Stars and STEM Stories

GLOBE at NSTA 2011 in San Francisco, California

Six years ago, GLOBE Canadian and U.S. Partners began their tradition of scheduling the Annual GLOBE North America Partner Meeting in tandem with the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Annual Conferences. On 9 March 2011, 40 GLOBE representatives from Canada and the United States, representing one Canadian Province and 16 states, attended this event that took place in beautiful San Francisco, California. Guests included GLOBE Partners and staff members, guest speakers, and representatives from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and National Science Foundation (NSF). GLOBE Program Office staff from the International Division and the Science and Education Division worked alongside participants throughout the day, encouraging extended discussions and networking amongst all present. Pictured above is Mr. Martos Hoffman leading discussions about bridging connections between GLOBE ESSPs and GLOBE Protocols.

Special visitors during the day included Mr. Frank Owens, former senior executive for NASA's Office of Education and former NSTA Associate Executive Director for Professional Programs, centered in the picture on the left between Dr. Teresa Kennedy, Director of the International Division of the GLOBE Program, and Dr. Pat Shane, GLOBE U.S. Partner from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and NSTA Retiring President (2010-2011). NSTA established a formal partnership with GLOBE in 2007 during NSTA International Day activities at the National Conference on Science Education in St. Louis, Missouri.

Additional GLOBE Partners and GLOBE Alumni also joined the meeting and contributed to discussions via Skype. Proceedings were available for live viewing to the entire GLOBE Community through online streaming video throughout the day. Sixty-seven unique viewers tuned in during the day, including viewers from the GLOBE Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Latin America regions, as well as many viewers from Canada and across the U.S., for a combined total of 128 viewing sessions and more than 100 total hours logged! The agenda and associated presentations can be found at the bottom of this story.

In addition to the North America Regional Meeting, GLOBE activities included a poster presentation at NSTA's annual international Global Conversations Conference (Thursday), the annual GLOBE Community Reception (Thursday evening), participation in two National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA) Share-a-thons (Friday), GLOBE representation at booths hosted by NASA, NOAA and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) (Thursday-Sunday), and various presentations made throughout the conference by GLOBE community members, U.S. Federal Sponsors and GLOBE Program Office staff.

NSTA International Event

NSTA International activities occur each year closely in line with NSTA's International Position Statement. On Thursday 10 March 2011, NSTA planned a very special day dedicated to science education from an international perspective. The event, entitled the Global Conversations in Science Education Conference, included a lecture series on 'Cultural Influences on Science Education' and poster presentations from over 45 countries around the world.

The day commenced with a plenary talk by Dr. Glen Aikenhead, Professor Emeritus, Aboriginal Education Research Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Canada. This plenary session was followed by concurrent sessions and a poster session, followed by a luncheon plenary speaker, Ian Milne, Senior Lecturer Primary Science (retired), University of Auckland, New Zealand, and a panel discussion.

The day concluded with short presentations from participants on current trends, issues, and best practices from around the world. GLOBE's poster presentation was facilitated by Dr. Teresa Kennedy and Ms. Nandini McClurg, from the GLOBE International Division, along with GLOBE Partners from Texas (Ms. Marsha Willis, North America GIAC representative, and Dr. Michael Odell), Michigan (Dr. Mitchell Klett) and Connecticut (Dr. Scott Graves), as well as GLOBE Country Coordinators from Alberta, Canada (Mrs. Carol Batycky and Mr. Bill Batycky, pictured above) and GLOBE Asia and the Pacific Regional Help Desk Office Director from New Delhi, India (Dr. Desh Bandhu).

GLOBE at the Conference Booths and Share-A-Thon events

GLOBE materials were distributed at the NASA, NOAA and UCAR booths. Approximately 500 U.S. and international participants visited the UCAR booth alone, where many GLOBE materials were displayed and demonstrated over the four-day period. Visitors to the booth included teachers actively implementing GLOBE with their students, former GLOBE teachers, and teachers interested in learning more about the program. GLOBE Program Office staff commented on how inspiring it was to speak with GLOBE teachers about their practice with GLOBE, how impressed and encouraged they were with the quality of teachers interested in the program, and how exciting it was to welcome former GLOBE teachers back by explaining how to re-engage with the program. In addition, GLOBE was included in two NESTA Share-A-Thons, one highlighting Space Science programs and projects, and the other focusing on Oceans and Atmosphere. Pictured are Mr. Bill Batycky, Canada, and Ms. Nan McClurg, GLOBE International Division, discussing GLOBE with participants.

GLOBE Reception

The annual NSTA GLOBE Community reception honors GLOBE Teachers, Partners, Trainers, Scientists, and our dedicated GLOBE vendors who have provided equipment and facilitated educational experiences for the GLOBE community for years. Thank you to all who attended! As in the past, the reception served as a fabulous networking session providing everyone opportunities to share their accomplishments with or gain insight from other members of the GLOBE Community. Over 100 guests, including representatives from GLOBE Canada, the GLOBE Regional Help Desk Office in India, GLOBE Mexico, GLOBE Thailand, representatives from the Swedish Pioneer Science Centre and the University of Stockholm in Sweden, as well as leaders from the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) and the Association for Science Education (ASE) in the UK attended.

