers to conduct Water Transparency, Water Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, Electrical Conductivity, pH and Nitrate Protocols. Additionally, he led participants in a walk through the rainforest where they observed the Dipteryx panamensis tree species, commonly known as the almendro or tonka bean tree. Students also took a GLOBE Water Walk and evaluated fecal coliforms. The newly trained teachers then used their observations to practice uploading data to the GLOBE website database.
A total of 42 educators attended, including GLOBE Country Coordinator Mr. Roberto Quiros, 15 computer education teachers, 15 science professors, six educational computing advisors, one soil dynamics professor, and one social studies professor. Visual Director Sylvia Jimenez and camera operator Juan Carlos Rojas captured the workshop activities through film documentation. As a result, Spanish-speaking communities will be able to use live footage for Hydrology Protocols training in the future.
This training event certified the following institutions as part of the GLOBE network in Costa Rica: Colegio Gregorio José Ramírez, Liceo Alfaro Ruiz, Liceo de Chachagua, Liceo de San Rafael, Liceo Gastón Peralta, and Liceo Nicolás Aguilar Murillo in the Alajuela province; Colegio Ingeniero Alejandro Quesada and Liceo de Paraíso in the Cartago province; Instituto de Guanacaste and Liceo de Colorado in the Guanacaste province; Liceo de La Rita in the Limón province; Colegio Académico de Costa de Pájaros and Colegio Técnico Profesional de Puerto Jiménez in the Puntarenas province; and Liceo de San Antonio de Pejibaye and Liceo de Tarrazú in the San José province.
Following classroom implementation of GLOBE into the new schools, students will have the opportunity to present Hydrology research they develop throughout the year at a scientific environmental festival planned for November.
The key strategies in Costa Rica are to train, guide and assist GLOBE teachers through constant communication, shared resources, and professional development workshops. This is essential to the efforts being enacted to improve awareness about water use among students.
Read about past GLOBE Hydrology projects in Costa Rica:
- Water, Hub of GLOBE Activities in Costa Rica
- NSF and the Omar Dengo Foundation Bring WV Trainers and Costa Rican Teachers Together
27 October 2011