Mid-Atlantic Marine Educators & Colleagues Present

Mid-Atlantic Marine Educators & Colleagues Present

Poster Presentations & Exhibits

How can an informal education institution collaborate effectively with school systems to ensure an optimal learning experience? What role does each play in the partnership? How does each help the other to meet its goals? Join educators from the National Aquarium in Baltimore as we share information about AquaPartners, an exciting 3-year watershed education program for Baltimore City students that includes classroom learning, hands-on activities, and field experiences. Discover how this successful program was created and what we have learned along the way.

Teachers participating in Virginia Sea Grant's Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System CBIBS Inside and Out project will discuss the use of ocean observing and real-time data in the classroom and their experiences monitoring water quality with their students. The authors will also discuss the two professional development institutes conducted at the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences during June of 2007 and 2008. CBIBS Inside and Out was a two year project funded by the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office's B-WET grant program and was geared towards educating teachers about the CBIBS and how to utilize the system in their classroom.

The Bridge is an online clearinghouse for ocean science education resources.  The Bridge provides teachers with easy-to-navigate access to the best ocean science education materials including topical pages, lesson plans, professional development and more.  The Bridge is a Virginia Sea Grant program funded by the National Sea Grant Office.

Note: Some documents are from the NMEA Conference webpage. If a “log-on” box appears, just click on the OK box in the upper right corner for access.

Some of the planet's most beautiful and diverse ecosystems are at risk. With temperatures on the rise, coral reefs are at greater risk for coral bleaching. Using ocean observing system data from NOAA's National Data Buoy Center, this classroom activity examines ocean temperatures off Puerto Rico to see how coral reefs are being impacted and predict what's on the horizon. Brought to you by Sea Grant's Bridge website (www.marine-ed.org/bridge) and COSEE Networked Ocean World (COSEE NOW).

Handout: http://itconf.mbayaq.org/nmea2009/Handouts/DayMiller.pdf

Writing successful grant proposals can be exhausting, overwhelming, and time consuming, often with little chance for success. Using five years of data and observations from NOAA's Environmental Literacy Grant Program, this presentation will discuss many common and some less obvious mistakes made in proposal preparation. We will discuss many best practices that can greatly affect a proposal's success in the current funding environment. Attendees will receive a practical list of dos and don'ts for writing successful grant proposals. Time will be reserved for questions and discussion. Join us for an insider's view of what makes a proposal successful

Audience: 6-12, College, Researchers, Informal Educators

Handout: http://itconf.mbayaq.org/nmea2009/Handouts/petrone.pdf

PowerPoint: http://itconf.mbayaq.org/nmea2009/Handouts/PetronePP.pdf

Why does coffee take so long to cool down? Why is ocean water sometimes the warmest when the average daily air temperature starts to drop? How can buoys help us explore these questions? In this session by the Bridge and COSEE-NOW, participants will explore the concept of heat capacity and its effects on our daily lives. We will work through a classroom-tested activity that uses online resources and ocean observing system data to investigate why water acts as a thermal buffer and the practical applications this has. Participants will receive resources and information on integrating observing systems into their curricula.


Preparing a Team to Excel at the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB®)
Kathleen Meehan Coop  kmeehancoop@oceanleadership.org, Christine Hodgdon, Allison Byrd
Audience: 6-12, College, Researchers, Informal Educators

Discussion minutes: http://www.oceanleadership.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/nmea-notes-for-nosb.pdf

Why do some schools always excel at STEM competitions? And why does their continued status as an elite team foster the competitive spirit in some teams, while it drives others away from competition? NOSB wants to facilitate a discussion with coaches, regional coordinators and educators on how to ensure continued student excitement and team involvement in NOSB and other STEM competitions. We will share teaching ideas and strategies for studying and preparing for the competition, as well as suggestions for coach mentoring. There will also be discussion on how to enhance the current NOSB competition format to support more team diversity.


A Virtual Experience with Real Microbial Data

Miriam Sutton  msutt@coastalnet.com

Handout: http://itconf.mbayaq.org/nmea2009/Handouts/Sutton-AVirtualExperience.doc

What are microbes telling scientists about Earth's past, present, and future? This session will take participants on a virtual "at-sea" research experience to understand the technology used and the scientific findings revealed through microbial research in our oceans. Real scientific data will be accessed and instructional resources will be demonstrated to assist educators in understanding the scientific processes incorporated to extract microbial data from the sea. Sample activities will also be demonstrated and a resource handout will be available.

In July, 1999, the State of California established beach cleanliness laws, and a popular beach closed for two months. A nearby sewage outfall was the prime suspect. How would you figure out whether the outfall was to blame, and what would you do about it? Students work through the scientific, regulatory and policy issues involved in a decision about upgrading a coastal sewage outfall. They learn to interpret complex scientific data, discuss the role of science in policy and also reflect on their own decision-making processes. I will share an online educational resource, suitable for undergraduates and high school seniors.

Handout: http://itconf.mbayaq.org/nmea2009/Handouts/Sutton-adventurelearning.doc

This session will assist educators and researchers in developing instructional strategies to bring real scientific data and research experiences into the classroom. Three styles of Adventure Learning will be explored in this session: Classroom-based, Field-based, and Remote Teaching. Successful strategies applied during land and at-sea research projects (polar, temperate, and tropical biomes) will be reviewed in addition to pre-planning and troubleshooting tips. This session addresses all NSSE standards with an emphasis on Science as Inquiry, Earth and Space Science, and Science and Technology. Ocean Literacy Principles 5, 6, and 7 are also addressed. A resource handout will be available.


Volunteers, Who Needs Them? We DO! Getting and Keeping Volunteers
Karen Burns  kpburns@virginiaaquarium.com

The Virginia Aquarium, like most non-profits, is always looking for new sources of organizational support. Through community partnerships and innovative program development we have been able to foster relationships that have enabled us to gain new volunteers. Development of educational and community partnerships has led to increased volunteerism as well as aquarium membership and community support. Educational partnerships, service learning projects, internship and mentorship opportunities are ways to gain exposure to the aquarium and recruit volunteers and members for the institution. Developing community partnerships has many potential benefits including financial support, acquisition of human resources and encouraging community involvement.

Janice McDonnell  mcdonnel@marine.rutgers.edu, Sage Lichtenwalner, Katie Gardner

In this session, COSEE NOW team members will provide a guided tour of our website and show you how you can become involved in COSEE NOW through Web-based forums, professional development\regional collaborations to enhance ocean science education and increase ocean literacy\and on-line teacher-scientist interactions to enhance scientific and technological content in informal and formal educational settings. We will demonstrate our latest lessons and resources that use real time data from ocean observing systems including the COOL Classroom and informal lessons from the Liberty Science Center, Jersey City, NJ

Handout 1: http://itconf.mbayaq.org/nmea2009/Handouts/Bollinger1GreatAnadromousFishGame.pdf

Handout 2: http://itconf.mbayaq.org/nmea2009/Handouts/Bollinger2GreatAnadromousFish.pdf

Handout 3: http://itconf.mbayaq.org/nmea2009/Handouts/Bollinger3GreatAnadromousFishgame.pdf