aboard the r/v katy bringing meaning to an outdoor field experience dana sjostrom...
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Aboard the R/V Katy
Bringing Meaning to anOutdoor Field Experience
Dana Sjostrom
University of Texas
Marine Science
Institute
What is this?0Katy Program is a field trip aboard our Research
Vessel, the Katy0Students participate in one of two trips:
0 2 hour – Plankton Tow and Trawl0 4 hour – Plankton Tow, Mud Grab, and two Trawls
What components are part of this experience? 0We visit with students prior to
the trip. 0This talk changes with grade
level or topic.0Safety rules are also covered
prior to boarding the boat0Then, the boat trip!0Currently, no follow up activities
are included
When do we interact with students?
Who Needs This?
0 M
otto: Get O
utside!
• We provide opportunities for 5th through high school, including college and adult programs
• Even some local students have never been on the water or in a boat
• Providing appreciation for the outdoors is critical
Learning Goals:What are we trying
to accomplish?
1. Students foster an appreciation of the outdoor environment.2. Students learn about the bay ecosystem and associated biota
through discovery learning techniques.3. Students describe and identify characteristics of what they
encounter using grade-level appropriate terminology.4. Student attitudes about science improve following program
participation.
Plankton Exploration
Now, an activity. You get to be the discover-er!
Plankton Exploration0Examine your plankton sample, describe what you
see! Use creative language.
Plankton Lesson: Let’s Do it Differently This Time
Plankton Lesson: The Transmission Method
Listen, then reflect.How was it different?
How do you think student experiences changed?
Plankton: Let’s see the details now
Routine:0Ask students what they
know about plankton0 Introduce the floater idea0Examine net0Drag0Look!0 Identify later
Conversations center around student observations.
Trawl: Let’s see the details
Routine:0Deploy net0Talk about net structure0Drag for 20-30 mins0Retrieve trawl0Explain procedure0Deal with tough stuff0Then split organisms into
buckets for exploration
Conversations again center around student observations.
Learner – Centered and Inquiry Based
Old Format Focus (boooo!)
New Format Focus (yay!)
Assessments: When and How?How we can assess meaningful learning during the program?
We could develop scoring rubrics to assess things like:
0 Do students appreciate and respect the outdoor space?
0 How does meaningful discourse and discussion lead to increased student understanding?
0 How do student-student interactions and use of self-guided exploration lead to increased student understanding?
(Blanchet-Cohen & Elliot, 2011; Hickey, Taasoobshirazi, & Cross, 2012; Schulz, 2012)
Summative AssessmentsHow we can assess meaningful learning as a result of program completion?
Students could conduct pre- and post- attitude surveys and respond to open ended questions about the bay system.
0 Did student content knowledge increase?
0 Were activities grade level appropriate?
0 Did student attitudes towards science change?
How can we reach a diverse
audience?• Inquiry oriented field experiences• Learner-centered approaches
• Productive, open-ended questioning• Learning conversations appropriate to grade level or prior
experience• Classroom support for teachers
(Hickey, et al., 2012; Larson, Castleberry, & Green, 2010;Roehrig, Dubosarsky, Mason, Carlson, & Murphy, 2011)
References
Blanchet-Cohen, N., & Elliot, E. (2011). Young Children and Educators Engagement and Learning Outdoors: A Basis for Rights-Based Programming. [Article]. Early Education and Development, 22(5), 757-777. doi: 10.1080/10409289.2011.596460
Hickey, D. T., Taasoobshirazi, G., & Cross, D. (2012). Assessment as learning: Enhancing discourse, understanding, and achievement in innovative science curricula. [Article]. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 49(10), 1240-1270. doi: 10.1002/tea.21056
Larson, L. R., Castleberry, S. B., & Green, G. T. (2010). Effects of an environmental education program on the environmental orientations of children from different gender, age, and ethnic groups. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 28(3), 95-113.
Roehrig, G. H., Dubosarsky, M., Mason, A., Carlson, S., & Murphy, B. (2011). We Look More, Listen More, Notice More: Impact of Sustained Professional Development on Head Start Teachers' Inquiry-Based and Culturally-Relevant Science Teaching Practices. [Article]. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 20(5), 566-578. doi: 10.1007/s10956-011-9295-2
Schulz, L. (2012). The origins of inquiry: inductive inference and exploration in early childhood. Trends in cognitive sciences, 16(7), 382-389.
Thank you!
Now go outside and explore!