Guests enjoyed networking, refreshments, and the opportunity to win door prizes such as GLOBE educational materials, GLOBE backpacks and water bottles for use during field studies, and many other items including t-shirts, vests, and student favorites such as GLOBE frisbees. Dr. Emma Walton, former U.S. GLOBE Partner at the Challenger Learning Center in Alaska and former NSTA President, was among the lucky winners!

Assorted GLOBE Presentations during NSTA

• "Exploring New York City (NYC) Parks with EPA and GLOBE" presented by Mr. Peter Schmidt, from Queens College GLOBE Partnership in New York, described students getting their hands dirty by practicing scientific methods as they explore NYC parks using GLOBE Protocols supported by a representative from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
• "Science on a Sphere (SOS): Help in Visualizing Global Systems" presented by Drs. Tony Murphy and Lori Maxfield, from St. Catherine University GLOBE Partnership in Minnesota, describing SOS, a NOAA data visualization artifact that helps students understand global systems in an exciting vibrant way.

• The "Tools and Strategies for Engaging Students in Inquiry-based Earth System Science Field Studies" workshop conducted by Mr. Martos Hoffman from the GLOBE Program Office, showed participants a method for using field sketching and annotation as a tool to engage students in observation of interactions between components of the Earth system. The Budburst phenology protocol was also introduced as tool to get students outside collecting field data that can be used to study climate. Teachers were encouraged to sign up for GLOBE Teacher Certification workshops provided by Partners so that they could become active members of the GLOBE community.
   

• Classroom implementation of the GLOBE Earth System Poster learning activities were modeled in the "Engaging Students in Understanding Earth System Processes" workshop co-presented by Mr. Frank Niepold and Mr. John McLaughlin from the NOAA Washington, D.C. Office and Mr. Martos Hoffman, from the GLOBE Program Office.
• The "GLOBE Carbon Cycle Earth System Science Project (ESSP): Using a Systems Approach to Explore Carbon, Ecosystems, and Climate," lead by Ms. Sarah Silverberg, from the University of New Hampshire, and Mr. Martos Hoffman, from the GLOBE Program Office, showed teachers how to use the "Paper Clip Factory" activity to develop understanding of simple models. Participants then applied this understanding of models to an interactive computer model that allows students to experiment with varying amounts of temperature and precipitation to see the effect on carbon accumulation in forested ecosystems.
• "Ecological Investigation of Mount Kilimanjaro" was presented by Mr. Mike O'Toole, from the GLOBE Program Office, describing the past two GLOBE annual expeditions to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, a GLOBE Africa Regional Project, followed online by GLOBE students around the world as they investigate and discuss the effects of climate change on Kilimanjaro distinct biomes.
• "Engaging Students in Scientific Inquiry Using Web 2.0 Technologies and Social Collaboration" was presented by Dr. Sheila Yule, from the GLOBE Program Office, sharing the results of GLOBE collaborations between schools nationally and internationally integrating web 2.0 technologies with scientific inquiry.

GLOBE Alumni Presence at NSTA

The GLOBE North American Alumni representative, Mr. Matt Fenzel, updated participants on the status of GLOBE Alumni in North America at the Regional Meeting (view his presentation, and all additional presentations that occurred during the North America Regional meeting, listed below), reminding everyone that these Alumni were once GLOBE Students at an important time in their lives. He described a calendar located on the GLOBE Alumni website where events can be posted as well as alumni available to work on events can be found and contacted and also suggested that GLOBE Partner include Alumni into their funded grant projects. After nearly 16 years since the GLOBE Program began, many Alumni have moved on to higher education, have graduated from their programs, and are now working professionals who feel disconnected from the Program. The GLOBE Alumni organization hopes to network those who still desire to connect with GLOBE and hopes to create initiatives on national, regional, and international levels to help ensure the continued success of GLOBE. Potential Alumni involvement includes partnerships with large-scale Earth System Science Projects (ESSPs), training of students and teachers, and assisting with international and community events.

Sixth North America Regional Meeting at NSTA—Agenda and Presentations

The NSTA North America Regional Meeting always takes place all day on Wednesday, the day before NSTA officially begins. The 2011 event took place from 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM, following the annual tradition of beginning with breakfast and an initial networking session. The Opening Session included the introductions of all participants and special guests, as well as featured an overview from NASA, NOAA and NSF, the GLOBE Program U.S. Federal sponsors, led by Mr. John McLaughlin, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

 

8:55 - 9:00 AM

GPO Update including highlights from Annual GLOBE Partner Surveys, North America Regional Meeting History, North America Report, and information about the 15th GLOBE Annual Partner Meeting in Washington D.C.
Dr. Teresa Kennedy, Director, GLOBE International Division and U.S. Country Coordinator

