Stars and STEM Stories
GLOBE Soil Workshops Held in Uruguay to Train Teachers on Pedosphere Protocols
An in-person and online GLOBE Pedosphere workshop, led by GLOBE Program Coordinator Andrea Ventoso (Uruguay) and Argentina Country Coordinator and Trainer on Soils Marta Kingsland, was held between 20 April and 10 May. The workshop utilized the Educantel platform which has been used for these programs since 2017.
The workshop courses were organized in nine modules:
- Introduction to the GLOBE Program
- Introduction in Pedosphere
- Soil characterization protocol
- Soil site selection and definition protocol
- Soil infiltration protocol
- Soil temperature protocol
- Soil gravimetric humidity protocol
- Soil PH protocol
- Soil fertility
The workshop was supervised and oriented by a series of tutors. The workshop was promoted in two ways: assisting with the practical field workshop, or presenting a project that could be applied in the teachers’ institutions. Middle school students also had the chance to participate alongside teachers.
The field workshop was held on 5 April 2022 in School Nº88 Alfred Nobel, located in Canelones, Uruguay; this school was chosen since it is a rural location and has appropriate land for soil excavation and laboratory work. The school principal, Darío Greni, offered to host the event since they had previously participated in two similar workshops. The principal said, “It is an honor for us to welcome you in our school and to be the hosts of this workshop that allows us to apply protocols in a practical way while creating bonds with participants which can bring about future projects. This workshop allows us to update our capacities and to work fluidly in the protocols that will be applied in our institutional projects.” Last year, the US Embassy in Uruguay awarded a grant to pay for the housing, teaching hours and the trainer fees of Trainer Henry Ortiz from Los Angeles who has been working on soil since 2005; Ortiz was chosen to come to Uruguay to give the soil workshop for the first time for the Program in the country.
Out of 49 participants in the workshop, 25 attended in person. Teachers came from Artigas, Canelones, Colonia, Florida, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandú, Río Negro, Rocha, Salto, San José, Soriano and Tacuarembó. It is important to highlight that every teacher came by their own means (bus or car) to the practice, asking to have the day off to be able to assist the practice.
Ortiz explained, “The group of teachers and other professionals that attended the GLOBE Soil Workshop in Uruguay had very interesting questions and participated with great enthusiasm in every activity. The day started with the presentation of the GLOBE protocol that could be compared to the data and soil protocols. After that, we were off to the field to expose and analyze the soil profile and characterize the horizons. We also went over the humidity, infiltration and temperature protocols. We used other data using the sensors that can take on long- or short-term data. The purpose of these sensors is to demonstrate how you can investigate the environment for long periods of time and compile data about it for months or years. Moreover, we went through some teaching activities related to soil texture and how to do quantitative and qualitative investigations using GLOBE’s program. Primary school students who had come with us the day before, attended the workshop,
where they learnt with us and taught us a lot about the projects they were working on at school.”
Lunch and coffee breaks were held for the participants to help them cope with their travel back home. Many of them offered to carpool back to Canelones and Montevideo, showing that fellowship had been built during the day. The attitude from the participants of the Development Commission from the school, in offering to help with the food, was remarkable.
The experience of having teachers and students sharing the same workshop gave the training a new approach. The students adapted and participated in every activity, taking pictures, making videos, remarks and assessments side by side. “It was a privilege to have Andrea and Henry with us, two referents from GLOBE who apart from working with the teachers who attended the workshop, were the ones who motivated and dedicated their time to each pupil from 6th year. Students were able to see every step that had to be done when working soils. Throughout the day, they were an active part of the agenda. As a teacher and Principal, I consider these activities that transcend the classrooms very enriching. We have the opportunity to enhance the learning experience at school with this kind of alliances as a way to favor academic and behavioral knowledge,” Greni stated.
During the workshop, the school was visited by Heather Murphy, Cultural Affairs Manager at the United States Embassy, and Associate Verónica Pérez Urioste, who has been the referent for The GLOBE Program in Uruguay for years.
An attendance certificate was issued for teachers and students. All in all, it was a very enriching experience that positions GLOBE in the institutional curricula of the teachers who attended the course and projects these initiatives nationally across Uruguay. It is necessary to have these practical courses and to continue to make the scientific community grow.
Some comments made by the attendees about the course include:
“I am thankful for the opportunity to train on new protocols, getting to know new people and exchange personal and professional experiences and knowledge”
“In general, the experience was very enriching from the point of view that it is possible to work in the way that the course establishes. Furthermore, I would like to highlight the participation of students of the school, who provided an example of how they work and how they were brought up in the scientific field.”
“I really enjoyed the course, I met marvelous people and the study environment was very agreeable. I leave with lots of knowledge and nice memories of sharing the work with colleagues from other departments. Hopefully, we’ll have the opportunity to do activities like this again”
“Both the practice and the material provided were great. I believe it was necessary to have more time to do them. The students were very polite, with great knowledge and beautiful human beings. Let’s do this again!”
“The organization of the event was excellent, the tutors, students and the school personnel were very warm as well as the GLOBE teachers. Thank you!”
“I am thankful for the opportunity of being a part of the program. Hopefully, in the future I will be able to do the other three courses (spheres)”.
Star Story and images courtesy Andrea Ventoso, Uruguay Country Coordinator.