Enrichment of Science Education Using Ocean Observatories and Real Time Data Streams Rutgers Marine and Coastal Sciences Mid-Atlantic Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence

Mid-Atlantic COSEE Capitalize on regional expertise and partnerships to promote the ocean sciences for inquiry-based, interdisciplinary learning experiences Promote the effective use of information technology Facilitate professional development for K-12 educators Develop, identify, and distribute exemplary curricula Promote the education of public audiences Foster inclusion of under-represented groups in the ocean sciences

C.O.O.L. Classroom

C.O.O.L. Classroom Evaluation Piloted the C.O.O.L. Classroom with 21 educators around the country Teachers are willing to use online lessons, but the lessons must fit with content they're already teaching Teachers want online lessons to be simple, mostly self-explanatory and self-contained - the content can be complex, but the lessons shouldn't be Students are more involved if the lessons are relevant to their lives/experiences Evaluation, and corresponding changes, are essential Teachers always use the lessons in unexpected ways Teachers need training/support for implementation

C.O.O.L. Classroom Evaluation 70% of participants regularly use the Internet/websites with their students 100% of participants agreed/strongly agreed they could use the lessons with their students, and 90% would use them again next year 96% of participants found the lessons easy to integrate into their existing curriculum Nearly 50% of participants felt they could use more training on the use of the website C.O.O.L. Classroom was structured to promote an understanding of what scientists do, as well as a sense of interaction with the scientific community, and was effective in doing so – 81% and 62% of participants agreed, respectively

C.O.O.L. Classroom Evaluation Introductory units well received and used often Biology Project used the most and best received – liked the layout Earth Science and Physics used less – too long, difficult and complicated based on the few who looked at it Almost all participating teachers went through the Teachers Guide Site worked best with 6th grade and up Suggestion not to identify projects by subject matter

C.O.O.L. Classroom Evaluation Time estimates for lesson completion were insufficient Instructions need to follow students as they open new windows Some teachers having their students do Power Point presentations or web sites instead of a writing assignment “What’s C.O.O.L.?” and “C.O.O.L. Facts” were least used sections of site Students generally liked tutorials in the format of the “Control Room” Students and teachers liked embedded quizzes Should allow for ~6-10 hours to go through an entire unit

C.O.O.L. Classroom - Future Work will continue to improve existing site structure and content based on evaluation results Marine Microbiology unit to be added during 2004-2006 Developed in conjunction with professional curriculum developers Piloted with classroom educators

Taking the Pulse of Our Changing Planet Connect observatory scientists and classroom educators to provide innovative uses of Internet published real time, or near real time, data from coastal observing systems Explore the role of coastal ocean observatories and remote sensing systems in the study of the physical/chemical/biological processes of the coastal ocean and coastal watersheds Emphasis on real time, and near real time, data streams How can the concepts of ocean science, and real time data streams enhance existing science lessons/curricula? July 11-17, 2004 University of Maryland - Horn Point Laboratory Includes field experiences, and web-based and classroom instruction

Visit Us Mid-Atlantic Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence www.macosee.net The C.O.O.L. Classroom www.coolclassroom.org Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve www.jcnerr.org Striper Tracker www.stripertracker.org