9:00 - 9:15 AM

GLOBE in Canada and Summary of the 14th Annual GLOBE Meeting and Professional Development Workshop, Calgary, Canada (20 June 2010 - 3 August 2010)
Mrs. Carol Batycky and Mr. Bill Batycky, GLOBE Canada Country Coordinators (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)

9:15 - 9:30 AM

GIAC Update
Ms. Marsha Willis, North America GIAC Representative (Texas)

9:30 - 9:45 AM

On-site and SKYPE Presentation
GLOBE North America Alumni Organization
Mr. Matthew Fenzel, North America Alumni Representative (Kentucky) and Dr. Sheila Yule, GLOBE Networks Coordinator, GLOBE Program Office (Kentucky)

9:45 - 10:00 AM

SKYPE Presentation
SCUBAnauts International: GLOBE in the Marine Environment
Dr. Elizabeth Moses, SCUBAnauts International Education Officer and Acting Chief Scientist

10:00 - 10:30 AM

BREAK AND NETWORKING
All Partners were invited to display Posters Presentations

10:30 - 11:00 AM

U.S. Partner Regional Ambassador Committee Presentation and Discussion: U.S. Master Trainer Program
Dr. Mike Odell, Chair (Texas), Ms. Lynne Hehr (Arkansas-via Skype), Dr. Tony Murphy (Minnesota); *Committee Members not present during the presentation: Dr. Pat Shane (North Carolina).

11:00 - 11:30 AM

U.S. Partner Regional Ambassador Committee Presentation and Discussion: K-4 Critical Topics
Ms. Lynne Hehr, Chair (Arkansas-via Skype), Dr. Tony Murphy (Minnesota); *Committee Members not present: Ms. Jennifer Bourgeault (New Hampshire), Dr. Bob Ford (Texas), Dr. Robin Hoffer (Texas), Dr. Allan Ludman (New York), and Dr. Pat Shane (North Carolina).

11:30 - 12:00 PM

U.S. Partner Regional Ambassador Committee Presentation and Discussion: Web 2.0 and GLOBE
Mr. David Bydlowski (Southern Michigan), Dr. Scott Graves (Connecticut), and Dr. Mitch Klett (Northern Michigan); *Committee Members not present: Mr. Todd Ensign, Chair (West Virginia), Mr. Antony Berthelote (Montana) and Ms. Peggy Foletta (California).

12:00 - 1:00 PM LUNCH and NETWORKING

12:30 - 1:00 PM

Special Individual Sessions (as needed) occurred the lunch hour on the GLOBE Web site login-in procedures and other aspects of the Administrative Pages
Ms. Nandini McClurg, North America Regional Help Desk Officer, GLOBE International Division. Handouts included: Website Sign-In Procedures, Annual Survey Access, and Training Server Sign-In Procedures

1:00 - 1:30 PM

Safety Considerations for GLOBE with Group discussion
Dr. Sandra West, Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI), Natick, Massachusetts

1:30 - 1:45 PM

GLOBE at Night 2011
Dr. Constance Walker and Mr. Robert Sparks, National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), Tucson, Arizona

1:45 - 2:00 PM

WestEd
Ms. Svetlana Darche, Senior Research Associate, WestEd, Oakland, California

2:00 - 2:15 PM

EcoSTARS GLOBE Partnership at St. Catherine University
Dr. Lori Maxfield (Minnesota)

2:15 - 2:30 PM

Creating Interactive Media Using GLOBE Resources
Ms. Robin Nelson and Dr. Jerry Cobbs (Alabama)

2:30 - 2:45 PM - BREAK AND NETWORKING

2:45 - 3:45 PM

Round Table Discussions

• Connections with ESSPs; Bridging the Protocols with the ESSPs, how do you do it?
• How is your Partnership funding GLOBE?
• Which training resources are needed?
• How are teachers and their students using data?
• How are you encouraging your schools to input data?

3:45 - 4:00 PM

Summary of Round Table Discussions

4:00 - 4:15 PM

CloudSat and GLOBE
Ms. Deanna TeBockhorst (Colorado), Mr. Peter Falcon (California) and Dr. Todd Ellis (New York)

4:15 - 4:30 PM

Supporting the A-Train Symposium through GLOBE and S'COOL
Ms. Susan Moore, NASA Langley (Virginia)

4:30 - 5:00 PM

Final Discussion, including funding North America GLOBE Projects

 

For information about past North America Regional Meetings at NSTA see the following reports:

1^st North America Regional Meeting: Anaheim, California, 5 April 2006

2^nd North America Regional Meeting: St. Louis, Missouri, 28 March 2007

3^rd North America Regional Meeting: Boston, Massachusetts, 26 March 2008

4^th North America Regional Meeting: New Orleans, Louisiana, 18 March 2009

5^th North American Regional Meeting: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 17 March 2010

 

Please mark your calendars for the 2012 NSTA Conference on Science Education and highlighted GLOBE events where we will meet in Indianapolis, Indiana. The North America Regional meeting will take place on 28 March, the Community Reception on 29 March, and the overall NSTA event from 28 March-1 April 2012. We hope to see you next year!

23 March 2011

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